barbaloot suits

Vacation from college is great.  I can more or less do whatever I want all day long, floating in the stress-free limbo between stress-packed semesters.  Of course, I do have a couple things I ought to be taking care of, but they generally get put on the backburner while I relax instead.

I never THINK I’m bored, but I think my brain is quietly starting to itch from lack of stimulation.  This occurred to me the other day as I was taking notes on an academic book I had picked up from the local library about crime and drug policy.  But that just made me happy to realize that I truly like this stuff.  On the other hand…

…today, things got scary.  I just spent five hours studying a Google Books copy of the first few chapters of a 1955 instruction book on writing Shorthand.  I guess my brain was overly excited to finally focus on a challenging project?  The picture here is of a practice reading section, and although it says the answer can be found on p.74, that page isn’t part of the preview… so I spent like 45 minutes deciphering the shorthand myself.  It sort of felt like a combination of solving a jigsaw puzzle and doing long division in my head.  Except harder.

“Dear Fred, My sister says she saw a notice in the papers by Cox’s store saying prices on fine lace are going to be slashed.  The sale on this fine lace will take place on March 12.  As I’ll be in the city on March 12 I plan to visit Cox’s to buy a supply of this lace for my own home.  Would this lace make a good birthday gift for Mary?  If so, I will ask Cox’s to ship her a supply. Ned”

Hoorah for useless skills!