it begins

Out on my bicycle this morning, and what did I see? Kids. In fresh new clothes. Backpacks. Waiting for the school bus. 

And so it begins. The K thru 12ers are back to school. We've also noticed an increase in population over the last couple of weeks with university students returning. Freshman move-in day was Monday, and I assume many upperclassmen had rental leases that started at the beginning of the month. 

Last night, we were out walking the pooches and went by a house that looked in the middle of move-in. A couple of college-aged guys were sorting through piles in the garage. One was having a phone conversation, and I surprisingly heard:

"You're on your way now? Please remember to bring a broom"

I say it surprised me because, in general, college guys aren't known to be particularly tidy, thinking about brooms. In addition, the "Please" was a nice touch. 

The scene somewhat reminded me of "The Lake House" that Meego and his roommates vacated after 3 years when they all graduated ("The Lake House" because it was on Lake street, not near any lake that we know of).

From what I could tell, those guys were pretty responsible renters and seemed well liked by the landlords. They took care of the lawn and even had a small successful garden. They joked about two of the guys who were the "dads" in the way they controlled the weeds, complained about neighbors not controlling their weeds...

I stumbled upon a blog a few weeks ago, written by a girl embarking on her freshman year of college. She's journaling her preparations for moving, creating her class schedule, getting to know roommates, etc. Now, on the brink of moving into the dorm, she and her three suite mates are already squabbling a bit, via text, over bathroom decor - before setting foot in the place. Bathroom decor.

I recall a college orientation rep explaining the typical dorm situation and noting, "Guys, in general, are slobs. Girls, in general, bring lots of drama".

Reading about the brewing dorm bathroom drama, I remember part of the story of how Meego and his friends found The Lake House. Did the previous renters all graduate and move on?

Well, no. 

"They were four girls who were 'best friends', and now they all hate each other"