Unpopular opinion: we are not loving the new Stranger Things. 2 episodes in.
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Same here. D22 and I binged it when she was home for Thanksgiving. The writing is terrible and the plot is the same olā stuff. Barely any character development.
if you want to try an amazing show we lovedāPluribus on Apple TV
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Thatās kind of what weāre feeling - itās just rehashing the same stuff, so far as weāve seen anyway.
My husband is really enjoying Pluribus - Iām not. Not sure why, itās exactly the kind of show I usually really like but itās just not clicking with me.
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Oh no, thatās disappointing. We saved Stranger Things to watch when D22 gets back home for winter break on the 17th because our Thanksgiving break was too hectic. Shame itās not good.
DH started watching Pluribus and was telling me about it, and I was intrigued, so he started over and watched the first episode with me. I liked it! It was helpful to have him explain what was happening. 
I havenāt gotten any further yet, though.
You know what we never finished? Cobra Kai. We enjoyed it a lot with our kids when it started seven years ago (although we cringed at the language with our then 11-year-olds) ā but nobody had time when the last couple seasons dropped, and then we kind of forgot about it. But the early seasons were so terrible and so entertaining at the same time. 
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You guys need to hang in there until you get to the end of episode 4 of Stranger Things of the latest season.
Itās worth it. 
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Never heard of this?
Was going to continue a bit because this happened to me in season 3 too - I nearly stopped watching, then around halfway through (I donāt remember exactly what happened haha but in the mall) it perked up again for me.
Iām not sure what I think about them dropping three āvolumesā at different times, but then Iām still old enough to remember when we had to wait a whole week for each new episode of something, so
This holds huge appeal for my kid, too ā sheās got another school on her list where the lack of diversity is one of the biggest drawbacks.
D26 did like the campus a lot when we toured her freshman year ā I remember she had her learnerās permit, and I made her drive down there taking back roads because she wasnāt ready for ATL highways (we live in the northern burbs).
Weāll definitely go again, especially to glean what we can about the new major.
One of D22ās friends dances with Goldrush, and her parents go to every home game. I mentioned to D26 that weād be able to do the same, to see the marching band. She said, āOkay, but that seems like a pro on YOUR pro and con list, not necessarily mine.ā
Ouch, kid. 
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The Karate Kid show, with Ralph Macchio and William Zabka?
Itās more nostalgia than anything if Karate Kid was instrumental to your childhood ā which it was for DH and me.
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Thinking of having D26 apply to Ga Tech if her ED 1 and ED2 dont work out.
Does Ga Tech have an intense, cut throat reputation?
Cut-throat ā not really, although there is competition to get co-ops and such.
But itās definitely reputed to be intense and a grind, depending on major. Many of the early classes are weed-outs. My kidās Calc BC teacher implores her students to do well and get a 4 or 5 on the exam, because you do NOT want to take the first Calc at Tech, lol.
Thereās a reason itās ranked so highly in engineering.
Weāll be having lots of conversations with our kid on whether itās the best fit for her.
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The whole family loved this season of Stranger Things so far. Episode 4 is so good!
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From what I understand thatās an old stereotype that no longer holds true. I will say the grade inflation rampant in elite schools is not present at GT but the faculty is supportive and they feel now if you can get in they want you to succeed.
However, it is an elite school with high achieving kids so take that for what itās worth. I think most are supportive v cut throat.
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Agree that the last episode is the best and I hope itās the start of the season getting better from there on!
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Thanks! It keeps getting promoted to me by the app. Good to hear from an actual person. May check it out once Iām done Slow Horses.
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Update on the positive impact of the first EA admit in my household. D26 has decided to cut her list from the 13 schools she was at right before Thanksgiving, to 8 now that she is in somewhere she likes. That 8 includes the one she already is in at, and 2 other EAs already pending. The remaining 5 are either schools she likes as much or close to it, one that requires no supplements, and one in CA that she should get into that will allow her to have an in state option in case the state of the world in the spring makes her or us want her to stay in state.
She now is only applying to one reach, and she may not even choose that over the school she is into already even if admitted. Such a relief and a blessing that she got that admit early!
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My problem with Pluribus is I donāt think it will have a satisfying ending. I still have scars from everything I invested in Lost.
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I wonder if thatās true for any plot that involves some kind of global restructuring of society (even if in a microcosm like Lost) that also has some supernatural or good vs. evil elements.
I never watched the miniseries (heard it was terrible), but I had this problem with Stephen Kingās The Stand (the book). Loved the whole thing until the end, which was such a letdown. And this is not a Stephen King problem ā his ending of Needful Things is masterful and so very satisfying. But I think the buildup was just so big that there was no great way to end it.
Then again, I loved the ending of The Good Place, and we talked about it for weeks. I know the ending of Game of Thrones was pretty universally hated, but I actually liked it. So maybe thereās no correlation to be drawn.
Someone should write a research paper, LOL.
I bet someone has!
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Thereās definitely grade inflation at Georgia Tech. Iāve got a GT grad and a 3rd year and the average GPA according to the admission info on their website is a 3.6 - and it goes up every semester. Not saying itās easy. Classes are hard, time management is critical, and you definitely have to work for good grades - but most make them. The ones that donāt are often kids who have never really been challenged - everything comes easy -and didnāt really have to work in high school. Thatās an overgeneralization, but what I have seen over the last 6+ years of being a Georgia Tech parent.
Both of mine had a work hard play hard philosophy, and they very much focused on time management so they could fit in their social lifeš
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Random parent ramblings ahead:
On Thurs this past week, we put our 17 1/2 yr old cat down. It was time. I did it on my own while D26 was at school (she didnāt want to be present) and Spouse couldnāt get off of work to go with me.
Since then, itās the little things Iāve noticed which Iām randomly sad about. Like how every time Iād eat cereal, the cat would beg to lick the bowl when I was done. Our other cat doesnāt do that. I miss that.
Our other cat is lonely, misses her friend. My kids want to adopt a new friend next weekend when D24 returns from college for winter break.
This past Friday, I dropped my sister off at the airport. Sheās on a 2-week trip (a cruise to Antarctica). Bucket list thing for her. She had to submit medical clearance documentation to go on the cruise. Also told me where to find her estate paperwork and instructions for care of her dog in case she dies on the trip.
D26 had to fill out a senior survey this weekend for school. It included stuff like the spelling of the name you want on your diploma, how to pronounce your name. And how many tickets you need for graduation.
Itāll probably be just 5 ticket we need, but weāre putting down for 8 in the hopes that my sister-in-law & her 2 kids will attend (they live ~6 hr drive from us). No grandparents will be attending - 1 died before D24 was born, my mom died when D26 was 2, my MIL died 2 yr ago, which leaves my dad as the only grandparent left. But he doesnāt travel well (never has handled it well, even 30 yr ago) and heās a self-absorbed mean-spirited person who does not have a close relationship with my kids.
The school counselor told the seniors that one year, one senior asked for 30 tickets. Everybodyās guaranteed something like 8 I think.
Some seniors end up with a huge gathering of people, celebrating at their home before and/or after the ceremony. Itāll be 5 of us and D24 wonāt even be able to attend in person because her final exam week starts the day after the graduation ceremony.
So this has been on my mind all weekend. All of my regular āgo toā coping mechanisms arenāt quite doing itā¦exercise, gardening.
Senior year is now almost half over. Where has the time gone? Time runs far too quickly! 
A little over a month before D26 hears from the last college on her list + the next one releases its decisions on 12/15. If we could only slow things down a tiny bit.
I really want D26 to pick the in state option. Because Iām not ready yet for both of my kids to be far away. In the meantime, Iām going to continue binge watching āVictoriaā on Netflix so I can boo hoo at random sappy moments.
</end whine> thanks for listening
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