Sinner's Alley Happy Hour (Part 1)

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2741

<p>Sluggie: Sounds like BART all the way everywhere from now on. I am sitting in a motel in Palo Alto, looking at the fwy map & mapquest, so your plight is very real to me....those roads sound familiar.</p>

<p>What are we supposed to do/think when our kids look us in the face, discuss a rule and then either seem to deliberately flout it or obey the exact words of the rule and seek another option which is worse and was not not mentioned as it should have been obvious from the rule....yeah, no Oakland or Berkeley kinda makes no City pretty obvious!!!</p>

<p>Let us know the consequences you hear from insurance dudes and all! I have told my kids they will either lose their driving privileges or pay for their own insurance if they get hit with a stupid stick!</p>

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<p>Hey slugg, If you think sluggS hasn't gotten the message yet.... ship him down here South of the Border. I have a nodding acquaintance with the Policia who handle the Military Checkpoint we pass through every day. Perhaps <em>they'll</em> speak his language! :eek:</p>

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<p>Sluggy- your serious post so unlike your brilliantly funny runninng commentaries, (with good reason though, I too, understand) </p>

<p>D's first outing with a driver's license, resulted in a phone call,
"Mom, I have a flat tire"
"Where are you"
"With friend on highway going to Mall" ....
I knew nothing about this outing, asked if she drove far on flat tire
"Well, I had to, sort of , well, not that far" .....</p>

<p>Weeks later, Summer afternoon event:
"mom I just got a ticket, coming back from beach, don't know why, he was mad, yelled at me, careless driving, I didn't do it blah, blah, blah..."</p>

<p>As we sat in court weeks later - something I recommend for all wild children I will not win Mother of the year for this comment:
"We better NEVER end up here again!!!!"</p>

<p>Fall event:
Comes into study, middle of day ( no one hurt)
"Mom I had an accident"
"This animal, a cat or something else- grey and fast and kinda small, ran in front of me, I hit a mailbox, went up on curb, and got really confused about gas and break pedal," </p>

<p>As we sat on curb for an hour waiting for tow truck to haul away for $800 of repairs, my quilty daughter listened to me rant about her wayward ways and let me tell you I went to every high risk behavior your mind can think of- I can think of many" </p>

<p>End of fall:
Daughter is voted by class-
"Most dangerous to pedestrians" </p>

<p>Let's just say THIS was NOT material for college essays :(</p>

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<p>Oh forgot: D's second outing with the driving school resulted in her car being rear-ended as she waited at a red light,
Not her fault ( for once) , but that was the first time we appeared in court-
she had to testify about it as did driving school driver. </p>

<p>Kid who hit her was a fellow classmate, and the mom (who we knew) was beyond "happy" to have it suspended with minimum fine. </p>

<p>Should have known then that was an omen of what was to come :)</p>

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<p>My son almost wiped out grandpa and himself in the front seat and me in the back while making a bad left turn last summer. But he got away with a brush on the rubberized bumper. He was chewed out by the guy in a brand new big black something, my son apologized, they shook hands, and that was that. We were on our way back from visiting grandma in the hospital. The angels were working overtime.</p>

<p>Good enough for grandpa to celebrate his 95th today with grandma.</p>

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<p>Sluggy,</p>

<p>I am sorry to hear about the accident but I am glad that son is ok. You you know how long it has been since we have seen daylight. Move over, atleast there is food at your house, we're coming to join you in the hottub. We'll pelt SluggS with chicken bones and cheese balls when he passes by, then we'll give him the mommy lecture that will make those Harry Potter howler's seem like whispers.</p>

<p>
[quote]
D's second outing with the driving school resulted in her car being rear-ended as she waited at a red light

[/quote]
</p>

<p>She must know my kid, who was 5 minutes into her driving lesson got rear ended by a fool making a U-turn in the middle of 14th street. Now when she is home, she gets around using a metrocard!!</p>

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<p>I think Alu got it! Pick the wife!!!</p>

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<p>ACK Sluggers!!!!!!!!!! I just read about sluggson's accident and I'm here with some {{{{{{{HUGE HUGS}}}}}}} for you both!!!! Wish I cudda brought a new car along for y'all, but we're toolin' around here in some prettty decrepit models ourselves....<em>lol</em> ;) I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO relieved to hear that sluggson made it through in this unfortunate ordeal in one piece! That sounds like it could have been disastrous!</p>

<p>I was up late last night with the Prom Night worry that comes with the mommy territory. Everyone made it back, safe and sound, and I was very relieved, but I found myself counting on my fingers how many more prom nights I'd spend like this before my babe is done with h.s.! <em>lol</em></p>

<p>At any rate, the main thing is that everyone is O.K. I agree with the others who make the very valid claim that boy + cars don't often don't add up as we'd like them to!</p>

<p>Take care sweetie, and give your sluggson some big {{{hugs}}} from me, O.K.?</p>

<p>love, ~berurah</p>

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<p>Was reading the "How much is $200K" thread over at the Parents' Forum and was struck by the wisdom in Originaloog's post #5, last paragraph. I thought it should be nominated for one of CCs writing awards, but I'm having a senior moment and can't remember what they're called so can't do a search for the thread. Jmmom, any others? Care to do the honors?</p>

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<p>bumped up the college confidential writing awards for you :D</p>

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<p>What day of the week is it? I lost a couple of days. I see a fat NY Times out in the driveway next to the dead Volvo, so it must be Sunday. ;) </p>

<p>You know how Tom Hanks' character in Cast Away develops a friendship with the volleyball, Wilson? His character, Chuck, survives a terrifying crash-landing on a deserted island. His limp body washes up on shore, and he nearly drowns in the surf because he's too exhausted to lift his unconscious face out of the flotsam and jetsam. </p>

<p>He goes a little nuts, steals the shoes off a dead guy, yanks an abscessed tooth clean out of his head, and contemplates hanging himself on a rickety tree branch which happens to be hanging out of the side of a 400 ft. high cliff. The pragmatist in me wondered why he didn't just leap off the cliff, but I guess, he really wanted to make his point by leaving a corpse dangling from the branch like a human wind chime! :p</p>

<p>I can relate to the thought train he was on. In the same way that Chuck began to appreciate the chakra of a volleyball named Wilson, I'm really starting to like our ex-Volvo. I'm omming on the chakra, man. Ironically, chakra means "spoke" or "wheel" in Sanskrit. I'm sure the word was invented by an ancient (in every sense of the word) Hindu parent whose teenager had just wrecked the ass cart, ("ass cart" = Sanskrit for "family car"). :D</p>

<p>:::Ommmm:::: I'll have a vodka lassi.</p>

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<p>Slugg, you're dealing with this scary situation in a remarkably calm manner! I'm so glad to hear Sluggson is OK, but so sorry about the Volvo... Deep cleansing breaths... </p>

<p>Talk about scary: I'm just back from a week's visit to colleges on the east coast with TJFH. In a surprise move, we returned to his report card. (Uh oh.) But in a pleasant surprise move, we opened it. TJFH, while not National Honor Society material in the GPA department, did manage to improve Every. Single. Grade 3rd quarter over 2nd quarter. In a couple classes it went from C- to C+, but hey, we'll take it! Comments were optimistic and encouraging, and there were 2 solid Bs and an A+ in his only AP classes, so ... the next round is on me! Maybe the trip back east wasn't wasted time after all! (I can dream, can't I?)</p>

<p>(On our way out to celebrate over Indian food buffet. I'm just going for the standard sweet lassi, thanks. Vodka lassi... hmm......)</p>

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<p>Our selection process is winding down. Two schools remain; we should know the final financial offers by the end of the week. Daughter is counting down the days 'til end of school and looking for summer work. When she thinks about going away in September she gets squeaky with excitement (much like her marmot friends :) )</p>

<p>That what all the hard work is for: a still motivated kid excited about her future.</p>

<p>Cheers!</p>

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<p>LOL ...............slugg is baaaaaaaaaaackkkkk :)</p>

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<p>Passing the chicken bucket round for a new Sluggmobile...</p>

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<p>Slugg...</p>

<p>You know I was gonna deck the bucket out to wear in the easter parade next week, but any thing for you. Here's the bucket (don't let me catch anyone dropping bones or coins inside of it. We want to give new meaning to soft money).</p>

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<p>There's a basket of eggs on the bar. They are filled with confetti just for some fun.....I raise my shirley temple to decisions, improved grades and new cars....</p>

<p>And to my son's girlfriend who doesn't like him unshaven, and to job interviews that make him get a haircut!!!! Yeah!</p>

<p>And something more...I can be a good guy. I can be the one who sends chocolate bunnies, cards & little trinkets. O.K. I still worry .... but I like this little vacation right now. Don't ever, ever show me another report card.</p>

<p>Oh there is someone coming in through the door...I will just try out one of these eggs....</p>

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<p>Way to go, TJFH! :) We happen to love C's around here, with or without minuses and plusses. Add a couple of B's and an :::: A+:::: in an AP class... (picking Moot up off the floor and propping her back up on a barstool)... Wowee! </p>

<p>That reminds me, it's report card time, damnit! ;) Call in the marmot brigade. Baby needs a new pair of shoes... :D </p>

<p>Overseas, thank you for the basket of confetti eggs.</p>

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<p>Yesterday, I went shopping for SluggH's 50th birthday, and the Bagosaurus who sold me the men's pjs told me I smelled like her mother... </p>

<p>Okay, I could have gone all day without hearing that. :p What do you mean, I smell like your mother? Umm... Like Gold Bond medicated itching powder and Dial soap? It's probably not a good idea to tell a customer that he or she smells like anything, in particular. Just stay away from the whole subject altogether. ;) </p>

<p>She meant that I smelled like Chanel Mademoiselle. I knew there was a compliment in there, somewhere. :)</p>

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<p>FYI: Something we learned from our insurance agent as it relates to teensluggs who hit stuff on the freeway... </p>

<p>If the object is moving, like a wheel rolling down the freeway without a vehicle attached, it falls under the category of "comprehensive." The deductible is relatively low ($100 on our policy), and it is not reported as an "accident." </p>

<p>If the object is stationary, the deductible is much higher (10 times as high on our policy); our rates will go up (our agent said "slightly" --this is the terminology used by insurance agents to prevent parents of teensluggs from stroking out on the phone); and sluggson will have to report an "accident" when he applies for auto insurance under his own name.</p>

<p>The ex-Volvo was towed to the body shop this morning for an assessment of the damage. The tow truck driver noticed that the car had been leaking gasoline, along with coolant and oil. </p>

<p>Parenting Tip: Keep a couple of big, thick, plastic paint tarps in your garage to put under your car in the unlikely event that it is towed home and leaks all of its fluids onto your new driveway! (I had them in a bag from painting the front room last Fall.) :p</p>