a journal of my adventure back to college to finish my degree

 
The Seerveld Touch

I've got a new favorite word: Hineinlebenshaltung...
perhaps more on that later.
posted by Baus at 2:06 AM

 
A Story For You

Way back around the 15th - 22nd Feb. I had a "reading break." As my sister was getting married, I went to my parents'. Just when I thought heading south might entail relief from the frozen netherworld that is Canada, a meter of snow falls in Catonsville. I spent two days digging them out (at a fair price), shoveling around 1800 cubit feet of snow at around 5 tons --or so my engineer father tells me. It is now no mystery to me why the pagan north Europeans conceived of "hell" as darn cold.

By Wednesday I was able to sojourn briefly in Harrisburg, visiting commrade Aaron and (to my ignorant surprise) Josh. Nathan was off with Tiff celebrating her birthday... factoid: she is now as old as he was when they first started dating. I didn't call Scott, which I hope he doesn't hold against me... I only had one day in town to spare.

Brother Gary came in that night, and brother Jeff the next day. So we went out Thursday evening to have drinks at the spot where I said goodbye to Baltimore and friends six months ago. Friday we set out for the wedding. I met my new in-laws at the rehersal dinner, one of whom attends my alma mater. The ceremony was pleasantly brief and tasteful, and the reception was right up my alley... accept for a brief stint singing at the microphone, I could eat, hang-out, catch up with friends and relatives, and (secretly) drink a lot of booze with pals.

My in-laws are teatotaling... which I try not to criticize except when it comes to Eucharist, weddings, funerals, birthdays, major holidays, minor holidays, late night discussions, big meals, after work, and weekends. I mean, if you don't want to share a drink with me at 9am on Tuesday... I suppose you can still be a Christian. Who am I to judge?

Anyway, we drove back home in the worst fog I've ever seen in Maryland. I don't know about everyone else in the car, but I was stinkin' cranky. We pulled over for coffee and a donut... and got back on the wrong highway. It was just one of those nights. We did manage to hear some pretty sweet late night college radio, however. It reminded me why I once contemplated living a life of crime... well, that was one of the times I contemplated such things. Don't be frightend.

Sunday, Gary and I attended church with Jeff. At the coffee hour I had a swell conversation with one of the rectors about Phenomenology and philosophy of religion. He was a big fan of Levinas. He was unfamiliar with Calvinistic developments. That afternoon I was able to see more of Keenan and also visit with Gordon and Steph. Good times.

Then I had to get on a plane and fly back to Buffalo where my buddy Jonathan of St. Catherine's would pick me up and drive me back to school. Jonathan drove me out to the airport at the beginning of the trip, and we had a jolly time kicking around Niagara-on-the-lake. At BWI they took my wisker scissors, and it bothered me inside... but I decided to turn it into a point of bragging... how I'm making tremendous sacrifices for our national security. America should chip-in an get our hero (me) a new pair of wisker scissors.

I really didn't do much reading over reading-break. But Jeff asked me to flip through his Cornel West Reader. Sadly, I wasn't super-impressed. But I like the "activist-scholar" vocational concept that is so dear to West. In anycase, I got back to school in time for my Tuesday class. But I was exhausted the rest of the week. I think I'm recovered now, but there's quite a bit going on... stay tuned.
posted by Baus at 5:27 PM