windblown hair and much fist-pumping

Tuesday night Kate and I drove around campus just to scope out the general situation; remarked on the ridiculously enormous construction site (complete with industrial crane) that is in the midst of creating our savior (the campus center), and we hazarded a guess as to how long (or short) until the first major incident involving a lawrentian and the construction site occurs. Driving west on college ave we spotted an incoming freshman and his parents walking in front of the chapel. Before I knew what I was doing I had rolled down the window and was yelling an MTV-spring-break-worthy "WELCOME WEEK> WOOOOOOO" complete with windblown hair and much fist pumping. The parents were a little stunned but the dude totally double fist pumped right back. So whoever you are; welcome to lawrence, man.

Life in Appleton is just great. Great in that 'my parents aren't around so I can pretend I'm an adult' kind of way... that is until I realize I'm writing a completely useless post for my lame new blog instead of warming up for my impending cello lesson. Watching new freshmen move in yesterday is forcing the reality of the situation; within a week I'm diving headfirst into 33 weeks of academic rigor. As they say in Texas; "I'm in the chute" (which I believe is a reference to cattle awaiting slaughter).

On the up side; Oktoberfest is also looming on the horizon. MEAT ON A STICK, DRINKING IN THE STREETS AND OVERWEIGHT PACKERS FANS...GIVE IT TO ME.

Tuesday night, it was my opinion that drinking games are overrated (Here's my drinking game... beer, mouth, swallow.)
Wednesday morning reminded me why the use of a drinking game to 'pace' oneself is a favorable idea.

It's been cloudy all morning and I'm running on 3 1/2 hours of anxiety ridden sleep - I have a lesson at 10am and I'm nervous like I've never been. It's not audition nerves; it's I want Janet's approval nerves. The sun just came out and I need to go warm up. The pads of my fingers are raw and I cut my nail on my right thumb TOO short - no matter how hard you try, summer always wreaks havoc on hand strength and calluses. There's nothing like the eternal autumnal task of painful practice to get yourself back in an academically musical state of mind.

The endless opportunities that come with the promise of fall term are irresistibly glorious. The possibility of being wildly successful is still very real (if only because you haven't yet had the chance to screw up).
Me? I'm shooting for just north of average and a few good memories.