<p>Detassling corn is when humans take tassles off of corn plants in the field so that they don’t cross pollinate other plants (right? Something like that?). Anyway, it’s one of the few jobs a young teen can have in the Midwest (I grew up in Iowa). It pays well, is brutal in the summer heat, and only people from Corn Country Midwest ever know what the heck you’re talking about.</p>
<p>I will pass on the travel advice to my friend. Her D is going with 3 friends and no parents so I hope it will be safe. </p>
<p>I didn’t detassle, but I did flip burgers in high school. Nothing give you a clearer picture of the future then working at a fast food place…lol</p>
<p>D will be getting a job this summer she has worked very part time for a friend’s shop, but needs more money this summer.</p>
<p>marciemi wrote:
There’s a joke here involving Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, but I just can’t seem to find it. :)</p>
<p>S called this morning. He somehow managed to drop his keys down an elevator shaft. Housing wants $180 to re-key his room. I encouraged him to talk to maintenance first to see if there’s any way to retrieve them. What the …?</p>
<p>I was the first generation on either side of the family not to do agricultural work. I took a “gap year” (yeah, let’s go with that one) in the middle of undergrad and worked at an auto/heavy truck dealership. It doesn’t take too many clutch jobs on log trucks to realize “mechanical engineer” is a better gig than “mechanic.”</p>
<p>Yikes on the key cost, Steve! I hope they can help him out.</p>
<p>S somehow forgot his keys on his dresser at home, when he headed back to school this time. Lucky for him, I sent it by fast mail and his friends helped him out getting in and out of the dorm. It sounded like it was a hassle.</p>
<p>My D managed to fall off her desk (fixing the Christmas lights in her dorm room) and landed on her elbow. Waited two days and then decided to see the doctor. Doctor gave her a sling and sent her off to get an xray (but it was fine to wait until the next day to get the xray since she didn’t want to miss her afternoon class…) So the hospital is calling me this morning asking me to approve treatment (D is 17). I don’t need to ID myself or ANYTHING, just say that I am her mom and it is okay to xray her - I could have, theoretically, been anyone. They do promise me that if it is broken (actually they promise that if “they see something alarming”) they will treat her right away - and not wait 48 hrs to get the xrays back to campus. She was back on campus 20 min later, so I’m assuming all is well. The funny thing is that probably no one will ever believe she wasn’t drunk at the time, but this kid has always been a major klutz. I just feel really lucky that she managed to land in the only patch of floor space and not whack her head on furniture on the way down. Very little floor space in that room.</p>
<p>Steve, I think you get points for dropping a key down the elevator shaft! That’s pretty impressive. Hopefully maintenance will also be impressed, but somehow I have a feeling they’ve already seen it all…</p>
<p>Tozubri- Hope your D will be fine, and being the mom of a klutzsy (is that a word?) D I can so see this happening. And it is good that she wasn’t hurt worse. </p>
<p>SteveC- keys down the elevator shaft has to be a first</p>
<p>I’d like to know how the keys ended down the elevator shaft! I hope there is a good story behind it.</p>
<p>Tozubri - my d broke her elbow in a horse back riding accident - yowcha! I hope it isn’t broken! </p>
<p>Detassling sounds vaguely strip clubbish to me.</p>
<p>eyemamon- hope your S is feeling better. Kudos to him for knocking on the RA’s door. My D called last night she felt really sick and her roommate was away till today. I tried to talk her into knocking on the Ra’s door but she would not. She said what is she going to do. Sit with me? Luckily she is feeling better this morning.
We haven’t had any talk of spring break. I assume she will want to come home and head snowboarding with Dad. My older kids never had grand spring break plans. I think my S was way to unorganized to do anything but come home.
D did not go greek. Several of her friends did and they are very busy with their sorority or frat. My D and her roommate felt that they had enough to keep them busy. I think the horse barn and riding team provides them with a place to belong. My S went to a school where many of his friends and even his GF went greek. First year he did not make the GPA cut off and after that yr felt that it was easier. His greek friends all wanted him to join their frat. By staying independent he didn’t have to hurt anyone’s feelings. At his school you did not have to belong to go to the parties.
Books were expensive. I am hoping that the Chem book works for the next quarter in the series.</p>
<p>Well, D was making some spring break noise until she found out it would be on her dime. She wants to spend 3rd term of sophomore year in Spain and I suggested that perhaps she should save her money for that. Her sport ends in a month and she is thinking she should get a job to fill that extra time.</p>
<p>She has a flashlight, thermometer, and well-stocked medication box. Go-to person on her floor.</p>
<p>eyemamom wrote:
I’m sure there is. I’m equally sure I won’t hear it anytime soon. He claims he dropped them and they fell through the space between the elevator floor and the building floor. There were four keys on the ring, two of them to Kryptonite bike locks, one of those possibly the LED key from the set. That’s an unusually large gap. I haven’t heard the resolution yet.</p>
<p>eyemamom went on to say:
… hence my reference to Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. :)</p>
<p>Hope all the sick kids are doing better today.</p>
<p>Ughhh so D texted hubby last night that she is stressed about money due to a problem with text books. Apparently one of her professors changed his mind about text books to be used for the semester and told them the second day of class. D had already gotten her books via amazon and other sources over the break. This change has cost her $150 as she went and used her own money to purchase the new books. This only left her $50 spending money for the month. Hubby told her it was not her fault go sell the other books back (at less then value) and transferred money to her account. </p>
<p>I appreciate her trying to budget her money and be responsible. But frustrated that her professor made the change.</p>
<p>tozubri - I felt the same with my son. He’s still 17 and taking a pistol class for PE. He emailed us telling us we needed to send an email to the instructor saying we were okay with him doing it. Kind of felt like “Really? You’re at MIT and can’t just make a quick email account yourself?” 
Like when they were in 4th grade or so and I’d forget to sign their daily planner and they’d tell me they got in trouble at school and I’d be like “You can’t forge my initials by now?” Maybe I’m not the best parent. Anyway, my point was anyone could have sent that email. I guess I was kind of hoping it would be better if it was medical! Good luck and hope she’s doing better today!</p>
<p>eyemamom- I agree the life skills are just as important as the chem, history, etc they are learning. Hope all kiddos get over their respective humps.</p>
<p>So far so good with D and rush and classes etc. She will come home for spring break</p>
<p>(I did rep as I read the last few pages until I ran out)</p>
<p>Wow. Must be cold up there. Hardhead is now willing to admit snow boots might be a good idea. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>S got new boots over the holidays and didn’t think it was worth bringing them back to school. It’s a running joke between us as to whether it is cold enough yet to wear his down jacket.</p>
<p>With the keys thing, I’ve seen it happen at work more than once. The maintenance guys should be able to get them. Those spaces between the door and the floor are plenty big enough for keys to fall through.</p>
<p>RIT son was complaining that it was 8 below yesterday and it really cold when you had to go outside. I asked him if he was wearing his hat, scarf, gloves. He thought it might be a good idea to dig those out…</p>
<p>F&M D texted me this morning to say her wet hair froze when she went outside.</p>
<p>Both these kids grew up in NH, so this is not a surprise. But at least her arm is feeling a little better today :-)</p>
<p>Now D2 is in a sorority, one would expect many mixers with alcohol. Oh no. D2 told me that they are suppose to be dry for 6 weeks, no alcohol at mixers AND they are also not allowed to go to parties where alcohol is served. This is very different than when D1 was a freshman. The school has really cracked down on hazing and drinking in Greek life. I sounded very sympathetic on the phone, but I was thinking, “Oh, yes!” I asked what kind of activities they have planned. She said, “Oh, cupcake decoration, brunch.” No winery tour or champagne tasting.</p>
<p>tozubri, my S (URochester) was laughing about his hair freezing when he texted me today!</p>