Mud Soccer and Thank-You Notes

    I was going to email Bob and Deb this morning to say "thank you" for all that they've done during their time at NSU, but I couldn't find their email addresses anywhere. But then I remembered that I'd been meaning to email Professor Semrow to say thanks for the encouraging speech to keep on writing during Intro to Lit my sophomore year, and to tell her that I ended up as an English major at RSU. That made her day - apparently former students don't usually send thank-you notes very often. And apparently it was a rough day, so that encouragement and appreciation was especially welcome. "I'm glad you trusted me and pursued a degree that I knew you had the talent to do well in. Please know that my very difficult day was lightened beyond description because one former student took the time to say thanks. You were a blessing to teach years ago, Wesley, and I'm proud of you."

     While waiting for afternoon classes to start, Brian and I talked for a while about the difficulties of cowriting projects and Shakespeare adaptations, and then without missing a beat launch into a sports-talk-radio-level dissection of the Thunder's season and weak areas. He's been a good guy to work with on class projects.    

     Capstone discussion was awful this afternoon - Jeff and Hayden both galloped out of the room entirely at points. (And when they can't handle conversations, that's saying something.) I wanted to leave, too, but my chair was awkwardly situated for quick exits. Topics included the obligatory course evaluations, environmental rants, the ethics of playing God with science, women's personal grooming, various body mutilations, torture, incest and funerals. I actually wrote a complaining Facebook status in the moment, things got so awkward to listen to. Since none of us wanted to be there in the first place, it was an especially disheartening day. On the other hand, it was the last class, so there's that.
     I showed up late to Pop Market this morning, because I overslept, and so wound up playing the role of office secretary ushering various candidates into the Shark Tank-style boardroom of executives. (We were wrapping up group projects and presenting them to potential investors.)

     Mingo Valley 's Eagles had a soccer game against the Wright Christian Wildcats tonight, the girls won easily, 5-0, while the boys lost in a hardfought 3-2 contest - where they were supposed to be Elma Big Green-level annihilated. Trenton made a couple good plays. Like last year, the rain started early in the second half, making things interesting. Not quite mud soccer, but close enough. It was really good to get to catch up with Steven and Jamie. And it made a nice symmetry in that one of the first sporting events I attended while in college (the second, technically) was an NSU women's soccer game in the pouring rain against a Texas school called McMurry. (Why do I remember the other team? And how?) I mean, it's not perfect symmetry - I was working that first day, operating the scoreboard, and at this high school game I wasn't even reporting, just watching as a fan. It was nice, though.