<p>DS' acceptance to Vanderbilt arrived today. He's also been accepted for transfer to Lehigh, St. Louis U, UMiami and Miami of Ohio. He's got verbal acceptances to two tippy-top ranked Big 10 Engineering schools but they need to clear up confusion re his transcripts for the formal Yes. So Mom is finally feeling relaxed about the post-Katrina post-Tulane prospects for him and Engineering. Okay, he's still waiting on the lottery schools. But this feels <em>good.</em></p>
<p>Margaritas all around. Don't remind me that he now says he wants to stay at Tulane another year, complicating matters a wee bit. Or just make mine Super-sized. We'll get through this one way or the other. With thanks to you, my Fellow Travellers.</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcome. Now that the SAT is out of the way, the reality that next year is the last year my son will be living at home is starting to sink in. As the guy said in Airplane!, "I picked a bad time to stop sniffing glue".</p>
<p>Congratulations jmmom and jmson!. This way if he decides he likes the Southern style he can do that, or change if he wants. So glad you are having light. You were the last one from the class of 2009 still having to deal with this c**p!</p>
<p>Thanks, guys. Do we get to throw plates around if we're happy? Or just if we're mad? I wanna throw some plates :p! I'll adjust my mood to suit the criteria ;).</p>
<p>Ah yes, but where's someone (sybbie??) to <em>SPIN</em> the plates?? Time to keep 10 in the air at once, like the guy on the old Ed Sullivan Show used to do! It's a lot harder if you've been drinking, I guess... but if the <em>audience</em> has been drinking, they'll be a lot less likely to notice. ;)</p>
<p>On the other hand, being such good multi-taskers, we're all likely to be able to keep those plates in the air without any practice at all, right?</p>
<p>(The kid in front of us wasn't allowed to take the road test because one of his four rear brake lights was out. His parents (note: not him, his parents) argued with the evaluator ("But we just bought this car on Friday, how were we supposed to know?") to no avail. And we had to wait an extra 20 minutes while they argued and demanded to speak with "management". Oh well, I think she was happy to see TJFH by that time. He's a very polite and sweet person. (To others, anyway.) He also deigned to pull his monstrous wad of long thick hair back in a hairtie for the test, "...in case the evaluator thinks it's distracting or slacker or something.")</p>
<p>The next round is on me! Wow: a driver's license, a reasonable set of SATs... It's been a <em>good</em> day.</p>
<p>Plate throwing?-- That calls for a little Ouzo...</p>
<p>Jmmom LOL-- I love your rules for when a spouse is traveling.... Exactly right. May I add "turn lights/TV OFF when you want to" and "Skip playoff games because you just don't care" ?</p>
<p>AND ::::confetti:::: we are sooooo happy you and DS are in the clear for next year. Great schools!! Bravissimo! </p>
<p>Burnthis, you have found your people. We may even have some glue back behind the bar somewhere; I think we used it to anchor sybbie to her stool on New Year's Eve...</p>
<p>Am I allowed to drink this early in the morning? I think I need one -- S is going today for his driver's license, too! It's his birthday and I'm afraid his excitement is going to affect his driving, and not in a good way. After the minor letdown of SAT scores yesterday, I'm praying he gets his license. But I'm terrified, too.</p>
<p>I'm sweeping up the broken glass! Be careful....The marmot bartender runs on a universal clock. He doesn't care what time it is. A birthday round for a successful license. Never mind the drat SATs. There's always another day.</p>
<p>Another update: TJFH <em>drove himself to school</em> today, and even (as agreed) called me after he had parked-and-locked in the lot.</p>
<p>I can't remember seeing him so happy, maybe <em>ever</em>. I guess he really really did want that driver's license. (Now to sign him up for the Highway Survival safety course this summer....)</p>
<p>Ah, the freedom of the road. If they can keep safe, there is something to navigating the paths for the first time. Can wake up the sleepiest and connect them to their future. What a wonderful feeling. Mootmom, did your son have a birthday as well? :)</p>
<p>Kudos on having your kid call when he got to school. My son's been driving since September and he still calls me every morning to let me know he made it! What a mixed feeling about driving too -- you want them to pass, but then you're sweating bullets until you hear they've reached their destination. Although I have an excuse, my son can gets lost on his way downstairs so we're really excited every day he makes it home.</p>
<p>::::POP!:::Crackle!:::Bzzeeee!::::: Are there fireworks going off in the back booth? Jmmom, CONGRATS to jsson! What wonderful news! :) You can finally take a breather.</p>
<p>:::Tossing a W-T-F-U (What The F*%! University) coffee cup at the unisex bathroom sign::: Well, folks -- we made it! Here's to new drivers and their adventures in Wonderland. </p>
<p>Patsmom, I don't know if Pat passed his test this time or not, but our beastie sluggboy made three trips to the DMV before he got his license. The first time, we forgot one of the required pieces of paper. Don't ask me which one. I still don't give a rat's ass... Come to think of it, it was the Driver's Ed completion certificate. I remember thinking as we walked out of the DMV that feigned forgetfulness was a very good way of keeping our 16-year old from getting his license too soon. </p>
<p>Second time, the evaluator was just plain whiney when it came to driving into crosswalks while pedestrians are still crossing the street. ;) Finally, after a year of stalling and creative scheduling on our part, Sluggjr figured out how to make a DMV appointment on his own. </p>
<p>I figured, "Nah, he won't pass the test in the middle of December during the most stressful time of year when people around here will get out of their cars and fist fight over a parking spot in front of Macy's." Denial is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Not only did he pass, but he and the evaluator bonded during their little driving expedition! They talked about life, and the guy gave him an enthusiastic handshake afterward. I saw them pull into the DMV parking lot, and Sluggjr was beaming when he got out of the car. I could tell that he had passed, and of course, I congratulated myself for being able to pull off an extra year of driving practice. ;) </p>
<p>From that point on, he was a 17-year old Jack Kerouac in his parents' Volvo.</p>
<p>Patsbrother did indeed pass on his first try. I don't think I've ever seen him as happy as he was when he got that shiny new license. I was happy for him, too -- until I called our insurance company to add him to the policy and found out that it's gonna cost almost as much as a semester of tuition at the local state U. My husband says that we could send him to school in a chauffeur-driven limo every day of his senior year and still come out cheaper than insuring him. :)</p>
<p>I tutor some local students; one of them died in an accident. His best friend called with the news. So horrible - such a young, smart, warm kid. They don't make enough people like him to begin with.</p>
<p>Very sorry to hear this sad news, at the time when the world opens up for springtime and rebirth. Intense sadness..................hugs .........</p>