Brilliant Corners

We’d had snow falling from the sky at various levels of intensity at least ten different times so far, but I still can’t get used to it.

While growing up in Texas snow was a novelty. We would maybe get one snowfall a year. Sometimes it would stick, but usually it didn’t; or, it wouldn’t stick on the ground for long. In Texas, I think we’d get ice or sleet more than anything else.

It snowed every year, sometimes heavily, during my years living in Michigan. I can’t remember if I grew to hate the snow and ice, or whether I enjoyed it. I know there were some days when walking across the Michigan State campus, carrying my heavy band instrument, that I hated the slipping and sliding the snow and ice caused.

We’re back in the north again, and the snow has been falling, especially the last couple of weeks. And I like it. A lot. It hasn’t collected on the ground so much yet, so it hasn’t interfered with driving yet, so my mind may end up changing later. I just find it wonderfully peaceful, and it makes the dropping temperatures just that much more bearable. It’s definitely a nice change from Texas.

Right around the corner from the front door of our apartment is a tiny room with a trash chute. You pull open the small metal door labelled “RUBBISH” and drop in your trash. It falls four floors to the trash room. Every day is trash day.

Living in an apartment has taken some getting used to. There are definitely some pluses to apartment living: no more yard to water and mow; no worrying about a thief coming in through the alley; no fear of that old tree in the backyard falling onto our house, or even worse, onto the neighbor’s house; and no squirrels and rats in the attic.

But then, the list of not-so-great things about apartment living could almost be the reverse of the pluses: we no longer have our own yard for the kids to play in; no trees; less contact with neighbors; less space; and the inability to call the place “your own.”

The kids adjusted to living in an apartment rather quickly, which surprised me. I assumed they would miss all those things above, but they’ve found ways to find new ways to play inside the apartment. We’re slowly decorating the place with plants and paintings and photos, but the walls are still almost completely bare. The good thing is that we’re down to only two boxes left to unpack. It’s been a stop and start process of making the apartment into our own temporary home.

There’s a lot to love about our new city and our new neighborhood, and we’ve only just begun to explore.

So, quite a bit has happened since the last time I posted anything here…

1. I finally, finally finished all my school work and received the diploma for my Bachelors degree;
2. we sold our house in Dallas and moved to a new city and state;
3. we moved into an apartment/loft, which is the first true apartment that I’ve ever lived in;
4. I just recently launched a monstrous Ruby on Rails project for work that I’d been working on for months;
5. we all bought new bikes and I can’t wait to ride mine again;
6. we’ve been eating some great food and soaking up our new culture, but damn, I miss a good Mexican food meal;
7. and there’s probably much, much more but it will have to wait.

Oh, and I also redesigned this site, but I wonder who checks website/weblog designs much anymore. Everyone reads via newsreaders these days, right?

Last week I finally graduated with a Bachelors degree (English Literature, if you can believe that). When I walked across the stage during the University of North Texas commencement ceremony, I finally made that first step into the working world.

Oh, wait. I’m already there!

My first semester at a university (at Michigan State) was in the fall of 1989. There were many starts and stops, degree changes, and school changes in between. I eventually dropped out about 11 years ago and started working full time.

Then, a few years ago, a good friend of mine re-enrolled and began working on his degree again - after an absence almost as long as my own. Slowly but surely, by taking one or two classes a semester, I completed all the classes I needed to complete my degree. So, now, after almost 17 years, I have completed my college education.

It still boggles my mind that it’s finally over. While going back to school I continued to work full time. We had our second child somewhere in the middle of all this, too. This really wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support of my wife, who sometimes didn’t get the breaks she needed when I was at class, or at the coffee shop studying. It was tough at times, but we made it work somehow.

Now, what’s next? Well, that’s the question I’m still asking myself. Stay tuned.