Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Thomas gets busy and now has nothing to do

Thomas signed himself up for the LSATs (the Law School Admission Test) several months ago. He's spent the past few months going over online practice tests, and a lot of complaining. Here is his study book:

Test day was yesterday (ALL DAY), so this past weekend, we prepared: plenty of #2 sharpened pencils? check. erasure sans any wrapper? check. a color print up of his admission ticket? check. a 1 gallon clear ziploc baggy to hold all his snacks? check. one sealed bottle of water? check. a paper map to the campus, including parking sites? check. Money to pay for parking if needed? check. analog watch? check.* prepared to leave phone in car while taking test? hmmmmmm...after a LOT of dithering, Thomas finally acknowledged he could make his way from a parked car, to the test site, and back again later that day without consulting his phone and, so, conceded that he COULD leave his phone in the car. These precautions were taken to ensure Thomas was in full compliance with rules set up by the testing company. Finally the day, yesterday, arrived. Thomas sprang out of bed early, scolded us for not waking him up, complained about the small breakfast we had made, grunted acknowledgement of the stash of snacks I made for him--some for the ziploc baggy and some to remain in the car--and then scowled at the watch. He then flew out the door, looking very much like someone who was walking himself to his own execution. Many hours later (about 10 hours later) he finally arrived home, happy and hungry. And now that the test is done, Thomas is bored and doesn't know what to do with himself.
*Older folks may think that rustling up an analog watch is no big deal but Thomas has never owned one. I had to make a mad dash to Target at 8 am Monday morning, the day of the test, to find a watch. I set the time and gave it to Thomas while he ate his breakfast. He didn't know how to put the strap on (he tried to slip it on over his hand to his wrist) and, looking at it bewildered, asked, "How do I work it?" Well, (1) open your eyes, (2) angle your face toward the watch, (3) notice the position of the watch hands. Later that day I was making fun of Thomas with a workmate whose daughter, one year older than Thomas, took the LSATs in February. He said she angrily complained when given an analog watch to use during the test, "I was never TAUGHT HOW TO READ these kinds of clocks!"

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