it's 2:42 AM CST...can't fall asleep cuz I took a 4 hr nap. That's ok since I have no clinical responsibilities later today....it's MATCH DAY. The moment of truth will come at 11 AM when I head out to a bar to meet my peers and receive a sealed envelope with my fate inside. So anxious...so much anticipation...can't go to sleep now...

Lately, I've been reflecting upon the past, which seems like only yesterday! I can't believe it's approaching 10 yrs since I took my first steps on "the beach" in front of the MSE...can't it be that long ago? I remember getting yanked out of the car on day 1 of orientation, going through registration, getting my J-card, walking up the steps of Lazear to my room where I met Mike, a fellow Park. It only took me a few months to get in trouble...advice to you: don't dissect wild mice in a communal bathroom. Don't worry, only got a slap on the wrists...afterall, I had a good point..."If you don't want the students playing with mice, [housing] should do a better job of extermination." Man, pass/fail 1st semester was so key! Took advantage of it as far as I could...looking back though, I think it set me up for a lackluster performance the rest of those 3.5 yrs. Doesn't matter at this stage in the game...

I miss the HUT...it was cramming HQ for Peter and I, always studying the night before...trying to play catch up to the "1st row" gunners of the class. If you found us there on a non pre-exam night, social agendas usually took precendence over any form of brain training... And when it got too stuffy, it was nice to take a breather outside on the steps of Gilman, looking up at the sky...you were lucky if you got a glimpse of any stars shining through that blanket of eerie pink/orange. I remember a lot of strange things happening during those witching hours... the cat-sized rat waddling through the HUT looking for remnants of sundries courtesy of Royal Farms...finding RC's blood pooling on the ground from GS wounds as a few other students tried CPR to keep him alive...inappropriate laughter with 2 other fellows triggered by a certain book, only made possible in the setting of cramming fatigue... The HUT was never the same after they renovated M level (it is M, right?). The new library was so nice, but it still didn't compare to the spontaneity and casual nature of the HUT.

The "beach" used to be an interesting place to visit at night...for you younger guys, you missed the spectacle of literally about a hundred ppl drunk and wild gathered in one place...many strange incidents. But the beach was more interesting to me when nobody was around...like rolling down the hill in an empty barrel (good for a laugh)...or stealing meal trays from Wolman and using them as snow boards. The beach is very different now, sealed off by that new circle drive like a moat of asphalt....are the "rape steps" still there? didn't bother to look the last time...

I must be getting tired now, I'm starting to ramble... anyways, stay tuned...I'll let you guys know where I'll be headed!