Signs

I was brought up Catholic - made my first communion, confession and confirmation right on schedule. After that it was pretty much downhill. My parents tried to make me go to church but since they never really followed through on any punishments, I never really felt the need to go.

Now that I'm older I find myself picking and choosing things from various religions and quite possibly superstition. I've always been one of those people who have asked (prayed) for signs when I was trying to make a big decision. Sometimes I felt like a got them - sometimes I was pretty sure that I had made them up to fit what I wanted. Either way I do know when I've gotten a clear sign and I've ignored it - it's never been pretty.

So Friday I was waiting for the train at South Station I was chatting with my friend Kim and I was telling her how I ran into a friend of my mom's on the red line. The chances of that happening are slim to none. The more interesting thing is that she is a licensed social worker. So I quickly gave her the rundown of what was going one (while we stopped in the tunnel) and she just looked at me and said - Although it's a good program the Smith program is odd - you should go to Simmons. I just said hmmmmmm ok maybe. Then it was my stop so I got off the train.

So as I was talking to Kim I said to her - you know we are always asking for signs for things we are trying to figure out. How much bigger of a sign do I need than an offer of $20,000 toward my education. Kim who had been pretty pro-Smith just kind of stopped and said you know, you are right. She then said and just in case you weren't paying attention he sent a messenger to the red line to talk to you about Simmons. Hmmmmm.

So the bottom line really is how much more of a freakin sign do I need? I sat down on Saturday and did the numbers - Simmons is at least $35K less over the life of the program. I will have to move - but that's ok. I have the whole summer to do that.

So decision remade - Simmons it is.

Tomorrow I have to write Smith a polite letter that says "if you want me, you need to pony up". I did already call them and they said they had no more money. So that seems to be that.

My New Phone

Or should I say my new iPhone? I can't remember if I mentioned this or not but I got an iPhone for graduation and I love it. It's the 16 gig and it does EVERYTHING. Well almost everything. Anyway right now I'm on the train and able to post this. Who the hell needs twitter?

Fly In The Ointment

So I am all set right? I have decided to go to Smith. Right?? Well today I got this email:

Dear JENNIFER,

Congratulations on you admission to the Simmons M.S.W! I would like to inform you that you have been awarded a SSW Merit Scholarship totaling $ 20,000 for the duration of your full-time M.S.W. program (a total of $ 10,000 per academic year). As you will start your program in September of 2008, you will receive $5,000 that semester and $ 5,000 in the Spring of 2009. This award is only given for your full-time M.S.W. program for two years.


The award will be renewed for the academic year 2009/2010 assuming that you maintain satisfactory grades and adherence to the ethical and professional standards expected of a professional social worker.


In order for you to receive this award, please mail us, the attached scholarship response form, by May 4 to acknowledge your acceptance of this merit scholarship award. You would also need to mail us your $ 200 tuition deposit as well as your admission response letter that was included with your original admission letter. If we do not hear from you by May 4, this award offer will be withdrawn


Congratulations! We look forward to welcoming you to Simmons in the Fall of 2008.

So here I sit frantically doing the numbers. Here is one thing I had tried to avoid the complete cost of my degree. It's going to be freakin expensive - that's for sure. So now I'm kind of back in decision making mode.

I'll let you know what I come up with.

Decision Time.....

Smith College it is. Program starts May 30th - so much for a restful summer!!

Wish You Were Here

3 for 3

So I found out today that I got accepted at BU School of Social Work. I found out via a phone call from the Dean which is unusual but I'll tell you why I got such personal service.

BU is a huge school - everything about the application process is online. It was a little tough at times to figure out, they had these things called "radio buttons" that I was confused about, but I figured it out. So the only piece of paper that you had to fill in and mail was a signature page. Oh and they had the most expensive application fee of $70.

Per the urging of my advisor I called BU two weeks ago to check on the progress of my "folder" and the woman (or girl) who answered the phone barely could open her mouth to say BU School of Social Work and when I asked her about my folder she said really nonchalontely "Oh yeah we are missing your signature page" You mean the page I sent in 5 WEEKS ago? So I asked her to send me the document again and I printed it out and mailed it to her again.

So imagine my surprise when I got an email from her on Monday saying they were still missing my page and could I resend it. So I picked up the phone and called - got the same barely understandable greeting from the same woman who apparently is the one sending me the emails. When I explain who I am and that I've sent this page twice she says to me "Did you send it in a plain envelope?" Ummmm yes - what do you think I did? Send it via carrier pigeon? She said "Did you put grad admissions on it?" I said No I didn't because I thought this address WAS grad admissions. Oh no she says it's probably upstairs - I could go look for it but I'd have to find someone to watch the desk. I politely asked her if this one page was holding up my folder being reviewed and she said "Oh yes". Nice - so my fucking future is on hold because you can't get someone to watch the desk. You have got to be shitting me.

So I hung up and needless to say I was PISSED. At first I wasn't going to do anything because honestly BU has been a distant 3rd in my choices. But then I started to think about it and realized it was the principal. I remembered an admissions counselor that I had been trading emails with back in Dec/Jan when I was first looking at programs. So I fired off this email to her:

Hello ******
I am not sure if you are the right person to receive this email but I feel I need to let someone know about my disappointing experience with the admissions office at the BU School of Social Work. I applied to the program back on Feb 27, 2008 and at that time sent in my signature form to the address provided. It was 5 weeks later when I called to check on the progress of my folder that I was told that this form had not been received. She resent me the form and I sent it immediately to the 264 Bay State Road address. Today I received another email stating that they haven't received the form.

I have been accepted to both Smith and Simmons and was hoping to hear from BU today or tomorrow because I have to make a decision by Wednesday. Obviously there is no way I will receive a decision in time. Unfortunately I will not be able to consider BU for graduate school due to the fact that my folder hasn't even begun to be reviewed and it's my understanding that they will not review it without the signature page.

I find it surprising and disappointing that the graduate school that has the most complicated application, the most involved essay and the highest application fees treats the application process so casually. I'd like to request a refund on my application fee -although I know it's probably not in your realm to ok a request.

I'm sorry to sound emotional. I was really looking forward to having BU be a part of my graduate school process but it doesn't look like that will happen.

Thank you,

Anyway after an email back full of apologies (but no offer of a refund) she got the Dean on it who personally pulled my file and called me to let me know I was accepted into the program. I do feel a little bad because I probably won't go there but I figured it was important that they knew how they were being represented.

Don't you think?

I Can't Believe I Forgot To Tell You...

I got accepted to Simmons College of Social Work. YAYYYYYY ME! Now I just have to decide between that school at Smith. I went out and visited Smith on Thursday and it was beautiful. They have a trauma track and a military track (families etc). Which of course is right up my alley.

Arrggghhh I hate these decisions.

Can someone please tell me what to do? I'd really appreciate it!

Movies, Movies, Movies

With school over for the time being I have this thing called time. Time do whatever I want, time to sit and do nothing if I want. I've never been that great at having unstructured time. What I mean by that is I can literally waste away an afternoon not doing anything. I guess that's not too bad these days but when I had stuff to get done for school it was not a good "talent" to have.

So with all of this time I've been catching up on my movie watching. In the past week or so I've seen The Darjeeling Limited (I loved it, I know a lot of people who didn't). I rewatched Talladega Nights with my niece Friday night which is always hysterical. I watched Gone Baby Gone which I commented on in my last post but I have to say again was so good I'd watch it again tomorrow - Casey Affleck was tremendous. Yesterday I watched Velvet Goldmine with Jonathan Rhys-Myers, Christian Bale and Ewan McGregor. It's movie I've always wanted to see and it did not disappoint. There is a a David Bowie like "character"(Rhys-Meyers) and an Iggy Pop like "character" (McGregor). Everyone is bi-sexual and I don't think McGregor wears a shirt for the entire movie. In the end it's a love story but a sad one. Eddie Izzard plays the manager and he of course is fantastic. I highly recommend this to anyone who is into the whole glam rock thing of the 70's.

Last night I watch Runnin Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 4 HOURS of uninterrupted Tom Petty that starts way back in the Mudcrutch days. For a complete fanatic like me this is like heaven. They didn't get into any personal stuff that didn't directly have to do with the band - if it effected the band they talked about it. It was FABULOUS. No narration just interview after interview. It walks you through every step of his career, shows the progression of who he worked with (The Willbury's, Cash etc) and sadly shows the untimely death of bass played Howie Epstein (heroin).


Even if you are just a casual fan - I think this is a movie you will enjoy. And I have to say it was a nice break from all of the Iraq War movies I have been watching for my research. I'll continue to watch those too, just not in large blocks as I was doing before.

Remember Me????

Hello Everyone!

I feel like I've been gone ages and ages. I'm trying to catch up on my blog reading and commenting and hope to get up to date this weekend. I've missed you all (no really) and just in case you have forgotten me I thought we'd go over the basics once again.

I love this man...I turn into Slutrina Queen of Slutville in my head when I think about him. Especially when this picture shows up yeah he's all skinny and stuff but C'MON.














I'm a huge NASCAR fan - and I love this time of year. Races every Sunday!! whooo hooooo!






The next best thing about this time of year? BASEBALL. Yes the Red Sox are back in ACTION.







I think FUR is a movie that everyone should see. I also saw "Gone Baby Gone" the other night and it was fanfuckingtastic. Casey Affleck was amazing.

Ok other important things: I am totally OK with the Patriots losing the Super Bowl. The better team won. I do believe however that they did not cheat.

I am sick to death of Bush's bullshit and Dick Cheney's bullshit for that matter. These two fucking assholes have sent our men and women off to war and then left them with next to nothing when they have come home. I'd like to see what would happen if either of these shitheads or their families had to go over to Iraq....things would be different then.

If this war is still going on after I get my MSW I am giving serious thought to being a civilian therapist in Iraq. It's two years away and I hope beyond hope that we are out of there but I'm not sure we will be and instead of wondering what I can do to make a difference - I'm going to go where the need is the highest. (Don't tell my mom, she doesn't know yet).

I've missed you all - it's good to be back!

Funny

I don't know if it was Laura or Daphne but someone showed me these videos at residency and I think that they are three of the funniest things I have ever seen.

Before you watch them - this is John Roberts a comic who is from New Jersey and this is his loving impersonation of his mother (and he means that) The one about the tree was actually done at her house.

Really just watch them....




Just how far does that cord stretch anyway....and isn't that a cordless phone on the counter?

And finally....this one makes me pee my pants every time I watch it (OK not literally)
His mother coming to terms with her son....



Things will be back to normal in my life after this weekend...bye!