me

 

 

 

 

 

holy shit!

i have a vague recollection of how it felt when i received acceptance letters from the handful of colleges to which i applied. this is more exciting. for years now, i’ve wanted to go back to school. i’ve wanted to advance my career in politics. just as importantly, i’ve wanted to prove to myself that i could do well in college studies (i didn’t fully apply myself in undergrad).

the final product of my application i thought was ok, but i wasn’t completely satisfied. reluctant to say much, i really wasn’t confident that i’d get accepted. after two failed attempts for a couple of different graduate programs at the university of hawaii and pretty embarrassing college transcripts, part of me was sure this attempt was another wishful effort.

in the end, the many hours spent on the various application parts, not to mention the three individuals who supplied my letters of recommendation, paid off. and i’m thrilled. i can attend a top “politics” school in washington d.c. and never have to leave hawaii!

but as the saying goes, “be careful what you wish for,” because now i have to decide if it’s worth the heavy financial debt load i would have to take on in order to pay for it. unlike undergraduate loans, i cannot defer any loans for this program. no, i wouldn’t have to make payments until six months after i graduate, but the “juice” will be running from the first day.

if i could be assured a high five-figure salary as soon as i graduated, there would be no question about what to do. but i’ve been in serious, stifling debt before. i remember that feeling of being trapped and it took me years to get out from under it. the program is exactly what i’ve been looking for, but can i honestly say it’s worth the financial burden i’d be taking on? i’m just not sure.

a quick and dirty calculation suggests i could be saddled with a more than $600 per month bill that i’d be paying for the next decade…. admittedly, i’m fishing a bit for words of encouragement. but i’m also looking for honest, sober advice.

i also want to offer my thanks to the three people who helped me get to this decision by writing recommendations that i have no doubt tilted the scales in my favor.

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traveling during the holidays is always an interesting experience, though one i haven’t had in quite some time. most of my regular readers (i’m learning i have quite a bit more than i thought) are aware that i have returned to my childhood home in overland park, kansas for thanksgiving.

its been a good visit so far, particularly as i’ve had lots of time to spend with my youngest nephew, who i haven’t spent as much time with as i’d otherwise prefer.

and its COLD here. i know, i know…. its not really cold, but i’ve embraced the reality that i’ve become a complete sissy to temperature extremes since moving to hawaii more than 14 years ago. so, for the average kansan, the weather has been brisk, or chilly, but not really cold. of course, i beg to differ. friends and family alike have taken some delight in my suffering given where i live.

a couple of quick photos (i’ll share more later).

i was surprised, but pleased to see bubbie’s mochi ice cream for sale at whole foods in overland park. is it terrible to be surprise that folks in kansas know what mochi ice cream is?

here’s an experience i haven’t had in many, many years; waiting patiently while a train moves through the area. i was there for a minute, or two before i could continue….

beyond all that, i haven’t much to share. i did want to take a moment, however belatedly, to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe thanksgiving holiday. i hope you’ve all been able to enjoy quality time with loved ones.

i’m certainly thankful i’ve been able to.

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after returning from a lovely evening with friends for dinner and a movie, i realized i still needed to record something for today.

so, here’s one from my high school days (damn i’m getting old). i like this song that, for better or worse, reminds me of a string of unrequited loves and crushes i do my best not to recount on this blog.

i’m still struggling a bit with properly syncing the audio and video. this one was trickier, for some reason, than the last couple.

anyway, happy music monday.

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i’ve been struggling since last night with what i should write about today. now it’s 2:30pm and i still haven’t settled on anything.

this is partly because when i think about it, my mind races with too many topics. and this is partly because most of the topics that come to mind would require some background reading. don’t get me wrong, i’m not opposed to doing the necessary reading and google searches. i just haven’t done them to this point.

also, i’m having to give larger amounts of time to an ongoing project or two.

all this is the long way of saying that there won’t be a substantive post today.

in the meantime, here’s a list of potential topics for the next several days. if there’s enough feedback from my relatively small audience on one or two, maybe i’ll know where to go from here.

  • a follow-up on my previous electoral college post
  • 3 questions from my therapist to contemplate
  • how the hell did we end up with trump
  • my photography aspirations (and how to get there, maybe)
  • what do we do next

of course, i’m also open to requests.

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last week was a rough one. i didn’t more than a couple of posts completed, but i didn’t want to miss a music monday video. luckily, i recorded two last week, which made it a bit easier today. and the editing went smoother this week.

so, the temper trap is a band that was suggested to me by one of my music geek friends. some of the songs are hit and miss, but this one i really like.

i think my lip sync is pretty good and hopefully you’ll find it entertaining. it’s not nearly as entertaining as the “official” music video, which i think is great.

particularly great is the puddle-splashing and fireworks.

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