2013 was hard, mostly because it was focused on college admissions. We're talking tent camping in New York City on a hot week while driving a battered minivan through four boroughs in one day and getting bit by ticks in Massachusetts hard. Multiple flat tires, avoiding Chris Christie in New Jersey and visiting Bridgeport Connecticut hard. I have pics, too.

That said, it was pretty cool to tent camp on Staten Island. Maybe we'll camp in Brooklyn next.

Thankfully newspaper_mom took 17_year_old on a college hunting trip through New England, where Northeastern became the reach school. Thankfully because we couldn't afford it, while the newspapers are all about New England.

Thankfully my dad took us to visit Penn State, since we couldn't afford it, either. Seventeen_year_old was amazed at the concept of school spirit, as her high school has little, and few of her college visits had any.

Mrs. Ha and I did take her to UB (twice) and SUNY Fredonia, so we didn't totally outsource the college hunt.

Anyhow, she got her first acceptance letter, to the Rochester Institute of Technology. She applied there because the aquatics center has a lazy river tube ride.

I think this means we no longer have to throw money away on college entrance exams in hopes that lightning will strike for her scores.

We're still waiting to hear from UB, SUNY Binghamton and Northeastern. The first two should be affordable. The last will probably be a thin letter, I doubt her really good essay and various activities will compensate for mediocre grades and test scores.

We do have another daughter who is doing very well in middle school. She's doing so well she should end up in on the Honors track next year, or the track right below Honors but above normal.