Mondays with Oskar

Monday, Monday.
I wonder sometimes if it's always had that feeling to it. Today was bittersweet, actually. We got new classes, which was interesting. Humanities went about like you'd expect a Humanities class to go. I passionately discussed my views on Grass's novel, connecting dots as we moved from question to question. Tiff offered typically extensive counterpoints with her own unique tone.
I made a B on my first German test. Not an A, but close. Most of the mistakes were the usual dumb errors. I got all the thinks I was afraid of missing right.
Having finished the Tin Drum, I'm already itching for a new read. We're discussing the Tin Drum again on wednesday, then I think we discuss some short stories monday or wednesday. I don't lead a discussion until 2 weeks from today, as far as I can tell. Which means I could go ahead and read all the material now, then reread it, but I'm afraid laziness would set in later and I wouldn't get the re-read done. So as a preventative measure, I'm being lazy now.
Elvis rode the bus with us again today. He's not talking to us anymore. He just gives us puppy dog (hound dog?) eyes and asks a couple of Germans his usual litany. He struck up a conversation with one of them today. I get the feeling most of the town knows Elvis.
There are beggers in Regensburg, also. I encountered some on Friday and again today, I just had neglected to mention it before now. Like the ones I saw in Paris and Florence, the beggers here sit crouched on the ground, holding their hands up or raising a cup silently. They add to the somber mood that's dominated this city since the clouds rolled in.
Did I mention the weather before now? It started raining saturday night and continued through sunday, and the clouds just never left. It's not wet anymore, just bedeckt (German word for cloudy, I like it).
For those of you that didn't know it, Germany's divided into 16 states. These states (listed here compliments of about.com) and their capitals all come from much earlier historical regions. I'm telling you all this because (1) I'm starting to recognize the differences between the various regions and (2)I have to learn the states and capitals for a test on wednesday.
Feel my pain.
So I have the 16 lande floating around my mind, with a few of their capitals attempting to connect. Little Oskar from the Tin Drum is clattering around up there, trying to help me navigate through his insanity. I'm really trying to shake him out. I get the feeling that Voltaire and Fredrick Douglas and Kafka are just going to further gum up the works.
That's what I get, right?