Sic Semper Tyrannis

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

By Michael Stutzman
25th Grade

As promised, I’ve got lots of stuff to talk about. First of all, I was on staycation last week. A few years ago, I would plan and save up all year to take a week off and just drive. By myself. Only my tunes to keep me company. I have spent many hours getting lost alone in the American Southwest, winding down the coast of California. I have played guitar, accompanied myself while singing REM and Weezer and Beach Boys songs in the middle of the Nevada desert to the sky and rocks and hidden animals.

However, those days are behind me, at least until they invent the car that runs on air or water or the lies of government officials.

But you know, there is something to sticking around the home fires as well. I have come to appreciate being with people in recent years. So, vacation for me has been largely domestic too.

Here are the highlights from last week:

1) Spending most of one day buying clothes for the new me. For maybe the first time ever, I enjoyed this clothes-shopping task. Here’s why: I found out that I have dropped down 6 pants sizes since the last time. Being able to fit into just about anything in the store was a novel experience! Now I get it. Now I understand how regular-sized people can pass so much time and spend lots of money looking for clothes to wear! It’s a lot different experience when you have options.

2) Lunch at one of my favorite spots—Zorba’s

3) Another totally new experience: sushi! I’m already craving it again! And it was the impetus of probably one of my best off the cuff quotes: “It’s like eating fine art!”

4) Lunch at another one of my favorite spots—Saturn Grill.

5) Painting my bathroom. I find the act of painting to be quite therapeutic. I think my mind reacts well to visual results from effort. I like to see progress. In my opinion there are only a few things more satisfying and relaxing than to get your tunes playing [(Paul Simon’s Rhythm of the Saints and Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, thanks for the recommendation Steven) and Cake’s Fashion Nugget] and put paint brush to wall. Like I said, I am a more domesticated breed of cat these days.

6) Yet another doctor appointment with yet another new physician who yet again made me feel like a medical marvel—the ideal patient. It was funny to see the look on his face when I revealed to him the cause of the significant change in my bloodwork since February’s Diabetes diagnosis.

7) Let me not forget to mention that I also managed to fit in the entire series of Arrested Development last week. What a funny show! So many great characters…

8) Thanksgiving in July-- every year I cook my free turkey from work in the summer when I have a whole day to devote to it. And this year I had a few new friends over to help eat it.

9) I discovered the Oklahoma River Trail- a pretty nice place to go for a bike ride.

Sometimes life is so sweet that you can barely stand it. I realized that last week probably felt like regular life for a movie star-no real responsibilities but to go work out and waste time with people. Not a bad life at all.

I still have lots of musical stuff to discuss, so keep your eyes and ears open.

posted by Mike @ 8:30 PM