The wheels of the car go nowhere

When I was giving tours last year, a common question among prospective students was whether they would need to have a car. I generally said no, because it's easy to live within walking distance of school, and if you are within walking distance of school, you are within walking distance of downtown. So there are plenty of restaurants, bars, barber shops, theaters, clothing stores, aggressive thieves, gymnasiums and other things that, back in Texas, I'd have to drive to. Well, the thieves were within walking distance.

It's nice not to have to hop in a car whenever you want to go somewhere, but when you stay within a walking radius of the School of Management, you miss out on things like Jenelle's Waterfront Cafe, where I brunched with a couple first years on Sunday. As you can see in the picture above, it has quite a nice view, and it's in New Haven proper, to my surprise. Like being on a very brief vacation. It made me realize that my deep familiarity with my immediate surroundings is counterbalanced by an almost comical unfamiliarity with anything more than two miles away.

That "very brief vacation" was certainly needed, as this is the final week of the quarter, and crunch time. I don't have it nearly as bad as the first-years, who have exams this week. I remember it not so fondly.* But even though I don't have the same exam pressure this year, I'm up to my Adam's Apple in rather high-stakes deadlines, for reasons too boring to list. (I'm still trying to keep with my earlier resolution not to make this blog a to-do list ... It's not easy, since that's so much of what's on my mind, but I'm just thinking of you.)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the L.A. part. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. So will the week off thereafter! I'm looking forward to that week very much. Gonna get caught up. Gonna get ahead. Gonna determine a Halloween costume.

*Tidbit: When I look back at the posting about studying for my micro exam a year ago, I barely have any idea what I'm talking about. So much for learning. But I did well on the exam.