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Hi again...

I'm getting sick of making excuses for my long gaps in posting, so I'll just fess up... I haven't felt like it. That's how I roll sometimes.

Let's see, lots happened. Liz and Jesse had a wedding that I attended. Very nice. My first time to Florida. A little touristy for me at first, but we found our place lounging around sipping drinks by the wedding party's pool.

I bought a sinfully large flatscreen monitor. 22 inch widescreen. My whole world looks different now.

Heard from Mason. They denied me to their PhD program, but then offered me a masters slot. It seems that there is a whole series of macro/micro classes that I'd have to basically repeat if I wanted to go on to a PhD AFTER doing the masters, so I'm seriously considering rejecting the offer. I feel like I'm getting old enough that I just can't waste that much time taking useless classes they'll make me repeat for no reason whatsoever. On the other hand, I don't really want to sit around for the next year. A quandary. I suspect I'll talk to my profs and see if I can continue my research for a year... hopefully get a chunk of what I would have to do for a PhD thesis done, and then apply again.

Speaking of Mason and rejection, I got a little story for ya. So we have these student seminars once a week. At each one, a grad student presents their research and usually some data. And they're usually packed. Except for the last couple weeks, the others this semester have been standing room only. So I was scheduled to give a seminar on April 6. I bust my arse, get some stuff together to present, stay up late the day before getting everything ready. Time of my seminar comes along.... zero people show up. Zero. Actually one dude came in about 10 minutes after it was supposed to start and asked if I was giving a seminar. I was like "Uh, I guess. Yeah, come on in," to which he replied, "Oh, no... I just want to use your projector when you're done. I'll be in the lobby. Can you let me know when your through with it." Turns out there was some big shot economist who came in from Caltech to participate in a big seminar somewhere in another building that day, and they emailed everyone to reschedule the April 6 seminars EXCEPT the guy scheduled to actually do the seminar that day (me). I kinda figured something was up, because it wasn't just that no one showed up to my thing... The whole department was empty. It was clear that something was amiss.

My sisters and mom came to visit me last weekend. Went to FDR memorial and Washington Monument with Alexis, and took the whole crew to Eastern Market Saturday morning. And dinner w Mary, Partha and Pia.

OK, must go...