So I’m here sitting outside Caffe Strada, sipping an iced caramel latte, in this ice-cold weather. The sun sure disappeared quick today. I have Smashing Pumpkins on, browsing the web, relaxing, and just thinking.
This past week has definitely been a more relaxing one, especially when I compare it to any given week in October. It’s a good change of pace, and allows me to reflect. Makes me appreciate the smaller details of life.
Finished my last group presentation of the semester yesterday. Finished my last midterm a couple weeks ago. Now, it’s just Thanksgiving holiday and a few more weeks before finals and the end of semester. Time just goes and doesn’t stop.
Although this week has been a relaxing one work-wise, it’s been pretty crazy, too. They finally provided more details of the shooting that happened in the business school. A staff worker had spotted a 32-year-old student with a gun, called the police, and when police came and identified him, he pulled out a gun and was shot. He later died from his wounds.
I’m glad that no one else was hurt. I have to commend the University police on their excellent work – they came within minutes of the call and did their jobs in protecting the rest of the students in the computer lab where the incident occurred.
It’s unfortunate that this happened, but it could have turned out much worse. It’s times like these that I appreciate all the work that cops put in – it’s far from an easy job, and being hated and unappreciated doesn’t help much, either.
The Occupy protests have been ongoing, but apart from the Robert Reich lecture, participation has gone down to the usual levels. Still, the movement overall is still getting coverage and new developments, so I’m curious what will be happening in the next few weeks.
This week also marks the final week of ABA. Banquet is tomorrow, and even though I’m looking forward to it (as I usually do), another part of me is dreading it, since it’s the last one I’ll be attending as a member of Cabinet.
I’ll have a post in the near future on my reflections of being so involved in ABA these past five semesters, but for the time being, I’m just happy and thankful for everything the organization has done for me.
I finally got around to (semi) fixing one of my bicycles, at least to a ride-able condition, and I’m taking in my car to the shop today to install the replacement tire I ordered (had a flat).
It feels good that things are in place again. I consider these machines an extension of me (as weird as it sounds), and when they’re broken, part of me doesn’t feel right, either. The bottom line: I’m glad that they’re back. Now hopefully my knees will comply as well.
I was thinking earlier today, and I realized something. You learn so much year after year without realizing it at times. You could feel like you know everything there is to know about something, and then you put a little more time into it and learn something entirely new.
It’s definitely encouraging and makes me open to experiences, old and new. As one of my favorite comic writers Bill Watterson wrote in his final Calvin and Hobbes strip, “It’s a magical world…let’s go exploring!”
Thanks, Bill, and I will.
Explore the world with Glen at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.
