End of the Freshman Year

So Wifey and I fired up the Volvo SUV, and headed out onto the open road, with the mission of fetching D2 home for the Summer...

The drive to Hogtown never gets shorter. Nor does the dreary, boring scenery. I'm prejudiced, but other than Southeast Florida --we have a less than beautiful state.

5.5 hours later, we pulled off I-75 and headed for D2's dorm, Broward Hall. We met her friend, Josh, a very nice young man from Weston's Cypress Bay High. He helped us schlep the filled bags of clothes and shoes, immediately endearing him to Wifey: "That's such a sweet thing, when a boy helps a girl move..."

We chatted with Devon, D2's roommate, and noticed both she and D2 were, well, wistful. They were both sad their freshman years were coming to an end. They had such a sense of loss. I didn't help things by singing "We MAy Never Pass This Way Again" to D2 as we left the building...

We dropped off some stuff at the bungalo where D2 will spend 5 weeks this summer, and were greeted there by a sweet black cocker spaniel who likewise seems to enjoy college life.

From there we went to our favorite Gville restaurant, The Top, where I downed a couple of Stellas, and Wifey and I toasted our baby girl.

She earned a perfect 4.0 GPA! More importantly, she's been learning outside the classroom. She announced "I really don't see how anyone could enjoy college as much as I am, here at UF." She's fit in socially and academically. She loves the place.

I beamed. If there's something better than a happy young adult child, well, I don't know what it is.

We dropped her back at the dorm. She was going to Josh's fraternity end of the year bash ZBTahiti. All of the freshman fraternity boys died their hair blonde. I thought that was a much better initiation than paddles and "Thank you , Sir, may I have another?"

Although I threatened to show up at the party, in UM themed Hawaiian shirt and chanting "Toga, Toga, Toga" I didn't. Wifey and I retreated to the Country Inn, where I watched an HBO movie about the birth of Reality TV --the PBS show "Modern Family," in the 70s...

Amazingly, D2 awoke the next am at the crack of ten, and signed out of her room. We met Devon and her Dad Chris, who were headed back to Palm Harbor for the Summer. Chris and I traded aging Dad stories, and thanked each other for raising daughters who were non psychopaths. D2 DID have some nightmare roommate tales to share, but luckily she and Devon were a lovely match.

I left my obligatory "Go Canes" message on the door next to D2's, where Carly and Chelsea live, and no more was left to be done.

We drove off, and I chanted my Disney travel log "As we reluctantly say goodbye to Gainesville..." Wifey and the Ds have come to expect it whenever we leave a place...

We stopped at Delray, and bought some Subway sandwiches for ancient Mom. She was thrilled to see D2, and regaled her with her famous non sequiters and illogical words of advice, i.e. "You can always find garbage out there. Pick QUALITY in your boyfriends..."

From there it was back to the 305, where D1 greeted us all --thrilled to see her sister. D1 had hosted "A Very Jewish Easter" brunch for 8 at our house, although it wasn't a very OBSERVANT Jewish Easter, as there were bagels and croissants despite the lingering Passover prohibitions. Oh well, as my sister Sue observes, we're really just bagel Jews anyway...

So D2 bonded with Vienna, the new sausage dog, and we all watched her (Vienna, not D2) frolic with Madeleine, D1's spoiled dog. The ancient Lab Honey was not amused by all the activity...

I caught up on email and bills, and then looked for the Ds. Alas, they were in D2's bed, laughing together, and sharing sister tales.

I've been blessed to see a lot of the world. Istanbul, even. But there was no more beautiful sight than that one --my Ds, happy, and together.

I fell asleep and slept the sleep of kings...