Happy Friday! I'm annoyed that once again my Friday got sucked into the work vortex, but I worked late yesterday and the things I have to get done today, or participate in are done by about 2:30. My daughter literally blew in about 7:00 last night, battling 25 to at times 50 mph wind gusts on her four hour drive home. She mad really good time considering she stopped for a stretch, bathroom, French fry break at a McDonalds. Pup of course was ecstatic. She said she loaded her trunk with things she won't need the last two weeks of school to make her move home easier on May 2nd. It's all in her car still as the wind was so wicked, she just brought in her back pack and instruments. No them or agenda today on my post-I just write what's sort of on my mind.
Roommates and Other Nightmare's
My daughter is still friends with her current and past roommates, but she shared stories of woe about one and how she is very happy that their hosing plans change next year. She had nothing to say about the other two, the three are very aligned. Living with people is different than being friends with people. My older daughter had a nightmare situation her first few weeks at college. It started with the two person room being made a 3 person, just a few weeks before starting school. Then, 3rd girl decided it was Ok for her boyfriend to just move in with them! The BF was commuting, and to save him time, they thought he'd just stay over whenever he felt like it. My daughter was made to be the villain because she dared to say no, this isn't going to work. Fortunately, she was able to change rooms, met her good friends, and got on with her schooling.
She had another situation her senior year. She literally just needed a room for three months before graduation and got a single within a suite, but unfortunately was a suite of Freshmen girls who were clueless about living with other people. They had their own kitchen, but it wasn't a true apartment-more like an extended dorm room with two singles, and two doubles, plus the kitchen and bathroom. She wasn't' on any meal plan, so went and bought a few groceries, and put the clod in a small segment of the fridge and dry stuff in just one cupboard. When she got back form a class, she saw that all her food had been moved and comingled with the other four girls, and her fresh stuff had been eaten! Their response? Well, they always just helped themselves to food at their home and thought college would be the same. Holy cannoli were they clueless. Sure, another roommate is going to buy herself groceries, but you get to just help yourself because that's what you did when mom bought groceries at your house? These were also "girls gone wild", having not experienced time away form home, they were the stereotypical freshmen girl looking for a party, but not being able to handle alcohol. She was lucky that a room opened up in a suite her friend was in and she was able to move. There's a reason she likes to not have roommates to this day! I've never had a bad experience in my limited dorm and apartment life, but I have heard some doozies.
Scary Dumb
I did something really dumb yesterday. I forgot to turn off the coffee cup warmer in my office. I didn't notice it until last night when I was getting a book for my daughter. Several comments yesterday related to my vampire appliances mentioned the savings on electricity would be minimal. That's probably true but, another good thing about unplugging appliances not in use, is not accidentally forgetting to turn off a heat producing appliance. It gave me a scare last ight to think I could have left it on all night. Rarely do I go back in the office after I end work for the day. There's been a lot of dumb, self induced scares over the years and have been lucky nothing truly bad has happened. Have you ever had a dumb scare, or worse, a preventable mishap by not taking care of something?
Springter
Being cold, windy, wet, and snowy yesterday, April 14th was not that unusual. We seem to be getting more and more springter Aprils as the years go on. Then we've had Septembers, supposed to be fall, that are still brutally hot like mid summer. Is it my imagination or bad memory? I don't think so-our seasons have shifted a bit. But apparently not the way I think they have. This article at Conservation for a Changing Climate says the opposite. Spring is starting a few days earlier and fall. Here's the opening lines,
" The growing seasons are shifting. Spring is arriving earlier, winters are shorter, and the number of freezing days is declining."
I trust the scientists, but can't help what it feels like in my part of the world that the winters are longer, and spring refuses to come before May, but summer bumps some of the glorious weeks of fall, and we move quickly to winter.
It'll be nice having dinner out tonight with the girls. It's a restaurant, more yet another bar and grill, that is always packed so we never go there on weekends. They now take reservations, which I find quite funny for a bar in a little bohunk part of rural Minnesota, and we nabbed a coveted 7:15 slot. I haven't been there since my 30th high school reunion was there in 2014. I hope the fish fry is as good as Facebook critics describe, but they have several vegan options for my daughter, and I can always g with something other than fish. That's DH and DD2's favorite so they will be happy. Please join the Friday Free for All with any of your own stories. Do you have nightmares of roommates past? have you had a preventable scare or worse? Feel free to comment on these or anything else on your mind.
Hope your night out is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteMostly glad you daughter got home safely!
You know the feeling when they walk in the door. It's been a good full day already but the weekend will go too fast.
DeleteI only had a college roommate for about 2 weeks. She was a sheltered 18 year old who had never been away from home. She moved back home(lived in the town next door to the school)shortly after school began. Yes, I drove my roommate out. lolz
ReplyDeleteHaha. Some girls really have a hard time not being at home. My kids, flew!
DeleteI have to agree with your weather observations. As a teacher in Southern Ontario, lately we are more likely to have brutally hot weather in September, than June. It's easier to suffer through it in June, as you know the school year will be over soon ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you for acknowledging my theory which contradicts the weather experts.
DeleteI did have roommates for the first few years away from home. One was my highschool best friend and we made it through that period without the friendship falling apart. My other roommate was my sister K, and that relationship blew up many times over the years. The last time we spoke was at my dad's funeral in 2003.
ReplyDeleteI was cooking dinner the other night using my dutch oven (not a Cruesot but a similar style). Dinner was just about ready when I heard a pop and starting smelling smoke. A portion of the paint on the pot had melted onto the element! Needless to say I got it off the stove asap, but I can't remove the pieces that stuck onto the element so will need to replace it. I'm glad I was in the kitchen at that time. My next dutch oven will be stainless steel.
I have been thinking the same, that summer seems to last longer into the fall, and spring is always late. Spring is definitely not here yet...10 cms (4") of snow is on the ground.
I do always wonder about my Dutch oven. I'm sorry your and your sisters relationship is so stormy.
DeleteRecently I put broccoli in a pot as I was prepping dinner. When ready, I turned on pit, not realizing I hadn't put water in it, yuck.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I did something like that was some 25 years ago, but then I took the hot pot off the stove and put in on the counter, making a large scorch spot.
I have left pasta and egg's too long and let water nearly dry out. I suppose it was impossible to get the scorch spot fixed too. Ouch.
DeleteForgive my ignorance but does a roommate mean sharing a bedroom with someone? If so then how on earth did that girl think moving her boyfriend in would be an option? The mind boggles.
ReplyDeleteAs a student I shared a house - renting a room and sharing the kitchen, bathroom and a lounge - they were some of the best times ever, up to ten of us in a huge Victorian house. I got back from college one day to discover one of the lads in my bedroom trying on my underwear! I look back at those hedonistic days and wonder how I'm not dead!
Have a fabulous weekend, Sam! xxx
In my daughter's case, college dorm room literally is their bedroom, study, living area, so yes, roommate in terms of beds. And, already they pushed 3 girls into space for two. As a mom, I was livid for her being made out to be the bad guy because she said no way! I too had a great roommate on college- friend today still, but we don't see each other much.
DeleteI have the day off and had a good morning running a few errands. Stopped by Hobby Lobby and picked up a couple CUTE things for outside. Now I'm in for a relaxing day.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your dinner with the family. We're going out tomorrow and I'm already trying to decide what to order. lol
Have a great Friday!!
Dinner was delicious but oh was the place busy and loud. Today is clean and home day.
DeleteI never had a roommate because I went to College in Ankara where I lived at the time. However, when I went to the US to work in early 1990, I ended up sharing a two bedroom apartment with another colleague whom I had never met before. We shared the place for about two months till she found her own apartment. She is still one of my close friends so, it was a good experience. Before she came, she inquired about me and someone (I know who) told her it would be hard to get along with me. Tsk tsk! So, she was a bit timid at first but it took her less than a week to find out I am a decent person. Lol! I stayed with her and her husband when my BIL had COVID and when he lost her mom last month. She was the first person who came to my mind to call up and ask.
ReplyDeleteThat's a sweet story about your roommate and friend- other than the nasty pot stirrer! I had a college dorm roommate, then she,me, and two others had an apartment. No horror stories of the people, just of the apartment.
DeleteMy parents live in a very moderate climate (between Seattle & Portland) & they've been getting a ton of snow in April, which is unheard of. The weather has been totally wild.
ReplyDeleteWe had a warm spell, but it's back to more spring like chillier weather, with rain on & of through the forecast for the week.
My roommate my freshman year was a disaster (she would sleep in the closet and play John Denver 24x7 on the guitar, and sing.) While I was studying. It was much worse, but she was 17 (gifted, so ahead of class by a year) & just way too immature for college. She dropped out before the end of the first year.
We're looking forward to an egg hunt with the teens on Sunday (for candy, of course) & cupcakes. The boys reffing games tomorrow, and other than that, it should be a pretty quiet weekend. No club games, as they typically can't get enough players due to the break.
Hope you have a lovely time with your daughters!
Your roommate sounded like she should have maybe found a commuting college, then used grad school as a launch period. Oh boy. Have fun with the. Egg hunt and all your plans.
DeleteI heard and saw a fire truck roar past my kitchen window and turn in front of my house. The siren stopped. Since I was in the back of the house, the front could have been on fire for all I knew since the house was so huge and long. I rushed to the front door and saw the firetruck in front of my house. Since I watched my house burn when I was four, this was very upsetting to me.
ReplyDeleteI rushed out to move my car across the yard away from the burning house which was burning on the side next to my house, right next to my carport. This house was too close to my house, having been grandfathered in as far as the ordinances go.
I was out talking to a fireman standing in my yard, begging them not to let my house burn and asking them if I should remove things. They told me not to go back into my house.
An hour or so later, when I could go back into my house, I did. The house was filled with suffocating smoke. I could not see when I got to the kitchen and could not breathe. I rushed out to the fireman and told them.
So, three firemen rushed into my house after they ascertained the location of the kitchen. Thankfully, it was only burning grease, not a fire...yet.
You see, I had been preparing to fry chicken when I was distracted by the house burning next door. The firemen helped by opening windows for me. There was nothing to be done after they pulled the iron skillet from one burner to another.
So, they made two "calls" in one night, saved two houses. My yard smelled like a fire for years when it rained or the humidity was high.
All that sounds terrifying! You tell the story calmly, but I'm sure you're reliving it writing. Fire is such a scary and devastating thing.
DeleteWhen I was very young, I thought our seasons came quarterly - literally, Spring was March, April, May - Summer was June, July, August - Fall was Sept, Oct, Nov and Winter was Dec, Jan Feb. If only. Since this past Winter has been the equivalent of 5 months+ - Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, March and a good part of April. I agree that Summer seems to run well into September with much warmer weather and Fall got shorter and this is truly my favorite season, so I feel gypped every year. This Spring has been a test and Mother Nature is having a grand time, although, I am grateful to have not had any storms, thus far. I hope you have a lovely dinner and all goes well. It would be a blessing to have the winds simmer down a bit and maybe some warmer weather next week. Have a lovely weekend. Ranee (MN)
ReplyDeleteLike you, I had the quarterly view of seasons and they matched the school year.Dinner out was so good, crowded and loud, but good.
DeleteI went to college was given a 300 or more lb room mate that ate all the food the day we bought it. I watched her eats 4 cans of tuna fish she had made up with a loaf of bread and a large picture of red koolaid. which had a cup, yes one cup of sugar in it. Slice after slice of bread. I was mesmerized. As I was on a strict budget I had no more money for food. I only stayed about 10 weeks and then home to our local University, weighing 89 pounds. Literally from starving. Never had a room mate again, just my Sissie and my husband. I was so done!
ReplyDeleteSo your school was self meal, not good service and she ate your food too? Poor young Kim. That sounds horrific.
DeleteThe weather is certainly changing, we've got areas downunder that have already had more than the years usual rainfall and it's only April.
ReplyDeleteI'm always glad to hear from you to get the southern hemispheres perspective. I'd say you might be in for a wet winter.
DeleteMy first college roommate was there for one reason- to have fun and fun she had! She quit going to classes after the first couple of weeks and took no finals so I’m thinking all F’s. She was called into the dean’s office once but still didn’t attend class. Ironically the next year I saw her and they had accepted her again! After that I had roomier I personally knew. I’ve always been a morning person who actually liked 8 am classes so that had to be in the equation. We had a nice winter here in NE Florida so no complaints and I’ve hardly used my air conditioner since November. Happy Easter- I’m going to a client’s birthday party this afternoon. I’ve been a caseworker for 12 years and this is the first birthday party I’ve been invited to- a few Thanksgiving dinners but never a birthday! Nan
ReplyDeleteThat too was my older daughters roommates. Both wanted the fun, but eventually she heard both left after the first semester. What pills. Enjoy your weekend and the party.
DeleteSome of the newbies here in Geneva flat-shared when they arrived but I never did because I knew it wasn't for me. I just looked for a studio. But your post about your daughter's food reminded me of a meme that made all of the anglophones at work laugh but nobody else???? "I don't get this obsession with naming your food! Take me, for instance, I've just eaten a sandwich called Mark"!
ReplyDelete