Another Tuesday, like so many, at least from the start of it.

No classes today, so I woke up late, not till perhaps 1 or 1:30 - the covers began to get too heavy, too warm, too much noise outside, the desire to check my message inbox... the desire to paint a little, before dinner.

Dreamed some last night, can't remember so much now, mostly about being back in Thailand with the students and professors I was there with before, only Thailand looked like the University Circle area of Cleveland.

Spent too long staring at the computer, far too long. Played the mix I created for ailie, but have not been able to burn, as I have not put my burner back in my computer. I still like the way it sounds:

Short, sweet, nice mix for running, I think, which is what she wanted... if only it hadn't take three months to make.

Sold the semi-functional power board from my PowerBook G3 (Wallstreet), and mailed that. Picked up postcard stamps at the post office - hopefully, will mail the postcards I have had sitting around, before too long. Glanced briedly at my empty box. At least there aren't any bills.

Drove away from the post office far too fast. Up and down a hilly road with a speed limit of 50, going 70, 75, 80, 85... trying to make my minivan fly, I think. No success there. Slowed down, made the turn off...still trying to go far too fast. Good thing I don't have a cute little Honda or something. Might kill myself.

Barreled down the gravel and dirt road at the field station, till I remembered smacking my transmission against one of the bumps, yesterday. Slammed on the brakes, did a donut. What the hell am I thinking?

Just here to look at the area I am painting, to get the compostion right. It is but a minute or two from the observation building, where I park my minivan, windows open.

So I sit there, and look at the landscape I am painting. I can't seem to focus on it, and I don't really care. I lie down on the bench , there, for a minute, lake on one side of me, trail on the other, and I just don't care. I look up, and it is there. I want to go back to my minivan, but I feel the need to go on. A good walk would do me well.

My plan is to walk a little, then go back to my minivan, which has, after all, a bunch of stuff in it - power tools, a cd player, a laptop... all that.

So I walk. I walk and walk and walk. I walk quickly, and with purpose, like I walk everywhere, trying to get to the end as quickly as possible.

The air gets cooler, as I walk into the old growth beech-maple grove... the trees block out most of the sunshine. I continue walking, a little slower, passing through the occasional patch of sunshine. The old growth forest is a beautiful thing.

I continue walking, a bit slower, choosing the longer loop. I begin to see strange hoses coming out of trees, connecting a few of them... I wonder if it is some sort of strange sculpture... after a while, I realize that they are sugar maples... soon I see huge masses of these hoses, connecting many of them, leading into larger and larger hoses... Why don't we have maple syrup in the cafeteria?

Walking, walking... the occasional sound of a bulldozer reminds me of the importance of this preserve.

Walking still... eventually passing the halfway point... thinking of stealing one of the "No Tresspassing" signs, which detail the ownership of this plot by the college.... thinking of stealing one of the transcontinental cable signs... not doing that either.

More walking, at a nice, leisurely pace.

Eventually, a bridge, over a stream, with a rock bottom. I lean backwards, so close to falling over... but why?

It looks dark. The trees do not let much light through... It looks to be almost six, maybe seven... I hurry.

Back in the van, sunlight, 4:30pm. Back to campus, more e2, more other stuff, blah.

Opening for a show at the campus art gallery. Visiting photo professor. Not getting drunk on cheap wine. Colin was shocked to hear that I had stopped drinking, saying that it was so much of who I was. Came as a bit of a shock... didn't realize I did it THAT much. Free food is good. Cookies! Cheese!

A couple hours of painting, some progress, I think. Can I get another seven finished in the next seven or eight weeks? Maybe.