MM(19) decided last minute to drive to Seattle.  I was a wee bit stressed about that.  It was originally going to be a 3-day trip.  ???  After leaning on him a bit that he needs to account for traffic, detours, getting lost, whatever, they eventually changed it to a 4.5 day trip.  Without any stops or traffic, it's about a 13 hour drive from our home.

I would have told you that we (MH and I) did the same trip when we were around 20/21.  Just looked it up and it was that age.  So I was just a year older than MM.   But...  That was a more leisurely summer trip.  Also, I had driven a bajillion miles on road trips before that big trip.  

We just wanted them to be more practical with their planning.  But with the longer road trip, they stopped at Crater Lake, went camping, etc.

Edited to add:  The trip was a success.  I'll stress less next time; he's a more experienced road tripper now.  

MH talked MM(19) into upgrading his cell phone.  The Pixel phones have some deal where you can trade up with a $300 credit (if you turn in your old phone).  So it's a $200 cash purchase for a significant upgrade.   I think the new phone is $450, but was closer to $500 with taxes.  Less $300 credit.  

I knew MM(19) would be spending more during summer months.  I wasn't expecting he'd be spending this much!  But it's nice to see that kid spend/enjoy his money.  In the past, he's been pretty extreme on the money hoarding front. 

MH called out a garage door repairman on Monday.  He didn't charge us anything.  We'd probably rather he spent more than 5 minutes, looked things over more carefully, and just taken the $250 to do the work that he felt was "too easy for us to bother paying him."  But on the flip side of the coin, a free fix isn't the worst thing.  I expect his diagnosis is right because I was so confused when MH said he was constantly having problems.  I never have problems with it.  But it's the sensors fading over time, probably.  MH is more likely to open the door in full sunlight.  Repair guy said the sensors struggle over time but we can just switch the wires (flip the sensors), and they will last another 10 years.  If it's happening at a certain time of day (when the sun hits it just right) it's more likely the cause.  I know it's not happening when I mostly go to/from work.  In the interim, MH had lubricated the door and it seems to be working fine.  He was waiting for MM(19) to get home.  MH feels comfortable re-wiring it, but thought MM(19) might enjoy it more or be more up for the task.

Will see...  The cost to replace the garage door opener is absurd, right now.  It's either a free fix or an expensive replacement.  (This wasn't on my radar at all, because is one of the few things we had already replaced in this house).

Things on the work front are good.  New employee came in a few hours for some training this past week.  She starts full-time on Monday.  I realized at some point that we have never have anyone fill this position full-time.  Our last admin assistant was hired on part-time (and it was always a part-time or very very part-time position, in the past.)  Our prior employee went "full-time" January 1, but then she constantly was taken time off for various personal dramas.   So though everything about this has been terrible...  It just hit me in the last day or two that we should be very well staffed.  Everything within our control.  It's the "out of our control" that has been very difficult and is what worries me.  😞  (If you missed it, the last employee quit because she needs brain surgery.  It continues to be mind boggingly absurd).  

I did price hotels for MM's move-in weekend and it wasn't too terrible.  Nothing like it was in June.  Of course, moving him in on a Sunday would be ideal, and we could stay a couple of nights (cheaply).  But he doesn't want to move in the day before classes start.  Fair enough.  We will move him in Friday or Saturday, and maybe stay a couple of nights.  It's moot.  There's no room for our stuff (for MH and I to pack bags) and someone needs to get DL(17) to school.  

Our plan was actually to do a couple of move-in drives.  It's either that or take two cars (once).  But I think we'd rather just take the electric car twice (the fuel costs pennies), and get a chance to see MM a couple of weeks after he moves in.

We had kept everything open for film festivals, but they are all starting to go remote or delay another year (COVID).  In addition to the long list of rejections.  So we were starting to think about planning a trip end of August.   Road trip, long weekend.  Maybe San Diego?

Oh yeah, and then MH was called back to work in a couple of weeks.  I think MH had a feeling, but I was really surprised.  He recalls being called in early, in the more distant past.  (He usually goes back after Labor Day).   He agreed to go back, but just gave them a heads up that he will want to take a couple of days off.  I guess this means we could go somewhere in September.  Just wanted it to be while MM(19) was still home and could get DL to/from school.  I am waiting to see if we can get a free timeshare stay.  I told MH the other day, it wasn't even the cost so much, but it's the decision fatigue.  Just tell me where to go.  If it's just one choice *and* it's free, then I am so there. 

MH just told me he "unofficially" got into another local film festival.  He knows one of the organizers and she just told him.   They seem hell bent in doing some of it in person, but who knows...