A Day of Firsts

Today was a day, a day of firsts.

I woke up at first light and had my first bowl of cereal (for the day). For the first time I took the bus to class. It was also my first time using my Cornell ID for the bus and I, at first, put the card into the wrong machine. It was not my first time embarrassing myself on the bus.

The class I was going to for the first time happened to by my first at Cornell and the first of my graduate studies. It was the first time I had been in Goldwin Smith Hall. It was the first time I had been in a lecture hall that large. It was the first time I had been in a class with both graduate and undergraduate students. It was the first time I had heard of a professor who commutes five hours to class and it was the first time I had heard of a professor who came to class, half as much as the students. It was the first time I had an 8:00 engagement finish by 8:15.

I walked home and applied for my first credit card. Minutes later I was approved for a credit card, for the first time, and spoke to a lady who was the first happy customer service representative that I have ever encountered. I then walked down to the Commons and signed up for a checking account at the first bank I ran into (this was not happenstance, I had already selected the branch). I was first in line and received my first few checks in a few minutes.

I walked to Collegetown Bagels (the downtown branch), ordered a bagel and tea. It was the first time I payed less than three dollars for two items at a restaurant. I sat down and read James Joyce for the first time. I saw my landlord, out of context, for the first time. I walked home.

I went to my second class. It was the first time I have been in Ives hall. It was my first time in History of Architecture and the first time I was equally intimidated by the professor and the syllabus. It was also the first time I was relieved to break into small groups and my first time interacting with a TA who is twice my age.

I walked home, exhaled for the first time, took off my pack and walked down to Ithaca Coffee Co. for my first beer tasting. I tried two new beers for the first time, lusted over the various gourmet goods in the store, and walked home. That is my day of firsts.


By the way, I had mentioned Ithaca Coffee Co. and I believe, the fact that they do beer tastings every Thursday afternoon/evening. What I didn't mention, because I did not know until today, is that the beer tastings are free. As if I needed any more reason to love this little corner coffee shop.

It is also worth noting that today was the first day of class for some other 20,000 odd students. Things are definitely much more lively on campus and reading, while walking, is no longer a safe or worthwhile activity. Indeed, I think I would get through more pages if I doubled the slow pace needed to read while walking, then read upon my arrival.

Weather in Ithaca continues to be warm with partly cloudy skies. The summer break is at an end but the season holds out for a few more days, so the weather man suggests. Across Libe Slope battle lines are drawn somewhere up in the troposphere in a plane parallel to the surface. Bodies are scattered about the grass, casualties of the solar artillery.