<p>You and your family are in my prayers NM - sorry for your loss</p>
<p>I think the shopping is done! Thank goodness for PA outlet malls with no tax! D is wilderness trekking with H and Venture Crew and can’t be contacted until she gets back on Saturday. She lucked out by getting a roommate from a boarding school, so I am assuming a lot of the “big ticket” things will be covered. She is glad to be in the all-girl (mostly athlete and band member) dorm.</p>
<p>Modadunn - the Nordstroms fairy dropped off a package at my house last week. They are putting an Anthropologie store in our mall this fall, if they ever built a Nordstroms there it would be perfect!</p>
<p>Texas has one tax free weekend a year, but it’s just for clothes and shoes under $100 per item…they did finally add school supplies this year. But it’s the weekend of August 22-23, so it’s too late for most off to college shopping.</p>
<p>For those whose kids are having anticipatory roommate anxiety I’ll share this story: a good friends daughter got info re her roommate and based on the pre-college exchanges (email, myspace, facebook, I can’t remember) became convinced it was a disastrous pairing. Both girl and mom fretted a lot. Once they got to campus and met each other it was actually a great fit. There is a downside to all the information kids can get in advance about roommates and I think it helps to at least give them the perspective that Facebook, emails, etc. can distort who someone is and will be in person for lots of reasons. Back in the dark ages of the late 60s we met our roommates when we moved in and I don’t think that was so bad. Even for the folks who didn’t get a solid match, there were also dozens of other folks to meet and become friends with on the hall. The advance info kids get now is a set up for worry I think.</p>
<p>The head of Residential Life at Son’s school would agree. He says that thanks to Facebook, some students are asking for different roommates before they even get to school.</p>
<p>Oh NMn… I am so so sorry. It sounds unexpected and that’s always the worst. Were you close? Was he close to the kids? I only ask because you say stepfather. My mom married her HS sweetheart some 8 or so years ago. He’s a nice enough guy and I will be sad, but mostly for my mom. The kids don’t really know him all that well… But my dad died nearly 20 years ago now. And THAT is still a heartbreaker.</p>
<p>Son got roommate info. He is in a three room suite (although I have no idea what the school provides in the “lounge” area for these things. I think he is really happy he has a roommate and not a single. </p>
<p>And what’s with tax? No tax in MN on clothes and stuff “necessary for life.” And son is the same as yours Missypie which is why I am starting to freak a little. Admittedly, we do a community sock basket just because I hate to separate socks (except mine). Son has about three he will wear and will need at least a dozen boxers because he literally changes them twice in a day (working out etc). He never asks for this stuff until he needs it yesterday!</p>
<p>Now I am trying to figure out if it’s worth it to ship his bike to campus or if we should just have him look around for one used or whatever to buy there. His dorm isn’t close to the field house and so he’d probably like that in the fall and spring.</p>
<p>We have a state sales tax, plus cites can add a cent or two…It’s up to 8.25%. But we have no state income tax…gotta raise revenue in one way or another.</p>
<p>NM, popping over from the 10 thread to send best wishes to you in this trying time. Hope your D pulls through with good bonds with some teammates and condolences to your family.</p>
<p>For all shoppers, too bad you are too far away from tax free NH (no sales or income tax) but maybe the WPI and Midd kids will be able to make jaunts if necessary. And if the WPI people aren’t aware, the MA sales and meals taxes went up to 6.25% on Aug 1 :(</p>
<p>NM, my condolences to you and your family. Your D going off to college is a new start for her, but a type of loss for you, and your SF passing is yet another. </p>
<p>D got her dorm and roommate today. She was not tripled and got into the newest dorm on campus - only 2 years old. Sounds good. Hopefully tonight she will have more to share with me. I know that she can log in and see the floorplan which might be useful. Roommate is also a runner but doesn’t run cross country. Makes it nice as they have something in common but don’t run the same type of races.</p>
<p>Son’s roommate is apparently also an athlete but not in the same sport… which is good because he understands the time management thing. Not sure about any of the other guys in their suite, but I am sure they will eventually all facebook one another. It’s the eventually that gets to me.</p>
<p>I actually overheard D saying much the same thing to S1 - including her saying that “back when I was getting ready” “we didn’t get our school emails until we were on campus, so we couldn’t find each other on Facebook.” And I hear she had to walk uphill to class, both ways, barefoot in the snow, too.</p>
<p>LOL Harriet! When we were on vacation a bunch of the boys (friends of S) who work at the boys and girls daycamp (grades rising 1-10) said that they were amazed at how disrespectful the kids were “these days.” I said they needed to at least wait 10 years to say that because essentially they were talking about their peers!</p>
<p>But the bottom line was that parents rush to the defense of their kids all too quickly and all too often. And basically, it just makes things worse for the kid in the long run.</p>
<p>Funny to read your posts because Son (choir kid) specifically put on his housing app that he’d do a lot better with a theatre/choir/band type of roommate than an athlete. I just had lunch with a woman whose rising senior son is attracted to a certain school because there is no football team and other sports aren’t big there, so he isn’t likely to get an athlete for a roommate.</p>
<p>I wonder if our kids are right? Should athletes room with athletes and should artsy kids room with each other?</p>
<p>NM, I am so sorry for your loss. My deepest condolences are being sent your way.</p>
<p>I’m a student on the '10 thread, but I hop over here sometimes to check out what is coming ahead. I noticed the drinking discussion and wanted to add a point of view.</p>
<p>As a student who has always remained “straight-edged”, I can sympathize with NM’s D. It is a tough course to walk, but for some it’s the only. I unfortunately had a family member deal with alcoholism very seriously, and it was eye-opening. It has always my decision and MY decision alone not to drink. Many of my close friends party (we live in a small, wealthy town…there’s not too much to do), and most of them respect my wishes. I urge kids who have a problem with drinking to be honest about it. Say you aren’t comfortable with it and stand firm. The people who matter will understand.</p>
<p>On a side note, if you think you need to drink to be cool in college-you don’t. My brother graduated from a MAJOR party school about 3 years ago, and recently informed me that his favorite brother in the fraternity was also the only one who publicly didn’t drink. The brother was hilarious, and according to my brother, one of the most well-liked people on campus. He was honest about his decision, and said that it just wasn’t his deal. </p>
<p>Good luck to all your Ss and Ds! I’m sure they all have bright futures ahead.</p>
<p>At first when you’re at school, it might be marginally entertaining to watch people get drunk, if you haven’t been around drunk people before. But after a while you find that it is *really boring *to be around drunk people. It’s good to seek out other non-drinkers, just so you have someone to talk to when the others are doing or saying boring, inane things.</p>
(no sales or income tax) but maybe the WPI and Midd kids will be able to make jaunts if necessary. And if the WPI people aren’t aware, the MA sales and meals taxes went up to 6.25% on Aug 1 :(</p>