what are you doing right now?

[andi9899]

Sept 22, 2023 8:44:43 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

minnesotapaintlady - I've said a few places around here. I wouldn't be accepted today, at the university where I earned my degree, with the grades I had back then. it's crazy. I was class of 2001 for my 5-yr BS, which lines up with your friend's Vandy stuff here. 

I graduated from KCK Community College. I'm pretty sure I could get in again. 😁

[lurkyloo]

I just don’t even know which way is up anymore.  I’ve wound up in a weird place at work- last winter/spring I was completely buried in work and now all of that’s sort of gone poof.  Meanwhile coworker yesterday basically got truculent with the director of the program to the point I was really shocked, as was another witness…and then got praised for it?  Like seriously, interrupted him, mansplained at length on stuff that was vaguely relevant but absolutely didn’t address the question, then told the director he should’ve asked the PI before the PI logged off (that last bit was fair but the rest…)

Does not help that I really want to go hide in a corner and can’t turn my brain off from spiraling.

[giramomma]

Sept 22, 2023 8:59:09 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

I went to a select program at a top 15 for undergrad and don’t believe I’d have been accepted general admission today.  Maybe.  The pressure on kids is kind of horrifying these days.

Yes. And it is hard.

DD1 is going through this weird HS activities suck stage. 

I don't want to pressure her with the academics she's taking, and I don't think scouts and freshman sports are enough to land her merit based scholarship. 

She's working on getting a job. So that box is ticked.

I'm trying not to be too impatient, and the reality is that she only has this year and next. 

It would be good for her to find something to volunteer at.

[lurkyloo]

Sept 22, 2023 9:17:24 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Sept 22, 2023 9:07:25 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I think I could still get into Simpson but no way I could afford it now.  Tuition for one year has gone up to what it was for my entire two years including room/board.

I am comforted by if my brother could get into Iowa State then Gwen most certainly could so at least Iowa State is an option for her without too much stress.

The Iowa state colleges are auto-admit.  If you have the RAI score necessary to get in, you're in.  I think the acceptance emails to Iowa and Iowa State came in in under 5 minutes from submitting the applications on a weekend for DS.

www.iowaregents.edu/institutions/higher-education-links/regent-admission-index/rai-calculator

Yeah, but then you’re in Iowa for four years…maybe more, I’d probably snap and get arrested for murder    

Interesting point though:  A lot of blue state people are deeply reluctant to go to red states for any significant length of time (looking at you, FL) but easier or cheaper college access might be able to partially counter that.

[CCL]

Sept 22, 2023 9:31:31 GMT -5 azucena said:

DD15 is watching a junior friend take all comm college classes this year as dual enrollment. Friend has processing disorder so having her schedule spread out during the day helps her learn better. Friend will graduate with her hs diploma and associates degree in two years. DD is really interested in this option. I need to learn more about it from friend's mom who I've yet to meet. Key info is what states schools it feeds into. We are going to visit a different friend at MO state mid-Oct for an informal tour. It's a likely feeder and tuition/room/board is about $20k/yr all in with 90%+ acceptance rate and likely all the degree programs DD could want. Would relieve a ton of her internal pressure and anxiety to hit the easy button on this. She has no idea what she wants to be but leans into English, writing, Spanish and has a ton of interest in ASL but not enough room in her class schedule since she takes theater electives.

Do they have ASL interpreters at some of the professional theaters? Maybe she could somehow combine the two interests?

[azucena]

Sept 22, 2023 9:57:19 GMT -5 CCL said:

Sept 22, 2023 9:31:31 GMT -5 azucena said:

DD15 is watching a junior friend take all comm college classes this year as dual enrollment. Friend has processing disorder so having her schedule spread out during the day helps her learn better. Friend will graduate with her hs diploma and associates degree in two years. DD is really interested in this option. I need to learn more about it from friend's mom who I've yet to meet. Key info is what states schools it feeds into. We are going to visit a different friend at MO state mid-Oct for an informal tour. It's a likely feeder and tuition/room/board is about $20k/yr all in with 90%+ acceptance rate and likely all the degree programs DD could want. Would relieve a ton of her internal pressure and anxiety to hit the easy button on this. She has no idea what she wants to be but leans into English, writing, Spanish and has a ton of interest in ASL but not enough room in her class schedule since she takes theater electives.

Do they have ASL interpreters at some of the professional theaters? Maybe she could somehow combine the two interests?

Yes, I was thinking about that connection based on some of the ASL posts here the other day.

Spanish fluency could also open a number of careers.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Sept 22, 2023 9:50:59 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

Sept 22, 2023 9:17:24 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

The Iowa state colleges are auto-admit.  If you have the RAI score necessary to get in, you're in.  I think the acceptance emails to Iowa and Iowa State came in in under 5 minutes from submitting the applications on a weekend for DS.

www.iowaregents.edu/institutions/higher-education-links/regent-admission-index/rai-calculator

Yeah, but then you’re in Iowa for four years…maybe more, I’d probably snap and get arrested for murder    

Interesting point though:  A lot of blue state people are deeply reluctant to go to red states for any significant length of time (looking at you, FL) but easier or cheaper college access might be able to partially counter that.

Ames and Iowa City are blue areas in that red state though and at least for us home isn't far.  I absolutely love the Iowa State campus and town...the drive there down 35 is about as dull as they come though. Corn, corn and more corn.   It will probably end up being Carrot's safety school for having everything he could want at a reasonable price. He really wants our flagship, but depending on what he's interested in, that might not be possible.  He's also only in 8th grade so this is all completely speculating at this point.  Last year I would have said no way, this year he seems to care about his grades.  So, maybe.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Sept 22, 2023 9:50:59 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

Sept 22, 2023 9:17:24 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

The Iowa state colleges are auto-admit.  If you have the RAI score necessary to get in, you're in.  I think the acceptance emails to Iowa and Iowa State came in in under 5 minutes from submitting the applications on a weekend for DS.

www.iowaregents.edu/institutions/higher-education-links/regent-admission-index/rai-calculator

Yeah, but then you’re in Iowa for four years…maybe more, I’d probably snap and get arrested for murder    

Interesting point though:  A lot of blue state people are deeply reluctant to go to red states for any significant length of time (looking at you, FL) but easier or cheaper college access might be able to partially counter that.

I've lived here 40 years and haven't murdered anyone.  It really depends on where you live.  Iowa State is in Ames which is a college town.  We aren't all redneck rural conservatives.    

The cities tend to be more purple/blue but we get crowded out when it comes to votes.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Sept 22, 2023 10:07:58 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Sept 22, 2023 9:50:59 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

Yeah, but then you’re in Iowa for four years…maybe more, I’d probably snap and get arrested for murder    

Interesting point though:  A lot of blue state people are deeply reluctant to go to red states for any significant length of time (looking at you, FL) but easier or cheaper college access might be able to partially counter that.

Ames and Iowa City are blue areas in that red state though and at least for us home isn't far.  I absolutely love the Iowa State campus and town...the drive there down 35 is about as dull as they come though. Corn, corn and more corn.   It will probably end up being Carrot's safety school for having everything he could want at a reasonable price. He really wants our flagship, but depending on what he's interested in, that might not be possible.  He's also only in 8th grade so this is all completely speculating at this point.  Last year I would have said no way, this year he seems to care about his grades.  So, maybe.

You forgot more corn. 

[minnesotapaintlady]

Sept 22, 2023 10:09:05 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Sept 22, 2023 10:07:58 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Ames and Iowa City are blue areas in that red state though and at least for us home isn't far.  I absolutely love the Iowa State campus and town...the drive there down 35 is about as dull as they come though. Corn, corn and more corn.   It will probably end up being Carrot's safety school for having everything he could want at a reasonable price. He really wants our flagship, but depending on what he's interested in, that might not be possible.  He's also only in 8th grade so this is all completely speculating at this point.  Last year I would have said no way, this year he seems to care about his grades.  So, maybe.

You forgot more corn. 

We're like 2.5 hours from Minneapolis and 4 hours from Ames.  Only an hour and a half difference, but one drive seems like nothing and the other seems like it takes an eternity.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Ugh.  I have to get moving.  Carrot and I are headed out suit shopping.  Kill me.

[jerseygirl]

At oncologist now. Waiting to know if I’ll get more immunotherapy treatments
Hoping I do cause I worry about stray cancer cells getting into blood during surgery.

[bean29]

Sept 22, 2023 9:28:53 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

All right finally got caught up on everything.  I've been forgetting to pay stuff because my executive functioning is shot.

I had a long talk with DH about it because it needs to be fixed. 

We've gone too long with me being in control of everything and that something has broken since mom died.  I said I think life is catching up with me and I can no longer do things in my head like I used too because there are far too many bricks being thrown at my head that demand attention.

He came up with a good idea of putting up a white board calendar in the sun room.  Then it's right there for him to look at too compared to hanging a calendar on the wall in the living room that we both tended to walk right past.   Not only that but we can use it to keep track of kid crap, grandma crap and all the other crap going on in our lives. 

Then I need to make a designated spot to put bills I am not getting online.  I've still been throwing them on the TV or on the in table.   Yeah that is how I lost the Medicaid rejection letter from last year. [img src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/embarrassed.png" alt="[img class="smile" src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/embarrassed.png" alt=""]" class="smile"]  

She said that is not the end of the world there she can get that information BUT it is critical going forward I not lose a single piece of paperwork.

ADHD is a bitch.  The ways I have managed it previously don't work anymore and I've finally admitted that.  I think I got so narrowly focused on compartmentalizing work to make sure I didn't get fired while emotionally imploding I wasn't noticing that I was doing it everywhere else in my life until I couldn't ignore it there either.

Not paying your gas bill for four months and getting a shut off notice tends to do that.  I am sometimes amazed at how long they actually let you go. [img alt="[img class="smile" src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/embarrassed.png" alt=""]" src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/embarrassed.png" class="smile"]

I have come to realize that I most likely have ADHD too.  I have a very difficult time keeping on task and arriving at events on time.  I also have been feeling very bad b/c my kids tried to tell me when they were in HS that they thought they had ADHD.  They both seem to be doing OK, but want to talk to DS about it for sure and see if he still thinks he has ADHD.  I have also been coming to the conclusion that my DH has to be more involved/at least be aware of the financial stuff I am handling.  DH does a lot, and I am not saying he is not pulling his weight, but he has to know how everything pulls together for us financially.  I also have 2 401K plans and a rollover IRA. I can see that consolidating them at some point will be a good idea.  I will be 60 in January, and really don't think I will do this before I retire, but I might.  I have issues making decisions, so having less decisions to make would be good.  DH has opened several credit cards, and I don't like it...it is too much for me to keep track of.  My solution is to make auto payments, but then he doesn't use the cards, and they are overpaid.  He was mad b/c there was an overpay on home depot that took several months for them to refund to him, and then I realized that there was an old check we never cashed, so he had to call and ask them to reissue it.  I didn't tell him, but my Kohls and another of his cards had an overpayment.  I fixed the one by charging his office waterbill to it and a parking ticket he got.  I am going to set up Kohls to auto pay the balance with a pull rather than a push.  DH is the one that shops there the most.  I don't find a lot there that I want.  I have been trying to decide if I want an extra set of Corelle.  We have a set of dishes that we pretty much only use at Christmas.  We have a set of 8.  We kind of needed 12 last year.  This is what we have:

 www.kohls.com/product/prd-5889330/corelle-kyoto-leaves-16-pc-dinnerware-set.jsp?prdPV=1
I actually like this set from Macy's better - does anyone know if they "match" the kohls cash offers? 
www.macys.com/shop/product/corelle-square-kyoto-leaves-16-piece-dinnerware-set-service-for-4?ID=14729918
I know macy's has star money, but I don't know if it is as generous.

DH told me to buy it a few months ago.  It is not that we can't afford it, I just hate having too much stuff.  So If I buy it from Kohls this week I can get $20 Kohls cash.  Kohls cash is not a great incentive for me though b/c when I have it, I never know what I want from Kohls that I can spend it on.  I also have issues with being indecisive, so I bring it home and then decide to return it.  I feel it is better if I just don't shop there. 

Giramomma, I am hoping that the fact that your son feels you sound like his friends is a sign that he has good friends.  Fingers crossed on the job.
Pink, I hope things get better for you. 
Jerseygirl, I hope that the meds work for Jerseyguy.  Sending prayers out for his continued recovery.

I did not apply to our flagship.  I was accepted at UW-La Cross and UW-Whitewater, but I went to a two year technical school, and earned an associate's degree.  My counselor had recommended I attend UW-Waukesha which was a 2 year college.  I realized after I graduated that she was right, it would have been a much better path for me, and it would have saved me time and money.  I suspect I could still get into either school with the grades I had, as my DD and DS both were accepted to UW-Whitewater and I think my ACT scores were better.  I went to a private College to complete my BS in Accounting (Carrol University, the oldest College in WI).  It was expensive, but I went to night school and worked FT.  My employer paid over $10,000.  Now it would cost much more, and employers don't have programs as generous as the one I used.  

I have to laugh at Finime's Advice to Pink to take up Pole dancing.  Yesterday DD was telling me how mad she was at her coworkers making comments about her and her boyfriend (who used to be a manager at their location) being swingers.  This came about b/c they were in Cancun last year on vacation and this couple was so obviously making out with another couple in the pool area that DD approached the bartender and asked if they had mistakenly booked into a swinger's hotel.  The female bartender responded that no, it was not a swinger's resort, and it was also making her uncomfortable.  DD and her boyfriend then spent a few days in Phoneix, and the same couple was there.  DD said her boyfriend was wearing swimming trunks with pineapples on them, not knowing that it is a thing swingers use to identify other couples of like inclination.    Then have a second vacation planned for Cancun coming up in Early Oct, and she said she has several smart alec comments over several days.  She waited until the shift was changing and nearly everyone from both shifts was in the break room and then made an announcement that if she got any more comments about her and BF being swingers, she would take it up with HR.  Her BF is still in management with the company, just at a different location.  She made the other management at her location aware of the issue, and they seemed to be fine with how she handled it.  I am proud of her, I would be just as uncomfortable with the comments, but I would not be so assertive in putting a stop to it.

Have a good day everyone.  

[raeoflyte]

What would all you smart people tell a parent of an eighth grader whose done nothing but save some money for college to start doing? He's set up on the path to take advantage of significant ap/ib and/dual enrollment courses which will be helpful.

[countrygirl2]

I got approval for the inspector to go in the post office on Monday. But I have to be there too. The postmaster, Mr Useless, is out of town. So I will be there. They told me they are only looking at the building structure. This is an old 1910 building, no cracks in the brickwork or foundation, unbelievable.
They are just buying it for the income anyway, so I expect it to sell.

Went by the house we are selling, its just a couple blocks down the street from the PO.  Hubs is putting up curtains. We bought them at Ollie's and the rods too and though they are cheap they look really nice. I did a good job on the carpet color, it goes with anything. I had a better pad put under it to help the imperfections in the floor.

Hubs is getting tired of painting and things like that so I have work to do in the bathroom. He said he washed the cabinets down but I'm rewashing those. And there are gaps to fill in places in the kitchen and bathroom. Took a set of my bathroom rugs, towels, and shower curtain for the bathroom. That stuff really dresses a house up and helps it sell. It just looks so much different. And I will add a couple decorations on the countertop and desk too.

So I have to mop and caulk. He is going to mow and wash the outside windows.

I looked at his sheds, they are clean and will store a lot of items. Once can be used for a doghouse. We sealed the doorway so noone could use it for dogs while we owned it.  The other he put metal siding on and material on the soffits. Than he fixed the barn door on it so it slides well. Front porch railings repainted. The place looks great.

The realtor said the price I want is a bit high for here but she said I usually get what I want and its not unreasonable for the value. We did move a w/d into it, she said that would help sell it.

Have a roast in the oven baking slowly for dinner tonight.

Taking DD to town to get her flu and covid shot. Picking up a shower curtain liner and touch up paint for 2 spots on the tub.

[giramomma]

Sept 22, 2023 10:28:53 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Ugh.  I have to get moving.  Carrot and I are headed out suit shopping.  Kill me.

I may have giggled outloud at that.

It's not any easier, though, finding dress clothes for DD1.

[countrygirl2]

I must look at life differently.

My mom was about 84 and my Mil was 94. They had both lived their lives and the last 10 years or so of each was nothing they wanted to do. They did not live where they wanted and could not do anything they wanted. It was due to vision, lack of ability to walk, and mental incapacity. How could you not look at their lives ending being nothing but a relief. If I get like that of course I won't want to die either, but I can say I had a long life. My mom did say she wanted to live longer but I wonder, she could not eat, she could not breathe or swallow. My MIL wanted to die for quite some time and said so.

We are just mammals and we are all going to age and die, some faster than others. I do feel very bad for younger people that have not gotten to experience their lives yet and are cut short. But these two ladies no.  

I feel like they are both finally resting and out of that misery. Now for something to happen to my spouse will really hurt me no matter the age or my kids. But that too could happen and I will manage. I am not going to let grief destroy me. 

It just like Misters mom, what quality of life did she have at the last? And what kind of life was his dad living? Nothing that he wanted too and it wasn't about to improve for him.

So look at this as they each passed on, if you believe to a better place that is good and should make you feel better for them. I just see it all as part of life. Too damn practical I guess.

[giramomma]

Sept 22, 2023 11:17:24 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

What would all you smart people tell a parent of an eighth grader whose done nothing but save some money for college to start doing? He's set up on the path to take advantage of significant ap/ib and/dual enrollment courses which will be helpful.

Honestly....schedule time to go to a coffee shop and reflect on how the kid is wired.

Is the kid an introvert or extrovert?
Does the kid feel comfortable trying new things? How do friends influence that?
Does the kid do well as a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?
Does the kid need nature? (I always knew DS needed nature, and I didn't know how much until he came back from tech school).
Is the kid interested in niche hobbies or general ones?
Are the kids wired to value family relationships?

Then I would sit and think about parenting philosophies. 

Do parents value kids getting out of their immediate area? if so, how far?
Does the parent see education as getting practical skill like being an accountant or nurse?
Or is a parent comfortable with their kid being a generalist, and understanding the degree is a tool to open a door, knowing kiddo still has to put their foot in it.
Does politics matter to the parent? What about reproductive rights? 


Then I would marry the two and start looking for colleges that fit the bill.

At least, that's what we did with DS and now we are doing with DD1.

[giramomma]

OMG. You guys, I kid you not.

We just got this email from the kids school 

"We are going to have  monthly raffles to encourage good behavior from our middle schoolers. We need you to donate money and/or giftcards to cover the cost."

[swamp]

Sept 22, 2023 9:07:25 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I think I could still get into Simpson but no way I could afford it now.  Tuition for one year has gone up to what it was for my entire two years including room/board.

I am comforted by if my brother could get into Iowa State then Gwen most certainly could so at least Iowa State is an option for her without too much stress.

don't just look at the pricetag.  

You may be surprised at what some colleges offer.   

[Pink Cashmere]

Sept 22, 2023 6:57:21 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Pink, Have you seen this? www.heart-in-diamond.com/cremation-diamonds/grief-stages.html

I read a blog last night where someone talked about it, and I thought of you. Here's the post www.joscountryjunction.com/out-of-the-depths-more-on-grief/

Frankly, I like this grief model better (and it can be applied to crisis situations,  not just death).

I bookmarked it to read it this evening. Thank you.

[TheOtherMe]

Sept 22, 2023 9:07:25 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I think I could still get into Simpson but no way I could afford it now.  Tuition for one year has gone up to what it was for my entire two years including room/board.

I am comforted by if my brother could get into Iowa State then Gwen most certainly could so at least Iowa State is an option for her without too much stress.

I think I could get in to Simpson today but I could not afford it either.  They would let me in if for no other reason than they need the body.  

I'm sure I could not get in to Colorado's MBA program.

Iowa residents have a big advantage at Iowa State and DN1 and wife say if you have a C average, you will be accepted if from Iowa.  That does not guarantee success.

ETA:  I didn't know they do what MPL showed

Simpson was considered expensive when I attended.  They have some big endowments and I didn't pay much to attend.  I never paid full cost for a semester.

I think they still use that model because a lot of students are from upper middle income families.  They do have upper class students, too.  They advertise how affordable they are.  

[swamp]

DS is being heavily recruited for my alma mater with a price tag of $80,000.    He seems interested.  I'm going to have him apply and see what happens. 

I told him it's SUNY Plattsburgh for him if the private colleges don't open their wallets.  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Sept 22, 2023 8:08:02 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Sept 22, 2023 7:43:57 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Grief is not linear.  I follow Megan Devine on Instagram.  She is a grief counselor and has excellent advice.  

She gives good advice on how grief affects us.  She has a podcast called It's Okay If You Are Not Okay.  She has a couple of activity books that includes journaling and drawing your grief.

I wish I had known about her when mom died.

My therapist told me about that.  Grief is not a neat tidy process that checks off boxes.

I do somewhat like the five stage of grief because it gave me a way to frame and articulate what I was feeling so the therapist and I could start to work through it.

I get why people do not like it though because when used in pop culture it really does come off as a X then Y then Z and you're done get on with your life process.

Bargaining is one I find myself stuck in a lot.  I didn't understand what I was doing until my therapist explained it's a "What if" game.   If I had listened to my gut when I went over on Wednesday and forced my mom to go to the ER (how I would have done that IDK) then would she still be alive?  

I've gone so far as to shame myself because working at the medical center I read several articles about how women present heart attacks differently than men.  I should have been able to pick that up because I have been educated on it.

But then there was stupid COVID and she was talking about difficulty breathing.  Bob has said the same thing he thought she had COVID at first.  What if COVID hadn't been going around would we have figured it out sooner?

Stuff like that.  I know that she is dead and not coming back so it isn't denial.  It's I am playing a game with myself and punishing myself for not choosing a different crossroad. 

Strange, but I can't believe how accurate this is.  My mom died of lung cancer and I can make comparable 'what ifs' to this.  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Sept 22, 2023 12:56:02 GMT -5 swamp said:

DS is being heavily recruited for my alma mater with a price tag of $80,000.    He seems interested.  I'm going to have him apply and see what happens. 

I told him it's SUNY Plattsburgh for him if the private colleges don't open their wallets.  

That's where I went, and really got an excellent education.  In fact, when I moved to Boston after college and started taking masters degree classes at both Harvard and Northeastern, those classes were pretty much a simple review of things I had already learned in my undergraduate.  I was quite pissed because I wanted to learn further, not review what I had already learned.  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I just dropped Harriet off at the vet to get her teeth cleaned.  While she is sedated, the lump that was under her chin is getting excised and biopsied.  It seemed like a good time to do this, and the lump has grown a bit and changed shape.  

Getting out to the vet is an exercise in frustration.  TD has been taking his dogs here since he moved in in 1996, they are very reasonable but they're out of town (which is probably why they're so reasonable since they're not paying city taxes).  Anyway, the main road to the area is under construction, and has been under construction since June.  They don't expect it to get done until November.  As a result, I have to drive probably 20 miles out of my way to get to the vet.  Add to this that so many roads are still under construction and getting there I still wound up going through 3 construction zones where traffic was down to one lane.  At least the major construction zone that has been going on since (also) June looks like I can now use this road to go to a specific grocery store.  The construction has moved just to the far side of the shopping center it's in.  

Oh, and the check engine light went on in my car again.  It's been checked over and over and over again and I'm convinced that there is a freaking short in the light on the dashboard display.  TD knows how to reset it.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Sept 22, 2023 12:12:38 GMT -5 swamp said:

Sept 22, 2023 9:07:25 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I think I could still get into Simpson but no way I could afford it now.  Tuition for one year has gone up to what it was for my entire two years including room/board.

I am comforted by if my brother could get into Iowa State then Gwen most certainly could so at least Iowa State is an option for her without too much stress.

don't just look at the pricetag.  

You may be surprised at what some colleges offer.   

I know I got pretty decent aid from them but I got curious to see their current sticker price and holy inflation Batman. 

I got a really good education there though and it afforded me the ability to go to Borneo which was a bucket list trip of mine so no complaints.

[weltz]

I'm running around, trying to clean this place up a bit. I'm going out to see a movie with my sister and BIL. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. BIL's Greek and they spend a lot of time in Greece.
Then they're coming over for Pinot Grigio and bacon and onion focaccia. 

[saveinla]

Sept 22, 2023 13:38:14 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I just dropped Harriet off at the vet to get her teeth cleaned.  While she is sedated, the lump that was under her chin is getting excised and biopsied.  It seemed like a good time to do this, and the lump has grown a bit and changed shape.  

Getting out to the vet is an exercise in frustration.  TD has been taking his dogs here since he moved in in 1996, they are very reasonable but they're out of town (which is probably why they're so reasonable since they're not paying city taxes).  Anyway, the main road to the area is under construction, and has been under construction since June.  They don't expect it to get done until November.  As a result, I have to drive probably 20 miles out of my way to get to the vet.  Add to this that so many roads are still under construction and getting there I still wound up going through 3 construction zones where traffic was down to one lane.  At least the major construction zone that has been going on since (also) June looks like I can now use this road to go to a specific grocery store.  The construction has moved just to the far side of the shopping center it's in.  

Oh, and the check engine light went on in my car again.  It's been checked over and over and over again and I'm convinced that there is a freaking short in the light on the dashboard display.  TD knows how to reset it.

The construction going on in Seattle is crazy. I was there around a month and half ago and was amazed at how much road and other construction was going on. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Sept 22, 2023 13:55:13 GMT -5 saveinla said:

Sept 22, 2023 13:38:14 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I just dropped Harriet off at the vet to get her teeth cleaned.  While she is sedated, the lump that was under her chin is getting excised and biopsied.  It seemed like a good time to do this, and the lump has grown a bit and changed shape.  

Getting out to the vet is an exercise in frustration.  TD has been taking his dogs here since he moved in in 1996, they are very reasonable but they're out of town (which is probably why they're so reasonable since they're not paying city taxes).  Anyway, the main road to the area is under construction, and has been under construction since June.  They don't expect it to get done until November.  As a result, I have to drive probably 20 miles out of my way to get to the vet.  Add to this that so many roads are still under construction and getting there I still wound up going through 3 construction zones where traffic was down to one lane.  At least the major construction zone that has been going on since (also) June looks like I can now use this road to go to a specific grocery store.  The construction has moved just to the far side of the shopping center it's in.  

Oh, and the check engine light went on in my car again.  It's been checked over and over and over again and I'm convinced that there is a freaking short in the light on the dashboard display.  TD knows how to reset it.

The construction going on in Seattle is crazy. I was there around a month and half ago and was amazed at how much road and other construction was going on. 

Yeah, it's nuts there too.  Every time we go down, we wind up having to figure out how to get to someplace another way.  We have tickets to the ballet in Seattle tomorrow, and I wonder if we'll be able to get there without being rerouted.