It says I joined December 2008 (S1 would have been 1/2 way through his senior year) but I feel like I must have lurked way before then! S1 had identified his “dream school” early in his junior year and was insistent on applying ED so I searched the internet for info and landed on CC.
Today, I am still married (will be 30 years in December), I still enjoy my life as a retired SAHM, we moved to a closer-in neighborhood 7 years ago and love it and hubby hopes to retire by 60! S1 did indeed get into that dream school, has an amazing career and just got married to a wonderful woman. We now have a daughter that we adore!
I was fairly active again when S2 was looking for schools and greatly appreciate the collective wisdom of so many on CC. S2 ended up having an amazing 4 years at one of his “dream schools” (he had several ) and is also enjoying his current job. He is living in DC ( which is wonderful as we live in a very close in suburb), still dating his college girlfriend and generally loving life.
I don’t post very often, but I do check the Cafe daily. I know that if I ever need advice on any matter I can be sure to get sage advice from the many smart and thoughtful posters. I hope all the old timers and new posters stick around! It is a wonderful community.
I joined early in my son’s Junior year, in October 2014.
This site has seen me through his college apps, and those of his sister.
But I still have one more, a sophomore in high school. I’ll be around for a few more years, lol.
Then, as now, I’m a high school teacher on Long Island.
I’ve learned so much here. And my kids have been huge beneficiaries. So thanks, to all those who have helped me along the way and to those who will continue to help me.
I also joined in October 2014, but it was D’s senior year. I think I linked through collegeboard when researching test dates and score information. When I joined D had already put together her list of schools. Had I joined just six months earlier that list might have been different but it all worked out in the end regardless.
In October 2014 I had been married for 18 months after being single 25 years. I raised my S alone but D has a bioDad that she is close to. I had just received my LSW after working as a purchasing manager for 24 years at the same company. I then moved into their social services department and worked both jobs. My S had just returned from a USAF deployment to Iraq and was living in Virginia, contemplating whether to re-up for another 4 years (he did not, he got out early 2016).
I went back to look at my earlier posts and they are interesting. I got much help from everyone here and I made a few friends (one in particular that has since been banned, not sure why, but now we are no longer in touch). I divorced in Feb 2017 less than four years after my marriage. Apparently I am the queen of ignoring red flags. This isn’t the first time, but lets hope it was the last. His inability to understand the way his finances affected D’s NPC and his political views turned the tables in a negative way but those were the least of the issues. I dealt with his alcoholic son and his drug addicted D and their behaviors toward D. Both lived with us in my home at separate times.
D did not get into her ED (which was a looooong shot at best), nor did she get into her top 5, but she did have good affordable choices in the end. She changed her major three times so in hindsight a couple of those schools would not have been good fits anyways. She went from Biology/Spanish to Chemistry/Latin to eventually Math/CS/Arabic. How’s that for changing your mind? She was offered a great package at Skidmore College where she has maintainted straight As, deans list every semester and just invited to join PBK. Success. She did an internship with a Fortune 100 company who offered her a job after graduation which she accepted and she’ll be moving to Seattle this summer.
The goal of my ex and I was to build an in-law for summers and move to a warmer climate for the winters. Somehow he lost sight of this goal and was not able to contribute at all (d/t other priorities he had that I did not) when the time came. I am currently packing up my house to be rented and will move to the in-law that I somehow managed to do myself on May 1st. I won’t be moving anywhere because my solo finances just can’t do it but I’m one step closer to my retirement plan. One small step at a time.
So D is moving to Seattle in August, my son is getting married in September. D’s bioDad and I are getting along well enough to celebrate her graduation together. All this in less than five years. Its been a journey LOL.
I joined in the fall of 2011 when D1 was a senior and had just decided on her “one and done” if accepted or “one and scramble” if rejected. I met a lot of cool folks in the 2012 threads some of whom I’ve now me IRL.
I stayed around through D2’s search (class of 2015). I’ve met some of these folks too.
Life is the same as it was in 2011-- same job, same wife, same house, same activities (coaching and soccer admin stuff).
My profile says I joined in oct of 2004 but I’m sure I joined before that. My oldest graduated HS in 05 and I think I discovered CC prior to her junior year. I know many east coast posters advised us on road travel when we did a big east coast college visit tour. I was new to the college admissions process and many longtime posters gave us great advice. I think if we hadn’t found CC she would not have even known about many of the schools she considered.
I stayed for kid 2 who was a very different student. He had a strong math score and a really weak verbal and reading score and I found a lot of support for coming up with a strong school list for him.
Kid one crashed and burned hard and CC was a help when she eventually went back to school. Next came kid 3 quite a number of years later.
I love @sybbie719 post as it brings back so many memories. I can’t recall her name but one poster who was from Australia or New Zealand gave me great travel advice. I planned trips to Charleston, Savannah, Amsterdam, France, Prague, Budapest, Canada and many more destinations. CC is one of the best sources for great travel suggestions.
When my D got a job in San Francisco @dstark, @jshain, @dmd77 and @calmom were names I remember who helped me give her ideas and suggestions when she was apartment hunting. Other CCers gave me advice when my other D wanted a summer job as a racehorse breezer. A job I’m glad to say was short lived.
Not to forget that I discovered a great wedding venue on CC through @jym626 where my S got married. Help along the way with all things wedding.
When I came to CC I was married with three kids at home. Two with pretty severe learning disabilities that required a lot of hands on from me. I’m still married but have had an empty nest for at least 4 years now. My kids have had ups and downs but for the most part are in a good place. I’ve learned to love the kid on my couch.
I read and post mainly in the cafe. I love the wedding threads and the travel and food threads. I also have discovered lots of good books to read. I hope to one day join the grandparents thread. I like to save my CC reading for when I’m on the bike at the gym. I’m sad that the cafe has slowed down the last few years and there seems to be less active posters and a lot of old timers have left the board. I miss many who no longer come back.
@mom60, I think your s used the party planner and/or photographer too! Nice to pay it forward. I seem to recall helping research a saddle for your DD way back when and chatting about Charleston and SF. Miss the old days…loved the community.
@jym626 not the party planner but they did use the photographer.
I forgot about the saddle. My biggest and most expensive eBay purchase. I think a poster in Eugene, Oregon even had a saddle for sale. It was the wrong color and I learned that any old saddle won’t do. He was a great source of info on Tulane. I remember him giving me a tip on the hotel we booked for Tulane move in. Sadly it was just days before Katrina hit. Horse D has been through quite a few saddles since those days. Each one significantly more expensive. One thing that has stayed the same. She still loves to ride and still has a horse and it still costs me a lot of money.
@mom60, I think you are remembering @TheDad, whose son was part of the TEMS (Tulane EMS) and went on to med school with a sweet scholarship. That was back in the days when the mods had separate parent identities. But that’s another story.
Jym, wrong mafia. Smith College. You of all people, lol.
I’m still where I was in Santa Monica. D graduated Dmith Summa Cum Laude, worked at a think tank as a research assistant/aassociate for three years, earned a PhD in Economics at Berkeley, and is now an Assistant Professor at an LAC within an hour’s drive if Smith.
I remember the Tulane dad but can’t recall his handle.
Hi TheDad!!! I will send you a PM, because I remember the real name of the dad whose son was in TEMS, but cant recall his screenname (thought it was you- but now as I dust the cobwebs off, you are in SoCal, IIRC, and he was/is in Oregon (Or WA??)
Wow, TheDad is around! I remember your drama and humor as you waited for those Ivy decisions! Wonderful to read her update!
So many memorable posters, since 2004- CC is life changing and enriching in all ways. (My friends are baffled when I say “college confidential”- kids graduated 10 years ago from college ) ?
) and is also enjoying his current job. He is living in DC ( which is wonderful as we live in a very close in suburb), still dating his college girlfriend and generally loving life.