Signs for signs' sake

I've always been drawn to read signs, I think we've all been trained to do that growing up. If something is posted and legible, there's a good chance your eye catches it and you decipher the message.

Two signs in particular have caught my eye at UMD this semester. As I made a detour on the way to class Thursday to use the bathroom, my eyes focused on the sign staring directly back at me (guys know, at urinals, you stare at the wall. If there's a sign there, it's a bonus. Don't look down, sideways, and certainly not a combination of the two.)

If I don't learn anything, at least I'll hear a couple good stories...

You get two 1st days of school each year in college, but for some reason, I only get excited about starting classes about once a year. Maybe it's because I don't have much faith that I'll learn anything in the classes offered, or maybe it's a mood-swing phenomenon that is simply inexplicable, but it's, with certainty, a fact.

As I entered this semester - one I'm hoping to graduate after - still four credits short, including the class I gave up on and failed last semester, I somehow found myself excited to start school again. For once, I had hope, and it came in the form of a class called "Media Communications." Surely if there is a class in this world that is tailored to my future career, this would be it... and maybe I'd finally take something useful away from college... something other than the ability to sled using a lunch tray.

Please Fix the Titles

It's three days post-break, and the memories or why I struggle to survive these classes are already streaking back to me.

I realized I honestly have no problem with the classes themselves. My argument lies with the naming and description of the classes.

For example:

Arizona, Day Two: Two doors too many

The hotel is nice. Located blocks away from a shopping mall and within walking distance of several restaurants, it is something we look forward to coming back to at night.

The one thing the team hasn't been extremely fond of is the bathroom, or more specifically, the bathroom doors. Each bathroom has a pair of walk-in closet type doors, which meet at the middle, and do not lock. you don't even have to turn a handle to get into the bathroom, simply push the two doors open, and you're there. It makes taking care of bathroom-related business less-than comfortable, knowing someone could walk in on you at any moment.

As I took my first shower of the trip, I decided to fix this. I brought my swimsuit in with me, and using the drawstring, tied the handles together on the inside to create a lock, of sorts. Proud of myself, I showered without interruptions, dried off, and began to untie my self-made lock.

One little thing I forgot: when strings like that are exposed to heat and water, they tend to expand. So there I was, no longer feeling smart, but quite stupid, trying to unlock myself from the new self-made prison.

Three minutes of panicked embarrassment and the use of my keys later, I managed to wedge the knot undone, without any teammates noticing the problem. I'll probably take some heat now that I've written about it, but I figured you all deserved a story you'd enjoy.

By the way, the Auggies swept today in our first day of action. a 2-0 start to the trip, not too shabby.

Repeat to yourself: Three more days...

I've had my radio alarm set to Air1 since about November, when the radio dial somehow rolled down from 102.9 Christmas music to 102.5 Christian music... I have to be honest, it's been a great start to my days, putting me in a right frame of mind right off the bat, but it's also held drawbacks.

The biggest downfall to the soothingly familiar music waking me up is, I don't mind laying in bed for a longer time, listening to the music and morning show. And also drift in and out of sleep.

This was one of the problems I faced this morning, as I didn't actually get out of bed until I realized I was less than minutes away from class time, with at least five-minute drive ahead of me. The importance of the class period, since we didn't actually have a lecture, was to sign up for a good day for presentations. Jumping out of bed, I threw on the closest clothes I had to me, and raced out to my car. As always, Augsburg parking was ridiculous, with no spots available, so I nestled into a pay meter, dug into the change in my car, and threw in 30 cents. Yes, 30 cents. The first coin I put into the meter was a nickel, which I didn't realize until it was down. You don't get credit for nickels, by the way...