Trash or treasure

Good morning....the rain has temporarily stopped. How crazy has the weather been in the northeast? Personally, I am ready to dry out. As my friend left work yesterday in a deluge, a bolt of lightening struck a tree across the courtyard. Panicked, she ran back into the office and said that she was soaked and would have to check when she got home whether her underwear was also wet. I told her that her undies were indeed probably wet, but not from the rain.....She wasn't pleased with me.....

And so, as I remained at work and refused to leave until the thunderstorm was in another county, I received a phone call from the big kid.....

"Mom...uh...when you were at the house on Saturday, did you think that the outside was a mess?"

hmmm....Let's see....trash strewn around after the mega-party for 200 of their closest friends plus anyone who wandered away from the bus terminal.....red solo cups broken and squashed on the porch....trash cans overflowing with trash.....

"Not really....Why?"

"Wellll...."

Apparently, the police drove by and reported the messy house.

The landlord proceeded to email the guys and told them to clean up or get out. OK, am I going to lose my housing deposit one week into the semester? Is this a joke?

Interesting...that was fast...they are not even in school one week and they are facing eviction. Aren't I a proud mom or what?

As I asked him what he was going to do about it....his response was: "I didn't see any trash...."

Yep....gang...this is where I have gone wrong as a parent....I did not teach him the difference between trash and treasure. Trash is something that you do not want to keep such as a Snickers bar wrapper or empty and used red solo cup. Treasure is the actual Snickers bar and an unused cup. Sheesh...these guys are in college. Do I have to place this information on a PowerPoint slide? Should I send them a webinar on the topic?

Oh my, they would not listen to me anyway....they see my face and their eyes glaze over....so be it...the landlord is now their faux-mom. She can berate the guys and give them a time out for not throwing out their trash. She can take away the keys to the car or not allow them to have their dessert tonight. Perhaps she can give them demerits. Anyway you look at it, they have to shape up and clean up.

Let's see....After a big party.........here is what you do:

begin with a big garbage bag+bend+pick up cups+toss into bag+bag on street for trash pick up....how is that for an equation?

Maybe I can give them a recipe that they can understand:

1-large black Hefty bag
1- Hefty bag tie
4-Party giving and going college juniors
1,000-pieces of trash

Open the bag. Bend the legs. Pick up the trash. Drop into the Hefty bag. When all trash has been picked up from the lawn and porch and you can see the green grass rather than a carpet of red cups, use the twist tie and seal the bag. Take bag to curb. Go wash your hands.....

That's it....simple....and it does not require batteries.....

Enjoy the day!

By the way, someone stole the star that I got for free from the wall.....it's missing....gone....kind of like an expensive painting in the Louvre....now a work of art in someone else's home....