<p>Thanks for the update, initiate!</p>
<p>Looking forward to getting away from the cold and snow for a weekend in NOLA! S will be holding down the fort. :)</p>
<p>Hi there IL. Congrats to your S2. I can offer coffee this AM that is neither from an airline nor a hotel. </p>
<p>Being on a trimester program means that each tuition bill is a bit smaller, but it also means that we have not seen the last one yet. </p>
<p>Happy Friday to all.</p>
<p>Oldest is on quarters so we are still anxiously awaiting that last tuition bill too. The next six years we will (fingers triple crossed!!) only have one college kid at a time. What a relief that will be.</p>
<p>Happily posting from the airport. Happily because I am on my way home for the one day that I will be home the entire month on January. I have not seen my house in 2014 yet. Ive been working with several Mainers this week, so I think Ill just say that I am Wicked Busy. ;)</p>
<p>I hope that everyones playoff hopes are still alive. With brother #1 in Denver and brother #2 in Rhode Island, Im not taking sides this weekend. ;)</p>
<p>Id have posted earlier, but Ive been scouring the Internet for a $200 oatmeal maker. Any ideas? ;)</p>
<p>Mommusic Ill meet you on the first Saturday in February for breakfast at Graeters. ;)</p>
<p>Aliceinw As usual, I am late sending positive thoughts to your S with his interviews. Feel free to take the rest of the day off. ;)</p>
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I didnt know there was any other kind. ;)</p>
<p>IL I had those same misty eyes!!! DW says that we should celebrate making our last payment this weekend Im thinking name-brand ramen noodles Do you think thats what she means? D2 would love to end up in DC too, so let me know if you hear of any spare couches. Many congrats to S2 (better you than me :rolleyes:). Welcome to the world of airline status where that badge means I dont have a life. ;)</p>
<p>Psychmomma We only had one kid in college at a time, but it sure makes for a long, dry spell financially. Oh well, we made it through 8 years and managed to get 2 kids through college debt-free, so that is something I suppose.</p>
<p>Re: GRE / jobs. D2 wants to take time to get a real job before grad school. She asked for my advice on what to do about a request that she got for an interview, but did not know until she got the request that it was for a job starting in the spring ergh!</p>
<p>In college news . Yeah , right. Its exam week. There will be no college news. OK, maybe a little DW ordered D2s diploma frame as a graduation gift.</p>
<p>mommusic - have fun in the Big Easy!! Should be revving up for Mardi Gras about now! Have a hurricane at Pat O’s for me. Better yet, try the pousse-cafe, if you’re up for it ;)</p>
<p>G#, look at you…flashing your name brand ramen…probably flavored as well…</p>
<p>You are correct about the airline status = no life thing. Many folks are impressed by the thought, but about 1 in 5 gives me the “meh” look - I guarantee you that person is the frequent flyer. I give myself that look in the mirror all the time</p>
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<p>Is this a riddle? I love riddles:) Hmmm… Are you an oatmeal-making Keurig?;)</p>
<p>S1 turned 22 today, so that makes me…:eek: Well, dirt is still older ;)</p>
<p>Coffee’s ready - and you are in luck. H made it today and he is actually a coffee drinker so probably got it right. What’s more, the coffee is a special blend from D’s coffee shop. </p>
<p>No other real news here. I have been sick for a week with a miserable cold. I am quite certain that the last time I missed three days of work on account of illness was 16 years ago when I was doing chemo. I think I’m on the mend, but I skipped yoga today - no strength, stamina or wind did not bode well. Hoping I can make it tomorrow. </p>
<p>D is off gallivanting in Costa Rica, moving on to Nicaragua tomorrow, and mostly out of touch. Hope she is having a grand time. S is freezing in MN with his post hair/beard auction shaved head. He says he looks more like a mental in-patient than a skin head. Good thing or bad thing? Hope it makes a great icebreaker for interviews.</p>
<p>Happy birthday to IL Jr!</p>
<p>D called yesterday. Her top choice for grad school (which is her top choice because it’s the place we think is most likely to accept her) sent her an email that they didn’t receive 2 of her 3 LORs - and if they don’t get them by 2/1 she won’t be considered. She replied to the college that she was under the assumption they had both been sent and that she would follow up. So now she’s chasing two people down and begging them to re-send the letters via email. 
Personally, I think the letters were sent and the college has misplaced them (at least one went via hardcopy). But that’s irrelevant I guess.</p>
<p>Meanwhile we’re starting to make plans for graduation! D made dinner reservations for the night before (her ceremony is at 9am). Got the hotel rooms a long time ago. Now looking into other logistics - flying her brother in, when to move her out of her apartment and drive the 800 miles home, etc. With this dreary weather and a spate of bad news in my community and at work (I won’t share details but it involves far too many funerals and terminal illnesses, all among young people) I’m hoping that focusing on a hopefully sunny spring event will cheer me up!</p>
<p>Stopping by to say hello to the iPeeps! Coffee is ready (sorry, IL, I’ve used up my supply from Nicks). I have baked oatmeal that is NOT from a Keurig but it is still yummy.</p>
<p>IL: happy birthday to S1! </p>
<p>Laf: it’s hard to believe how quickly time flies. It seems like only yesterday we were talking about launching our kids; now we’re making reservations for graduation. It’s been an amazing journey. I hope your D’s grad school receives all the paperwork. Ugh! I hate when that happens.</p>
<p>PMK: it’s great to ‘see’ you and hear about your DS’s exciting internship in NYC! Congrats on getting your teaching certificate. I remember when you were struggling with the math for your grad program; now look at you! Congratulations!</p>
<p>alicew: I hope your D is having a great time near the Equator & your S does not freeze with his newly shorn head.</p>
<p>GSharp: belated healing wishes for your father. I was sorry to read about his health challenges.</p>
<p>In COLLEGE news: S1 finished his first semester of grad school with a 3.8. I am very proud because he is working full time & attending classes in the evening. His first semester was very disruptive with 5 trips to Cleveland to visit his grandmother/my MIL, who was diagnosed with cancer & passed away 6 weeks later in December. He did well despite the disruptions & loss. Classes begin this week & I hope that this semester will be much smoother for him.</p>
<p>I paid the last tuition check for S2! He also made multiple trips to Cleveland this past semester to visit his grandmother and just missed Dean’s List by .5. However, he had an exciting winter break, cutting a swath across the East Coast with trips to Atlantic City, Philadelphia, snowboarding in Maine, and a weekend in Boston. To my knowledge, all of those places are still intact. 
And so is S2, who did not damage or injure himself despite snowboarding down the slopes at 54 mph. (He recorded his speed on some kind of iPhone app. Ya gotta be proud.) I cannot believe that he actually got college credit for snowboarding, nor can I believe that we actually paid tuition for this.</p>
<p>Hi All! All these posts about upcoming graduations and plans is making me say awww :)</p>
<p>Alice: I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well; I also have a head cold and it’s kicking my butt. If there’s not vast improvement by this evening, I’ll be taking a sick day tomorrow (no classes, but it’s not a day off for employees.) I can’t remember the last time I took a sick day that wasn’t related to my kids or my mom. </p>
<p>G#: congrats on last tuition payments and brand name ramen. Next thing you’ll be telling us is that you’re buying Kraft Mac & cheese & not store brand ;)</p>
<p>IL: congrats on EA for S2! and Happy Birthday to S1!</p>
<p>In COLLEGE news: D1 meets with an advisor for her final scheduling next week, but it’s rather anticlimactic as they’re all required classes for her 2nd major & minor. I’ve brought up GRE/GMATs a few times, but grad school isn’t on the immediate radar. However, I remember scrambling to relearn math when I took my GREs 3 years after college graduation so it would be nice to have them in the back pocket.</p>
<p>Good morning all! Coffee with chicory, anyone? We brought some back from NOLA, as well as a CD of the Preservation Hall band playing hot Dixieland. Unfortunately, it’s actually snowing outside so I don’t know how long we can maintain the illusion that it’s 68 and sunny. Yesterday we were hiking in the swamps of southern La, marveling at the Spanish moss & palmettos (but no alligators), and today we’re going to have to shovel snow. Life is so unfair! :D</p>
<p>S is shoveling his car out at this very moment so he can go to work, but H is working from home for a bit. And my band practice is cancelled. :(</p>
<p>mommusic, I’ve never been to NOLA. Sounds wonderful. And much better than your cold weather back home.</p>
<p><em>waving at IL</em> So good to see you.</p>
<p>Hope everyone is on the mend and not too frozen with Polar Vortex 2.0. Dh has put weather bugs on the desktop so I can see the weather where the boys are. Ds1’s school is at -11, and classes are being held. Ds2’s school is at 34, and classes are cancelled. Gotta love those hearty Minnesotans.</p>
<p>Not a lot of news, but got to hear ds on the radio yesterday. Apparently, he has a deadline Wednesday related to his big senior project. His roomie and cohost is compsing this semester, too, and suggested on air that they find a weekend to just “go ham” on their projects. I like that idea. I always have to do that when I have a big project due, lots and lots of uninterrupted time. In other news, he made the ultimate team he wanted so has some travel in his future. I’m really happy for him.</p>
<p>Glad to see that there are still some iPeeps around here. It was getting kind of quiet. Got an email from D that she is enjoying herself in Nicaragua. After a week out of touch, it was nice just to hear that she’s okay. S is interviewing. We’re hoping this snow doesn’t interfere with the travels.</p>
<p>Happy Tuesday everyone.</p>
<p>Coffee’s on. H is moving snow and I need to get moving so I can get to my first appointment today. No real news around here.</p>
<p>Just came on to complain that it’s -2 degrees outside! Who ordered this weather?</p>
<p>Missing New Orleans.</p>
<p>Edit: I did think of one good thing. We live in an area where this happens frequently enough that I own good boots & long underwear!</p>
<p>Coffee and green smoothies today. It’s cold here, but I’ll be indoors most of the time. Happy Thursday.</p>
<p>alice, I noticed it’s -14 in MN. Brrrrr. I’ll take my 48 degrees, though this is the high for the day.</p>
<p>YDS - It was 5 here when I went to the gym this morning. But every time I think I’m cold, I just remind myself that it’s not as cold as Minnesota. Of course D is basking in Central America at the moment, where it is considerably warmer.</p>
<p>Again, single digits. It will warm up this weekend slightly…just enough to snow again! Then VERY small single digits for the rest of the 7 day forecast. So sick of this!</p>
<p>Making a rich beef stew with Guinness stout for dinner today. Tempted to down the rest of the Guinness myself!</p>
<p>Edit: An email from Panera informs me I have $1 off a cup or bowl of soup. Do they deliver? :D</p>
<p>We’re having a “snow day” here. There’s not really snow, but the ice makes the roads treacherous so it was a good call. Of course, now it’s sunny and beautiful, and the ice will be gone by early afternoon. I like hearing the neighborhood kids squealing.</p>
<p>Talked to ds last night, and he sounded super happy.</p>
<p>Looking forward to hearing where our roving reporter, G#, is today …</p>
<p>Good morning! No news from S2 except he decided he is going to take the GRE over Spring Break. The one grad school program he is kind of interested in has a deadline of June 1st (for an August start), so no real hurry I guess. </p>
<p>While the rest of the country is freezing, our abnormally warm winter continues. Although I like the warm weather, I worry about silly things like fires, drought, etc…</p>