Time flies when you are having fun?

I think that may be the only excuse for the time that has elapsed between posts. It has been a busy few weeks. 

Abbie and I took a trip out to California to visit Pomona College. It was a great trip and really helped her decide whether to apply early decision or not (she decided not to). In addition to walking all over campus and the town, attending a couple of chemistry classes, and meeting with the chemistry department chair, we also had some fun. There was great weather, plenty of good food, Thai massages, and pedicures to keep us busy. 

Homecoming 2023

Just after we returned home, Eleanor visited for Homecoming weekend. Abbie didn't want to bother with the expense and hassle of finding a date this year so she and Eleanor decided to go together instead. All in all, I think it was a fun night.

Abbie has also been very busy with work. She couldn't stand the early morning hours with Einstein Bros., so she left that job and found a new job selling windows with Renewal by Anderson. That means that she now spends her weekends driving to various fairs and festivals, setting up the Renewal tent, and trying to convince people passing by that they really need to schedule an appointment for a company representative to visit their house and create a complete window replacement plan for them. The hourly pay is good and she gets bonuses just for setting appointments, so all in all, I think it is a good change.

Of course, this means that she was at work when I drove to the airport to welcome our German exchange student on the 29th. Clara, who is from Trier, is staying with us for two weeks, which means her time here is almost over already. She has been a great guest to have. Her English is excellent and she and Abbie seem to have hit it off.

Fajitas!

It was fun to have her with us for Halloween, but that is a holiday she also celebrates in Germany, so it would have been fun to have her here for a uniquely American holiday, such as Thanksgiving. The girls had a good Halloween nonetheless. They dressed up for school - Abbie as the Kate McKinnon weird barbie and Clara as a cowgirl - and did some trick-or-treating in the evening.

Weird Barbie

Lest you start to think that it is all fun and games around here, there has also been some work taking place. Abbie continues to make progress on her Capstone project - testing vapes for heavy metals. Punchline - vaping is really bad. LOL. She has also been getting some college applications submitted. As you may have noticed above, she attended some chemistry classes while visiting Pomona. There has been a shift in her thinking and she now seems to be applying to chemistry programs. Six applications went in before the November 1st deadline and now there is a bit of breathing room before the next few are due at the end of November. It will be awhile until we have any decision letters, but it is good to get the applications behind us!