<p>I hope all who are ill start feeling better soon. And those going through surgery, know we’re all thinking positive thoughts for great results. All the news of grad school acceptances is rather exciting…and it makes me think it’s time to nag S1 on his plans for next year. </p>
<p>We saw Silver Lining Playbook last night and really enjoyed it. MIL is sick with the flu so we said we’d wait to take her to see Les Miz when she is better so we decided to try the Silver Lining Playbook. Glad we did – highly recommend it. </p>
<p>Mycroft,I also recommend Silver Linings Playbook. Bradley Cooper is great in it and not too hard to look at.
Enjoyed Les Miserables, Django Unchained , and Jack Reacher also. I rarely go to the movie theater so seeing 4 movies in the last month is rare for me. But with the kids and sister visiting at the holidays, have seen more movies than usual.</p>
<p>I thought it was decided long ago that if we couldn’t brag on here, where the heck could we brag? And the truth is, the opposite is definitely true as well. So I say, scream every good news from the roof tops!!</p>
<p>I am about ready to bribe as well, but D promises me she’ll go tomorrow to get the shot. All the travel etc she will do with the team surprises me that it’s not mandatory for all players.</p>
<p>If S does or doesn’t get a flu shot, I will leave that on him. And I still haven’t heard if his summer plans have been confirmed yet. However, the pres of the university sent him an email inviting him to lunch, so that’s interesting. Said something about discussing his summer and what comes next, whatever that means.</p>
<p>As for the oldest, I am not sure D1 got a flu shot and she’s now surrounded by 24 second graders all day. I hope she did because she is head over heels in love with what’s she doing and would probably hate to be sick. She texted on her first day “this has been the best day ever! So much fun.” And I can honestly say that I wish SHE had had a second grade teacher like herself. I just hope she can find a job. They want to move to San Fran area after they get married. And are willing to live in a closet to do so (which is probably very much going to be the case). And of course, he’ll be needing a job too!</p>
<p>I actually was so afraid of catching anything - despite having a flu shot - that I cancelled some friends coming over for lunch tomorrow to catch up. I do not want to have to cancel my Tuesday surgery.</p>
<p>Berkeley was always my dream school. Congrats to your D on her new acceptance. Does she want to become a professor after she gets her PhD, do research for a company, or something else? </p>
<p>Moda, glad your oldest loves working with the kids. It sounds like she picked the right career field.</p>
<p>We leave in a couple of hours for our cruise. I told H to buy some Tylenol yesterday just in case because I do think medicine is warranted to combat a fever. The pharmacist said there has been a recall on Tylenol. Go figure. He got a generic something instead. Hopefully, we won’t need it.</p>
<p>I downloaded a bunch of books from the library yesterday as my prep for the trip and started the first few pages of The Descendants. I hate it so far. The kid is shown to be a bully and serious brat to boot, but the father seems only mildly irritated rather than horrified by her behavior. I have to like at least one character to enjoy a book so if the author doesn’t give the lead character some parenting backbone soon, I will move onto a different choice. For those who might have seen the movie, does the father grow stronger or more likable as the story evolves?</p>
<p>Analyst, enjoy your cruise. I have never read/seen the move The Decendants, but like you, I have a hard time with a book if I can’t find at least one character that I like. I am currently reading The Stonecutter by Camille Lackberg. It is not a book that I would have chosen (it’s a book club pick), but am about 1/3 of the way in and enjoying it.</p>
<p>Analyst, I saw the movie The Descendants, but didn’t read the book. In the movie, the characters do become more sympathetic as it goes on. Plus, the scenery of Hawaii is stunning! I thought it was a very powerful movie.</p>
<p>zetesis, in our parallel universe, D had an update from her bf late yesterday. He lives overseas, plus for 2 weeks over the break he had been visiting family on a different continent and didn’t always have electricity. Yesterday he flew back to school. Not sure if the notification was via mail, but he also was admitted to UCLA. His area of interest is inorganic chemistry (alternate fuel/energy). He started out in organic, but after a summer internship at Cal Tech after his sophomore year switched his emphasis. He is hoping to do research, probably corporate. </p>
<p>The weather gods cooperated and we did get to attend the baptism yesterday. Got home pretty late, but so glad we could attend. The church where they belong is fairly new, and was stunning. Their older sons are 5 and 7 and the church wasn’t built/finished yet when they were baptized. Sister-in-law’s parents hosted a very nice reception and dinner at their fabulous home afterwards. </p>
<p>Today is S’s last Sunday home, so of course H is making him sing in church today. S doesn’t really know the song and hasn’t even sung it yet, but he doesn’t seem phased by that. Must be nice to have that kind of (talent? confidence? attitude?). On the way home in the car last night, after the football game ended, he did find the song on YouTube and listened to it for the first time and thinks he might have heard it before.</p>
<p>Need to get going this morning! It’s a cool 14 degrees right now, which doesn’t help!</p>
<p>Z…she is on a roll! So nice to hear the good news. You must be so proud and happy! I love to hear how the kids’ hard work pays off.</p>
<p>TA…Have a great time! Enjoy the cruise and relax! The movie was good. The dad definitely had redeeming qualities. </p>
<p>moda…still sending good mojo your way for the surgery. Do you remember my neighbor boy who got waitlisted at the U? He just got invited to interview at Johns Hopkins med school! He is thrilled.</p>
<p>Still a bit congested but happy that I don’t have the flu! H says the local hospitals are all full.</p>
<p>Never read the book either TA - however, I imagine the father is just not connected in the raising of his kids and so he doesn’t KNOW to be horrified. Not sure how the book will pan out, but I actually really liked the movie. It’s a journey for all the characters.</p>
<p>I am watching Portlandia on my computer… it’s actually pretty funny in a quirky kind of way.</p>
<p>Calm seas, TA. And a calm OR for you, Moda. Nothing newsworthy for either of you.</p>
<p>MissyPie – I hope you’re feeling better. Lot’s better.</p>
<p>D just sent me the first sixteen pages of her thesis to peek at, and I’m impressed. Changes occurred so gradually during college – but this is a huge leap from where she began. I’ve got just about enough background to vaguely understand the outlines on the techniques she’s using, though I have to assume her advisor is keeping her on the straight and narrow from a technical perspective. But her explanations of why she chose one approach over several others, limitations on the data, and some external factors that are not modeled all make sense and are very readable. She seems to have a handle on translating the the what-it-all-means into English, even if I don’t understand all the technical bits, and that bodes well.</p>