1. I haven't stood in front of a class of ENG 202 (Shakespeare) students and yakked their ears off for quite a while. I got to do that today as a sub for Jeff and, with focus on The Tempest, tried to convey how I understand Shakespeare and belief (no suspension of disbelief), tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, goodness, compassion, sermons of the late 17th and early 18th centuries in London, community, the concept of home ("Lassie Come Home", "There's no place like home"), and other stuff. It was fun. It didn't make me want to end my retirement from teaching literature, though. Especially with Shakespeare, I'm happier thinking about his plays alone or over coffee than I am in the classroom and I'm really glad I no longer have to make Shakespeare's plays and poems available to students in exchange for credits and grades. I grew to enjoy that exchange less and less the more I taught Shakespeare. All I've ever wanted in exchange for my instruction was for students to fall in love with Shakespeare -- oh..and my salary!
2. I hadn't been to McMenamin's High Street establishment for a while. I get kind of caught up trying out new beers at Sixteen Tons or having a Belgian something or other beer at Bier Stein or sampling from the extensive tap list at Falling Sky that I don't go to High Street. I must quit making this mistake. Hans, the brewer at High Street, is making very tasty beer. Today I started with my favorite of all beers anywhere, the Hammerhead, and then enjoyed a golden, slightly bitter, very refreshing Nebraska Bitter, and then, as dessert, had a small glass of Foster's Porter, a new beer to me, with all those big dark tastes of coffee and chocolate I love in a porter. It was one of the most satisfying sequences of beers I've ever drunk.
3. I had several blocks ahead of me to walk home. My afternoon was free. I thought I may as well drop in at Falling Sky and see what they've got and I swear providence was at work. There on the board was their Steely Dan inspired Reelin' in the Oats Stout, on Nitro. I had already had a leisurely, meditative sit at High Street and I continued to drink slow, think long thoughts, let my happiness swell as I took my time drinking this smooth roasty toasty tasty stout.
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