Well, that’s that! Remember the old days, when we all started school after Labor Day? My daughter goes back next Wednesday (the 10th.) Luckily she’s excited about it; I have mixed feelings. I’ll definitely be missing my leisurely mornings. Anyway, as always I’m linking with Coco and Deborah for this coffee date. And I have a few things to share!
First of all, I haven’t been running this week in order to rehab my hamstring. Deprived of my drug of choice, I was in dire need of some retail therapy:
I know. I know! It’s way too early! But… I actually love this time of year. Well, I love the holidays- Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas- but when it’s actually the holiday season sometimes it feels like it flies by too quickly. I enjoy this PRE-holiday season, where I can start to get excited, but everything is still far in the future.
I also love this time of year because just a short distance from the Halloween display, you’ll see this:
I’m a sucker for holiday decorations, but who wants to pay a lot of money for decorations you’ll only want to display for one or two days a year? I like to buy things like 4th of July decorations on clearance, and yes- I bought the red white and blue stars for $2. I also bought a mug (pictured above) from the “summer” clearance section, for $2. Fun shopping trip!
On a more serious note, a client came in for a massage today double-masked. Before the massage, she asked me if all the sheets on the massage table were clean. I always have to laugh at this question. Of course they’re clean! Do I seem like the type of person who would leave DIRTY SHEETS on the table? For that matter, if I were the type of person to do that, what makes her think I would tell the truth about it?
Anyway, she went on to explain that she’s afraid of monkeypox, which you can get “just by touching something.” OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Don’t we have enough to worry about??? I want to say this is ridiculous, but the problem is, that’s what I said about Covid before it became a pandemic. What’s next- are we going to be wearing masks AND gloves everywhere? Sheesh.
But let’s end on an uplifting note. Around this time last year, I wrote about my son’s college decision. Baylor was not his first choice- he got rejected from his dream school (after being given every reason to expect that he would be accepted- it’s a long story.) It was a huge disappointment for him, and although he didn’t really want to go to Texas, he settled on Baylor instead.
He didn’t expect to, but he loved Baylor right from the start, and loved it more and more as the year went on. Now he’s super excited for his sophomore year, but I was never sure if he had any lingering regrets about missing out on the other school. I didn’t want to bring it up in case it was a sore subject, but just the other day he brought it up himself. He never really understood why he was rejected, and we agreed that we’ll probably never know. And then he said…
“Wow, I’m so glad I didn’t get in.”
You guys. This just filled me with joy. He’s so happy with how things turned out, he wouldn’t have it any other way. I remember when we were going through it last year, another mom told me a similar story about her son being rejected from his dream school and how he went on to LOVE the college he chose instead. That helped, so I’m passing this story along as well. If (when) your kid- or anyone you know, including yourself- has a big disappointment like that, just know that there’s often an even better option. Things work out for the best.
How about you- do you get excited or annoyed when you see Halloween displays in August?
Are you concerned about monkeypox?
Those of you with college kids- was there any drama when deciding on a school?
37 Responses
Those college things have a way of just working out, don’t they?! Glad he is so happy there. I am all into a little retail shopping but mine usually takes place at lululemon lol. Funny, my massage place is the only place (aside from Dr offices) where we still are required to wear a mask. I am looking forward to mine today 🙂 Thanks for joining for coffee
Ooh, I hope you enjoyed your massage! We haven’t required masks for a while now (but that’s Florida for you.) You and Zenaida are making me want a trip to Lululemon! My daughter is going to the mall this weekend with friends… maybe I can drop her off and then sneak into Lululemon, ha ha.
I’m so over COVID and not worried about Monkey Pox… I do what I need to stay safe… knock on wood.
Glad you son picked the right school. Mine was happy with his school as well….
I’ve even seen Xmas stuff out!! Geez!!!
Ha ha, that’s true! I saw some Christmas stuff at Michael’s. Now that really is too early.
What a heart-warming story about your son being glad he didn’t end up at what he thought was his dream school! Things do have a way of working themselves out in most cases. Baylor is an amazing school from what I understand. College admissions stuff is so different now from when I was a kid – or maybe it feels different because I work with a lot of affluent people who have the resources to travel around the country to look at schools! That was not an option for me… I was 1 of 5 and my parents were very supportive but basically said – you can go wherever you want but you are paying for it so keep the cost in mind. Which again – I completely understand and respect because paying for college for 5 kids would have been a lot! So I went to an in-state school and didn’t even consider trying to get into a dream-type of school. It all worked out, though. I do feel like there is more emphasis on where you went to college compared to when I was coming out of school, though. It did take me a good 10 years to find my place in my career, but where I went to school does not matter at all, but it does seem to matter for kids looking for jobs now – at least in my industry (finance).
I am not worried about monkeypox. I can not worry about another random illness and the thought of me or my kids getting it never crosses my mind!
I have no seasonal decor except Christmas decorations! I should probably get some things now that I have kids but I’ve focused on getting holiday books and have called that good enough! Oh and we go back to school after labor day here in Minnesota, but it makes sense since our summer is so short so they want kids to be able to enjoy the season and also, I believe they keep the start date after Labor Day for the benefit of the tourism/resort industry. If school starts too early, there would be less people booking vacations in August! But I grew up in ND and we went back to school in mid-August – but there is not much tourism in ND! I was always thrilled to go back to school and would have probably given up summer break until my high school years because I was so bored in the summer!
It really seems like getting into college is very different these days. Like, it’s harder! When I grew up (in Illinois) University of Illinois was your safety school. Our state schools now- UF and FSU- are extremely competitive and hard to get into. We told my son he could go to any state school (that he could get into) because we did the Florida prepaid plan. He really wanted to leave Florida, so we told him he could go anywhere he wanted as long as he got a substantial scholarship. Baylor has some very generous financial aid options which is the main reason he chose it. And that’s the other thing- I keeping thinking, what if he got into his dream school- there’s no way they would have offered him as much money. We would really be scrambling to pay for it right now. Once again- everything worked out perfectly!
Hmm, interesting explanation of the school start dates. It kind of makes sense, because summer is not our tourism time down here.
Back to school already??? We go back after Labour Day or thereabouts. I might have to check the day but it’s definitely in September. August seems too early!
I’m glad your son is happy where he ended up. Sometimes a rejection is the best thing but we never know that at the time!
I have not seen Halloween decorations yet, I’ll keep you posted!
I know- when we first started school here I was baffled by the early start. Now I’m used to it. Like I said, when I was little we always went back after Labor Day. I would love to know the reasoning behind the early start- no one has ever been able to explain it to me.
Bring on the holidays! Summer is tough because there’s a drought between the Easter Reeses eggs and the Halloween Reeses pumpkins. Thankfully we made it this year. I’ll be heading up to Trader Joe’s soon for all the fall goodies.
I’m so happy for your son!
Nah, monkeypox isn’t on my radar. Hopefully the massage helped your client to chill out.
Ah, a fellow holiday lover! Yes, I agree there’s not much between Easter and Halloween. I try to make the most of July 4th but it’s not quite the same. Although it sounds like you’d be happy if Reeses came out with some sort of patriotic item.
Right now I’m rolling my eyes at monkeypox. Seriously when will it end? I’m still more cautious than most though. I still wear a mask when I go grocery shopping (I’m not the only one!) but I’m in & out relatively quickly.
Re: your son. It’s the old when God closes a door somewhere he opens a window thing (however that goes). Glad it worked out for him!
I know, I’m inclined to think people are making too much of monkeypox. I asked one of my clients today- he’s an ER physician- and he said not to worry about it. I’m listening to him!
I honestly don’t remember the last time I browsed at a store, so I remember pre-2020 days of being annoyed by Halloween stuff in August, but until this post, I didn’t know it was still a thing.
I work in higher ed and your son’s story makes me so happy. Every school can be a great experience for any student – they just really need to find their way and their cohort. I’m glad he’s loving his college experience – we need more students like him to talk about how disappointment can lead to real success!
I actually hear so many stories about kids being disappointed like that and then going on to love their school. I agree with you- any school can be great- it’s all about making the most of where you are.
I saw a lady (probably mid-60’s?) driving a convertible, with the top down, and she was wearing a mask. Honestly! I respect everyone has their own level of fear and comfort, but if you’re that paranoid, stay home. End of rant. Well, I’m all about the summer (you probably already know that), so once we pass the Solstice, there’s a bit of a buzzkill in the air. I am in no hurry for anything fall-related, LOL.
Kim, I felt EXACTLY the same way when I lived up north! Living in Florida has definitely warped my perspective. Now that the weather is perpetually summer-y, I love fall decorations. Go figure.
I am not thinking about monkey pox right now; there is nothing I can do individually at this point I’m not already doing because of COVID and I just have to wait and see. Mostly I’m not worried…but then I didn’t think COVID was going to become a global pandemic either.
I LOVE that story about your son. How true – sometimes a perceived closed door ends up being the best possible outcome. We actually had this happen years ago in our small business. We had worked so hard (like months of preparation) for a giant venture capital award. We really thought we had a great shot of getting it and it was going to change the trajectory of our company. We didn’t get the award, and it was so, so hard. Like felt like it was the end of the road for what we were doing. And then a few months later the company was aquired by a company from the US. This would NEVER had happened if we won the award because we would have switched direction and simply not been available to pursue other options. I think about this experience a lot because it has felt so formative to my life. The problem is…we never know how things are going to work out, so it can cause a lot of mental stress in the interim. But, still, I find it comforting to have examples I can look to when I thought “This is the end of the world” and it was so very much not the end of the world!
I’m pretty minimalistic so I don’t actually have hardly any decorations outside of things for Christmas. I do LOVE seeing them in other people’s homes, though. And, like you, I am ALL ABOUT THE CLEARANCE! In fact my husband just came home from a thrift shop earlier today with some lux Christmas wrapping paper (brand new with the original price tags on) that was marked down significantly!
Like Nicole, here in Canada I can’t imagine a return to school before September. I don’t know the exact date for my kids either, but I know it’s definitely not until after Labour Day.
Wow, that’s a great story. The key is to remember these examples when these “terrible” things happen- and have faith that it will work out eventually.
Brand new Christmas wrapping paper from the thrift shop- what a find! I try to get my wrapping paper when it’s on clearance after Christmas, and usually I don’t even remember what I have until I pull everything out after Thanksgiving.
Baylor is a fantastic school and I’m so happy it was a great fit for your son. I always tell my kids that things have a way of working out in their own perfect way. Maddie had her heart set on a certain internship that she did not get. I told her she was meant for something better and then hello, Nike came along. I runfess I was annoyed seeing Halloween stuff in July but I also purchased some stuff. Whoops! Haha!
Aha! So you’re a July Halloween buyer! That’s funny.
Yes, it truly is a life lesson for the kids (and all of us.). There are always more options out there.
Kinda stuck on why your germaphobe client even gets a massage anyways…
Funny thing about your son’s story–my son said the exact same thing about Wisconsin after he didn’t get into Northwestern. Thank goodness he didn’t get in there–lol. Anyways, it’s all about how things work out.
Wendy- that’s so funny. I wasn’t going to name the school, but Northwestern was the dream school my son got rejected from!
Yes, I also thought about that- if you’re so worried, why are you coming in for a massage? We dealt with that all through Covid- you would think no one would come for a massage, but they were there!
Just realized I never commented after reading this morning — the downside of an 8 am conference call. 😉
That is so great about your son really liking Baylor. My son really wanted to go to a school he didn’t get an offer for (from the lacrosse coach), but I definitely think he ended up at a better place for him. And since that’s where he met his wife he probably won’t argue with that.
I am not worried about monkeypox, but my daughter wasn’t trusting reports about how it is transmitted. NPR did a whole segment on it this morning and said only 1% of cases are not traced to sexual contact …. Still, it sounds pretty horrible.
We don’t go all out for holiday decorations, but I do enjoy window-shopping for them. We have a huge Hallmark store I can spend forever in.
Thanks for joining us for coffee!
Well, my son has yet to meet his future wife… but you never know.
Yes, I talked to one of my clients today (he’s an ER doctor) and he said monkeypox is usually sexually transmitted. Good to know!
Oh, we have a Hallmark store in the plaza where I work. I have spent many hours there!
Oh, that is interesting about the college choice. I bet that was a bit frustrating not knowing why the decision was made. College selection will be an interesting process with my son. We’ve got a few more tours lined up this month. August 10th does seem pretty early for back to school. My son will start on the 19th, but we will be busy with school registration on the 10th. It’s all coming so fast!
Oh, I’ll be interested to hear how it goes for your son! The college application process was a very stressful time for me- I’m glad I still have a while before I have to go through it with my daughter!
WOW that’s super early to go back to school!
Haha retail therapy in any way is helpful if you can’t run!
Huh. I wonder really what people think of massage therapists. Like, for real? I think even “other” types of massage places would change the damn sheets at least! And in a way I get that people are worried about stuff, but on the other hand if it were me and I was worried, then I probably won’t make the appointment… no need to go to dramatic extremes (by all means if anyone wants to mask up, please do. Non-judgment zone here. But don’t be dramatic. That is all.)
I am so glad your son is happy with Baylor in the end. And you guys are right, you’ll probably never know. And that’s ok. THEY missed out on a great kid, obviously.
I’m not much of a holiday decorator, but I finally do partake in Christmas and that gives me joy. I never had that until recently.
I’m not really afraid of monkeypox because it’s spread in a way that I am unlikely to come into contact with. But you never know. I thought I wouldn’t get covid and I did.
Yes, I did wonder why that woman was even coming in for a massage! People are so strange.
My daughter is worried that monkeypox will turn into another pandemic and she’ll have to miss another year of school. I’ve assured her that it’s definitely not going to spread like Covid did. I agree- we’re unlikely to come into contact with it.
How wonderful to hear that your son is so happy with Baylor and no longer disappointed about not getting into his dream school.
I don’t do a lot of decorating for Halloween, but did find some good bargains at Hobby Lobby for USA stuff.
I haven’t been to a Hobby Lobby in ages, but they do have good decorations! Like Michaels, they have great sales.
I love that story about your son! My son is about to embark on a do-over as he’s transferring to a new school and I’m so excited for him because I think this will be a much better fit. A friend of mine used to always say, “they’ll find their path” and I believe that to be true.
I’m not at all worried about monkeypox – at this point, I just don’t have it in me to get worked up over it.
Good luck to your son! Yeah, that’s tough switching schools, but it’s good he realized early on. I hope he has a great year!
I love that story about your son. Glad he is happy at Baylor and that he is enjoying it there. That is funny about your client. If she is so worried about it then she should not be getting a massage. IT IS TOO EARLY FOR HALLOWEEN STUFF!!!
Hee hee- I’ve noticed that teachers tend to get a little touchy when fall decorations come out in July.
Yes, it’s a mystery why that woman came in for a massage in the first place… very strange!
Ah, retail therapy! I definitely did that yesterday (in my defense, our bathrooms needed some organizational things :D..). I love finding things on clearance!
I’m glad your son ended up being really happy with the school he went to!
Very mystified about why that lady is getting a massage if she’s so worried…
I especially love retail therapy if it’s something that’s actually useful (and on clearance, extra bonus.)
Aww, that’s really cool to hear that your son is so happy at his college in Texas… I am not religious, but how does the country song by Garth Brooks go? “Cause some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers” (Jon got me into country LOL when we met at my not-first-choice exchange college ;))