Ah, good ol' college days

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. The arrival of my family meant I missed last Wednesday's strip, which was submitted by a reader, if I recall. MWGallagher, can you remember what exactly you sent to Al, and how it compares to the final strip? I only hope you like beans...

In today's strip, we deal with what appears to be a college student. Have we encountered one of those before, in his natural habitat (i.e., a dorm room)? This may be new ground! How exciting! I don't think I ever heard of anyone who had a "no shoes" rule in college. That seems wrong. I'd accept this more easily if Hekkie was post-college. (His room seems less dorm-like and more like a first apartment, but what do I know?) I'm too distracted by his mom's feet in the bottom panel to give anything else much thought. What are those lines? Is she supposed to be wearing socks? You'd think she'd be wearing stockings, as she's wearing a skirt. Or she'd be bare-legged, but she wouldn't be wearing socks. Seriously, what are those lines???

And ew, cigar ashes. How is he talking in the top panel? And are they leaving their shoes in the hallway? From the top panel, I guess so. I guess shoe thievery isn't really an issue wherever they are.