<p>Moot -I'm drinking to TJFH! He sounds like my kind of guy. A marketing guy, heaven forbid....</p>
<p>Tree putting up time? No Problem... Another day to bless the perfectionist to whom I am married. A week ago I came home to a lit tree (he took our littlest boy with him to pick it out) and all I had to do was hang the ornaments artfully with the kids. Talk about a wonderful life!</p>
<p><em>I will now duck down while all of you throw peanuts and olives at me</em></p>
<p>Random musings. It's late, but I don't want to go to bed just yet!</p>
<p>Okay, I just got back from a Christmas get together with my girlfriends, and one of the ladies was saying that hanging Christmas trees upside down was all the rage in Colorado. Have you folks heard of this? </p>
<p>Also, my S just got back from visiting a friend at Deep Springs. Fascinating college. He almost got in on slaughtering a cow, but they rescheduled it. He also got to shoot a gun for the first time. Whoo boy. I guess they decided to shoot some wine bottles and beer cans for fun while he was there. He says that even though alcohol is not allowed at all at Deep Springs, there were a lot of empty wine bottles and beer cans around (??). </p>
<p>My D's boyfriend also got deferred from Chicago. Funny thing, when we met his parents the other day, they talked about how their son said he wanted something different from what he was used to and wanted to go to school in a small town. Somebody is a little confused here! Oh well, they did seem like really nice folks. And he's a great kid. He can bake bread, sing, knit, and speak German --what's not to like? Too bad my daughter and he are going to break up when he goes to college in the fall. So she says now. (What will she say come fall?) Anyway, I like him, but trying not to get too attached!</p>
<p>Okay, here's an article about the upside-down tree. And Mootmom, it says Target sells one - your son is really a trend-setter! <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2005-11-07-christmas-trees_x.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2005-11-07-christmas-trees_x.htm</a></p>
<p>Slugg, no Spock here, but I get to hear James Earl Jones' "The Force is with you young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet" everytime I turn on the lights. Just the holiday message we all yearn to hear. Ahhh, the joys of boys. </p>
<p>He finally made it home, hungry & exhausted, but glad to be here. Anyone else still waiting on a college child?</p>
<p>My kid is back, and just in the nick of time. None of my men were inclined to see "Brokeback Mountain" with me, but she was happy to oblige. Beautiful melancholy film, so similar thematically to "Remains of the Day." </p>
<p>Slugg I loved your story about shopping madness. </p>
<p>Venturing into Beverly Hills today; should be a zoo. Perhaps a small Bloody Mary to fortify me before the trip? On second thought let's make it a big one; D can drive!</p>
<p>I saw Brokeback Mountain with my D too. Nor were S or H inclined to see it. I thought it was one of the more beautiful movies about love ever. If you have followed Ang Lee, he directed Eat Drink Man Woman, Sense and Sensibility, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. He's Taiwanese. Anyway, I think he's one of the more brilliant directors working today.</p>
<p>Yes, Over30, I'm still waiting on my middle child. He called just a bit ago - poor guy needed to vent. Sitting in a plane waiting to leave on the first leg of the flight (NYC to Atlanta). Sounded weary already, and hasn't even taken off. Described his ordeal this morning in trying to get to the airport in NYC. Couldn't take a taxi, because taxis must have 4 people to get past the toll booth due to the NYC transit strike. Managed to get to Union Station (from Lincoln Center), and take a shuttle bus to LaGuardia. Checked in plenty early, but said the security line circled around and out and he doesn't really know how long it was. Fortunately, the security people pulled people forward who's flights were leaving next, so he said he got to the gate just as they were boarding. He always has the adventures when he travels -- storms. Cancelled flights. Missed stops (when he fell asleep on a train here -- long story). I think it was an anxious morning for him. Hope he can sleep on the plane, because his older brother and little sister have big plans for when he gets here. I wake at the crack of dawn to pick him up at the Munich airport. We have all 3 kids with us for exactly 3 days before the older one leaves.</p>
<p>I'm not much of a drinker, which is why I peer in the windows of this place, but have never before ventured in. But do you have any hot Glühwein?</p>
<p>May the Force be with you, SBmom. Bring your blaster. :)</p>
<p>Binx, here's a nice, hot mug of Glühwein! Put your feet up, and enjoy.</p>
<p>"Dear Santa,
Would you please call up the Sandman and have him make a stop at my house, tonight? Tell him to bring lots and lots of sand for the 17-y/o and the 21-y/o visiting vampires who like to run water in the bathroom sink at 3 a.m. They cook pot pies at 1 a.m. and keep the dog up all night. Tell him to hurry, because H and I really need our beauty rest. ~Love, Sluggbugg" :o</p>
<p>Binx - We are big talkers here but actually we are frequently just drinking watered-down Diet Coke and pretending it is 15-year old Scotch with a distinctly peaty flavor.</p>
<p>Wait.</p>
<p>That sounds good.</p>
<p>To heck with the Diet Coke:). I should have told you. Some times we fall off the wagon but then someone throws us in the cold showers located out back by the hot tubs.</p>
<p>You should read some of the earlier posts in this thread. Whenever I am in need of a smile that's what I do. Welcome.</p>
<p>Haha what is this thread? I love parents, they're so cool, chillin' on College Confidential!</p>
<p>jimbob1225 - if you are very quiet and listen you will hear all the stuff your parents wouldn't tell you:).</p>
<p>BUT, pinky swear: you must NOT rat us out to our kids.</p>
<p>Haha okay....now spill the beans :)</p>
<p>Oops -- not Union Station; thats in DC, where other S lives. Can't remember which station in NYC. Gee, just a little Glühwein, and see what happens to me?</p>
<p>Arrggh, the transit strike has been making both of my kids miserable! Keep fingers crossed that they're really going back to work, or I will be driving to Brooklyn around midnight tomorrow to get my D after work (you know, the college grad making minimum wage in Barnes and Noble?, yeah, that one), and get her home for Christmas. Meanwhile, H is kindly schlepping S home from school at the north end of Manhattan this afternoon. </p>
<p>Sometimes I wished we lived just far enough away to say we can't do it...</p>
<p>Oh well, slide some spiked eggnog over this way; I don't have to drive tonight!</p>
<p>Was pulling together the presents for S & D last night. Some were missing, so I asked W where she had put them. A blank stare was all I got. </p>
<p>Push come to shove, we cannot account for about $100 of Christmas purchases. Neither of us have any memory of moving the white plastic bag from the kitchen. We tore the house apart and they were not found. </p>
<p>Our best guess is that we had a Christmas party which generated lots of trash. We asked the kids to collect the trash, in white plastic bags, and think that the presents made nice gifts for the families of our garbage men.</p>
<p>So today I got to brave the procratinators and grinches and re-buy what I had already bought. Ho Ho Ho Dammit!</p>
<p>any one know how Visa platinum's lost/stolen policy would handle this?</p>
<p>Waiter, make it a double...</p>
<p>M&SDad, I applaud your bravery for facing down the hordes. I had the opposite "problem" last night...I was stowing away a Christmas purchase in the trunk of my car and noticed several Borders bags at the very back. Lo and behold, purchases I made last year and early this year and had forgotten about; my daughter is going to wonder about our sudden extravagence!</p>
<p>
[quote]
He almost got in on slaughtering a cow, but they rescheduled it. ~Mstee
[/quote]
Same thing happened to me, yesterday, when I was shopping at Ernie's House of Meats. :)</p>
<p>Binx - Probably it was Penn Station. Of course, could be Grand Central....</p>
<p>S said the milk at Deep Springs was the best he ever tasted, and they had excellent steaks for dinner. He was clearly impressed by his visit. I don't know how he would have handled the whole cow slaughtering thing though. Probably just as well that event was rescheduled!</p>