nemoorange.com

Home Renting Lessons

As of May 6th, I've been out of college for an entire year. All my brethren Class of '06-ers agreed, we really didn't belong there anymore. It was bittersweet, to be a place you loved so much and simultaneously feel so disconnected from it.

So that means I've been living the life-after-college bit for an entire year now. I've put together a little list of what I've learned in the past 12 months, most of which is focused on being a first time home-renter.

1. Mice, unlike polio and DDT, are still a problem in the twenty-first century.

2. The minute energy put forth to be neighborly is worth the effort. It will snow again, and you still won't have a shovel.

3a. If you buy a lawnmower from a guy who's got a bunch lined up on his front lawn, be sure to consult your roommate. S/he might have already bought one.

3b. The gasoline sitting in the garage over the winter shouldn't be used when you start the lawnmower up the first time in spring.

4. Some windows are designed to have the bottom half slide up others have the top half slide down. Do check which kind you have before you frustrate yourself for months devising of a open-window prop.

5. Spare keys cost 2 dollars and 15 minutes to make. They start paying for themselves the moment you don't have to decide which window you should break to get back into the house.

7. Although it is possible to ride a bike while carrying a backpack with a half gallon of milk, 6 pack of beer and 8 apples; I would advise against it.

8a. Most kids will take all the candy they can get their hands on, on Halloween. Don't offer the entire bowl.

8b. On Halloween, close up shop after 8:30 before those teenage raggamuffins with no costumes on start prowling for left over candy.

9. Everyone wants a security deposit. Your landlord and all the utility companies. Have your checking account and humility ready.

10. For the brave, eggs are good for 2 weeks after the expiration date if refrigerated properly. Consume at your own risk.

Of course, you should take this advice with a grain of salt. this is all coming from a guy entering his sophomore slump of the real world.