And... scene!

And I'm done with another year. Halfway done with college. Possibly about 20% done with life as a student. Entering my third decade on this planet in exactly two weeks. Passing milestones without noticing.

Looking back, I notice I posted this in September:
Post title: I HAVE SIX PLANS
Post content:

1. Become a tour guide next semester, to show people what it's really like.

2. Go vegetarian for a week, just to try it.

3. Invite people over next week or next next week before a rehearsal and make a bunch of burritos.

4. Organize a ski trip over winter break.

5. Organize a cooking group to try new recipes and stuff.

6. Invest some money in a mutual fund or other high-yield investment.

Well, I did 3, 4, 5, and 6. I couldn't do 1, because the job's just not available. All they said was "look on Tartantrak," which I did a lot, with no luck. I'll have to talk to Alex DiClaudio- I think he's a tour guide, actually.

#2 is the month of June. June is vegetarian month! At least for me. I'll post more details on .vomit (or .events if that gets big) and you can join me if you want. The reason: when it comes down to it, it's hard to justify eating meat, especially the way we do now, and here's why:

If animals have feelings, then eating meat is clearly wrong, and we're torturing some huge percentage of the mammals on the earth. If they don't, well, then it comes down to efficiency. It's a lot less efficient to grow a field of grain and other foods, feed them to a cow, then kill the cow, than to just eat the grain and other food. Why don't people in developing countries eat much, if any, meat? I figure, to help limit my personal footprint on the earth, it wouldn't hurt to try eating no meat for a month.

Oh yeah, and you ever see those photos/videos of meat factories and industrial "farms"? Ayyy. EVEN IF those are just dumb animals who can't feel pain (may or may not be true...), I don't want to put something that's grown under those conditions into my body.

Side note: damn, when did I turn into such a hippie? Don't worry, I still shave!

Point is, I set out to do things, and I did them. Let me try again, but this time with goals, instead of plans:

1. Study abroad! Somewhere!

2. Be the best TA that Concepts of Math has seen since Matt Szudzik. Hell, be better! Be that one recitation that people actually go to, because it's interesting.

3. Rock a lot in the research over the summer.

4. Get into a sweet grad school. (And go there.)

5. Get back in better shape. My exercise routine has drifted off.

Note that these are much longer term goals, and I won't be able to post in a year and say that I've done all of them. Most of them, though!

And maybe I should tack on a #5 1/2. Enjoy summer a little bit. Relax a bit. Become more carefree. Because, when it comes down to it, most stuff doesn't matter.

I'm reading Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut now. It's great.