Jack likes to listen to bubble gum pop on the ride to school. Sam puts the headphones on and jams out with the White Stripes in the back seat. Yesterday morning, still feeling a bit under the weather, I took them to school as usual. Well, they behaved themselves, which is perhaps unusual.

There is a drop-off lane in front of the school and I joined the queue as usual. Well, things went smoothly, which is perhaps unusual. I was behind a white minivan. We both deposited our dear ones and began to pull out of the parking lot. The van went left, as did I. But the van then went right, into the driveway and then garage of a house directly opposite the school.

40 yards. It couldn’t be more than 40 yards across the street from their front door to the school’s front door. And the kid gets driven to school? It wasn’t even kids in plural, it was just one. And it wasn’t raining or snowing or even particularly cold. Yuppie excess, as usual. Well, that was completely egregious excess, which is perhaps unusual.