1. The newest edition of Oxford American magazine arrived in the mail today, a week earlier than expected. This is their first (surprisingly) Southern Literature edition, and I've been looking forward to it for months now. One among many features prominently displayed on the cover: POEMS ABOUT: Nymphomania, Jesus, Vultures, & an Argument. (What, no Spanish Inquisition?! Must have been expected.)2. I came down with a cold yesterday. Made for a slightly frustrating day at work, but I took Nyquil last night and slept well over nine hours, which is always something to celebrate. Today, I have head congestion, runny nose, and a soar throat, but because I have a ridiculous amount of studying to do this weekend (this blog post is my break between sections of the latest precalc lecture video: living life on the edge) I'm not going to take any meds. Nyquil during the day puts me in a stupor while non-drowsy meds cloud my head and in recent years have started causing me arrhythmia, which, though a bit disconcerting, is non-threatening in my case, according to my doc. So what's so good about this cold today? It's a perfect excuse to drink hot tea with honey and a shot of bourbon. Granted, if I have too much, my thinking will get just as cloudy as it would with the meds that I refuse to take. But this, my first cup of the day, is awfully good. [This was written about 8 hours ago. I have since completed my studies for the day and am thinking about having whistea #4 of the day... I think I've exhibited enormous self-control.]
3. I find myself kinda sorta understanding the math coursework. The progression seems to follow this pattern: (1) pull my hair out and cuss while initially reading the text (2) pull out more hair and curse further while trying to work the initial set of examples (3) feel a slight glimmer of recognition while watching the video lecture and (4) have a profound sense of "aha!" when doing the second batch of problems. We'll see how much of it still makes sense when I revisit it Sunday morning.
4. I'm dropping the C++ course. The math studies take up so much time (I not only have to keep up with the regular course material, I have to spend nearly as much time reviewing or relearning the fundamentals, and you know what they say about old dogs relearning old algebraic tricks) that I've paid very little attention to the programming work over the past week. It turns out that I make this decision two days before the deadline for partial tuition refunds. So while I'm not entirely thrilled that a single course turns out to be my limit at the moment, I'm relieved that I came to the realization early enough to get some of my money back.
5. Mailed two CDs from The Loners (also check this page), a two-man Raleigh band, to friends back in DC earlier today. Between and after study sessions today, I've been listening to those albums and watching several YouTube videos from live shows. Saw these guys at Tir Na Nog at the WKNC Local Beer Local Band night back in mid-August and they just about floored me: loud, energized, fun. Great time. Check 'em out. 6. And as I linked to the Tir Na Nog site in the previous Get Happy!! point, I saw that another local band is playing there tonight. In fact, they take the stage in about an hour. I Was Totally Destroying It is out of Chapel Hill, and I've liked the little bit I've heard of them on WKNC and their website. Might have to mosey downtown, this cold be damned. Lucky that I hadn't fixed that whistea #4 just yet.
[UPDATE: The IWTDI show wasn't exactly my kinda thing. By most accounts, this 5-piece group is a good band with good songs. But tonight, they were playing as a U2 cover band, with a couple of members even dressing the parts. No, thanks; I'd much prefer to see and hear them as themselves.]
Loners videos:
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