September's Bells and Schools Thread

[Fishwhenican]

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Also, alert to WI and MN drivers: The Boy is now driving, currently with his permit. You have been warned. (Actually he's doing pretty well for just getting started.)

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My daughter just got her license a month or so ago and I am still not at all used to it!!! Kids start driving (legally) when they are 15 here in MT and it just scares me to death to have her out driving by herself. I do not know if I will ever get over this!!!!

On ther other hand it is VERY nice to not have to drive her around and she helps out getting her brother back home after football practice which saves us a 40 mile trip (one way) every day to go get him. So at least there is an up side to it. Still doesn't make me feel better though, really.

[diebitter]

15 seems very young for driving!

Says the guy who comes from the country where you can have consensual sex from 16 upwards, and drink from 18 upwards. Driving is 17, btw.

[entertainme]

Well Fish, this is our second one through the process. In WI you can get your license at 16 after having a permit for 6 months first, and putting in the required hours driving with parent and instructor. (Of course, farm kids can get it earlier.) We also have a graduated license, so they can only drive with one friend in the car and only during certain hours for the first year. I think it's a good thing.

This is our second time through and hopefully the first year of driving will be less expensive than it was for The Girl. She totaled my van two months after getting her license, (black ice on a curve on the way to school.) Of course, the important thing is no one was hurt.

Both our kids were way less anxious to start driving than we were at their age and I have a nephew who just got his license at 18. We've been debating the reason they're not screaming for the independence like we were. Have everything they need at home? The expense? It's a mystery to me.

[Blarg]

When I was a kid, the alternative was walking, biking, or staying home. Do your kids have another alternative, like driving?

Also, staying home was different when every kid didn't have his own t.v. and computer and nintendo. Staying home meant reading a book or being assigned endless make-work chores.

[Fishwhenican]

My daughter was every bit as anxious to start driving as I was at her age.

I think part of it is the place where we live. Distance is a whole different things here. There is one girl living near us that is her age and they are friends but not really close friends. Her school is 40 miles away and so her whole focus and social life is a pretty good distance away. Driving makes her feel closer to that stuff. Still just scares the heck out of me.

[katyseagull]

Yo, DaveT!


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Explain what's going on with your foot. I missed this somehow.



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entertainme and I want to know what's going on with your foot. What are your symptoms?

[entertainme]

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Do your kids have another alternative, like driving?

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Busted. The deal we made is we were happy to drive him around, pick up his friends, etc. with the only requirement that he put in his best effort at school.

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Also, staying home was different when every kid didn't have his own t.v. and computer and nintendo. Staying home meant reading a book or being assigned endless make-work chores.

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Busted again. His own Mac, PS3, (shared with Dad), his guitar, 40 acres to ride the 4 or 6 wheeler on. In our defense, the only one of these he can do in his room is the guitar, (and he usually sits at the computer when he plays anyway.)

Edit: I would hate his school bus ride though, an hour each way. This year he only rides in the morning. Half day at school, half day of online school at home.

[daveT]

Well, according to my papers from the doctor: Patient says he cannot dorsiflex r ft.... now pull out that word on the scrabble board.

For whatever reason, I am not able to lift the front of my foot, if that makes sense. The opposite of the achilles tendon is not working, if that helps the visual. The front of my ankle hurts like ####. Walking is hard because my foot scrapes them clomps down on the ground. Very attractive sound.

But you didn't miss anything entertainme, I ne'er mentioned my foot.

We don't know what it is yet. All that is known is that I apparently injured it several times, and I have some arthritis in it. They know about the arthritis because of the clicking noise when they press on my bones (this hurts).

They gave me some drugs: 500mg of Tylenol, and capsaicin, which is a very very hot pepper (as in DO NOT EAT). I put a dab of this stuff on my ankle twice a day and my whole shin burns... the gel is only made of .025% of this stuff. Of coarse, that is why they gave me the Tylenol. I guess that experience shows that with reduced swelling comes increased pain.

I think the doctor sort of beat-around-the-bush asked me if I wanted a cane. Uh, NO!

[entertainme]

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My daughter was every bit as anxious to start driving as I was at her age.

I think part of it is the place where we live. Distance is a whole different things here. There is one girl living near us that is her age and they are friends but not really close friends. Her school is 40 miles away and so her whole focus and social life is a pretty good distance away. Driving makes her feel closer to that stuff. Still just scares the heck out of me.

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We're 15 minutes from town, but I can understand how 40 would be more difficult.

I can totally empathize. A lot of prayer in those early driving days for me! (And that's with good kids - imagine if you knew your kids were wild to start with - not that they'd be getting my car keys in that case.)

[entertainme]

Any numbness, tingling? Have you been tested for diabetes?