So the title of this post is something that you hear alot. You pass someone you know on the way to class, or you stop briefly to chat with a friend you haven't talked to in a little while. This is a generic question, one that, for me at least, is not often answered with complete honesty. Often it's simply because things are generally ok and I don't have the time to stop and explain every detail of my life's activities. Other times it's that I don't know the person well enough to feel inclined to describe how things are going. Many times it's that I'm not sure myself what to make of my life. Sometimes I feel bad talking with someone I don't know particularly well or haven't talked to in a bit and having nothing to say outside of "How are you? How are your classes?" I've realized recently that taking time to ask more specific questions can help people feel like you genuinely care about them and their well being. So the next time someone says "Hey, how are you?" and I'm not rushing off to class, I'm going to take a minute and say something beyond "Fine", "Good", or "okay, tired, busy".
The busted elbow is getting much better, it seems I didn't do nearly as much damage the second time around. Sling use has been relegated to sleep time, which isn't a major inconvenience. I acutally don't mind, because often by the end of a busy day, my arm is tired and needs the rest and the support. According to my friend's father who is a doctor, the ligaments take six weeks to fully heal, and I'm sure two dislocations in one month doesn't aid that any.
School is going to be very very busy this semester. I am taking six classes, 19 credits total, 17 of which are academic. I like the work and the classes so I'm more motivated to do my work (which is what I'm supposed to be doing right now). I enjoy being busy, and so long as I stay on top of the work, stress should be minimal and the workload not terribly difficult.
This past week was very eventful and interesting, in several ways. I have discovered/reaffirmed something I knew but didn't know: I have some amazing friends. I am reminded of the Tracy Lawrence song "Find Out Who Your Friends Are". The song talks about how when your life is going well, you have alot of friends, and alot of people who say they care about you and will help you if ever you need it. It goes on to say that when your life sucks, and you fall flat on your face, that's when you find out who really is your friend. It's the people who are there helping you up when you do something really dumb, when they could easily have left you to your own devices and the consequences of your actions.
This past Wednesday evening, I was with a group of people at a small party/get together we were having in the interest of getting everyone together before work and school and social commitments took everyone their separate ways. I decided it would be a good idea to consume what amounted to about 7 shots of Vodka and Cointreau over the course of about 25-30mins. BAD BAD BAD IDEA!! My body mass does not tolerate that high of a concentration in such a short period of time. This I discovered very quickly. Once I got about halfway through the second martini, I started to realize what I had done. For the next hour or so, three of my friends were taking care of me, talking to me, cleaning me up, and doing their best to keep me from the prying eyes of the rest of the group. Thinking back, I can only imagine what a sight I must have been. Words cannot express my gratitude for the three guys who proved their friendship and took care of me when they would, I'm sure, have much rather been enjoying themselves with the rest of the party. I don't know if I will ever have an opportunity to show them a kindness on a similar level, but I will forever be indebted to them for taking care of me. <3 those guys so much!
On a lighter note, this week should prove to be entertaining and interesting, as classes get into full swing. As school gets busier, it'll mean my social life simplifies, which will be nice. Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend part of CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) and see the movie "Cloverfield". CPAC was lots of fun, very interesting speakers and panels. For anyone familiar with the Washington D.C. metro system, the green line is not a place you want to be after dark. "Cloverfield" was not worth $8.50 of my money. It wasn't a terrible movie, but it wasn't all that great either. It was a mildly interesting way to kill and hour and half. I recommend either seeing it at a time with a discounted rate, or waiting until it comes out on DVD, or catching it at some small town theatre that only charges a few dollars for a movie. I know at a Loewe's theatre near my family's house, they only charge $5 for any movie you see on Sunday mornings before 12pm. My friends and I did this after church one day and got a great movie for a good price. More money for popcorn :)
So that's pretty much it for now. Now to go make something of my day and actually get some work done.
Peace y'all
P.S. Common Sense Life Lesson for the week: Don't ask your friend for directions to the nearest train station when they have been drinking, even if they swear they're just buzzed. This will result in wandering around the city for a good hour or so, until you wind up in a not so great area of town.
