Week 3 - Tuesday

Last night I went out for a rollerblade around the pond. It turned out to be a considerable amount longer than I had anticipated, but surprisingly smooth and easy to navigate. There is one portion where, if speed is not adequately accounted for, I could see myself toppling over the railing into the pond, but it’s an otherwise unencumbered path. I traveled obscenely slowly, indulging a penchant for window nosiness and peering n everybody’s glass (the good news is, due to the peculiar angle of my corner apartment, it is exceedingly difficult to see anything of my homestead from the path, particularly given my compulsive blind-closing practices). I did feel like a bit of a snoop when I peeked in and saw a set of eyes or two returning the inquiry, but other than that, it was a largely uneventful and entertaining excursion. There was an elderly couple trying to coax fish onto their hooks next to a sign that read, “Only catch and release fishing allowed,” and a couple of kids tooling around on their bikes, in addition to the traditional college frizbee-players. I found a rocking porch-swing-type-thing that will provide an excellent spot for reading this evening or the next, and there are two gazebos with appealing views for a similar purpose. I noticed a ton of foreigners – primarily Chinese and Japanese, and even one Arab dude, all either surgically attached to their iPods or cell phones. Our current society has an embarrassing reliance on technology. I found the backside of the apartment owned by the Plant Guy, who wheels about seventy plants out of his garage at six-thirty every morning for sun and watering, and found his porch stuffed to the brim with even more. I wonder if he’s a professional grower, specializing in rarities? He’s home at odd hours, and I didn’t recognize any of his subjects. None of my business, I guess; and all the same, everybody needs a hobby. My favorite porches had lights strewn across them, those big Chinese lantern-type things with electrical inserts – they look so fun.

Anyway… back to the grind. Criminal Law was cancelled this morning due to a death in Dean Hurd’s family, but we have an extra Property class in its stead. I feel a bit like a sheep, but it’s nice to be shunted with the same people everywhere… makes getting lost much less frightening, because I can just wander in circles until I see a familiar face. It also helps that someone posts the schedule of each room outside the door, so if worst comes to worst, I just wander around until I find my class on one of the sheets. Doesn’t happen often, though, this being the third week and classes largely stable in location.

Back to Contracts, first thing in the morning. This guy could make an art class boring. Okay, maybe not, but he’d certainly lay out a damp blanket to smother any rising spirals of enthusiasm.