Mavericks Like Us

So, the moronically named snowpocalypse is past, and it dropped something like 30+ inches in the area. My fave moment was waking up on Saturday morning, and looking out the window while I was making coffee. There, in the 'backyard' between my set of apartment buildings and the apartments behind us, was a woman trying to encourage her lab-sized dog out into the snow to play and/or pee. He was having none of it. The snow was up past the woman's knees, which made it deeper than the dog.

He stayed curled around the trunk of a tree where the drifting had left a shallow area. It was a small tree, so he was in a small curl, glancing back at the 5+ feet of snow between him and the safety of the veranda & the door back into his apartment. Finally, his person came closer and he decided to venture forth, and he sank in with just his nose sticking out. He leaped toward her in these massive bounds that looked like a whale breaching the surface of the ocean only to crash back into the water. High-larious. He was not a happy camper.

Then, while he was wallowing through the massive snow drifts, another person with another dog came to their back door. Except their dog was *pocketsized* and being carried, and I just thought, 'dude, you won't see that thing before spring thaw if you try to take it out to pee right now.'

Anyway, once the snow finally stopped we collectively realized that of the 20-some-odd classmates who live in this apartment complex, only one had a shovel. So we took turns digging out our cars. Given the way the complex plowed the roads, there was a swath 3+ feet wide and 2+ feet deep from our back bumpers to the edge of the cleared road. That wasn't including the snow all around the cars that had drifted and was over 3 feet deep on the driver's side and the drifting from the sidewalk led to an unbroken field of snow from the door to our building up to the windshield on my car. Needless to say digging out took awhile.

I also now have a keen appreciation for people who leave furniture in their parking spaces when they pull out, to ensure no one else parks there. I spent hours digging out my car. You want to park there, you damn well better dig me a new place to park. *glowers*

Many secondary roads in Bmore are untouched (one of my classmates actually called me in a panic to ask if she could stay w/ us for awhile b/c her car is so snowed in she doesn't think she'll be able to drive for a week or more. She's parked in an unplowed alley off an unplowed secondary street off an unplowed secondary street...so there is effectively a half-mile unplowed field between her and a driveable street.) so the school is closed today.

Instead of class, I'll be studying (physics and orgo top the list), of course. Also on the to-do list: bringing a suit to the tailor and getting my taxes done so I can submit my FAFSA. Fun times!

Second semester starts today. Sort of. Today was the scheduled start to the spring semester, but it was bumped back by a day for an on-campus educator's conference or something. I'm not really sure. EXCEPT our bio prof decided to lecture anyway. We don't actually have an assigned classroom, though, so our instructions are to meet in a certain hallway and then we'll follow along after him while searching for an available room.

Sounds like a good time.

I have been experiencing, what's the word? Ah, terror at the thought of the MCAT (seriously had to stop a discussion w/ my roommate b/c my heart started racing and I got all clammy). Naturally, I've responded to this in the best, most healthy way possible: by ignoring the approaching start of school and not preparing at ALL. Well. Beyond buying new notebooks, anyway. My first class is in two hours and I haven't yet set up a notebook. (Obviously I still have plenty of time. Setting up a notebook isn't exactly arduous...)

On the up side, I've been trying to work out some functional coping strategies to get me through this semester and ensure I don't drop the ball on MCAT prep. I've got a desk blotter calendar that I'm going to post on my wall w/ an MCAT study schedule. I'm working w/ another classmate who has similar study requirements as me (little ambient noise, few other pple, etc) to come up w/ a regular joint study schedule. I've been talking about the problem (history suggests I'm *really* in trouble when I start keeping secrets) and I think I'll be okay.

Still scared, though. For the record.

Right now I've got some Trader Joe's banana bread (w/ added chocolate chips) in the oven, a mug of coffee in my hand, and plenty of time to set up my notebook.

The break was, in a word, awesome. I haven't had this much time off since I was laid off in 2001, and this time I didn't lay awake nights wondering how long the unemployment would last. Before that, the last time I had this much time off was maybe the seventh grade? That's the last time I wasn't working to pay for my education, anyway. The point being: I feel restored. I spent lots of time with friends and family without feeling rushed.

Obviously my grandma's funeral and the holidays were really tough for the whole family, but it was still good to be with family and feel the love and support there. And now it's the final push.

I completed my primary and secondary applications to med school. The postbacc program is still working on the committee letters and should send those out in the next few weeks. After that, it's just waiting to hear about interviews. (I'm given to understand the school is likely to wait until they get a sense of how many people who have already been offered admission are likely to actually come before they start offering places to us, so we could be waiting for awhile.)

So, those of you who know me in person will understand just how excited I am to learn about Speakeasy DC. Storytelling, you say? With an audience? Awesome!

When I stumbled across this, it reminded me that someone at Tribecon was telling me about a podcast channel of storytelling. I don't remember what that was, so can you please remind me? Thanks!

Also, any locals interested in a 2nd Tuesday night outing at some point?

Haiti was hit by a massive earthquake last night. The earthquake itself was a magnitude 7.0 and at least 28 aftershocks had a magnitude of 4.0 or greater. The capitol city has been destroyed and loss of life is expected to be catastrophic.

You can donate to Unicef
the Red Cross
or any of a large number of aid organizations that can be found here.

Yeah. The website is still not accepting applications. (The program director emailed on Friday to say the med school finally contacted AAMC, and the application should open on Wednesday.) What is this patience thing of which you speak? *refreshes anyway*

( So, a small update instead. )

So, you know, the official word on submitting my application was 'they'll open the website sometime in early January, and the deadline for submitting an application is January 15th.' I'm ready to go! Let's get this show on the road! I've had a completed application for two weeks, ready and waiting to hit the 'submit' button except I'm thwarted by the fact that the website isn't currently accepting applications. I've been hitting 'refresh' since about 8 AM on this, the first workday morning in January. In fact, I emailed the director of my program by 9:30 just to find out if there was something special I'm supposed to do, or if I just need to wait patiently. She said to wait patiently.

*taps toes and checks watch*

What about now? Is it ready now? Is it...oh, fuck it, I obviously am just a wee bit overexcited about this at the moment.

abka and I are hitting the road sometime early in the morning. If all goes well, we'll reach TribeCon country around mid-afternoon. Can't wait!