<p>Counting down… What’s next?</p>
<p>I posted this on the 2012 thread already…D2 was the runner up(5th place) for an award given to international students around the global for embracing the culture and having made a difference. Four winners were selected with prize of few thousand $$, and one runner up (D2). If one of those winners should decide not to go to college this fall, D2 would get the scholarship. D2 didn’t get any money, but to be fifth around the world is not too bad.</p>
<p>Wow Oldfort…that is quite an honor. Congratulations!</p>
<p>Still about 400 student contact days. Early notice required to get a decent salary bump for the last 2 years.</p>
<p>Oldfort-congratulations to your daughter. That is remarkable and an opportunity I had never heard of prior to your post.</p>
<p>thumper1, Boss wants to keep me on the payroll and have me do consulting-type stuff. I am willing to consider one day a week of work that I will define, after at least a six month sabbatical. He had thought that just because he fired the out-of-control supervisor that I’d stay. Um, no. After 14 years I know what will and won’t change there.</p>
<p>Otherwise…
– there is a lot of painting/fixing up to do around the house
– I will have time to work on my fabric art and jewelry making for shows
– travel occasionally with DH on business trips
– head to GA more often to help my folks
– take some quilting/jewelry classes
– work on getting in serious shape (am about halfway to my weight loss goal, but desperately need to get my orthopedic issues in good enough shape to work out)
– read more Torah at synagogue (which for me takes lots of practice)
– S1 is getting married next year and fiancee’s family is overseas, so will be helping out as needed
– volunteer at the college/career center or the IB office at S2’s HS</p>
<p>I do not think I will have time to sit on the sofa and eat bonbons. :)</p>
<p>Sounds terrific Counting Down. You will have time to do the things you enjoy!!</p>
<p>I once got a hole in one on a 9-hole course.</p>
<p>Oh, Counting Down, I am so jealous …</p>
<p>It is really hard to work through daily chemo and I spend all of my time off sleeping. (Didn’t wake up til 1 pm today.) Am acutely aware of how lucky I am to have gotten ten years, and want to spend my energy on things that are more meaningful than working my tail off so my boss can work 20 hrs/week. </p>
<p>Time to carpe diem. Will also brag on my DH, who has embraced and supported this path.</p>
<p>My #2 son, the musician, was just accepted into grad school for…Communicative Disorders (speech pathology). It’s actually what my degrees are in, though I have not practiced in many years. He was also, rather unexpectedly, awarded an assistantship, so he and his wife are beyond relieved about how much that well help them financially. She is currently in pharmacy school…so he only could apply to one program that was in the same area as hers. I was really nervous for him, putting all his eggs in that one basket, so to speak! His undergrad grades were great, good GRE scores, but he was a music major, so I really did not know what would happen.</p>
<p>any way, phew! And, here’s to new adventures for him!!! Still recording his album on his own time, though. :)</p>
<p>Congratulations, CMM! That sounds really exciting and money is always good! </p>
<p>Do you have a link to his music?</p>
<p>I guess I don’t need to be too jealous, CountingDown … I didn’t realize you are undergoing chemo right now. You definitely have more important things to do than work at a job that is not bringing you joy … you need to concentrate on living your life to the fullest, and that entails saying goodbye to stresses in your life (like your boss …). Carpe diem, for sure! :)</p>
<p>Congrats to CMM son…communication disorders is a GREAT field :)</p>
<p>Congratulations everyone, what a happy thread!</p>
<p>Now to brag some more. S spent last few days attending ASW and has made his decision( even bought a sweatshirt!!). He will spend the next 3 years in lovely Cambridge MA! In S’s words, everything just felt right, even if he still thinks they should invest some of their endowment into lawn improvement( dingy I think was the word he used). :)</p>
<p>My daughter, a junior at Rutgers College of Nursing, just made the Dean’s list :-)</p>
<p>Of course, Parent1986!! </p>
<p>Here is a link to his website for his latest solo effort which is an EP and the first half of a full album. This EP is called “Stomach on the Growl”. You can stream the music at the site or purchase it.</p>
<p>[Daniel</a> DeWitt](<a href=“http://danieldewitt.bandcamp.com/]Daniel”>http://danieldewitt.bandcamp.com/)</p>
<p>He also was the front man for a band called Winston Audio, and their last album, Red Rhythm, is on iTunes. Enjoy!</p>
<p>CMM, congrats to your S! I bet he will find the music background very helpful in his work. I remember reading that the speech and rehab folks working with Gabby Giffords used familiar songs to help her with word retrieval and retraining the speech centers in her brain. </p>
<p>A friend in college became a music therapist and worked with kids.</p>
<p>Thanks, CountingDown!</p>
<p>I actually was a speech pathologist years ago. S has heard many stories about Melodic Intonation therapy (truly miraculous results with the right patients!!!), and he’s really interested in voice therapy. He’s a singer himself and has a music degree, also has performed on tours and faced the rigors of dealing with singing night after night in smokey bars. 
I am just so excited for him!!! </p>
<p>I do love that he is continuing with song writing and recording. He even does the occasional live show, so we still get to hear him sing/play.</p>
<p>I just returned from seeing my son perform at Carnegie Hall. I don’t have the words to explain what it felt like. As an added bonus, my mother was well enough to attend. She is planning to give a big, fat “I told you so” to my sister who took her to task for buying a new clarinet for a first grader all those years ago.</p>