Ugh. It’s that time of year again when parents assume their “brilliant” DC was rejected from all those elite universities because they weren’t a recruited athlete or URM. After all, what other reason could there be that their high-stats kid was rejected or waitlisted? It’s sooooo rare to see 4.0/36 ACT/1580 SAT/12 APs or IB diploma/great EC students from rigorous high schools applying to elite universities—surely they MUST need your kid. 
And to think it isn’t even Ivy Day yet…
Jealousy is such an ugly thing.
Neighbor has constructed a seating area in the front yard and brings patio chairs out every morning and puts them in back yard every evening. There’s astroturf in the front, too. It’s 115 here in the summer at times. If you’ve never sat or stood upon astroturf when it’s above 105, it’s like standing on the surface of the sun. She never actually sits out front. It’s all for show. I don’t understand.
Neighbor has also been known to walk through my front yard.
Now I’ve planted a lovely row of prickly pear. I now call it my prickly wall of death…because it will bite you in the butt if you get too close and those barbs are hard to get out. Plus side is that in 1-2 yr from now, I’ll have prickly pear fruit to harvest every August.
More cacti will be making an appearance in my front yard over the coming months.
Prickly living fences make good neighbors.
One of our dogs has been sick for a month. Not eating, has lost a lot of weight. So far we have spent $1,077.85 – and still no diagnosis. 
It’s been weeks and I’m still upset with both the old doctor and the new doctor. I realize this is not a life-or-death situation and I’ll learn to live with the outcome. I just hate feeling as if I was a guinea pig for the first doctor, and that the second doctor was so focused on the current problem that he failed to notice how previous choices should inform the new ones. It’s left me with far less than optimal results, ongoing inconvenience and the loss of one normal sense, as well as confusion over two conflicting diagnoses. I should probably seek a third opinion, but have no clue where to find a more qualified doctor. ARGH!
Dear husband’s relative: We are very happy that you had a great vacation, but no chance are we going to look through 61 photos you posted on facebook. Caused a flashback to the days we’d have to sit through “slides of the summer vacation”!! 
It never fails. Every. Single. Time.
Dear husband,
I am happy you are going on this health journey. I support that you are journaling all of the food you eat on my fitness pal.
But I am not discussing what we are having for dinner at breakfast. Every day you are on a diet we have a lean protein, a starch and a vegetable.
But it’s a surprise! I am not discussing it! Not at breakfast and not at lunch! The vegetable is a surprise! You can enter it at dinner.
Once again, mom, the rules don’t apply to you. You don’t mask or vaccinate, you took the splint off your recently repaired broken kneecap before you hit the doctor-mandated 90-degree milestone, and today I drop something off at your house only to find your car gone. Evidently, you’re tired of relying on other people, so now you’re on the road with a right knee that only bends about 70 degrees at best. The doctor has not released you to drive, mom. But you do you.
Dear dog-
I didn’t know it was possible to throw up more than you have eaten over the last week. I guess that confirms that in fact the kids did leave the pizza out not just an empty plate.
I am glad you are feeling better and hungry again.
My daughter said we should throw a little surprise birthday party for my husband, so yesterday she and my son who’s ill snuck into the house and decorated the living room. We ate a lot, played games, and DD played the piano. DD took time to tell her dad what she appreciates about him, and then DS followed suit. DS is staying over a couple of days and insisted on treating us to pizza for dinner. It was just a wonderful day. It’s so awesome when kids grow up and become so kind and generous.
I changed the date while investigating airline tickets, and when I went back to my original date, the price went up $150! So I booked on my phone which still showed the lower fare. So frustrating dealing with the airlines
I love you but I have to sit on my hands not to respond when you post misleading political posts on social media. You need to get the facts or stop posting this kind of stuff.
Your yard looks stupid. Lavender and palm trees look dumb together.
So, ordinary townspeople can’t make a reservation for brunch, but people that will never be back once their kid graduates can. Constant deals and discounts for students, faculty and admin, but the rest of us can pay full price for the privilege of being townies. Grumble.
Go in for jury duty in about an hour. Crossing all my fingers and toes that I don’t get selected.
Left house with plenty of time to arrive early to afternoon doc appt; good thing, too, since I mixed up which doctor I was seeing and drove to wrong one.
Me to our local community college: “I have a high school student who is interested in taking the EMT classes at community_college_name during the summer, but would not be turning 18 until a couple of weeks after the classes start. Would the student need to be 18 before enrolling?”
Community College: “Hello - he is fine. He just has to be 17 years old.”
me: (thinking What the heck? Why would you assume the student is male?)
So we’re finally up to $1,217, but at least we have a diagnosis. Yeah, we’re going to get pet insurance for the younger dog.
Why won’t my son listen to me.
Argh.