<p>“now we will be smarter for next year” …I’m all ears…solutions?</p>
<p>From AvonHSDad:
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<p>AvonHSDad – what would you do differently? I’m interested to know. It’s very frustrating when you buy the ticket ahead of time to get the good fare then the prof cancels classes. And those change fees are a killer!</p>
<p>Yes! I wish I knew how to do this differently, too.</p>
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<p>Since it appears that many profs are likely to cancel classes on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I am leaning towards having S confirm that liklihood early in next fall’s semester by speaking with and confirming with each prof and then booking his flight early on the Tuesday afternoon or evening to get him home for an extra day of break Obviously, this plan is not foolproof and somewhere along the line there will be a prof who has no regard for families or holidays and will foul up the best laid plans. 
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<p>Now, that said, what we really need is the frying pan for the academic scheduler. They should just adjust their schedules and give the kids the full week off to make is quick and easy! :D</p>
<p>fogfog: Congrats to your son – what an accomplishment! Agreeing with Momjr that helping with cleaning is impressive, too. </p>
<p>AvonHSDad: Just wondering if the profs will really commit to canceling the last class early in the semester.</p>
<p>13 hours and counting. D2 got a text from D1 this morning asking if she had an extra pair of pajamas D1 could borrow.</p>
<p><strong><em>ELF LOCATED!!!</em></strong>***(Santa DOES exist people, if you have enough faith…and a mother who doesn’t go all alzheimer on you)</p>
<p>Hi folks! Amanda - what I did miss? Elf located? I haven’t had a chance to read carefully through the last several pages…</p>
<p>We also fall in the same bracket of kid not having class on Wed. D was originally scheduled for a test on Wed and insisted that she couldn’t miss it. So, her flight home is Wed evening. Last week, she found out the test was moved to Monday, classes canceled for Wednesday. Since she only has one class on Tuesday, she could have come home today 
But the tickets are prohibitively expensive - 500$ for a one way ticket! So, we decided she would stay with the original plans - she has plans for a “fun day” today with a friend - going shopping, visiting a special grilled cheese sandwich place etc.</p>
<p>She’s doing much better with her ear infection. The strong antibiotics seem to have worked and the inflammation is reducing. They never did confirm if it was indeed MRSA, but just proactively treated the infection. Hopefully, she won’t have any trouble with the flight…</p>
<p>So looking forward to seeing her tomorrow…jealous of those of you who already have the kids home!</p>
<p>AK, you MUST tell us where he was. :)</p>
<p>Love the elf story … and congrats to fog, too.</p>
<p>I just picked up my turkey - no, whoops, my kid! I guess I should say “The Turkey Has Landed”?</p>
<p>She is fine, so happy to be here, taking a LONG shower. Dog turned inside out when he got a good sniff and realized it was her.</p>
<p>She still doesn’t know her finals schedule and is going crazy not knowing when she’ll be home for winter break. But it is very long (a month) so a day or two won’t make much difference. I’m just watching fares rise and fall and hope I can catch a good one.</p>
<p>Her word for this re-entry experience: SURREAL.</p>
<p>Fog–ditto on the amazing athlete that is even more amazing since he helps clean! :)</p>
<p>EAO–glad the surprise was a success! Too fun!</p>
<p>AK–glad you found the errant elf! I’m glad we missed that new ‘tradition’. We do celebrate St. Nicholas’ Day since DS1 spent years 1-4 in Germany (and St. Nick visited him on his first holiday we were living in a small German town–we still have no idea who it was, but it was touching and we have celebrated ever since) DS2 was born in Germany, so it’s a significant day to celebrate. Unfortunately I’m not the best at remembering it in advance! I’ve missed by a day in the early years before they were any wiser, and after they were old enough they managed to remind me. Unfortunately sometimes that reminder came at bedtime when the said "we have to put out our boot for St. Nicholas! :eek: I had to scramble on those nights! So this year I have to mail some St. Nick stuff to DS1 at school. (Hope I remember in time!)</p>
<p>Sorry for all the travel changes. You would think that professors would put that kind of change in the syllabus. I’m sure it happens every year, why not just make it known before travel plans are made?</p>
<p>As far as I know DS still has all his classes on Wednesday. He arrives home around 6pm that evening. I’ve been cleaning and shopping. I must get back and finish the cleaning!</p>
<p>Slithey - Inside of a boot, inside of a shoebox, on the top shelf of my bedroom closet. Pretty fantastic location if I do say so myself…but not exactly where my 2011 brain was thinking. Will not trust myself again, I’m going to ask dd2 to do the honors this year, she is OCD and will not forget. Just thankful this year that I don’t have to shell out another $30 for this honor. Dd3 already left a note on her desk asking if he could please come back early this year. I pointed out that he’d have to be “in” the house to receive the note, duh.</p>
<p>Jealous of all of you who get to see their college kid for Thanksgiving! I have to wait for another month. :(</p>
<p>AK–WOW! I don’t think I’d have found that elf for about 3 years! Way to go!</p>
<p>Aloha–Hope your student has found a place to go for T-day. Maybe you can skype with them. Hang in there!</p>
<p>Sooo are the Black Friday shoppers who are already camping out…
REALLY…
just “Occupy Walmart” participants?!
Haahahahahahahaha</p>
<p>I am so NOT a shopper…especially on Black Friday though I appreciate those who have a plan and bag-the-deal :D</p>
<p>The following weather travel advisory was just copied from USA Today. I hope the weather cooperates so all of the kids can get safely home on time for their turkey day. This was last updated at 12:30 PM today. :(</p>
<p>From USA Today:</p>
<p>The busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period got off to a bumpy start for some airline passengers thanks to poor weather across parts of the eastern half of the United States.</p>
<p>Five of the nation’s busiest airports were reporting weather-related delays as of 10:20 a.m. ET, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s website.</p>
<p>FLIGHT TRACKER: Is your flight on time?</p>
<p>Departures from Houston Bush Intercontinental were being delayed by an average of about an hour as a long line thunderstorms blocked flight paths near the airport.</p>
<p>To the north, flights bound for Chicago O’Hare faced average delays of about 50 minutes because of poor visibility. Forecasts for Chicago called for rain and low clouds for most of the day.</p>
<p>In the upper Midwest, fog and poor visibility were delaying flights at Omaha by an average of 45 to 60 minutes as of 9:20 a.m. CT, according to the FAA.</p>
<p>In the Northeast, Philadelphia flights were facing delays averaging 2-½ hours because of poor visibility, as of 10:20 a.m. ET. Similar conditions were causing delays of about 45 minutes at Newark Liberty and about 15 minutes at Washington Reagan National.</p>
<p>Conditions in the Northeast were forecast to worsen into Wednesday, potentially snarling air travel at many of the nation’s busiest airports on one of the nation’s busiest days for air travel.</p>
<p>A number of the region’s airports are particularly delay prone in less-than-ideal conditions.</p>
<p>Long delays were possible today and could persist into tomorrow at New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and Philadelphia as heavy rain, wind and low clouds were forecast for much of the Northeast starting today and lasting through Wednesday.</p>
<p>Not only do thousands of passengers use those airports, many big U.S. carriers have a hub or significant presence at one of those airports. Delays at hub airports can – and often do – ripple out to affect flights elsewhere in the USA.</p>
<p>For example, a flight from Phoenix to Oakland could become delayed or canceled if the aircraft scheduled to fly it gets bogged down in stormy Philadelphia.</p>
<p>Airlines with hubs or “focus cities” in the region include American (New York JFK), Delta (New York JFK), JetBlue (New York JFK and Boston), United Continental (Newark Liberty), US Airways (Philadelphia).</p>
<p>^^don’t believe everything you hear (or read)…D is expected to land EARLY at Newark in about an hour…yes, I was surprised as well but given her Fall Break debacle (flight cancelled at the last minute; last one out for the night), we deserve some good luck!!!</p>
<p>I have been holding my breath since 7 this morning…</p>
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<p>Absolutely! And they look the same too – bedraggled, with sleeping bags and tents.</p>
<p>AvonHSDad – I told D to ask upfront about classes scheduled for Wed before Thanksgiving – the responses were vague and noncomittal. “We might cancel class but I’m not sure” and “we’ll let you know.” Which means you can’t plan. Or you plan, and pick a Tuesday flight, and just hope the class is canceled and if not, they’ll have to make it up.</p>
<p>Do you think profs get paid by the airlines for doing the last minute class cancellation? Does Delta and Southwest send out these stealth emails: “for every extra $10,000 we earn in change fees, you’ll get a complimentary round trip anywhere in the domestic U.S.!” I mean, it’s too big a coincidence…</p>
<p>^^^^^^ Classof2015. The conspiracy has been uncovered! ROTFLMAO Thanks!</p>
<p>rodney - I hope you are right! I vote for early!</p>
<p>^^so that’s how all these professors make $$…makes perfect sense to me now…</p>