<p>^^^LOVE IT!</p>
<p>S1 called me from BWI airport on the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year waiting for his flight back to school: “Mom, I left my laptop at home.” </p>
<p>This is my “a-computer-is-a-vital-body-organ” child. Had end-of-term assignments and papers due the next day. Did not have them cross-saved on Google. Offered to upload his work for him if he gave me his password (which of course he could then change). Wouldn’t do it. Sigh.</p>
<p>From D who has the worst luck in the world with cars:</p>
<p>“My car was broken into and the drivers window is smashed”
“My car got towed”
“I got a ticket”
“I got a ticket”
“I got a ticket”
“I just got rear ended”
“I just got rear ended”
“I ran over a bike that fell off a car ahead of me on I 40…should I go get the bike off the highway?”
“I just got a note from the office that apartments are being broken into”</p>
<p>It is exhausting being a parent!</p>
<p>OK guys, top this!
5:30 AM the phone rings. Its the American Embassy in Beijing. Our son, who lived in China and was working for the Chinese government as an English editor, was arrested with 2 kilos of hashish. He was in the new, high security detention center where suspects of capital crimes and foreigners were held. Only the Embassy and his lawyers can visit. Oh, by the way, the lawyer can’t visit him until he has been appointed by a friend or relative, and no friends wanted to get involved with a drug case. The lawyer can’t be appointed by the arrested person, because he can’t see him to sign the papers until after the papers had been signed. So one of us had to fly to Beijing to sign the papers appointing the lawyer, after getting his birth certificate notarized by state, county and local officials (to prove parentage). After all that, no visits were allowed from the parents! While this was going on, we were watching the news about a foreign drug criminal being executed in China.</p>
<p>To make a long story short, the lawyers created enough doubt about the technical aspects of the relevant law that the authorities just deported him. At least he acquired the useful skill of cleaning toilets with a toothbrush (not his toothbrush). Fortunately, this did not involve either a heart attack or a bankruptcy filing on our part, but it felt like it came close.</p>
<p>Whoa. Fauxmaven, you win the contest. Nothing else can come close.</p>
<p>Faux–big hug to you and family!! what an ordeal</p>
<p>That call was the worst thing that I have encountered in my life.I went into a state of shock,like when you are in an accident and aren’t aware of how serious it is.This was still in play when my D started applying to colleges,and I was kind of distracted .I prayed all the time,and lost most of my attention to my other 3 kids .Amazingly,I still functioned, but with help-a sedative to get to sleep, and anti-anxiety medication .When he finally walked through the International Arrivals, I didn’t recognize him at first ! I said to my D " Wow, that looks like M!" She said, “Mom, that IS M!!” I have that moment captured in a photo .</p>
<p>Was he set up by someone? How horrible!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yes. Please tell him yes.</p>
<p>S2 driving home cross country for the first time.<br>
S - “Mom, I think I missed a turn.”
Me - “Where are you?”
S - At Arbys!
Me - I mean , what town?
S - I don’t know.
Me - Ask someone.
S gives me the name of the town, and I was able to google it. He had not missed a turn. Now he has GPS.</p>
<p>Just now saw this thread and it brought to mind D’s college trip last year. One stop was Ithaca College, in January.
D: Mommy, do I have to get out of the cab? It is sooooo cold.
Me: D, we paid a ton of money for you to visit colleges, get out of the frickin’ cab.
D: I will freeze to death and get sick before my auditions. Please, I can see it’s really pretty from the cab.</p>
<p>Skype offers unspoken opportunities. On Halloween weekend H was online and he and son conversed via Skype a bit until son stated he had to get going to the annual college area “freakfest” before the cost went up- he was wearing the suit we just bought him in March for a couple of family weddings! A $120 costume…</p>
<p>Wow, Fauxmaven! Your child sure has a lot to tell you (if he will)–hope things improve. That must have been SO SCARY!–WOW!</p>
<p>Just this morning
DS: (at 7:20am) - Frantically - “Mom, I slept through the shuttle ride to the airport - what do I do?” Me: “I know - I’ve been trying to call you for two hours”
The shuttle he missed was at 6:00 am to Ohare. He was able to call the shuttle service and beg for a ride and he was able to make his flight with about 20 minutes to spare. Thank goodness he made the flight because it could have been a long day waiting standby for another flight.</p>
<p>Wow, your S sure had luck with him today! Sometimes all the planets & stars do align!</p>
<p>We were in Ga to see DH’s niece get married. Packing up, DS can’t find his meal card or dorm room key. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but DS is travelling back to school with newly wed cousin. She lives 3 miles form his school and since the drive back north on Sunday after Turkey day will be bad… this worked for us.</p>
<p>While in the hotel, we go through every bag, digging in the sofa cushions, etc. Why his meal card isn’t in his wallet? He doesn’t always carry his wallet when he goes out. Duh! Can he use his meal card at the hotel? Of course not. Does this make any sense at all? Nope. Boys!</p>
<p>Dh and DS go out to the car with the understanding of looking through EVERYTHING. Still no luck. I’m looking at $15 to replace meal card and $75 to replace dorm key. ugh! Told DS that will be an early birthday present.</p>
<p>Fast forward. DH, DD and I are 300 miles away from DS. I reach in the back of the car for the plastic bag that has some gum, snacks. What do I see in the bag? Yep. Meal card, dorm key, and small starbucks card.</p>
<p>I call DS, didn’t you look in the bag? DS- “yes, I saw the candy bar. It wasn’t mine so pushed it aside to look for my key.” I asked DH- didn’t you look in the bag? DH- “yes, but I didn’t think it would be in there”. The coconut didn’t fall too far from that tree! :D</p>
<p>Cost to overnight key, meal card to Capt Oblivious- $19.</p>
<p>^"Capt. Oblivious " well said! Many times I have canceled bank card, paid for new key…etc. only to get a call a few hours later that item was located - most of the time in plain site.</p>
<p>Oh! May I PLEASE borrow the Captain Oblivious designation for my dear son?</p>
<p>fauxmaven…Just reading your post made my blood pressure go up. Thank god he is home and you are all o.k. He was very lucky that things worked out the way they did.</p>
<p>Good I add that I am sending you a hug and a stiff martini hoping you will relax after such a horrible scare.</p>
<p>mafool… feel free to use the Capt Oblivious moniker. We have been calling DS “Capt” for the last 4-5 years. Every time I think he might get demoted… he does something else to keep the name. He’s really smart… just doesn’t operate in the same world as the rest of us mere humans. 
Unfortunately, I think he gets a lot of it from his dear father.</p>
<p>My S’s dear father (and my DH) has been dubbed “Captain Obvious” by his smart aleck son for always pointing out the obvious. He could be promoted to Captain Oblivious.</p>