06.25.08
work it out
The Boy called us tonight to let us know that he got a job for his next co-op What should have been very exciting for all of us got a tepid response at best. At the end of August he’ll be going on an eight month work term to South Bend Indiana where he’ll be doing research at Notre Dame University. It sounds pretty cool at first right? Upon closer inspection we discover however that this position pays about half of what he should be making in third year. He’ll be lucky to be able to cover his living expenses never mind his flights and any tuition for the next term at school. Financially I guess we’ll have to figure it out and for him this is yet another learning experience…he should have opted out of the job as soon as he found out what it paid…but then again money isn’t everything (except when you don’t have any) and I have told him that since this is now a done deal we’ll have to look at the positives in the situation…because you know me, I’m all Pollyanna and shit.
Now we have to find him a place to live, in a foreign country with imperial measurements, strange customs and stranger politicians from thousands of kilometers away. He has to get a passport and a working visa and probably a Canadian/American dictionary. I had to explain to him that the first thing he has to know is that Americans don’t pronounce Notre Dame the same way we do. We say “not-ra-damn” and the ‘r’ has the little curdle in the back of the throat thing. Americans pronounce it “no-turd-aim”.
The boy has so much to learn.
I had a client this morning who asked about my son. I talk about him quite a bit at work so most of my clientele know him or at least know of him. He is an easy source of conversation and very few people know anything about nanotechnology so I can bore them at great length on the subject while I rip out their hair. I told the client that he was going to South Bend in September for his next work term and she said, “Oh, Notre Dame?” I was surprised, most people (here at least) have no idea where the university is. “How do you know that?” I asked.
“Because I used to live there.”
It turns out that her ex husband still lives in South Bend and she offered to call him and ask if he or any of his family in the area might have, or know of, a place for a well-raised, polite, clean, fabulously parented, respectful, intelligent, good cooking Canadian boy (man) to live for eight months. We don’t know anyone in that area…if it were not for Google I would not even know what area it was…and the kid has never been there which makes it extra difficult to figure out housing…beyond the language barrier.
I’d be forever grateful to anyone who would help out my kid in this situation so if anyone who knows anyone in that vicinity who might have or know of a place to rent please let me know. He’s part Irish if that helps at all…not the fighting or drinking Irish although I am sure he could be persuaded to give it a go if it would help.
In other news…the cabin now has three walls! Yay!! We’ll be out there for the better part of the next week and a half so hopefully by then there will be good start on a roof as well! My brother (sic) and his wife are coming out for a week so I figure they’ll be the perfect <strike>victims</strike> helpers to send up on the widowmaker (antique ladder) to attach the trusses and the tin. They are both pretty lithe and agile so I figure they’ll be perfect for that job.
Oh if you only knew how funny that last sentence really is.
*slaps knee and giggles madly*
heartinhand said,
June 25, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Em and I were talking about you and your son last night. I tell her (again) that you have a son that is a couple of years older than she is and she says “Is he cute?” I mean, never mind that he’s smart enough, he’ll probably take over the world! LOL! Maybe they could be Pinky and the Brain! (She just put a temporary rinse in her hair – pink, imagine that!)
Come November when Bushtard is out and Obama/Clinton are in, his wages will go up.
There’s no way he can get out of it, is there? Damn. Serendipity though that someone came across your path….
Steve said,
June 25, 2008 at 1:48 pm
South Bend is not SUPER far from me. Lemme know if there’s anything I can do to help him. Does he need any end tables or stuff like that? I happen to have some stuff like that I can donate. Our church missionary has stood me up for too long. Email me and let’s see what we can do for the boy. All the way up in No Turd Aim. He is gonna have a ball listening to us speak.
Talk to you later.
Steve
aintgotno said,
June 25, 2008 at 5:58 pm
sounds like things are whizzing along ben
Deej said,
June 26, 2008 at 12:46 am
I wish I was closer so I could help him out a bit too. It’s a wonderful college, and I think South Bend is a pretty decent place.
Maybe you’ll have to venture into a foreign land to visit him. *nods*
Melissa said,
June 28, 2008 at 2:24 am
A ha….now I know why you asked how far away I was from South Bend! We’re about 4 hours or so from there, not too far. I don’t know much about the area except for I have heard they have a nice zoo. I know that doesn’t help much does it? If there’s something I can do, I will Ben.
Jason said,
June 29, 2008 at 5:14 am
I do NOT pronounce it that way! And for the record, as it’s of French origin, you’re not saying it correctly either. Unless Frenadian is a language. So there. (You did get the guttural correct, however, probably 99% of Americans would have absolutely no idea how to do that.)
heidiland said,
June 30, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Isn’t Mindcandy an Indiana Man?
Of all the places I can think of, he could certainly do worse much worse. He’s not going to be in the South (the culture shock might be too much for even the heartiest of Fair Canadia’s Fine Citizens), and he’s thankfully avoided the astrological expense of living in California (I’m repin’ Cali, but pimpin’ aint easy with the cost of gas).
There isn’t much I can do to help, being as far away as I am, but if there was… it goes without saying.
frombirthtodeath said,
July 3, 2008 at 12:30 am
That’s an 8 hour drive for me, so I can’t do much to help him out.
sladewilson said,
July 6, 2008 at 2:59 am
I’m in NYC but like Heidi said – isn’t MindCandy an Indiana man? If you need to contact him, holla at me….
Lady Visine said,
July 9, 2008 at 8:27 am
Well, it’s only a 12.5 hour drive for me to Noter Dame, so if you need some serious Motherly back-up there for the Benchild, all ya gotta do is say the word & I’ll hit the road for ya. Seems I used to know a nice quilting friend who lives in that area.. her family makes their own marshmallows for Thanksgiving each year. They have a farm, hidden in the cornfields… I’ll see if I can find her & maybe trade her some fabric for some help for your offspring.
slayerbarbie said,
July 10, 2008 at 6:11 pm
If he ever decides to attend the University of Texas at Austin, you know he has a place to stay…..