Diane, my observation, for what it's worth is that your son is very lucky to have you behind him and at his side. You are right the world is different post Columbine, and I guess to a degree it has to be. And I guess to a certain degree that is a good thing. (Although you dont want me to get on my soap box about the loss of our privacy during the last 6+ years. ) And of course, it is way different from the 70's.

Your son sounds like he is mature beyond his years, and between the two of you he'll make it out of High School in good shape.

I personally would not live through those years again for anything. (Back in the day when our big rebellion was mini skirts and cigarettes.) And I also don't envy anyone trying to bring up kids right now when I think of the things the pressures they have to face day to day.

So keep sharing chonklit cake with your son and try to laugh at the jerks together....And we'll all be here when you need to vent.

Thank you. What a kind thing to say.
I'm just so glad we're down to the last 6 days of school. Whenever the phone rings I look at the caller ID with one eye closed.
Things have calmed down lately, except I'm sure we saw a coyote on the way to school this morning.

Ive heard a lot about Coyotes in NJ recently...(were in Northern NJ on the upstate NY boarder.) My next door neighbor had a snake in her kitchen yesterday - enough to keep me awake for about 88 hours straight.

I had a snake in the living room of my old apartment once. I never liked sitting in there after that.....

We have coyotes here in southeastern Connecticut, too.

A politician from Waterbury, no doubt! (Inside Connecticut joke. Waterbury's had something like three mayors go to prison in the past 10 or so years, not to mention our last governor who was from Waterbury!)

You learn something new every day! I had NO IDEA coyotes lived in states where people vote intelligently (some of the time) and where it's normal to say 'you guys.'

Captain Zap wrote: "A politician from Waterbury, no doubt! (Inside Connecticut joke. Waterbury's had something like three mayors go to prison in the past 10 or so years, not to mention our last governor who was from Waterbury."

LOL!

Actually, I've watched those mayors on my TV, but the snake actually came down into the room through the hole that the TV cable came in. Not only did I not like sitting in the living room after that, I didn't like watching TV. My landlady was totally mortified. It was one of the things that spurred me on to buying my own place, with a living room that is above ground level. No, this is not a tree house.

Hey, Shelley, the coyotes here in the Northeast say "You guys" too!

I hate snakes. Our nieces hubby found one in our backyard last week. Evidently theres a nest of them in our Walnut tree in the backyard. I am now avoiding the backyard like the plague. I think he killed it but it could have relatives. Shudder...

Hello Diane,

I don't get on the boards as much as I'd like to at the moment; don't have enough coal to keep my naff old computer going and stuff just keep getting in the way. But I just wanted to say that I have had to deal with problems with schools and the Local Education Authority, not like your's, mine were to do with spechel needs, but even when you do find a school thats on your side you still have the LEA to deal with (and Doctors) and after years of it you just learn to just "Keep on keeping on"
And from what you said your son has is head scrwed on (and a bed room like my sons ) and you'll both get through it. Thinking of you and keeping mu fingers crossed it all gets sorted.

Most snakes are nonpoisonous and are beneficial in keeping insect and rodent populations in check. And the poisonous ones are reclusive and, here in the Northeast, there are very few habitats for them. They usually prefer rocky ledges. New London ain't got too much to worry about from Timber Rattlers. The killing of most snakes is based out of an unwarranted fear of them. Sort of parallels our present foreign policy, don't it?

Yeah, it does. I'm very glad, though, that I don't have to worry about those timber rattlers whenever I'm in New London. Now why did you have to put that idea in my head?! I sincerely hope that if Arlo ever comes back to the Garde Arts Center in New London, the Very Place where on that infamous night a few years ago he got totally lost in "Alice's Restaurant", I don't suddenly start seeing timbler rattlers in the shadows on the sidewalk.....

Capt - Nice try - I understand they have their place in the world...but I don't go into the woods, so I dont want them in my kitchen (or living room)...Really I don't even walk on grass unless I absolutely have to - I don't drive on highways so I dont want tractor trailors in NYC or dinky country roads - like that - I have a million of my own little personal value system protocols.

(TO ME) There are acceptable creatures to look at in the wild...Acceptable creatures who can live in the wild, as long as I dont have to see them, and then there are snakes who I would work a second job to support if they would live somewhere else.

By the way there were rattlers in our neighbors yard last year...But as I keep telling JohnC, its not the venom, it's the heart attack.

Ceashell - Jersey Snakes say You(hiss)sse Guys.

I am so grateful for the natural history/acceptable pronoun education I'm getting here. To think I could have gone my whole life without knowing about Yankee coyotes and Joisey snakes. What a waste my life would have been!

Even tho we have some of the most deadly snakes in the whole wide world down here it is illegal to kill them. Where I live is sub tropical and we have lots of nasty ones around but in my little corner we may get a Coastal Tipan, a Brown or even a Red Bellied Black occasionally.
But mostly just the Keel Back who loves my place because they love water and I have a big pond, or the Green Tree Snake because I have lots of trees. These are the ones who lie in my vegie patch while I'm picking lettuce and I nearly trip over. Most of the nasty ones will run a mile when they hear you coming. So for the most part we live in harmony, tho since at times they lie around on the patio or along the backdoor jam our poor cats always take a big leap when coming in the door JUST IN CASE! The cats have their own door in the door we feed the wood thru to the storage for the fire place so they usually take that route cos they can see better that there are no snakes, as they see it,hidng in wait to GET 'EM!

Louise, I think you just lessened your chance of potential visitors from the states by a few.
We had a report on German TV not to long ago about Australian snakes and spiders. Very interesting and scary. They also showed the treatment centers and the snake hunters who pointed out that the snakes don't come into ones home but that the cities grow and the houses get build where the snakes live. So actually you live in their garden not they in yours.