~Courier & Ives in (close enough to) March~

Parent Cafe
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<p>Too much heavy CC discussion today…</p>

<p>I’m exhausted! and want us all to sing Kumbaya over a glass of Cab now.</p>

<p>Snow is falling heavily on a relatively mild-feeling evening over here in the City of Brotherly Love. This could be the last we see of our winter friend until next year, as we should start to thaw out in a couple of weeks . </p>

<p>My friends in NC claim to have seen this as rain earlier. </p>

<p>I’m sure our CC friends who belong to the West Coast Dreamin CC Party will report picture perfect weather (so perfect that they have begun to “lunch IRL” as a group). I’ve even heard that a frat might try to charter on their campus ;)</p>

<p>New England, what sort of weather are you predicting? Will you catch this storm?</p>

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<p>We have snow in the midatlantic. No school today, possibly none tomorrow!</p>

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<p>We are in the middle of it in NYC, even though I am not a big fam of sonow, there is something peaceful about it. There are a lot of trees where I live and I does make the street look like a post card (until tomorrow).</p>

<p>Just got off the phone with Daughter and told her snow was coming her way.</p>

<p>While I am not a drinker, but should have one to celebrate my admissions letter to NYU for their Doctoral program in counseling psychology (came in the mail today). I called my sister and told her that my ex took me back, after a big WHAT??? I told her that I was accepted and was going back to NYU (did a masters there). Why should all of the freshmen have all the fun?</p>

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<p>Do you really want to know about the weather here in the Pacific Northwest? Cool-to-cold nights (high 20s) and warm clear sunny days (high 50s, low 60s). Our cherry trees are blooming (my plum started blooming today), the daffodils are starting to bloom, the crocuses in full swing. My husband and I just went out for pie–and we took the convertible with the top down.</p>

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<p>dmd77,</p>

<p>I have just visualized everything you just wrote. You have succeeded in making me sick because I am sooo jealous </p>

<p>:cool: (wearing my shades like I’m there hanging with you)</p>

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<p>Sooooo envious too.</p>

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<p>in SoCal the streets are (almost) dry – this is the second day in a row that some alien yellow ball is traversing the sky.</p>

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<p>Expecting snow in Beantown (4-8") tonight with more tomorrow night and even more on Monday. Argh! H will be in SoCal on business starting Sunday night and neither D nor I have had any luck starting the snowblower without assistance. Guess we may have to just go back to shovels! Guess March will come in like a lion . . .</p>

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<p>Sybbie, congrats! Didn’t tell us you were going through the app process yourself this season. Back to the funhouse with the big ticket price. But it will be a wonderful experience. Sometimes I get the itch to go back and maybe I will think seriously about it next year when I wind up my business, have my troublemaker off to college and the other one boarding. Won’t have an excuse to be glued to the CC screen then, as I won’t have the work. After all of these years, I’ll just have the 3 littles at home, all in one school. Hope you celebrate with some bubbly. I love champagne cocktails.</p>

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<p>Sybbie:</p>

<p>How wonderful! Congrats.</p>

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<p>DMD- hasn’t the last week been amazingly beautiful- such nice warm sunny days, what a treat for us :)</p>

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<p>It’s been one of my passions and dreams to go back, but it always seems like something else gets in the way. I went back and forth with it for a while,usually when I was having a bad day at work or I would just come to the realization that the longer I work in corporate life, the more it confirms that I am not a corporate person. </p>

<p>I feel that I have more meaningful work to do and its really what I have learned over the past year posting on the CC that showed me it’s time to do it. In addition, posting has help to keep my mind off of the process and to simply let it play itself out. (y word of advice- apply early, don’t dance on the deadlines). So in reality I have all of you to thank. I am so excited and at the same time so scared.</p>

<p>My only child has gone off to school, gotta do something with my time (I’ve learned to like the dog, but i don’t want to constantly bond with it). I had one of those what the heck moments, felt i had nothing to lose but the fees (I am going to be broke forever)</p>

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<p>Sybbie-More congratulations. Too much rain here right now. I thought it was supposed to be dry today till Sun, but now I hear lightening.</p>

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<p>Sybbie! That is wonderful! </p>

<p>My goodness, don’t be afraid, you are made for that! I actually thought you already were some sort of counselor; you are so calm, your opinions are so considered. You often seem to see clearly through a lot of extraneous…junk. Even if you are broke forever, you’ll be happy and fulfilled. You’re going to help a lot of people out there. You go girl!</p>

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<p>Congrats, sybbie!!!</p>

<p>I just found out that I’ll have at least a two hour delay tomorrow. Ah, the joys of sleep and sledding! :p</p>

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<p>Sybbie:</p>

<p>that is SOOOOOOO AWESOME. Congrats. :D</p>

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<p>bravo Sybbie,</p>

<p>Did you ever post on What are my chances?</p>

<p>JK…</p>

<p>Congratulations!</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for your good wishes.</p>

<p>Sorry SBmom</p>

<p>Did not post on the chances for fear that I may have been shredded to bits. </p>

<p>I am living proof that there are many roads that will take you to the same destination. Some trips may be a little longer, but eventually you will get there. My personal statement was about the telling of your story and life lessons that I have learned on this life’s journey. My journey has taken me down many roads from having a train wreck semesters as an undergrad. I actually had a semester where my GPA was 1.0,but didn’t know that your transcripts are virtually forever. Imaging having to still explain at 40+ the days of being a wreckless 19 year old (college students take note, colleges want copies of * all * of your transcripts) holding down the card table and going out dancing every night.</p>

<p>I really learned the value of an education from working full time and paying for it my self after may parents died, going to grad school as a single working parent with a kindergartener in tow (i am still so grateful that my child still wanted to go to college after dragging her through 2 previous programs). Even though I got my academic life together as an undergrad, going to graduate school was difficult. (I started out at NYU as a special student, maintained a straight 4.0 and got recommendations from professors to get into my program) ended up graduating with a 3.9 drats to that one A-.</p>

<p>Getting into the masters program at Cornell was a little easier ( become an HR trainer, develop an off campus program for a major corporation, send a few hundred people through their programs each year, and they do look at you a little differently when you turn in your application).</p>

<p>I have a special place in my heart for the regular kids on the CC because I was one of them, smart kid who could really do better if I put in the sweat (i know that it was by my own hand and I always did not do my best work). But I do think that those are the ones who appreciate the opportunites they are given because there is no sense of entitlement and there is joy in each small victory.</p>

<p>I get up in the morning and see the first of my grey hairs coming in (for the moment decided to embrace them because I don’t want to go through coloring hair evey 6 weeks. We’ll see how this plays out) scrutinize my face for wrinkles, and am grateful my face is still holding up (forget about Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolia’s saying that time marches on and it marches on your face because no one wants that).</p>

<p>Now I have come full cicle (my ex wants me back, so i am going back) with a renewed sense of purpose ad greatful for all of the people and the lessons that I have learned along the way. I may be a professional student but life is a constant learning experience. So for all of the regular folks that are not going HYP, and have messed up during your undergrad life, you can bounce back, and live your dream.</p>

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<p>Sybbie, a beautiful post that comes straight from the heart. You are ever so right. We would prefer our kids take the direct route but many kids do not. It does not wreck their lives but the journey often gives them the needed time and experience they did not have at the designated time in life to make certain jumps. When I read these frantic kids wanting to cheat on their tests, forge their transcripts, feel that a D or F has ruined their lives, I wish I could pull them into my family room and talk to them. Yes, you make it a lot easier when you have the perfect grades. But nothing–no transcript, test scores make up for the working hard and living the life. I still remember the one post from someone, clearly a bright young one, experience in getting into elite law schools, about how that gpa is so all important and is written in stone. I had to smile, but shake my head. Yes, it is there, but ten years of work experience and more classes can certainly put it into perspective. It will not keep you out forever. I, too, have some botched semester and a patchwork resume, yet when I did apply to law schools, I got into every one, some very selective. Chose to get my MAMA degree instead those years, but still it is proof that there are things much more important, that holistic review that the schools in this country do, that count so much more than those numbers on that sheet. So it was with my nephew as well, who will be going on to a fellowship. Who would ever have guessed, with his rap sheet 15 years ago?!</p>

<p>So when I read about those kids who want the quick route to Investment Banking to make those big bucks, I am not sure what to say. It took H many, many years of studying obscure things that now make in big demand in that field; the time he took to research what he was curious about. No short cut to what he did. Time and work is what it took. And few 22 year olds whether they come from HPY or a business program titled exactly what the job description is, will end up managing much of anything important. Time and living one’s life well during that time and learning are what make up that rich resume that matters. And one does live the life, each minute of it during that time.</p>

<p>Ah, but I am preaching to the choir, I know. Sybbie, good luck. Hope you find a bit of time to still post. Congrats again.</p>

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<p>Sybbie719–Congratulations and a big hug!!! I, too, was one of “late bloomers” who didn’t realize that, as an undergrad, I needed to work hard in order to get results. Working for three years after graduating from college helped me focus on what I wanted to do. Once I realized that music therapy was my passion, and had the opportunity to do paraprofessional work in the field, I was determined to do well in my courses. Plus it helped that I didn’t have much time to fritter away–21 credits one semester and 14 the next with two p/t jobs. It definitely was a turning point in my life. S was nominated to help teach at UCLA’s brand-new summer design institute. Like your nephew, he’s come a long way, too, from two suspensions his freshman year in HS and struggling with HS subjects he didn’t particularly like. I’m going to be in NYC March 6-9 in case you’d like to be toasted in person! PS My hair person has strongly advised me against dying my hair, and she’s in the business. ;-)</p>

<p>As for the weather, we received five inches of the fluffy stuff last night (the sun’s shining at the moment) and are expecting more tonight and Monday night. Fortunately, school vacation was this past week, but H will be out of town next week and I have a tough time getting the snow blower started!</p>