It’s officially finals week, and all of my work is due by May 5^th, so instead of doing it, I’m going to write nonsense. My mind is like an old Accord. It’s reliable but if you don’t warm it up first it’ll run like shit.

I have my little pad in front of me. It says:

5-page essay 5/5

8 Minute PowerPoint 5/5

10 Page Research Paper 5/5

I also still have an unannounced final. I’ve taken a final exam and have written an extensive essay. My PowerPoint is also required to be quite long. This shouldn’t be a huge issue, though, as online databases have books focused on Niche subjects that have been peer-reviewed. I grew up with an Encyclopedia set, so this is great.

This may not sound like too much work, but for somebody like me who struggles with focus and depression, it can be a pain in the ass.

Speaking of focus issues, I need a picture for this… We are doing Bertha at a roach motel. Even tent sleepers need a shower.

My 12-year-old girl went cross-continent in her younger years and even camped in Yellowstone in October, which, if you don’t know, is cold. Really cold.

That being said, drinking coffee out of a stainless-steel percolator at 7 am in 30-degree weather does something positive to a man’s soul. Pictures also can’t entirely capture what waking up to the views can.

Sidenote, if you’re a little strapped but want to go, my campsite was like $20 a night at the Madison Campground. Also, get the yearly National Park pass if possible; it changed my life.

Alright, back to the college thing.

When I was in community college, an amazing experience by the way, finals week would come, and you would spend the week only focusing on your final project or paper. Chasing around classmates because everything needs to be in a group is so fun, so it’s nice that STCC gave me that extra time.

My first group project experience was the Spring of 2020, and the pandemic made my 3 partners scatter to the wind. I presented solo through Zoom and got a pity A.

Once you are deep into your majors and out of community college, you learn that even during finals week, you have one more week of regular work as well, which all of my classes are doing. That’s fine, though. It’s totally cool and I am fine. Just fine.

This semester, I realized out of the clear blue that I have taken a bunch of classes over the years on Afro-Latin Americans as well as Latin-Americans, 4, I think. This isn’t counting history classes where I get to complain about America’s meddling in the hemisphere during the Spanish-American War and exploiting the region for financial gain.

I feel like I still have so much to learn, and I find it funny that my natural curiosity sent me down a road, and I didn’t notice.

Dumb hillbilly kid moment, before college the idea that Puerto Ricans would want independence instead of statehood never crossed my mind. That’s that country ignorance right there.

I would love to visit the Caribbean, but my attempt at Spanish in college was a trainwreck. I received a B for effort alone, but I completely froze during a test and handed in a disaster. Even so, the teacher liked my effort and invited me to take the next course up. I did not, as Spanish makes me feel stupid, and I’m fragile.

My brain is now firing, baby. I can’t wait to be sitting in my lawn chair on May 6^th, stoned out of my mind and getting ready to plant this year’s little ladies outside. They are quite well by the way, if you know, you know (I’m talking about growing pot, shhh).

Anyway, I’ll be writing a lot more about whatever. Want to hear about the times I have accidentally ingested both Angel Dust and Cocaine? The previously promised cousin who weaponized his waste article? Stay tuned for that and so much more!

Stay crescent fresh,

Tommy