It's been a long time.


Again.

I'm a bit torn as to where to go from this point. Part of me wants to just start from here, the present, the now. However, there are a few things past that I should mention.

Semester 3 of grad school is finally over. This one was hectic... my maximum output was the 30-hour period in which I somehow composed 4 papers from the swirling ether. Finals weren't bad, juries were good enough, and the 29 items I borrowed from the campus library were returned (except for the few that I renewed). One semester left, and I am, once again, ready to graduate. This seems strange, since it took four years for me to be ready to leave Grove City... ah well.

My latest adventure is also worth a few lines. A few weekends ago, the Lytles and I traveled to sunny San Diego, California. Bill needed to do some research, Becky was going to help, and I...well, I'd never seen California or the Pacific, and I wanted to get away from The Pass for a bit. We drove straight through, which took about 12 hours each way, but it was worth it.

California, in general, was a pleasant surprise. I'm not sure what I expected from it, but it was quite wonderful. The scenery was gorgeous, and even the people were nice. My only complaint was the smog, but even then... the ocean air was fantastic. Speaking of the ocean...

I know my camera can't do this justice, but...

Wow. I grew up near Lake Erie, and I've seen the Atlantic a few times... but for some reason the Pacific was...different. Not better or worse, but different. The scenery gave the entire experience an exotic feel. I wanted to set up a chair and read a book here. But, the road goes ever on and on...

...to the shore itself. The previously uploaded picture of myself gazing into the vast immensity of the West is from the same location. This shot is of the coast, and the tidepools which caught all sorts of marine creatures.

Another highlight was the army cemetery at the top of Point Loma. The bandsman Bill is researching is buried here, but what truly made this visit was the view. I almost wanted to enlist, just so I could be buried here one day. Almost.

Okay, that's all that my ridiculously slow computer can handle for now...

Next time, Cali Trip Pt. 2 - THE THING?