Also the NeilMed sinus rinse kit. Yes, it's unpleasant, but it works very well for many. It did away with my post-nasal drip entirely and improved my asthma some.

That's horrible. So many students! That's a grave miscalculation. Both colleges I attended had issues with the dorms in the fall, but it was resolved fairly quickly after students left. So not too bad. One put beds into the study lounges and extra beds into the larger rooms, and one actually took over a wing at a local motel. I was the head RA at the one that used the motel, and we were able to get everyone into the dorms after a month. We ended up putting some older students into the graduate dorm even though they were undergraduates, which was actually a better situation for them.

Yes, first time teaching is always a little rocky. My professor hosted a technical conference for students on Saturday that I helped with. It was a really good experience, and I told him that I'd be glad to help him again. He gave credit to anyone from the class who attended, so I figured why not help? He's going to have to somehow work out the grades, so I'm guessing that anyone who has kept up is going to do well. Typical of community college classes, about 1/3 have disappeared at this point.

My younger one went to transfer orientation Friday with her brother who is also a student there. She's intimidated by the size of the college (much, much bigger than the community college), so I was glad my son could go. I couldn't go. Thankfully she got guaranteed admission and is going right into her junior-level classes. Frankly the morning was very boring for her. All standard college stuff. She got to eat though at the cafeteria that has a special food allergy station, which she really enjoyed. And then she went to a departmental meeting and got to meet one of the professors who advised her. That cinched it. The professor was very friendly and helpful and gave DD her card. They had packets prepared with lots of handouts and worksheets to figure out their schedules. They told them to register at home because the system was slow. DD registered after dinner, and then emailed the professor as the professor recommended. The professor checked her schedule, and she's good to go. She's excited about her classes. Thankfully this was the first transfer orientation of the summer, so she got everything she needed. Their classes seem to fill up quickly because there were only a dozen or so slots left total in the two required classes she must take in her first semester. But she got a schedule that works for her and good professors. Having been there or having sent my kids to four orientations now, I would say that the most important thing is indeed to bring water and to orient yourself ahead of time where things are. They give you maps in the orientation packets, but traffic and parking are always dicey at the big four-year both of mine now attend.

I hear you. I've been working on a certificate at the college I work and am taking a disappointing class as well. Thankfully I'm not paying for it. The professor knows how to teach and engage, but he's majorly distracted by his wife's pregnancy. It's midterms in an 8-week session, and we've only had two weeks of assignments made available to us. I'm in contact with some of the other students, and we've all been emailing him with no response. His wife is on bedrest and has a C-section scheduled for Thursday. The topic is not something I'm in love with, but I like the book. His in-class labs are outstanding. So I keep checking, but all I can do at this point is study the book. I had a class in graduate school with a professor in his 70's who was retiring in May. In early April he announced that he had covered all he wanted to cover. He assigned a final project with a due date, and that was it. I always wondered if anyone found out.

Mine are commuter students and live with me. They take a commuter bus run by the college from a local mall and park for free. Then they study on the bus instead of waiting in traffic. It also saves gas. My older actually buys a meal plan because he eats so much and can't carry enough food. He gets three plates of food for lunch and pays $6.50 per meal. It saves us both money. They email the professors before class to see if they need the book. If they have to buy one, they carefully shop around. They often rent from Amazon. Their college charges a flat rate for 12 or more credit hours, so they take more if it's a semester where that is reasonable. My older one is in the National Guard, so most of his tuition and expenses are covered by that and a part-time job. Also mine plan to take a semester off of school and co-op. In our area, those are paid, and they can live at home and bank the money.

I can address the community college part. You can actually research salaries on Glassdoor if the college is fairly good-sized. At the college where I work now, the salaries are about $20,000 over what teachers make, so it's pretty good but not great in an area where many people make six figures. I've been a part-time community college professor for twenty years and have no hope of being full-time at this point. There are very, very few new full-time positions. I'm not saying that it's impossible in your situation, but it's very unlikely in my area. I'm actually looking for other work right now because I need benefits and more pay.

When my uncle died, the funeral home notified both SSA and the VA. He had a VA cemetery burial, so that was part of it. I had to notify his former employer because he was receiving a pension, but that was pretty much it.

Yes, I've been interviewing a lot have a few stories of duds including a recent one where one of the interviewers had to explain to the other why I was a good candidate and not a waste of time. By the end she decided that I was pretty good though, and I haven't been turned down yet. LOL. Toughen up and be hopeful!

It goes back a few years, but my older one used Saxon. Just to make sure, he did PSAT and SAT math review books. Great results! My younger one didn't click with Saxon, and she used other books. Math was always a struggle for her, and we rejoiced when she tested into college math. Every kid is different, period.

Much worse in my area, but we've had record-breaking rain. Also it's moldy in many buildings now. I'm sensitive to black mold and have to take extra medication when I'm at church and at one of my part-time jobs.

Working through grief is very difficult. It's bringing to close a chapter that you didn't chose to end. I agree that you may be depressed. I thought I wasn't, and then my doctor probed about my sleep habits and some other areas. For me at least, taking more Vitamin D and being more diligent about going for a walk every day and going to bed at the same time got me through a rough patch. It's been hard to have a regular schedule because my work schedule is never the same, but I found that sleeping better made a big difference.

Frankly I would look also at the professor and go from there. At the small community college mine attended, mine took algebra-based. Both professors that they had were superb. The calculus-based professor just wasn't very good at all. Mine aren't STEM majors but still talk about that class. They loved it.

I did it for years through a local group. I wanted group science for my own kids and to be able to afford other classes that they offered, so it worked. I did grade school science classes and always had a waiting list. I made it experiment-focused and did a lapbook with them. There was no homework. Make sure that you have clear behavior guidelines and consequences. I had a student who had been kicked out of public school for hitting a teacher, and he was really hard to teach. Ultimately I had to kick him out of class, and I refunded the parents the fee. Require a non-refundable deposit so parents actually commit. I didn't do that the first year, and registration was chaotic. Then be specific on when payment is due and enforce it. So fun. There were many times after that where I wished I could do that again, but Classical Conversations wiped out the local classes. That group shut down for lack of demand. And I'm at a different point in life.

Our dog was very playful with other dogs at the rescue, but has gotten afraid of other dogs lately. She will be nervous, then start barking, and then start growling even with friendly dogs. She had a bad run-in with a neighbor dog that attacked her. Thankfully one of my daughter's friends somehow grabbed our dog and ran! He could have been hurt himself. We need to get her into training this summer, but have to solve this. She's normally a very calm dog who loves everyone.

That's me. Between online grocery ordering, Walmart ordering, and Amazon, I rarely actually go shopping.

I'm so sorry to hear that. You have a lot to work through. Keep in mind that your kids are working through this too. They are used to one way of living and are now facing another. For you, I'd focus on what you can do that really matters to your children. You can't do everything, but maybe you can come up with some things that will still be meaningful in their lives.

Yes, it's viewed very differently now. I have a friend whose adult son lives with them because he has a full-time job and is very involved in ministry. He pays "rent" and does all the yardword and some of the chores. But living at home allows him the time and funds to pursue his calling, and it works for them.

That's what a friend of mine said. She had a large dog that was terrified of car rides and got a plain McD's hamburger when they were out. The fears faded away. My pup remembered the ice cream place last week when we pulled up and was very excited. They provide a "pup cup" with a regular order if you ask. We'll have to go more often!

Yes, and I've observed that even if that type of thing isn't said, the kids know it. If one parent rejects them and can't wait for them to leave, it isn't a secret to them. We know each other so well in a family that thoughts like that aren't hidden. I know of a case where nothing was said, but the kid knew. They planned to disappear at eighteen because the father subtly rejected them. It all came out when the parents split up. Even as commuter college kids, I see how mine desperately need acceptance at times. They are very independent in many ways, but they need to know that I love them no matter what and that home is their haven from the pressures and sorrows of the world. They have their own friends and activities, and do most of the chores at home for me. Sometimes we don't have a meal together for several days because of schedules. But when things really fall apart, they need me. We live in a very expensive metropolitan area with excellent job prospects, so I likely will have one or both for some time after they graduate. They love this area and plan to stay. Of course I hope that they can save and ultimately have their own place, but we'll have to figure what works best for all parties. I know of several cases where an adult child is working and living with an elderly parent who needs some ongoing help. I had my kids late in life and may actually need that at some point, so we'll see.

I bought one that is similar and was supposedly crash-tested. But...our dog is terrified of car rides. I'm not sure why. So I hold her in my lap. She still wimpers some, but it's not the all-out wails we had when we tethered her to a seat. She had her annual check-up last week and did fairly well. On the way back we stopped for ice cream, and she didn't cry at all.

I enjoyed the both of the ones we used. The first one had some unusual things that I really enjoyed. Both had a weekday pickup at the farm that worked well for me. It was actually harder for me to make it to the farmer's market on a Saturday. Now I use the farm stand of the second CSA and make the farmer's market when I can. Good times!

I have one who took right off managing their own college issues, and one that is easing into it. The one who needs more help that way keeps a calendar on Google. I had them put in reminders like that and told them it was their job, period. If they didn't get things done in time, they had to make the phone calls too. We're getting there. My one that struggles gets easily intimidated at times. I have access to the financial part and can see if it's paid, and the rest is theirs.

I'd get a full evaluation. Some types of dementia can be treated, and some cannot. The drugs have to be thoughtfully prescribed after ruling everything else out. It is something for a specialist to handle. My mother had vascular dementia, and there's really not a lot you can do other than managing the blood pressure, cholesterol, and overall health. Her family doctor tried to manage it and really didn't know what she was doing. As she got more agitated, they did prescribe some anti-anxiety and mood medications that seemed to help. It is very tough. My mother was in complete denial until the very end. We had to go through all the mess of getting her license taken away, moving her to assisted living, moving her into the dementia unit, etc. etc. I still feel sad about it all.

Yes, I hear you. I've sold a bunch of stuff locally and am about to ramp that up again. We have so much junk we don't need. About 90% of the sales have gone beautifully. It's always the 10% that drive you nuts. Then there are the sweet stories. We had an old, extra refrigerator and were moving. It worked perfectly, and I just wanted to give it away. I said "come and get it" to the first one. Theirs had multiple issues and seemed like it was about to die. Mine was actually the same model. He was very handy and figured he could use the parts from their old one on ours if it had problems. So we texted, and they were on their way. They ran out of gas ten minutes from me. So I met them with a gas can and got them to the house. We got the appliance into their trailer, but they needed another tie-down. I had one in a junk box that I was probably going to ditch. So I gave them that. And we stayed in touch for a few months. They were so sweet. I later found out that we had a mutual friend, and she spoke very highly of them. Just a struggling local family with good intentions.