MH finally got out of COVID jail.  He had been feeling completely fine for about a week but got his first negative on Wednesday.   Phew!  

The rest of us are fine.   I might have some time now to do anything else but cooking/dishes/domestics/kid stuff.  I have time for work again. Though MH was kind and ran to the grocery store the second his mom told him she tested positive.  We still have food for days.  I ran to the store over the weekend and was more than I expected.  Just refilling things that had run out.  But other than running out for sausages Tuesday, so that I could use up some leftover buns, I didn't buy any food for meals.  I appreciate not having to do a monster grocery run.  I presumed I'd go back to the store mid-week (to shop for meals) but just went to pick up fruit and a couple of things for recipes.  Black beans and cream.  I believe that was it.  Still have 2 more dinner that we can to make.  MH didn't plan that far ahead (14 days).  I've just been going through the "we always have ingredients on hand" recipes.  They were in the pile with "recipes MH bought ingredients for," so I just went with that. 

MH's employer will let him go back on Monday. 

MH also got into his first non-local film festival!  🥳🎈

I think pretty much we had given up.  Was just starting to discuss doing a long weekend trip in a couple of weeks (before MM went back to school).  Which seemed dead given the 2-week COVID delay.  It's moot now.

We are going to Arizona!  Hell froze over and it's during DL(17)'s school break, so we can both go and don't have to worry about getting him to/from school.  I am excited about it. 

We were kind of "You only live once," going into this, and mentally prepared for spending tons on travel this year.  But that was before all the rejection, MH missing two weeks of pay, literally just paying full sticker price for MM's college (financial aid is delayed), etc., etc.

But then I remembered we have a vacation fund (duh).  & MH was able to get a free timeshare.  I think we can pretty much stick to our small vacation budget with this trip and MM's college move-in.  

Other things going on...  I think DL(17) is over the driving learning curve.  I was nervous to do my first freeway drive with him. I've always had a standing Sunday driving invitation but he's never taken me up on it before.  In the end, he did very well.  No one was on the road, which is the whole point of the Sunday invitation.  That worked out well.  He's got a couple of more months (and probably 30 more hours he needs to log) for his license.

DL(17) has also decided that he wants to run a marathon.  I bought him very expensive shoes last weekend.  I guess this will torpedo our grocery bill.  If he starts eating at all like his brother did when he did track.  

MM(19) got his college move-in date confirmed.  I shouldn't have to change our hotel reservations.  Phew!  & the hotel prices weren't half as crazy as they were in June.

At some point I saw that CA grants were delayed until (at least) October.  I expect this is why MM's financial aid is all greyed out (is still pending).  I thankfully thought to look up due dates.  Was really thrown off by the early tuition due date without financial aid deferral.  Due 3-4 weeks earlier than we paid last year.  But saw it early enough I got money transfered and paid.  I don't know how most are managing with this surprise.  What a pain!  I've got a pile of cash just sitting there for the school year, so we will manage.  I expect we will just sort it out next quarter.  I don't want to pull from MM's college fund until I have any idea what his actual costs will be for the year.  

Can't remember if I got into this or not.  We didn't touch MM's college fund Year 1 because he had free tuition.  But MH and I had discussed more recently that we don't want to cash flow tuition *and* rent.  So...  Unless some very last minute scholarship pulls through...  Seems unlikely at this point.  Will start pulling from his college fund.  My best guess is that our actual tuition cost will be $5K this school year.