Aren't pimps supposed to get paid? I think I'm being ripped off here.

Everyone and their mom (including mine actually!) has been asking me what I plan to do after my 2-years-late-final-graduation accomplishment. My standard reply is "Graduate School" to which of course people want to know where and don't seem satisfied when I answer "Anywhere that I get in." Apparently that's poor future planning.

So, to quelch all these questions at once, this has been my graduate school process so far. Of course, for these activities you must picture me as stressed, over caffienated and slightly crazed from lack of sleep.


1. Take horrible tests that make you feel dumb.
2. Repeat tests because you suck.
3. Decide on schools to apply to.
4. Change your mind.
5. Realize no one at these schools has research in your field.
6. Change schools again.
7. Email a couple professors and realize that you want to change your schools again.
8. Curse yourself.
9. Spend hours reading faculty profiles on websites.
10. Finally locate a sparse few crumbs of hope that someone will take on your research.
11. Pimp yourself out with hundreds of emails to more universities than imaginable.
12. Have a panic attack everytime your email notifier goes off.
13. Get depressed when it's an email from Borders and not a professor.
14. Get depressed when it IS from a professor because you feel the sting of rejection as they say no.
15. Wait.

That about sums it all up. I have sent out almost 20 emails to 20 professors hoping that at least one of them will be willing to take on someone like me (aka: with little research or exotic experience but a lot of gumption!). And to save you from asking "What universities?" Here they are in no particular order (read: the first two I would shat myself if they let me in):

1. CSU Humboldt
2. Texas A&M
3. Washington State
4. Mississippi State
5. Montana State
6. UC Davis
7. University of Tennessee
8. University of Wisconsin-Madison

Yes, I realize most of them are in places where it gets unbelievably cold or snowy or humid and that sucks, but I'll go where the research is available. I also realize they're all far away from California except for 3, which sucks, considering come this spring I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE! (Pretty much the most exciting news of my life) Which means I'll be far away from my little Bean, which is sad and guilt riddling but I have to do what I have to do and I'm a damn good care package sender :) Thank god for skype!

In other news, do you remember that half-marathon at Disney Land that I was torturing myself with? Well here's a photo to prove I actually DID finish it.

Kind of amazing.
Now, excuse me while I go continue to over caffinate so that I can be even jumpier when my email dings at me.

Pretty much the best email I've ever recieved.

That's right playas, I'm finally graduating. Who'da thunk it possible? There must be a cold front moving through hell, because I'm pretty sure I never thought I'd see this day come.

What does this mean for me? It means I retook the GRE and am now about waist deep in graduate school applications (or trying to figure them out that is). Once those are done, there's nothing to do but finish my semester of slaughtering things and sitting around twiddling my thumbs while drowning my anxiety in wine and icecream (probably not together, but I make no promises...desperate times my friends, desperate times) until I find out who rejects me and who accepts me.

I think I might frame this screen capture, that's how happy it makes me.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go curl up in the fetal position so I can mentally prepare myself for the emotional trauma of slaughtering some cows tomorrow....