Back in the South
Well, indeed I am. I'm slowly making the adjustments. I still haven't adjusted to driving down here yet. I'm used to Chicago driving so I get confused when people brake at green lights or stop in the middle of the road for no apparent reason or drive 25 mph in a 55 mph zone. It drives me crazy.
I had a wild moving week the week before last, enduring a 72 hour stretch with a total of 5 hours of sleep. That of course included packing, loading, driving, unloading and then going to orientation for 12 hours. Major props go to my girlfriend for making the move possible with all her help. Orientation was three days long and lasted around 10-12 hours each day. Yeah, it was an exhausting week. Last week I began classes. I'm taking 12 hours (4 courses) and working 15 hours a week at the Circulation Desk in the library. My already ridiculously large personal home library (was that enough modifiers?) is sure to grow now that I'm a library insider again...not to mention that I'm a grad student too. Here's my class schedule:
Monday: God in the Western Tradition
Tuesday: Literary Criticism and the New Testament
Wednesday: Post-Modern Theory - In the Wake of the Death of God (you know I'm gonna dig this one)
Thursday: Pastoral Care and Theology (the thorn in my side...not b/c of its content but the fact that its requirement demand is disproportionate to the other courses)
Thankfully, I worked out my schedule to where I have Friday and Saturday off, no work or school, so I'll have two full days to work on homework or other stuff. I'm just now getting my apartment fully in order so hopefully tonight I can knock out some of the few hundred pages I have to read before this week. My academic habits are utterly undisciplined at the moment but I'm sure necessity will fix that really quick. I'm sure my tendency to procrastinate adds nothing to the matter...
It's been nice hanging out with dante and his lady while being here. I've missed that crazy bastard (dante that is, not his wife...well, on second thought, she's a bastard too) way too much. I don't really have any friends yet other than them but I'm sure that will come in time...I'm hoping at least. This black sheep syndrome that I'm feeling will hopefully be temporary. As soon as I get a chance, I will dive in full speed and instigate the barroom chatter. In the meantime, I'm turning up the jukebox because this country music is driving me crazy. Drop me a line or two folks...The bartender's feeling a little lonely down here...
posted by thewalrus at 1:50 PM
17 Comments:
Dear thewalrus,
Welcome to Nashville. You'll get used to the driving. Please count me among your Southern friends, and I'll try to drop by the bar from time to time. After all, who doesn't need a second chance? But since this is the second chance, maybe I've hit the jackpot.
Good luck with that courseload. I'm interested in knowing what was to follow "My tendency to procrastinate," since that thought was apparently aborted mid-sentence. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the Factor, its content, and its keys. Thanks for having me along.
-w
7:09 PM, August 27, 2006
don't worry, w, He's going to finish that sentence we he gets around to it.
10:18 PM, August 27, 2006
I was more than happy to help you with your move, even though I'm not happy about you being there at all, because I miss, BUT......
I am very happy that you have decided to go back to school to further your education and pursue something that you are absolutely in love with. And I have full faith in you, that you will make it through babe. And that you will do the best in whatever you do, and I know that. I also want you to know that I support you in whatever it is you chose to do and I will stand behind you all the way. I'm here for you. Don't forget it.
-M
10:56 PM, August 27, 2006
watercolor,
Welcome to thesecondchance. Your first couple of rounds are always bought by the regulars so make yourself at home. Yeah, my haste in posting today (which was done at work) led me to make the rare grammatical mistake here at my bar. I hope I fixed it to everyone's satisfaction (yes, stevepvc, I love and miss the sarcastic jokes). You mentioned the Factor and yes, the third installment is still waiting to happen. It will come in due time, I assure you.
Anonymous,
Welcome to thesecondchance as well. Seeing that you're not so anonymous, you might want to invest in a moniker for future stop-ins. Thanks for your encouragement. My love for my subject, however, is still in metamorphosis. It's interesting that you mentioned love, seeing that that was the topic of the last 60 pages of reading material I read (Plato's "Symposium"). I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading Plato...especially when it's a story about a bunch of guys sitting around getting drunk and making impromptu speeches on a given subject. How fitting is that?? Anyways, thanks again and I always welcome pep talks because I need them.
1:44 AM, August 28, 2006
Now, with that said, here's some more news. Thesecondchance is about to be a bit more active than usual, at least from the bartender's perspective. In the next week (hopefully tomorrow, actually), I am going to add some new features to the bar. Here are some of my recent ideas:
1)Jukebox for the Week - This will be a post purely for the sake of the patrons stopping in and adding whatever song they are listening to at the moment. I welcome diversity (just spare me on country, I'm on overload).
2)This was dante's idea but a post where patrons can start a random conversation based on a quote they read, heard, etc. You can either discuss someone else's quote or add your own. It's merely a place where you can share something and others have the chance to comment or add their own.
3)Curious Happenings - This post will be merely a post for the most curious happening that occurred during your week. This is, of course, in homage to the video series stevepvc and I initiated a long time ago.
I'm working on other ideas so feel free to suggest your own or comment on mine. This will, at the least, enable thesecondchance to be a place to be visited more often, if just for the music and barchat. I will, of course, continue my own "thought posts" but these new features will hopefully add fodder for time in-between. Since I work in the library Sun - Thurs, it should be much easier for me to be more faithful in my duties here. Let me know what you think. Cheers.
1:56 AM, August 28, 2006
Maybe revolutionaries should add some snow skiing to their repertoire, just to blow off a little steam. Unless they're shying away from it on ethical grounds. Or maybe it's blowing off steam in general that they're staying away from, thinking that it is in fact their pent up steam that fuels their revolutionary efforts.
I think I'll keep all my steam in for the rest of the week, and see if it influences me to be more revolutionary.
11:48 AM, August 28, 2006
Bull, have a drink on me...it's new patron week at the second chance, and unless I missed your former debut, a regular patron owes you a beverage. If I did miss you aome other time, have one on me anyway...they run pretty cheap around here anyways.
Hey barkeep, Like the new ideas...I'm storing up random ideas and curious happenings for a long winter, and would love to share.
3:57 PM, August 29, 2006
by the way, was Symposium required for one of those classes? I had a tough time figuring out which one...the best I can guess is God in the western tradition, perhaps due to the discussion of Love and the divine...is that a decent guess, or was it just pleasure reading? Kind of seems like a round peg and a square whole. I have theories of how it could fint in a couple of the other clases, but they seem to stretch even further.
4:02 PM, August 29, 2006
I'm glad to hear you got moved and are at least trying to get settled. I'm betting Indiana doesn't look so bad now does it!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing all your new stories and adventures. It's 70 days from the Election and I'm ready for some distraction.
4:35 PM, August 29, 2006
stevepvc,
Bull is actually a returning patron. You would know him as my cheating Rook partner in high school. Thanks for the feedback on the ideas. I was beginning to think they were unpopular. I fully intend to start working on those tonight.
You were right, Symposium was for "God in the Western Tradition." The course is tracing thoughts/ideas of God through the major Western thinkers (beginning with Plato and ending with Kant and Herder). We discussed not only the conversation on love but also the way that Socrates seems to view the divine. We also read some passages from Timaeus (which were far less entertaining to read). Next week we're hitting Aristotle.
4:39 PM, August 29, 2006
rino,
Welcome back. I'm confident I'll miss many parts of Indiana, especially all my friends...which, come to think of it, I haven't caught up with you in a while (I accept full responsibility). We should do so soon. My stories and adventures should be posted more regularly now that I'm online more.
4:42 PM, August 29, 2006
Well, now that I'm on a comment roll, I thought I'd post my work schedule so you guys will know the best times to catch me. I also check it at night (usually late).
Work schedule:
Sunday 11am - 4pm
Monday 5pm - 7pm
Tuesday 3pm - 5pm
Wednesday 5pm - 8pm
Thursday 9pm - 12am
Sometimes I actually have to work at my job so I might not always be readily accessible...but I'll do my best.
4:50 PM, August 29, 2006
I like all three ideas you suggested for the secondchance. I will be waiting anxiously for their implementation.
It's pretty crazy how abrupt of a transition you took from Indiana to Nashville. You moved in little over a day and already started school stuff and such. Anyway, I'm glad you are getting settled and have found a job...and one not in food services.
8:03 PM, August 29, 2006
By the way, as I said in my e-mail, I owe a HUGE thanks to all of you that helped me in the move...I wouldn't have made it without you. Stevepvc and 2coopers drove all the way to Nashville to help me unload. Those guys are so close to me and I hope I don't even have to formally say how deeply I am indebted to them for their help and support. You guys have no idea how much that meant to me.
Bull, yeah you're right. They sucked. We were (and still would be) the Kings of Rook...
1:40 AM, August 30, 2006
Prison rook, perhaps, because there was no freakin way that you two weren't cheating. I seem to remember discovering cards being passed in somebody's toes, and more signals than a third base coach.
9:10 AM, August 30, 2006
more signals than Danny Joe Wilson?
9:13 AM, August 31, 2006
Nah, we were just really expressive with gestures and other nonverbal behavior. We just wouldn't have made good poker players at the time.
stevepvc/2coopers, where's your jukebox picks?
12:20 PM, August 31, 2006
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