<p>I have falling into this vortex of trying to get a photo album done on Shutterfly due to a sale that ends on 10.28. 40% off has me scrambling and then once I see all the detail and personalization you can do… well, it’s a good think I have ADD and can focus until the wee hours in doing detail work I LOVE… but it is messing with my sleep schedule.</p>
<p>OK… I wrote the above like yesterday… And I already have said elsewhere… BUT… GOOD MOJO ALERT NEEDED. Sending the sirens and the all points alert notice. Son missed his connecting flight by five minutes… why they can’t wait five minutes is ridiculous. Next flight over booked and two hour delay. He has a small tizzy in the airport when they tell him there’s no room for him and then long story short (and a moral about not swearing in the south), he has now rented a car and is driving to interview. BUT this was at 11pm, drive is 6 hours and interview at 8:30! I can’t even tell you how sick I feel for him, but all I can do is hold my breath. I told him to maybe think about explaining only because 1) maybe they’d let him reschedule 2) maybe they will see his sheer determination to get there as a positive and 3) even if he does have to interview, at least they will know he’s got game under extreme exhaustion (unless of course his brain completely falls apart). I told him to not drink too much coffee on the road trip as it can likely increase anxiety and cause jitters. Honestly, he’d planned this whole trip for a good night’s sleep and now he will have absolutely zero before walking in to the biggest day of his life to date! </p>
<p>GADS>>>>>> ON IT.
He will do it–seriously–just know it.
Going to pour one as I send him energy.
Good advice about the coffee. Hope he can take a good cool shower before the interview.
I think he has been very clever in renting the car and putting his destiny in his own hands and did not wait around for the airlines to take care of him.
Shows a strong decisive personality.</p>
<p>Good grief, sending heaps of mojo! HEAPS!
This is the kind of thing that makes a great life story once there’s a happy ending, so I’m a stand for that ;)</p>
<p>I’m on it…sending prayers and good vibes to modaS. Hope he gets extra points for taking it into his own hands to find another way there.</p>
<p>So D’s wedding is exactly one year away today. H and I are planning to drive out to the venue tomorrow and see how it looks with the fall colors. Should be gorgeous, this is about peak color here.</p>
<p>Called my dad yesterday. He had returned from his workout and was planning 9 holes of golf. Not bad for his 82nd birthday! Needless to say his treatment is going well.</p>
<p>Best of luck to your son, Moda. At the beginning of my career, I was invited to interview for a job teaching at a relatively prestigious university. My plan was to take ShawWife along and so she could see it. Anyway, she just dragged and dragged – couldn’t get her going (turned out she had mono). We missed our plane and came the next day (when I had to give my talk). Somehow it worked and I was offered the job anyway. So, it can work out alright.</p>
<p>Moda-- we’ll be waiting and eager to hear the report of Modason’s interview.</p>
<p>Oregon – thinking of you and your family in your aunt’s last hours.</p>
<p>Shaw – flying from the east to west coast and then to London is the long way to get there! I’m sure ShawSon will be appreciative. After your report, looking forward to flying on the A380 someday …</p>
<p>All I know is that if this group is on it, he’ll likely do fine. Texted to say he’d arrived at his friends (time: 5:15am). Also said he was starting a campaign to take down an airline. Then I got a text from H at 8 that said S had gotten 2.5 hrs sleep and was “reasonably pumped to excel.” I still hope he tells the story - not as excuse but because it does show determination. Still - this kid is going to kill me. Crossing fingers for a great day and hoping adrenaline will carry him across the finish line. </p>
<p>Oregon - I am so very sorry to hear about Aunt. I have become very close to my dad’s oldest sister over the last several years who lives here during the summer. With my dad having died 25 years ago, she has become the Matriarch of that side of the family. I can’t imagine having to say goodbye to her for a long time yet, is the closest thing I have to a Mother left on this earth, and I am just so glad you had the opportunity to spend some quality time with your own Aunt before this last stage.</p>
<p>Beautiful day here… but too anxious to do anything but work on this photo album, which if I don’t say so myself is awesome!!!</p>
<p>Moda, I hope your hair hasn’t turned entirely white over this experience. But I have every confidence in your son. It also seems that he must have had his interview clothes with him rather than in checked luggage, which was the first good decision.</p>
<p>The way I finished photo books well in time for younger D’s graduation is that shutterfly (or was it snapfish?) was having a big sale.</p>
<p>Oregon, still thinking about you and your aunt. Last week, my mother was able to see my dad’s younger brother (and his wife, son and DIL). It was only for an afternoon but Mom said she enjoyed being around him because of the family connection (mannerisms, looks, etc.)</p>
<p>This weekend I am going to see a first cousin that I haven’t seen in 30 years. Of course, I will instantly recognize her because, as I have seen on Facebook, she looks exactly like her mother (which I won’t tell her because she and her mother are estranged.)</p>
<p>@Zetesis, yup. It’s the long way around. Too bad I’m not heading to Asia. But, London it is. Lots of work there for me. The good news: there is a special unpublished level for frequent travelers on BA. With this trip done the right way, I am going to hit that level. Not sure what to expect. Red carpets and dancing girls? Probably not. Upgrades to first occasionally? Maybe. Better ability to use FF miles? Probably.</p>
<p>People tell me this about my own Mom. Honestly, I used to not take it as the compliment intended, but now when someone says I remind them of my Mother, I think about all the good qualities she had, how I might not have appreciated them as well as I should have, and also understand that my own kids might feel the same about me someday. So I just say, “thank you very much.” Barring physical and/or sexual abuse, I do believe there is always room for reconciliation when it comes to family.</p>
<p>MY MIL passed away. she did fight it but went peacefully in the end. I did not see her then but it was ok. She had family with her all day, I was sick. (literally). I was not prepared for how edgy I have been, angry. and up and down emotions. I am glad she has gone as it was no life for her and such a strain on the family particularly my SIL. The anger I feel at the family dynamics has come to a peak. I am venting here so I can behave during the services.
Moda looking forward to hearing good news. The highlight of my week was afriend got excellent pathology results on her breast cancer diagnosis. A young mom with an excellent prognosis. </p>
<p>DTE - Vent away. Sorry to hear about your MIL however (at least in my experience) there can come a time where it is just time to let go. We are here for you!</p>
<p>Moda - I have a lot of my mother’s features. Not sure that I enjoy that but I do. I actually wish that I was more like my grandmother. Oh well nothing I can do about that! Personality wise I’m more like my grandmother. </p>
<p>DTE, please be kind to yourself. It is good that your MIL’s suffering is over and I pray for peace (and good behavior) among all family members.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Very likely some physical and a lot of emotional abuse in that situation. Quite complex and both parents were likely equally to blame but my aunt/her mother is 100% of the blame in my cousin’s eyes. All I know is that my cousin, as the child, was not to blame at all, so likewise, I will not blame her for her choice to cut off ties with her mother but not her father. This is one case where Facebook has been a blessing. When I asked to friend her, she was suprised that anyone on her mom’s side of the family would want anything to do with her.</p>
<p>Peace be with you dte. Hoping the service is calm and everyone is on their best behavior.</p>
<p>For those of you with daughters and are starting Christmas shopping…Ann Taylor Loft online is having a sale where all sale items are 60% off. I was able to find several nice items for both Ds where the price point was $18- $22! </p>
<p>dt --thinking of you. Glad she was able to let go peacefully.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone fo rthe kind thoughts. Her family is with her now. Her grandaughter is having a difficult time as they were best friends. My Aunt had so wanted to live to 102 but she became passive as soon as she learned about her cancer. Her own kids have had issues with each other and she has spent her last few months trying to get them to be nicer. Somewhat successsfully.</p>
<p>I keep reflecting on how small my world is becoming as my BFF moves to CO. and my MidWest home is gone. </p>
<p>NM–just looked online and think we will get G’S toddler rollerskates. I will look at the Loft site. </p>
<p>Washing machine broke yesterday. My friend claims they are only suppose to last 7-10 yrs and ours is now 12. H and I are determined to fix it ourselves. Just do not want a new machine and how silly that they cannot last the 20 years that our first one did.</p>
Then I got a text from H at 8 that said S had gotten 2.5 hrs sleep and was “reasonably pumped to excel.” I still hope he tells the story - not as excuse but because it does show determination. Still - this kid is going to kill me. Crossing fingers for a great day and hoping adrenaline will carry him across the finish line. </p>