September 12, 2011

No, I refuse.  It is much too early in the semester to be arguing with myself over whether coffee is a good beverage of choice throughout the day.  As I scale the stairs to my office in the mornings, my eyes light up at the idea of a hot cup of coffee sitting next to me and my computer.  This, my friends, is not a good sign.  Usually my caffeine addiction doesn't peak until late in the semester, closer to final exams.  This week marks only the fourth week of the semester; how can I be at this stage of the coffee debacle already?  Last week I avoided it; this week looks to be a bit more difficult.  After my morning cup today, though, I was feeling the same "fuzzy" as I was a few days ago; perhaps there is a connection, although it seems counterintuitive.  With the answer unknown, and until tomorrow's renewed war of willpower between me and the coffee machine, I'll just remain content to continue to sip on my now-cold cup of coffee.  

September 11, 2011

My Chuck Taylors are one of those pairs of shoes that just make me feel comfortable and perhaps even safe.  They're so simple and so worn in, they're like an old blanket or sentimental t-shirt.  They easily tuck under me if I need to curl up for a nap; they don't pinch, rub, or otherwise harass my feet; and they are consistently reliable.  As I had a flight to Houston ahead of me this afternoon, plus an evening drive back to Austin, I knew comfort was key.  Not just physical comfort, though, but the homey kind of comfort, which, however it happens, these shoes can give.  The warmth inducing kind of comfortable.  Today was not a particularly easy day by any stretch of the imagination, but oddly enough, wearing my Chucks helped.  As I've had them for nearly ten years, they've seen quite a bit and have walked with me through a number of tough situations.  They're a bit worse for wear, but they get the job done as well as they did fresh out of the box. 

September 10, 2011

Having at least one Shiner Bock during every Texas Longhorn football game is one of my earliest and longest surviving traditions.  I'm not entirely sure how  it began but for as long as I can recall, I've always required one to ensure the 'Horns pull off a win.  As crazy as it may sound, I'm convinced Texas did not win the national championship against Alabama because I did not have a Shiner.  To be fair, New York City, which is where I watched the game, doesn't allow for the importation of Shiner, but I should have some how found a way to overcome this minor obstacle.  This game day was no different than usual; as we sat down to wait for kick off at the Tavern, the familiar words were spoken:  I'll have a Shiner Bock, please.  Shortly into the second half, I knew my task was complete as the 'Horns showed up to the game, marched down the field, and held BYU's offense for a 17-16 victory.  Hook 'em.

September 9, 2011

My apartment is ridiculously old.  It is so dated, I can't even estimate how old the appliances and air conditioner are.  Everything is ridiculously loud or entirely inefficient.  The dishwasher sounds like a jet engine and isn't properly secured into the cabinetry.  The air conditioner, similarly, is as loud as a utility-sized air compressor and, although it is tightly bolted in place, doesn't accurately reflect the temperature in my apartment.  The stove, however, is the ultimate terrible appliance.  Every single time I use it, my smoke detectors start screaming incessantly, despite my never having burned a single dish in this apartment.  It is not uncommon to see both of them on my kitchen table, as I know I'll just have to take them off the wall and unplug them the next time I use the stove.  After an hour or so of cooking tonight, part of which included roasting poblanos, these two life savers were summarily retired.

September 8, 2011

If I could have taken a picture of my mind today, I'm sure this is what it would have looked like.  Some days are just . . . fuzzy, discombobulated, and otherwise weird.  I'm curious if today's fuzziness was a factor of a busy weekend, followed by long workouts and too much work, without much dedicated rest.  Regardless of its cause, I was entirely useless today.  I couldn't create much of a coherent thought or get much done in the way of productivity (although, I'm aware this sentiment of mine is a question of relativity).  Rather, the day was spent in a haze as I walked from class to class, perhaps making fuzz-induced esoteric comments relating to each, and finally making my way to bed in the early evening.  Not even a friendly football game between two recent Super Bowl champions could keep my attention or keep me from drifting to sleep.  So, whatever it was that crept up on me was a strong fighter.  This calls for more sleep in the very near future, something I am definitely on board with.