News of the Day

It appears the boy may have got himself a job as a track and field coach at a high school in the city starting this Fall. He was recommended for the job by one of his former coaches who heard him giving pointers to a couple of athletes in pole vault at a track meet where he was working on one of his breaks. He'll have the perfect schedule to simultaneously pursue his EMS certification. His ultimate goal is still to get hired by the FDNY and become a firefighter. He leaves this Sunday to do his summer job as lifeguard trainer/certifier and waterfront director at camp. Anything that involves life preservation, he is amped.

The girl also got herself a job, or rather an internship. It's in her field so she will be able to get academic credit for the hours worked. She will be covering the restaurant scene in the city, writing reviews, following trends, doing best of lists, chef profiles, and reporting on food events in the city. Lucky girl. It was the job that had made her eyes sparkle when she saw it listed. She was a little behind the 8-ball as she didn't start looking for summer work till the end of school. Her dad and I tried to explain that most people have their summer jobs sewn up since the spring, having made good use of their college career center, which she has yet to visit. But, she showed us. She worked it out. She starts on Monday and will be able to mostly write from home. Did I say she's lucky?

The No. 1 southbound train derailed on its tracks last night, bringing an influx of fire engines, cop cars, TV news vehicles and helicopters to the neighborhood. My husband and I were meeting a friend for dinner on that very block. It was high excitement. No one was hurt but hundreds of passengers had to walk through the long line of subway cars to get back to the station. Meanwhile I was watching the swirling lights and listening to the piercing sirens and texting my daughter to find out where she was out in the city. I knew my son was at home with a friend, but she could have been anywhere. Turns out she was on the last northbound train before service was stopped and was walking out of the station just as the derailment occurred.

I get a little crazy at the sound of sirens in the neighborhood, which we hear often since there is a fire house, a hospital, and a police precinct all within a four block radius of us. I always want to know where my kids are when I hear sirens, to make sure they are nowhere near. And I don't actually sleep at night until my babies are back inside our door and safe in their beds, which is a challenge given that my kids are grown. My daughter and her friends hung out on the roof patio of one friend's apartment building until almost 3 a.m. last night. I was texting her constantly. She indulged me and mostly answered. I told her this morning, "I'm sorry your mother is sort of paranoid. I would like to tell you I'll change but I think that might be a lie." She laughed and patted my arm.