Back to the empty nest

After having Engineering Guy home all summer and Computer Dude home for a couple of weeks between his school term and work term our nest is empty again. Well except for the three dogs...........I got a crazy idea during the summer that we needed another puppy. That definitely keeps me busy.

Engineering Guy has been in his new (old) house for a week now and it's been rather eventful (and expensive). First of all his new bed that was being delivered wouldn't fit up the stairs. Not only did the box spring not fit but neither did the mattress. In the grand scheme of things it's not a huge deal but it means he has been without a bed for over a week. Oh well - his back is young and that's what air mattresses are for. It's like indoor camping.

The boys learned a couple of adult lessons. First of all - when your internet provider gives you an eight hour window to come to hook up that means someone has to be there for the entire eight hours. Murphy's Law guarantees that if someone slips out for ten minutes that will be when the internet people show up. They can't come again until Saturday. Luckily, the library is two minutes from their house and Engineering Guy has a laptop. Or maybe not so lucky. He phoned home tonight and told Engineering Dad that the laptop has a virus and it will cost $50 to have someone even look at it. I don't see that he has any options. He also has a big beautiful IMac sitting in his room as a paperweight until the internet gets connected.

Their house also got a noise violation ticket. Ooops. That's $235 split six ways. Their neighbourhood is entirely students and I think the police were making a stand early in the year in the hopes of keeping control. Engineering Guy said they didn't realize how loud their music actually was - but they thought they'd at least get a warning first. Now they know better.

I'm hoping his bed gets delivered tomorrow without any glitches and his week gets better from then.

Computer Dude is working at the same company that he worked at for his last work term. He is also taking a French course to knock off an elective. I convinced him (and I think he is beginning to think I know a thing or two) that French would probably be far less work than Physics........ Who the heck takes physics as an elective anyway?

The Nest Is Half Full

Time flies.  Engineering Guy is home after finishing his first year of school.  He is more convinced than ever that engineering is the right program for him.  He's signed a lease with five friends for next year.  We picked him up a week and a half ago and he is lucky to be one of the few of his friends to have a full time job for the summer.  He'll be able to live at home so that's great.

Computer Dude was home for the weekend.  He has just finished a four month co-op term and tomorrow he'll head back to school for four months.  He loved this co-op job but is also excited to go back to school.  This will be his first term at school in the summer (in a house with no A/C) to boot so he'll see how he likes being on a campus that's much quieter than he is used to.

Letting Go

Engineering Guy did a lot of growing up this week and I found out how difficult it is to watch your kids struggle from a distance.  A friend of the Guy's started acting ill on Sunday.  He was convinced by friends to seek medical attention but was released from hospital.  His friend's were told to "make sure he eats and drinks properly".  Eighteen year old boys only have so much control over each other.  By Monday night the boys had gone through their friend going missing,  having to make the decision to alert authorities, having him found and hospitalized.  Then they had to make the difficult decision to call his parents (who they had never met) and inform them.  It turned out well for everyone as the friend is now on the mend at home.  Engineering Guy informed me last night "We decided we're to young to deal with stuff like this".  As a parent I'm still shaking because the outcome could have been so very different if these kids hadn't been so persisting in trying to get their friend help, and making the hard decisions to do what is right - not what is easiest.  To say I'm proud of him is an understatement.  We had already planned to go down and visit him for the weekend.  Now I can't wait to just give him a huge hug.

Good-Bye to a fine young man

Today was the funeral for Engineering Guy's friend.  DNA results finally came back last week.  What they think happened was that he got stuck in the snow after leaving the party, when he couldn't dig himself out he went back in the vehicle and kept it running to stay warm.   I suppose he felt he couldn't call for help because he wasn't supposed to be there in the first place.  Unfortunately the tailpipe was buried in snow and he died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The minister used the sermon to charge the young people there with looking out for one another so this type of tragedy doesn't have to happen again.  I think the message will stick - at least for awhile.  Two hockey teammates (one of whom was a teammate to Engineering Guy) gave very eloquent eulogies as they shared stories of growing up together.  I was proud of those two young men as they did something that nobody that age should have to do.  Engineering Guy is too far away to attend but I know this has affected him quite deeply.

Jen - we are going to the Galapagos for our trip.  It's a place I have always wanted to visit.  I figured I better go now before I become too old and doddery!

Engineering Guy will not be homeless next year.  This is a relief to all of us (especially him).  I thought it was early days but he was getting stressed.  This week he and five of his closest friends have signed a lease on a house two minutes from campus.  They were getting quite worried because most of the houses they viewed were real dives (and I'm not sure how bad it has to be to be a dive to 18 year old boys).  Engineering Guy is particularly excited because they have other friends moving into the street.  This apparently means they will be able to go to parties without hosting them.  I guess that is a good thing?

Computer Dude is loving his computer job.  Particularly he is loving getting a paycheck.  Unfortunately he has to deal with the more mundane adult things such as his lost cell phone - buying a new one and getting his account transferred before someone calls China on it.

To celebrate our 20th anniversary (which was 2 years ago) and successfully getting two kids through high school and out of the house Engineering Dad and I have booked a trip.   We are going in May..........Someplace I've always wanted to go.

New Purchase

I sent Engineering Dad to the store today to purchase a crockpot made for two.  Our family size crockpot is far too large to make meals for two.  I now have squash soup simmering away in my two quart crockpot.

We drove down to take Computer Dude out for lunch and took him a bunch of baking.  He enjoyed the first week of his co-op job despite the commute of an hour each way.  Last term was pretty intense for him so I think he is glad to have a four month break.  We'll see how much he enjoys going to school all summer for the first time in his life.

Sadness

Engineering Guy is having a hard time with the death of his friend.  DNA test results are not back yet but it seems the only plausible scenario.  He hasn't had to endure tragedy in his young life and although he and Wes only saw each other once or twice a year in recent years it still struck close to home.  Also Wes' dad was the Guy's hockey coach the year they played together and he was VERY good to my Guy.

Near as they can figure, he left a New Years Eve party, decided to "borrow" the van that belonged at the house and drove off.  At some point he pulled off to the side of the road and probably lit a cigarrette and fell asleep.  All very out of character for this young man I'm told.

In better news he got his first semester marks back and did very well.  He was in the top 3% of his physics class.  Sadly, I will have to admit that his physics brain did NOT come from his mother.  Ironically he is worried about physics this semester.  From what my non-engineering brain can understand it's because last semester they worked with things they could see.  This semester it's electricity and other invisible stuff. On general principle Engineering Guy is not in favour of anything that can't be seen.

Double post

Well I can't figure out how to get rid of it.  In my defense Blogger told me that neither post posted.

Heartbreak

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/01/06/7928586-sun.html

Engineering Guy played hockey with Wes one winter.  Engineering Guy had to play in a different town.  Wes' dad was one of the coaches on the team and his mom was Engineering Guy's most vocal fan section before or since.  In later years when they competed against each other Wes would always stay after the game to razz or congratulate Engineering Guy (the guy is a goalie).

I hope and pray there is a way to put two and two together to come up with a more positive outcome.

Heartbreak

It was difficult for me to say good-bye to Engineering Guy, especially since he wasn't feeling well but he will be coming home.

A young man he played hockey with went missing from a New Years Eve party.  A male body was found in a burned out van that had also been at the party.  This is a small town - there aren't that many missing people or bodies found.  You can put two and two together as many ways as you want and it's hard to come up with a good outcome.  

One year Engineering Guy was cut from our local competitive hockey team.  Another town was desperate for a goalie - Engineering Guy was desperate to play.  Wes' dad was one of the coaches on the team.  His mom was Engineering Guy's loudest fan section before or since that year.  Every year after when they competed against each other Wes would be the one who waited after the game to either razz or congratulate Engineering Guy.

My heart breaks thinking of him and his family.  There really are no words.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/01/06/7928586-sun.html

Empty Nest Once Again

Ahhhh.............. It's the sound of silence.  We put Engineering Guy on the train this morning.   It was hard.  The fact that he was feeling quite sick didn't make it any easier.  He might have a touch of flu or it might just be separation anxiety.  I know he loves his school, his program, and has missed his friends over the holidays but it's not always easy to say goodbye even when you are excited about going.  I hope he feels better by the time he gets back because even at my age being sick without your mommy sucks!  He was sick when we were driving him to school in August so I am tempted to think it's nerves.

University has had a big impact on Engineering Guy (even more so than Computer Dude).  The school he goes to is well known for it's school spirit and engineers have the reputation of working hard and playing hard.  He was never very spirited in high school but he takes great pride in wearing his school jacket that he "earned the right to wear" after his December exams and is hoping to be a frosh leader next August.

Engineering Dad and I are going to see "Marley and Me" this afternoon.  Any tears I feel the need to shed missing my baby will surely flow watching the movie.  It might be too soon after losing our Retriever but I do think I'll enjoy the movie for the most part.