Dun Gradguatid

[Mikes91]

Fellas,

Just wanted to say thank you for all the support you've provided the past 20+ months. Your support of learning associated with my IDI habit has been instrumental in ensuring my mental sanity when taking breaks from master's degree studies to wrench on the IDI.

Graduation ceremony was this morning... and I'm putting the wraps on my "thesis" as Okie calls it, which should be approved early next week. My wife, the monsters, the dog, and I leave for South Carolina next Friday... stopping through northern Arkansas and Houston on the way. Can't WAIT to see the diesel bill!!

Thanks again for being a part of this accomplishment.


Mike

 

[gandalf]

Congratulations Mike,

That graduation, that degree, is a big step for you, both professionally and personally. It represents alot of work and dedication, balancing schoolwork and your personal life. Its not an easy thing. I can well understand the need for a sanity valve, having the truck to work on.

Best of luck on the trip east. Be sure to print out the list of people willing to help you along the way (from the BOOB site, I believe). The mere fact of having it available will help keep Mr Murphy at bay.

 

[OkieGringo]

Mikey Sir, Congratulations on a very difficult accomplishment. Keeping your family together under those conditions. The college part ain't soo tough . If'n ya gits ta this neck-o-da-woods, give me a jingle if'n ya need any help or just a stop-over. Now, quit yer yappin' on the 'puter and get packed. See ya on the "other side". OkieG

 

[Mikes91]

Thank you both... this is truly a big step, and Okie is right. My wife and I were married not too terribly long before coming here for school, so SC will be our first real opportunity to enjoy married life together without the undulating stresses of academic life. Of course, that's with 2 children in the equation nowadays... All good...

Okie, I'm heading through Tulsa on my way to AR... lemme know if you want to meet for breakfast or something... Claremore's not too far out of the area. Looks like I'm going north of Oldmisterbill...

I'm hoping the tollway (US-412/Cherokee Turnpike) outta there allows car trailers... I assume so.

Looks like a fun drive...


Mike

 

[troutwest66]

Congrats

Good goin', Mike! My wife and I went to college together and got married after we both graduated. I find out 17 years later she might have married me in college if she had known we could have received more financial aid. Now she tells me!!!!! We could could have got on with serious business :Sly a lot sooner. The wedding night was worth it!! Oh, I'm sorry. This is about mike and HIS achievements. Good luck on the trip. Family life without the distractions of being in school will be great. Have a safe trip.

 

[icanfixall]

Mike... What was the degree in? Life starts now for all of your family now I guess. My famliy life is winding down now but thats not a bad thing. It was a ride I would have paid twice for. In a few years look back and see where you have gone. Its usually great. My work will retire me July 1st if I want by offering me almost $700,000 to just walk away. I'm 54 years old and if I work another 11 years I'll make about the same amount. Gee, what should I do when I really enjoy the work??? Hmmm... Let me think about this. Oh yes, I if keep working I'll be transfered to working at a nuclear generation site....

 

[NapaBavarian]

Hey Icanfixall, after you pay your taxes you'll have enough to put a down payment on a CA house

 

[Mikes91]

Thanks, guys. Heheheheh. My wife starts college this spring, so we'll be looking for financial aid for her...

My master's is in Meteorology... Satellite Met., specifically.

Icanfixall, I'd take the money and run... although I'd consider working for awhile longer in addition... Kinda depends what comes along... and whether you have health insurance from your employer as part of your severance.

Nuclear... or is that nucular... generation, eh? Hmmmm.....

 

[icanfixall]

Mike, thats with health insurance. Our house became a home 30 years ago so its nearly paid off and the market price is mid $550,000 for a $26,000 investment. Not bad I guess. The nucler plant is on the ocean and is about the highest megawatt output generation plant in the nation. My wife doesn't want me working in the radioactive field anyway so maybe I wont even try to change her mind on it. She is the boss and lets me know it all the time. Best of luck to you and your family and keep the wife going. It took my wife 17 years to get her degree......

 

[troutwest66]

Best of luck to you and your family and keep the wife going. It took my wife 17 years to get her degree......

Yeah, as soon she gets her degree and you can put her to work then you can retire! I've always told my wife that when she takes that third job I can retire early and go hunt and fish every day!

 

[Mikes91]

Nice thing is, she can potentially make more than I do (currently) with a degree in business/accounting. I *really* can't complain, honestly, but it'll be nice to not have to scrape by on one income in a few more years...

 

[bikepilot]

Congrats. I'm headed back for a masters sooner or later too. Not looking foward to being a student again, but such is life.

 

[sle2115]

Congratulations! I am one 6 week course away from being finished with my MBA, so I know the stress. Also married, also have one child, also have the dogs, etc. Just came back from my short vacation with the yellow lab, he put up 5 pheasant, I put down 5 pheasant and he brought them all to hand. Not bad for a 7 month old pup who has never SEEN a pheasant before! Had the time of my life. Just finished up my next to last course today, so it is easy breathing for a couple of months. I will finish, by choice, in August. I didn't want to do it fulltime as I work fulltime +...

Take care, enjoy the vacation, you earned it!

 

[budtoh3zo]

Congrates mike. Hope your wife gets her degree as fast as u did.

 

[Mikes91]

Thanks again, guys. Nothing like being a student again... I'd forgotten SO MUCH in the 7 years between my undergrad and grad education... and not so much of that was book knowledge. I'd forgotten how to be a student--the classroom environment felt so awkward for the first month after starting back. Let's not forget prepping for that first test... I felt like a fish out of water!

Heheheh. Now just have to help the wife get through her degree... she'll be in for awhile.