<p>momnmusic, congratulations! I’m with zooser on this one - I can’t imagine one of my D’s getting married yet.</p>
<p>No college news her except that D1 adopted a 2 year old cat over the weekend so she now has company in her NYC apartment.</p>
<p>mommusic, congratulations to your family! How exciting.</p>
<p>DH and I had a wonderful time on our Carnival cruise, although all our friends were worried that we might be on the Triumph! We were actually on the Freedom. I have read some negative reviews of Carnival recently, but we thought the company did a marvelous job. On Valentine’s Day, we got to go through a good bit of the Panama Canal, which I have always wanted to do. It was even better than I expected! It turns out that my dad was down there a few years ago and did the engineering for some repairs of the Bridge of the Americas, which our ferry traveled under as we started into the Canal. Pretty cool! We also liked the rain forest in Costa Rica.</p>
<p>Oh, we barely got out of Portland on our way down to Florida - it started snowing earlier than it was supposed to. Our plane was the next to last one before the airport closed. The deicing took so long that we almost missed our connection to Atlanta, but the pilot put the plane into high gear and made up 20 minutes. Whew!</p>
<p>DH gave the boys a refresher course on how to use our generator, but the power never went out, even during prolonged hurricane-force winds! I think it was a miracle.</p>
<p>Our friend who stayed with the kids did a great job. She ended up having to take S2 to the ER - he had an incredibly dry mouth and sores that could have indicated a very serious reaction to one of his many meds. He turned out to be fine. I’m glad I left a medical treatment authorization form! DS was a little stressed about a math class, too. He’s used to sailing through even advanced math classes, but this one is a challenge for him.</p>
<p>The house was in pretty good shape when we returned! We’re going to take the kids and our friend out to dinner tonight, to say thanks for holding things together while we were gone.</p>
<p>Now I’m trying to adjust to the real world again. “Cooking”?? What’s that, lol? And nobody is turning down my bed each night! Geez.</p>
<p>I am happy you had a great time, ML, you deserve it!</p>
<p>^^^^ ditto!!</p>
<p>I’m so glad to hear that your trip was great and the kids didn’t need the generator!</p>
<p>S has a 2nd interview this week with large company! That’s a good sign. And an interview with another company.</p>
<p>I hope he gets an offer or two, but the timing may be bad for the REU. Don’t think he would hear from that until March. Decisions, decisions… :)</p>
<p>Your trip sounds great, MLH. We had friends who went to Florida last weekend. It was about 35 degrees there.</p>
<p>It has been cold down here in Florida. I like it when we are in the 50s but when it drops to the low 40s I seemed to have forgotten what it was like. </p>
<p>Unlike some of the residents here I haven’t brought out my parka or anything extreme like that. My aunt did have to wrap one of her orange trees though.</p>
<p>bumping us back</p>
<p>Time for coffee! Or in my case, hot tea with honey & lemon. I seem to have developed a cold. :(</p>
<p>Sorry about your cold, Mommusic. I just found out yesterday that S1 is going to Panama City Beach over spring break with one of his roommates and the “Mingo Boys,” some neighbors from southern West Virginia. He went there for his senior trip. It’s hard not to have him ask our permission anymore.</p>
<p>good morning all!! coffee is ready</p>
<p>Good morning! </p>
<p>Mommusic, I hope you feel better soon. Sending virtual chicken soup your way.</p>
<p>Mainelonghorn, glad to hear your cruise was fun! </p>
<p>Footballmom, I, too, am having to get used to my S not asking permission. He was more of an introvert in HS and I’m happy he has friends and a life in college.</p>
<p>Thanks for the coffee, P56. I’m on my 2nd cup.</p>
<p>Mommusic: but did you do the Chicken Dance at the wedding?? Perhaps you should have done the Chicken Soup Dance to ward off your cold. 
Congratulations on the wedding. It sounds like a blast. Good luck with your S interview this week.</p>
<p>MaineLonghorn: welcome home! I’m so glad you caught the almost-last plane from Portland & escaped the snow. The Panama Canal sounds spectacular. You certainly deserved a break.</p>
<p>IL: LOL about Grandma ski patrol & the gingham sling! </p>
<p>Mdem: sending you warm thoughts for some FL sunshine. ;)</p>
<p>Footballmom: my S2 informed me that he & some friends are going to Panama Beach for spring break too. It’s a long drive & I am less than thrilled. It must be the new Daytona.</p>
<p>In college news, D was talking with one of her two advisers for her concentration (major). The prof told D that the three did not have to have a formal meeting to talk about next semester’s classes, but suggested the three of them could meet up at the local bar/pub to discuss it over beer. D paused, looked at the professor and said, “Not sure that is a great idea. I’m only 19.” The prof was shocked; somehow after interacting with D in her classes and independent study, thought that she was a returning student and about 25! So I am thinking I need to keep an eye on these profs re contributing to the delinquency of a minor. 
But really, really glad that D didn’t decide to just go along with it and end up getting carded.</p>
<p>Thanks for the coffee p56, could use it this morning, my tax clients seem to be a bit nasty so far…
The day can only get better… :)</p>
<p>kinderly - Would it really have been a problem for her to go to the bar? Here, kids can get into bars at 18 but must be 21 to be served. In grad school, there was a bar near campus where a couple of my professors basically held court, but I was in my early 20s then. </p>
<p>12rmh18 - S1 drove there with three others in 2010 after HS graduation from West Virginia. They broke up the trip going down - one kid’s dad sprung for them to spend a night in Atlanta. They got in a wreck before they even got to their condo (no one hurt, no alcohol involved and not their fault) and ended up riding a bus home. I think it was about a 12-hour trip.</p>
<p>Thanks for the coffee, p56. Hope my day will get better too.</p>
<p>My S will go on a long drive from Minnesota to Georgia for his spring break (mid-March). The origin of this trip is to attend an ultimate frisbee tournament. But of course there is the beach house rental component, too. And the LONG drive there and back. And my S isn’t 21 yet . . . Yes, mom demands a lot of progress texts on this particular trip.</p>
<p>Have a great Wednesday, all.</p>
<p>Happy Wednesday! I had taken this week off to go skiing with S3, but then his HS tennis coach scheduled 3 matches this week so I am home. I have been going to yoga every day which is making me feel very at peace with the chaos around me. </p>
<p>S2 turns 21 on Monday. I have the day off so I am going to drive up and take him out to lunch. Then the following Sunday the whole family will drive up and take him to my BIL’s beach bar for lunch. No big presents since he is hopefully going on a Travel Study to Greece this summer which will not be cheap. </p>
<p>Spring break: As far as I know S2 does not have plans for Spring Break. So he will just come home and hang out with us for a week. </p>
<p>I am happy to hear that ML had a great time on her cruise and that mommusic’s wedding was wonderful!</p>
<p>belated congrats to mommusic on the happy wedding</p>
<p>add me to list of DS’s going to Panama Beach in March, he is also driving with several friends from Indiana.</p>
<p>ML glad to hear your cruise was fun, I’m in process of deciding which to book for March out of Miami. My sister & I visiting our parents who may also join us. Looking forward to some warm & sunny weather.</p>
<p>My D wants to go with her friends to Panama City for Spring Break. But she previously made plans to go in on a rental near Miami when she thought all her friends were going there as well. But the girlfriends she wanted to be with bailed out for a cheaper Panama City trip that D didn’t know about (because she was abroad for winter term) until after she had already given $500 to the kid renting the Miami beach house. The kid has already sent the money to the realtor and it doesn’t look like he will be able to give D her money back. 
$500 is a LOT of money for her - and it was HER money, as I don’t pay for spring break party trips. We paid the past 2 years for Spring Break service trips, but partying has to come from her own pocket. She figured she’d only be able afford one “fun” spring break and this year was going to be it. I’m chalking this up to an expensive life lesson, because while I feel badly for her, frankly I’m not too upset that she won’t be with a bunch of frat boys in a beach house. And in the meantime, D hasn’t decided what she’s ultimately doing for Spring Break, but she will be home for at least part of it so she can see her BF. </p>
<p>As for getting into bars - in NC near D’s campus you can get into the bar at 18 but can’t be served, but in NYC and Boston you can’t go in at all unless you’re 21.</p>