last week bella achieved a long-term goal she set several years back--to pay for her own college education (or more plainly, to exit college debt-free). she has been saying this since she was in the sixth grade. and every time she did i would essentially pat her on the head and tell her that was not something she had to worry about because i worked at a university and one of my benefits was having my children's tuition paid for, whether they went to where i worked or elsewhere.

that narrative got gutted when i left my university job three years ago to start my own company and for the last three years marty and i have been working (and worrying) to pay our mortgage, not a college tuition bill. but good to her 6th grade declaration bella has been chipping away at that expected expense with nary a word from marty or i. last week, at her high school's senior awards ceremony, she received three additional scholarships (in addition to the four she had already received from the school she is attending) which got her across the tuition line and even left enough for her to cover her books and the laptop she will ultimately need.

now she is the one that gets to pat me on the head and tell me not to worry because, well, because she is a complete and untimitgated butt-cuttin' stud.

and if that wasn't enough for you, she can also help drive on cross-country trips.