<p>Ok. I admit it. I am sitting here wondering what is the appropriate manner in which to indicate that I.....</p>
<p>I... er, um.... I don't know what Burning Man is.</p>
<p><em>slinks away</em></p>
<p>What a great idea, alu! That would be soooo great! Burning marmots at work at the event. Who could ask for more? After all, I am burning here (combination of suspense and hot flashes). I could use the company :)</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Man%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Man</a>
I cheated too.. I looked it up (she sheepishly confesses....)</p>
<p>Sorry, but did you all read the SA fine print? If you dare to go to Burning Man after the age of 40, you are obligated to post a salacious photo post event. (Hint: we won't know if it's you or not). Just thought I'd remind you.
;)</p>
<p>This morning was S2's last sports game. Four more months of KAH (Kid At Home). Golf membership for DH arrived yesterday. </p>
<p>College 'search' is over, jymiie. We're into full blown apps. He's going 'there' (wherever!) next September, following a nine month Gap.</p>
<p>Meantime, I've decided to be his venture capitalist for his new software product. His venture nightmare is more like it, haha. </p>
<p>But really, not counting the teacher conferences and the absolute refusal to do homework, he's been such a good kid. I filled his water bottle at the game today and he actually ran back and gave me two kisses--one on each side of the cheek. It's going to be a tough transition to Empty Nest.</p>
<p>Unless...</p>
<p>Unless, I can travel to lots of fun places without having to worry about how many drinking teenagers might invade my house! :)</p>
<p>Cheers-
'scuse my poor choice of words. I do realize you are past "search" phase and into "apps" phase. I wasn't sure if all the schools on the application hit-list had been finalized. That's what I menat by "search". But I worded it poorly- sorry. I am only firing wih 1/2 my cylinders these days due to (1) advanced age, (2) nite sweats awakening me at 4am like clockwork, and then (3) having to awaken for real at O:dark-thirty (as they say in the military) because younger s's school is already in session! Its the middle of the !@#$%%^ summer and he's just finished his first week of school!! No respectable school should start before Labor day (thats the first Monday in Sept for non US folks). Ok-- I digress on a side rant- sorry. But I despise getting up at 4:45, and yes, I do still take some ownership of assuring that son's b-u-t-t is up and out of bed on time (yes- I know, in the real world he should do it all on his own and I shouldn't have to help. I don't live in the real world... )</p>
<p>Ok-- end of rant for real.</p>
<p>S #1 is coming home for a week tomorrow. I can't wait. Haven't seen him, (except for a brief meal as he passed through the airport on my b'day) since xmas. Funny how bad my memory is getting. If s # 1 ever drove me nuts and I looked forward to his departure.. I forget. I can't wait to see him.</p>
<p>Boo hoo, Cryin' in my beer. This year they only gave out 15 scholarships nationally, and he didn't get one... Oh marmots, what happened??? Pour me a double please.</p>
<p>addendum:
S just called-
He made it to finalist level again this year- but not to recipient. Sigh...Always a bridesmaid, never a bride...
Well, I shouldn't say that- he was awarded a small scholarship out of the blue from the engineering dept a few weeks ago! That was great news!
But now it is pouring down rain where he is and flights are delayed.... Not surew when he will arrive today. This isnt yet a happy day in our household. Keep the drinks coming, please.</p>
<p>slugg, You got it. And I am going to find someone really good to be "me." Great idea!</p>
<p>Counting down the days...</p>
<p>Celebrate D's 18th early tonight, as she will be gone by then, then off to drop her off next Wednesday/Thursday. </p>
<p>Are you officially old if you have offspring in college?</p>
<p>Will be strange not to have her and her art supplies around, especially paint on everything.</p>
<p>whoops: re post #3609, I meant to address it to cheers.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Are you officially old if you have offspring in college?
[/quote]
No, that just makes us "middle aged". When our grandchildren are in college, then we're old.</p>
<p>
[quote]
When our grandchildren are in college, then we're old.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>When our grandchildren are in college our kids are old. I thought we were suppose to be 39 and holding.</p>
<p>M&Sdad, I hoped that woudl show up here. It sounds as if you are going to need a couple of drinks as well as the marmots to help you take D's desk to school. Never saw that on the school supply list before.</p>
<p>Sybbie,</p>
<p>W & I were lobbying to just buy one flat pack at Ikea in Baltimore when we got there. D bought a desk for $10 at a thrift store; she painted it bright red and has become very attached to it. She had a dry run a couple of weekends ago, and she fit everything, including the desk. No marmots should be required, although little brother was a desk space casualty and will no longer be making the trip.</p>
<p>D will be most homesick for the dogs, who sleep on/in her bed. Saw on a thread for taking/leaving stuffed animals that someone had set up a myspace for the family cat. My S and I will be setting one up for the family dogs. Pictures. Videos. </p>
<p>Blog entries like the following:</p>
<p>Things we have pooped...
* black elastic sock, calf length
* chess piece, rook
* marble, round glass
* crayons, assorted colors. same poop.
* silver ring.</p>
<p>D is so excited! She is trying to decide who to kick off her top eight to make room...</p>
<p>Thnx, SBmom! I had no idea what you were talking about, but I figured it would make sense to me after a while. I was about to put on my polka dot caftan and head for the transcendental barstool, but you have spared me. So, I'll just have whatever you all are drinking, and can I have mine with a slurpy straw? :D </p>
<p>I was traumatized this weekend by the presence of both slugglettes, so I missed Happy Hour for a couple of days. The two margs I had last night after they left sort of made up for it. Judging by the new discussions in the Café, it looks like the college migration has begun! We're almost there...We don't mention where "there" is 'cuz it makes my oppositional little darling sluggboy run out of the house screaming like he's lost his last ounce of freedom and has been sentenced to four years of pounding rocks. Yes, we have done a fine job of raising our sluggson so that he understands and appreciates the value of a good education, particularly one that is handed to him on a silver platter with a silver spoon and his initials, PITA, carved in the handle.</p>
<p>Well, one of the evilfriends from LA showed up yesterday. When the sluggboy wants to work, he does, and I can now say that I've actually seen him performing manual labor. They packed up the evilfriend's late-model minivan with recording equipment and headed off to Oz, which is located in Santa Monica. It sounds like they've got a couple of gigs in Hollywood during the week, so we don't expect him back until next weekend. </p>
<p>The helpful folks at Wells Fargo called sluggson on Saturday and told him that he was overdrawn by $40, and they are charging him $5 a day until he reimburses his account. He popped out of bed yesterday morning and asked to borrow $600 for his trip to LA... HAHAHAHAHAHA! Now, wait a sec...this is the same guy who quit his summer job and sold a vintage guitar to pay for his last trip to LA. The answer, in between snorts of laughter from both sluggparents, was :::drumroll:::: NO! </p>
<p>Apparently, the buyer for his vintage amp bailed on him, he didn't have the money to go to LA, so he figured he'd ask us for a loan until he sold the amp. We were starting to feel like Lionel Barrymore, the miserly Mr. Potter in, It's a Wonderful Life, and we were thinking that we'd lend him $50 to cover the overdraft. The rest was his problem. ;) $600...heehee. He asked us why we were trying to ruin his "vacation." The vacation he's on from reality. :)</p>
<p>Sluggerina got back from Denmark and is flying back this Christmas because something "really good" is going to happen...She won't say what it is. Autism runs in the Danish boyfriend's family, and it's about to become self-induced in ours. </p>
<p>The sluggkids are nuts. Hand me the tray of flaming tequila shots. :cool:</p>
<p>
[quote]
The sluggkids are nuts.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Gee, and with such a conventional mommy too! </p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>I am thinking that next year the Vista Cruiser trip will have to be to Burning Man. What a concept: an entire camp of cyber friends all meeting one another IRL for the first time. We know, going in, that we all like to knock back a few. So why not make a <em>real</em> Sinner's Alley for our art piece and the gift economy? We'd be the most popular denizens of Black Rock City.</p>
<p>Alu, thanks for your water warning a few posts back. The plan is, my friend and I both fly in from our respective cities and meet in Reno. We'll buy cases of water there. We've rented a van. For a couple of days we'll eat trail mix type food that's not too complicated to deal with.</p>
<p>My sis, the expert, has the solar shower, the kitchen, the airstream, etc. She and her pals (all veterans) have labeled us newcomers as "virgins." </p>
<p>Who knew after countless boyfriends, 17 years of marriage, & even bearing a few children, I'd get to be a virgin again. :)</p>
<p>Back from vacation and amusing myself with all the latest posts. I count my blessings that my kids are only slightly quirky and I wouldn't say any of them are nuts. At least not yet. (That goes for me too--not yet.)</p>
<p>Having fun getting 2 boys ready for college when neither one wants to take any responsibility other than making sure the proper music is uploaded to the laptop. Thank goodness for furnished apts. & dorms! A friend has um, interesting stories of trying to outfit an apt. via long drives & rented trailers.</p>
<p>In 2 days I'll be the mother of one again. Can't remember what that was like and anyway it was a sweet toddler girl, not a taciturn (but nice) teenage boy. Pour me a drink, whatever is appropriate for wist ful celebration, k?</p>
<p>Burning Man sounds like a vacation from reality. We expect full details when you return, SB. I could do a trip next year because I don't have to stay home to guard my house anymore. No kids as of Jan 6th.</p>
<p>Plus, we have heaps of family and friends in Reno and Tahoe--and I could stop in at Red Mountain in Utah.</p>
<p>If this mega-contract drops today, we may run off to Fiji for the weekend with the boys for a little island time.</p>
<p>"we may run off to Fiji for the weekend with the boys..."</p>
<p>Well, that's not something I say a lot:).</p>
<p>"Who knew after countless boyfriends, 17 years of marriage, & even bearing a few children, I'd get to be a virgin again."</p>
<p>Well, that's not something I say a lot:).</p>
<p>"They packed up the evilfriend's late-model minivan with recording equipment and headed off to Oz, which is located in Santa Monica. It sounds like they've got a couple of gigs in Hollywood during the week, so we don't expect him back until next weekend."</p>
<p>Well, that's not something I say a lot:)</p>
<p>"D bought a desk for $10 at a thrift store; she painted it bright red and has become very attached to it."</p>
<p>Well, that's not something I say a lot:)</p>
<p>"Plus oh yeah, Peep Wars in the microwave are quite entertaining."</p>
<p>Well, that's not something I say a lot either:)!!!!So, marmots, bring out your trumpets! Let's have a salute to cyber-friends, bringing the wacky, the amusing, the hilarious, the pathetic, the flabbergasting, to other cyber-friends around the globe.....</p>
<p>Anyone feel lik singing some Madonna, a la "Bridget Jones' Diary: The Edge of Reason," in honour of SBMom?</p>
<p>
[quote]
The sluggkids are nuts. Hand me the tray of flaming tequila shots.
[/quote]
Slugg, you would be entirely traumatized if your children were remotely normal and well-adjusted. How on earth would you manage offspring that said things like, "Yes, Mom, I would like to go to college at these schools. My applications are filled out. My babysitting money is paying the app fees. I'll have them all mailed off by the middle of September. I've already applied for scholarships. Now, may Jenny and I go out to the fundraiser for the kids in Seirra Leone?" </p>
<p>You would FREAK.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Let's have a salute to cyber-friends, bringing the wacky, the amusing, the hilarious, the pathetic, the flabbergasting, to other cyber-friends around the globe.....
[/quote]
Hear, hear! At the risk of sounding derivative, I propose a new Class of '10 SA motto:
[quote]
NEXT YEAR AT BURNING MAN!
[/quote]
:D</p>