07.12.08
Posted in Random at 9:47 pm by Anthony
There are some principles I will not violate. For instance, under no circumstances is something as inconsequential as a phone worth waiting overnight in line for, even if it is the Jesus phone. (However, I will succumb to peer pressure if I have friends doing it.)
So I should be proud of myself for sticking to my guns and only going to fall in line for the iPhone 3G at 6:30 am, 1.5 hours before the AT&T store opened. And yet, though I was quite prepared for the almost definite possibility that I would not get the iPhone I wanted (the last 16 GB model ended up being sold a few spots ahead of me), I’m still annoyed (internally) by the “7-10 business days” I must wait for AT&T’s Direct Fulfillment to ship my order, not to mention being annoyed at Apple for what seems to be a deliberate move to under-supply AT&T stores.
(I’m under the vague impression that because I have a rate plan discount as an employee of a participating company, I can’t buy the iPhone at an Apple store. If I’m wrong, well… I suppose the issue is moot, anyway. See the next paragraph.)
The little bit of good news is that it may end up being shipped earlier–the guy at the AT&T store said that Direct Fulfillment orders placed before noon on Friday are being shipped on Monday, so I should have one in my hands on Tuesday or Wednesday. And really, what is a few days in the grand scheme of things? I did, after all, manage to resist the temptation to buy the first incarnation of the iPhone.
*twiddle*
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07.07.08
Posted in school at 6:57 pm by Anthony
The post-baccalaureate pre-med program at Northwestern assumes that you are a complete career-switcher (for instance, you studied the humanities in undergrad) and have never taken any of the med school prerequisites in college. With that in mind, they provide a structured program with chemistry, physics, and biology courses that should satisfy most medical schools’ requirements for admission.
All well and good, but I did happen to take some of the prerequisite courses–definitely physics, and maybe one or more chemistry classes (general and physical). Now, back when I formulated my plan of working before going to med school, I got the impression that my college credits would be good for about five years before I’d have to take them again. Given that it’s been six years since graduating, I have been preparing myself to retake some classes that probably I don’t need to take again, like physics. At a rate of ~$1300 per class, though (and I would have to take three physics classes), if I can get away with not having to retake classes, I’d certainly save some money.
The admissions counselor at Northwestern with whom I spoke said that it’s a good idea to find out directly from the schools I’m interested in what their policies are regarding academic requirements. So, I sent out emails asking about how recently prerequisite classes need to have been taken to the addresses I could find for the various admissions departments of the schools in the area: Northwestern, UIC, Rush, UofC, UW-Madison, and MCW (Loyola admissions doesn’t have an email address published, only a phone number). Registration for fall classes at Northwestern has started and it would be a good idea to know whether or not I really need to take chemistry and physics this upcoming quarter…
The responses? So far, no one has said that there’s any “expiration date” on credits. Hooray! Pre-med might not be so expensive after all! :) Now, all I have to do is try to remember just what classes I did take back in college and match those up against the schools’ requirements…
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07.06.08
Posted in Life Updates, Musings, school at 4:38 pm by Anthony
As I begin to execute parts of my exit strategy from my current job (engineer) to points unknown (med school), I thought I might start to chronicle on this site my journey out of the desert.
It all started with an informational session at Northwestern University for their pre-medicine professional development program–well, to be really honest I guess it started back when I was still applying for the job I have right now. I was pretty up-front then when I said I intended to stay only for a couple of years before transitioning to med school. Now…it’s been five years (six since graduating) and I figure I’ve put in my time (woot–three weeks of vacation!) and can move on now. Only problem is those pesky prerequisite courses I need to get into med school, and the question of whether my undergraduate credits still apply. (Do I really need to take physics all over again? I aced it back in college, and I’ll do fine it if I have to take it again… but that would be such a waste of time and money.) So I figured the program at Northwestern was the best option as it is structured and offers guidance for a career-changer like me.
Knowing that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel (for this stage of my life, at least) and seeing that light have an effect on one’s outlook in life. Admittedly, I’ve gotten myself into a comfortable rut, but I could definitely do without corporate politics and the general malaise that accompanies life in an office. Were the years I’ve spent working a waste? I don’t think so. I think I’ve grown and matured a lot since I started and has given me a bit of perspective. But I can’t help but think… when I finish my prerequisites, I’ll be close to 30, then in my mid-30s when I finish med school… a part of me thinks that that seems so… old. (I know it’s not necessarily old, but still.) Shouldn’t I be settling down and raising a family by then? It’s trains of thought like that that give me pause as to whether I should be doing this at all, but deep down I am confident this is for the best.
So, here I am today, in the middle of taking a biology course at Northwestern (I’m a student again! Haha. STUDENT DISCOUNTS, BITCHES.) and trying to juggle work at the same time. Challenging? Definitely. The long commute from WI makes things interesting (and makes me question whether I shouldn’t just quit my job right now and move to Chicago) and is a strain on my wallet, to be sure. I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to pull this off without too much financial hurt.
If nothing else, the trips to Evanston have infused a part of my weekly routine with the environmental stimulation you can only get in a big metropolitan area. And it’s made me remember how much I miss living in a big city.
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06.26.08
Posted in site news at 10:43 pm by the mgmt.
I got tired of using the old template, so I changed it. If I ever find more than a few minutes of free time, I’ll get more flickr integration back. But until then, well…
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05.12.08
Posted in Life Updates at 8:52 pm by Anthony
Lots of things to catch up on. I haven’t had much motivation to post or take pictures, but anyway:
February saw a lot of snow and a lot of driving to McHenry. Auntie Mench checked into the hospital at the beginning of the month presenting symptoms of high blood pressure. Her heart was found to be in bad shape and underwent a quadruple bypass and repair of her mitral valve.
The surgery was successful, but she developed complications post-op and unfortunately spent the next few weeks on life support in the intensive care unit before it was clear that the likelihood of her recovery was slim to nonexistent. The clock turned past midnight on the morning of March 3; life support was terminated and soon afterward she passed onto the next life, having spent a scant 70 years on this earth. I try not to dwell on the unfortunate turn of events because it is not her death but her life that is important–but it’s hard to shake the regrets and the guilt of not having spent more time with her.
Life continued in the meantime–February saw a trip to the Chicago Auto Show with the Chicago MINI Motoring Club to check out the new MINI Cooper Clubman and some other very cool cars, and the beginning of March saw a mini-road trip to the Dells to rendezvous with the MINIs Motoring Against Cancer banner.
On the way to Chicago to be with the family before the funeral, the MINI struck an unholy pothole, trashing a rim and rendering Radcliffe immobile until I could find a replacement. I took the opportunity to put some new non-runflat tires on… so far, so good.
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02.06.08
Posted in Musings at 5:19 pm by Anthony
While in northern Illinois this past Sunday on family business, Mother Nature decided to start unleashing some snow. The silent streets, already absent of life from the Superbowl, were rendered several more shades of beautiful by the quietly-falling snowflakes accumulating undisturbed.
It was a hint of things to come. The snow that began falling last night is predicted to total over a foot and a half by the storm’s end.
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02.02.08
Posted in Life Updates at 9:14 pm by Anthony
Catching up on recent events, part 2:
Despite the 0-degree weather (and even worse wind chill), the Cream City Flickrites braved the elements for a stroll down Brady Street. After starting off from The Nomad with a couple of pints for faux warmth, the daring photographers snapped up images of the streetscape heading west towards the Brady Street Pharmacy, for a snack, hot beverages, fogged-up optics… and a truly fabulous spur-of-the-moment tour of the upstairs Astor Theater space by owner Jim Searles.
The walk concluded with beverages at the Hi-Hat. Hopefully next month’s walk will be in better weather–but I will not be there due to commitments for the Jessup.
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Posted in Life Updates at 8:57 pm by Anthony
Catching up on recent events, part 1…
The IMSA Alumni Association held a gathering on January 12th at Jake Melnick’s in Chicago. Alumni had a chance to mingle with old classmates, fellow survivors, staff and Academy administration, including the new VP of Advancement, Suzyn Price, and the new Academy President, Max McGee.
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01.02.08
Posted in Random at 12:17 am by Anthony
Somehow I thought that, because everyone abandons the neighborhood for Christmas and street parking is plentiful, that this would also be the case for New Year’s.
Suffice it to say that this was not the case. After a very enjoyable New Year’s party I was faced with having to find a parking spot and after about 30 minutes it was obvious that there were no nearby spots to be found and no one was leaving (everyone most likely being passed out at that hour).
I passed up this spot too many times to count, not really sure if I would fit and not sure if my coordination was up to the task, recovering from the party and being generally tired. All I know is that if I had tried earlier I would have been much less grumpy. ‘Cause actually, I got it parked in one shot.
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12.17.07
Posted in Life Updates at 10:44 pm by Anthony
Saturday saw some intrepid Cream City Flickr photogs brave the snow for a visit to the Mitchell Park Domes. Then it was off to TGI Friday’s at Miller Park for some brew and food–and an awesome opportunity to tour the park thanks to a couple of very accommodating staff! (Domes pictures here; Miller Park pictures soon to come.)
In other news, I seem to be having difficulties figuring out what my next move career/life-wise. I think this is causing much consternation with the management. It would be easier if I were absolutely tired of my current position… but I’ve somehow worked myself into something of a niche (rut) that I’m having trouble mentally extricating myself from. I’m having trouble coming up with the determination to just… leave. (Not that it would be any easier later.)
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