ADMITTED

I had an interview on Tuesday for the MBA program that is close. In an email yesterday:

"It was great meeting with you yesterday, so much so that I get to do the most fun part of my job and tell you that you have been admitted to the _____ Global MBA program. Your letter is going out in the mail today so you can take more than my word for it."

WAAAHHOOOOO!!!

I'm still waiting to hear from the MBA program that is not close. It could be another month before I know anything. My fingers are still crossed, but it's good to know that I have *some* sort of plan for the fall. My roommate is rooting for the local program :)

Applications Finished

I applied to two M.B.A. programs and may apply to a third. The two are full-time, the third is part-time. The deadline for the part-time program's application isn't until May 15, and I find out about the full-time programs in April. This is nice, because I'd much rather go to a full-time program, so I will wait until I hear about those programs and hopefully I won't have to apply to the part-timer. That'll save me 60 bucks too....which will pay for, like, half a book or something.

But they are finished, so now I wait. Even if I have to apply to the part-time program, the recommendation letters and essays are the same as one of the full-time programs (because it's through the same school), so I'd just have to submit and pay. Sneaky how they make you do two applications to get more money......jerks. Oh well, I guess this is for business school.

Nearing Exhaustion

I think my hectic lifestyle I've chosen to lead this winter is starting to take its toll. Last night at job #2 almost all of my co-workers said, Jeez...are you alright!? I said, Yeah...I'll be fine...maybe by April...or June....

I'm working on two projects at my full-time job until ehhh March or April? I hope to continue the part-time retail job until August or September (assuming I don't go bonkers). And starting this Sunday, I will be teaching a class 3 Sundays a month from 7-9, which doesn't include significant planning time, through June. I'm moving to a new place March 1, and my company is moving to a new office building that same weekend. I'll find out if I was accepted into graduate school in April.

This past weekend was rough. The deadline for graduate school application #1 was Monday the 7th at 8pm. Thanks to having two jobs now, I hadn't been able to work on it much until then. I needed to write four essays, totaling seven pages. I had written about a page and a half. So on Friday, I went on a retreat to my parents' house because I could lock myself in a room and, unlike my house, actually have some peace and quiet. My co-worker friend is a writer/editor, so she was going to take a look at them. I told her I'd have the essays to her Saturday morning or afternoon.

Finished the two 1-pagers and went to bed at midnight. Woke up, wrote a longer one and sent her those three at 2pm. Took a lunch break. Back to work at 6pm. Sent her the last essay (which was actually the first, most important essay) at 3am, knowing it was choppy and a work-in-progress.

Off to job #2 Sunday morning. Convinced them that, since someone who wasn't on the schedule was working, I didn't need to be there. Sent home at 3pm. Received a phone call asking if I could come to the parent meeting for the class I agreed to teach. "Oh, just make an appearance, you only need to stay for 20 minutes." Annoyed that teaching this class has been so disorganized and I still didn't know which Sunday it would be starting, I collapsed in a nap from 4:30-5:30. Worked on the application form until it was time for the meeting. I was gone for two hours.

Back to work. Time check: 8pm. Still to finish: the application form (which involved a lot more writing than I realized), simple edits to 2 essays, changing the scope a bit of 1 essay, and adding smoother transitions and examples to the other. Time submitted: 3:30am. All in all, I'm *really* happy with the way the essays turned out, but last year, this school accepted 6% of the applicants. *sigh*

Graduate application #2 is due Tuesday the 15th. The application form is for the most part finished, but I have to write three essays. I think I will be able to tweak some of the other essays, but I will definitely have to do some original writing. With my current schedule, I basically have Saturday to finish...and/or I'll just stay up till 4am Monday night again...

Don't worry, my writing is much better than this for the applications.

Monster Truck Rallies??

Really, horoscope? Really?

Your social energy is quietly buzzing right now, making today perfect for spending time with friends. Anything from heartfelt chats to monster truck rallies should be fine, as long as you're all together.

Politely Pumping

As the last notch on my digital gas tank was angrily flashing at me, I pulled into the nearest Shell station to fill 'er up. After swiping my card, pumping the gas, and returning the nozzle, the gas pump machine asked me if I wanted a receipt. My options were "Yes" and "No, thanks." I thought, well isn't that nice? Shell is teaching folks manners! But I wondered, why not the affirmative option, "Yes, please." It goes both ways, Shell! Oh well, at least the negative option wasn't, "No way, you jerk, and screw you for even asking!"

My 19-Year-Old Cat

My sister took this picture and posted it on her blog, but it's just too good not to post on mine too. This is Mario. He's 19 in human years. He is diabetic and gets insulin shots twice a day. His meow could wake the dead. He's a good cat. And very very old.

Two Peas in a Pod for 60 Years

My granddad is dying. This weekend my family went up to Pennsylvania to visit him and say our goodbyes, which was hard of course. My aunts visited the funeral home to start making those arrangements. My grandma told us that Granddaddy said he wanted to be cremated, which surprised her. She had never considered that an option, and seemed kind of grossed out or creeped out about the idea. I think she said, "Ehhhleck!" She seemed to be throwing in the towel, though. She said, "Not that it really matters...you used to think all this was important stuff, but it doesn't really matter after all."

Apparently, though, they have the option of just getting one plot. If she still wanted to be buried, they could put the casket in and have the urn go on top. Or, if she decided she would be cremated too, they could put both urns in one plot. As she was telling us these options, she said, "Well, I think as long as we're together. Two peas in a pod for 60 years, we ought to be together."

I am continuously reminded of how unbelievably, truly fortunate I am to have so many models of love and commitment in my life.