Mattress Races Make Me Cry

We talked to Austen tonight & he sounds like he's doing just awesome. He's only been lost once, on the very first day he was on campus, even before classes started. The dryers don't work well, so he ended up with damp clothes & spent a few bucks on one load of laundry. Sheesh! Someone is raking in the bucks with all these kids washing their clothes. Aus said it cost 75 cents for 1 cycle, and he said each load takes about 4 cycles combined wash/dry.

His classes are going well. He says they're easy & his first quizzes all were As. He even beat the curve on one quiz & scored higher than "the highest score possible." He doesn't have any tests coming up, & he said he hasn't had to do much studying.

He does need to practice his Rock, Paper, Scissors skills though. Apparently, the guys on his floor all did Rock,Paper,Scissors to see whose bed mattress they were going to ride down the stairs of the dorm. Aus lost, so they all used his mattress. Luckily, it didn't work & they resorted to putting his mattress in the hallway & hitting each other with it. I can only imagine Austen trying to ride his mattress down the stairs.

The meal hall food is OK. Aus said he usually eats steak for dinner...lucky guy! Breakfasts are skipped most days, & he grabs lunch after his first classes daily. Fortunately, his "meal credits" roll over to the next semester if there are any unused, so all those skipped-but-paid-for breakfasts won't go to waste. They went out for sushi last night, & are able to grab fast food like Taco Bell and Subway if they don't want to eat at the meal hall.

The roommate situation is still going well he says. My first roommate of college was nutso & stole half my stuff when she quit college mid-semester, & Jeff's first roommate didn't work at all either. So I'm glad Austen is having success with his. One less adjustment on your first year away.

We'll be making a trip to see Aus in the next few weeks. I cannot wait to see him. Jessie had a picture of Austen she used for a Math project this weekend, and just seeing his face in a picture again made me cry. Of course, I cried while we were on the phone as well...I tried to hold it in but towards the end I just couldn't anymore. So it will be SO very nice to see him again & visit with him, even if it is for just a dinner.

Thanksgiving break is only how many days away? :)