Parents of the HS Class of 2009 - Page 1829

shawbridge · 09-22-2012, 12:25 AM

No mums in MA.

ShawSon coming home for a father/son weekend. He wants to talk career stuff and get some help on that and work on some research in a quiet environment (not his 10 person suite). I may or may not hear more about what is happening with GF.

ShawD just sent me a picture of herself, all happy, in her first set of scrubs, with her turquoise stethoscope (chosen, no doubt, to match her turquoise-blue eyes).

kmcmom13 · 09-22-2012, 05:34 AM

Shaw, that sounds lovely. However, if shawson is anything like mcson, the trip home may ALSO mean he's cranky about gf and needs some tlc via guy time. Regardless of motive, enjoy.

Missy pie, had I listened to you instead of toiling away in pain to meet the deadline yesterday (I have 2 complicated full page ads to get in on time every week) I might not presently look like a crazed chipmunk who has been up all night despite the discovery of a stash of leftover vicodin from last year's gb surgery.

I realized around midnight I'm in serious do-do with this infection, but by then, the urgent care clinic was closed so I thought I'd tough it out until 7 a.m. Second stupid plan, b/c now the right side if my face is actually hardening and I haven't slept more than an hour at a stretch.

At any rate, since our kids and spouses don't always say it enough, Missy, you were RIGHT and I'm an idiot

I actually sat there at work and thought "missy's right, I need antibiotics, I shouldn't mess around with an abscess, it could jump to my brain and kill me..." but somehow I kept thinking if I just got home and started saltwater rinses it would die down a little. Duh!

At any rate, I should go get mch up. I plan to be sitting on the curb when they open the doors in an hour and a half!

sevmom · 09-22-2012, 08:02 AM

kmcmom, Hope you've gotten to urgent care by now and gotten antibiotics! Take care.

FallGirl · 09-22-2012, 08:11 AM

Oh, kmc I hope you get help soon.

shaw I love that visual of your D in the turquoise scrubs matching her eyes! Professional and pretty at the same time. Think it's great that your S will talk with you about his career plans.

I was off yesterday and got a ton of things done. I am currently in a weird work situation where I am technically still part time so I am off every other Friday, but I actually work almost full time hours. Plans for me to officially go full time are in the works but we need to get through year end first. I anticipate having to negotiate a salary and while I have done some homework on this and am reasonable confident that my company will treat me fairly (because they are the type of company that does treat employees well), I have never had to do that before and am a little nervous about that. Oh well, I have a lot of other things to get through in the next few weeks.

shawbridge · 09-22-2012, 11:08 AM

kmc, good luck. So far not tlc. ShawSon is always available for friends in need and one couple in his suite broke up and another's parents, who appear to have a dreadful relationship including possible physical abuse of kids and maybe adults, are having pyrotechnics. And, another girl broke up with her BF. So, he finds working in the common room of his suite hard. I suggested the obvious -- how about the library. It's no more than a 5 minute walk from the dorm.

Then there's the GF, as he says the distance relationship thing isn't working well. But, she's back in the US and is supposed to come to visit on one of the next 2 weekends. I'd guess that if she doesn't, she's preparing to end it. A year ago, she sort of did the same thing at the beginning of the summer. He kept trying to visit and she was too busy. They broke up and then got back together in the fall. We'll see. My prediction: breakup in a month or two. He'll be sad. I hope it doesn't affect his work too much as he's writing a thesis and doing two independent studies. But, I don't worry about him finding a partner as he's now hitting the phase where, while he doesn't have turquoise-blue eyes, he's a sweet guy at the core who is also incredibly smart, funny, determined, ambitious, self-confident and likely to be successful in life. As a senior, this profile starts to tick off the boxes on the checklists of young women who weren't checking boxes three years earlier. They'll find him.

Modadunn · 09-22-2012, 12:41 PM

Shaw - I think you are right. Both men and women start to realize at some point that the hottest girl or guy in the room might not be a very interesting person to spend one's life with. I think S's girlfriend is darling and I really do look forward to meeting her, but I also know she has to be smart as well as very independent to hold S's attention for long. I do so hope she sets a very high bar but has an understanding ego. S works very hard and has long, long hours in the lab. His GF also has lab stuff AND she plays varsity soccer, so the time they get is pretty limited regardless I think. And I think it works that even though they are limited in time it's because of other commitments, interests and not just "guy" or "girl" time. We'll see.

as it is, I am scrambling to make reservations for restaurants for parents weekend. One would think that after four years and not finding accommodations for the last two of fall weekends and using four phones and two computers and not getting a room for graduation, I would have concluded that booking a table for dinner earlier than later would be just common sense. What do we think is behind my constant procrastination that sets me up for failure? On the one hand, I think it's a matter of not wanting too much of a plan for fear it will be rejected (and then I fail despite effort to succeed). On the other, I seriously just think much like scarlet o'hara in that "Tomorrow is another day!"

I had kayak notifications for our trip to phoenix for Thanksgiving and had a really great price at a great time and just didn't get up to find the credit card. It's not like the new flights are bad, but it did cost on the whole about 75bucks overall. I just now booked the flights for D's parents weekend and actually, ended up a little better than I thought. But now I HAVE to call my Aunt and see if we can stay with her. The good news is that hotels are fairly plentiful if necessary, but the rental car seems the better bet when my Aunt lives less than 20 minutes away and we get to visit her as well!

I feel quite unproductive to the rest of you. But when i get busy, I really get busy. As soon as we return to MN, the house is undergoing "operation move." I think we've concluded that Jan 1 will be a great time and hopefully have us looking for a new home ourself come mid spring! We might go and "live" in Chicago while my other Aunt is a snowbird in florida and stay at her place. Big move, but I think if nothing else a few days of property shopping and learning the neighborhoods of chicago will either be fun or completely disheartening (if we cant afford what we want for what we want to spend).

arabrab · 09-22-2012, 01:12 PM

Kmcmom -- Sometimes moms need moms themselves. Glad you are getting to the urgent care/ER to get that evaluated and treatment started. I hope it kicks in quickly.

Shawbridge -- What a great mental portrait you painted of your daughter. And, I bet ShawSon finds that some opportunity to be in the more restful environment of your home is a soothing balm to all of the angsty-situations around him. I think that's an important coping skill for people to have -- glad he's figured that out. D figured out last year that the library was actually a good place mentally to work, even if you aren't doing research. This year, it sounds like her living situation provides the same kind of peaceful atmosphere that lets her be productive, so that's even easier.

Moda -- exciting to think about house hunting in Chicago. Amazing how the city has become such a go-to place -- thirty years ago it seemed like a place many people were trying to get away from. I hear kids around here ooh and aah at friends who are heading off for jobs (or to look for jobs) there.

woody · 09-22-2012, 02:02 PM

Wow, moda, graduation, a wedding and now a relocation?? You're very brave.

H is on assignment in Chicago now. He was born there and couldn't wait to escape since the age of 8 - which he did!
Now he's really enjoying it. Although his advice is to stay away from the Parker (Palmer??) Hotel. Apparently great in its heyday...not so much now. Yesterday morning he was propping closet doors shut with an ironing board. (Probably the first time the man has even touched an ironing board come to think of it.) The entire old building was lilting to the left!

oregon101 · 09-23-2012, 02:25 AM

NM--is this a close friend? How are you feeling? and what a shock. It all must be confusing as it was out of country. Let's hope it was not painful for her. I know you will be so helpful with all of your great skills and kindness. Keep us posted, please

kmcmom13 · 09-23-2012, 05:27 AM

Moda, you sound like you heed a wife

Remember the good ole days when travel agents did this stuff for us?

Well, the FIRST trip to the clinic wasn't very productive in that the doc I saw didn't want to lance it or give a mega shot, just thought some amoxicillin would be good enough. I actually argued with him because I could "feel" how fast this was spreading across my face. But to no avail. So I went home and did what he said an 12 hrs later my jaw, under-eye and sinus area were completely swollen too.

So this time I went downtown to the "real" emergency where they're not so squeamish and found a doc who completely agreed, cut it open to drain, gave me a mega shot of super antibiotics, plus a pain shot, and let me sit with a suction unit for the better part of a hour to rinse the thing into submission. He warned me it was going to be painful because he couldnt use anasthetic but agreed it was the best course.

I don't think I'll ever go to a suburban clinic again

I feel a million times better! I hardly ever have had to go to clinics/emerge so I really didn't realize the difference. Now I know, if it's an emergency that might involve a knife, go to emergency

Mcson is coming home for his birthday and party next weekend, and right now my house looks like two slovenly teenagers live here. If I'm not up to it later today, I think I'll call in a maid. As it is, I already have too much going on next week.

I do have a little birthday prank set up. I kept saying he really needs a kayak so that we'd have 2 and I wouldn't have to kayak alone. He made clear he does NOT want a kayak for his birthday and that it would be selfish and evil to get him a kayak.

SO, I bought a kayak of course, and plan to float it in the pool with a big bow on it

Of course, I also bought his REAL gift too, but I think I'll hide it and let him find it in the poolhouse. I was going to float the real gift inside the kayak but realized that would be a stupid plan, as it involves very high end studio monitors that would of couse be ruined by water!

So, I hope I've rallied enough by next weekend to have some fun. This weekend has been a daze of broken sleep and pain and general disorientation.

My face is still swollen, but it's slowly subsiding and I think I'm now ahead of the infection.

missypie · 09-23-2012, 06:18 AM

Oh, kmc, glad you were persistent! So sorry you have been in pain. When things like that happen, don't you always wonder what would have happened in the "old days" (before antibiotics)?

arabrab · 09-23-2012, 07:34 PM

I'm pretty sure appendicitis would have killed off my husband, and if that failed one of the bouts of bacterial pneumonia would have. Now I'd just like something more to go up against the big bad viruses.

I spent some time years ago figuring out what a vaccine that prevented the common cold would be worth to me, and decided that $10K would not be wrong. Twenty years later (and with even less time to enjoy the benefits) I'd still say that.

sevmom · 09-23-2012, 07:45 PM

kmc, glad you have gotten some antibiotics!
arabrab, actually appendicitis did kill my grandmother in 1925. She was a nurse and my mother was a toddler at the time. She developed peritonitis and died. My mother was an only child and it is something that we always knew about. My dad's mother died in 1924 3 weeks after his birth. Always was told "complications of childbirth" but would imagine probably was related to infection. We are so lucky that we have better medications these days.

Bandie Mom · 09-24-2012, 12:49 AM

Glad to hear you are all taking care of yourselves. We just got back from Family Weekend with DD. Good news is she has added a minor in business to her college work. She looks happy and ready to graduate. At the same time she wants to go for her Master's degree. I'm so glad she is looking to finish her school work before she goes out to work. She has a part time internship with an independent record company and is enjoying what she is learning.

I had to get an MRI of my knee, torn meniscus. 8-( Surgery is coming, don't know when yet so when it happens I'll be here more often.

missypie · 09-24-2012, 07:56 AM

Bandie Mom, where have you been?

Sevmom, in connection with some geneology research I was looking at some death notices online from a newpaper from the late 1800s. Several died of "sore throat."

The weekend went quickly and we didn't do much at all...I should feel rested but I never do. We watched the Emmys but don't have HBO or Showtime, so haven't seen any of the dramas.

Every weekend I try a new vegetarian, gluten free dish. So far I have made veggie fritata, pasta with cheese and roasted veggies and yesterday was pasta primavera with lemony breadcrumbs. All three tasted great, but the latter two took quite a bit of time to prepare.

It's been 30 degrees cooler up in Chicago that it is here...D was surprised when we said we hung around the pool this weekend. Glad D likes it chilly.