Time Keeps on Tickin', Tickin' ... Into the Future

Sounds like a good title for a song, doesn't it?  Let's see ... Colin's all set for the downward swing of his senior year.  He was able to drop AP Statistics (what WAS he thinking?) and pick up something called Discrete Math (not to be confused with Discreet Math, in which everyone goes by a code name and attends class in disguise).  He will have first period free every other day, plus take his last class at CPCC (community college).  Graduation is set for June 14, followed a week later by the wedding of their cousin, Ashlea.  He's all set to go to Western Carolina (see previous post) and things are just peachy.  We visited the campus over the holiday.  Gorgeous.  But a little bit of a party school, we hear!)

His 18th birthday was Saturday.  Now, in NC, you have a provisional drivers' license until you are 18, at which point you go and have it renewed into a full license.  Seeing as his birthday fell on a Saturday, he went to DMV on Friday afternoon, being the Good Citizen that he is.  Since he was TECHNICALLY still a minor as of that moment, he had to take a parent/guardian with him.  So he came home, fetched me, and back we went.  Wait, no, we can't give you a regular license because TECHNICALLY you're not 18 until tomorrow.  Come back Monday.  Sorry, the person who spoke to you earlier is new, she doesn't know the rules, sorry, sorry, sorry.  Blood pressure begins to rise. 

So, we have a birthday, we take him out to dinner at his favorite rest., have presents, etc. (well the real present was a new cell phone with GPS, music, camera, dishwasher and laundry folder).  Monday morning, (missing first period of school) we set out again for DMV because, you know, TECHNICALLY he can't drive without a license (which expired on Saturday).  Okay, we drive up, no crowds.  Walk in ... Sorry folks, the entire computer network is down.  Try again tomorrow.  Sorry, sorry, sorry!  GAAA!!!

Stay tuned ... he's going back this afternoon to try for a fourth time.

In the meantime ... number 2 son, Quentin, is ready to get his permit!  Mom hasn't had enough abuse at the hands of the NC Department of Motor Vehicles, so we set out this morning.  Now, in NC you have to have a certificate from the driving school which provided his Drivers' Ed class.  We've had said certificate since June, when he took said Drivers' Ed class.  It hung proudly on the fridge for, I don't know how long.  So, when we go to get the permit, naturally, the Certificate is missing.  Probably my fault, one of my cleaning frenzies.  A phone call to the driving school assures me a duplicate can be had at the bargain price of $5.00, but here's the catch.  The school is in South Charlotte, off Independence, which, as any Charlottean knows, is right near the Gates of Hell (traffic-wise).  But being the good, loving mom that I am, off we go.  Get said certificate, take one look at the 1,000 people in line at the DMV near the school, and decide to find another DMV.  We drive up Brookshire Freeway, and find one there, wait 30 minutes, and DONE.  Quentin has a permit!  No fuss, no muss.  Even a good picture!  Only missed 2 questions on the test!

I get home from all my world travels (after taking Q to school) and put my feet up for a minute before tackling my housewife-ly chores.  Suddenly remember I have to take Lisa her lunch.  AGH!!!!!  Just another day in the life ...

Colin Goes to College

Just in time for Christmas, Colin got an acceptance letter from Western Carolina University.  He's over the moon!  His senior exit project presentation went very well; he got a 7 out of 8.  Now if we can just get him to pass Statistics!  WCU is in Cullowhee, a small mountain town 50 miles west of Asheville.  Looks like a beautiful campus.  We'll probably be taking a tour over the holidays.  He'll have snow!  Lucky.

Is anyone still reading this blog???

Peeking Through the Cobwebs

Let's see ... at the end of October, my dear friends Judith & Jeremy from across the pond in Oxford, UK, came for a visit.  Long, long ago, in another galaxy, Judith and my mom were friends in the Philippines.  We spent two summers with her at her home in England, after she moved back home.  One summer I worked as her nanny for her two children, Rupert & Clare.  Suffice it to say, Judith and her husband, Jeremy, are dear, dear friends of ours.  Melanie fell in love with "Juwith" and never left her side.  We went to Old Salem in Winston-Salem, and one day they went to Asheville to see the Biltmore House.

I just burned my finger on a hot glue gun, so I will finish later.

How Many Peachtree Roads ARE there???

Just returned from Atlanta for the annual World Partners Adoption family reunion.  We had a really good time catching up with old friends.  I drove down with friends in my van (as it had the built-in video player).  They brought along their nifty-thrifty GPS doo-dad.  In the middle of the night Friday night, as the car lay slumbering in the parking lot at the Hilton Suites on Peachtree Dunwoody Drive, some punk-o-matic decided that he/she liked the looks of that GPS doo-dad and decided that he/she was entitled to have it!  A quick jab to the rear window with a baseball bat or some other blunt object, the window shattered and the car was open!  The delicious GPS was pocketed and off they ran.  Probably was in a pawn shop before our sleepy little eyes opened to the rays of the early morning sunrise.

As to why my car alarm didn't go off?  Who knows.  Maybe it did, but someone heard it, cursed under their breath for it waking them up, put a pillow over his head and went back to sleep.  Who pays attention to those things anyway?  All they are is an annoyance.  And where was the burly security guard hired by Hilton to make sure all their guests' belongings are safe and secure?  Either he was "on break" or, closer to the truth, he doesn't exist.  The attitude I got from the front desk was, "Hm.  Sucks to be you!  Here's the phone book!"  No free breakfast, no coupon for the health club.  No fruit basket, nothing.  Zip.

We spent "45 minutes" (as promised) (which turned into 1-1/2 hours) in a nondescript industrial section of Atlanta, on some street named Peachtree Something or Other Avenue, I'm sure, getting the glass replaced in my van.  We made it to the reunion without any more diversions.  Had quite a nice time, actually.   We made it back to CLT in 3 hours (amazing how quickly you can get here without potty or dinner stops).  And may I highly recommend the Burger Barn in Cowpens, South Carolina?  The burgers are out of this world, but I would skip the chicken stew.  What do you expect from a town called "Cowpens"?

 

Adventure in Dog-dom, continued.

...so I go out and check out this dog.  I'm completely bumfoozled because both of the gates in the yard are closed, and I can't see where he got in.  Unless, as I said, someone decided we looked like a nice home for an unwanted dog, and they put him over the fence.  He wasn't a very friendly dog; he growled at us, and wouldn't let us near him to see if he had a collar.  I gave him some food, but decided I wasn't in the mood to get rabies, so I called animal control.  The Animal Lady had a time getting to our house due to a gas leak in the back of the neighborhood.  She finally got the dog into her little noose thingie and off he went.  I felt a little bad, since he probably would be euthanized.  I didn't see that he was even a little bit sociable.  Who knows?

Friday morning our own Boudreaux appeared to be feeling a little bit under the weather.  He hadn't really eaten in several days, and just lay on the couch sleeping all the time.  He wouldn't even run after a Beanie Baby (they're all his now; I knew those things would come in handy some day!!)  So off to the vet we went.  As he was running a little fever, she scared me a little suggesting he might have bladder stones, common with schnauzers.  But the xray showed nothing.  Tonight I made him a scrambled egg, and he wolfed it down (dogged it down?  Ha!) so I'm wondering if his food was bad.  I always buy Purina, none of that Chinese dog food with melamine or lead paint or whatever in it.  Dunno ... I plan to ditch it and buy a new bag tomorrow.  Poor puppy.

So I dearly love dogs, but I think I would like to call a moratorium on any stray animals heading my way! 

The Dog Lady

What the heck?  Am I the town dog lady?  Wednesday we were driving down the parkway (the main drag in our neighborhood) and I spotted two identical beagles trotting down the road.  They obviously belonged to someone; they had collars and looked quite civilized.  So being the soft hearted person that I am, I pulled over and called them to me.  They eagerly came up to me, panting and wagging.  They only had invisible fence collars on, no address.  A lady stopped behind me and pointed out the house where she thought they lived.  I coaxed them into my car and off we went.  We rang the bell, but no one was home.  We left a note on the door who we were, but lucky for us, another lady walked up, a neighbor, and offered to put them in her garage.  Mission accomplished!  Note to dog owners:  Please put an address and phone number on your dog's collar!!  Invisible fences sometimes fail.

The next day, I was making up the bed in Quentin's room, which is the basement and overlooks the back yard.  Suddenly I heard a dog barking, and it was NOT Boudreaux's bark!  I looked out the window and was surprised to see a little black mixed breed dog.  In our yard!  With both gates closed!  What the heck?  Did someone drop him over the fence?  Had he been dumped?

Stay tuned!

 

Pictures? Did someone say pictures?

For your viewing pleasure!