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Attention, parents: Have you noticed extra family members underfoot recently? An increase of cookie crumbs on the carpet? Privacy in the bathroom cut to an average 7.5 seconds per visit? 

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed in that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more than that."

The days left of high school can now be counted on one hand. It's hard to believe that the journey that started 13 years ago will finally come to an end as the Live Oak High School Class of 2006 finally graduates.

Although it's a bit faded now, there's an old picture that I like to look at on Father's Day. In it, a blond 5-year-old girl stands in a pale red coat, too short in the sleeves, her brown, scuffed cowboy boots planted wide apart on the sunny surface of a bridge. She's holding a fish. Still on the line, the fish is small, but the little girl's grin is so wide that a wad of bubblegum escapes from one side. The image calls to mind memories much more vivid than the photograph … 

"Don't drink, blah." Don't drink and drive, blah, blah, responsible, blah. No, blah, blah, drugs, blah, blah, blah …" By now, this must be what my teens hear when I talk about substance abuse, as I've talked to them about it since I thought they were old enough to understand, which is, for my daughter, since she was 4 when she asked me if she would die early. Jumping on the opportunity, I said "Don't drink alcohol and do drugs, choose friends who stay away from drinking and drugging, and you should live a long time," I told her.

You undoubtedly know by now that I endeavor to cover various major issues in this column such as ocean flatulence and exploding cattle. So as a public service, I'm deviating from the norm and dedicating this piece to anyone still in the grips of TV episode withdrawal and wondering, "What the heck is going to happen to Jack Bauer?"

There's only two weeks of school left. That's just 10 school days left for the freshmen, sophomores and juniors, but only six school days left for the seniors. Many, if not all of the students are anxiously awaiting summer vacation, but first we must get through the dreaded end-of-the-year finals. For the seniors, finals will be Friday for periods one, three and five and next Monday for periods two, four, zero and six.

So here we are, at the end of May. Does anybody remember last August? I don't know what happened, but even with two and a half weeks left of the 2005-06 school year, there are still activites floating around Live Oak.

The magic of a musical doesn't always hit its target, but Ann Sobrato High School's presentation of "Grease" on Friday evening, May 12, definitely scored a bull's-eye. Director Mark Masoni brougnt together a diverse group of vital performers in their rendition of high school life during the 50's.

Amazing is the best word I can think of to describe the night of May 20th, 2006. Held at Monterey's Post Naval Graduate School, Senior Ball is a night that many look forward to and nobody can forget. Sadly, Senior Prom is the beginning of the end for seniors who only have 20 school days left until graduation.