I got my D one of those mini blenders (not name brand) and she did take it and made a few smoothies. They had a quickmart in their dorm where they could buy ice cream, yogurt, fruit.
But they only had a bathroom sink and it was a bit difficult to wash dishes in it.
This year she has a kitchen and they were going to bring a regular size blender for all of them to use.
She has vowed to bring less clothes and instead some dishes and cooking utensils.
After a whirlwind weekend, I think that my graduation hangover has finally lifted! Graduation was on Friday and grad party on Sunday. Saturday was spent working like crazy to get the house, yard and food prepared. D13 was able to come home for the weekend and we had a great visit. After a whirlwind of parties, the graduate is now at the beach for a few days. Orientation is on the 27th and 28th. Move-in is August 14 or 15 so about 60 days away. Iâm sure it will be here in the blink of an eye 
A week from today D leaves for âCamp Crimsonâ OUâs freshman orientation camp, this week sheâs busy volunteering at a national meteorology conference that just happens to be in Austin this year. She leaves for her Girl Scout summer camp job in MA on July 1st and wonât return until Aug 14th, weâll drive up to OU on Aug 17th and move in day is the 18th. So few days leftâŠ
Re: health insurance. The academic health plan offered through UK is a 12 month plan, but runs the academic calendar year (includes summer). It is a BCBS PPO & the coverage is more comprehensive than we have now (BCBS HMO), for about $65 more per month.
It looks like it would be better, in our case, to drop her from the HMO here in IL and sign her up for a Student Health Plan.
More phone calls tomorrow.
We returned from Disney on Sat. So much tragedy since we returned. Christina Grimmie was killed Fri night, the Pulse shooting and now an alligator has dragged a toddler into a lake at Disney. Love your children . Itâs a dangerous world out there.
All the tragedy in Orlando in the past week seems like too much for one community to bear. So heart breaking - I just canât imagine.
I will say that my guard was definitely up while at Disney last week. I definitely had an uneasiness. I was surprised that the shooter had considered Disney Sprimgs. It is very well lit and open.
One phone call we were told prescriptions cannot be mailed across state lines (not true, depends on the prescription, think opioids). Another phone call we were told a studentâs local clinician can call in prescriptions to the University Health Services Pharmacy, or, switch to a mail order pharmacy such as PrimeMail, Express Scripts, or Walgreens Mail Service. Prices may vary, depending on the insurance + mail order company.
@Midwest67, you could also ask the university pharmacy how they handle studentâs prescriptions, surely they deal with all kinds of ins co.
@mommdc Thanks! I did look into it, and it looks very easy and straightforward to transfer prescriptions back and forth from home to school. Her MD is actually the one who suggested mail order, as a convenience for a busy college student.
Very annoyed right now because I got an email from my Spanish teacher saying our final exam grades are in the grading portal. I log in and find the assessments section missing. Thatâs where the final exam grades show up. TechnologyâŠ
My D16 has asked a bunch of teachers and staff from HS to write her all-purpose letters of recommendation. She figured she might need them for some type of application â job, pet care service, scholarship, enrichment or leadership program, etc. â when sheâs in college.
While she might have to circle back to the writer at the point she prepares some future application, she figures a baseline letter dated now would help jog their memories.
Also, such a letter could be a pick-me-up on a down day for her, Iâm thinking.
Getting those general letters might take a while, however. School just ended for the younger grades. Still, it would be great to get them before JulyâŠto feel like HS was a wrap.
For anyone considering mail order pharmacies, I should warn you about Express Scripts. They have very shady practices. When we had to use them on DHâs plan a few years back, they kept renewing cancelled prescriptions, charging our credit card, then refusing to refund or take the return because âyou might have taken some of itâ - it was an Epipen when they said that gem (!). I tried to complain to the BBB, then our stateâs attorney general, etc, and at every step was told this is common with a list of violations a mile long including HIPAA privacy violations. They ended up cheating us out of maybe $600 before we were able to cancel the membership.
I will never again buy a prescription from a store that I canât know the cost and make a choice before actually purchasing it. Providing that my company gives a choice, at least. 
âMy D16 has asked a bunch of teachers and staff from HS to write her all-purpose letters of recommendation. She figured she might need them for some type of application â job, pet care service, scholarship, enrichment or leadership program, etc. â when sheâs in college.â
My daughter was given permission by one of her supervisors to do this as she saw fit with recommendations the supervisor had written. Every time my daughter handed one of the pre-written, glowing letters of recommendation over to someone and the role/position was one which was given to her, she sent a Thank You to that woman.
I was so grateful not to have to scramble for things that my daughter found at the last minute, and to see that she could in-a-jiffy send off a rec when needed.
Iâm sharing this because I feel so many of you all have become like a family. My sister will not be attending the college she had been planning to. Plans change and she will be attending a community college instead and going down a different path
Oh goodness @readingclaygirl - hope all is ok! Wishing her the best & I know she can count on your support.
@readingclaygirl Iâm sure she might be pretty disappointed at the moment. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason. Great things are still to come for her and she will still be getting a quality education.
Thank you both. @bookmom7 All is well- she just decided to go down a different path career wise at the moment- thinking more public administration/ public policy. She still loves baking but not as a career at this moment. So I am. @livinginLA
Hoping for the best @readingclaygirl ! Several years ago when my niece was a freshman in college, she changed her college, changed her major, changed the town she was living in-the whole nine yards-and went on to have a great college career and beyond. Good luck to her!
That is good that your sister realized that she might want to do something different @readingclaygirl