If she wants someone to talk to about East Coast colleges, feel free to give her my number/email.

She seems as though she wants to stay in California. She got a softball recruitment letter from a school in Chicago and doesn't want to respond. I'm trying to encourage her to at least respond and see if they have any programs that would fit with physical therapy. I mean, if they are willing to help pay the bills and have the classes she wants - it is worth responding.

She is making quite the list. I think I'm gonna need a student loan just to cover the application fees.

And I've just now remembered how it was that I blew through all my not-inconsiderable savings somewhere at the tail end of my twenties. Getting a car didn't help, but what really broke me was two years of attempting to get into grad school.

And I'm vibing you both much sanity and calm. Grad or under-, the application process can be fairly crazy-making (though you two have such an amazing relationship that you'll probably get through it all just fine).

Non-asshattery~ma to Cash's eldest sister, and car~ma to connie.

I'm going home now. Sick and congested and coughing up uckful things. I've canceled my job interview for this afternoon and I'm just going to crawl home and drink a billion bowls of veggie broth with curry and hot peppers and any other phlegm-cutting ingredients I can think of, and maybe tomorrow the gunkus will be gone.

Does she want to play softball particularly or would she play if given the opportunity?

I'm going home now. Sick and congested and coughing up uckful things.

Oh yuck, JZ. That sounds like the ick I was down with for a week+ (still have a lingering cough and clogged ears). Here's hoping it's not. Health-ma!

JZ - get Hec to go to Chinatown and get some Loquat syrup. That stuff is the bomb for soothing coughs and phlegmy stuff.

Y'all are gonna get sick of "K-Bug is a senior" stories. So here is another one. Her school has class shirts. She never wanted a Freshman, Sophomore, or Junior shirt (who would ever buy a Freshman shirt - really?). But she wanted a Senior one. It has "08" and says Senior on it. Under that - BOW DOWN. Bwah!

And yes, she is wearing it proudly today.

Does she want to play softball particularly or would she play if given the opportunity?

I don't know. She says she wants to concentrate on school work and not ball, which is fine by me. But she also gets that fire in her eyes when she talks about softball. I think if the right school offered, she would jump. I just don't want her ignoring what could be an opportunity. Requesting more information is not signing a letter of intent.

Suzi, I'm with you. The more options she investigates, the better, IMO.

Poor JZ. I hope you're feeling a lot better soon.

Of course, the distance from the 'rents is part of the appeal.

That was my thinking. Then my parents moved to the same town as the university my sophomore year.

I hope it's short-lived gunk, JZ.

Cash, I hope the kid-sitting resolves with a minimum of drama.

Aw. K-Bug is so adorkable.

JZ! Get better!

I don't know that I would have moved 3000+ miles away from my mom if she'd been somewhere sane. I think I still would have gone out of state if possible, but maybe just a state over or something.

K-bug should definitely look into Chicago. I speak from experience. My family moved me out here at 16, the summer between my sophomore and junior year. I was PISSED and when it came time to apply to colleges, I only applied to schools in the South (I was going back home, damn it). By the time college came around, I had a boyfriend and a bunch of close friends and didn't want to leave CA. I tried applying to CA schools, but it was too late. I was heartbroken at going to the local JC while all my friends went off to the dorms at various schools. Better safe than sorry.

ETA: Moral is you never know where your head/heart will be when the time comes.