Tim's reading class through Rutgers Continuing Education ended two weeks ago but he had a make-up class yesterday.

Since the two nearest locations for make-up were roughly the same distance from our house, I chose the one I was more familiar with: Monmouth University. Kenny and I had seen a concert there last fall.

We arrived thirty minutes early, enough time to walk to Wilson Hall which was open! A wedding party was shooting pictures in the back garden. We didn't disturb them, but then, nothing could disturb them. They were definitely self-involved.

Tim insisted on climbing the grand staircase to the second floor. When he asked to go to the third floor, I reminded him that his class would start soon. I asked whether he'd like to live in a house this big and he said yes. But I think more for the adventure of discovering than for the luxury. 'Though there was plenty of luxury. I can't imagine how the rooms were filled ... back in the days before big-screen TVs. There's only so many upholstered chairs and couches that a room can hold.

At the top of the stairs, at the end of a hallway there was an organ. Tim traipsed across the wood foot-pedals once as I yelled at him. The wood carvings on the organ of harps and lutes were so "of-the-period."

We left the building and, even if we had the time, I knew the Guggenheim "cottage" across the street that houses the university library would be closed.

On our way to Wilson Hall, I had noted two handwritten signs marking the way to the reading class, one posted on the Student Center placard and the other on the door to the very room itself! So, on our way back, we entered that room and waited for 20 minutes but no one showed. We started to leave but Tim had to visit the WC, so we entered the Student Center. A woman dashed out, carrying an envelop marked "Rutgers Reading Program" and I asked her whether she was the teacher. She said yes and that she was late. I said that we would be in the room shortly as soon as Timmy was ready. She said, "OK, you know we're in this building over here" and I said yes, that we had been waiting there already.

When we came out of the Student Center and returned to the assigned room, it was dark and no one was around. In fact, the campus was deserted, as you might expect for a Sunday afternoon in early August. The other door to Edison Hall is card-access only. But I went around the other end of the building and found doors propped open. We entered and found a class, Tim's class, in full session. I was more than a little exasperated. I asked why they weren't meeting in the assigned room and she countered, "Where you here last week?" No, this is a make-up class for us. "Well, we agreed last week to meet here." I told her about the signs and she denied putting them up.

After that rocky beginning, the class was fine and worthwhile. It's really more for me to observe how Tim behaves in class and, I'll say, that when he has something to do, he does it. Trouble is, he finishes quickly and then gets bored and starts fidgeting. So the teacher, whoever she is, must keep him busy all the time with something or other. But he was also one of the few who raised his hand and waited patiently to be called upon. I think, given his apparent energy level, the teacher was surprised that he wasn't jumping out of his seat with a Horshack Ooh, ooh, ooh!

I understand why they moved the room, to be near drinking fountain and restrooms. And I can understand how she missed passing the signs on her way from the parking lot.

After class, I took Tim to the computer center but he wasn't too impressed. There is a lab there that says, "Closed until further notice." Maybe all the systems are loaded up with a buggy Microsoft OS. Tsk, tsk. I would have taken him back to the Student Center, to view the computer clusters there but it was time to go.