By Michael Glenn
Teen-Age Dirtbag
After an adventurous week with my family to celebrate my nephew’s graduation, I had Memorial Day to take a break and ponder all the trouble I’m going to cause these next couple of months.
I’m only kidding, of course. I’m glad to be back for one more summer in Hutch. One part of me misses the bustle and close-knit community of Lawrence and all its festivities, while the other part is glad I don’t have to worry about hearing the bass of “Bandz a Make Her Dance” by Juicy J bounce through thin apartment walls at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday until at least mid-August.
My mom is slowly adjusting to the fact I won’t be “in the nest” for much longer, but I’m still taking advantage of living at home while I can. I ate some homemade meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans my grandmother made on Tuesday. I hadn’t had meatloaf in forever, but I forgot to ask her for the recipe when I went out to her Arlington farm.
Also, the shower water doesn’t take 10 minutes to warm up any more, which is another plus I was greatly looking forward to having again.
One thing I’m having to adjust to is not being independent and on my own like back at school. I, thankfully, don’t have a curfew—I haven’t had one since junior year of high school—but I’m still not used to telling someone where I’m going and then getting a litany of well-intentioned questions about who I’m going to see, where I’ll be going and when I’ll be getting back.
Traffic here is another issue. You may think, “How could traffic here be any worse than Lawrence?” The answer is it’s not, but my commute doubles every time Union Pacific Railroad decides to screech on through Main Street during rush hour. Lawrence doesn’t have any trains, at least any that cause me any problems.
But why am I complaining? Stopping at a train allows me to queue any song on my playlist that needs to be featured. My seven-minute (or 15, if a train stops) commute requires the most upbeat and thrilling music possible, whether it be Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Doors, Los Tigres del Norte, Mi Banda El Mexicano or Grupo Firme.
Reporting this week has given me some time to sharpen my edge again for quick turnarounds and thinking on my feet. Even though I stayed reporting through the school year for the University Daily Kansan, the juggling of stories to complete before print deadline has made me again feel like the productive writer I try to be.
I’ve also enjoyed working in the newsroom again. There’s a sense of camaraderie among the reporters that I’ve tapped into once again. My first course of action was to buy a dozen donuts from Daylight Donuts just across the street from the office, which were delicious. I picked out two maple long johns, two chocolate long johns, two sprinkled donuts and “the rest in glaze.”
Whether it’s taking a writing tip from Adam Stewart on how to refine a headline or a paragraph, eating McDonald’s hamburgers with Brendan Ulmer on our lunch break or hearing a funny joke from Ben Godina right behind me in the office, the workplace has continued to be an enjoyable place to be.
But not everything can be sunshine and rainbows. As you may know, Brendan is leaving the staff here soon, and I wish him the best of luck moving forward. I met him the last week of working at The Tribune last summer in August but got to know him much better when I worked here in December and January over winter break. He has become one of my good friends here back at home, and I’m grateful to have connected with him as a coworker and journalist.
Speaking of sunshine, I checked the weather forecast on Wednesday (May 27) to see nearly a full week of gloomy, overcast and rainy conditions. What a warm welcome back to Hutchinson! The silver lining is that many of our communities are in extreme drought, and the rainfall is needed now more than ever.