Last in Line

Ah yes..... it's the first day of school for my boys.

Everything went off without a hitch this morning.

Yesterday was... well... a little stressful.

We've been so busy over the past couple of weeks that my wife and I suddenly realized... "Hey tomorrow is the first day of school!"

She was working... so... picture this:

It's late afternoon.

I realize I'm going to have to get all of this stuff. No problem right?

Wrong.

That false sense of security lasted about 10 minutes at most.

I take the boys to get their hair cut.

One barber was normal.

The other one shouldn't ever be allowed to hold a razor.

Or anything sharp.

A grumpy, bitter barber.

Is there anything worse?

I'm trying to tell him how to cut my 9 year old's hair.

Pretty simple: Clean it up on the sides and the back, trim the front just a little.

His response?

"I'm not going to give him 3 haircuts!"

3 haircuts?

Math still isn't my best subject but even I know 1 doesn't equal 3.

He was ready for a barbershop smackdown.

He stared at me.

I stared at him.

The theme song from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" played in the background.

No blinking.

Until....

I must have looked like I was going to scalp him with that dull razor over there by the hair dryer.

He blinked.

From there it was off to WalMart.

No shopping carts.

Not even one available.

Turns out I didn't need one.

With the school supply list in hand I made my way into the mass of back to school humanity.

I should have known I was in for trouble when I saw a mom pistol whipping her teenager.

"This is the binder you're required to have!"

"I want the other one!!"

"You can't get the other one."

"But this one looks sooooo stupid!!!!"

Lovely.

No Number 2 Pencils available.

At the risk of turning my boys into rebels I look for some Number 1 or Number 3 Pencils instead.

Someone mentions that they don't even exist.

Shouldn't the public be informed of this conspiracy?

No colored pens.

No erasers.

Out of 15 or more items on my list I picked up maybe 3.

Off to Target.

Less people.

Still very little that would complete my list. Then to Walgreen's.

Yes!

Everything I need!

I pay.

Then I realize I'm missing something.

A ruler!

I go back.

They have one!

I smack myself on the head with it.

Ouch.

My boys laugh.

I laugh.

This gives me an idea.

"Hey guys... do you think the barbershop is still open?"