Oldest arrived safely at Oxford. Is already exploring, making friends, and having a great time. He is such a wonderful person in every way. I’m so thrilled he will have this experience. So excited for his year (Masters) overseas!
Just received the Likely Letter from an Ivy school!!!
Double super weekend! S sworn into bar and D engaged! Double Whammy! Whoo Hoo! Too much fun!
Last time I took a standardize test was SAT. I was unexpectedly asked to take a verbal reasoning test for a potential job, panic, panic…I was told I got the high score. 
My son received his master’s degree today, in art history. It took him three years instead of two for a number of reasons (including depression), but none of that matters at all. I’m extremely proud and happy. He was told that one person who read his master’s examination believed that the essays he wrote were the best they’d ever read!
Next stop, Ph.D applications, with time off in between to study in Germany for a couple of months. It’s a little hard for me to believe, but when I started posting here, he was a senior in high school! Time definitely flies.
Congrats to you and your son, @DonnaL! How’s the new job going?
Thank you, doschicos. I’ve been at the new job for a month now, as of tomorrow. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I really like it so far! The cases are all fascinating – something I couldn’t always say about all the commercial litigation cases I worked on over the previous 30 years! – and the people at work are all very nice. Something I also couldn’t always say in the past!
I’ve usually been able to leave every day by 6:30 or 7 pm. Which is generally later than anyone else (the office officially closes at 6), but it still feels incredibly early to me!
And I’m even working on an amicus brief we’re filing with the U.S. Supreme Court at the end of the month. I never worked on a Supreme Court brief before.
I wish, of course, that I were making something closer to what I used to make (my salary is less than half of what it once was), but so far, I feel that it’s worth it.
Glad it’s going so well so far. Thank you for doing such important work, @DonnaL.
So proud of my freshman HS daughter. She has been working so very hard at school, while getting used to a competitive marching band schedule and joining a community orchestra (violin).
I had my doubts whether she should have signed up for AP Gov as a freshmen (she did it mostly because her friends did). But her teacher just told me that she made the highest grade in the class on the first chapter test (98%) …the median and average were low 80s. I’m mostly proud because she studied for hours and hours, after taking copious notes. In middle school she made all A’s but some were low and she tended to put in only the necessary effort. For that reason I kind of assumed high school would bring a slight drop in grades and decided to accept that as long as she did reasonably well. But looks like she’s ramping up her own expectations and seeing results in all classes. The AP class seems the most challenging but I think she likes it the most. Having an excellent, discussion-oriented teacher doesn’t hurt, either.
My 19 year old son just got offered a management position in the supermarket where he’s been working since he turned 16.
He’s not going to take it. He’s joining the Fire Department, and took a semester off school so he could take the necessary classes for that. Once January hits, he’ll be going to school as well as doing the FD stuff-- no time to spend 6am - 4 pm at work every day.
But I’m so proud that his hard work and work ethic have been recognized!
My 20 year old son just got pre qualified for a mortgage and is making an offer tonight!
Hi - I’m late to this bragging party, but I’ll play! My daughter was just accepted into StanShakes (the Stanford Shakespeare Company). It’s a four-year gig, so once you’re in, you’re in!
@DonnaL - I haven’t seen you before, but congrats on your new job and for fighting the good fight!
Also, congrats for your son’s getting his Masters – where does/did he study art history? (that’s what my D17 college freshman is planning on studying)…
I have a really hard time talking in front of people. I just have terrible stage fright and I always have.
This week, I gave a lecture to the full class (150 students) for the first time and I didn’t fail miserably. I even had students come up afterwards to ask even more questions.
I feel accomplished
My letter to the editor about COPD was published today in our local paper, about getting tested for COPD during November, national COPD month. I’m happy!
D’s math teacher emailed us with a whole list of compliments–saying that D is “the best student he could possibly ask for. . .” And even thanking me/H for raising her right!
Really, that is a bit too much! Still, super proud of D, who is a quiet/humble kid.
Ok, a brag about me, which for most people isn’t such a BFD, but for me it is:
Frustrated with not knowing why the heck we own a smart TV and what it can do for us, I went to a talk at the library the other day called “Cutting the Cord.” I came home, did more research, downloaded the user manual for our smart TV, read the hardcopy manual for our soundbar – and I finally figured out how to get, watch and listen to anything on Amazon Prime Video!!!
I am busting my buttons.
@VeryHappy, I think you found your retirement career!
I’d hire you.
Final music audition tape done. The culmination of 12 years of really hard work. Fingers crossed now.
Gawd, @mominva – no one should hire me to handle their technical stuff!! This was a lucky fluke. But, now I’m ready to attack the next issue.
Today was my last day for the first of my three discussion sections. One of my students told me that this was their favorite discussion section ever.
I went back to my office and cried happy tears.