This is the post where I sound like a crabby old person. You know, that woman in the neighborhood who tells you that she walked five miles to school when she was a kid and she liked it. Yeah, today that’s me.

In case you didn’t notice. It’s unseasonably warm right now. No. It’s hot. Very hot. Oh and the kids are back in school. And because it must have been a slow news day yesterday, I heard a story on the radio about how the kids at Brookfield Central are “without decent relief” because they don’t have air conditioning. Apparently the Elmbrook school district wouldn’t pass a referendum to pay to cool the schools.

My first thought when I heard the story was “Oh brother.” My second thought was “I’m glad I’m not them.” No, seriously. I’m a huge air conditioning enthusiast. I’m sitting here in nice central air while writing this. But I really don’t feel too bad for those kids..or my own kids who never attended air conditioned schools.

I walked by Lincoln Elementary School today, and judging by the open windows, I’d say it’s safe to assume that there isn’t A/C in that school. I’d also guess that the kids might be mildly annoyed but hardly noticed the heat. Kids are resilient in that way. I was – back in the day.

In the meantime, let’s talk about something truly challenging – the mosquitos! Now that’s a story worth hearing!

On a typical school day, the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Wauwatosa Avenue (76th Street) can be pretty challenging. Between students from Tosa East, Lincoln, St. Bernard’s and those heading towards Longfellow, drivers have to be alert and proceed slowly and cautiously in the morning and the mid-afternoon.

Now that there’s pipe work construction blocking several streets in the village, this same intersection will likely become a huge headache for those who can’t avoid it. Already, rush hour traffic is clogging that intersection and the one just west of it – Underwood and Milwaukee – with cars detouring around the construction.

Early reports have the work finishing up prior to Tosa Fest which starts September 8th. Given the age of the pipes involved, the few mishaps that have already happened (i.e. at least three instances of pipes being hit during construction) and any unforeseen obstacles that may occur, that date may be a tad optimistic.

Tosa schools open on September 4th this year. Here’s hoping that the construction will move swiftly. Otherwise, we’re all going to have to use a lot of patience and caution when navigating that area. Plan ahead and drive s-l-o-w-l-y.

I almost ignored it. I walked by a television around noon on Monday, saw the “Breaking News” crawl at the bottom of the screen and something about a shooting. I tend to ignore the words “Breaking News” because every single day, there is breaking news. When hog futures are announced, it’s “Breaking News.” When the paternity of Anna Nicole’s daughter was announced, it was “Breaking News.” But on Monday, I asked someone what happened and they told me about the horrendous shootings at Virginia Tech. Then the anchor on TV told us it was the worst shooting in U.S. history. Unfortunately, this really was “Breaking News.”

As a parent, this was all too real. I have a son at college and when I thought about his campus and the possibility of this horror happening there, I shuddered. There but for the grace of God go my son and every other college student. Why Virginia Tech? Why Monday? Why carry out such hatred, such evil and cause such gut-wrenching pain for so many? There will never be enough answers for anyone – the victims, their families, the other students at Virginia Tech. Much like Columbine, there will be plenty of finger-pointing and blame to go around. Could something have prevented that young man from exacting revenge on that day on so many? We may never know.

Today, I was driving by Mount Mary College, the Catholic all-women’s college nestled on the edge of Wauwatosa. To an outsider, it seems like a sheltered haven—a private college catering to those who prefer higher education in a smaller setting. I saw one of the college’s security cars drive by. I looked at the car and then glanced at the wide-open campus and wondered how that school, or any school could ever begin to prevent such violence.

My son goes to school in sleepy little Muncie, Indiana. He’s surrounded by cornfields and dairy farms and strip malls. Like many colleges, it’s an idyllic setting for co-eds to stroll across campus, go to and from classes and enjoy their independence. But from the looks of it on television, Virginia Tech seemed like a pretty nice place too. As does UWM and Marquette and Carroll College and Alverno and the many schools where we Tosans send our sons and daughters.

I’ve always been a bit of a chronic worrier. When I was a working mom, I would pause every time an emergency vehicle would drive by my office. I’d watch to see whether it drove in the direction of my kids’ day care center or school. If it did, I’d say a silent prayer. When my son drives to and from college, I don’t breathe a sigh of relief until he’s home or in his dorm room. It may seem over-the-top, but I’ve never stopped worrying about my kids since I gave birth to them.

As much as we try to protect our kids, there is no bubble big enough to keep them safe from the danger that festers in the mind of someone so lonely, disturbed and vengeful that he would continue killing until he took his own life too. We could bring our kids home and forbid them from leaving the house, but that’s neither likely nor wise. We all know that we have to let go of them and hope for the best. After Monday, that seems a little bit more difficult than before.

At the risk of being disliked by most of the teens in Wauwatosa and not just the teens in my own house, I’d like to go on record as saying that I disagree with letting kids use iPods or other MP3 players in school. 

An article in today's Journal Sentinel talks about the Arrowhead school district restricting the use of personal music players on school property. The article goes on to interview Tosa East principal Nick Hughes and several Tosa East students about the policy at Wauwatosa East, which, in my opinion is a cop-out.

The article states that: “Students at Wauwatosa East High School used to not be allowed to roam the halls with their iPods in tow. But after a lengthy staff debate this year, Principal Nick Hughes said the school officials decided to allow students to listen to their music in the school's common areas and in classrooms, if a teacher approves.”

Principal Hughes explained: "It was a daily battle last year to remind kids between periods to put their headphones away, to put their iPods away. I equated it to like a test day at a Best Buy."

Look, I’m not anti-iPod. I own one. In fact, there are three in our household and I purchased all of them. They’re an amazing mixture of technology and art. But what bothers me is that they provide our kids with another way to tune out their environment and disengage themselves from others. In today’s culture of senseless school violence, why are we giving kids more ways to disconnect from each other and isolate themselves? Is it just because it’s easier that way? Is it that painful to walk down the hall or sit through lunch without the sound of The Killers or Justin Timberlake pounding in their ears?

I have no doubt that Principal Hughes and the teachers and administrators at Tosa East have a Herculean job. Being the caretakers of a great high school must be daunting, even on a good day. But I’d rather hear about them building bridges between students, instead of solitary cocoons with earbuds.

If you haven’t dined out recently, you may not have noticed that it’s Homecoming Season. Yes, it’s that time of year when you can enjoy your dinner in jeans while the patrons at the table next to you are wearing formal gowns and suits. Last night, at Maggiano’s Restaurant at Mayfair, my family and I had front row seats for this seasonal spectacle. What a sight it was and how different from my high school days.

First, I was pleased to see a group of girls in lovely dresses dining sans dates. I wanted to run up to them and shout: “You go, girls!” How refreshing to see that these young women didn’t need a date to enjoy the dance. As someone who went to an all-girls’ high school and only went to one dance, I found this change to be welcome and long overdue.

Then, there was the traditional table of three couples who hadn’t been clued into the “boy-girl-boy-girl” seating tradition. The girls stuck together and giggled as the boys valiantly attempted conversation while garters cut off the circulation in their arms.

Finally, there was a very unique table of three girls, one boy and a dad. At least I’m pretty sure he was a dad. He had a well-groomed goatee, his suit fit better than the boy’s did, he looked a bit old for high school and I’m pretty sure that his credit card had his name on it. Somewhat surprisingly, the kids seemed OK with him being at the table, rather than awkwardly embarrassed at having to “hang” with a parent.

It’s fun to watch these groups as they embark on their special evenings, but I can’t help but shake my head at the “over-the-top” nature of it all. The dresses that the girls were wearing were spectacular, as were their jewelry and hairstyles. It was hard not to make a mental tabulation of the cost of such an evening. Don’t get me wrong, I love special occasions and, as you know, I do love my shopping. But I wonder how difficult it will be to top these events as these kids become adults. Will their weddings be a letdown and is the Homecoming dance a breeding ground for future “Bridezillas”?

My son’s high school had a tradition for their winter dance. The boys would take the money that would be used for tux rental and donate it to a charity. I loved that idea. Why not have the dance, but scale back on the pomp and circumstance and give back a little at the same time? In our culture of more and better, it’s unlikely to be the next big thing, but it’s worth considering. Of course, I'll probably be first in line with my daughter to buy that spectacular dress when her turn comes around. And you are welcome to remind me to eat my words.

The Pasadena neighborhood, sometimes known as the Christ King neighborhood, is a little less happy than it usually is. Sure, it’s a grand example of location, location, location….but for once, their location is less than ideal. You see, the folks that live around the much beloved gourmet grocery store, Sendik’s, have a bit of a beef, and we’re not talking teriyaki or Kobe. The problem is that the employees of Sendik’s are clogging up Meineke Street, one block north of the store. The folks that live on Meineke not only can’t park on the street themselves, but they have a difficult time getting in and out of their driveways because there are so many employees' cars parked on both sides of the street. It’s a bit like your next door neighbor having a huge party…every day. The folks that run Sendik’s thought they were being customer-friendly by leaving their entire lot open for shoppers, rather than employees, but now they’re making the surrounding neighbors very unhappy and not very friendly. I’ve heard of many suggestions that have been proposed to alleviate this problem, none of which really makes everyone happy. Sometimes it’s tough for a great business to coexist with a great neighborhood, but I feel confident that a creative idea will arise out of this discussion. It just seems that Sendik’s would be wise to remember that the customer is always right.

Here in Tosa, we’re blessed with many great schools. Some public, some private. On any given morning or afternoon, from September through June, you’ll see packs of kids walking to and from school. As we know, surrounding these schools, there are School Zones which are designed for children’s safety. There are posted signs and stop signs and speed limits intended to get people to SLOW DOWN. However, it appears that all School Zones are not created equal. Surrounding McKinley, there are 4-way stop signs at every corner. Over on 89th and Clarke Street, just north of McKinley School and just East of Christ King School, there are stop signs for East and Westbound drivers. There are NOT, however, stop signs for North and Southbound drivers. This has become a problem. A BIG problem. Kids walking to either school have to use extreme caution at this intersection. The families that live around this area want to know why there isn’t a 4-way stop sign here. It’s a good question. I’ve driven through that intersection for years and I know that if you’re not looking carefully, drivers (usually those going downhill Southbound) blast through the intersection without looking. It truly is an accident waiting to happen. A friend told me that her family cat was recently killed by a driver going too fast and not watching where he/she was going. This time it was an animal. Will it be a child next time? Is it such a huge inconvenience that we can’t have more stop signs surrounding our schools? Are we in that much of a hurry?

So apparently there was a memo sent out to all parents recently and it read something like this: “It is now time to BUY ALL OF YOUR SCHOOL SUPPLIES IMMEDIATELY!” People, it is not even August 1st. No schools are open yet. The floors have not yet been buffed. The chairs and desks are still piled high in the hallways. There won’t be anybody barfing in the nurse’s office for at least a month, but here in Wauwatosa, school supply shopping has become the official summer pastime.

That’s all well and good. I’m all for getting a jump on things. I’m notoriously early for virtually everything, but there’s nothing to put a damper on summer fun faster than a trip to Target to buy school supplies.

The problem with this annual buying frenzy is the complete lack of school supply buying etiquette. First of all, they should give us skinny carts or a personal Sherpa. They don’t. The carts are large and the aisles aren’t. Then, they should collect all cell phones and children before you are allowed to enter the school supply zone. Because, to use an educational analogy: Mom + supply list + children (multiply by 2 if they are toddlers) + cell phone + cart = complete and utter chaos.

This year our job was easier. It’s my daughter’s first year of high school and Crayola Fine Tip Bold Colors 24 pack Markers are not on our list. (Thank God!) Her requirements are simple and somewhat open-ended. Nevertheless, we ventured to Target knowing that if we waited 3 weeks, everything left over would look lame, which, in the mind of a teenager is tantamount to social suicide.

So back to these manners-lacking moms. Look, we all expect crowds and a bit of bumping into each other and perhaps a few items that are out of stock. No biggie. But it doesn’t help matters when parents' carts are parked diagonally blocking everyone, their kids are wandering aimlessly and whining and they are on the cell phone gossiping with their girlfriends. Seriously!

I truly wish that mass merchants would employ School Supply *** whose sole purpose is to yell at the slow-thinkers, the picky-choosers and those not truly committed to the task at hand. “C’MON PEOPLE, MOVE IT! LADY, PICK A RULER, YOUR KID DOESN’T CARE WHAT COLOR IT IS. SIR, YOUR CHILD IS ALREADY EATING THE ERASERS, PLEASE LEAVE THE AREA. YOUNG LADY, YOUR BOYFRIEND WON’T BE LOOKING AT YOUR NOTEBOOKS – TRUST ME!”

I know, I’m preaching to the choir here. You people are all well-behaved, make your decisions quickly and don’t take along kids that do not want to be there, right? If not, allow me to introduce you to a wonderful new concept: Buying Online. Yes, you can talk on the phone, coddle your children, consider your choices and dawdle to your heart’s content. Brilliant, isn’t it?

What do you think about school supply shopping? Are you glad that it starts so early or do you wish we could wait longer? E-mail me about this or any other topic at westsidestoriestosa@yahoo.com .