Monday, January 28, 2008

Today is the first day of the new semester, which means my break is over and now I need to start thinking about how I can be of service. Can I help you? Things like that. I've arranged my schedule so that I'll have three to four mornings a week free to write. This is the first time ever that I've arranged my work schedule around writing, versus doing what work work calls for, and trying to fit myself around that. Hopefully the wealth of me time won't overwhelm any sense of purpose that I begin the day with and lead to an existential crisis centering on the gaping pit of nothingness that I seem to stumble into given too much time to myself. But on a brighter note, after raining hard the entire weekend it's cleared up today.

I'm teaching one class this semester (Narrative Documentary) and supporting three other classes, which means that I will sit in on them, take notes, and offer assistance to international students that may have lost something in translation. That, and also working with international students in the speaking and writing lab. I enjoy the smaller groups of students, and also the international students, the opportunity to be a stranger in a strange

Audience
: Booooooring

Aric and I used to go to an Arcade in Madison named Tilt. One day, scrounging together nickels and dimes, we presented our wealth to Pete, the manager, and he complained: "Can't you guys go to a bank?" Later on around this time, after our relationship with Pete matured a little, he let us stay after and play for free. He took the glass off of the Jurassic Park pinball machine and let us flick the bells and targets, unlocking all the secret levels and bonuses without having to put in the work; learning what would happen if the game was played to its end. I never played the Jurassic Park pinball machine again.