Canto XXII

So it's been a busy week, so sorry for the lack of posting. But it was all worth it because...

I passed! Hooray! That's the last of my qualification exams at MIT! Yes! There were 3 of us, and two passed. So overall good, but not a triumphal day for the CTP grad students. There was one weird thing. Just as my exam ended (and I mean just, I had walked out of the room for maybe 10 seconds) the power went out. The exam committee poked their heads out for two seconds just to see if I had played a joke on them or something, then went back in and began deliberating again. There were still emergency lights for the building, but everyone was out in the halls joking and having a good time of it. After a few minutes, the committee came out and shook my hand and all was good with the world. I don't think it hurt that I brought in some coffee cake for them. Dave decried it as the most suck-up thing he had ever seen, couldn't believe I would stoop to such levels, and as he was saying this, they (the committee) came back by my office to pick up seconds. Then he said he was going to do it next term when he's taking the exam.

There was a big fire in the building two buildings over from us, and one of the transformers blew. A big one. It took out a few city blocks of power. Everyone stuck around for the pizza normally served with a talk at noon, then went home to get some work done. It's amazing how little you can get done without lights, computers or the internet. If we had had power, I would have posted immediately, but now you'll understand.

But that wasn't the only thing this week. On wednesday night there was a physics graduate student event at the Harpoon Brewery. And by event I mean unlimited beer sampling for an hour and a half. So that was fun. And intoxicating. Who says you can't have a little fun in the middle of the week just 2 days before one of the most important exams of your graduate student life? For a little bonus, I slept in 11 hours on thursday to rest up. Steph got her haircut on thursday, and it looks very cute. It's shorter than her shoulders. If you remember her hair back in freshman and sophomore year, it's roughly that length. It looks great and the next time you see her give her a compliment. And yesterday was spent on the orgy of consumer capitalism that is Christmas shopping. I'm about 2/3 done, I'm not sure where Steph is. I'm not sure if a Christmans letter is going to get done this year. I would have to mail it next weekend, and I don't know between everything at school finishing up and my dad visting on thursday if it's going to get done. We'll see. Consider this blog the letter unless you get a real one in the mail. Oh yeah, my dad is visiting this weekend to see the family for the Christmas party. Should be good.

So that's at least part of the news from our end this week. I don't know how much I'll be able to post this week as well, but I'll try and get one in somewhere. I'm sure something funny will happen to me this week.