<p>^^^^^
Philo McGiffin is definitely a story that should be read by all mids. Philo had a sordid past and ended up in China as a professor at their Naval Academy.</p>
<p>“Now I definitely know that the Class of 1980 had the last plebe year.”</p>
<p>Ya and I suppose that it was sooo much better having typewriters, slide rules – just maybe a calculator that could do square roots or logs, programming with punch cards…the list could go on and on….</p>
<p>Navy 2010 you are right on the mark. It certainly does take a village. Obviously, the Academy also believes that having parents with some understanding of what is happening is an asset or there would not be the programs that are offered – IDay picnics, briefs, tours – PPW – FPW – Parent Club Associations – Musical Programs open to the Public, the list could go on.</p>
<p>There is an art to knowing when as a parent you are crossing the line. If it is an action that each and every midshipman needs to do himself then the parent needs to step aside and let the process work, but if it is sharing an experience from witnessing the Oath of Office to just hearing about the first 5 hours of being a plebe to seeing PEP or where they will live, at least for the first semester, then as a parent, I am honored to have that privilege.</p>
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<p>There weren’t very many midshipmen who had typewriters. Normally we paid someone $1 per page to do our typing. For large projects, one of my classmate’s mother volunteered to do our typing. We would mail our handwritten chicken scratch to her in Florida and she would mail back the finished product. Thank God for moms.</p>
<p>“Thank God for moms.”</p>
<p>Thank you very much…I typed a dissertation so I have been very thankful that computers came along…
Now moms are good for laundry…seems after semester break they discovered mom’s laundry service is much better than the Academy’s…</p>
<p>Talk about having to finish the paper early, you had to plan for mailing and typing time, my procrastinator would be dead in the water!</p>
<p>During PPW, I kind of look forward to seeing the boy’s room. I KNOW I will be able to walk through it without fearing bodily harm from stepping or tripping on something. Such a refreshing change.:p</p>
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<p>Of course! Moms don’t have Lint Applicators, Random Sock Vaporizers, Button Crushers, Sweatsuit Shrinkers, or Garment Switchers installed in YOUR laundry rooms! ;)</p>
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<p>lol… enjoy it while you can… sadly, they revert to old “pre-USNA” behaviors the minute they get home on break! :eek:</p>
<p>Worse than "pre_USNA behaviors!</p>
<p>Oh, yes. MUCH worse! </p>
<p>Here I am, 16 years after graduating, and my room is worse now than when I lived at home during high school. :D</p>
<p>I holler at him from his door. Since I’m still in recovery mode from surgery, I don’t want to risk relapse (seriously) and land on something injurious to me that is usually considered benign (tennis shoe, cleat, dog).</p>
<p>I am truthful when I say, I will miss his messy room.</p>
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<p>nah… by the time they come home for Thanksgiving, then for Christmas, then spring break, trust me in that there will be plenty of time to mess up that room again, and perhaps even a day when you will be WISHING them back to the USNA…even though it might be for just a fleeting nano-second and wispered under your breath to only yourself! ;)</p>
<p>ps… missing your Mid is good…it puts you on a personal basis with your postman, and every postman in a 5-mile radius of home and work…and I am of the belief that it is the USNA, USMMA, USAFA, USCGA and USAFA parents that keep the postal service afloat with all those $8 all-you-can-stuff-in-one-box deliveries!</p>
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<p>you mean to tell me this is going to get even worse??? :eek:</p>
<p>I will second that GA post. Philo McGiffin was a great read!</p>
<p>navy 2010 I predicted to my husband that before this school year is out we would have spent the equivalent of at least ONE coast to coast plane ticket in postage costs just to send stuff to our Plebe. Mind you , she isn’t asking, it’s the mama ( er, um, that would be me) who continually mails goodies and the like on a regular basis. It’s either care packages to my mid or prosac for the mom, so maybe I’m still getting the better end of the bargain. :-)</p>
<p>peskemom-</p>
<p>I prefer chocolate over prozac. You can buy it cheaply and OTC (no prescription needed)! </p>
<p>Just kidding! :D</p>
<p>Flat rate boxes…the postal service is loosing money on us all!</p>
<p>Moms and Dads of Plebes to be, start collecting cards to send this summer…we sent a different funny card every single day, they do love their mail.</p>
<p>OOh, I’m a Hallmark-a-holic, so that’ll be a good thing for me. </p>
<p>Don’t know if the boy’ll like it. He did day something that one of his buds from USAFA stated that white envelopes are better, since it doesn’t draw attention. </p>
<p>Any verification on that?</p>
<p>Just remember you don’t want to send anything through the Express Office (if you can possibly avoid it) during Plebe Summer. Plebe’s have to have a Cadre escort in order to pick up their packages there and it’s not easy, plus the Cadre don’t really like to do.</p>
<p>Z-</p>
<p>You’re great!</p>
<p>Navy 2010, I predicted to my husband that before the school year was out we’d spend the equilavent of at least one coast to coast plane ticket in postage to our Plebe! Mind you, SHe isn’t the one asking - it’s the mom ( er, um, that would be me) who feels better regularly mailing her goodie boxes. It’s either that or prosac, so I think I’m still coming out ahead</p>