More Mixed Metaphors Please

Last week, a friend described the first few weeks of graduate school as attempting to drink from a fire hydrant. It’s an apt analogy.The initial push of the water has been beaten back; however, and I feel as though I can breath again. The water is still flowing, but the pace has slowed down just enough to not feel overwhelmed.

Another friend in graduate school likened his Ph.D. program to being underwater and coming up for air every now and then when possible. Again, the reference works. I took one of those moments from Friday lunch to Saturday lunch, a school Sabbath if you will. I thoroughly enjoyed time with the whole family and a couple of quiet moments with my wife.

One of the benefits of living in the North Hills of Knoxville is that we are within a short drive (and sometimes walk) from some great playgrounds. I took him to one on Friday that has some flat natural boulders that are perfect for an almost four year old to climb. He’s fearless. He slips and bounces right back up to play again.

Saturday morning we played with his slip and slide, which really amounts to him sitting in the water sprayers and playing with his toys. I was playing with his foam baseball bat and huge plastic baseball because, well, I am still waiting on that invitation to join the Braves during September call ups and I want to be ready.

I hit the ball close to the fence and discovered over 100 marbles that had been dumped there at some point. I never played the game “marbles” unless you count “Marble Madness” for the Nintendo, but they have an inherent beauty to them that I was able to share with my son. He loves them, though we limit playing with them to times when his sister is asleep. The first time we took them into his room, he dumped them out, which is fine except for the fact that we have hardwood floors at our new house.

And so began the mad dash to collect all of the marbles before they rolled to locations where they will never be seen again.

I begin my second full week of school today and I feel somewhat relaxed, though that may change in an instant.
I say relaxed, but I guess I am as relaxed as someone can be while trying to drink from a hydrant, come up for air, scramble on rocks, and keep all of his marbles…

And while trying to maintain his swing for September call ups.