Heck [10.13.08]

Today's observation happened on the move. I was still on fall break, and my friend and I were taking a lap around the development in her golf cart. To say that we were enjoying ourselves would be a definite understatement, for we were downright rebellious. We refrained from breaking around the turns and drove over the speed bumps at a whopping four miles an hour. On our home stretch, my friend and I were busy pointing out the scenery, when something suddenly caught my eye. A Jeep was slowly but steadily backing out of its sandy driveway. I tapped my friend, who immediately slammed on the breaks. Out of nowhere, a decrepit lady emerged from the house's flower garden. "I'm so sorry girls. That man is such a trouble-maker." Her immediate giggle made it obvious that she knew him. Then her decrepit finger shook as she said "give him HECK!" So I did. I thrust my non-wrinkly finger toward gramps and screamed "HECK!" The feeble woman snickered with a wheeze, and returned to tending her shrubbery. Of course, the entire occurrence jolted a hidden angst against elderly drivers and their lack of, well, everything drive-related. So why don't old people have to get re-examined? Isn't it entirely probable that more than half of them shouldn't be driving? What kind of country are we running when golf carts need to compete with Jeeps?

Vengeance is Mine [10.12.08]

During fall break, my friend and I stayed at the beach house that belongs to her family. When referring to the weather, we couldn't have asked for a nicer vacation. However, it came at the price of having several flies buzzing amidst our presence. I know some believe in complete symbiosis with nature. Buddhists, for example, believe that meditation can help one overcome the suffering of this world, even in the case of an annoying creature. However, I respectfully disagree with this lifestyle and fully believe in the meditative power of the fly-swatter. So there I was, leaping across the living room into the dining room, taking gaping strides every step of the way. I poured every ounce of my power into each SWAT - simply because flies are way more than just flies. They whir around strategically, as if they have a game plan in mind. Their most popular targets are facial orifices, and they won't stop until your day is as ruined as they can make it, which is why they must be obliterated. I walked around the house with a vengeance, and they put up a good fight. "You're mine, ya piece of crap!" Three haggard sighs, two irritated groans, and nine swats later, the house was peaceful.

Greyhound Mania [10.11.08]

Once we arrived at Bethany Beach, one of the first locales we visited was the boardwalk. Since we are all poor college students, none of us had the intention of spending an obscene amount of money. However, during our window-shopping, we happened to pass a greyhound. And then another. And then three more. We kept walking...and kept passing an outrageous amount of greyhounds. Finally, my friend blurted out what we were all thinking. "What is this?" Her sister jokingly replied. "Maybe it's greyhound weekend or something." After a few short giggles, we realized the actual reliability of that last statement and halted. Since I was the most outgoing and there were more than enough resources to work with, I buckled: "Fine. I'll ask someone." I walked up to the next greyhound and asked its owner bluntly: "So what's up with all of these greyhounds? Is it greyhound weekend or something?" He replied, matter-of-factly, "Why, yes it is!" Half of me was not expecting that reply, so I uncomfortably say, "Oh...well, alright then. I was just curious, you know, because my friends and I saw a lot of greyhounds." "Well, it's to raise awareness of the specific health problems that greyhounds face during their lifetimes. They can't speak, so we're speaking for them." Like an oaf, I said, "Well, that makes sense. I was just seeing a lot of dogs." I thanked the old fogey, and he and his dog went on their way.

Arachnaphobia [10.10.08]

This was the start of a beautiful weekend, for my friends and I were going to the beach for fall break. It was only my good friend and her sister, so it was going to be an amazing time for us girls to relax and reboot before classes resumed. I knew that the trip up would be eventful, simply because of its nature, but I had yet to anticipate just how unpredictable the ride down would become. Three minutes after we left my friend's house, her sister asked us to pull over. The windows were down, and thus she was getting chilly. Of course, she had no better solution than to open the trunk and retrieve her sleeping bag, which she then opened up on the side of the road and squirmed into. The next challenge was being able to close the car door, and once she had, another problem made itself known. My friend turned off her four-ways and headed back onto the country road, only to hear her sister scream. "There's a big-ass spider back here!" "Well, just kill it!" "I can't! The wind's blowing it all around! Oh my god! It's crawling up your seat!" Since I was riding shotgun, I was not all that concerned with my personal well-being; the spider was countless inches away from me. However, when the driver started wiggling around to avoid an arachnid attack, I was forced to become involved. "Geez...it's just a spider! Just kill it with your flip-flop or something!" "I'm trying!" "Do I have to come back there? Because I will!" This was how the next few minutes played out. Finally, I heard a loud THWAP - and knew that the deed was done. Needless to say, the rest of the trip was filled with piercing boy-band karaoke and fist-pumps out the window. Who knew that a measly spider would be just the beginning?

Waking Up [10.09.08]

Today's observation happened in the dead of night. Walking to my car, my nose twitched in the breeze. I sniffed something new, and yet familiar. As a strolled along the sidewalk, I realized what the odor was and where it came from. I could not believe that I didn't notice it before - it was there for the longest time. I peered up - it was there in the trees as they changed their color and fell to the ground below them. I glanced down - it was there, wafting up from the earth beneath my feet. I stopped and stood and simply took it in. My eyes closed as the essence glided over my face, and my hair whipped in the bellowing wind. My sense of smell was heightened, and there it was - crisp and clear and wonderful. The smell of fall.

Concert Fake-Out [10.8.08]

In the game of life, some days are easy, while others are just the beginnings of emotional roller coaster rides. Today was the latter. I, along with others, are in the beginning stages of planning a concert in the spring semester. Our first and perhaps most important mission is to book a band. Fortunately, since this concert is going to be supported by a department of the college, we had sufficient enough funds to get a decent band to come. However, we still had to track down agencies and fill out contracts and finally get a band to accept our offer. As of today, we had the first two steps completed and we were simply playing the waiting game with the requested band. To check if there was any progress, my friend and I visited the Chaplin in his office. We entered the chapel and walked by his office just in time to hear him say "yep...we got 'em!" My friend and I looked at each other and screamed: "we got them! They're coming!" The chaplain hung up the phone and joined us out in the lobby. "Who is coming?" We ceased the jumped and collectively said "um - the band?" The Chaplin winced and replied "Oh...no...no...no. I was talking about the riders. They just came through, so I called the agency to let them know we got them." "So we have yet to hear from the band?" He nodded, and we frowned. What a let-down.

Stand Your Ground [10.7.08]

The 'muter life is one of constant metamorphosis; one day could be spent studying in the library, while the next could be spent eating dinner at home with the family. However, to most 'muters, evenings prove to be the only constant. Since my home allows me to be an exception to the rules, I find that my evenings are as flexible as my days. One could be spent watching a Star Wars marathon in the lounge, while another could be spent doing homework in one of the many dorms. Nowadays, I find that one of my favorite spots is Silver Hall, simply because some of my best friends live there. Once I get through all of my classes, I simply call her to let me in. Sometimes I get lucky, and others happen to be going out when I am trying to get in, so they politely hold the door open while I oblige their offer. Today was the latter, and I headed to the staircase. Once in the stairwell, I glided up one flight and prepared myself to do the same thing with the next. However, I was forced to freeze as I simply looked at a couple trying to go down the flight. I understand that this seems like an over-emphasized problem, because many encounters consist of both parties forming single-file lines and heading their separate ways. Tonight was a completely different story, for tonight, the couple silently refused to cease their hand-holding, and boldly started down the stairs as I was walking up. Of course, when we connected eyes, I courteously offered them a smile, as if nothing was wrong. Maybe, just maybe, they were unaware of the rules and regulations of proper stairwell conduct. However, my mind couldn't resist tracing this awkward debacle to that quote from a western. This staircase is not big enough for the three of us, I thought. And I was right - it wasn't. Mid-way through the flight, I had to pause my travels just so both of them could successfully continue on their way. If that's not ridiculous, I don't know what is.