cloudy days in LA make me smile

It has been cool and dreary all weekend, with the fall’s first storm system moving through the area. It is weather like this that fills me with schadenfreude, giving me a chance to stand with hands on my hips slightly bent forward like the menacing fourth grade girl who bullies all of the boys who can’t help but be six inches shorter than her, and say, “HA! Take that Southern California. Where is your sunny weather now? I guess you’ll just have to settle with being imperfect like the rest of us.” It is also weather like this that practically requires an otherwise social grad student to stay inside and catch up on all of the reading he or she has recently neglected. Which brings me to the questions, why is it that I can spend hours reading useless information in magazines and on the internet, while a few sentences of my systematic theology reading leaves me with impossibly heavy eyelids and a strong desire to curl up and take a nap.

My theory is presentation. Those schooled in journalism are taught that you have to reach out and grab the readers, keep them entertained, and give them the information quickly and painlessly to satisfy their ever-shortening attention spans. Conversely, those in the academic world are taught that literature must be arduous and verbose. An academic book that is entertaining is seen as pandering to the masses and not taken very seriously. Unfortunately my brain is more wired toward taking in and processing shorter doses of information, no longer than a couple thousand words. I have often said that if all the information in my text books was converted to magazine format, I would have no trouble spending hours reading and learning it. And bulleted list. For some reason those small dots before a list of information gives the sentences added importance. It shows that the author took the time to go through the information and present only what is most pertinent.

To prove the appeal of the bulleted list, I give you the following snapshots of my life over the last couple of weeks. There will be no lengthy explanations or flowery prose, simply the information that is most important, with possibly a little extra to entertain.

• I am currently taking two classes, after having dropped one of my original three. While I tend to be rather confident in my abilities, I am also quite realistic and know that I am not the most diligent of students. With the task of writing twenty six papers of varying lengths in front of me, I decided that I would rather be able to concentrate and do well in two classes, than just get by in three.
• A few weeks ago I made a trip out to IKEA to buy a much anticipated piece of furniture, a mattress. After a friend and I tested out many of the different styles, I found one that is comfortable enough for me to experience a great night sleep yet not so comfortable that I never want to get out of bed, an important balance. Past roommates need not worry anymore, the clothes basket once again has a comfy home at the foot of my bed.
• Last week a few friends and I had the privilege of seeing Sufjan Stevens in concert. The crowd was made up of very fashionably dressed and impeccably cool people, with a couple of celebrities thrown in here and there. He played for well over an hour and proved that he really is as amazing a musician, lyricist, and performer as people say.
• Yesterday, I participated in the Fuller 5K. I decided I would give others a chance to shine so I just walked this one. In all seriousness though, this was my first competitive athletic endeavor since my knee surgeries. Although physically, I was capable of this over a year ago, it took a lot longer for me to get reach this level mentally. Now that I have finally cleared this first hurdle, I hope to continue pushing myself further in this area.
• After approximately two months, my new apartment is beginning to take shape. Yesterday, my roommate found some amazing steals on craig’s list, and we now have two chairs in the living room to go along with the futon. We were finally able to return the camping chairs we had been using to their rightful place on the balcony.
• I feel as though I have successfully taken advantage of this gloomy weather outside and spent most of my Sunday lounging in my pajamas. I have perused a couple of current magazines, watched a movie and a couple of inconsequential programs on tv, and unsuccessfully attempted to read for my classes, all the makings of a great day.