And So It Begins...

I just completed my first week of classes. It's going to be an interesting semester. The highlights (and lowlights):

--Parking at the college is quite a challenge...more so than in the past. There are three tiers to the parking lot. The first tier, which is closest to the buildings is always full. Before, I was able to get a decent spot in the second tier, but this week, I was hard pressed to find an empty place in the third tier. I always had to wait for someone to leave.

--Normally, I wouldn't complain about the long walk to campus, but I'm doing it while hauling 20+ pounds of books and awkwardly shaped supplies in the blazing heat. It's at least 105 degrees by the time I get there at 10:00, and 112 when I leave at 1:00.

--My Color and Design class is being taught the same instructor I had for Architectural History last year. Great! I foresee many weekends of Q taking the boys out of the house to get them away from me.

--Despite the obvious, I'm actually looking forward to this class. We're going to be doing lots of drawing and some painting. On the first day, we went over the supply list, which included rubber cement. We were advised to get the "good" rubber cement--"the kind that comes in the red and white can". They didn't have it at Office Max. They may have had it at Aaron Brothers, but the can I saw was ORANGE and white. I bought the kind in the yellow and white can, and that's going to have to do. I simply don't have time to go driving from store to store looking for $#!T.

--Another class I'm taking is CAD 101. Since I have previous AutoCAD experience, the instructor already has me helping other students. The guy who sits next to me reminds me of an older version of Kyle. They both wear faded black t-shirts, cargo shorts, and have the same shaggy hair-do.

--Many of the ladies in the Color and Design class are also in my Textiles class. Sessions for both classes are 2 1/2 and 4 hours long, respectively. Since vending machine food is too expensive and lacks nutritional value, some of us have started bringing snacks to share. When I mentioned Q's mango salsa, a bunch of eyes lit up. Guess what I'm bringing to class on Monday.

--My Textiles class is every Tuesday night until 9:20. At first, I was afraid to venture out into the parking lot at that hour. Walking outside, I had my keys in hand and my thumb on the panic button. But since a bunch of us left at the same time, and were parked in the same area, we all walked through the parking lot together. Also, it helped that College Safety was out in force, writing tickets for cars that were parked back-in, instead of nose-in. Apparently, that's a big no-no.

--My CAD class starts at 8:00, which means I have to leave the house by 7:15, and slog through rush hour traffic with the rat racers and high school kids. In fact, my route takes me right past the high school at the height of morning drop-off. The road is full of teen drivers, whose road skills are green, at best. I just know I'm going to be involved in a wreck one of these mornings. (Note to self: let Q drive the Mustang on Tuesdays and Thursdays).

--I'm done with CAD by 10:30, or earlier if I get the day's assignment done. Afterwards, I have the rest of the day to kill, and the downtown Glendale antiques district is only 2 miles from the college. I think I'm going to need a raise in my valimony.