The Beginning Of The End

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Now, today's story...

It's been six days since I've written a real post. I am ashamed. The best way to rectify this problem is by just writing again. Wait, don't leave. It's a good story, I promise. It involves shuttles. And a woman named Bartlett who talks a lot about beer.

Yeah, I recognize that probably wasn't enough to hold my more educated readers.

Anyway. Nonsense aside, I started my senior year at USF on Monday. It's a little odd to think that at this time next year I'll be settling into a career path. (Or at the very least a job that pays the bills. God, I'm gonna have bills.)

So Monday. I was smart enough (read: lucky enough) to schedule all of my classes 11 AM and later. Living at home this semester, I figured I could live without the hassle of travelling through morning rush hour traffic. That's the good news.

The bad news is USF parking is still the disaster it's always been. (I recognize my problems, of which I have very few, are nothing when compared with the devastation suffered along the north Gulf coase this week. But let me tell my story.) I got lucky on Monday and somebody was pulling out just as I got to them.

Tuesday didn't quite fly like that. No, in fact, Tuesday was a bloody nightmare. We'll suffice to say that it's possible I walked ten miles from my car to my classroom — and obviously I was late. But if you don't find that funny, maybe the fact that I rode the USF shuttle for the first time ever will tickle you.

Three years I've been at that school. And for what? To be fair though, I have lived on campus all of those years. And housing is easily within walking distance of the main buildings where classes are held. But I had the task of meeting with a woman named Kathy about a temporary part-time job in the science labs. Don't ask.

Kathy tells me to "take the E" to the nursing school. I'm sorry, what? Oh, it's a shuttle. Well, it's a glorified bus. But the AC is nice on a 90-degree day. I accept. I rode the "E" to the Yukon, I think, before heading back to civilization. But during that ride I realized for three years I've been ignoring a valuable (free) asset. Of course it hasn't really come in handy until recently.

So with the parking dilemma I faced yesterday, I chose to park on Neptune and hitched a shuttle back to Earth. It was a nice ride. Comfortable seats and then there's the added perk of not having to dodge dangerous (read: college-age) drivers.

Not that you asked, but classes have been decent as well. I'm in a magazine design and production class with Liz wherein we, I guess, learn how to design magazines and such. The teacher's a trip but I feel a little out of place being the only television production major in the room. Everybody is journalism or public relations or advertising. But I'm fine with it. I understand uniqueness is a quality trait.

It's been an interesting start to the final year, here. The first three all seemed to run together in my head. Maybe this one will distinguish itself from the pack.

There is much more to say, but at the moment, most of it eludes me.

Until next time.

Breaking Out: In case you were wondering (and I'm well aware of the high probability that you weren't), I thought Prison Break was phenomenal. A lot of critics had their doubts, but everyone's entitled to their opinion. Even the wrong ones. Seriously, though. I thought it was very well written and the surprises promised at the end of each hour were, in my mind, worth the wait. I'm dying to see how they make the great escape.