Tips that us "Old Fogeys" need to know

<p>Peggy,..... LOL This story isn't tooo bad. At least she wasn't being irresponsible. But, it goes to show how much we all depend on visual landmarks or "car"marks (in this case) to know where we are. What a relief that the car wasn't stolen!!</p>

<p>Peggy - that's nothing, that actually happens to me every once in awhile, I have a common car in a common color, particularly for that make/model. I see its twin all the time, and have tried to unlock the wrong car more than once.</p>

<p>Many years ago, my family was doing around the clock in the hospital "sitting up" as we call it in the South, with a sick relative. Two of my uncles were going to drive home together in the car of a 3rd relative who was going to stay the next 24 hours. They got the keys, description of the car, where it is in the hospital lot, and off they went. Found the car, hopped in, etc. They are 20 miles down the road, when, somehow, they realize - this isn't the right car! They've be gone almost an hour, because of traffic and lunch on the way, so they drive back expecting to be met by the cops. No cops, they locate the correct car, park the wrong one somewhere close to where they swiped it, and drive home with a great story for the next 20 years.</p>

<p>cangel: The SAME thing happened in our church parking lot. Two blue minivans (same make/model). My friend's hubby got into one and drove it home. shortly thereafter, she got in it, she noticed some unfamiliar items in the car. Quickly realizing that it wasn't "their car", they returned it. Everyone ended up just laughing it off. The weird thing is the keys fit BOTH cars!!!! It was a Ford.</p>

<p>shutterbug: LOL.... my older son doesn't know how to use an iron but he can cook. I've got to teach him to iron. His younger brother even irons his MONEY!!!! LOL That is how crazy it is around here. One clueless son and one Felix Unger son.</p>

<p>(Younger son (when he was 3 years old) found a $100 bill that my hubby left for me. When I couldn't find it, I asked him about it. He said that he took the "special dollar" into the bathroom and................. washed it!! Sure enough, it was on the sink counter -- wet and soapy. (I was certain that he had flushed it.)</p>

<p>Maybe they can get together and cook a grilled cheese with an iron....</p>

<p>Just a thought.</p>

<p>But...can they use the iron to straighten their hair?! Or is that just a girl thing?</p>

<p>My younger son uses an iron to straighten his money.... that's just a Felix Unger thing..... LOL</p>

<p>Everyday I learn that I am more "out of it" than I thought....</p>

<p>After reading other CC forums, I just learned what "collar popping" is. The forums were discussing the "preppiness" of various colleges. I didn't know what cp meant. It means when guys and gals wear their <em>Ralph Lauren</em> polo shirts with their collars up. Gee.... when I went to college, we just wore levis, shorts, t-shirts and/or sweats. I guess I'll need to learn "the dress codes" of the various colleges!!!! </p>

<p>I'm feeling more and more "old fogeyish" everyday now.....</p>

<p>Jlauer - I bet your kids know what popped collars are, mine do.</p>

<p>cangel: You are sooooo right. I just asked clueless s what a popped collar was and he said with hand motions (as if I am totally stupid) "poppppppppedddddd collarrrrrrrrrrr"</p>

<p>I think if I had heard "popped collar" first, I would have guessed. But because the term I read was "collar popping," which I thought might be something along the lines of giving someone a wedgie. Meaning something that is done "to you," not something that you do to yourself. LOL</p>

<p>Jlauer, ROFLMAO!!!! And I thought I was the only one who hadn't known what a popped collar was! I asked my daughter, and while she knew what it was, she can't recall every seeing anyone, anywhere ever wear their collar that way. Is it more of an East Coast style statement? Of course, at her performing arts high school, the style of dress is about as far from preppie as one can imagine...</p>

<p>From the CC forums, I have gathered that collar popping is the style of dress at many ivies, southern schools, and other schools known to have "affluent" students who drive BMW's and wear pink skirts and <em>pearls</em>!!! to classes..... The more I read the more i think these kids must look like the snobby Greeks from Animal House. I was a Greek and we didn't dress/act that way. (I know, I'm an old fogey and that was in the stone age.)</p>

<p>jlauer,</p>

<p>
[quote]
UCLAri: What is a Stop plate.... and what does it do?

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<p>Wouldn't it be a better idea to just click</a> to dang link? :p</p>

<p>Maybe we need to list various colleges and what their "clothes styles" are:<br>
Since my son goes to a prep school, he has had to wear a polo, khakis, and a belt, so maybe he will want to go to a school with a more relaxed unofficial dress code.... or maybe not.</p>

<p>I thought the "attention to school clothes" was strictly a public high school thing (and possibly something at the "party colleges". I didn't know it extended into serious colleges (public and private).</p>

<p>Just one more thing that this old fogey doesn't know about. </p>

<p>P.S. Just asked clueless son and he doesn't want to go to a "preppie college" - he gave a firm "no". This is going to be tough since all his choices are among the most collar poppin'</p>

<p>UCLAri Thanks for the link..... now I know. :)</p>

<p>hrm... I never use an iron and always wash all my clothes together on the colors setting. Haven't turned anything pink yet. =P (I have lost socks though, WHERE DO THEY GO?!?!) I do think sometimes I try (and am successful) to stuff too much stuff in the washer. The more clothes you can fit in, the cheaper it costs to wash each item, right? I mean, you have to pay for the washer anyway regardless of how much stuff you put in it.</p>

<p>My parents always write down where we park at the airport whenever we go. And I have tried opening a car that wasn't mine but was the same model and color.</p>

<p>And yes, at the preppy schools, there will definitely be popped collars. At most schools, on facebook (which is a website where college students can make a profile about themselves, with picture) there are groups that students can join like "unpop the collar" and "we pop our collars" and "who cares about collars?" to show their views. Some schools have many more of the collar popping type students than others.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I thought the "attention to school clothes" was strictly a public high school thing (and possibly something at the "party colleges". I didn't know it extended into serious colleges (public and private).

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<p>I think that if you don't own at least ONE UCLA sweatshirt at UCLA, you're likely to be excommunicated by the gods. No joke.</p>

<p>But yeah, fashion matters.</p>

<p>I am enjoying this thread. Kindred spirits! Random responses to various things I've read here:</p>

<p>jlauer: taxi door was opened into traffic and damaged pretty badly. Don't think it would shut afterwards. Didn't hear that any other cars were damaged though. S was quite sheepish in telling us. </p>

<p>This same S also loses things, so I am enjoying reading others' stories and "sharing the pain." He changed out of his tux in a bathroom once, after a concert, and left his wallet in the stall. Didn't even know he lost it until we got a call the next day from the person who found it. Lost his keys at school and had to pay the fine. He couldn't check his mailbox until he got the new keys. The old keys were in the mailbox -- someone had returned them there.</p>

<p>Both my sons wore t-shirts mostly, so no issues about collars. Oldest will wear any shirt-- as long as it's plain and boring and neutral. Now wears shirt and tie for work, and prefers monochromatic plain on plain. Just doesn't care to have to put much thought into what "goes." Second is a bit more flamboyant. Popped his collar when he was much younger (we have an Olan Mills portrait -- age 4, with suspenders and popped collar. So <em>cool</em>.) Favors flowered "Hawaiian" shirts. Wears bright orange tee that says "New York City Jail." Roommate says, "You paid money for that?" S says, "Why? You got yours for free?" </p>

<p>A collared shirt is considered "dressing up" by both. Paired with khakis, they're ready for anything formal. :)</p>

<p>Both kids have done their own laundry since second grade. Just easier for everyone that way. (We had a lot of kids in the house back then.) Deciding that something needs to be washed.... completely different story. I never thought about their sheets till it was mentioned here. Wonder if they've ever been washed....</p>

<p>Oldest S used to be cleanest of bunch. That changed in college. I helped him move out of his (shared) house after graduation and was appalled at the dirt. Cleaning up papers in the corner of his room, I found a dead mouse. I screamed. S came to look and said, happily, "That makes 18!" Apparently, they'd been keeping track.</p>

<p>Soccerguy -- In my experience, the lost socks reincarnate as wire hangers in my closet.</p>

<p>I have 2 such boys, jl....one a current sophomore in college--9000 miles from home and another who will go on Gap Year next January.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Most uni students don't haul their laptops to class. In fact, S1 says hardly anyone carries a backpack. They have their books under their arms. Old school.</p></li>
<li><p>S2 has lost his bank card several times--in several quite inconvenient locations around the globe. He has spent his monthly allowance in the first week of the month several times and been penniless for the remaining three weeks. He has missed several critical flights on several continents. He once borrowed motorbike fare from a hotel owner to get to the airport because he forgot to save any money for the fare. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>The list is endless, but ya know what? He IS learning. The difference from high school to Gap Year was incredible, the difference from university freshman to univeristy sophomore practically immeasurable. He had to fall on his own face a few times to learn a few of the basics but he was too far away for me to watch the spill. I know how to get him another bank card and a few bucks from Western Union. He can manage the rest.</p>

<p>Next year, you will find out how the adage, "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" is sometimes a blessing for mothers of boys.</p>

<p>S2 will be another roller coaster ride, I am sure. He's the one we sent to camp in Canada with, no kidding, 8 pairs of ratty old shoes. H picked him up and S2 was barefoot on one foot and had an unfamiliar size 12 tennis shoe on the other foot. As the camp was on a granite rock island, the one bare foot was a bit worse for wear. S2 had NO idea where his shoes were and was surprised H cared. S1 said S2's name was called for lost and found every day for 30 days. Wee biz bag, as my borthers used to say.....</p>