The Dog Days Are Upon Us

TMDSAS was processed on Wednesday. Can I get a YEEHAW?

I've heard from all of my schools, and I decided to add two more. I came to the realization that even though I have backup plan to strengthen my app if I don't get in this cycle, I still really want to get in this cycle and I have to do whatever it takes. The easiest thing to do is to add more schools and up my chances.

Why do I feel like I only see the same three people at work? Where is everybody else? And what's up with people telling me they're only working one day a week in the fall? We've fired really good people because of that before! We always had a 10 hrs/week minimum policy. I think things are gonna be really different in the spring when we go back to the old shift arrangement. Speaking of the fall schedule, why don't we have it yet?

I can't believe my summer is coming to a close. In 2 weeks, my sis will be off to start her own college destiny at Baylor, and she moves in on the same day as my first day of class. Doesn't that suck? Baylor is so cool, I wish I went there. I wish I had done a lot of things differently my senior year of high school. I should have treated my college apps the way I'm treating my med school apps and applied to tons of schools and BA/MD programs. Well, I can't go back in time. All I can do is learn from the past and make a better future for myself.

AMCAS Processed

Can I get a WOO HOO!!!!

App Update

So I'm getting in secondaries, which is really cool cuz the schools are actually reaching out to me instead of me pursuing them. At work I got to translate an Iranian postop yesterday and today I got to translate his hospital visit. I'll be doing it again this weekend. It's cool because I'm actually taking on the role of the doctor because I'm taking the H&P and rounds myself - the ultimate in direct patient contact. Plus it's nice to have the doctor depend on me for a change ;) The patient and his wife were so happy to have someone there who could actually communicate with them, and after I talked with them, the wife said that I was a sweet girl and she wanted me to see them everyday. It felt so nice to know that I made things a little easier for them. If I hadn't had been there, the patient and his wife would not have known what to do to treat his atelectasis, because they had not understood when the other health care workers had told them. They also didn't know why the patient wasn't allowed to eat, so they were glad to get an explanation.

After work, I stopped by the premed office and delivered my stamps, address labels, and LOR request sheet. The premed advisor said that she was bogged down cuz everyone was bringing that stuff in this week, so it may be 1-2 weeks before she actually sends it in. That's okay, since I'm still waiting for my primaries to be verified. I sent in my pics, certification page, and check for TMDSAS and my secondary check to OU yesterday. On my way to the post office there was a car in front of me with a TX Tech logo (a TMDSAS school) and then later there was an Oklahoma license plate in front of me (home of OU). Wow, talk about your good omens!

Live 8

So Live 8's going on the TV, and I gotta say that I don't really see the piont of it. The original Live Aid of 1985 held in London was meant to raise money for the African poor. But Live 8 is only meant to raise awareness. I think instead just having a big concert to "raise awareness" (a huge screening of Hotel Rwanda would have done more in that regard), the artists should either donate all the money they raise to Africa or meet with politicians to present their views (lobbying). Hopefully some good will come out of Live 8, and we'll see some legislation passed next week at the G8 summit.

One Down

I submitted TMDSAS last night and boy did that feel good. I went ahead and started on my UTSW, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech secondaries. I'm working on AMCAS now and I'll probably submit today or tomorrow. I just need to finish up adding my activities. Then I can start my Tulane secondary. Tomorrow Glamour Shots opens at Stonebriar, so I'm gonna go there to take my med school app pictures. I want to get all this primary stuff sent in so that I can have concentrate on my secondaries. Of course, this means I will have to deal with my special friend...yuk! Well, I won't let her get to me. I know everything will be okay.

The Line Up

Here's my lineup of schools I'm applying to:

Baylor College
Boston University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Loma Linda University
New York Medical College
Texas A & M University
Texas Tech University
Tufts University
Tulane University
University of North Texas
University of Oklahoma
University of Southern California
University of Texas, Galveston
University of Texas, Houston
University of Texas, San Antonio
University of Texas, Southwestern

My top choice is UT Southwestern, followed by everywhere else in TX. For the out-of-states, my top choice is USC (I have family alumni), followed by Boston and Tulane. I finished my TMDSAS app today, but I'm afraid to hit the submit key. They have my transcripts and MCAT scores already, they just need my app.

Here are my EC's:

TA General Chemistry Lab, Scribe for Internal Medicine Group, President of Metro Mustangs, Member of Sigma Tau Delta and National Society of Collegiate Scholars, SMU University Honors Program, English Departmental Distinction Candidate, Beecher Senior Scholarship for Excellence recipient from SMU English Department, Bronze medalist at HOSA National Competition, AP Scholar with Distinction, Teach Farsi and Islamic Studies

Let me know if any of you want to read my personal statement and optional essay. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

That Darn MCAT

I love puns. So I got my MCAT score back, and I feel pretty happy about it. I'm really glad about not retaking. I know I could have done better in verbal, but my score is still good and I'm really happy with my bio score. Now I've just got to concentrate on making my application super awesome so that no one can turn me down...based on non-GPA/MCAT factors, tee hee. I'm almost done with TMDSAS except for the "optional" essay. I still have to put my 15 activities into AMCAS. I'm anticipating I'll finish all these by the end of the month. I wish it was Feb 1, and I knew where I stood. The worst part about this is not knowing. But I have faith, and I'm sure I have a chance for at least some interviews.

Makin' Whoopi

Summer Nights

Last night I had a great get-together with some of my friends from school. It was Jiroko's birthday so we got together over dinner at the Noodle Bar. I had the chicken lo mein, which rocked, and we hung out there until they closed. Then we headed over to Paciugo and chilled (get it? we ate ice cream, which is cold) and enjoyed our gelato. We walked around the shopping center until we found a cozy spot in front of Whole Foods (ahh, the nightlife of Plano). We hung around for another couple hours before we called it a night and parted ways. It was a great night and it was nice to meet up with my friends and have some fun and get my mind off things. Yay, summer!

Viva Las Vegas

I'm back from Vegas, and I had a great time as usual. We saw a couple celebrities on this trip, which was cool. Within the first two hours at Bellagio we saw Jennifer Tilley at the Petrossian Lounge. The next day we saw Ed McMahon at the VIP lounge and then we saw Mahasti (a Persian singer) twice: once at the Fashion Show Mall and once at Bellagio. We also saw David Spade's standup act at the Mirage, which was fun. For the first time, I got to actually play in Vegas. My favorite slot machine was Super Cherry, where I dropped a dollar and won $75. Later, I won $235 at Black Jack, then spent $35 of it on a slot machine and won $300. Then I spent $150 of that on slots. So I didn't come out too bad, and it was pretty fun. Who knows what will happen if I wind up at Tulane med? Speaking of med school, the best part of my vacation was that I didn't have to think about it at all. I could just relax at the Spa, the pool, the malls (dude, I totally splurged at Burberry's sale!!), and the casino. But all good things must come to an end, and I returned to Dallas with lots of work left for me.

Under the Knife

So I had my surgery yesterday. I had four wisdom teeth extractions: 2 soft tissue and 2 partial bony. It's so ironic how I've spent the past two years providing medical perioperative care and now I finally am a surgical patient. I had it done at Baylor College of Dentistry with a surgical resident. This was the first time I've ever had IV sedation. First thing they did when I came in was slap on all those stickers for the vital signs and put the O2 stat monitor on my finger. Then they stuck the oxygen tube in my nose and covered my hair with a cloth cap. The surgeon came in and explained what was gonna happen and then he started the IV sedation. Everything started getting blurry as I heard my mom say, "You know doctor, she's a premed student. She just took her MCAT." Now you know where I get it from.

Right before I fell asleep they blindfolded me with a long bandage wrapped around my head. I woke up intermittently throughout, usually once the surgeon would start drilling. On my partial bony teeth, he had to break them into pieces and then take them out. I kind of wish it was video taped so I could watch it. Once it was over he took off my blindfold and called my mom and sister in. My legs and arms were shaking, and I wanted to tell the doctor to give me anti-anxiety meds in addition to the Vicodin and Keflex. But of course I couldn't talk. So I motioned for a pen and paper and wrote down my request. He told me that my IV had some anti-anxiety med in it and that my shaking was because my body was cold. He had given me so much fluid in such a small amount of time through the IV that my blood vessels were cold. Isn't that freaky?

When I got home the pain started, and I downed the Vicodin. It became my new best friend (I'm from Plano, what do you expect?). My cheeks swelled like chipmunk cheeks, and according to my sister I look like a cute baby. I don't want to leave the house though, my face is too embarrassing. Hopefully the swelling will go down soon. The doctor said I can't work out until it does, which sux, but then again I also can't eat as much so that may make up for it. So here I am S/P wisdom teeth extract x4, passing in and out of my consciousness thanks to the Vicodin. Ain't life grand?

Boring...

Now that school's out, I a little bored. Since my mom's at work and my sisters are still in school, I'm pretty much stuck at home all day. I run errands over the phone and try to clean up around the house, but there's only so much. Good thing I'm not trying to be a housewife. I'm fixin to put my school books up for sale on half.com, then maybe my days can be filled with mailing off those puppies. Passions has a storyline in Las Vegas, which just makes me more antsy to go. I can't wait!

School's Out

Yes! I am totally done with school and I got A's in all of my classes! So 19 hrs this term = 4.0. I put all my scores into AMCAS and TMDSAS. I flinch everytime I put those C's and W's from my sophomore year, but I cheer up when I put in straight A's from junior year. I've decided not to take any classes this summer. Instead, my summer plan is to

• Have surgery
• Go to Las Vegas
• Work on med school applications
• Work at the hospital
• Work out
  
• Hopefully go on some interviews and enjoy my MCAT score

Notice I did not put study for August MCAT on that list because I really hope I don't have to do that. I may study Spanish on my own, but that doesn't sound too realistic. No, I'm gonna finally enjoy some time to myself and just relax and read all those books I keep saying I'm gonna read and never get around to, like Lipstick Jihad and Eliot Possessed.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

"There are ... things ... that if I’d let be, they’d eat away at me and destroy me in the end...there are things you can’t back down on, things you gotta take a stand on. But it’s up to you to decide what them things are. You have to demand respect in this world, ain’t nobody just gonna hand it to you. How you carry yourself, what you stand for-that’s how you gain respect. But, little one, ain’t nobody’s respect worth more than your own."

My Personal Dating Profile

This is very relevant to a discussion I had on Tuesday. Thanks, Tiffany, for the link.

Your dating personality profile: Stylish - You do not lack for fashion sense. Style matters. You wouldn't want to be seen with someone who doesn't care about his appearance. Liberal - Politics matters to you, and you aren't afraid to share your left-leaning views. You would never be caught voting for a conservative candidate. Traditional - Modern culture does not move you. You hold traditional values dear to your heart.

Your date match profile: Conservative - Forget liberals, you need a conservative match. Political discussions interest you, and a conservative will offer the viewpoint you need. Traditional - You aren't looking for someone who is sexually repressed. You want someone who is adventurous under the covers. Religious - You seek someone who is grounded in faith and who possesses religious values. You believe that a religious person can enhance your life.

Your Top Ten Traits 1. Stylish 2. Liberal 3. Traditional 4. Wealthy/Ambitious 5. Intellectual 6. Religious 7. Big-Hearted 8. Adventurous 9. Sensual 10. Romantic

Your Top Ten Match Traits 1. Conservative 2. Traditional 3. Religious 4. Shy 5. Stylish 6. Intellectual 7. Wealthy/Ambitious 8. Practical 9. Adventurous 10. Romantic

Take the Online Dating Profile Quiz at Dating Diversions

A New Day

"Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game."

I have a totally new outlook today. I just know that everything is going to be all right and that my life can turn out the way I want it to because I believe in myself and my family, coworkers, professors, and community believe in me, too. In fact, the English Department believes in me so much that in addition to me becoming a departmental destinction candidate, I just earned a new scholarship for my achievement in the English department!! I am so happy and I am definitely out of the funk I've been in the past couple of days. I took my Physics final, so I'm completely through with all my med school pre-reqs and now I can just focus on my med school apps and making myself in to an awesome candidate. I know I can do it, and I know I will make it. I will be a doctor.

I Will Be a Doctor

F*CK YOU!!!

I WILL BE A DOCTOR
I WILL BE A DOCTOR
I WILL BE A DOCTOR
I WILL BE A DOCTOR
I WILL BE A DOCTOR
I WILL BE A DOCTOR
I WILL BE A DOCTOR

F*CK YOU!!!
F*CK YOU!!!

The Thrill is Gone

Ever since I took the MCAT (last week), I've had little motivation to do anything. That test really took a lot out of me. I was kind of hoping I'd have some time to slack off at school before finals, but no such luck. This week is the last week of classes at SMU and finals week at UTD. So my schedule this week:

• Monday - Meet with our scribe coordinator to plan summer schedule
• Tuesday - Formal interview with SMU Health Professions Advisory Committee
• Wednesday - Later Victorian Lit paper 3 due (4-5 pages) and Psych Disorders of Children Test 3 (last day of class)
  
• Thursday - Children's Lit paper 4 due (4 pages on a novel for young adults) and extra credit due (write a children's book!) and Physics final exam and extra credit due (last day of class)
• Friday - Scribe in the morning on my day off from school

So I'm pretty busy this week. Which sucks when you're not motivated at all b/c you took the biggest test of your life and all you're thinking about it what your score is and you won't find out until June. And med school apps start May 1, so I'm really just wanting to focus on that, but I've got my finals in Victorian and Children's Lit and my final paper in Italian Humanism. Then the week after that I have my last test in General Nutrition. AAAHH!

MCAT April 2005

I'm freeeeeeeeeeeee! I took the MCAT today, and I feel great! I woke up on my own 5 minutes before my alarm clock went off (this never happens to me). I felt calm, almost euphoric, as I brushed my teeth and got ready for the day. I hooked up with some of my friends when I got to UD and we all felt pretty good (yay, TPR!). Overall, our classroom had 1 1/2 hrs added to it because our proctor kept delaying everything. The PS section started out easy, but then got hard. It was about as hard as the AAMC tests, though, so it wasn't completely unexpected. There were some things on it that I don't remember covering in class, but I used POE and the passage and tried my best. I had 2 passages left over, but I always do and I got a 9 on my last AAMC test so I know I can still make a good score. My VR section was so easy! I had a passage on Islamic scientists and 2 on scientific revolutions. Boy am I glad I took that class on the History and Philosophy of Science! And one of the sci rev passages was straight out of Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions, a book I've studied in 2 classes. I had read the passage before! I even had time to do the "killer" passage on Modernism. So I finished that section right on time and went on to do BS which I finished w/ 5 min to spare. My prediction: 8PS, 12 VR, and 11 BS. Here's hoping.

April Is the Cruelest Month...

Tomorrow is the day that will determine the rest of my life...but I'm not supposed to think about that because it will increase anxiety and the most important tip for the MCAT is "don't freak out." I feel well prepared. I scored a 29 on AAMC 8, which is supposed to be really hard. I'm really glad I took Princeton Review classes. If I hadn't, I'd be screwed. Today is supposed to be a day of rest and relaxation, and we're not supposed to study (but I'm still glancing at notes, tee hee). I skipped my SMU classes yesterday (well, one was canceled and the other was a quiz that I asked to take next week). I was planning on skipping classes today, but Dr. Cox said that we're going over sleep disorders and that it was kind of an important lecture. Could it be that TS Eliot was referring to the MCAT when he started The Wasteland by saying, "April is the cruelest month"?

Practice Makes Perfect

So I've been practicing for the big MCAT test this Saturday. I've taken AAMC 6R, 7 , and 3R. I've started 8 in that I'm doing one section a day just to get familiar with real MCAT questions. Today I did the Bio and I'm happy with my score. Overall, I'm feeling pretty confident, but I of course still want to improve. I pulled a 12 on the verbal for 3R, so I'm hoping to do that on the real deal.

My First Diagnosis

Guess what: I made my first diagnosis today! I'm serious, it was a real diagnosis. We have a patient in the ICU, and we didn't know what to do (hey, that rhymes). We have this software called Diagnosis Pro where we can put in some symptoms and check out the differential. OK, so we put in some info and the comp kept saying he had a diabetic coma (no, the guy was talking) and cancer (ok, we already thought that, but the CT scan kept coming up negative). One thing about this patient was that he had acetone in his blood (and no, you're not supposed to have nail polish remover in your blood). We checked out the differential some more and one possibility was chronic alcoholism (ding ding ding!). When alcoholism is suspected, the patient is automatically given Thiamine. The doctor went ahead and wrote that order and moved on while one of the patient's other doctors said that he had no idea what was going on with this guy.

As we were walking away to another building I said, "Doesn't acetone build up through ketosis?" and my doc said yeah and I said, "Well, ketosis occurs during fasting. So if our patient has acetone in his blood, he must be starving." My doctor said, well I checked his Hemoglobin A1C and it was normal. I said, "But our patient is an alcoholic...didn't you say that he looked 'emaciated and wasting'?" Yeah, he said. I said, "then maybe he's not eating at all, just drinking. He's choosing alcohol over food. His alcohol is depleting his niacin and he doesn't have enough niacin for the Krebs cycle. So now he has sugar in his body, but he can't metabolize it. Since he can't metabolize glucose, his body is going through ketosis since he's fasting. How much acetone was in his blood?" My doc said, "A very small amount...but there shouldn't be any at all. That's why it's a big problem." "So," I said, "that means that he's in the second, not the third, stage of fasting. We can still help him. Shouldn't we give him niacin?" "You're right, Maryam!" he said, "We have to give him Thiamine first to save his brain and then Niacin to save his body. I'll let the orders stand because if I go back and write for Niacin too they'll give it to him in the wrong order. But I'll go back later today and write for Niacin. Great job!"

I was sooo happy! I really can be a doctor. I do have the qualities that make a good physician: breadth of knowledge + analytic reasoning + critical thinking (+ compassion). I have to do well on my MCAT so that I can show the admission commitees that I do have what it takes, and I can finally begin the career that I was born to do.

Registration Time

It's the most wonderful time of the year...Registration! I love registering for classes because it promotes the idea that there is something new and exciting just around the bend. There's so much promise and knowledge to be gained in the coming term. Today I registered for my SMU classes for Fall 2005. Check them out and let me know if you want to take a class with me. I've taken classes with 3 of the professors, so I can give you the heads up.

• ENGL 4339 Earlier Romantic Lit
  
• ENGL 5349 Seminar: Literary Theory
• FL 3393 Dante's Poetic Vision (I'm petitioning for Honors)
  
• PSYC 3380 Health Psychology

So I'll have no SMU classes Wednesdays or Fridays! How cool is that? Sweet!

AAMC 7

Today I took the AAMC MCAT Practice Test 7 and scored a 28!! I got an 8 on Physical Sciences, 10 on Verbal Reasoning, and 10 on Biological Sciences. This is soooo awesome! I met my goals for VR and BS, now I just have to do it on PS, and I will rule the school. I was so excited when I graded my test. It's so funny that I did well because when I was taking it I thought I flunked it. Here's hoping I'll do even better on the real thing -- it's just 2 weeks away!

How Hard Do You Crush?

"It's Just...A Little Crush..."

Sure, you might have your eye on that hunky quarterback on your school's football team, but that doesn't mean you're sprinting with pom-poms to join the pep squad. "You know what's important to you, like friends, family and after-school stuff, but you keep your crush as just that -- a crush," says singer Jennifer Paige, who knows all too well about those heart-pounding moments; her hit song, "Crush," was inspired by a former relationship. So although you and Mr. Hottie mutually complain about Mrs. Friedlhofer's cooking class, you wait until after he's left the room to high-five yourself for keeping your cool. "If you and your crush feel comfortable talking to each other, then a date might not be too far off in the future," predicts Paige.

Which Spring Trend Was Made for You?

Dots

Polka dots perfectly express your timeless (but fun!) style. Sure, they're a little retro, but they're also very hot and one of spring's best trends. Right now, you can find them on everything from basic belts to formal dresses. Besides traditional all-white or all-black dots on a solid fabric, look for patterns featuring dots of several different colors. This graphic design is cute, cheerful, and also classic! Another trend to try: Floral.

Affirmation

Guess what? I proved myself with great benefits. Hooray!! I actually have a weekend this week thanks to Easter. I'm off today for Good Friday and there's no TPR this weekend (although there'll be a review this Monday). A crazy thing happened today. I was walking out of my Italian Humanism class at 2 when I realized that my Victorian Lit paper was due today at 3. I was like, "Dammit, what am I gonna do?" Then I remembered that I had emailed my professor a draft during spring break so I ran to the library and opened up my email. I checked out the sent email folder and sure enough, my paper's Word document was there. Thank God!! I opened it and my professor's email response and proceeded to correct the paper (meaning adding a paragraph). I printed it, but the library printers were acting up and they had to call a tech to come figure it out so that I could get my paper printed. I was like, please hurry, I don't have much time. It finally printed and I ran out of the library back to Dallas Hall. I made it just in time and turned it in to the professor's box. WHEW!!! Thank God above I remembered and was able to turn it in in time. Otherwise I would have been screwed.

Rewind

So all day, I've been doing the whole "how could I have said that better?" thing. I was in a situation this morning where I was defending myself and in the end I "won," but I wish I had said a little more on my behalf, so that I could show my true self to the other party (who knows me in a very limited capacity). I think I may later on meet with this person privately so that she can know me better and my actions won't be such a surprise to her. This is why I prefer to interact with people in this capacity that I have interacted with before. They already know what I'm capable of so they don't judge as quickly.

My Celebrity Soulmate

I only say "woohoo" because I know that my real celebrity soulmate is Ben Affleck (Who else loves the "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" as much as I do? He wrote a freaking TV series based on him!), and Matt Damon is the closest celebrity to him. Cool beans!

On another note, my MCAT score is improving with a new 24 composite. Yay, now I just have to go up 1 pt in VR, 2 in BS, and 3 in PS. Must study now...

Which Housewife Are You?

Susan

You always mean well, but somehow things don't always work out as you'd planned. It doesn't matter. You take your tumbles with good grace and always come up smiling. But try to remember you're the grown-up in your family.

Take the quiz here.

Spring Break (?)

So it's been Spring Break since Saturday and what have I done. Well, here was my checklist when I started the break:

1. Physics HW and reading
2. Physics reading and lab
3. Write med school essay and print photo for Health Professions Recommendation Committee
4. Study for Physics Test on 3/22
   
5. Write Victorian Lit essay (on the Mill on the Floss) due 3/24
   
6. Nutrition Assignment due 4/1
   
7. Study for Nutrition Exam starts 4/2
   
8. Write Children's Lit essay (on The Persian Cinderella) due 4/7
   
9. Write Psych Paper due 4/8

So I've done numbers 1-7!! Yay! Now I just have to write my children's lit essay and my psych paper. Good deal. My strategy was to finish all my assignments up to the MCAT so that I would be free to study. So the whole Persian Cinderella thing happened because I was sitting in my children's lit class and we were talking about minority representation in picture books (at my school when they talk about minority anything, they mean African-Americans). So we had a couple of African-American students in the class saying, Yeah we were never in picture books. But the thing was, we were reading 8 picture books in class that featured African-Americans, esp. children: Corduroy, Meet Addy, Uncle Jed's Barbershop, Ben's Trumpet, Snowy day, Amazing Grace, etc. So obviously, as a group they are represented in picture books. So I was talking about one aspect of one of the books and said in the middle of something, "There are no picture books about Iranian-American children, so I really never saw myself in picture books growing up." My professor said, "Oh, I think there are books about Iranian-Amer's and you should look them up on Amazon. I was planning on telling y'all later, but your next paper topic is to critique a picture book. I want YOU to write your paper on an Iranian-American picture book." I told her that they are all Arabian Nights tales, not about American children of Iranian heritage, but she told me to do my paper on it anyway and just address that in the essay.

Thus, I got the most popular picture book regarding Persian culture, The Persian Cinderella. Why? Because there are no picture books about Iranian-American children! Here's a link to all Persian/Iranian related picture books. I searched for hours and all the books have a common theme that they take place in medieval Persia after the retreat of the Arabs but before the Mongolian invasion (roughly 9th century) and there are princesses/genies/thieves AKA Arabian Nights stories. They aren't about the lives of Iranian children growing up in America and what that means like books about Hispanic or Asian-American or African-American children. There are lots of memoirs about this (Funny in Farsi for example), but not picture books or books intended for children. Researching and going through all this makes me think that I should write a children's book for Iranian-American kids. Why not? This will be a great work-in-progress for me.

How Well Do You Know Your Inner Social Climber?

Social Climber-at-Large

You're good. You know what you want and you grab it. And when things go wrong? Well, you know how to make it look good. Even when you're caught red-handed. And because you're more direct than diabolical, mostly people sympathize with you when you do let the social climber out. You're just doing what everyone wants to do. But to really be a tour de force, you might do a little more calculating. After all, social climbing is big business. Ask Paris Hilton.

Find your inner social climber here.

21

Hey you're 21 girl, that's all right. Tell me if a shake comes with those fries. If so, baby can I get em supersized!

Today's my 21st birthday everyone!! It's so fun to finally be a full-fledged adult. Now I can actually do stuff in Vegas instead of gorging myself, swimming, and lounging at the spa and I can rent cars. I finally got what I've been asking for for 2 years. I told one of the head nurses in the hospital that it was my birthday and he goes, "Lemme guess: 21?" I said yeah and he said, "You make me sick. You're so young." Then he paused and said, "When are you gonna stop working for these people?" It was so funny cuz I've been working there longer than he has, and he's already seen so many scribes come and go. I told him another year if I get into med school this cycle. He was like, "Good, get on with your life. Then come back here and boss me around as a doctor. And bring your own scribe."

There's this girl who works with us who' s known across the campus as a big drunk, and she was like, so are you gonna hit the bars? I said, "No, I don't drink." Then she looked at me like I had just slapped her across the face, then she looked at our office manager who had a look of approval on her face and said, "Uh, I guess that's good..." Then she said, "Well, how about just one drink?" I politely said, "Naw, I don't think so" and left. I told my friends about it at school and they were like, "Why didn't you just tell them it was against your religion?" I told them how I don't feel like I need to shove my faith down everyone's throat, especially in the workplace.

Then one of my buddies came in and, as usual, told us about how he got stoned again. I swear, every sentence out of his mouth starts with, "Man, I got so wasted last night. I don't even remember what happened." Today he had a deep bite mark on his arm and he didn't know where it came from. We were like, um that doesn't look like your mouth. He goes, Man I wonder whose it is. It was pretty funny. Then he was describing what he sees when he's tripping and he's all like, You're know what I'm talking about, right Maryam? Everybody goes, "How would she know? She's the most non-stoned person on the planet." He goes, "of course she knows. She's a premed. They know all about drugs. " He's full of crap most of the time, but he's still hi-larious.

Diag 3

Hey y'all! I got a 22 on my third Diag. I am feeling good cuz it was sooooooo hard. Everyone in the room was just freaking about it. The G Chem was all acid/base and pressure. I couldn't believe it! This can't be indicative of the real thing because the read MCAT mixes up topics, not concentrating all on the same question. Good thing I know my acid/base pretty well since I was a G Chem TA for a year after taking the course. And I got a 9 on the Verbal! I am moving on up. Our next 2 diags are gonna be AAMC, not TPR so they're going to be as close to the MCAT is we can get. Thank God, cuz I'm sick of asking the teachers about problems I've missed and them saying, "Oh it's just a crappy question. The real MCAT wouldn't have this on there." I'm feeling pretty pumped and motivated right now. Last night I officially became President of Metro Mustangs. All the old and new officers had dinner at Macaroni Grill (score!) and then we went to Starbucks. But I made it home in time to have a good night's sleep so I could take my diag. I can't believe I'm improving! Monday I'm turning 21 and my birthday wish is make at least a 30 on the MCAT. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Sighting

I saw him yesterday. In front of Hughes-Trigg, he stood. Yes, it was my beloved French boy. I hadn't seen him in 3 months. I wanted to run up to him and see how he was doing, how his Christmas trip to France went, if he's really graduating this spring. But I couldn't...it was like I was on this moving walkway peddling quickly past him. Like I was on a moving train, banging on the windows, but he can't hear me from the depot. Why does it have to be like this?! I feel this emptiness without him. He was so dependable. Three times a week like clockwork he was there and a part of my life. He was my chance to change things, to start a new chapter in my life. But I didn't go through with it because I couldn't deviate from the path. I have to make sure the medicine part of my life is cinched before I can even think about my personal love life. I didn't start with him because I know I'm too passionate and love consumes me. Once I start the snowball, it grows and grows and I can't control it. He's a very passionate person too, so I knew the two of us would be awesome, but too consumed with each other to notice the rest of the world. And I have to be consumed with medicine right now. I can't deviate to be with him. I just have to hope and pray that once I know that my future is secure career wise (meaning after I hit submit on my application this summer), my chance won't be lost and I can finally indulge a part of my life that I've had to suppress for so long. He made me break the chains, but one can lead a horse to water, 20 cannot make her drink. He got me where I needed to be emotionally, but I couldn't go through with it until the circumstances allowed me to. I just hope I won't be too late...

Diag 2

Today's was my second diagnostic MCAT exam at Princeton Review. I scored 8 BS, 4 PS, 5 VR, meaning my composite is still 17, I went up 2 points in BS, down 2 points in VR, and stayed the same on PS. This bites. I'm glad I improved on BS, but how did I go down 2 points on VR! I'm a frickin English major! Well, I'll just have to keep studying and try harder next time. Our next practice is in 2 weeks. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Super Bowl Sunday

OK, so February's here and it seems like a good time to update y'all on my life. Work is a tad stressful considering that there are a lot of scribes working one day a week and I'm stuck working 2-3. You know, we were supposed to be hiring the new scribes so that the scribes taking the MCAT would have a break, but that has worked out so well since they hired only PM scribes! My first test this semester is tomorrow in Abnormal Child Psych. It's a really fun class, and I'm not too worried about the test. I'll be studying my notes during rounds tomorrow. I keep getting these messages from guys on Facebook that say for me to add them as a friend, and when I do they send me messages saying they wanted me as a friend cuz my picture is hot. It's a little creepy. I wonder if there's a way you can delete friends on there. My other classes are going okay. I just hope I do as well in Physics as I did last semester. Studying for MCAT is really hard when you're taking 19 hours. I picked classes that aren't too stressful. Most of my stress comes from the fact that I haven't written my personal statement yet. I know it's not due till March 31, but that's really not that far away. 19 hrs + 15 hrs work + 9 hrs MCAT class + med school apps = Maryam freaking out, hopped up on caffeine, and sleep deprived, you know the usual.

You Are 24 Years Old

24 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

The weird thing about this is this girl in my physics told me last week that she thought I was 24. Spooky...

Is It Over Yet?

OK, so I've been in school for 2 weeks, and I already want it to be over. It just seems like my classes aren't grabbing me as much as I thought they would. Children's Lit turns out to be my least favorite class, followed by Later Victorian Lit. Not a good sign for an English major, but it's not my fault none of the good professors are teaching the classes I need this term. Abnormal Child Psyc is cool because I know the prof, and I absolutely adore my Early Italian Humanism professor. She is soo cool and very European. We actually have real Italians in our class...like, from Italy...with accents! But alas, no hot Italian guys, sigh. It's weird, but none of my friends are in my SMU classes. I have friends in my MCAT class and at UTD, but in my SMU classes, it's like I'm a freshman starting from scratch.

UTD physics is the same, but now I have lab Thurs at 7-10 pm after my lecture from 5:30-6:45. Usually, I finish lab after 1/2-1 hr, but the TA this term is a lot harder than the one last term. I don't get why we don't just to keep the same TA. She spent an hour going over how to draw a graph. I mean come one! We're all juniors and premeds who have taken mounds of science classes; we don't need y = mx + b explained to us again after we learned it in 8th grade. Plus, this is the second semester of the course, so we don't need tips on how to survive physics. We have survived, hence the second term. So I got out of class at 8:30, meaning I did finish the actual lab in 1/2 an hr so I would have been out at 7:30 if she had not chatted so much. My online class General Nutrition is gonna be a lot easier than A&P was since there's no lab. We just have 3 assignments we complete at home and 3 tests we take on campus. The third test is the week after I finish my SMU finals, so I only have to worry about 2 tests during the year. Speaking of finals, Italian and Psyc don't have them, so I'll just have my Physics final at the end of April, then 2 finals in early May, and end the term with my last Nutrition test. Ain't life grand?

I need to keep myself motivated. It's been a lot harder to keep on top of my reading assignments so far. But I'll do it. I just need to remember to clear my mind and focus on one thing at a time. Before I know all my assignments will be done and so will my MCAT passages.

Spring 05 Schedule

Here's my Spring 2005 Schedule:

Sunday: 2:30-8:30 MCAT class
Monday: 6:45 am - 12 pm Work; 1-2 pm Later Victorian Lit; 2-3 pm Abnormal Child Psych
Tuesday: 9:30-11 am Children's Lit; 12:30-2 pm Italian Humanism; 5:30-6:45 pm College Physics 2
Wednesday: 6:45 am - 12 pm Work; 1-2 pm Later Victorian Lit; 2-3 pm Abnormal Child Psych
Thursday: 9:30-11 am Children's Lit; 12:30-2 pm Italian Humanism; 5:30-6:45 pm College Physics 2; 7-10 College Physics 2 Lab
Friday: 1-2 pm Later Victorian Lit; 2-3 pm Abnormal Child Psych
Saturday: 2:30-5 MCAT class OR 9-4:30 MCAT practice test
Plus I'm taking General Nutrition online (3 tests and 3 assignments total)

So as you can see it's a pretty busy schedule, but I think I can make it work. I'm taking one less hour because Nutrition doesn't have a lab like A&P did. It's the most important semester of my college career because it's my last one before med school apps this summer plus I've got the MCAT. I need complete concentration and as little distraction as possible. Of course, I happily relish the idea that I have a high chance of becoming Metro Mustangs president and I hope I win. It's the organization I care most about at school and I would love to run it. I can balance.

Happy New Year and Goodbye Noghte Cheen

Wow, I'm getting really lazy with this blog. I check it everyday for updates, as if I wasn't the one writing the entries, haha. It's a new year and my resolution is to make a 30 on the MCAT. Of course, I haven't studied all break, with the exception of MCAT class. It's pure sloth plus all the stuff that's been going on. I went to a Persian-Pakistani wedding on New Year's Day. It was the first wedding of one of my really good friends that I grew up with (the Persian bride). It was really cool, but her sister, who I'm more tight with, is having her wedding in Iran this summer. She's begging me to get tickets, but I don't know if I'll be able to.

My favorite Iranian sitcom, Noghte Cheen (or as everyone calls it, Bamshad) just aired its final episode on Jame Jam satellite last Tuesday night. They had 2 crappy "Crossfire" type specials and then one good "behind the scenes" special. The last episode actually aired in Iran in July, but they started airing the show on the satellite for Iranians abroad afterwards. They replaced it starting New Years Day with Kamarbandha ra beband, which roughly translates as "fasten your belts". The show sucks, and we stopped watching it. I miss Bamshad so much! I only got to tape the last 2 episodes, the 2 crappy specials, and the behind the scenes specials. I miss Bamshad butchering English words: "Amrikayeha megan 'neber'", "Dar Italia, espegetti-getti mekhoran" and of course I miss him singing "Bevafaee, bevafaee, delleh man az ghoseh daghoon shodeh" and "vafa daree, vafa daree, vafa daram, vafa daree, hamammoon vafa dareem" and when he translated "bevafee" to English: "Unfaithfulee, unfaithfulee, my heart is daaaaaamaaaged." And don't forget Mehran Modiri as Ardal. He was so great. I love when he corrected Bamshad, "Nah, begoo chee goftee...chap room! chat roomeh, IQ! Chera rajeb cheezhaee keh nemidooni harf meezani!" and when he would sweet talk so that he could get what he wanted "beya azizam, ghorboonet beram, to kojaee? dalam vasat tang shodeh, cheghat doosetdaram". He could just make you feel all tingly, especially when he said, "manam hassaas!" The wives were great too. I love it when Mozhdeh would say, "Maneeeeezh, hamcheeni namooneh" or "Maneeezh, yeh cheezi meegee ha" or "Bebeen Bamshad, man asob masob....nadaram." It was so funny when Manizh would say, "Vay, cheh Romantique o Parvanehee" and talk about her dental unit. Oh God, please let Noghte Cheen be released on DVD! I'm going through withdrawal symptoms without any prospect of syndication like American TV. It was one of the greatest Iranian sitcoms, like Italia Italia and Daee Jan Napoleon. Why did it have to go away, why?????????????? If you want to check out clips of Noghte Cheen, go here and there's a Noghte Cheen photo gallery here. Bamshad is the fat guy and everyone's favorite. Noghte Cheen truly was genius and brought the whole family together. I hope Modiri goes back to the set and creates another great sitcom.

Santa Cleaned My Toilet

I hope y'all had a nice Christmas. I woke up Christmas morning, headed to bathroom, and what did I find? Blue water. Being as I was still groggy from sleep, I started out thinking, "Wow, the famous blue pee of Santa Claus..." Then I was like, "Wait a minute...Santa Claus doesn't pee blue!" So I thought, how could this Christmas miracle have occurred when I was the last to go to bed at 2 the night before. Then the real explanation struck me: Santa Claus cleaned my toilet. Yup, and may I add that over 24 hours later the water is still blue in only that toilet and no one knows why.

As far as presents, I received 2 sweaters, 2 shirts, 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of earmuffs (#1 on Xmas list), 1 Juicy Couture Horseshoe charm, 1 pair of boots, a bag of LifeSavers, and car window cleaner. I gave to my sisters 2 Coach purses, 2 sweaters, 1 pink velour sweatsuit, 1 shirt, and 1 pair of pants. Yup, Christmas is a fun time of year. Then we watched a marathon of OC episodes I had on tape, including Chrismakkuh! Then we went to go see The Aviator, which was really good and I highly recommend it. It's amazing how much Howard Hughes accomplished in his lifetime and if he didn't have OCD he couldn't have been that great. The OCD gave him the motivation to be a perfectionist, even though there was obvious emotional cost. Leo better get an Oscar this time, and Cate Blanchett too. They were both great, but Leo was just astounding. He so deserved a nom for Catch Me If You Can. What we failed to realize was that the movie was 3 hrs long (I don't think the film was, but there were a lot commercials/previews b4 it started so I think that took up a lot of time). When we got out of the theater we were hungry so we drove around looking of a restaurant open after 10 on Christmas and we found one: Bennigan's! That's right, Bennigan's was open till midnight on Christmas Eve and till 1 on Christmas! It was pretty busy too and the food was great. It was a nice atmosphere to end our nice Christmas day.

Arctic Blast

Yesterday was the first day of winter (since Tuesday night was Shab-e Yalda, Persian homies!), and there was no doubt about it. Here in Dallas we had the first snow fall of the season, and it was real snow, not ice! Of course my biggest fear was about going to work this morning. So I spent yesterday driving around town to get used to driving on icy roads. All night the news had cheesy "Arctic Blast" graphics and kept a play by play of all 500 accidents. I barely slept cuz I was so freaked out. So I got up this morning and kept my eyes glued to the news. It seemed our fair city was doing its job and sanding all the ice on the streets. But, to be cautious, I accepted by dad's offer to drive me to work. So off we endeavored in our Winter Wonderland. It was beautiful, but there was a lot of ice on Preston, esp. around LBJ. I made it to work safe and sound, where I totally rocked and doctor said that I could get into med school I wanted to because I'm super duper qualified. We had really cool cases too in neurosurgery and GI/gyno. My job's awesome; I learn so much.

After work, my mom and sisters picked me up and we went to Northpark Mall for Christmas shopping. While we were there, my mom suddenly says, "Hey isn't that guy famous?" I look over and I see it's...Barry Watson! It was so cool!! My mom was like, "grab your phone and take a picture; let's go talk to him!" I was like, "Mom, that's so not cool. Let the poor guy shop in peace." She was like, "No, he's sad that no one is running up to him." Well, I finally convinced her not to bother Barry. See, my family and I have had this indirect relationship with him for a while (meaning 6 degrees of separation). My really good friends (they're 3 sisters and one of them is getting married Jan 1 and the other just had her engagement party last month to the brother of one of my guy friends at SMU and is getting married in the summer) all went to the same middle school as him (Park Hill Junior High). Yes, Barry Watson moved to Richardson from Michigan when he was 8, the same age I was when I moved out of Richardson to Plano, (otherwise I would have gone to the same middle school as him and then gone to high school with Jessica Simpson). My sister and I's high school geometry teacher Ms. Blakely dated Barry Watson's dad for years and was always going off to his lake house. And last night, my mom and I were watching the 7th Heaven episode where Matt (Barry) tells his parents he wants to drop out of med school to save his marriage. Can you believe it? I'm getting chills. Celebrity sightings are few and far between in Dallas, but the only ones I've had (other than concerts) are:

1. Michael Irving when he visited my elementary school in 5th grade for Texas day (That same year I went to a party where Nina Shahravan was, the woman who later that year would get Irving sent to court)
2. Deoin Sanders when I trick-or-treated at his house in my neighborhood
3. Troy Aikman driving and jogging in our neighborhood. When his house burned down he bought another two streets over.
4. Katherine Helmond (Mona from Who's the Boss?) at III Forks. Boy, did she draw a crowd.
5. Kay Bailey Hutchinson on the airplane on my way to Juarez to get my green card in 4th grade. I was a huge fan of hers at the time.
6. OK, so this wasn't me, but my mom saw Fabio at DFW airport on her way to England. This was when he was cool, ie before the bird bit his nose.
   

Finals: Day 3

I'm so happy!!!!!!!!!!!! I took 2 finals today, British Authors 1 and Victorian Gender. Extremely writing intensive and equally rewarding. My A was guaranteed in BA1, but VG could go either way. I had it calculated that if I got an A on either the last paper or the final exam I would have an A in the course. After I took the VG exam, I got my paper and I got an....A!! She wrote all sorts of great stuff on it about how she read my paper with such excitement and how it's exemplary. I couldn't believe it. Do you know what this means? This means I have done the impossible. I've taken 20 hrs of course work in one term from 3 different colleges in 3 different cities and made a 4.0 in all the classes. How do you turn down someone with that on their transcript? This is one of the happiest days of my college life. All together now: WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finals: Day 2

My CF final went very well today. I don't think I've ever written so much: 4 essays and 5 identities. My hand was hurting and only served as a further reminder of the pain tomorrows 2 English finals will inflict on my phalanges. I found a mistake in the test: instead of E=mc^2 the professor had written E=MC2. I wrote him a little note about it, but it turned out that I was the last person to finish the exam. So I went ahead and pointed out to him that the equation he had written was energy equals the mass of the earth times specific heat times 2, not energy equals mass times the velocity of light squared. He looked at me and said, whoever noticed that deserves an A. I was positively screaming inside! He wished me the best and I did the same. Oh God, please let me have a 4.0 semester, please please! I'm pretty sure I have the A for CF and I definitely will have it for British Authors 1 tomorrow. I just have to nail Victorian Gender (3-6 pm) tomorrow and hope that I'm not too worn out from 3 hrs of writing my British Authors 1 exam (11:30 am - 2:30 pm). Today also marks the end of my tete a tetes with Cute Frenchboy. As I watched him turn in his exam and walk out of my life forever, I thought to myself "Au revoir et bonne chance en amour."

Finals: Day 1

OK, so today wasn't my first final, but it was my first SMU final: Social Psychology. I got my UTD grades back: A in College Physics I and A+ in College Physics I Lab. I also got my social psych grade, A-. Yeah baby!! Tomorrow is Social and Intellectual History of Europe. Today was my review and I had a very nice chat with Cute Frenchboy before it started. He's so cute and European, sigh. The review was okay, not very structured, Q&A style. I got my Brit Lit 1 paper back: A again. I really wish he exempt me from the final, but he was sort of tied because it's a team-taught class and he's not the "head" professor. Oh well, the A's in the bag anyway. I'm so happy I'm an English major and that I'm taking my science classes at UTD. That was the smartest decision I ever made. 2 finals down, 3 more to go.

Art Imitates Life

Broken Dreams

I almost don't believe it: Khatami: Iran's Democratic Reforms Failed.
I was in Iran in 1997 between Khatami's first presidential election and his inauguration. It was such an exciting time. Everyone was so hopeful of the future. They saw Khatami as a panacea for all their troubles, a chance to retrieve at least a modicum of the freedom and dignity of Iran's past. They were so sure that with Khatami in power everything would be all right. Instead, he was held back by a fundamentally flawed political system. In Iran, the power is not in the hands of the elected parliament or president, but in the appointed mullahs. The people don't have any say in who these religious officials will be or in the policies that they implement. You can see the problem: the system is not designed to represent the people and is a republic in name only (like how England is really a monarchy because the queen has little power, but the PM has lots more control). Khatami was an intellectual who thought he could make a difference in the country that he loves, but he couldn't. He was chained by the regime. What I'm surprised about is that he has the guts to admit it. But I guess he can now that he's out of power. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if he "disappeared" soon after leaving office. The government has little tolerance for the kind of things he said in his farewell address. I really wonder what the next president is going to be like, but unless they change the system it won't matter.

Dream On...

So I had a dream two nights ago that bothers me. I'm at my history final exam review and Cute Frenchboy is there (and he even speaks French!). We basically flirt like mad throughout the whole review, but I keep wanting to ask him what his email address is. So then we get a break in the middle of the review and, instead of asking for it or his cell phone number, I get up and get dolled up to go to a Persian party in the next room. When I get there, I say hi to everybody and I'm really excited to be at this party but I also want to get through it so that I can go back to Frenchie. So I'm speaking Farsi obviously this whole time until I get to one girl. I say "Salam" to her and she replies "whatever, I don't even want to be here." Then I say, "look I've got this hottie waiting for me in the next room, do you think I wanna be here?" Then she says, "so what? You're just gonna "do it" and then what?" And then I say, "I am not! I've never done that and I'm not planning on doing it today." Then she says, "Well if you want to be with him so bad what are you doing here?" I realize that she's right and I dash out (looking fabulous) to go back to him. Then I see him laughing and having fun with a 3 other girls and, it's like I'm invisible. I keep calling his name, and he doesn't even look at me.

Analysis: I think this dream indicates that those chains I thought I was free of are very much still attached. I never did pursue Cute Frenchboy. I had the opportunities, and I didn't take them because something was still holding me back. In my dream, when I had the opportunity to get Frenchie's number I immediately retreated into the Persian community even though it wasn't really where I wanted to be. I was happy there because I felt safe, secure, and the culture is so routine. But my routine was disrupted by the American girl telling me that this world is not what I really want. I think she represents my American self. She says that as long as I'm not compromising my morals there's no reason not to go have fun with people that I like to be around. When I went back into the "American" world, Cute Frenchboy didn't want me anymore. I think that's just an indicator of where I stand with him now; I had my chance, I retreated, and now my opportunity is gone. I may never see him again after Thursday. I have to stop living in fear.

Warrior Princess

HaHa! It turns out my ancient ancestors were female warriors! Can you believe it?

Bones Suggest Women Went to War in Ancient Iran

Sat Dec 4, 8:47 AM ET

Science - Reuters

TEHRAN (Reuters) - These days Iranian women are not even allowed to watch men compete on the football field, but 2,000 years ago they could have been carving the boys to pieces on the battlefield.

DNA tests on the 2,000-year-old bones of a sword-wielding Iranian warrior have revealed the broad-framed skeleton belonged to woman, an archaeologist working in the northwestern city of Tabriz said on Saturday.

"Despite earlier comments that the warrior was a man because of the metal sword, DNA tests showed the skeleton inside the tomb belonged to a female warrior," Alireza Hojabri-Nobari told the Hambastegi newspaper.

He added that the tomb, which had all the trappings of a warrior's final resting place, was one of 109 and that DNA tests were being carried out on the other skeletons.

Hambastegi said other ancient tombs believed to belong to women warriors have been unearthed close to the Caspian Sea.

Eid Mubarak!

Today was Eid Fitr. Hope y'all had a nice holiday. Now it's back to my gorging self. Yesterday was my first day of MCAT class at Princeton Review. Basically the whole day was one full-length MCAT diagnostic. I got my scores back today: 6BS, 4PS, and 7 VR. It's no surprise that verbal was my best and physical was my worst, but I'm really surprised that I did almost as well on biological as I did on verbal. My physical grade is so low cuz I only got 1/2 way through, and there were 2 passages on electricity, which I won't study until next term. I'm not too worried, cuz it's the easiest section to inprove. OK, so I've got to go up 4 pts on BS, 6 pts on PS, and 3 pts on VR to reach my goal. I'm pumped! The teachers are so good there. Today was GenChem and Physics. Great teachers, both of them. I highly recommend TPR to all.

Tears for Fears

Cool, an OC blog.

Tonight's American Dreams was soooo sad. My mom and I were crying because we thought JJ had died and his whole family was crying, and it was the saddest thing on television. Then at the very end, it was revealed that JJ is alive! He just has to come back to see his baby, who's going to be born next week! This is so exciting! Yay!!!

I spent my Saturday at SMU. No, I wasn't there for the Homecoming Game. The funny thing is I didn't even know about it, but when I got there the place was packed, there was no parking, and the game was about to start. I had actually gone there to visit the Meadows Museum for the first time. The work there truly is beautiful. Then I went to the mosque that night for Shabe Qadr services. (Yes, this weekend was devoted to crying.) After staying up all night praying and crying, I went to work Sunday morning. See, I had agreed to cover for this girl, but I had forgotten what I was doing the night before. Luckily, Red Bull got me through rounds. I even got some great pointers from the doctor about what to say during my interview and about the MCAT (I start TPR next weekend!)

OK, so I was kinda upset about Bush winning the election, but Michael Moore's 17 Reasons to Not Slit Your Wrists really helped me through it. If you voted for Bush, well I'm glad someone is happy. If you voted for Kerry, read the Moore article and try to cheer up. If you voted for Nader, get your head out of the clouds and pick a side!

Final Exam

Guess what guys! I got my hands on the final exam. Check it out:

The Final Exam

Instructions: Read each question carefully. Answer all questions. Time Limit: 4 hours. Begin immediately.

1. History

Describe the history of the papacy from its origins to the present day, concentrating especially, but not exclusively, on its social, political, economic, religious, and philosophical impact on Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. Be brief, concise, and specific.

2. Medicine

You have been provided with a razor blade, a piece of gauze, and a bottle of scotch. Remove your appendix. Do not suture until your work has been inspected. You have 15 minutes.

3. Public Speaking

Twenty-five hundred riot-crazed aborigines are storming the classroom. Calm them. You may use any ancient language except Latin or Greek.

4. Biology

Create life. Estimate the differences in subsequent human culture if this form of life had developed 500 million years earlier, with special attention to its probable effect on the English parliamentary system. Prove your thesis.

5. Music

Write a piano concerto. Orchestrate and perform it with flute and drum. You will find a piano under your seat.

6. Psychology

Based on your degree of knowledge of their works, evaluate the emotional stability, degree of adjustment, and repressed frustrations of each of the following: Alexander of Aphrodisias, Rameses II, Gregory of Nicea, Hammurabi. Support your evaluations with quotations from each man's work, making appropriate references. It is not necessary to translate.

7. Sociology

Estimate the sociological problems which might accompany the end of the world. Construct an experiment to test your theory.

8. Management Science

Define management. Define science. How do they relate? Why? Create a generalized algorithm to optimize all managerial decisions. Assuming an 1130 CPU supporting 50 terminals, each terminal to activate your algorithm; design the communications interface and all necessary control programs.

9. Engineering

The disassembled parts of a high-powered rifle have been placed in a box on your desk. You will also find an instruction manual, printed in Swahili. In ten minutes a hungry Bengal tiger will be admitted to the room. Take whatever action you feel is appropriate. Be prepared to justify your decision.

10. Economics

Develop a realistic plan for refinancing the national debt. Trace the possible effects of your plan in the following areas: Cubism, the Donatist controversy, the wave theory of light. Outline a method for preventing these effects. Criticize this method from all possible points of view. Point out the deficiencies in your point of view, as demonstrated in your answer to the last question.

11. Political Science

There is a red telephone on the desk beside you. Start World War III. Report at length on its socio-political effects, if any.

12. Epistemology

Take a position for or against truth. Prove the validity of your position.

13. Physics

Explain the nature of matter. Include in your answer an evaluation of the impact of the development of mathematics on science.

14. Philosophy

Sketch the development of human thought; estimate its significance. Compare with the development of any other kind of thought.

15. General Knowledge

Describe in detail. Be objective and specific.

16. Extra Credit

Define the universe. Give three examples.

Election Day 2004

Today was one of the more exciting days of my life. I had my first chance to translate the doctor's words to a Persian patient. Too bad the guy was deaf. Next I saw my first intubation. First we visited the patient, who seemed just fine. She had a hip replacement done last week and had recovered and she was going to be sent home tomorrow. Well, two hours after we saw her, we got a page that she was experiencing extreme shortness of breath. So we dashed back to her room in a different building and sure enough she was gasping for air. We sent her to the ICU and followed her down there and settled her in. Her surgeon came in along her nurses and respiratory therapy (and a high school student who was doing her first day in respiratory therapy for clinical rotations). The patient was sedated and the surgeon started to intubate. Now, I'm only familiar with intubation from ER where it only takes about 5 seconds. It is very different in real life. The surgeon placed the tube down her throat and the patient's gag reflex kicked in, causing her to vomit. Once she did that, the air way clogged with vomit, so the surgeon called for suction. The tube has to be placed between the 2 vocal cords so the airway has to be clear enough for the surgeon to know where to place the tube. The airway was cleared, the tube was placed, and the surgeon manually pumped oxygen. Instantly I saw the oxygen saturation jump from 64% to 99%. This revealed to me the miracle of medicine: if the patient had lived in another time, lack of oxygen would have immediately equaled death. But the combination of quick action, communication (via pager, etc), medical technology, and the genuine teamwork between health professionals, her life was saved. We still don't know why she had trouble breathing, but hopefully I'll find out when I go back to work on Sunday. Finally, when I returned home to Plano, I am happy to say that I voted. I am the first person in my family to vote, in fact I am the first to be eligible to do so. I made my voice heard, I broke my silence, and I performed my civic duty. May the best man win. God bless America.

Boo! Did I scare you?

Happy Halloween (and Fall Back)!! Yes, it's my favorite holiday here again. This year I was a cat (yes, I know, again). I was tempted to wear an M on my costume and be the MCAT, but I got too lazy. It seems my hands and my mind act at different speeds. I got this thing called Sonic PrimeTime so I've been burning all sorts of TV shows onto DVD. It's been great. I love possession (haha, it's a Halloween pun!). It's fun to give out candy to all the cute kids that come up to our door. They were all like, ooo kitty!! It totally reminded me of Boo from Monsters, Inc, which I burned on DVD today from when they showed it on TV last night. Snow cones, anyone? That always cracks me up. I spent all day writing my history paper on Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. I really like her stuff. Maybe I'll work her into my senior thesis. I've also got my physics homework and A&P lab practical to work on. Gee, ain't I lucky? At least midterm season's over. Now it's registration time. I meet with my advisor tomorrow, so I should be hangin in the lounge from 12-1:30 if you wanna say hi.

My Turn

Today was my turn to get embarrassed in the aforementioned class. My professor was talking about existentialism and that famous quote, "Hell is other people." Then he looked at me and said, "Let's just say Maryam is my hell." I said, "I hope not." Then he said, "OK then, let me just ask you, what do you say to other people when they ask about me?" I said, "As a person or as a professor?" He said however. I said, "Well, I would say you're knowledgeable." Then he said, "See what I would say is that all professors are frauds, so being knowledgeable may not be a good thing." I, of course, started with the nervous laughter. Then my professor said, "OK, so let's say your friends want to tell you what I think of you. You should cover your ears and say, 'I don't want to hear it. The professor is my hell.' And when other people want to tell me what Maryam thinks of me, I'll...well, actually I like what she has to say about me so I don't mind." OK, the whole class was thoroughly confused, and I was a little blushy.

Later on in class, I supplented our discussion of "The Stranger" by talking about the original French title "L'Etranger." So at the end of class, the professor was talking about something and in the middle of it I thought I heard him say, "I know you're French, Maryam." Everybody in class turned and looked at me, including a piqued Cute Frenchboy. I was confused. After class, my professor came up to me and apologized for putting me on the spot. I told him I found it to be "quite funny." I went to my next class and asked one of my friends, "Did the professor call me French?" She said that she had heard that too and thought it was weird that he said that. I said, "Maybe when I said I was Persian he though I said Parisienne." Then she laughed and said, "Maybe he said, 'Pardon my French, Maryam.' That sounded reasonable (even though it made no sense in context), and I let the matter pass.

What a Cutie!

I had a dream last night that someone else proclaimed his love for me while my crush did nothing. Well, that made me interested in what would happen when I saw him today. He came into class a little late. I started talking in class early on because I like to see his reaction to what I have to say. Today he was nodding, turning up the corner of his mouth into a grin, and saying "yes, yes, absolutely." It was soo hot!! The rest of class, however, he was pretty quiet with sort of a blank expression. The professor used me as an example for different things, and my crush smiled and laughed along. Well, then, 5 min to the end of class, the professor asked a question. Right at that moment my crush gets up to leave the room for something. Then the professor said, "Oh, you're leaving right now!!" Well, then the cutie got all embarrassed and turned back around and sat down. Then the professor started apologizing to him for embarrassing him and the cutie turned bright red. It was hilarious!! The class started laughing and he was covering his face in shame. It was so great cuz he was so embarrassed and he hadn't done anything wrong. Then one of my friends in the class was like, "it's ok, man, don't worry about it" in that tough macho way. Well, it turned out that the Cute Frenchboy had a cold and he was out of Kleenex and was going to get a new one. OK, so there's nothing shameful in that and it explains his uncharacteristic quietness. But after class he goes up to the professor and apologizes for attempting to step out of class to get a Kleenex. What a gentleman!! It was all I could do to contain myself. He's just so classy and intelligent. Dang, I wish I had a Kleenex to give him.

Find Romance No Matter How Busy You Are

OK, so I was thinking about him all night and now that the chains are broken and I've come out of my cave into the sunlight I still don't know what to do. I thought about sending him an email with some lame excuse related to our class, but that just seems so lame. See, my whole life (when I was in the cave) since I couldn't communicate directly I used all sorts of indirect means. In middle school, it was passing notes, in high school instant messaging, etc. Now I'm in college, I'm an adult, and I should be able to go up to a guy I'm interested in and say, "I like you, do you like me?" If I send him a stupid email about class, I'm just hiding behind something again. I really wish he'd make the first move. This is so nervewracking. I wonder what it's going to be like when I see him tomorrow.

Hasta La Vista, Mind-forged Manacles!!

Ladies and gentlemen, the shackles are removed and I am a free woman. One of the biggest obstacles of my life is gone and I'm free. I can no longer blame this thing for not moving forward in my life. But now what do I do? I have this freedom and I want to use and I know who to use it on, but how? I need advice. Email me if you've got some (or you want to find out what I'm talking about anyway).

Ramadan Mubarak

Yesterday was the first day of Ramadan. Getting up early for work has made getting up for Sahar a breeze. This is the first year I'm participating where Ramadan was started for the Daylight Savings Time change (Fall Back). So we're not getting up as early but we're not breaking our fast until around 7pm. I actually kind of like that better. It works better with my class schedule, that's for sure.

Queer, the affection you feel for a stranger!

It was as though his spirit and mine had momentarily succeeded in bridging the gulf of language and tradition and meeting in utter intimacy. I hoped he liked me as much as I liked him. But I also knew that to retain my first impression of him I must not see him again.

~~Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell

First Midterm aka Turning Point

Today was my first midterm of year, and it was in my class with Cute Frenchboy. I crossed paths with him on my way to class, and we shared this smile moment thing. Then we went to class and talked to each other before the midterm. It was kind of the first time we've ever talked to each other directly. It was the first time I heard his voice without him first being called on my the professor. It was really...nice. He was funny and smart and everything I had hoped he'd be. It's kind of exciting. When the professor passed out the midterm he made a joke and we laughed. OK cool thing: when the professor was reading out the directions, my mind was sort of on Cute Frenchboy so I didn't catch what he said. So I asked him to repeat that and he did. Then a little while later, Cute Frenchboy said out loud, "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening to anything you just said. Can you say it again?" Everybody lauged. Was the reason he didn't listen the same reason I didn't listen, was it because he was thinking of me? Hmm...Luckily I refocused and hopefully aced the midterm.

I'm back!!

Didya miss me? I haven't been able to post for a while since I've been so bogged with down with school, work, and a million other things. OK, so let's catch up on my life since I last posted: I wore the scarves around my neck for a while, but I grew to love my scars as a badge of courage and now display them prominently, plus they're fading. I've already turned in 3 papers and taken 2 tests so far. I got an A on my first test in Social Psych, so hopefully the rest of the term will be as bountiful. My online class is going great, as are all my other classes. The kids at school are cool too, and I'm making some new friends. It's nice to break away from the premeds for a while.

Today, I bought a car!! It's a black 2005 Civic EX. The insurance company is paying 7000, my dad is paying 3000, and I'm paying the rest (10000). Yup, your little girl is growing up. God-willing I'll have this car for a long time and stay safe in it.

I like this French boy in my class. I'm trying to get up the nerve to talk to him. He has the cutest accent! Somebody told me he was faking it though, and that he likes to play mind games. I'm gonna be positive and just think that he's more intelligent than most people, but that we could connect on a deep level. In class discussion, he gets really passionate and starts talking with his hands. The whole class is just mesmerized when he speaks. Did I mention that he's really cute?

Scar Tissue

I woke up this morning to find tons of scar tissue on my throat and a big black bruise on my chest from the seatbelt. The scar tissue makes it hurt to chew or talk, and it hurts like a mother when I yawn. I spent the day on the phone with the insurance company, calling the office about missing work, and receiving some get-well calls from my coworkers. I also emailed my professors about missing class today, and they were very supportive of my staying home and getting better. Luckily the labor day weekend will keep from getting too behind in my school work, and I've been pretty good about emailing assignments and discussion ideas. Hopefully I'll be able to go to my one class on Tuesday and return to normal schedules on Wednesday.

Collision

I was in a car accident today. I was driving down Plano Parkway, going through a green light, when a City of Plano garbage truck swerved in front of me. To avoid crashing into it, I swerved into the traffic light. My airbags deployed and my windshield shattered. The broken glass cut up my throat and I inhaled the fumes released from the airbag. Witnesses came up to me and helped me out of the car. They told me that my throat was bleeding. I was so scared; I didn't know what to do. My car was totaled. I called my dad and then the police arrived. I told the officer what happened, and she called an ambulance for me. I had witnesses vouching for my case. The parademics put a brace on my neck and strapped me to a board. They took me to Medical Center of Plano ER. They strapped me to the bed; I couldn't even get up to use the restroom. Then I had X-rays done and a CT scan. When they saw I was okay, they cleaned me up and sent me home after spending 4 hrs in the hospital. It was such a horrific experience. I'm so lucky to be alive.

Phelpsie's Coming Here!!

OMG, yall, Michael Phelps is coming to Dallas!!! It's with the Disney Swim with the Stars tour (www.swimwiththestars.com). He's coming to Southlake with Ian Crocker and Lenny Krazelberg (his roomie in Athens). Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod!!!! The bad news is, the tickets don't go on sale until 2 hrs before the show starts! Can you believe the line that's gonna be there to get tickets? I gotta figure out a way to go there. Oh, if only they could have come to SMU and used our natatorium. (There's a rumor that they trained their pre-Olympics). One way or another I'm gonna get to Phelpsie.

It Takes Real Courage to Desert Your Post and Then Attack a Wounded Vet

Read this very awesome open letter
"When you're big in Tehran"

School's been so busy that I haven't been able to post. I went to the Metro Mustangs meeting yesterday. I'm running for Vice-President, so vote for me! My web class starts Monday, but I have to read all 400+ pages of Emile Zola's Germinal for Wednesday. Ain't life grand? I never had such a demand made of me in an English course, who would think it would happen in a CF/History course? The Olympics is drawing to a close, and I'm sad. I loved the sense of unity I felt with the world and the inspiration to be the best and achieve my dreams. I'll get a DVD of it, if it comes out. I know they've already released the gymnastics on DVD. We're finishing up the Canterbury Tales in Brit Lit 1. Thank God, I hate Chaucer. Such a waste of time. I'm not working next week, so hopefully I can use the extra 10 hours to play catch-up...or sleep.

What's the best fall fashion trend for you?

Bows

Your style couldn't get much sweeter. You enjoy looking feminine, so girly dresses, blouses, skirts, and accessories are your favorite pieces. Be on the look out for embellished versions of your favorite things this fall—camisoles, cardigans, belts, necklaces, and shoes will all be adorned with bows. Try buying ribbon at a fabric store and tying it around the waist of your sweater or jacket, and match the trend with pretty floral pieces or decorative brooches and pins.

You might also like Winter Floral.

This result courtesty of Seventeen.com.

Congrats, Phelpsie!!

Congratulations to Michael Phelps on winning 6 gold medals in Athens!! He is definitely the greatest Olympian, in my humble opinion. I love this guy!! What other playa would be smart enough to know that he could let a rival swim in a relay in his place while he sits in the stands and gets a medal without swimming the actual race? Man, that's my boy!! With every race, he inspires me to be the best and never give up in my own race to fulfill my dreams. Plus, he's from Baltimore, home of the greatest medical school in the world, Johns Hopkins. On my way to work in the mornings, I pass this billboard on the Tollway that features him in an ad for Omega watches. It just gives me such a boost as if my job is a prelimary race for the final that's up ahead. Gosh, he's just such an inspiration. I feel like watching him race has changed my life. He's so humble, cute, fit, kind, determined, and a team player. Congratulations, Phelpsie, you've made me proud!!

Jamie Kennedy's SMU Experiment

After classes yesterday, I had lunch with some friends and head back home. I relaxed until around 4:30 when I grabbed my sis and we head back to SMU. I swung by the bookstore and picked up an essay, a book, and a course pack. The course pack was $40!! I'm gonna just photocopy all of it and return it. That's way too much. We got to SMU at 5:30, but found out they weren't gonna do the Taste Dallas carnival until after Jamie's show. So we head over to Snyder Plaza to find food, but there wouldn't have been enough time to sit down at a restaurant since the show started at 6:30. We came back to SMU (and a better parking spot) and had some Chick-fil-a. Then we went to the show and sat with Ric.

The opening act came out first. He was this very large man who was not very funny. He basically got booed off the stage and people kept yelling, "You're not funny, put on Jamie!!" Then Jamie came on. Everyone got excited. The first half of his show was really rolling-on-the-ground funny. But then the second half came. See, I go to a pretty conservative school, and the second half was all sex jokes...graphic sex jokes. Nobody laughed. It was dead silent. The worst part was when he brought out this rapper and together they wrapped about the greatest of the "left tit." And then he told all the ladies to get up and shake their left tits. Everyone looked around to see who would get up and no one did. So then Jamie kind of made the "cut it out" motion with his hand and said good night and left. I think he should have checked out his audience first and just kept making jokes like his first half.

Afterwards, we went to the Taste Dallas Carnival. Everyone was scrambling for free T-shirts. I grabbed one and a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. I missed Maggiano's Tiramisu, but I got to try a lemon cookie. The response to the pizza from Cafe Nostra was amazing too. Kiss FM was there but weren't gonna give away anything for a while except for Napolean Dynamite posters and chips. We head back home at 8:30 happy and satisfied. It's not often that we get to do things alone together, and luckily this night was worth the trip.

First Day

So my first day of school went pretty well. I went to work and got out at 11:30. When I got to school, it was raining and I had no umbrella. Yeah, didn't look so cool right then. When I got in the lounge I was so happy to see all my friends. Then I got really happy because now are school has a Subway!! The only downside is they got rid of the Pizzeria (they had great pasta) and the deli (they had great panini). So now my options are Subway or Chick-fil-a. Ah, sweet capitalism. I got a couple, "wow Maryam you look really different" type comments throughout the day, which was kinda cool.

My first class, Victorian Genders, was interesting. The professor had sent out an email telling everyone to bring the course pack to class for discussion. The thing is the bookstore doesn't carry it. So she asked, how many of you don't have the course pack? and everyone raised their hand. It was really funny.

So we got out of class 20 min. early. Then I went threading with my new found time and head home for a 15 min break. Then I head to UTD for my physics lab. The lab is taught by a TA, not a professor, which is new for me. He seems nice.

The coolest thing was that I went in thinking that I wouldn't know anyone in there, but I did know someone. This one girl from my high school who's half-Persian half-American. I was talking to my mom on the cell phone and she turned a corner and said, "I thought I heard someone speaking Farsi." She just transfered to UTD from UT and her older sister just started Baylor Med after graduating from MIT. I was like, thank God I have a good lab partner. She's good at math, so that's good for me. Hopefully tomorrow will be just as good as today...and no more rain!

JKX

Oh my gosh! Jamie Kennedy is coming to my school Friday night. I am so there!!! I think I'll bring my sister. This is gonna be outtasite!!

In other news, I gota haircut today. It's pretty much just a clean up of the last one I got. I also found out that I have Physics lab tomorrow after all, so my schedule tomorrow will be like this:

6:45-11:30 work at the hospital
12:30-2 pm English at SMU
4-7 pm Physics lab at UTD

Quelle Excitee, n'est-ce pas? My English teacher already emailed me the syllabus. Ah, good times are to be had by all. Enjoy the last day of summer, ya'll and I'll see you in school tomorrow.

Let's Get Ready to Tumble

I haven't blogged in a while because I've been glued to the Olympics and working since the games began. Today's been my first day off work in 7 days, and I spent it at Baylor where my mom was having surgery. We're home now and she's ok, but it was a long procedure. The thing I like most about the Olympics is that it inspires me to be the best and really focus on perfection. That Michael Phelps, he sure is something. I also like how the Olympics let's us forget about politics, well it did until the Iranians got involved. See, the reigning judo world champion is an Iranian; he was actually the flag-bearer at the Opening Ceremonies. When it came out that he would have to compete against an Israeli in the Olympics, the Iranian government said it was against their policy for any of its athletes to compete with "Zionists." So they forced him to gain weight so that he would be disqualified at the weigh-in. It was either that or publicly pull out so he chose the quieter path. (The same thing happened with the Morrocco soccer team at the 1968 Olympics). The thing is, even the Israeli team agreed that he was a better judo-er and would most likely have won gold. The Israeli publicist went on to say how he feels sorry for the poor guy cuz now he's lost that chance. I do too. I think that kind of behavior goes completely against what the Olympics stands for: putting aside political differences for 2 1/2 weeks and focusing on things that nations have in common, like athletic prowess.

Should you date your guy friend?

Think about it

Take more time to figure out what's up with your guy friend—it's unclear whether he wants to stay just friends or if he wants more. If you're not ready to have an honest discussion about your relationship potential, flirt with him and see how he responds. Go out of your way to spend extra time with him and let him know you want him around—if he has feelings for you, it will make him more comfortable showing them. If he seems reluctant or turns down your attempts to get closer, you know you're meant to be friends.

Are you too nice?

Nice Enough

You're approachable and friendly without coming across as a pushover, which will win you respect and make people feel comfortable around you. You know when to be polite, but when someone upsets you, you're not afraid to stand up for yourself—a true friend would never hold that against you. There is such a thing as being too nice, and you're great at judging where to draw the line.

Kerry unveils one-point plan for better America
I've been training 2 girls at work all week. They're doing a great job; I'm very proud of them. I like having protegees. My professor for the A&P web class I'm taking at CCCC emailed me last night that she updated her website. I checked out the assignment requirements and they sound pretty doable with my schedule.

Grab Life by the Ventricles

Today was the last day of Tax Free Weekend here in the great state of Texas. Yesterday I bought my first Abercrombie and Fitch shirt. It's pink with blue letters spelling the store's name. Today I bought 2 jeans, one Z. Cavaricci and one American Eagle. Since I lost 20 pounds over the summer clothes shopping has been so much more fun. I can't wait to wear all my back to school stuff at school next week. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of my being a scribe. I'm celebrating by training 2 new girls at work. Talk about karma. BTW, Ouch!!

Incoming

Slowly but surely my textbooks are coming in. I've thought about reading them, but I'm so immersed in Reading Lolita in Tehran that I want to finish it first. It's #40 in the Amazon.com sales rank! It's so good; I highly recommend it. Today was my sisters' first day of school. It's just a little reminder to enjoy my last 2 weeks of summer while I still can. They were very excited when they came home and it looks like they're going to have a fantastic year. My youngest sister is in the 8th grade so it's her last year of middle school and my other sister is a high school senior, so this is her last year of grade school period. It's a pretty exciting time in their lives. As for me, I'm about to embark on my most important year of college. I'm a little freaked out, but I'm trying to keep a cool head about the whole 20 hrs + 10 hrs of work thing. People have been calling me to get together, but I've been so swamped with work that I won't be able to see them until school starts. I'll be glad when the weekend gets here.

Jaw Dropper

Prepare to be amazed. Oh my gosh, Will, are you okay? I actually saw an accident today on the Tollway. This huge truck was literally upside down, and there were ambulances and cops everywhere. Pretty freaky stuff.

Erotomania

Today I got up at 5:30 to go to work and found my car, house, and front yard vandalized in a way reminiscent of an ambiguous scene in To Sir with Love. Disgusted I took off for work using my mom's Tolltag (I'll get my own soon). I thought there would be a Walnut Hill exit, but there isn't south-bound. So I got off at NW Highway and made a U-turn. I got to work where some stuff happened that I don't want to go into. Then I went to the SMU bookstore to get some ISBN numbers. It was a very ALIAS covert op. I waited in line to buy a student planner when I ran into Tiffany and Sam. That was pretty cool. Then I head on the Tollway and enjoyed fulfilling my need for speed. When I got home I punched in all the ISBNs. My history class has 13 books, while one of English classes has 7 and the other English has 1. Methinks this is crap. I watched He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, which was so good. You must see this movie; it is awesome!!