I have made some progress on my list of tasks. I got a good start on the FAFSA (college financial aid form), but got stuck on a few things, like not having Rob’s driver’s license number, and not knowing how much money he made in 2015 (some, but not enough to need to pay taxes, so I don’t have a record of it anymore; lesson learned). So I didn’t finish it, but I got a good start on it, and I did the parts involving our finances and taxes and so on. One of the most time-consuming parts was getting my FAFSA ID: something was amiss with my email, so the confirmation number wasn’t coming through. So then I’d ask for it to be re-sent, and in the meantime the original confirmation number would show up, but now the original one wouldn’t work because I’d requested a new one, and the browser logged me out because apparently I’d accidentally opened a duplicate browser window. It was…a little frustrating. But onward through every obstacle, until our harrowing journey is done!
I tried to shop a little for Elizabeth, but if I’m going to pay non-clearance/Goodwill prices I didn’t want to commit to anything without her specific approval, and she was at school. But I was feeling so restless/unsettled about the whole thing and wanted to make SOME progress, especially because I can’t take her shopping until the weekend after this coming one. So instead (“What CAN I do?“/”What would make it better?“) I spent some time going through Elizabeth’s outgrown clothes, getting rid of the stuff that no longer fits, but also finding enough things to tide her over. I took one top I knew was too small for her and put it on her bed for reference, but there were other tops that same size that were several inches longer, or just bigger over all. And I brought out the nice navy pants she has to have for band concerts, which I bought too-big and had her roll up because I was not buying a whole pair of pants for one concert, and that increased by 50% the supply of pants that fit her. And she had some shirts wadded up in the back of her drawer, oversized boy-cut camp/fundraiser/club shirts she doesn’t like but for heaven’s sake she can wear them for a couple of weeks. And the whole project took me from “I don’t know what to do: she has two days’ worth of clothes and I’m leaving for three days” to “She can EASILY SURVIVE the torment of having FEWER CHOICES for a week or two.”
I did some packing for the college-tour trip. I’m quite anxious about it. I am drawing significant courage, however, from a friend of mine and her husband who impulsively drove three hours to pick up one of her college kids, and then drove fourteen hours to surprise her other college kid. I mean, they just put some clothes in some bags and got in the car like it was nothing, and maybe I too can aspire to such heights of chill. We ARE just driving within our own country, in our own familiar car, and there are stores and restaurants all over the place, and I have a GPS. This does not have to be so scary. (BUT WHAT IF WE DIE.)