Dream Propulsion Engineer

Man. My HPA axis is working overtime. My heart rate is through the roof. MCAT panic is fully entrenched. This test is insane, and I'm realizing just how long it has been since I took most of these relevant classes. Also, how little I use O.Chem in my daily life. I remember the stuff I use just fine. But really. I do not care about N-Methylpropanamide. Maybe that makes me a bad person. But only to a very small subset of the population.

I am reading a good book. You know, in the midst of all this. Of course, it was due back at the library today and I can't renew it anymore. I suggest a revision to the renewal policy that bases allowed renewals on the item's checkout history. Like, if nobody has checked it out for over a year, you should get to renew it more than twice. The book is Western Science in the Arab World: The Impact of Darwinism 1860-1930, by Adel Ziadat. It was published in 1986, and if it wasn't his thesis, it is decidedly academic. Not exactly the DVD of New Hot Film. Good, though. Maybe I will buy it, actually. Lots of names that I have trouble remembering, it would be nice to be able to look back on. It has already inspired an essay about science and society that I may inflict on y'all at some point.

My goals for post-MCAT sanity:
- actually attend a Hitchcock night.
- submit my committee letter request paperwork.
- talk to my letter writers (Bill, Nick, Rich, Dr. Merritt, Melissa, maybe Drake and Abby)
- take my "health assessment" (sure, i'll tell you how much exercise i do if you give me $65)
- finish xn&rebecca's wedding present.
- start swimming. this cold has done some seriously bad things to my lung capacity.
- have doug and ellie over for dinner.
- have mary and dan over for dinner.
- go to the midwest mountaineering outdoor adventure expo. go canoeing at their boat tryout.
- revise personal statement.
- go to junkyard. find new rim for sputnik.
- take out sputnik's radio and check for functionality. maybe get new radio at junkyard?
- submit entry to MISFITS writing contest. Category? Poetry. Laugh and die.
- sign up for motorcycle training course. get motorcycle permit.
- make dinner for slackademic. bust out the vegan cooking skillz. make some cupcakes that will not be scoffed at, as if vegan cooking isn't still *cooking.* (that almost said "make out with," as a totally benign combination of "make dinner for" and "hang out with." no designs on your tonsils, micah, i promise).

Additionally, in the "win the lottery" category:
- visit Penny in Boston. and Laura and Cat and Tyler.
- visit Maryalice, who I haven't seen since college. This is unacceptable.
- hell, visit Northampton.
- and Kacie.
- and Meredith.
Dammit. These travel websites need to stop sending me all these "low fare alerts." I'm going stir crazy, here. Germany was fantastic, but, like tattoos, travel has a way of getting under your skin and making you want mooooooore.

Ok. Back to the beer and studying.

the hedge abides.