1. Spring 05
Finishing classes was supposed to be exhilarating – a rush of relief to follow the stress of scholarship applications and final exams and the anticipation of grade postings. Don’t get me wrong – in a way, it has definitely been a pleasant escape – but it hasn’t been all I’d imagined the first post-semester week would be. First, there were the three or four days I spent sleeping in and playing ridiculous amounts of video games. These days were saturated with feelings of guilt: “Isn’t there something I should be doing? Shouldn’t I be feeling stressed or worried? Am I sleeping too much?” Once I finally came to terms with the peaceful, resounding “No”s induced by the mass amounts of serotonin my well-rested synapses were able to put forth, reality hit. Of course there were things I needed to be doing, and tons of them. I should be stressed and worried, and I am most definitely sleeping too much.
2. Super Mario Brothers
It gets to the point where I can just sit and play and not think. Everything becomes mechanical – jump, dart, hit, run. I’ve been getting almost giddy about it lately; I gather pillows and bean bag chairs, a diet coke and chocolate. When I get tired of staring at the tv screen, I move on to the classic Minesweepers, in addition to WHATword and Collapse, and BounceOut. This has gotten serious, and admittedly, a little embarrassing.
3. Wallet Abuse
Bruce Springsteen – Greatest Hits; The Cars – Complete Greatest Hits; Jack Johnson – In Between Dreams; Ben Folds – Songs for Silverman; Tom Waits – Bone Machine; Harry Nilsson – Nilsson Schmilsson; Whiskeytown – Pneumonia; The Counting Crows – August and Everything After; Bruce Springsteen – Devils and Dust. And I really needed that book buyback money, too. Weezer’s new cd comes out Tuesday, and I just don’t know what I’m going to do.
4. Graduation
Congratulations to all of you lucky ducks who are finished with such years of madness. Liz has set a ridiculous standard of what we’re supposed to do with our lives post-graduation, and Markley… well, I guess he isn’t through schooling yet, which means the rest of us will feel like slackers for just sticking with the four-year degree. And for not being ridiculously talented comic artists. Actually, I’m never going to amount to anything.
5. Sufjan Stevens
This is for you, Mario (And the whole state of Illinois, too, I suppose). Please don’t die.
A few years ago, there was that Sufjan Stevens album, “Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State.” It was good, I thought. Then Sufjan announced his intentions of releasing a concept album for every state in the great USA. All the indie kids laughed and called him overzealous and idealistic. Well, “Chicago,” the first single off his forthcoming “Illinois” album stopped approximately 12,419,293 people from laughing. If you want it, “Nxd Amy” on AIM will gladly send it to you. That’s me, if you haven’t gathered as much.
song of the moment: The Veils – Valleys of New Orleans