JET BLUE HOO AND WHAT TO DO

    The fact that I suffer OCD especially when it comes to travel, moving and general life organization can often come in handy while at the same time can annoy those around me who do not feel the need to know what they will be doing or what time they may be leaving for somewhere months in advance. But when there are no airplane seats to be had and there is no room at the Inn, I get the last laugh.

When I got the dates for college “move –in day” I booked the hotel room and the plane tickets, this was back in May. I planned on taking her up the day before which happens to be September 6th, she moves in on the 7^th and then sticking around and helping her get her room set up and pick up whatever knick knacks she needs and then having a nice dinner with her roommate’s family and her and then breakfast the next morning and then I would head back to New York. Seemed attentive, helpful yet not smothering.

It felt like a good plan and according to a friend whose daughter attends the same college it was exactly what I should do.

But the other night I went on the college website and found out they had a very intricate to the minute schedule set for the day Taylor is moving into her dorm. The schedule the way it appears gives us around two hours to move her in before what they referred to as “family farewells.”

Now not sure what this means but it sounds like drop the bags and skedaddle I really didn’t know what to do.

Should I change my ticket and return to New York immediately following “family farewells”? 

I do think they could come up with a better phrase – it is a communications school after all. 

When I proposed this plan to Tay she looked upset, couldn’t I just stay the night and be down the street? Maybe she would get a little time off.  Well sure, how many more times would she actually ask this of me?  I could stay in Boston in the hotel by myself on Labor Day, drinking in my room and playing BABY BELUGA on my iPOD weeping.  That’s what mom’s do, not my mom, but mom moms.  Or maybe her roommate’s parents would have dinner with me. They are Greek so I’m counting on emotional – we could find a quaint Greek restaurant and get wildly drunk on that Greek stuff that is like grappa and we could bond and cry and throw plates. But what if they have plans or are leaving right after “FF”?

So, I contacted a good friend who is as organized as I am and has moved her daughter into dorms for the last three years.

Since many schools start in as little as four weeks I imagine many of you have started the packing lists and the details of the big move. We move in late, but I know people leaving the 15^th of August.

In light of that I am going to share with you the advice my friend gave to me.

Trust me when I tell you – if anyone knows she knows.

“You get there the day before and you do a massive Bed Bath and Beyond run.  You try to slime your way to get a key to her room on the 6^th so that you can get the dimensions to buy her a rug, see how many disposable lamps you need, etc.  Then you get there at dawn pretty much on the 7^th so that you can get in line for the elevator with all of your crap. Assume that they won’t have enough hand trucks or carts and that the elevators will break down and you will be using those Core Fusion biceps to schlep shit up and down flights of stairs.  You get her all moved in and discover that you need to buy bath mats, or extra lamps or more hangers or drawer liners (try and get those on the first bed bath and beyond run because it sucks to unpack, organize all the drawers and then realize that the dressers smell like mildew and her clothes will smell the same in two days…

OH – be SURE to bring rags and Fantastik and Windex and sponges, a wet swiffer and LOTS of paper towels. The rooms are dirty and gross.  The bookshelves are covered in dust or residue of fresh paint if you’re lucky enough to get a newly painted room.  Also, buy her lots of garbage can liners. You’ll buy her garbage cans and then she’ll throw food containers or whatever in and it will make the garbage can gross.  If you BUY her boxes of garbage bags, she’ll probably toss each bag when the can is overflowing.

THEN after you do all that, it will be 3:40, you won’t be done with the unpacking.  You send her off to the kid’s mandatory stuff and you STAY AND STAY to finish the room.  You then go BACK to Bed Bath and Beyond for all of the crap you forgot to buy (yet another 650 dollars in crap) and you come back NEXT MORNING on the 8^th to finish it off.  You call and meet her so that she lets you into the room, she goes off to do orientation stuff and you finish the room.  THEN you can leave on the afternoon of the 8^th.”

Been there, spent the $ at Bed Bath and Beyond and ruined multiple manicures – OOOOHH – bring rubber Playtex gloves or you’ll destroy your hands. 

I then said to her –

“Do they really let you stay after the “parent farewells”? I know that if I don’t unpack and line the drawers it won’t get done and she will live out of a suitcase with moldy drawers for nine months. They have the move in broken down into times the T’s are like 11′: 45 – 12:15. Yikes”

And she responded -

“You will see more take charge mothers AND abandoned kids than you’ve ever imagined.

And no, they can’t tell you to leave. It’s college not summer camp.

Take Motrin with you. LOTS.  OH and buy several cases of water bottles for her room before you get there. You’ll be hot, sweaty and dying of thirst. Take NO nice clothes. Jeans, your most comfortable sneakers and loosest t-shirts. This is not your opportunity to look glam. You’re a maid and move-in man.  It’s one of the highlights of my life.  3 years of it down, and only 9 more of them to go. Shoot me now.”

There is a lot of info in there I would have never known. And things I would have never thought to buy.

Just goes to prove we aren’t done mothering yet.

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