Thursday, May 30, 2013

News of the Day

It appears the boy may have got himself a job as a track and field coach at a high school in the city starting this Fall. He was recommended for the job by one of his former coaches who heard him giving pointers to a couple of athletes in pole vault at a track meet where he was working on one of his breaks. He'll have the perfect schedule to simultaneously pursue his EMS certification. His ultimate goal is still to get hired by the FDNY and become a firefighter. He leaves this Sunday to do his summer job as lifeguard trainer/certifier and waterfront director at camp. Anything that involves life preservation, he is amped.


The girl also got herself a job, or rather an internship. It's in her field so she will be able to get academic credit for the hours worked. She will be covering the restaurant scene in the city, writing reviews, following trends, doing best of lists, chef profiles, and reporting on food events in the city. Lucky girl. It was the job that had made her eyes sparkle when she saw it listed. She was a little behind the 8-ball as she didn't start looking for summer work till the end of school. Her dad and I tried to explain that most people have their summer jobs sewn up since the spring, having made good use of their college career center, which she has yet to visit. But, she showed us. She worked it out. She starts on Monday and will be able to mostly write from home. Did I say she's lucky?


The No. 1 southbound train derailed on its tracks last night, bringing an influx of fire engines, cop cars, TV news vehicles and helicopters to the neighborhood. My husband and I were meeting a friend for dinner on that very block. It was high excitement. No one was hurt but hundreds of passengers had to walk through the long line of subway cars to get back to the station. Meanwhile I was watching the swirling lights and listening to the piercing sirens and texting my daughter to find out where she was out in the city. I knew my son was at home with a friend, but she could have been anywhere. Turns out she was on the last northbound train before service was stopped and was walking out of the station just as the derailment occurred.


I get a little crazy at the sound of sirens in the neighborhood, which we hear often since there is a fire house, a hospital, and a police precinct all within a four block radius of us. I always want to know where my kids are when I hear sirens, to make sure they are nowhere near. And I don't actually sleep at night until my babies are back inside our door and safe in their beds, which is a challenge given that my kids are grown. My daughter and her friends hung out on the roof patio of one friend's apartment building until almost 3 a.m. last night. I was texting her constantly. She indulged me and mostly answered. I told her this morning, "I'm sorry your mother is sort of paranoid. I would like to tell you I'll change but I think that might be a lie." She laughed and patted my arm.






9 comments:

  1. I have that same reaction to sirens. Awful.
    Congratulations to both your babies! That internship sounds like a dream come true!
    Sleep well Mama, your babies are doing just fine.
    xo

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  2. Your kids are just fine and so are you...I have those same sounds in my neighbourhood and they drive me crazy. Congrats to the kids and to you for teaching them that it is okay to go after what they want in life.

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  3. Congrats to them!

    By the way, I think college career offices are far less useful these days than they used to be. My law school CDO is beyond unhelpful, and I met dozens of 20-year-olds this summer who have had similar experiences. I think your daughter may have played it exactly correctly. Wish I had her luck!

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  4. Your kids are so self-sufficient and awesome. Way to prove you and Dad wrong about the job, right? Ha!
    You have got to learn to sleep before they get home or you will be a walking ghost by the end of the summer. Okay. This may be why I'm still so tired all of the time. I admit to the same problem.

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  5. Congratulations to both your kids! I was thinking that you must be such awesome parents to have raised such fine, self sufficient kids. Your daughter's job is a dream job! And your son's aspirations are the same as my best friend who went from EMT to life flight nurse - it takes special people to work as angels for their day jobs.

    I laughed at your 3am texting. I'm living parallel lives over here, fretting about my kids and my son and I just texted something similar. I told him it's not that I don't believe in him, it's just that worrying about my kids is my job. He texted that I win the life time worry wart achievement award, and then said he was just kidding, but he wasn't. We've kept them safe so far, but we'll always be their moms no matter how old they or we get.
    xo
    and my wv was bestcy heart, you do have the best hearts.

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  6. You are such a good Mom! Look how your kids are blossoming. Hey, you are a mom so cut yourself some slack about the checking in. I know I will be doing the same thing when my kids are old enough and have cell phones. I will be texting and checking in often with them.

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  7. Oh wow! Congrats to your kids. That's very amazing to get such cool jobs as such young ages. Amazed that your son will be a firefighter. One of my former student's husband is a firefighter in Bed Stuy. He loves it, loves his coworkers. It's challenging because he's black but wonderful to break those barriers. Your son will do wonderful.
    And your daughter. I see her being such a name one day, having her own restaurant or becoming a tv personality. She's got what it takes!

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  8. How good that your daughter was not on the train. It doesn't sound as if anyone was hurt, but it might be a bit scary, and I don't like the idea of walking down the tracks. Glad they have both got jobs they like!

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  9. Yay for them both! Yay for you, too!

    I love that you posted a pic of your son folding something. :) He will be so wonderful as a high school track coach, there is no doubt of that, and even if it's not his ultimate goal I bet he'll find it fulfilling.

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