the ocean

I have officially reached the point where I have ordered so much from Amazon that I can no longer mentally keep track of what I've ordered from Amazon. Earlier today the Alexa in my kitchen was showing that I've got deliveries coming tomorrow and June 3 and I could not for the life of me remember what they were. Now, as it turned out, this was somewhat understandable, as both deliveries are gifts that I'm sending to addresses other than my own, but still. I'm like super anti consumerism; I just happen to like buying stuff.

I swear that I do try to "shop local" whenever it is possible. Why, just this past Friday I bought some generic brand gummi worms at the neighborhood Target while we were walking home from dinner. They were actually fairly delicious. But when I have forgotten to buy more chip clips on a dozen successive grocery trips it starts to seem like maybe I should just order them on Amazon while I'm thinking of it. I mean, the freshness of my Cheetos is at stake here, sir.

Also, let me point out that we drive a tiny Prius, so basically transporting anything bigger than a breadbox home from a local store isn't really an option. I mean, the six bags of potting soil two weekends ago pretty much pushed it to the brink. 

Anyway, this is obviously the most ethically complex issue anyone has ever faced. Aside from Jennifer Aniston; I hear she's been through some stuff.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, and I am far too lazy to check, but I've been serving on the board of my college, Millikin University, for several years. I of course can't discuss anything substantive about our work, because it's all super confidential and if anyone finds out the average retention rate for sophomore chemistry majors the world shall surely end, but I can tell you that it's been nice getting back to campus periodically and connecting with other alumni. A lot has changed since I graduated in 2000; there don't seem to be as many desktop computer labs and the Dave Matthews cover bands have dwindled to near zero. On the other hand, student apparel seems to be circling back to about where it was when I was just a 19 year old with a giant Felicity-style sweater and a dream.

It's kind of a pain in the ass to drive down to Decatur and back, and the pleasures of a stay at a Country Inn and Suites may be somewhat overstated, but the campus and the people are as warm and welcoming as ever. I got the chance to interact with some of the current students, who were energized and idealistic in a fashion seldom seen outside the Hallmark Channel, and the faculty, who in a just world would be summering in the Mediterranean while CEOs take second jobs at Hobby Lobby and sell their plasma to cover the mortgage. And I stopped by Wal-Mart to purchase some snack cakes and Pringle flavors that are not to be found in the comparatively modest grocery stores of Chicago. So I do have a feeling of accomplishment in addition to the rather sore back an extended period in the Prius tends to afford me.

And tomorrow is Monday! Who doesn't love that? Besides Garfield, of course, but everyone knows he's a rebel.

This Thursday we went to see my niece's play, which was a non-racist adaptation of Peter Pan. So it was short, only about 40 minutes, which I have to say is great length for Peter Pan performed by grade schoolers. As one might expect, the talent pool was a mix, and everyone tried very hard. Also, it was run by an incredible talkative white woman who gave a speech for no reason before the program began and genuinely laughed at all of the jokes, which were of course not particularly funny. My niece played the classic role of Jukes the Pirate, who has two lines but a lot of sass. She was amazing! And more importantly, she seemed to have the time of her life, beaming throughout. And I don't think that was just her being in character as Jukes, she genuinely loved the experience.

We followed that artistic triumph up last night with Midsummer Night's Dream at the Joffrey, which I did not realize had absolutely nothing to do with the Shakespeare play. It was something about Sweden and dreams, neither of which I am particularly against. The dancing was of course incredible and there were some really stunning images throughout, but I felt like it kind of lost steam in the second act, when there were long segments without any real musical accompaniment and a number of bizarre "comic" interludes that felt truly Swedish. Also, every time the guy in front of me leaned forward even slightly, I lost my view of 2/3 of the stage. But it was a fun night! We are cultural!