I bet I'd spontaneously combust

[cosmolinguist]

This song, "Jack and Diane," makes me think of my dad. It's the kind of song he likes to turn up when it's on the car radio, and announce "John Cougar!" which probaby makes no sense to his passengers, except me. I'll smile quietly to myself because Vati will probably always think of him that way, but I'm too young to know him as anything but John Mellencamp. And at least once he's called the song "Dave and Diane," which made me laugh--Dave and Diane being, of course, Mutti and Vati's real names.

I went to school today to check my mail and go to the bookstore. On my way to my mailbox I saw an eldery lady walking slowly ahead of me--well, I was probably going the same pace and wouldn't have thought it slow myself, the difference being that I'm pretty sure that was her top speed. I checked my mail and walked back to the bookstore past another elderly lady, this one definitely moving slowly and with at least a little difficulty. Hobbling along with a cane, she noticed me as I went by and asked, "Am I getting anywhere near the elevator?" I couldn't help chuckling as I turned around to point and say, "Yes, it's just down there." Which may have been a stupid thing to say: it was a few seconds' walk for me, but probably a more arduous trek for that lady, who thanked me before we went on our way. What's with all the old people today? I found myself wondering. Sure, two of anything isn't a lot, but campus is dead in the summer--sometimes I might not see two people at all, or at least in such quick succession--and I've noticed before that on campus anyone who looks older than, say, fifty is as remarkable as anyone who looks under eighteen. I go to church and see old people and little kids and am reminded of how much time I spend around people in their early twenties, to the point that I forget about all the other kinds of people there are. I still have no idea why old ladies would be walking around in the tunnel under the science building and student center; it's a mystery.

I thought of Jenn, who always says she loves old people. Which is better than disliking them, I suppose, but she likes them in such a patronizing way; it annoys me. This girl, who's often not nice to other people, is nice to her "old people" in what she says is a holdover from her job at a nursing home: she worked with Alzheimer's patients, and now says she probably gives all elderly people a break because she thinks they have Alzheimer's. But she calls them "cute," which irritates me. Not only because I don't like cute things, but because it trivializes their coolness as people (or persons; that's for you, Josh, so I hope you read this). I find some of them interesting, intelligent, funny, fun, and other things that are way better than "cute."

Seth and I watched Star Trek this afternoon, as we are wont to do. I never quite remember it's on, but he always does, and we often watch it--or parts of it--together. And, in between, we eat kettle corn, drink iced tea, and talk about odd and confusing things, like Final Fantasy and the apparent obsession with white teeth.

I wonder if my apartment is tilted. I know this is ridiculous but when I put a glass of something on the floor or my desk or something, it seems to be uneven, leaning to the east. Even though I suppose it's really not.

Amusing bit from IM conversation:
Me: So I'm no good at being logical. Well, not much good, anyway.
Mathew: You should write lots of computer programs. You'll either learn to be logical, or spontaneously combust.

Comments

[soltice.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm...firy goodness...

[cosmolinguist]

This from the one who's told me me I could/should be a CSci major. :-)

[fantome14.livejournal.com]

Yes! John Cougar (Mellancamp, whatever)! I grew up on that stuff -- my mom's a huge fan.