Spending and the Stuff of Scholars

Brittany can spend money faster then anyone I know. It’s a good thing she enjoys working so much because she’s not a saver and supporting her life style will be an on-going thing. (Unless of course her parents die early and leave her everything. She might be able to take a little break then.)

She skipped spring break this year to work everyday at the hotel, hoping to pay off a couple bills. We decided since she wasn’t coming home we’d get the ceilings redone in our kitchen and family room. The night before the painters arrived we had everything cleared out of both rooms and John couldn’t resist having a little fun with her. He took a picture across the empty space and sent it to her with the text: “We’ll leave a forwarding address.”

The phone rang within seconds. She didn’t think it was funny.

After we admitted we weren’t moving Brittany scolded us for adding to her stress, which was already high because the hotel was scheduled for its annual inspection the next day. She told us about all the activity going on to prepare for the inspector’s arrival. Every housekeeper was on duty deep cleaning the rooms and they had even given Brittany a walkie-talkie to let them know if the man showed up early. Brittany was studying the front desk handbook so she could answer any questions he might ask her, like how many frequent flyer points she should be giving to someone when they checked in. She said she had post-it notes hidden everywhere.

We asked her the next day how it went and she said the front desk got a 1000 out of 1000 and that the inspector had told her boss that Brittany could be a Rhode Scholar. Brittany asked, “What does that mean?” and her boss replied, “It means, if you have to ask, he’s wrong!”

After our painters left, Brittany’s story of the housekeepers working so hard inspired me to do some spring cleaning, especially in her room, which I’ve only been giving a lick and a promise the past 2 and a half years. The first thing I threw out was a cactus I’d bought and put on her window seat when she went away to school. I bought it because I didn’t think they needed water and I knew I wouldn’t be upstairs much with Brittany gone. I guess they needed some water though!

Then I started going through some of the stuff she left behind: lots of tanning oils. SPF 4? Why even bother? And tons of nail polish! Every color of the rainbow. I remembered the time she talked me in to painting my toenails blue. I hated it! She said, “It makes you look so with it!” I said, “It makes me look like I have no circulation in my feet!”

Looking over her collection of stuff I had to smile. Brittany buys the way she lives: she has to try everything!

When I got her room done, it looked great. But, empty. I miss my little Rhode Scholar!