Oxy campus is a hellish place at night, especially if the main exit is blocked by bright orange cones and chains. So why on earth was I at Oxy in the first place? Well, there was the orchestra rehearsal (it's a joint orchestra with Techers and Oxy people, but we might as well have had it at Caltech--the Oxy people are still on winter break). Afterwards, we found our main exit gone so we drove around, with other clueless people tailgating us as well, only to find dead ends and nearly driving off a cliff. Finally, I remembered that there was a hidden driveway where we started and we escaped like psychotic mice from a water maze.
In other news, the Chamber music director played for the soundtrack recording of a film called "Death to the Smootchies" (or at least I think it is) which is supposed to be a cross between Barney and the Sopranos. Starring Robin Williams and Danny DeVito, a guy who makes his living dressed in a dinosaur suit is being hunted down by the mob. The soundtrack also includes The Ride of the Valkyries (every Techer's nightmare), The Flying Dutchman, and Madame Butterfly. Remember, you heard it here first!
As for silly shenanigans on Tuesday, a Techer ate a plate full (more than a quart?) of ice cream for one dollar. Some people think it's in imitation of some Japanese show called "Iron Stomach". The real truth is, it's a dare concocted by people who watched too many soap operas. And one of my friends says that there's symbolism in the Caltech comic Crippling Depression when one of the characters smiles less and less as the term wears on. However when questioned, the creators of the strip admitted to absolutely having no idea what he's talking about.
