<p>Rainy July 4th here… We’re all working the other 4 days of the week so it doesn’t feel like much of a holiday here.</p>
<p>mommusic, what happened to that poor boy? You said it was sudden… </p>
<p>And CD, do share the passport saga!</p>
<p>Thinking of those still without power. After last fall’s dual disasters (Hurricane Irene in Sept and Snowtober) NStar has been going around cutting down trees that are anywhere near power lines. In some areas it’s just a trim or a few trees, but in other places they’ve basically clear-cut what were large groves of tree. They came to our door and said they’re going to cut some branches on our large oak tree near the street & power line, but haven’t done it yet.</p>
<p>I’ve been feeling wise lately, dispensing cooking and housekeeping and parenting advice left and right. Since moving into his apartment, S has texted or called me to ask: How long can I leave meat in the fridge or should it go in the freezer? What should the internal temperature be so I know the chicken is cooked? How do I clean the George Forman grill? How do I tell if the box spring that was left in the apartment is worn out? Meanwhile at the same time, D was texting me from her nanny job: “I’m getting upset. The kids won’t listen to me at all. I say “don’t do ___” and they do it and laugh and even when I yell they keep laughing. I put them in their rooms - how long can they stay there? They weren’t like this last year.” For S’s birthday we bought him a great book called “Where’s Mom Now That I Need Her?” Someone gave it to me when we got married and it was a lifesaver - it had grocery shopping tips, recipes, cleaning tips, simple sewing and laundry hints, basic first aid, etc. And for D I pulled out my old Nancy Samalin books about positive discipline, and Farber & Mazlish book: “How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk.”</p>
<p>Accidental OD. One of those rising suburban drug problem statistics. One of the people who spoke addressed the young people this way: “You are not invincible, and we cannot afford to lose another one of you.”</p>
<p>D2 is having fun at camp this week, she has older girls 12-14 and they are doing day trips from camp so it is a good group. In the past she has had younger girls who needed more oversight.</p>
<p>D1 asks us stuff about cooking, she used the food processor we sent back with her for the first time last night, a little different from our model (someone at work was selling this one used so I got it for her) but in general is doing well, even though not as many hours as she (at least we) would like.</p>
<p>D2 got her AP scores yesterday (via the COLLEGE website) and did well. She is home this weekend and will plan what she wants to register for the following week. Will also start the packing process, or at least building the dorm mountain.</p>
<p>GL to those going abroad! I think I can piece some of CD’s story together but want to hear the whole thing!</p>
<p>mommusic- so tragic. My thoughts go out for your whole community…</p>
<p>The story: S2 just left Friday for a Russian language program, which he had delayed after my illness. Flew to London, had a nine hour layover in London. DH had booked a cheap hotel for S2 at Heathrow so he could catch some zzzs. S2 pulled out his passport to complete info for the immigration card upon arriving at Heathrow and then stuck it in the seat pocket – and left it on the plane. Somehow he cleared British customs. Once he was on the other side of customs he realized his problem and then could not get back to the gate to have someone check for his passport. Why he didn’t leave the Customs line and RUN back to the gate as soon as he realized he’d left his passport is beyond me (or DH). </p>
<p>In the meantime, we were at home getting calls and emails about all this, during the huge storm and when we did not have power. He did not have a cell phone that worked overseas – the program issued them once he got to Moscow. He <em>did</em> have the international calling card I had given him, which proved useful, and when he realized he was in a pickle, he paid for internet at Heathrow, so we could communicate that way. (We had internet for a portion of the festivities, but then that died, too.) </p>
<p>I wound up on the phone with a nice young woman at the 24-hour desk at the US Embassy in London (2 am her time), who told me he could get a new passport Monday am, but could not tell me anything about replacing a Russian entry visa. The Russians are pretty picky about their documentation, and it was entirely possible they would have required S2 to fly back to the US to get a new entry visa. Their website was not clear, other than we should not expect same-day service from the London embassy.</p>
<p>He spent a rather sleepless two hours at the hotel, since the United customer service desk didn’t open til 5 am. Fortunately the plane was still at the gate and they were ultimately able to get someone to the plane to retrieve his passport in time for him to make his flight to Moscow. </p>
<p>At 3 am our time, we got an email on DH’s crackberry (the only connection to the outside world we had at that point) saying he was boarding. We went to sleep. The same child who kept a cool head and CPR’d me back from a full cardiac arrest five weeks ago loses his passport. Oy. Oy. Oy. Oh, yeah – and he also forgot that he has to pay his host every week for meals and needed more money for that. :0</p>
<p>On top of S1 and fiancee getting flooded out in Scotland/northern England en route to a long-awaited visa appointment in London (also on Friday), plus the past five weeks of my medical stuff, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. We have had enough excitement for the moment. :)</p>
<p>Hi, everyone! I’m not doing a thing today, but I’m excited that it’s the Fourth and wish that I could make fancy fireworks.</p>
<p>I don’t know why I’m so excited as my boys have abandoned me. Ds1 has a friend whose family participates in their neighborhood parade each year in costume, and he’s going with them. This year, they are bald eagles. He was told to show up in all black and that they’d take care of the rest. Then, he’s going to another friend’s house to BBQ with her family. I think a lot of them are going. Meanwhile, ds2 this afternoon is gong to bake an apple pie with a few friends and then go see fireworks. Me, I got nothing. I got Primary Colors out of the library because I’ve never seen it, so maybe that’s what ds and I will do.</p>
<p>Mune, I hope you don’t miss your dd too much. What a great opportunity for her. I never went abroad. Where is she going?</p>
<p>Mommusic, what was the drug? So scary.</p>
<p>Laf, you are wise indeed. </p>
<p>jackie, congrats on the scores. I’ve been so tempted to get ds2’s early, but the thought of giving CB more of my money keeps me from doing it!</p>
<p>Whew, CD, that is one of those harrowing stories. I have a friend who left his passport in the Moscow transit lounge once - but I only heard about it afterward and was spared the agitation of not knowing how it would come out.</p>
<p>mommusic - That is so very tragic. I can’t imagine what the parents must be going through.</p>
<p>Laf - it is funny how we know everything, then we don’t know anything, and then we know things they want to know.</p>
<p>jackief - congrats to d2 for good AP scores.</p>
<p>I’m back from yoga, and it is now sunny - I almost left my raincoat at the studio.</p>
<p>Hope everyone has a <em></em><em>Happy Fourth !!</em><em></em></p>
<p>CD: Wow! Way too much excitement on your end between the passport crisis, flooding & the storms. I’m glad all is well. Wishing you a peaceful uneventful holiday.</p>
<p>mommusic: that is so sad. I can see why this is so devastating to everyone.</p>
<p>Laf: you have always been wise. What’s that old adage about the parents who didn’t know anything when their kids were 17-20 & suddenly become wise when the kids turn 24-27? :D</p>
<p>Congrats to jackief’s D2 on her AP scores! Do you hear the ka-ching of college credits?</p>
<p>munequita: how exciting about a mom-daughter vacation! I hope she has a good flight.</p>
<p>WaVing to 2ed and BU&BC.</p>
<p>I got my vet to prescribe sedatives for Geriatric Dog for tonight’s fireworks. She had such a hard time with the bottle rockets & mortars which DH & Co. launched at our pre-4th of July/Freezer Use it or Lose it party on Saturday. The vet didn’t have the meds in stock at the animal hospital & the CVS pharmacist at looked at me a little funny when I requested doggy downers, but I think Geriatric Dog will be much happier when the boomers start tonight. :D</p>
<p>My D has also experienced the panic that ensues upon the realization that the passport has been left on the plane.</p>
<p>But she was in middle school! She and a chaperone raced back to the gate and were able to retrieve it in the nick of time. Luckily I was blissfully unaware of the drama.</p>
<p>CD, what a relief it must have been to hear that all was well!</p>
<p>Munequita, enjoy your mother/daughter trip. What a great opportunity!</p>
<p>I hope D does not leave hers anywhere, she posted a picture of the passport and her tickets . I will not be able to sleep until i know she arrived to her final destination sometime in the middle of the night (my time, mid morning in France)</p>
<p>Gee, the flight left about 30 minutes late, her layover in Brussels is 2 hours. Please let me borrow the pvc , point it to the Atlantic ocean to get a good tail wind</p>
<p>thanks for the link to that book, just ordered it for S2!</p>
<p>raining here finally so not sure what will happen with fireworks. S3 went into town for the town’s display… there will be a few people shooting them off here out on the lake, thankfully they dont seem to bother the dogs Hope the doggy downers help 12rmh.</p>
<p>i would have been a mess CD…thankfully all ok with the passport</p>
We’re all working the other 4 days of the week so it doesn’t feel like much of a holiday here.</p>
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OTOH, I rather like when they call/skype asking for advice!</p>