<p>oh, DTE, what wonderful news! {{{hugs}}}</p>
<p>I’m SO HAPPY for you, DTE!!!</p>
<p>Everybody gather around!</p>
<p>{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{GROUP HUGE FOR DTE}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}</p>
<p>Way to go… clink clink!</p>
<p>Wonderful news DTE!!!</p>
<p>Huge? Sheesh. I meant HUG! there’s a riddle in there somewhere.</p>
<p>Ok…just finished up with gas company repair guy. Can you believe our furnace went out this evening!!! Like I have nothing else to deal with! H and D2 went to hockey game and I dealt with this while trying to pack. Thought I would have plenty of time for bubble bath and pedicure. Ok…I’m taking a breath! At least he got it working again! 
D2 has to take us to airport at 4 am…hopefully she’ll have her eyes open!!</p>
<p>DTE, enjoy and embrace the exhale!</p>
<p>NM - I hope you are not reading this because you made your flight and are winging your way to Florida. Enjoy! You doubly deserve it after the furnace fiasco.</p>
<p>We finally heard from S2–lot’s less communication this semester than last semester. He says all of his classes are being taught very differently than last semester. No assigned homework in calculus or physics–just the tests, so more responsibility on his part to figure out what he needs to do to learn the material. There are programming assignments in his computer science class, which is he spending a lot of time on and thoroughly enjoying. I worry that he won’t do enough in his other classes, but am happy he likes the CS. I wasn’t sure about that since he barely knows his way around a keyboard, so starting from scratch. He says it is like learning a foreign language but more interesting and useful. You can tell, this child is my homebody with no interest in overseas travel.</p>
<p>I’m envious of those who are headed to Florida. It is raining here. I went to the YMCA this morning at 6:00 am to get my workout out of the way so at least that feels good.</p>
<p>DTE - I am so happy for you! You did it, girlfriend.</p>
<p>I think we should ALL go to Florida for a celebration!</p>
<p>: passes DTE some terrifically healthy whole food with live enzymes and a glass of delicious (organic?) wine…wohooo…</p>
<p>A friend of son’s called my H yesterday for a job this semester. He is home from UCLA. He got the swine flu in the fall that turned into pneumonia and landed him in the hospital. Of course, he fell behind in all of his classes that were already extremely overwhelming. He’s taking some classes at the state flagship and has asked H for some hours. It actually was good timing as H is putting in some new equipment and this kid is actually a natural engineer. Really impressed with his initiative to get a job etc because this is a kid who doesn’t need a dime from anyone else based on his family money. Good to see he isn’t just going to pick up a class or two and sit on his butt all semester. Plus, he will then be locked in for summer as well.</p>
<p>^^Manual labor, right, Moda??
S (jr) is on the hunt for internships…it’s been frustrating. However, I know he’ll be able to get his garbage-hauling job back this summer. Not impressive for that post-college resume but at least it will means some $$$ in his account. The internships he’s applied for are mostly “salary-free”…BLEH…</p>
<p>DTE - excellent news! Gather strength so you can enjoy!</p>
<p>It’s been a heck of a week and I’m thrilled it’s Friday.</p>
<p>Opening night for the HS musical tonight. Opening night is always so exciting! (D is in the ensemble. Hope it’s good!) More cheer Saturday and Sunday. Son will come home next weekend for the second weekend of the musical.</p>
<p>Missypie - Does the same D do cheering AND the musical? My, my, my - you have a busy life! (H and I are excited about making meatloaf tonight. Oh, you just can’t keep us empty-nesters down!)</p>
<p>Missy- What show are they doing?</p>
<p>Break a leg, missypie!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No. The one in the musical is the drill team D (who is an '11 and thus, rarely goes to bed).
Schedule: this afternoon D14 cheers at pep rally; this evening D17 in musical
Tomorrow: D14 cheer competition, go home for 15 minutes, see D17 in the musical again
Sunday: back to the cheer competition</p>
<p>The musical is Footloose. It took a lot of persuading, but D is wearing her hair “natural” - i.e. not straightened. In its natural state, she has perfect 80s hair (which, of course, is not necessarily a good thing.) I can’t wait to see what the high school-aged costume coordinators think is “80s,” them not being alive then and all!</p>
<p>Just got a call from S actually asking for my opinion on a schedule change…WHAT!!!</p>
<p>It’s the first week of 2nd semester and he’s carry a large 19 unit load to try to up his GPA after struggling with German 1st semester. He asked what I thought about him dropping German and starting over in Spanish next semester…GREAT idea and I think shows some new maturity on his part. He took Spanish as a frosh and soph, but weak teacher + weak student effort = learned very little. However, even that little he learned will be an advantage and he has a roomie and friends who are fluent. Never understood his insistence of German, but am pleased he’s learned to cut his losses rather than struggle for the next 3 semesters.</p>
<p>Baby steps…</p>