The problem with the summer is that a lot of plans that come up are very spur-of-the-moment, and it's easy to get incredibly stressed out any given day, even if you weren't stressed out yesterday and you won't be stressed out two days from now. During the year it's very much like a constant, grinding, mild stress that doesn't go away until the next vacation, and it almost fades into the background like when you have been in a room with a strong odor long enough. Summer? Well, it's much shorter, but it can be more intense. I don't really know which I prefer. I'd rather not have to deal with either.
Today is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Today as an isolated event was fantastic. But look ahead three days and it doesn't feel so great because--guess what--I already have summer session midterms on Thursday! Wonderful.
Okay, so some background on my day. One of my best friends had a party since she graduated from Eastern Illinois University not a month ago, and some long-lost relatives visited us today, just to say hello. And, not to knock my friends and family (sorry!), maybe the best part of today was my trip to the Galloping Ghost with three of my friends.
For those not in the know, which, if I had to guess, would be most of you, the Galloping Ghost in Brookfield is a video arcade. It's the largest arcade in Illinois, and the second-largest in the country. The owners collect old arcade cabinets (from sellers, dumps, and wherever else they can find them) and refurbish them and line them all up in this little storefront on Ogden Avenue for anyone to play.
The difference between this place and a regular arcade (and this must be the only difference as, just like the arcades of old, the place is dark, has no air conditioning, and the people there are just as crazy about games as you are) is that you pay $15 up front, and all the machines are set to Free Play, meaning that if you walk in right when they open at 11am, you can stay there working your thumbs on Altered Beast or Paperboy or Burger Time or Mortal Kombat until 2am without having to fish out a single quarter from your pocket! It's beautiful. I don't exactly remember how long we were in there, but it wasn't nearly long enough--they have more than 200 games, and they are always adding more and currently working on adding a pinball expansion. There was no way I even scratched the surface today and I am most certainly going back.
Great day, no? One of the best days I have had recently. The problem is I have a midterm to look forward to on Thursday, and I have homework due tomorrow evening and I still haven't watched the 3 1/2 hour lecture to get ready to do the homework, not to mention errands and the like. Ugh, and I have to find time to eat, too! So I have a lot to do tomorrow, and it has been nagging at me all day. Right now I am promising myself that I will get everything done tomorrow that I need to, but who knows if my promise holds up? I can usually keep my promises to other people, but the ones I make to myself are the ones most likely to be broken.
I think today would have been much better if I had gotten some of my work done over the weekend, but what can you do? In its essence I had a fantastic day, and I need to learn to be better at managing my time during the summer. I am sure I am not alone when I say that during the summer it is much harder to get things done that need to be done than it is during the semester. And since online classes almost seem abstract in that you are not in a classroom it's much harder to stay motivated and keep on top of your assignments. Here's hoping I can get things in gear tomorrow. I want to get back to the Galloping Ghost, but I want to do so without anything hanging over my head. I still haven't played Funhouse yet!
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| As horrifying as this may look, this happens to be my favorite pinball machine of all time. I used to play this one all the time in my uncle's basment when I was a kid. |
Song of the Day
Rush 'N Attack OST - Level 1
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