Open Sesame

This time it's been so long since I posted that I had to request that my password be reset, vexingly failing to inform me of the escaped password. The strange thing is that I have a core of passwords that I arbitrarily attach to different accounts. I subscribe to this practice because it a) allows me to not allow some joker to, if by breaking into one account, become me and b) assures(or not) that if I forget a password I can systematically enter my core of secret codes and eventually gain admission. Somehow, in an apparent flash of originality, I must have set this account to something completely unrelated to high school, pet names, or significant dates. 

A couple of other things have me aggravated. I lost my OHSU swipe card that also has my MAX(light rail) pass sticker that I used everyday. Anybody who knows me is not surprised. I lose everything. I contend that is not for a lack of intelligence, for organization takes none. Replacing the card itself will only be slightly annoying, but replacing the MAX pass requires that I buy a whole new Tri-met pass which will probably cost me $200 for the next 6 months on top of continuing to pay for the year-long pass that I purchased in August. I've torn up my apartment looking for the credit-card sized pass to no avail. I am fairly certain, therefore, that the card, which was clipped to a front, pant pocket, detached on my bike ride home from work. I'm really pissed about this situation and I could go on and on. 

My phone's battery is also busted, which accounts for the failure of anybody (comprehensively: mom or sisters) trying to "ring" me has encountered in the last few days. 

I am starting the process of applying to graduate school, finally. I had been dragging my feet trying to wait for the perfect time to start applying, i.e., personally satisfactory GRE scores or other application bolstering developments. I finally realized that the time is never going to be perfect so I sent around a first round of emails to professors whose research interests I share. They all replied and I have since talked to one of them on the phone on Friday and have a couple of more phone "interviews?" scheduled for next week. So, now I have an answer to the question that is almost as annoying as the "What are you going to do when you graduate question:" "To where are you thinking to apply?"Answer: a school on the east coast, a school on the west coast, a school in Canada--Rutgers, USC, and UBC, respectively. I am going to add a few more schools to that list, in the coming week. 

In the mean time, the personal statement is tough. I have written one. It's not fun because it can always get better. Can always get much better. Can always be completely re-written. Is so abstract in its requirements and mission. So, there will be a point to which I get in writing my personal statement that I realize, just like starting the application process itself, that it's never going to be perfect and just send it. Ok, I need a date: Friday, I'm going to be done with it by December 12. Fine, done. 

Can't wait to go home for christmas. I fly home on the 23rd. I'm going to stay east of the Mississippi probably until after January 3. I may fly back from Chicago where ezE and I are bringing in the New Year...I've never been there and Stretch lives there, so we made it happen. 

Here is to hoping that no Bama fans sitting in the Florida student section on Saturday were injured during the official ending of Bama's quest for an SEC championship. That's right, after all that, Bama didn't even win an SEC championship. On that note... 

 

Cheers