August 20-26, 2018

Go Broncos! Go WMU!  This was the big week!  We took Scott to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo on Friday, August 24th. We drove up in two cars on that day. Tom and Scott went in his Jeep and Allison and I had the van. We all split up the drive-Scott needed some practice to get an idea of how long the drive is if he ever has to come home himself. He made 6hrs before switching with Tom. Allison and I shared the driving -5hrs each, so it was not so long. Both vehicles were full of Scott's dorm room stuff-clothes, a small fridge, computer stuff, desk chair, cleaning supplies, linen and a rug.

Scott and I spent the previous two weeks making an inventory of what we had and what he needed at school. He had actually done a pretty good job during the summer putting away items he thought he would need based off the orientation check list. We also dug through Allison's items that she brought home from school and was not using. But he needed to pick up linen and a rug. Scott had emailed and texted his roommate to see if they wanted to share items, but never heard back. Scott was rooming blind-he did fill out a survey with personal requests to attempt to locate a compatible roomy, so we were hoping for the best. But since we did not receive any communication from Max, we decided to buy Scott what he would need and then could trade out items if necessary when he got to school.

I was getting ads in the mail all summer about a company that specifically sells dorm room supplies including linen packages, rugs and even care packages!  Scott was gifted with enough funds from graduation to put towards items for his room, so we ordered a linen package that came with towels, sheets, blankets, storage containers and even clip on lights and fans(no ac in his dorm). They also sold rugs specifically for your room size that would be delivered the week before move in time and placed in the room beforehand. Very convenient. I attempted to order Scott his linen package online with a coded discount, but it was not working. So I ordered it over the phone, but the salesperson also could not access the discount code. Instead, I ordered the package and they refunded me the discount. Then we ordered a rug. Scott requested everything to be sent to our house to make sure he received all his items, including the rug. No problem. The box of linens came right away, so we threw them in the wash. (Good practice for Scott since he will now be doing his laundry). However, the rug never arrived. Then the week before we left, I received an email from Villa Nova University in PA stating that Scott's rug had been delivered and what dorm room was he assigned to so they could drop it off?! Are you kidding me?! Since when does Western sound or look like Villa Nova? Guess both letters are at the end of the alphabet?  So they could not send it on to Western-they said it was too late to deliver. Also, they would not mail it to us because they said it was too big. Scott is in one of the biggest  rooms on campus in the engineering dorm. They could give us a small rug(no thank  you) or refund. We took the refund. Tom thought no problem, we can find another rug. Well, not for the discounted price, and most on line orders would be delivered after the move in date. I ended up trying "Wayfair". I have never shopped on their website, but it was terrific! I found a perfect rug, the right size and the same price as the college service! And they delivered it for free right to our house, in just a few days! And while I was shopping on line, I noticed Sams Club selling a desk chair(gaming chair) on sale. Scott was going to take his old desk chair, but I figured he was going to be spending a lot of time sitting in front of the computer and could use a new chair. Especially on sale. That was also delivered fast and free, and Scott assembled it before our trip and really liked it. So he was all set!

We picked up a few more items a few days beforehand, right before leaving for school and while we were out shopping, we thought we would stop into the PNC bank and inquire about getting Scott a student account. PNC is the big bank there at WMU. Scott currently had Suntrust, and during orientation we were told we had to sign up in Kalamazoo to get the student discount. We thought we'd stop in and see if that was true at our local branch. Turns out, it was not true and Scott was able to open a free student account-very quick and simple. I like how they manage their banking system with a virtual wallet(online and phone app). Scott was walked through his new account, and then we drove to his Suntrust bank and closed out his account. Then we drove to the PNC branch that just opened in our newish grocery store to deposit his funds. Good deal.

And while Scott was downloading his class schedule online, he also discovered his book list, so he was able to order all of them before heading up to school. He did try to look for discounts on Amazon, but unfortunately they discovered that the University only allows the students to obtain their books from the school. Of course. At least you could buy used books. But Scott also had to order equipment for Chemistry Lab, as well as a one time purchase of a remote to utilize to answer questions from a smart board. He has 4 classes and two labs-Pre calc, Chemistry with  a lab, Engineering graphics with a lab and Engineering communications(english class/writing reports). So he has a pretty busy week. And two of his classes are in the Engineering building which is down the road from campus. They built a beautiful Engineering facility in an office park just off campus. So Scott has to take a bus each week(for free)down to his classroom. Or he could drive, but the bus is very convenient(and free).

Of course, we could not have a stress free week before the move. Scott woke up on Monday with a swollen and painful cheek. Looked like an infection in the cavity where his wisdom tooth had been pulled. Sure enough. I quickly made him an appointment with the surgeon who put him on antibiotics. He wanted Scott to return in a week to see if the medication was working, but Scott was going to be gone by then. Instead, he had him come back in a few days, and it did indeed seem to be an infection and was clearing up quite nicely with the medication. So to celebrate, Scott and I had breakfast at the new IHOP that opened near our house. It was actually a very good breakfast and more food than I could eat! I especially enjoyed my cinnamon/vanilla pancakes that I took home for another day. We also had to drop Cookie off to our friends after her grooming appointment. Scott was very sad to say goodbye to Cookie(but he can see her picture on the Pet Wall in his dorm each day!) or look at the million photos I printed for him in his own room. Including a few of the family.

So Tom and Scott arrived in Kalamazoo before Allison and I. They had time to pick up Scott's parking permit for his Jeep. We decided he should have his own car at school, primarily to drive to the airport in Grand Rapids, or to drive home as needed. They have lots of great parking around his dorm, including a lot just out front. Tom and Scott also had time to go to the bookstore and pick up Scott's order. Thank goodness because there was quite a line that formed in the store over the next few days. And they went ahead and had dinner at a BBQ place before Allison and I showed up at the hotel. Allison and I had our dinner to go from Outback(yeah drive thru!).

Finally, Move In Day! Students are assigned time blocks to move into the dorm. Fortunately, Scott was first and his roommate second. That would give us time to lay down the carpet and set up the loft beds. All rooms come equipped with the bed frame to make it into a loft. Tom and Scott were so anxious to get started unpacking and setting up the room, including the computer. They even tried to move in on Friday night, but were told we would have to pay a fee for early move in. They opted to save the money and showed up 30 mins before move in time to be the first in line. And hoping they could get in sooner, but no such luck. Each time they wandered into the dorm lobby, they were asked to stand outside while the staff set up. Finally 9am rolled around and they opened the doors. Scott had to check in, receive his room key and fill out a room report(any current damage). Also an Emergency contact form. I was in charge of checking out a large, portable bin for moving items, and Allison and Tom brought up the carpet and computer system in my portable wagon. They had lots of volunteer students on hand to help with the move. You were only supposed to have 15 mins to park your car in front of the building to unload, but somehow we missed getting a parking permit(we were out front about 2 hours before we had a chance to move the cars!). Tom was concerned about on campus parking tickets(bad memories from MSU I guess!). But all the parking on campus was free this weekend-Tom had to ask the security guards several times because he did not believe it). We found a huge lot marked off for move in weekend parking a short walk from Scott's dorm, so after we emptied the cars, Scott and I moved them.

We had a bit of a mix up just trying to get the items up to the room. Tom sent Allison up to the right room, just in the wrong building! Scott's Engineering dorm shares a lobby with the Honors College Dorm, and Allison was standing in front of the 3rd floor room in the Honors College wondering what happened to everyone. Meanwhile, I loaded the portable cart with Tom and a student volunteer and headed up to Scott's room where he was busy filling out paperwork. But we couldn't unload the items into the room until we put down the carpet and set up the loft beds. Where was Allison with the carpet and the computer? After I figured out the SNAFU, I went to fetch her and all the stuff. She could not carry/push it all herself!  And we only had 30 mins to use the portable carts, so we emptied everything into the hallway to go pick up more items from the cars. It felt like a scene from the 3 Stooges! Plus the line for the elevator was starting to get very long, and we could not use the stairwell because there was a bat in it!  What fun.

Anyhow, we managed to get all Scott's items up to his room, move the cars, lay down the carpet, set up the beds and unpack and set up. We needed a few more items, like computer cables and cleaning supplies, so we headed out to lunch and a stop into Home Depot. We ate at one of our new, favorite Kzoo taverns before returning to Scott's dorm room after a quick shopping spree. We did not find everything we wanted, but the campus had set up a tent from Bed, Bath and Beyond selling last minute items as well as delivering pre ordered packages just like the online college linen package I bought for Scott. Great business tactic. We ended up buying Scott a curtain for the bathroom. The rooms are suites with two people per room joined by a bathroom. It has one shower and one toilet, but no door on the toilet. Scott asked if we could hang a curtain as a door. Easy fix with a pressure rod and shower curtain. I also had to get myself a Western Travel mug!  When we returned, Scott's roommate Max had arrived with his parents. He only lives 20 mins from campus, and his Dad mentioned that they thought about having him commute to school. His family is Russian and his mother did not speak much english. So I chatted a bit with Max and his Dad. Max really did not bring much of anything-his laptop, clothes and linen. Plus some drinks and snacks. He said he would think about a microwave. There really are no outlets in the room(two!). So you have to be careful not to blow a fuse, plus there are so many electronics that need to be plugged in, not to mention fans and lights. And they do not allow floor lamps with extra lighting(spider lamps they call them). So I had to take back the one Allison had in her dorm room. Max and his family decided to go back home and pick up a few more items, and we gave Scott a big hug and left him to continue rearranging the room and meeting other students on the floor. Before we left we met one of the suite mates, a 21 yr old transfer student from Dubai. He seemed nice and had moved in the week before(separate move in date for transfer students). But I am pretty sure I noticed the smell of cigarette smoke in the bathroom before we left. And it is a non smoking campus. Hmm. Wonder how that will work out.

Scott had an orientation week schedule to follow which included dinner in the dining hall with his floor that evening. Each of the dorms had their own dining halls, and a few years ago the school decided students needed to engage more, so they closed all the individual dining halls and built one large building. Tom and Scott report the food choices are incredible-like a very fancy food court in the mall. They even have a sushi station!  My biggest excitement for college dining was burrito night!  We were on our own Saturday night, and we stopped into a Hospitality Center that they set up for families. We were able to make a free goody bag for Scott with a Western tshirt, snacks, Western magnets, pens and pencils, as well as to write him cards that would all be delivered the first couple weeks of school. How nice-plus we had free, really good cookies to munch on while writing our cards! And we dropped off the photos of Cookie and Pika to be placed on each dorm's pet board for a bit of reminder of home before heading out for pizza.

On Sunday morning, we awoke at 530 am to the sound of a smoke alarm in our hotel, so Tom decided we might as well get on the road.

Happy Birthday wishes to Sarah Seitz who celebrated her special day on August 20th!