Culture from two realms

Yesterday and today marked my annual semester weekend excursion. It wasn't so much that I traveled anywhere physically, but participated in activities unusual to my daily, monthly, yearly routine.

I attended my first real opera: Don Giovanni. Despite the long day that Friday turned out to be, the opera, which brought my near-twin cousin Stephanie to town to visit, was well worth the three hour duration of the show, the short time standing in line to get good seats, the dressing up, the whole shebang. Steph and I decided that if it weren't for Leoporello, Giovanni's servant, and Zerlina and Masseto, the opera would have dragged. But with their antics, it was fabulous. I loved the music more than the story. Well done, Mozart!

Today, I awoke to a rain storm and a flood watch from Weather.com. Not promising, since Evan and Emily were driving down here to take me out to the football game. When they got here, we debated all during lunch at Lennie's and even after when shopping for our team's paraphenalia, about sitting through a long game in the pouring rain or going to the movies to see Hollywoodland. We decided on the movie, and just before leaving downtown for the theatre, Dad called from Maine, where he and Mom had just arrived. It stopped raining in the seven minutes Ev was on the phone, so Em and I bought ponchos and we decided we were going to the game.

It was the best decision. We had a blast and had great seats on the end zone. The team didn't do well, but they didn't do poorly either. They lost, but only by a touchdown.

I'm tired. All of this socializing, even if it is with people who don't require me to entertain them and even if we're doing fun things that I enjoy, it wears me out. I'm used to being alone in my small room.

Now, it's back to the drawing board to finish a work assignment for a professor, to finish one class assignment and start another, and to sleep the sleep of contentment and happiness.

Cheers to a weekend well spent! To homecomings and moments of rest! To new jobs and new lives! To weddings! To life!