The Happy News thread

[crystalswolf]

Congratulations, Aquarius!

Honeybee, aw... tiger cub has a good nurse

[Aquarius]

Thanks everyone! And I am surprised--it's been so long since I've done well in school, I forgot they even had things like a Dean's List!!

[Alelou]

LOL.

My happy (and relieved) news is that my son passed his first Regents exams.

He's definitely in no danger of making any Dean's List, however.

[honeybee]

Sometimes, passing is an achievement! So, good for your son, Alelou!

[panyasan]

I hope Speedo can go to his new home quickly. And Congrats Aquarius! Great news.

My happy (and relieved) news is that my son passed his first Regents exams.

Congrats, Alelou, what kind of exam is this?

[Alelou]

New York State has long had a testing program to show you've mastered your subjects in high school, which is required to get a Regents diploma. (Now the rest of the country has standardized tests too, and now every kid in NY has to earn a Regents diploma, whereas in the past they could get a basic diploma.)

Anyway, I can't complain. Personally I think testing keeps schools honest, and I looked forward to moving here because a NY diploma actually means something.

So Alejandro had his first Regents, in Earth Science and Algebra, as well as rehearsal-type finals for Spanish and Global Studies (which is a two-year course here), so I was pleased that he passed, and sometimes actually did better than he did in his classes.

I don't think anyone will ever hire him as a geologist, though. And the kid ain't going to qualify for any scholarships at this rate.

Onward and upward. My dad barely passed community college, worked in a moving company, got a job at a newspaper in Hollywood, and only went back for his journalism degree at the University of Florida because his mother somehow wangled it for him. And he ended up a very successful newspaperman. So you never know. I just wish Alejandro would discover his passion soon, because my gran was much better at wangling than I am. (She was a real estate agent.)

[panyasan]

Thanks for the explanation. I am sure Alejandro will find his passion soon. I have some happy news: my husband has found a new job. It's a afternoon/evening job (3 pm until 10.30 pm) so he can look after the childern in the morning and I could change my work schedule, so I take care of them most of the time in the afternoon. It's a change for the better. It also means I am alone a couple of evenings and having a very busy time preparing diner and getting the kids to bed. But then time to write.... I am very happy for him, he really needed to do something outside the house and untill now he really likes the job and the people that has giving him a change are happy with him.

[Alelou]

That's exciting news. A little evening alone now and then can be nice once the kids are in bed.

And maybe this will help next time you go house-hunting...

[Aikiweezie]

I'm happy that there's so much happy news! Congrats to all.

I know first hand what it's like to not do well in high school. I tested into all A.P. classes for freshman year. For purely social reasons (not the usual kind, I was shy and unpopular and not involved in anything because my parents refused to allow me) I blew it and graduated in the bottom 1/3 of my class. Took the ACT, received an award as an "Illinois State Scholar" becuase of a high score, went to community college, went to university, majored in English Lit and Communications and minored in Sociology and graduated with honors.

I know several people who did the same thing I did and ended up doing quite well. Mostly it was because of social issues and boredom.

[Alelou]

Well, I teach at a community college which pretty much exists exactly for kids like that.

I really don't want my only child in the military right now, but judging from my students, the real trick to becoming a serious student is to spend at least two years in the service. Those are always my hardest-working students.

I'm not sure my son would do any better in college than he does in high school unless something intervenes to get him to take this stuff a little more seriously.

I've tried explaining that smart girls like the one he has a crush on like smart guys, but that hasn't helped yet...

[honeybee]

More Speedo news.

Not only does he have a forever home that he is going to once he fattens up- a large, restored stone manse in historic Germantown, Philadelphia - his new mommy and daddy thought that the $1 kitten adoption special was nice but they wanted to give a bigger donation. They are giving a $1000 adoption fee to the shelter!

Yeah Speedo!

The vet tech said he was probably not at 2lbs for neutering yesterday because he's missing his tail - and tails weigh about 2 ounces, and he was 2 ounces shy. So, I'm feeding him a lot so he can go to his new, posh digs!


edited to add:

I've tried explaining that smart girls like the one he has a crush on like smart guys, but that hasn't helped yet...

True story. My mom met my dad in high school. She was new and broke some rule accidentally and was put in delinquent detention. She was a shy honors student and started to cry. My dad, who was in there for good reason, escorted her to the principal's office to straighten out the mess. They started dating.

The night before she left for college, he said no stay and marry me. She said no way - I'm not marrying someone who didn't go to college. So, Dad - who barely graduated high school - did a year at a Catholic prep, got straight As, earned a scholarship to BC and also got all As. Graduated at the top of his class, earned a fellowship to LSE and went on to a pretty great career in international business. My dad's parents, naturally, looooooooved my mom.

[justTripn]

Aww . . . that's a very inspiring story.

[Kotik]

The night before she left for college, he said no stay and marry me. She said no way - I'm not marrying someone who didn't go to college.

Sorry to sound mean, but if any girl threw that one at me she'd be toast. Either she loves me for who I am or she doesn't love me at all. That's not love that's female, cold hearted calculation and I have ample (painfull) experience with that. True love looks different.

[honeybee]

Oh no, Kotik. I'll just let my parents know their entire life - family, friends, success, children, is based on a lie - and the last eight years during which my mother has cared for him while institutionalized for a traumatic brain injury is obviously not true love. Come to think of it, she's just a shallow person - because when she wasn't shopping and judging people - she was wasting her time as a special education teacher. Never mind the years the two of them spent together trying to find solutions to my brother's mental illness - which did nearly split them apart a few times, but not realizing they were in the throes of delusion and didn't really love each other - they pushed through it.

But you know, now that I think about it, maybe my father would have been better off working as a ditch digger or something. It would have certainly spared him the pain of a six figure income, beautiful house, sailboat, world travel and his copious volunteer work with the United Way. The picture I keep of him sitting on a camel in front of the Pyramids with a big grin on his face (taken the year before he had his brain injury) or the one of he and my mother feeding elephants in a sanctuary in Thailand together - god, those just suck. He was obviously totally unaware his life was a lie.

In fact, my father once - in the throes of his delusion - once told me how grateful he was to my mother for saving his life - and inspiring him to go to college - where for the first time he felt valued and capable as a person. You see, his parents, thought he was stupid and told him so often. My mother didn't believe that. And she turned out to be right.

But right, no true love there. He definitely should have held out for "true love".

Anyway, get well soon, Kotik! I hope someday you find true love.


edited to add: No matter what sympathetic position you are in, insulting someone's mother is liable to squander it.

[Alelou]

The night before she left for college, he said no stay and marry me. She said no way - I'm not marrying someone who didn't go to college. So, Dad - who barely graduated high school - did a year at a Catholic prep, got straight As, earned a scholarship to BC and also got all As. Graduated at the top of his class, earned a fellowship to LSE and went on to a pretty great career in international business. My dad's parents, naturally, looooooooved my mom.

I have the feeling she knew exactly what your dad needed at that point in his life.