Ock-toe-burr

You always know it's October when that familiar whiff of Winter-for-boding wavers around your partially-snotted nose, the crisp air, like crunching an October apple, finding it's way through your late-summer "coat". We're always lulled into this false sense of security that we can wear shorts in September, and then boom - we need those L.L. Bean washed-denim jackets. Halloween. As you walk to your car (or bike or just legs), your jeans suddenly become melting ice against your exercised legs and you can see your breath in the blue, cool air. Pockets come in handy at these times, but you're also throwing the old pigskin around so your hands can't waver there for long. College hoodies are in, and you're pretty well-adjusted to school by now. Your family sits around the TV set every Saturday and groans from noon to dinner; Michigan fumbled again. But there's a certain homeliness, familiarity. Loads of teeth-rotting, artificial flavors/colors wrapped in too much plastic, cheap and creative costumes, pumpkin pie, candles, cider and the turkey population to take a huge plummet are all on their way. This is when you smell the dirt from under your Michigan sweatshirt as you're friends pull you and that rough brown ball to the ground. Grass stains and Hail Marry's are in fashion.

I was going to take a walk today but got sort of... freaked when I saw that the apartment door had huge cracks in it, probably someone throwing a rock at it or something. I took a nap because I was really tired. Then got on the computer and chatted. I did some HW, but got bored. I didn't practice my trumpet, which was bad.

See, weekends are like the only real days of the week. The only real days when I feel like myself and can actually live. I can talk to my friends and follow American sports, which leads to perspective booms. I don't like going out of those perspective booms. I don't want to go back to school. I don't feel like speaking French. I don't feel like being clueless and helpless in a stupid system. I don't feel like Europe. Ann Arbor was just fine, it was. I just... don't.

I just went outside to play catch with the football with my dad, even though it was like pitch black. It was awesome though. I had lots of energy I needed to get out, so my throws were pretty good. It felt great to play catch. I should do that more often. See, that's another thing- I have no time for myself or free time on the weekdays. Except for Wednesdays, but that's to catch up on HW. It's just so inconvenient and controlling. It's like I never get a breath of fresh air. For a whole year. Well actually there's breaks. Thank goodness! But Zach doesn't want to go to London so I'll probably just hear him complaining the whole time. But at least it's a break.

Tomorrow when I wake up, I'll be out of the perspective boom and into Europe again. Sigh. At least it's only a year. Already a fraction of the way done. And I guess it could be worse, like my grades could really
matter. And I do sort of just have fun with it. But then again, you can only really have fun to a certain extent. But yeah.

Michigan lost. Not a surprise. I didn't watch it, but paid attention to the score. At least I'm an Illini fan too. I need a new hat.

Have fun with October. I'll try too. Wish me luck. And Go Blue.