September 06, 2006
Autumn in the Air
Perhaps it was this weekend's football games, or maybe it was the gentle chill in the morning air, or perhaps all the kids I saw trudging to school this morning, backpacks slung low across their shoulders, but I awoke today with the distinct and unmistakable feeling that autumn was upon us. Now, I realize that it's not really autumn until September 23 this year, but seasons in California are more a state of mind than anything else, anyway.
Autumn is by far my favorite season out of the year. To this day, it evokes nostalgic feelings of being in elementary school, starting a new year in a new classroom with brand new school supplies and brand new (exciting!) subjects to learn about. The past year was a bygone conclusion; the future mine to define. And though I'm no longer in school and won't be starting anything new of note this year, I can't help but be overwhelmed by that same sense of expectation and excitement as I have always been since I first entered kindergarten.
So, what's on tap for this fall for me? Well, first and foremost, Cal football. Yes, Saturday's game was brutally disappointing. Yes, we dropped from #9 to #22 on the AP Poll. Yes, the $267 I spent on tickets was probably a waste. But ... I have FAITH. I've never missed a game in the last 5 years; I'm not about to start now.
Besides football, there are several things I'm planning for this autumn:
- Volunteer/outreach work with CAA
- Teaching with Junior Achievement
- Going to a 49ers game--I don't care if they're bad--they've been my team since '92.
- Hiking to the top of Twin Peaks (seriously, I've lived in SF for over a year and still not gotten around to it)
- Taking one of those classic pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge from both Marin and SF
- Weekend trip to Monterey Bay
- Reconnecting with friends after a summer of social isolation
Let me know if you'd be interested in any of the aforementioned activities! OK, this post is getting way to chipper. All I need is one of those low slung backpacks and I could pass for one of those hopelessly innocent (read "naïve" elementary school kids). Will someone just burst my bubble and tell me I'll never be an astronaut already? Thanks.