Driving

B. starts driver's ed this morning. In class this entire weekend, again Monday afternoon and then all day Wednesday - all scheduled around the Tracy High School schedule - the kids don't have school Wednesday. Supposedly for conferences and planning but I think educators have just realized that attempting to get kids to focus and calm down after a night of sugar excess is pointless - so now they close school on Nov. 1st. After he completes these classes, he will be able to take his permit test. Then more behind-the-wheel training at the driving school + 50 hours with his parents and then, hopefully, in May, he can get his license. They have to have had their permit for 6 months before they can try for their license.

We are glad he has something 'new' to work towards and look forward to since sadly, he did not make jazz band this year. He had a bad audition - knew it when he came home that evening and wasn't 'surprised' to not make it - but of course, he is very disappointed. We are taking it as a positive - an opportunity for him to work hard on his tough Sophomore year academics and look forward to next year when he'll try out again and hopefully make it. His first semester grades were OK but not his usual outstanding - so I don't think having more after school time to devote to studying will hurt him a bit. On a good note, the jazz quartet he's in at the music store has a paying gig tonight at a crab feed. AND J. snared us two tickets to the crab feed so we can enjoy the music AND unlimited crab legs. I've actually never found crab feeds to be 'worth it'. All that work for a few bites. But it will be fun to hear B. play with this group and he is excited to be 'paid' for playing.

We now have the new washer AND a new matching dryer - my husband is generous and sweet and knew that NOT having the matching dryer would make me 'dissatisfied'. And we've had ENOUGH dissatisfaction with our laundry appliances these past 5 years so we bit the bullet and sprang for the dryer. The credit from Sears for the lemon washer paid for about 1/2 of the washer. So it was some serious $$ out the door - but worth it. They are blue, lovely, quiet and so far, working great. We will get a PGE rebate AND a City of Tracy water rebate and sell the old dryer - little things that help offset the cost. I am spending the weekend 'catching' up - washing comforters, dog blankets, etc. PLUS the usual zillion loads of laundry we do every weekend.

No word yet on the Tracy school job but that's not unexpected. These things take time. My boss informed me that they are still trying to 'change' my job into a higher classification so we'll see. That would be great. But I'm not holding my breath and didn't (nor won't) withdraw my application - reclasses are a crap shoot and I know that - so I'm not keeping my eggs in one basket. What's meant to be, will be. And I'll be fine either way.

Dani is still coughing a bit but is a lot better. She is still taking the cherry flavored bright pink liquid antibiotics and is improving. Eating well, playing more. The vet in town has called several times to have us bring her in for a redo of the chest xray and possible biopsy of the lymph nodes in her chest (which were swollen in the first xray). I'm not incined to spend more money for nothing - the 'emergency' procedure at the specialist in San Leandro was a waste of $1400 - told us no more than the xray did and never resulted in any firm diagnosis. So we are taking a 'wait and see' approach - she's improving, eating, playing, etc. and is almost back to her old self.

That's all the updates for now. Have a great weekend, everybody!