Time for a change

So it's been a while since my last post, and I'm thinking that it might at least be partly due the fact that I haven't changed what my blog looks like in the entire time that I've had it.  So--I wanna change it, but I'm not exactly sure how I want to change it, what it should look like, etc.  Please feel free to suggest things.  And maybe I'll end up posting more (I probably will, but just needed a little more time which has finally arrived with a bit of a lull this week in my classes).

Happy 2010!

Saw this on Gizmodo and just had to share.  This is awesomeness in 7 panels.  Happy future, everybody!

Favorite Books of 2009

2009 was a good year for reading. I'm pleased to announce that I met my goal last year of 60 books, and beat it by 10. The following books were some of my favorites that I read during the past year.

The Undaunted: Gerald Lund's new novel about the pioneers who left Cedar City and blazed a trail through Hole in the Rock. A fabulous book with adventure, excitement, and yes, even a little romance.

The Hunger Games / Catching Fire: Found these books by Suzanne Collins this year, Catching Fire just came out in September. The story focuses on a girl who has to participate in the Hunger Games, a tournament where young people are forced to fight to the death. Probably don't start this series until the last book comes out later this year. Seriously, it sucks to wait and see what's coming next.

Frog: This was a beautiful photography book with lots of pictures of frogs. Dunno why, but they are one of my favorite animals. Lots of gorgeous photos. I hope to own this one for my coffee table someday.

A Tale of Two Cities: I originally read this book in high school and didn't much care for it. Upon re-reading it this year, I realized that Dickens has a sense of humor and can tell a great story. Who knew? Maybe that's why he's such a famous author.

Anyone else read some good stuff they want to pass along? Also, feel free to check out my goodreads profile (link on the right in my book queue) to see what else I've been reading.

A Christmas Miracle!

So, tonight we went to the store for this:



But came home with this:



Only a dollar a bag! Merry Christmas to ME!

Med School update

The semester finally finished, so I can give some attention to my poor little blob. A lot has happened since last update post, here's the skinny: Went to Ohio State, was very impressed, the interviews went well. Two weeks later I heard back from them--I got accepted! This was a huge weight off my shoulders because now I know that I will be going to med school now no matter what. All that remains to be seen is where.

I interviewed last Thursday with Duke via Skype. Kind of a strange experience having the interview by online video conference, but it actually worked out pretty well. I spoke with the assistant dean of admissions for an hour and forty minutes, and it was a great conversation. I felt like we got along well and that I was able to respond well to the questions he asked me.

I also found out last week that OHSU (Oregon) would like to interview me in January. More to come on that. Still no word from Stanford and Johns Hopkins, nor any further word from Utah. Chances are I'll be hearing back with decisions from Utah and Duke at the end of February or early March.

This one's for Christian

(He's a theater/media arts major)

(h/t to graphjam.com)

Where I'm at application-wise

So, I ended up applying initially to 9 schools: Washington, Oregon, Stanford, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Ohio State, Johns Hopkins, and Duke. All but Washington asked for a secondary application (no big surprise as I have no ties to the state). I have filled out secondary apps for everyone except Duke, Colorado, and Arizona, and hope to finish Duke within the week. I probably won't finish the applications for CO and AZ because they each want $100 to process the application, and I don't feel strongly enough about going to either of them.

I interviewed at Utah a few weeks ago and have an interview scheduled at Ohio State in late November. Unfortunately, they scheduled for right around Thanksgiving, so airfare is a little higher than I would like it to be. Oh well. One of my old roommates offered transport and a place to crash out there, for which I'm grateful.

Still just waiting to hear back from Oregon, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford. A post in the near future will talk a little more about my interview experience.

P.S. Anyone know of any good deals on airfare? What do you use when you are traveling to get the best deal? My interview is on a Monday morning--is a particular day or time most conducive to cheaper tickets?