The Eagle Has Landed

As Boston College students make their way back to the 'hood, the relative quiet of life in Brighton comes to an abrupt halt.

I have to admit that I actually like living in a college neighborhood. That's probably a good thing, because the campus is a two minute walk from my house, and half my building is in habited by BC undergrads. So essentially, what I'm telling you is that my 36 year-old self and my 42 year-old husband are essentially residing in a college dormitory. We do not mistake ourselves to be among the youngsters, but rather have taken on the self-appointed role of "Building Den Parents". Newly arriving students quickly recognize us as the go-to people for advice, directions, and simple kitchen items. Their kitchens are all equipped with keg-o-rators and shot glasses, but they are frequently lacking such basic essentials as a baking sheet or a fork.

"Details," they think, as they pack their bags in preparation for the big arrival on campus.

It seems like the BC kids have had a pretty long winter break this school year. It's been calm and quiet around here for weeks now.

They must have started trickling back within the past 24 hours or so.

I ventured to Cleveland Circle today. One of the things I miss most when BC students are off campus is the awesome BC Shuttle. It stops right in front of my building, and will cart my ass down to Cleveland Circle and back for gratis. Technically I'm sure I'm supposed to have some affiliation with BC in order to ride the bus, and when I first moved into the neighborhood, I never even though to take the shuttle. Then, on night, I saw some 80 year-old couple piling onto the bus alongside a bunch of drunk ass college punks, and I figured, "Oh come on. Grandma and Gramps have NOTHING to do with BC, and yet they're rockin' that bus like it were their own personal chauffeured limo." I climbed aboard, got dropped off at my front door, and have not looked back since!

I finished conducting my business at CVS and then headed to the BC bus stop shelter. There, right on the bench, was a half-drunk cocktail from Roggies (I recognize the glassware). It had a lime and little umbrella and shit in it.

Awww.....BC parents. There's your money well spent!

I am going to suggest to Roggies that they send their barback out there to pick up any errant glassware. That's not joke. That'll end up costing them.

When I came home, the first thing I noticed was that the lower glass panels on the front locked door to the building had been shattered. Oh, that's right. The door buzzer is busted. Most people have been simply telling their friends, through the door intercom, that the buzzer is broken and the door isn't releasing, and then the person in receipt of the visitor comes to actually unlock the door. Now that the BC kids are back, waiting around for a friend to come open the door has clearly been decreed a waste of time, and so the glass pane was shattered clear out so that eager guests can climb right through and report directly to the party!

The second thing I noticed was that there is already an array of beer bottles littering the stairway. Kids, these were NOT here this morning.

I wonder when I'll see my first passed out coed on the stairs. Probably this weekend.

I can't imagine I'm going to have to hold my breath too long to see that familiar sight.

All I know is that there is currently a parade of bulky guys wearing shorts, those gym shower shoes, and ill-fitting BC shirts, lugging cases of beer into the apartment next door to ours. I can only kind of hope that they wait until Friday night to celebrate their return to campus. But hey, if they decide to kick off their revelry tonight, I can hardly blame them.

I used to so look forward to my return to campus after lengthy breaks. No parents. No rules. No official drinking age.

It's kind of fun.