My old man seemed delighted when he saw Dennis Franz and Jimmy Smits on the small screen. There was nothing else to do, and it won't hurt to watch the Primetime Emmy Awards. Franz and Smits played Andy Sipowicz and Bobby Simone respectively in "NYPD Blue," which he used to watch regularly (during his younger years). The police drama might be too good, such that Dad wouldn't think of looking at the current crop of TV shows. It was a groundbreaking show; he said a number of times. And I might need a YouTube to confirm it.
I told him about the MacGyver reboot, and it turned out to be bad timing. I tried to make it up, telling him that this was the 21st century. In other words, my generation doesn't have a clue about Angus MacGyver. He scowled at me.
Summer was about to come to an end, and I haven't heard anything from my coursemates. Tony seemed to be having an unforgettable year; when he came home for a vacation, he talked about Simone, whom he met at Marseille. I glanced at our other coursemates. It was hard to tell if they were eager to meet her, but I changed the subject matter. I asked them if any of them were interested in looking for a part-time job. No one seemed to hear it. I asked them another question. Did they recall their first drink?
The bottle was three-quarters full
Tony had a laugh while recalling the long time-out during a football game. He was alluding to the whiskey, but he had no idea about its kind. It was his old pal who brought the bottle to the vacant lot, who knew the people in the street. Jim didn't like to drink because he didn't want to. Peer pressure led him to taste red wine. He recalled a Merlot, and he didn't know if it was the finest (of the wine grape variety). He loved the taste, such that he drank a few more glasses. Sam tried a beer, and he didn't try anything else.
We were approaching our final year, which would put me in a nostalgic mood. And then Jim pondered about Donald Trump's first year in the White House. He wouldn't use humor to deflect media's attention on him after observing how his team ran his campaign. Jim didn't like Trump's penchant for feuds and slurs, yet Tony pointed out that he was reality TV star. I wasn't interested in politics, as I was thinking about my career options. A teacher was punished for doing a part-time job. High youth unemployment. Almost a million British workers on zero-hour contracts. These headlines made me nervous about my future, as I wanted a job that would make use of my creativity.
My mother told me to be sensible about my first few years (after receiving my bachelor's degree), which would mean a corporate job. It could also be an academic career, but I would be uncomfortable in front of a pack. If Indian summer would mean an extension of my break (from the university). I haven't thought about the gap year, but I was tempted to immerse in the cultured lifestyle in Europe. I may think of teaching English in the southern parts. Tony may not be the only one who would have an unforgettable year.
