<p>Pepper: Thanks for the update. I’m glad to hear that things are going well for your father and son.</p>
<p>Vamom: Have a great day today. You must be very proud or your son.</p>
<p>EB: I second those who say that you are a very good neighbor.</p>
<p>It’s a beautiful fall day here, but it’s cold! Tonight we’re going to a HS football playoff game, so I guess it’s time to pull out the hats and scarves.</p>
<p>D1 has a final interview tomorrow for the job she really wants. It starts with dinner tonight and then goes most of the day tomorrow. I’m in awe of how well she has managed this process. </p>
<p>Mn: I’ll send you a pm about the edible arrangements.</p>
<p>Back from a day in the big city. The Daily show was great fun and I also enjoyed walking around and eating with my son and SIL. My BIL took us all out for dinner afterwards at BLT and that was just wonderful. Reminded me of some of the dishes on food network. We got home too late to see the show on tv, but I’m going to watch the re-run in a few minutes.</p>
<p>emilybee, You are definitely a keeper as a neighbor! I love all of our neighbors and enjoy doing things with them, but I think you’ve gone above and beyond what most people do.</p>
<p>I think it was just up-thread here that I read about hands on programs for students. I wanted to chime in that that was something that was very important for my B student. Champlain college is all about teaching and showing what you learned via projects instead of tests, especially scantron tests. Champlain is a great blend of very techy with a liberal arts feel.</p>
<p>We’re heading up to spend the weekend with ShawD. She’s really thrilled that we’re coming. She desparately misses her mom’s cooking and wants to go out for fish [ShawWife is an excellent cook who specializes in fish].</p>
<p>Kathy, I fell asleep before the Adam Sandler bit but I set it up to record later today. </p>
<p>Update on my neighbor: The guy from the enviro company was coming at 8 so I set my alarm for 7, but I never changed that clock last week so when I got up it was really only 6. Not a good start to my day. Anyway, he came but couldn’t detect an odor. IHO, it’s possible it is from the oil still in her tank from last winter and possibly a small leak around a joint which could be corroded since the tank is 55 years old. He said she has to get the tank removed and then he gave me a number of a company which cleans air (who knew there was such a thing!) as the smell can penetrate the walls, sofa’s etc. So I called that company and he said the same thing - that she needs to first get the tank out, then if the odor isn’t gone after a week they will come in and clean the air. </p>
<p>I don’t think she wants to spend the money to do the tank removal and was hoping there would be a cheaper alternative but I told her it has to go. So I called several companies that do that and can give her an estimate. </p>
<p>I also told her to call her insurance company to see if they will cover anything - since she thinks it was caused by bad oil put in her tank last winter. I don’t really believe that to be the case but one plumber told her the oil contained sulfur so maybe the insurance co can pay her and try to recoup from the oil companies insurance co after. I have no idea if they will cover it but it’s worth a shot. The worst they can say is no. </p>
<p>momjr-Good luck to your D!
Shaw-Have a great weekend visit with your D.</p>
<p>I also second to comments about family dynamics and dysfunction. One time we came back home from vacation and retrieved a phone message from my in-laws neighbor saying that my in-laws had been complaining that their adult children were not visiting them enough. Another time was the day when I came back home from hospital after delivering my second child. I received a phone call from the same neighbor telling me that my in-laws had not seen us. Was she kidding me? I appreciated her looking after my in-laws but obviously she had no idea I was expecting and had just seen them in the hospital. Not to mention the story of the rest of family members. I was so upset and crying. She was embarrassed and since then we had never heard from her again. </p>
<p>Thanks to all of our military out there and my late FIL-Air Force, WWII.</p>
<p>All my best wishes to all Veterans. Thank you for your service!</p>
<p>Ups and downs around here, the past few days. D is fine, some real excitement and some real challenges. She’s certainly not bored at school! D1 is having very few dull moments, too. She’s talking about being here with us this winter; I’m happy about that but prepared to hear at any moment that she’s changed her mind.</p>
<p>H’s family had a couple of medical emergencies, but things seem more stable now. Sometimes I feel like I’m in the center of a whirlpool!</p>
<p>This is kind of funny – H and S’11 picked me up after work and we went to one of our favorite restaurants downtown. I’m really near sighted, but H spotted a man at the table near ours and starting asking S “who’s that guy – in that movie – you know, the Grinch?” </p>
<p>S answers quietly “Jim Carrey.” H doesn’t hear him. “And he was in that other film – you know the reality show – where he’s in a movie of his own life?” I say, “Jim Carrey.” H still doesn’t hear. Finally, H says “I know – it’s Jim Carrey!” </p>
<p>Jim left before we did. Very low key. He was probably listening in, rolling his eyes, thinking, “should I tell him who I am?”</p>
<p>Class~How funny…Hope you are enjoying your visit, weather is beautiful today.</p>
<p>S2 is surprising S1 today. Both schools are playing each other and he is driving up to spend the week-end with him. Should be fun.
Both flags will be hanging out today on our front porch :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the coffee 2edu! So glad S2 is feeling well enough to make it up to C’ville for the game today. I know they will have an awesome time together. Should be a fun game.</p>
<p>Classof2015 - What a fun celebrity sighting! Hopefully he didn’t overhear you. :)</p>
<p>Bluejrjr is doing well after having those wisdom teeth out. Perhaps I should not have been so relaxed. I forgot to tell him not to eat lunch at school so he was not able to have a general (major oops parenting moment!). The Dr’s office never mentioned it to me, but I’ve done this before so I should have remembered. He had the choice to reschedule or go with a local and nitrous. He decided to go for it. What a trooper!! His brothers don’t do well with anesthesia so there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t have been very sick or very agitated from the general anyway. His recovery’s been much easier because of it.</p>
<p>Blue - glad to hear that your DS is doing well! And you might be right - I know so many (including myself) who don’t react well to a general so you may have accidentally done him a big favor.</p>
<p>So I am struggling unexpectedly with a decision about D2’s Thanksgiving break. She was all set to ride down to central TX with a friend and spend part of the time with her friend and part with my family. Yesterday, the friend found out she has a job near their school and it’s in retail so - she has to stay there for the break. Our choices now are that DD stays there also, with nothing to do and no one except this friend around or we spend some pretty big bucks to fly her home. She will be home three weeks later for a long Christmas break but I just hate the thought of her spending 5 days virtually alone (her friend will be working a lot of hours that week).</p>
<p>proudmom - sorry to hear of the change in plans. any chance there will be a local invite or perhaps more kids around? my d is also a plane ride away and it adds a layer of travel complication to everything. It’s too bad Thanksgiving is so close to winter break - two plan tix in a month is a lot. maybe she would enjoy some down time at school and I am sure her friend would love the company when she is off - maybe your d could even pick up a shift working!!!</p>
<p>proudmom, have you looked at kayak or travelocity for flight costs? Sometimes there are deals on last minute seats available, especially if you’re willing to have her fly at odd times. Also, there are some great Friday flight deals because people don’t want to fly that day. If she flew back on Friday at least you’d have her there for Thanksgiving Day.</p>
<p>Hi everyone else, I’ve been away for a few days and haven’t read what’s been written, so I’ll say hope everyone is doing well, and now go back and catch up on the thread :)</p>
<p>Just read back a few days, kathiep, how does one go about getting tickets to the Daily Show? I was always under the impression you had to wait in line for many hours the day you wanted to see (also the case for Letterman and Colbert?) </p>
<p>Fogfog, my S wore a nice shirt and blazer to the two he’s been to, that seemed to work. He had a great time at both, but wow, the potential for a mismatch is pretty high, making small talk with someone you’ve never met before, Yikes! I"m sure your kiddo will have a great time, a positive attitude is 90% of the equation for a good time :)</p>
I know they will have an awesome time together. Should be a fun game.</p>