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This day's a special one, if only because it's the first in weeks I decided to actually start writing instead of postponing to a forgetful tomorrow.
Went swimming at two this morning. I'd waited a while for the storm to move on, but the still steady rain and distant arcs of cloud-to-cloud lightning kept the night alive. The water felt much warmer than the air, and wisps of mist rose from the pool up through the rain. Water dripped, trailing curls of steam, from the floodlight's hot surface, looking exactly like a still smoking match tossed to the ground. I listened to the rain-drops hissing in a continual series of impacts upon the pool's rippling surface, and felt them spattering cold on my face as I floated with my eyes closed, and chased a huge old frog around the pool's bottom, and eventually toweled off before walking back in the rain.
We did end up going to West Newton for aunt Sara's funeral, going to Pittsburgh as well for some excellent sushi at Shogun, and staying overnight at my aunt Kimiko's in D.C. on the way back. I think I actually spent more of the drive-time talking with Nana than reading or listening to music, though on a trip that long (we got stuck on I-95 behind a hazmat spill and spent about four hours detourning around) there was plenty of time for all of those.
Also borrowed and beat Doom 3 recently. I'm not much for scary games, and this one (especially near the beginning) had me twitching each time some hideous demon or bloody zombie crawled out of the shadows. It was by far the most immersive game I've played, due mainly to an astonishing level of detail, a deep sense of pacing, great use of ambient sounds, and, of course, unified lighting. Throw in a fairly wide array of utterly loathsome enemies (I'm thinking of the Vagary in particular) and you've got the basis of an experience that makes Alien seem like soap opera. Only two flaws: first, some of the sound effects are seriously underpowered (shotgun, rocket's detonation, final boss); second, it's as scripted as any movie, and it's just nowhere as good the second time through, when you remember when and where each zombie jumps out at you.
UNC orientation was last week, and now I'm feeling more conflicted than apathetic about my college decision. Some of the classes will definitely kick ass, but I may wish that I'd gone for a slighty nerdier school. Maybe not. Probably I'm just picky enough that I'd manage to look down on 7/8 of any given group, regardless of nerdiness; and I've always managed to find (or, more worrisomely, be found by) some worthwhile friends. Most of orientation was numbingly stupid -- upperclassmen "orientation leaders" trying to pretend they hadn't broken every alcohol rule in the book, that sort of thing -- but most of the parts that were even tenuously linked to academics (registration, etc.) were interesting. In any case, it's sinking in.
Work still fine if dull, late and lamented social life quite firmly in the grave, Sin City finally seen with Erica and, I'm afraid, not all it was said to be. My brother's family is heading down here next weekend. That's five kids plus two adults. And we're all apparently heading down to Nana's for a few days at the beach. I'll count myself lucky if I get, say, a countertop to sleep upon, instead of some rugs in the garage.
Holy shit! I just remembered my only real news. AP scores back -- ALL FIVES! Calculus BC, Vergil, Env. Science, English Lit., Comp. Science A. Yes, I'm bragging, and I am not ashamed, because I pwned those lousy sumbitches!
posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005
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Major milestone reached: I don't have to go to church any more. I was afraid that if I thanked my parents too profusely I might convince them they'd made the wrong choice, but I am happy, not only because that particular drudgery is gone, but because they realized they'd have to let me make that choice sooner or later.
Less elating is the news that my great aunt Sara died. The house she and my great uncle Walt lived in (in the quiet townlet of West Newton, Pennsylvania) has a third-story loft stocked with ancient toys and comic books, and a garage packed with old rocking-horses and tricycles, and a backyard where a large tree's odd fruit litters the ground. I used to hang out with distant cousins there, when we were all in the area for a summer-time reunion of the Schmitt clan, and Aunt Sara would make the most deliciously elaborate lunches for us...
Had lunch and words with Erica a few days ago, and Diana a few days before that, but I've generally not talked to any friends in person for a few weeks. Michael -- now there's someone I don't see enough of. Strange how after years of only occasional out-hanging, he's my closest male friend, far closer than those who remained near.
College accelerates to the present and I still can't tell if it's sunk in yet.
posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005
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