The Best Laid Plans of Mice & Men & Teenage Girls...
Aug 20th, 2013, 04:09 PM
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The Best Laid Plans of Mice & Men & Teenage Girls...
I wasn’t going to use write this as a trip report but some of our experiences were so great, I really want to share. If you’d like the abbreviated version, read my post on the Empty nest thread. For the rest of you, here it is.
A little background – last April, DD (my baby and only on to choose the University route) committed to University of Arizona. We stayed at the Marriot for orientation and we were totally underwhelmed so I was thrilled that the cab driver told us about Aloft, a brand new hotel in Tucson, located right next to campus. DD wanted to have her car there and there is no prohibition against it, so we decided on the flight home that we would drive out in her car, and then I would fly home. She was rushing, so her move-in time was a week early, which was lucky, because by the time she committed, hotels were already full for the official move in weekend. So I had everything all figured out – I booked a return flight home, and I booked the hotel for two days. I even got a SPG rewards card, figuring I could put all her tuition and college expenses on that to earn points for free or bonus stays when we visit. I patted myself on the back for having it all handled. In July, DD told me she’d gotten her parking assignment. I patted myself on the back for having raised such an independent young woman.
Summer flew by. As close as DD and I have always been, this was a time of her sprouting wings and pushing boundaries. Let’s just say, we were both really excited for college to start.
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, about 2 weeks before it is time to go. DD decide that since her roommate wasn’t coming until official move-in day, she wanted some of her friends to drive out with her. They could stay in the dorm with her. Okay. I was fine with that. I figured SO and I could still drive out according to plan, stay at our nice hotel, get a cheap room for the friends and probably add a few years to my life by not having to drive for 8 hours with DD at the wheel and house music blaring all the way. I don’t book the hotel just yet, nor do I cancel my flight. I pat myself on the back for being so flexible.
Last week, while at a photo shoot for a house SO designed, the developer’s girlfriend and I started talking. Small world. Her dd is going to UA, too. And she’s rushing. What time is our move-in time, she asks. She’d just gotten the email the day before, telling her where to be and when. Huh??? I had no idea. Getting home, I ask DD. She checked. No emails. She called the Sorority recruitment chair and guess what? She wasn’t on the list! We had the email confirming she was rushing but nothing since then. Not to worry. The chair said we were definitely on the list and she’d let us know. We heard back shortly, that we had a move-in time slot for Sunday, between 1 & 3. Sounds great. What’s up with your friends?, I ask. Now, it seems none of them can go. Oh wait. One of them can go. Michael. (I know some of you might struggle with that, but he really is like her brother) I tell her it can still just be the two of us but no, that is not an option. (I promise this will have travel info in it!!!)
A little background – last April, DD (my baby and only on to choose the University route) committed to University of Arizona. We stayed at the Marriot for orientation and we were totally underwhelmed so I was thrilled that the cab driver told us about Aloft, a brand new hotel in Tucson, located right next to campus. DD wanted to have her car there and there is no prohibition against it, so we decided on the flight home that we would drive out in her car, and then I would fly home. She was rushing, so her move-in time was a week early, which was lucky, because by the time she committed, hotels were already full for the official move in weekend. So I had everything all figured out – I booked a return flight home, and I booked the hotel for two days. I even got a SPG rewards card, figuring I could put all her tuition and college expenses on that to earn points for free or bonus stays when we visit. I patted myself on the back for having it all handled. In July, DD told me she’d gotten her parking assignment. I patted myself on the back for having raised such an independent young woman.
Summer flew by. As close as DD and I have always been, this was a time of her sprouting wings and pushing boundaries. Let’s just say, we were both really excited for college to start.
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, about 2 weeks before it is time to go. DD decide that since her roommate wasn’t coming until official move-in day, she wanted some of her friends to drive out with her. They could stay in the dorm with her. Okay. I was fine with that. I figured SO and I could still drive out according to plan, stay at our nice hotel, get a cheap room for the friends and probably add a few years to my life by not having to drive for 8 hours with DD at the wheel and house music blaring all the way. I don’t book the hotel just yet, nor do I cancel my flight. I pat myself on the back for being so flexible.
Last week, while at a photo shoot for a house SO designed, the developer’s girlfriend and I started talking. Small world. Her dd is going to UA, too. And she’s rushing. What time is our move-in time, she asks. She’d just gotten the email the day before, telling her where to be and when. Huh??? I had no idea. Getting home, I ask DD. She checked. No emails. She called the Sorority recruitment chair and guess what? She wasn’t on the list! We had the email confirming she was rushing but nothing since then. Not to worry. The chair said we were definitely on the list and she’d let us know. We heard back shortly, that we had a move-in time slot for Sunday, between 1 & 3. Sounds great. What’s up with your friends?, I ask. Now, it seems none of them can go. Oh wait. One of them can go. Michael. (I know some of you might struggle with that, but he really is like her brother) I tell her it can still just be the two of us but no, that is not an option. (I promise this will have travel info in it!!!)
Aug 20th, 2013, 04:43 PM
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...continued...
Ok, so first DD and I were going, then DD and friends, while SO and I traveled in our own car. Then DD and one friend. All of this changing as rapidly as a tweens change their crushes on boy bands.
So right now it is her friend, M., who I love. Initially I suggested he drive his truck and meet DD and I there, but his truck won’t make the drive through the desert. Ok, so how is he going to get home? DD thinks he can drive home with So and I. Ummm, no. This is basically our only vacation all summer and nothing says awkward like 8 hours in a car with a teenage boy who doesn’t belong to you. Turns out, M’s dad works for an airline so he will fly standby. Ok. Are you sure??? Yes. Positive! Alright, then. Come Thursday (we’re supposed to leave on Saturday), I cancel my Southwest Flight and book a cheap room on hotwire for the night. I am no longer patting myself on the back.
Oh and hey, guess what?? Turns out rushing activity is scheduled all day, every day, from 8am to 8pm. No time for friends and M. can’t get time off of work to come anyway. SO had agreed to take time off of work, rearranging his schedule, canceling meetings but things are still touch and go. My plan was to leave early Saturday morning but DD wanted to go to a party to see all of her friends one last time and spend the night with her friends. Of course, I now have no flight home and at this point, I am not really sure I’ll even be speaking to DD by Saturday. We do agree that if need be, she will make the drive by herself and that she will have my car loaded by Friday, because she had way too much stuff for her car alone, and we’d now missed the ship to program the school offered. The cars get packed, she goes to her slumber party, and we hit the sack, deciding we don’t need to leave super early. 9 am should be fine.
And that is what happens. That is the one, and only thing, that goes as plan. We got up, had coffee and headed off to Tucson. It was a great day, and a great drive. No traffic, which is so rare for Los Angeles. Since all of our kids have been home all summer, it feels like this is the first time SO and I have been alone in months. We stop and get gas in Quartzite but there’s not much to tell. It was a pretty eventless trip. Well, we did get flipped off by someone with a sticker on his truck that said, “Support Communism, Vote Democrat” just outside of Tempe. But that was about it.
We arrived in Tucson around 4 pm, to scattered clouds. Pulled up to our hotel, the Aloft, and it was getting windy. We walked into the hotel; asked if we could leave out car where it was to unload, when BOOM! The loudest crack of thunder and a dumping sideways rain. I really don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. And then, it was over in about 8 minutes.
So let me just talk about the Aloft. What a great place! I can’t wait to go back. It has such a fun vibe! The front desk clerk, Chris, couldn’t have been nicer. The hotel was sold out, but Chris acted like we were the only people he had to worry about. He took time to tell us about a program that saves $5 a day, if you skip daily housekeeping, which we usually skip anyway. He then gave us 5 coupons for $9 each worth of snack and convenience foods. It was great! There was a lively pool game going on. The bar was busy. It just looked like a fun place to be and I was really, really hoping we’d get to enjoy it!
We hauled our expensive luggage (a Trader Joe’s bag and a Sprinkle’s Cupcakes bag – I am not even kidding, it was all that would fit in my car after squeezing DD’s boxes into my Insight) up to our room and decided to do a drive around the campus, since SO had never seen it. So back in the car we went, and began to drive around aimlessly. Some of our best times happen that way, and this was no different.
Ok, so first DD and I were going, then DD and friends, while SO and I traveled in our own car. Then DD and one friend. All of this changing as rapidly as a tweens change their crushes on boy bands.
So right now it is her friend, M., who I love. Initially I suggested he drive his truck and meet DD and I there, but his truck won’t make the drive through the desert. Ok, so how is he going to get home? DD thinks he can drive home with So and I. Ummm, no. This is basically our only vacation all summer and nothing says awkward like 8 hours in a car with a teenage boy who doesn’t belong to you. Turns out, M’s dad works for an airline so he will fly standby. Ok. Are you sure??? Yes. Positive! Alright, then. Come Thursday (we’re supposed to leave on Saturday), I cancel my Southwest Flight and book a cheap room on hotwire for the night. I am no longer patting myself on the back.
Oh and hey, guess what?? Turns out rushing activity is scheduled all day, every day, from 8am to 8pm. No time for friends and M. can’t get time off of work to come anyway. SO had agreed to take time off of work, rearranging his schedule, canceling meetings but things are still touch and go. My plan was to leave early Saturday morning but DD wanted to go to a party to see all of her friends one last time and spend the night with her friends. Of course, I now have no flight home and at this point, I am not really sure I’ll even be speaking to DD by Saturday. We do agree that if need be, she will make the drive by herself and that she will have my car loaded by Friday, because she had way too much stuff for her car alone, and we’d now missed the ship to program the school offered. The cars get packed, she goes to her slumber party, and we hit the sack, deciding we don’t need to leave super early. 9 am should be fine.
And that is what happens. That is the one, and only thing, that goes as plan. We got up, had coffee and headed off to Tucson. It was a great day, and a great drive. No traffic, which is so rare for Los Angeles. Since all of our kids have been home all summer, it feels like this is the first time SO and I have been alone in months. We stop and get gas in Quartzite but there’s not much to tell. It was a pretty eventless trip. Well, we did get flipped off by someone with a sticker on his truck that said, “Support Communism, Vote Democrat” just outside of Tempe. But that was about it.
We arrived in Tucson around 4 pm, to scattered clouds. Pulled up to our hotel, the Aloft, and it was getting windy. We walked into the hotel; asked if we could leave out car where it was to unload, when BOOM! The loudest crack of thunder and a dumping sideways rain. I really don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. And then, it was over in about 8 minutes.
So let me just talk about the Aloft. What a great place! I can’t wait to go back. It has such a fun vibe! The front desk clerk, Chris, couldn’t have been nicer. The hotel was sold out, but Chris acted like we were the only people he had to worry about. He took time to tell us about a program that saves $5 a day, if you skip daily housekeeping, which we usually skip anyway. He then gave us 5 coupons for $9 each worth of snack and convenience foods. It was great! There was a lively pool game going on. The bar was busy. It just looked like a fun place to be and I was really, really hoping we’d get to enjoy it!
We hauled our expensive luggage (a Trader Joe’s bag and a Sprinkle’s Cupcakes bag – I am not even kidding, it was all that would fit in my car after squeezing DD’s boxes into my Insight) up to our room and decided to do a drive around the campus, since SO had never seen it. So back in the car we went, and began to drive around aimlessly. Some of our best times happen that way, and this was no different.
Aug 20th, 2013, 05:02 PM
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I forgot to mention that by the time we hit the state line, DD hadn’t even left yet.
*sigh* But I was thankful she wasn’t alone and figured it was worth however much we had to pay for the flight home. She finally got on her way around 3 pm. That would have made me crazy! And they hit so much traffic. Oh well… lesson learned, hopefully.
Meanwhile, SO and I really enjoyed driving around campus, seeing where her house was and figuring out the easiest way to get there in the the next day for move-in. By then, we were getting hungry and we decided to head check out something we ‘d seen while driving around.
We stumbled onto Maynard's Kitchen and Market and I am so glad we did!!! We ended up eating three meals there during our short Tucson stay.
The first night we poked our head in, we were greeted kindly by the hostess and really liked the vibe and the menu . We checked over at Hotel Congress, across the street, which looked really fun, too, but Maynard's Kitchen won us over so that's where we ended up. We sat at the bar where we were met Eddie, our new best friend! He gave great suggestions, showed wonderful bar knowledge and proceeded to completely erase our 6 hour drive and the stress of the last week (or month!) with some beautiful hand-crafted cocktails. I'm not going to remember all the names, but I had one with watermelon and SO had a tequila one called the Heritage. Mine was good but his was transformative. The cilantro made it pop! How Eddie managed simple and complex at the same time, I still don't know! We then grazed our way through several starters. The mussels were really good and fresh but it was the tomato and grilled watermelon salad that made us sit up and take notice! Wow!!! The dressing was so light and delicate, and sprinkled with mint and pine nuts and a little bit of some sort of creamy cheese. Each element was perfect on its own, and then, together, it just exploded in your mouth! I’ve tried to grill watermelon and not been successful. I guess the trick is to compress it, which squeezes out the water and lets you get a good char. Whatever it was , it totally worked! After that, the steak tartare! It was one of the best things I've ever had. Served with homemade potato chips, flecked with a bit of capers and red onion, it was sublime! I own’t even try to describe it further. Suffice to say, it is worth the drive to Tucson! Oh, time for more cocktails. This time I had the East End and I was on Cloud 9! It was just an incredible blend of gin, honeydew (fresh) and lemon grass. So good! We had already ordered the Poutine and really didn't need it, we were so full. As far as poutine goes, it was really, really good, topped with grilled foie gras and lamb gravy. But I had already heard what the dessert was so we just had a few nibbles them moved on to the Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecake. It was a work of art! Two of my favorite things – Meyer lemon and Goat cheese, folded into my other favorite thing, cheesecake. I was in heaven!!! I rarely eat so much that I feel uncomfortably full but I definitely did this time. I don’t care. It was worth it and I can’t wait to do it again.
Back to the hotel, slip into an almost food coma and wait to hear from DD that she arrived safely. I did, and she did and I was able to get a few hours of sleep…
(side note - The Hotel Congress is on our list as a place to stay. You walk in and you feel transported to another time. How something can smell so old and yet seem so fun and fresh, I really don't know. And the rooms are cheap!!! $70 a night for 2 double beds. I don't think it's luxury, no king beds. BUt it does just seem really fin for a night or two). It's right across from the Amtrak station so if you are given to train travel, this is perfect!)
*sigh* But I was thankful she wasn’t alone and figured it was worth however much we had to pay for the flight home. She finally got on her way around 3 pm. That would have made me crazy! And they hit so much traffic. Oh well… lesson learned, hopefully.
Meanwhile, SO and I really enjoyed driving around campus, seeing where her house was and figuring out the easiest way to get there in the the next day for move-in. By then, we were getting hungry and we decided to head check out something we ‘d seen while driving around.
We stumbled onto Maynard's Kitchen and Market and I am so glad we did!!! We ended up eating three meals there during our short Tucson stay.
The first night we poked our head in, we were greeted kindly by the hostess and really liked the vibe and the menu . We checked over at Hotel Congress, across the street, which looked really fun, too, but Maynard's Kitchen won us over so that's where we ended up. We sat at the bar where we were met Eddie, our new best friend! He gave great suggestions, showed wonderful bar knowledge and proceeded to completely erase our 6 hour drive and the stress of the last week (or month!) with some beautiful hand-crafted cocktails. I'm not going to remember all the names, but I had one with watermelon and SO had a tequila one called the Heritage. Mine was good but his was transformative. The cilantro made it pop! How Eddie managed simple and complex at the same time, I still don't know! We then grazed our way through several starters. The mussels were really good and fresh but it was the tomato and grilled watermelon salad that made us sit up and take notice! Wow!!! The dressing was so light and delicate, and sprinkled with mint and pine nuts and a little bit of some sort of creamy cheese. Each element was perfect on its own, and then, together, it just exploded in your mouth! I’ve tried to grill watermelon and not been successful. I guess the trick is to compress it, which squeezes out the water and lets you get a good char. Whatever it was , it totally worked! After that, the steak tartare! It was one of the best things I've ever had. Served with homemade potato chips, flecked with a bit of capers and red onion, it was sublime! I own’t even try to describe it further. Suffice to say, it is worth the drive to Tucson! Oh, time for more cocktails. This time I had the East End and I was on Cloud 9! It was just an incredible blend of gin, honeydew (fresh) and lemon grass. So good! We had already ordered the Poutine and really didn't need it, we were so full. As far as poutine goes, it was really, really good, topped with grilled foie gras and lamb gravy. But I had already heard what the dessert was so we just had a few nibbles them moved on to the Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecake. It was a work of art! Two of my favorite things – Meyer lemon and Goat cheese, folded into my other favorite thing, cheesecake. I was in heaven!!! I rarely eat so much that I feel uncomfortably full but I definitely did this time. I don’t care. It was worth it and I can’t wait to do it again.
Back to the hotel, slip into an almost food coma and wait to hear from DD that she arrived safely. I did, and she did and I was able to get a few hours of sleep…
(side note - The Hotel Congress is on our list as a place to stay. You walk in and you feel transported to another time. How something can smell so old and yet seem so fun and fresh, I really don't know. And the rooms are cheap!!! $70 a night for 2 double beds. I don't think it's luxury, no king beds. BUt it does just seem really fin for a night or two). It's right across from the Amtrak station so if you are given to train travel, this is perfect!)
Aug 20th, 2013, 05:28 PM
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...continued...
The next morning, DD wasn't up early, so we went off on breakfast on our own. I had remembered seeing beignets on the menu at Maynard’s, so we headed back again. Normally, I don’t like to repeat restaurants when I travel but I do have a weakness for beignets! The hostess remembered us and greeted us like old friends. Eddie, our favorite bartender, wasn't there but I ordered a virgin bloody mary (too busy of a day for the real deal) and again, it was incredible. I am pretty sure it had smoked paprika in it. It also had mint, cilantro, a gherkin, an olive a cucumber slice and an olive stuffed with Blue Cheese. Sounds like a lot but it hit the spot! We ordered the Beignets, that were light as cotton puffs, the red velvet pancakes a la carte that came with smoked maple syrup (wow!!!) and the baked eggs. I am not sure how those were made but we both agreed it was one of the best things we've ever tasted for breakfast. Gruyere, white wine, morel mushrooms and spinach (I think), with two poached eggs nestled all in a small cast iron skillet with fingerlings and a home made English Muffin on the side. Our server was Dave and he couldn't have been nicer or taken better care of us. He also let us know that not only was Eddie nice (our bartender form the night before), he was also an award winning mixologist. By then, it was close to noon, and DD had a move-in time of 1 so back to the room.
DD and her friend met us there, and we headed over to the campus. It was busy but not crazily so. There were parking spots near her house, so we pulled in. A question for all of you native Tucsoners – what is it with the back in only parking? That is so strange to me! Anyway, I digress. We back into a spot and get out to unload. A man comes up and asks us where are temporary permit is? Hmmm, good question. It seems DD was supposed to check in first at McKale hall. Do you have a student ID card? Hmmm, it seems DD forgot to bring hers from home!!! We can stay while she goes off to get what she needs. And this is when I become truly amazed at how kind everyone in Tucson is. It would be so easy for the people at the University to be fed up with kids and their parents, but instead, it seemed like they couldn’t do enough to help us. They got us carts, helped us unload my car and brought us into the house, told SO where to park for free and where cold water was. DD couldn’t find McKale, but by then, I had spoken with the RA on duty who said DD could just come straight to her to get her keys. DD came back, we finished unloading her car, got all of her stuff crammed into her very small dorm room and then we tried to figure out what we needed to do next. J’s flight was to leave at 3:30 so SO went to Target while they started on the room.
I have to say, this was the nicest Target I’ve ever been to. They were ready for the college onslaught but still. Every person in a red vest asked us what we needed, and tried to find it for us. There were pallets of things all over the place. We were almost a week early and they were still running low. A few hundred dollars later, and another car full of stuff and we headed back to the dorm. J’s flight had been delayed so the plans changed again. DD realized there were a few things left at Target that she hadn’t gotten, so she and I went to a different Target, hoping it would have more stuff, and SO took J to the airport. We got back and I suggested she go online to figure out what she should do about her car and that is when we realize, DD left her computer at home!!! This is the point where I start to wonder if DD really is ready for college. Well, there’s nothing to be done about that now. SO gets back from the airport and we finally decide to head out to eat. We drive over to University Ave. and just park and try to find a place to eat. SO mentions seeing tons of young woman, dressed to the nines walking around in groups earlier but DD doesn’t know anything about it. Keep in mind, this is still several days before official move-in, but everywhere was packed. We finally find a place where the wait isn’t crazy, and after 15 minutes, we are seated outside. Gentle Ben’s. As good as Maynard’s was is how awful this place was. They were short staffed which isn’t really their fault but the food was just terrible. The server forgot my order, forgot our silverware and when the food came could only bring us one fork for three of us! SO and DD both had burgers but still! While we were there, DD gets a text. Oops! There was a mandatory Sorority meeting that she missed. Turns out there was also a parent meeting and we’d missed that, too. At this point, I am fairly sure DD is NOT ready for college!
The next morning, DD wasn't up early, so we went off on breakfast on our own. I had remembered seeing beignets on the menu at Maynard’s, so we headed back again. Normally, I don’t like to repeat restaurants when I travel but I do have a weakness for beignets! The hostess remembered us and greeted us like old friends. Eddie, our favorite bartender, wasn't there but I ordered a virgin bloody mary (too busy of a day for the real deal) and again, it was incredible. I am pretty sure it had smoked paprika in it. It also had mint, cilantro, a gherkin, an olive a cucumber slice and an olive stuffed with Blue Cheese. Sounds like a lot but it hit the spot! We ordered the Beignets, that were light as cotton puffs, the red velvet pancakes a la carte that came with smoked maple syrup (wow!!!) and the baked eggs. I am not sure how those were made but we both agreed it was one of the best things we've ever tasted for breakfast. Gruyere, white wine, morel mushrooms and spinach (I think), with two poached eggs nestled all in a small cast iron skillet with fingerlings and a home made English Muffin on the side. Our server was Dave and he couldn't have been nicer or taken better care of us. He also let us know that not only was Eddie nice (our bartender form the night before), he was also an award winning mixologist. By then, it was close to noon, and DD had a move-in time of 1 so back to the room.
DD and her friend met us there, and we headed over to the campus. It was busy but not crazily so. There were parking spots near her house, so we pulled in. A question for all of you native Tucsoners – what is it with the back in only parking? That is so strange to me! Anyway, I digress. We back into a spot and get out to unload. A man comes up and asks us where are temporary permit is? Hmmm, good question. It seems DD was supposed to check in first at McKale hall. Do you have a student ID card? Hmmm, it seems DD forgot to bring hers from home!!! We can stay while she goes off to get what she needs. And this is when I become truly amazed at how kind everyone in Tucson is. It would be so easy for the people at the University to be fed up with kids and their parents, but instead, it seemed like they couldn’t do enough to help us. They got us carts, helped us unload my car and brought us into the house, told SO where to park for free and where cold water was. DD couldn’t find McKale, but by then, I had spoken with the RA on duty who said DD could just come straight to her to get her keys. DD came back, we finished unloading her car, got all of her stuff crammed into her very small dorm room and then we tried to figure out what we needed to do next. J’s flight was to leave at 3:30 so SO went to Target while they started on the room.
I have to say, this was the nicest Target I’ve ever been to. They were ready for the college onslaught but still. Every person in a red vest asked us what we needed, and tried to find it for us. There were pallets of things all over the place. We were almost a week early and they were still running low. A few hundred dollars later, and another car full of stuff and we headed back to the dorm. J’s flight had been delayed so the plans changed again. DD realized there were a few things left at Target that she hadn’t gotten, so she and I went to a different Target, hoping it would have more stuff, and SO took J to the airport. We got back and I suggested she go online to figure out what she should do about her car and that is when we realize, DD left her computer at home!!! This is the point where I start to wonder if DD really is ready for college. Well, there’s nothing to be done about that now. SO gets back from the airport and we finally decide to head out to eat. We drive over to University Ave. and just park and try to find a place to eat. SO mentions seeing tons of young woman, dressed to the nines walking around in groups earlier but DD doesn’t know anything about it. Keep in mind, this is still several days before official move-in, but everywhere was packed. We finally find a place where the wait isn’t crazy, and after 15 minutes, we are seated outside. Gentle Ben’s. As good as Maynard’s was is how awful this place was. They were short staffed which isn’t really their fault but the food was just terrible. The server forgot my order, forgot our silverware and when the food came could only bring us one fork for three of us! SO and DD both had burgers but still! While we were there, DD gets a text. Oops! There was a mandatory Sorority meeting that she missed. Turns out there was also a parent meeting and we’d missed that, too. At this point, I am fairly sure DD is NOT ready for college!
Aug 21st, 2013, 01:50 AM
#9
She’d just gotten the email the day before, telling her where to be and when. Huh??? I had no idea. Getting home, I ask DD. She checked. No emails. She called the Sorority recruitment chair and guess what? She wasn’t on the list! We had the email confirming she was rushing but nothing since then. >>
lol, cat, this reminds me of when DS went off to uni in Wales. We turned up in all innocence on registration day to discover that he should have brought his passport and a load of other stuff with him, and he couldn't register until he did. We had to post it to him and after a lot of arguing, pleading and cajoling, they gave him a temporary registration.
it was all on an e-mail, apparently. What e-mail? DS is a bit dippy so I was prepared to believe that he'd missed it, but he even showed us his laptop and we couldn't find it, but they were adamant they'd sent it, so of course `'they" were right.
although DD had been to uni, she never had to take anything like her passport to registration, after all, they have done all this through UCAS [the UK university admissions system] so there shouldn't be any need for it, so it came as a shock to us. perhaps it's a welsh thing.
Sadly, DS's uni career never really recovered; he never sorted out the technology and got his computer properly connected, and eventually he dropped out half way through the 2nd year.
Best of luck to your DD - I'm sure that won't happen to her.
looking forward to the rest of the saga!
lol, cat, this reminds me of when DS went off to uni in Wales. We turned up in all innocence on registration day to discover that he should have brought his passport and a load of other stuff with him, and he couldn't register until he did. We had to post it to him and after a lot of arguing, pleading and cajoling, they gave him a temporary registration.
it was all on an e-mail, apparently. What e-mail? DS is a bit dippy so I was prepared to believe that he'd missed it, but he even showed us his laptop and we couldn't find it, but they were adamant they'd sent it, so of course `'they" were right.
although DD had been to uni, she never had to take anything like her passport to registration, after all, they have done all this through UCAS [the UK university admissions system] so there shouldn't be any need for it, so it came as a shock to us. perhaps it's a welsh thing.
Sadly, DS's uni career never really recovered; he never sorted out the technology and got his computer properly connected, and eventually he dropped out half way through the 2nd year.
Best of luck to your DD - I'm sure that won't happen to her.
looking forward to the rest of the saga!
Aug 21st, 2013, 02:28 AM
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Ijust love kids. We took DS to college in a truck with plenty of room in it. He didn't want to take his bike until he saw how large the campus was, Soooo mom got to get new tires, have it packed and mailed down to him asap.
I hope the rest of the trip was fun and relaxing.
I hope the rest of the trip was fun and relaxing.
Aug 21st, 2013, 05:03 AM
#13
It's all in the details. 
(And teens aren't always great with details.) Your fun story (for us!) has me getting my daughter to recheck all of her details so she doesn't run into any snags.
Thanks for sharing.
(And teens aren't always great with details.) Your fun story (for us!) has me getting my daughter to recheck all of her details so she doesn't run into any snags.Thanks for sharing.
Aug 21st, 2013, 09:39 AM
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Thanks, you guys! I have always maintained that is the snafus in life that make the best stories later on. Writing it out yesterday actually helped me not think about her empty room, which ironically is not that empty since DS2 is in between apartments and using her room as temporary storage.
Part 5 up soon...
Part 5 up soon...
Aug 21st, 2013, 11:27 AM
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Maynard's Kitchen really does have some great food. Did you have a chance to check out the market?
As for the back-in parking, as lenny said, to keep from killing off the thousands of bicycle riders. Everyone is very careful backing into a parking space, but is seems not so careful backing out of head-in spaces.
As for the back-in parking, as lenny said, to keep from killing off the thousands of bicycle riders. Everyone is very careful backing into a parking space, but is seems not so careful backing out of head-in spaces.
Aug 21st, 2013, 12:02 PM
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Last part...
When we last left this story, we’d just finished a rather grim dinner and headed back to the dorm, which we realize DD can’t get into because she doesn’t have an ID yet. Luckily, so many people were coming in and out, that wasn’t a problem. She leaves her car in the parking garage, sans permit, because there really is no choice. A few hugs, a few last minute concerns to iron out, one more hug for the road and we go our separate ways, not sure if I’ll see her again, because rushing (sorority recruitment stuff) starts at 8 am sharp. I sneak back and leave a card on her doorstep then head back to the room. I was so exhausted, the fun at the Aloft bar holds no appeal. I make the decision to pick her up a Spinach feta wrap from Starbucks in the morning and I am asleep before my head hits the pillow.
And wide awake at 4am… What if I over sleep? What if they’ve towed her car? What if they are sold out of spinach feta wraps? What if she doesn’t want one and I don’t get a chance for one last hug? These and similar thought keep me occupied until it is final late enough to get up and go. (Here is where I would like to thank SO for his patience with me. He’d gone through it 3 times before, and as much as it would have been great for this to be an “us” trip, he knew it wasn’t and just went with the flow.)
We grabbed some wraps and lattes and headed back to the dorm to see how her first night had gone. So far, so good. She doesn’t know exactly where she’s supposed to go but is pretty sure she’ll figure it out. She has no time to figure the car thing out and is hoping for the best there. She gives us a final Target list (I’m surprised there is anything left to buy but apparently there’s plenty!), her extra car key and the final, final hug and we go our separate ways.
I give SO a quick tour of the campus and I’m half hoping we bump into DD and half hoping we don’t. There must be a million girls gathering in different groups scattered around but I never do see her. I show SO the USS Arizona Memorial Museum, which is pretty cool. It holds one of the two original bells salvaged from the U.S.S. ARIZONA in 1941. In 1944, a former student from the class of 1927, discovered this bell about to be melted down at the Puget Sound Naval Yard in Bremerton, Washington. Bowers saved the bell from destruction and was instrumental in acquiring the bell for the University of Arizona shortly after World War II. They now ring it on certain days at 12:07 pm 7 times to signify certain achievements and also on Dec. 7. The museum is small but quite touching.
I have to say University of Arizona is such a pretty campus and the excitement I feel for DD is slowly erasing the sadness of knowing she’ll be 500 miles away. All the girls clustered in their groups look happy and I get a thumbs up text from DD letting me know she has found out where she is supposed to be and that all is good. SO and I leave the campus and head back to Target (3rd times a charm, right?), get what we can and don’t worry about what we can’t. Some stuff is sold out and official move in hasn’t even happened yet, but still I am struck by how nice everyone is there. After Target we realize we are very close the Tucson Botanical Gardens. We stop by and it looks lovely, but hot, and I’m not exactly wearing shoes fit for a 5 mile walk so we decide to save that for next time. We head back to the room to pack up our bags. We stop at the parking structure, drop the Target bags and her key in the trunk and begin to work our way home.
First stop is Maynard’s Market, next to Maynard’s Kitchen. It is such a great little place. I’m not sure how to explain it. Homey and gourmet at the same time. Initially I had just wanted to pick up some locally brewed beers for DS but we were hungry and decided to just grab some sandwiches out of the case and eat them there. I had a turkey and brie with stone ground mustard on ciabatta. SO had some sort of huge club. His looked good but honestly, mine was more than I could eat, even if it was delicious. Paired with an organic natural cider and it was the perfect last meal in Tucson.
The drive home wasn’t too bad until just before we hit the California border, when we get a call from DS that Dear Dog had eaten his way through the fence and was out on the porch. Thank goodness for big brothers! Mine was able to swing by and pick up the pooch and hang onto him until we could get home in about 4 hours. He really is DD’s dog and he was having a hard time being without her. We finally pulled into the driveway around 9 pm. A few frantic text conversations with DD and we were able to find someone leaving the next morning for UA, who could take her the laptop she’d left behind.
I know this all sounds hectic and crazy and it was, but in some ways, it worked out better than I could have hoped. SO and I got some amazing food time and together time. DD got some dad energy from him, which I think she really needed. It sort of cemented their bond in a way that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. I got to see her somewhat settled and felt confident that she was going to be okay. The next morning, she was able to secure a parking space. I was really afraid for a while that there’d be an addendum to this trip report where I had to go out on the train and drive her car home! It was actually a blessing as her parking spot ended up being in a closer garage than she was in initially, and as of today, she was being recruited by 8 of her 9 sorority picks. I think she learned a few lessons without too much trauma, like make sure you read emails sent by the school a little more carefully, and I learned that I will be okay with her 500 miles away. We both learned that no matter where one is, Target is never far away. And perhaps, most importantly, I learned that cilantro in a cocktail is heavenly and that Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecake is divine and that when we do go visit her, we won’t be stuck eating college food!
When we last left this story, we’d just finished a rather grim dinner and headed back to the dorm, which we realize DD can’t get into because she doesn’t have an ID yet. Luckily, so many people were coming in and out, that wasn’t a problem. She leaves her car in the parking garage, sans permit, because there really is no choice. A few hugs, a few last minute concerns to iron out, one more hug for the road and we go our separate ways, not sure if I’ll see her again, because rushing (sorority recruitment stuff) starts at 8 am sharp. I sneak back and leave a card on her doorstep then head back to the room. I was so exhausted, the fun at the Aloft bar holds no appeal. I make the decision to pick her up a Spinach feta wrap from Starbucks in the morning and I am asleep before my head hits the pillow.
And wide awake at 4am… What if I over sleep? What if they’ve towed her car? What if they are sold out of spinach feta wraps? What if she doesn’t want one and I don’t get a chance for one last hug? These and similar thought keep me occupied until it is final late enough to get up and go. (Here is where I would like to thank SO for his patience with me. He’d gone through it 3 times before, and as much as it would have been great for this to be an “us” trip, he knew it wasn’t and just went with the flow.)
We grabbed some wraps and lattes and headed back to the dorm to see how her first night had gone. So far, so good. She doesn’t know exactly where she’s supposed to go but is pretty sure she’ll figure it out. She has no time to figure the car thing out and is hoping for the best there. She gives us a final Target list (I’m surprised there is anything left to buy but apparently there’s plenty!), her extra car key and the final, final hug and we go our separate ways.
I give SO a quick tour of the campus and I’m half hoping we bump into DD and half hoping we don’t. There must be a million girls gathering in different groups scattered around but I never do see her. I show SO the USS Arizona Memorial Museum, which is pretty cool. It holds one of the two original bells salvaged from the U.S.S. ARIZONA in 1941. In 1944, a former student from the class of 1927, discovered this bell about to be melted down at the Puget Sound Naval Yard in Bremerton, Washington. Bowers saved the bell from destruction and was instrumental in acquiring the bell for the University of Arizona shortly after World War II. They now ring it on certain days at 12:07 pm 7 times to signify certain achievements and also on Dec. 7. The museum is small but quite touching.
I have to say University of Arizona is such a pretty campus and the excitement I feel for DD is slowly erasing the sadness of knowing she’ll be 500 miles away. All the girls clustered in their groups look happy and I get a thumbs up text from DD letting me know she has found out where she is supposed to be and that all is good. SO and I leave the campus and head back to Target (3rd times a charm, right?), get what we can and don’t worry about what we can’t. Some stuff is sold out and official move in hasn’t even happened yet, but still I am struck by how nice everyone is there. After Target we realize we are very close the Tucson Botanical Gardens. We stop by and it looks lovely, but hot, and I’m not exactly wearing shoes fit for a 5 mile walk so we decide to save that for next time. We head back to the room to pack up our bags. We stop at the parking structure, drop the Target bags and her key in the trunk and begin to work our way home.
First stop is Maynard’s Market, next to Maynard’s Kitchen. It is such a great little place. I’m not sure how to explain it. Homey and gourmet at the same time. Initially I had just wanted to pick up some locally brewed beers for DS but we were hungry and decided to just grab some sandwiches out of the case and eat them there. I had a turkey and brie with stone ground mustard on ciabatta. SO had some sort of huge club. His looked good but honestly, mine was more than I could eat, even if it was delicious. Paired with an organic natural cider and it was the perfect last meal in Tucson.
The drive home wasn’t too bad until just before we hit the California border, when we get a call from DS that Dear Dog had eaten his way through the fence and was out on the porch. Thank goodness for big brothers! Mine was able to swing by and pick up the pooch and hang onto him until we could get home in about 4 hours. He really is DD’s dog and he was having a hard time being without her. We finally pulled into the driveway around 9 pm. A few frantic text conversations with DD and we were able to find someone leaving the next morning for UA, who could take her the laptop she’d left behind.
I know this all sounds hectic and crazy and it was, but in some ways, it worked out better than I could have hoped. SO and I got some amazing food time and together time. DD got some dad energy from him, which I think she really needed. It sort of cemented their bond in a way that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. I got to see her somewhat settled and felt confident that she was going to be okay. The next morning, she was able to secure a parking space. I was really afraid for a while that there’d be an addendum to this trip report where I had to go out on the train and drive her car home! It was actually a blessing as her parking spot ended up being in a closer garage than she was in initially, and as of today, she was being recruited by 8 of her 9 sorority picks. I think she learned a few lessons without too much trauma, like make sure you read emails sent by the school a little more carefully, and I learned that I will be okay with her 500 miles away. We both learned that no matter where one is, Target is never far away. And perhaps, most importantly, I learned that cilantro in a cocktail is heavenly and that Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecake is divine and that when we do go visit her, we won’t be stuck eating college food!
Aug 21st, 2013, 12:33 PM
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MikeP, read my last installment for our trip to Maynard's Market! Love it!
The reason for backing in makes total sense. I've just never seen it. It will take some getting used to.
I think I've talked to DD more since she left for school than we talked all summer. Funny but I somehow feel like I have my baby girl back, even though she's far away.
And now, DD's best friend just came by to walk our dog. It's funny how good just a little dose of teen energy cheered up our house!
The reason for backing in makes total sense. I've just never seen it. It will take some getting used to.
I think I've talked to DD more since she left for school than we talked all summer. Funny but I somehow feel like I have my baby girl back, even though she's far away.
And now, DD's best friend just came by to walk our dog. It's funny how good just a little dose of teen energy cheered up our house!
Aug 21st, 2013, 06:35 PM
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Cat, I enjoyed reading your report so much. You certainly had experiences that you will all remember all your lives. Such an important time for DD... And you handled it all so well .
Bravo!! Great report .
Bravo!! Great report .
