Sinner's Alley Happy Hour (Part 1)

Parent Cafe Parent Cafe
2461

<p>One of you suggested I drop by Sinner's Alley. I'd never even opened this tread before, but I figured, what the heck.</p>

<p>Being a little initimidated by 123 pages of posts, I decided to start about 5 pages from the end, just to kind of work up to the current posts. The first thing I read about is pets horking. Okay, that's . . . interesting. Then I read jmmom's post saying she's in Mexico, where pets hork in a different language. </p>

<p>So when I stopped laughing (which of course was several minutes later), I continued reading. Sluggbugg's conversatioins with S have me back on the floor. </p>

<p>I keep on reading. Then I come to jmmom's post a couple up from this one. Oh. My. Gosh. </p>

<p>Now the bad news - this may have me going back and reading the entire 123 pages. AAAhhhhhhhhhh.</p>

<p>So now it's after 12 EST. Please, let me buy this round. I'm laughing so hard I'm crying.</p>

2462

<p>Big Big Big Buckets Of Bubbly For Everyone: Andison Was Just Accepted At Mit!!</p>

<p>:d</p>

2463

<p>ABSOLUTELY BATHIN' IN BUBBLY HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

<p>CONGRATULATIONS ANDISON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU GO!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

<p>love, ~berurah and family</p>

2464

<p>That's really great Andi! I don't wish your wait on anyone but a well balanced list this year has paid off and I'm delighted at your son's success and the long awaited joy in your family! Best wishes...Susan</p>

2465

<p>Spent most of the evening last night in the cyber nuthouse with all of the other cybernuts waiting for UCSB' crap Microsoft servers to come back up so that we could all end our suffering and have an answer. :p</p>

<p>The seemingly endless wait turned into an impromptu party at our house. SluggyH and I downed a bottle of wine and watched, My Man Godfrey, while we waited for the system to come back up. Every half an hour, we schlepped into the kitchen to refill our glasses and check the site to see if it was still having "technical difficulties." </p>

<p>Announcements were supposed to be posted at 5 p.m. The system overloaded almost immediately as 40,000 applicants checked in at once. Those of us who believe that we can outlast, outplay, and outwit everybody on the island were not discouraged. We refreshed and pinged away on our keyboards until we got a new message, two words in bold black and white -- SERVICE UNAVAILABLE. Then, another message telling us that the system would be down for maintenance until 7 p.m. </p>

<p>And so, began the long, arduous wait...Sensible parents ate dinner and found sensible ways to kill 2 hours. We ate, we drank, we watched a movie and ate popcorn. Our geriatric dog jumped off the bed 25 times following us to the kitchen because her canine instincts told her that she might have to perform a heroic act and dial 911. At least, her chances of getting a cookie were pretty good that night. </p>

<p>7:01 p.m. rolled by and STILL nothing!! Students who were OD'd on sugar by this time went into overdrive and tried to think up ways to make the system come back up. Like a classroom of fifth graders conspiring to drive their substitute teacher crazy, they volleyed their ideas, and a master plan emerged. </p>

<p>I'm thinking something along the lines of Billy Bob Thornton, the NASA administrator in, Armageddon, who organized a ragtag bunch of roughnecks to nuke a killer meteor. Experience meets youthful ingenuity to save the planet. Parents and students battle crap Microsoft servers to...well, the planet! Okay, so we get a bunch of people to sign off all at once, and then, we argue about who gets to check in first. But, we need a lot of people for this to work, so we'll call all of our friends who are waiting for UCSB decisions and tell them to sign off. It was a masterful plan. :D </p>

<p>I don't know what time it was when we finally got through, 9:30-ish, maybe. H was into the forgotten wine bottle, by that time. Y'know, the one that sits in the door of the refrigerator for a few months after it's been opened. </p>

<p>SluggJr was performing the second night of his school play and wasn't around when we finally got through. It was a very nice rejection letter, and we knew it was coming. SluggJr called in after the play, and we gave him the news. He took it in stride as he does most things these days, and he was fine. We told him that the letter said there were 40,000 applicants for 4,000 freshmen slots this year. </p>

<p>It's just a gas to be part of the chase and to share it with so many others. We had fun, and congrats to those who did get in! :)</p>

2466

<p>OMG, Andi and Andison! Break out the ::::confetti!:::: So happy for your news! :)</p>

2467

<p>Slugg...sorry that one did not come through...the odds sound real tough there. At least you had fun waiting! :D</p>

<p>I think people are gonna get drunk tonight on Andi's news.</p>

2468

<p>I'm stumbling up to the bar too. Slugg - well UCDavis is hardly shabby, huh? And Andi, well let's bring out the 70 year old bourbon from my grandfather's cellar - handwritten label and all.</p>

<p>Hayden. Welcome. I have to tell you. It is worth reading the entire thread. It is hilarious. And congrats on USC again.</p>

2469

<p>Slugg...</p>

<p>Sorry that things did not work out for SluggS. Don't worry, because I think he is going to fall into SA one night read all your postings and either compile them into a book and become filthy rich or use them in some great country western tunes.</p>

<p>Hey, ya know I'll always belly up to the bar with ya. We'll still drink to Davis and Merced, and down a few for Andi and Hayden (glad you finally made it here :) )</p>

2470

<p>Slugg--sorry to hear about UCSB :(. Bleh. Double bleh. </p>

<p>Wondering if my son made his flight from Chicago. Will know soon . . </p>

<p>Congrats again to andison!</p>

2471

<p>Oh I was born a Nevada moron's daughter
I remember well the well where I drew water...</p>

<p>Our neighbors were form hell
yep, & mootmom's son as well</p>

<p>My Klingon ways were hilarious CC fodder...</p>

2472

<p>Okay, soozie. Now we're on the same page. Great comfort to this MOS knowing that even a D does that (imo rude) "walk way" during IM thing. Who raised these kids? ;)</p>

2473

<p>OK SBmom, now that you've started, you just can't stop: the crowd is starting to bang their mugs on the tables, and they're starting to slosh! Encore!!</p>

2474

<p>Yep my observations on life are always witty
even when evilneighbors made my day real sh**ty</p>

<p>On Assland I will muse
leaving trails of slime and ooze</p>

<p>But I'll deck anyone who puts me on a committee</p>

2475

<p>Damn straight, SBmom! :) To the tune of, Coal Miner's Daughter. </p>

<p>Yeah, we're happy around here. We have three Welcome Day weekends in a row lined up. Nice to say that these events are for "admitted students." Man, I LOVE those words! All of this is such a good lesson for SluggJr (he now understands our histrionics over those *%!! progress reports), and we're grateful that he didn't get completely hammered by college admissions. ;)</p>

<p>Judging by this year's master list, this is the most positive year that I've seen since I joined CC three years ago. Really, a lot of diverse and interesting college choices. </p>

<p>Hayden, I'll buy you the next round just for reading this thread, despite the typos, the inventive grammar, and my own excessive use of smilies. One that always makes me laugh is SB's story about a family vacation with her dad and his infamous command to go outside and FROLIC, damnit! (Post #682, p. 35) It's a nice bunch of folks in here, which reminds me...berurah, nice to see you! :)</p>

2476

<p>Slugg, for what it's worth, I think that UCSB prioritizes GPA over test scores. The profile of enrolling students last year shows an average GPA of 3.76, average SAT around 1200. Also, I think that UCSB is one of the campuses that guarantees enrollment for the ELC (top 4%) group -- I'm not entirely sure on that. Anyway, its nice to know that there are campus choices to meet different profiles -- looks like my high-achieving/low testing d. will fit in fine at UCSB, and SluggJr. should do great at Davis. </p>

<p>That being said, your adventures with the UCSB computer sounds a little over the top. :p </p>

<p>I have only recently discovered that my daughter, who has been assuring me for months that she was tracking her college admit status online at all colleges, had no clue as to how to log on to any of the UC sites. So I'm nudging her on the Berkeley site. Then again, there really is something nice about finding out from the big envelope.</p>

2477

<p>124 pages and I didn't even know this thread existed till I followed a ball of string down from the parent's forum! I could really use a drink.....well, at least a cyber drink...and maybe a pat on the back along with a chance to grouse. (I read the rules and absolutely promise not to make this too heavy despite what's happened this week.) </p>

<p>March has to be the longest month of the year. Yah, the college stuff and the waiting is giving us a headache just like everyone else. I should know better than to keep checking the different fora for the schools where my son applied. Early writes and likely letters, notifications on Echols....when something you expect doesn't come tripping at your door, you begin to shake the mailbox in a violent manner and wonder if there will be any spots left for regular admission, once they get through handing out all the "early" stuff! Meanwhile, my son is a pretty calm camper and shows his mettle by grinning at his mom's weird behavior.</p>

<p>What we didn't expect to deal with this month is some pretty heavy duty family stuff. My husband's brother was diagnosed with lung cancer last July. He fought the good fight month after month, and my husband was out of town more than he was in, running up to see and help him. Last Sunday we got the call to come and say goodbye. That call is never expected, not even when you know it's coming. These past few months have been so full of pain that what happened this week was almost a relief. The funeral is this weekend. Something like this can sure put other things into perspective!</p>

<p>For the moment at least, I have sworn off mailbox shaking as well as trying to use X-ray vision to peer though closed envelopes. Hopefully, my good intentions and reformed behavior will at least last till about April 7. This will hopefully get us through the worst of the college onslaught. Thank goodness, my son has foresworn waitlists. He doesn't want to drag things on any longer than we do. He leaves with his class for over three weeks in Israel starting May 3. Hopefully, he will have one (and only one) deposit on file by then. :rolleyes:</p>

2478

<p>I am at the end of the bar, pushing an ice tea over to you. (there it goes--it's spiked) It is close to lunchtime here. :) I didn't have a death in the family last year, but a sick son...and everything else that goes along with senior year and college apps. One thing about this mortal coil, is we all survive for a time. My condolences to you and your family. And this too shall pass. May the next few weeks shine brighter. Take a deep breath, and give the mailman some space. :)</p>

2479

<p>Cami, my condolences to you and your husband on the loss of your brother-in-law. </p>

<p>We went through a similar experience about the same time last year when my kids' grandfather (my father in law) passed away, with his final illness and demise being quite rapid over a period of several weeks. Fortunately no kids applying to college then, though it wreaked havoc on my daughter's SAT schedule -- with all the traveling out of town to visit her sick grandfather & then his death & memorial to attend, we ended up pushing back the date of the SAT, and I really think she was off her stride when she took the exams. </p>

<p>But as sad as the experience was, it did have the effect of bringing our family closer -- it was the first time in at least two years that I had spent significant time with both my kids together in one place, as well as spending time with the in-laws. (I'm divorced, but a grandfather is a grandfather). And as you say, it certainly does put other issues in perspective.</p>

2480

<p>Cami, My condolences to you and your family on your loss. But since we are still in the shadow of St. Patty's Day (where everyone is irish), we can have a good irish wake, toast a few to and celebrate the life of you B-I-L.</p>

<p>We're never at a loss for some of the regulars to do a good old irish jig, no matter what time of year it is. </p>

<p>Hold, on a sec...</p>

<p>HEY BRING BACK MY BEST DANCING BASKET SHOES!! The plastic has finally formed to my feet!!</p>

<p>We are here and we've got your back. Heck, we'll take turns shaking the mailbox for you. But don't ask slugg, she'll just cut to the chase and run the darn box off of it's post :D .</p>