...but OH what a drive.
I'd heard it was supposed to be snowing in Buffalo as I left... I wasn't too worried. I walked out of my house to a driveway that was a sheet of ice... I probably should have taken that as a sign, and said 'sorry mom, I know there's a funeral, but I'm not driving in this.'
but oh no, I had to be a tough guy.
So, I got the GPS going. it said 404 miles, and estimated it would take 8 hours. Last time I did it in under 7, and being my usual competitive self, I wanted to beat that time this time.
Note: last time the roads were dry.
So I make my way to the 90, and GPS pipes up "go 272 miles, then bear right"
So I'm driving along. It's rainy and nasty, and occasionally I feel one wheel slipping a little. But I'm not scared. I'm tough.
I hit rochester at exactly 1 hour. Syracuse at exactly 2. Stop at the big rest stop right past syracuse, and when I got out of the car I realized that it was not just rain, but ice. My entire car was covered in a sheet of ice.
I got back on the road and kept plugging along. Called everyone to check in and say things were going fine.
All the while those monster plows are everywhere, and there are spun-out cars off the side of the road ALL OVER THE PLACE.
And then the thermometer in my car went from 33 to 31- and OH what a difference it made.
All of the sudden it was not rain, it was slush/snow.
It was so slippery. Not like ice, but still scary.
And then my wipers were all frozen so they only made contact in one little corner and I could barely see at all. But I didn't want to stop b/c I just wanted to get there and be done. not to mention I didn't want to get out of the car in that mess.
After a few TERRIFYING moments (giant trucks passing me at like 85mph spraying slush everywhere, so I couldn't see ANYTHING, while going around a curve with minimal traction, etc) I finally had the bright idea to BLAST the heat at max, which finally thawed out the wipers. and made me so hot I was tempted to drive around topless. HA.
Then about 50 miles past syracuse or so, the temp went back above freezing, and just like that the ice was gone and then it was just nasty rain the rest of the way. I hit the 272mile mark (Albany) in 3 1/2 hours or so, and I thought "wow! 404-272 -> ~125 I'm more than halfway there! no way is this going to take 8 hours! yahoo!"
Then checked a different screen- 220 left to go.
So I'm not sure where that 404 came from, but that was a huge downer.
And it did indeed take me all 8 hours. Which I seem to take as some sort of a failure, which is stupid. it was called "not dying"

But wow.
I like driving fast.
But this made me realize- I like driving fast when I have control of my car. Not when there are huge trucks bearing down on me and flashing their lights and I am afraid I'm about to go off the road.

I guess I didn't realize how tense and scared I was- but now my whole body is sore all over.

YUCK.

But, I made it home safe and sound.
Rocked out on Guitar Hero with my brother, had some quality time with the dog, and have already been fed about a week's worth of food.

Ahh, gotta love visiting the fam. :)

Hope you are all staying warm. I'll be back next week.

p.s. if any mac people are still reading- have you tried "back to my mac"? it's pretty amazing! I'm in RI but using my computer in buffalo via screen sharing. But I have access to everything! A little slow, but still- tres cool.

I have been so fixated on getting this stupid test over with that it didn't dawn on me until now-

tomorrow is my last day at roswell, EVER!!

And we totally barely ever even had lunch!!

---

I hate this test, and I am going to do shitty (shittily?) on it.
Boo.

And I miss Dan.
Even more than I thought I would.

But, he comes back saturday.

And just to be shmoopy for a second (bear with me, I don't do this often)-

He sent me a card that is (I think) cute/funny.
On the front it has two frogs (random) and it says:

Life is so busy
If I could have
five extra minutes
each day..

[and inside]

I'd make out with you
like crazy
for five minutes

hahaha.
(and I won't tell you what he wrote b/c it's even more sickeningly cute.)

Sometimes I can't believe the cards they actually sell out there. I mean a card about making out? with frogs on it? how random!

Ok, back to procrastinating studying.

I know, I know, a sports post from Jenks? I don't believe it either...

I went to the Sabres game last night.
They won 10-1. Finally (I think if they'd lost it would have been the 10th loss in a row or something). Against the Atlanta Thrashers, who we thought should maybe change their name to the Atlanta Thrashed. Or Thrashees.

Dan says that "hockey-wise" it was a boring game. But, I thought it was pretty exciting b/c everyone got all into it b/c they JUST KEPT SCORING.
The best part though was the little 9 year old girl next to me. She was there with her grandpa (which is about the cutest thing ever) and she was cheering like crazy. And then Stafford got a hat trick, so everyone started throwing their hats onto the ice. But someone from the upper levels threw a hat that didn't quite made it to the ice, and landed in our laps. The girl was wondering if she could keep it, and I explained that people were throwing them on the ice b/c it was a hat trick. And she said "well do they get them back?" and I said I didn't think so, and she said "well that's a waste of money!"
haha
and the other best part was the huge fight at the end- and one guy got (if I remember it right)
2 minutes for roughing
2 minute for instigating
5 min for fighting
10 min for something else
and a whole game for disorderly conduct or something like that.
And another atlanta guy got a penalty too, and somehow buffalo got no penalty, so it was 5 on 3 for a while, and almost went to 5 on 2.

But don't worry peeps. I'm not turning into a hockey freak. Like this guy.
(have you seen this commercial? it's awesome)


And for the soccer/football people-
This is pretty funny. Well at least the first 2 min or so, then it turns to rubgy and it gets a little long.



So... my stupid exam is saturday.
I can not WAIT til it is over, so I can get back to a normal life.
And vacation in two weeks! woohooooooo!
Dan just left for aruba this AM.
I am super-jealous.

And- I finally got my applications in, and apparently not too late, b/c I mailed them out tuesday night, and by friday had 3 interview invites! woot woot. UB, Stony Brook, and UMass. So we'll see.

Now time to procrastinate a little more before I transform into study-monster.

Four doctors attending an international medical convention are discussing medical care advances in their respective countries.


A Japanese doctor says, "Medicine in my country is so advanced that we can take a kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have him out
looking for work in six weeks."

A German doctor says, "That is nothing. We can take a lung out of one person, put it in another, and have him out looking for work in four weeks."

A British doctor says, "In my country medicine is so advanced that we can take half a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have both of them out looking for work in two weeks."

The American doctor, not to be outdone, interjected, "You guys are way behind. We are about to take a woman with no brains, put her in the White House, and then half the country will be out looking for work in one week!"

Ba- dum- bum...

a few months ago I got some email from Yale about some trip- it was like a medical relief mission in the dominican republic or something. Sounded great, but I didn't read the email in time and totally couldn't go.

But there must me some new travel program going on or something, b/c then I got another one about some safari in africa. I mean it sounds amazing, but it's $5400 and that doesn't include airfare. Or the "optional hot air balloon safari and champagne brunch in the serengeti" which is an extra $500.



I guess for the most part yale alumni do pretty well for themselves. The back of the alumni magazine is full of classified ads for ridiculous vacation homes etc- far out of the the reach of most "normal" people. Myself included.

Must be nice to have crazy money, and the time to take crazy trips.

Someday, maybe....

Here's just the first few days:

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
October 10: Fly to Africa
Depart the USA for your flight to Tanzania. Arrive late in the evening the next day.

October 11: Arrive in Africa, Transfer to Arusha
After arriving into either Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi or Kilimanjaro Airport, you will travel on to Arusha. Arusha is approximately 4-5 hours from Nairobi, and approximately 1 hour from Kilimanjaro Airport. Spend the night at Serena Mountain Village near Arusha.

October 12: Lake Manyara Safari
After breakfast and a short orientation briefing, depart for Lake Manyara National Park and check-in to Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge. After a relaxing lunch at the lodge, enjoy the afternoon wildlife viewing in Lake Manyara National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lion, elephant, hippo, giraffe, and smaller animals. Tonight you will enjoy a festive welcome reception before dinner and spend the evening at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge. (B, L, D)