A college student calls home to assure her parents that, although she is no longer living in the dorm, don't worry -- she's moved in with her boyfriend, Spike. And although the dorm fire sent her to the hospital, doctors have assured her she'll be OK in time.

Just kidding, the student tells her shocked parents. But I have something else to tell you that really is true: I got a D in one of my courses.

The point, of course, is that when our expectations are lowered, we react better to bad news. I think the opposite is also true -- when we have high expectations, any bad news seems more tragic.

Which brings me to the changes in trash collection. Some are decrying the end of backyard pickup as the end of civilization as we know it.

There may be some real health issues to consider from moving to weekly collection -- the potential for trash to pile up and attract pests should be closely monitored. And it's great that those who cannot get trash to the curb will still be able to get backyard pick up.

But in my opinion Raleigh's trash pick up system is the best I've ever seen, and even with the cost-saving changes the bean counters tell are necessary, it will still be good.

When I lived in Miami, I used to save newspapers in my apartment, then bundle them up periodically and haul them to a recycling center, where I would get a few measly bucks for my half day of back-breaking work.

I could also haul glass, but I'd have to separate it into colors. I had to find the right bins for all of this stuff myself -- and I can tell you that the less time spent in a smelly recycling center in the Miami sun, the better.

When I moved to Detroit, I began saving newspapers and glass again, only to find that there was no place to recycle.

So, as bad as the changes may seem here, it could be worse.