Well

It's snowing again. And I wish I were in New Orleans. Actually, not-so-much. NOLA during Mardis Gras is kind of the opposite of fun. That being said, a buncha gropey, drunk-ass frat boys and some tragic, topless Bowheads are a damn sight more fun to spend a Tuesday with than stupid zombie articles and more snow. Gah.

On to New Matter: This weekend offered several revelations--which I now will share with you, dear reader.

1) It is difficult to judge a debate when your feet are cold.
UMass Amherst is cold, and I don't just mean the outside. Those buildings are arctic. On the first day of the tournament, I wore thin canvas shoes, and I regretted them for the rest of the day.

2) I try to practice love toward everyone I meet, but the people with whom I fall in love are rare.
I talked with one of the debaters about his rubric for people-in-whom-he-will-eventually-be-interested. His is more complicated than mine (it contains ratios and corollaries), and yet... he falls far more frequently than I do.

3) Peanut butter cup cookies taste better with strawberry jelly on them.

4) I do not have a clear standard of evaluation for manner v. substance.
This is not actually a revelation. I mean, I struggle with this occasionally while grading class assignments. But. When grading papers and speeches, the measurements need not be as concrete. Those aural moments, visceral reactions, epiphanic intuitions, whatever you want to call them--these are the ways I read and combine effective turns of phrases with elegant constructions of arguments--the classroom set-up and the authority of the class-designer allow for more room to move. In debates, however, the clashes between attitude and content are (a) more noticeable and (b) more demanding of keen attention. I need a clear standard of evaluation for manner v. substance.

5) My favorite debaters practice kindness AND perspicuity.
That is a heady combination.

6) Hipster Zombie Lovers versus Hipster Binge-Drinkers is a false choice.
Nobody wins that fight.

7) I am not as good at sharing as I hoped I was.
Mostly, I want the things I want.

8) Vans are better than buses.
Because they have CD players. And the ability to stop at not-McDonald's.

9) My sense of direction is pretty fucking awesome, even in the darkest, iciest New York night.
My new apartment is a ten minute walk from the subway station--a little longer on icy sidewalks. After we got home, late Sunday night/early Monday morning, I could not find the right bus to take me from the subway, so I walked. I am indomitable, bitches.

10) As hard as all of this has been, and as heart-breaking as it may promise to become, you are worth it.
Seriously. I am for you.