As we rolled into Stratford on the first day of school, the freshmen wandered lost down the middle of the hall, the sophomores thought they were upperclassmen, and every girl was trying to sneak a peek at Andrea, the new Italian exchange student.

A few days before school started, my friends and I took Andrea to that quintessential Macon fine-dining experience, El Som. He was duly impressed. So far he has charmed everyone with his sparkling personality and gorgeous accent. The latter proved quite useful in stacking chairs, which he helped Tift Palmer with this week. Benvenuto, Andrea.

Summer was filled with beach trips, time by the Idle Hour pool, babysitting, catching up on community service hours, going to sports camps, helping with Camp Eagle, and as always, avoiding summer reading. Not me, of course….

Eagle Night was a hit as always. Coach Mark Farriba got the crowd going for what promises to be a great football season, and Fincher’s barbecue was as good as ever. As an added bonus, while Eagle Night temperatures are usually about as hot as the surface of the sun, it was only 82!

Here’s to a great start to the year as we roll around the loop.