Curveball, explained

Short version: I put in 3 weeks notice to my boss on Tuesday and I'll be moving back to Washington state to start working at my parents' small business on April 11th.

Long version: I was chatting on the phone with my mom while driving home from wakeboarding Sunday afternoon. She sounded really stressed out and told me that the shit had hit the fan at work. They have had 3 people either quit or get fired in the last two weeks. When your ship is run by only 15 or so people, losing 3 can be crippling, especially when the loss is heaviest on the client services side of things. This is their livelihood, retirement, what have you, and things are not looking good. It didn’t take long before I offered to quit my job, put my crap in storage, and head north to help out. This is the one time in my life, with school on the horizon, that I can drop everything and help out without making much of a sacrifice career-wise. It was a no-brainer.

Mom was reluctant at first, fearing I was giving up too much, that it might put my MBA plans in jeopardy, that I won't have enough money saved before school considering they’ll only be able to pay me about half of what I’m making now. But as we talked through my current situation and the trade-offs, what I actually would and would not be giving up, she got pretty excited about my offer and said she’d talk to my father about it.

Fast forward to Monday morning. Long conversation with dad. Dad is very excited about the offer, asks me to sleep on it and really evaluate the financial implications before making a decision. At that point I was pretty much decided. I may be making more money right now, but I also spend a helluva lot more in San Diego than I will in small town Western Washington living at home. Plus, I’ve only worked for one company since undergrad, I don’t have any major projects in the pipeline for the next 5 months and I’m not getting promoted, certainly nothing to add to my resume. Either way, I’m treading water for the next 5 months until school starts. I can do it for a big corporation that really doesn’t care about me, or I can really make a difference for my parents’ business, drum up some new clients and implement some process improvements, have a bunch of new and different stuff to add to my resume and a completely different set of experiences to draw from when I’m in school. My efforts would have a purpose close to my heart, something I haven’t had from work in a long time.

While I’m sad to be leaving San Diego sooner than expected (who wouldn’t be?), I’m really excited by the opportunity to go home and contribute to the family business for a few months before school starts.

Curveballs

Life throws them at you. Sometimes they are good, and sometimes they are bad, but what's important is how you react. I had a curveball thrown at me Sunday afternoon. Changes are afoot. I will likely be spending the next 5-6 months before b-school differently than I originally planned. Can't get into the specifics yet, but I assure you its good stuff, it's just keeping me occupied right now and I need to figure some things out before I broadcast it to the internet.

I guess it's a good thing I'm occupied so I have something to fixate on other than the release of Wharton R2 decisions...T minus 1 week 1 day 10 hours and change as of this posting. The nerves haven't started yet, but I expect they'll be in full force next week.

Finally got to go wakeboarding on Sunday. After a nearly 3 month hiatus, it was awesome to get back on the water, even though it made me feel completely out of shape. Even if you work out, there are little muscles you use to wakeboard that you can't train and absolutely let you know their displeasure about their use the next morning.

This weekend is sure to be crazy, starting on Thursday with the St Patty's Day/First Day of the NCAA Tournament doubleheader. May have to play hooky from work on Friday, and I think I need to block off an hour on my schedule tomorrow to finalize my brackets for the office pool. Can't believe the University of Washington Huskies got a #1 seed, but as a Washington State University alum that means all the more pleasure for me when they get upset.

It's Thursday already?

(Well, almost Friday now)

Good lord, where has my week gone? Lots of excuses for being a lazy blogger. Busy at work, traveling in back-to-back weeks, got a friend in town this week, getting some stuff together for a yard sale on Saturday, etc etc etc. Haven't had time to do laundry, much less sit down and write up my trip to Chicago (and do it justice). So I'm forcing myself to put some thoughts together, not labor too much over it, while I watch Wazzu try to beat Stanford for the third time this year and advance to the Pac-10 conference semi-finals. Go Cougs! Thomas Kelati is on *FIRE* right now, draining 3s like nobody's business. Wish I was up at the Staples Center cheering them on in person.

So, Chicago. First off, let me clarify something from my previous post. 99% is less than 100%. The remaining 1% will be decided, either by Wharton or by me, on or about March 24th. How much weight that 1% carries remains to be seen.

Until then, I'm officially undecided.

Unofficially...I really like Chicago. A lot. I would be extremely proud and happy to be headed there this fall.

[Mid-post game update...1 minute to go, Schlatter just hit a 3 to put the Cougs ahead by one. Down the court, rejection by Verum...AWESOME, Go Cougs!]

I think Chicago (both the city and the GSB) fits me well. Things just felt right there, whether I was talking to current students or fellow admits, listening to faculty, or spending a night on the town with my friends. After reading blogger reports of the Kellogg & Wharton admit weekends, I was curious to see what Chicago would do. I wasn't too surprised to find it pretty light on style, heavy on substance. No rah-rah for the sake of rah-rah here.

[Speaking of rah-rah, 17 seconds to go, WSU is down by 2....ARRGGHHHH! C'mon Wazzu!!]

The majority of activities during the day Friday and Saturday were in the format of either a panel discussion or small group discussion. IMO, we spent a little too much time seated in a conference room with too few breaks, but there's only so many ways you can disseminate that much information in two days. And at times I wondered how much of this stuff will be repeated during pre-term activities. But those were my only complaints.

[Damn, Schlatter's 3 didn't fall. Stanford wins, 60-58. Stupid Cardinal, what kinda mascot is that anyway?]

I was very impressed by the faculty who participated in the weekend. They came off as approachable, extremely intelligent, open to new ideas, excited about teaching, and ready to crack a joke at any time. Some very witty folks (I must take a class from Ann McGill). I really got a taste for the classes available and I'm stoked that the program's flexibility will allow me to explore whatever my little heart desires. From the get-go. Very cool. Plus, I'm an econ nerd at heart, so the opportunity to take a class from Nobel prize winners like Fogel & Becker...well, that just rocks. I was also very impressed by the experiential learning programs that are available (management lab, private equity lab, new venture lab/challenge).

A couple of phrases used by the faculty stood out in my mind as an apt description of the GSB. It's the "intellectual equivalent of Manhattan" where "ideas compete and people collaborate." Sounds a little grandiose, but seriously, you could feel this vibe in everything we did, and I don't think it was affected or put on. The description seemed as genuine as the people who spoke it. I got the sense that this is a program with momentum. They've got incredible intellectual capital, a great brand, a beautiful new building, and recruiting just keeps getting better.

The faculty and staff are serious about making sure their students leave the GSB with a timeless education and a toolbox ready for whatever business issue comes their way. I feel like everyone at the GSB is serious about learning, and not just focused on getting a job and having fun. Chicago definitely appeals to my intellectual side. That's not to say that these folks don't know how to cut lose and have fun. At Friday's Liquidity Preference Function, there was a variety of liquids for consumption to satisfy whatever preference you may have. And it was pretty cool to see beer pong being played in the Winter Garden. That definitely earned bonus points in my book. Everyone I met was so cool. Based on the quant jock reputation, I figured there would be some geeks/social misfits, but after this visit and my October visit, I have to say that reputation is bogus. GSBers (current & future) are smart, witty, down to earth, cool ass folks.

Byron & PowerYogi--great to meet you guys! Sorry I was a bit MIA in the evenings.

I didn't participate in any of the evening events. I didn't get a hotel; I was staying with friends from undergrad, so I wanted to save my evenings to spend time with them since it was a quick visit and my days were packed. Friday night we went to a tapas place downtown and enjoyed more than our fair share of sangria (yum). Saturday we went to a couple of bars on Southport in Lakeview, just a couple blocks from their apartment. I have to say, after the housing tour of Hyde Park, and hanging out with my friends and exploring Lakeview/Wrigleyville, I'm thinking the North Side is more my scene than Hyde Park.

All in all, a great weekend.

But I'm still officially undecided.

HBS "Hackers" Blacklisted

An overreaction, in my opinion. The Boston Globe has an interview with HBS Dean Clark, who says that anyone who used the hack (aka loophole) will get dinged. All 119 of them.

I feel bad for these folks. The application fee, all the hours spent on essays and coordinating recommendations, perhaps even traveling to campus, it's all been flushed right down the drain due to very human impulses...curiosity and anxiety.

Maybe I feel bad because deep down I know that if I had been in their position and found a loophole to potentially end the agony, remembering where I was mentally just a couple of months ago, I probably would have taken the red pill too. So I'm not going to jump on my moral high horse and shun these people for "unethical" behavior. I think some of the people who are looking down their noses at the doomed 119 should take a long hard look at themselves before they pass judgment. As for me, I wish the doomed 119 the best of luck with their other b-school applications. If any of you end up at Chicago, I'll buy you a beer.

(Yes, I'm back from Chicago's admit weekend and I'm 99% sure that's where I'll be in the fall. Recap coming soon.)

I *heart* Zicam

That stuff is the shit! I'm not sick, no sore throat this morning or yesterday morning for that matter. Consider me a believer.

Wrapping up things at work, waiting for a conference call. I'm headed to the airport in a couple of hours, on my way to Chicago. I brought in my luggage with me this morning since I'm leaving my car in our building garage and getting a taxi. Ran into some co-workers on the elevator and they immediately asked if I was preparing for a rogue snowstorm. Typically, work attire for me is casual pants, flip flops and no jacket, but today I'm wearing a sweater, jeans and boots, and I've got my winter coat with me. It's 65 and sunny here in San Diego, and I'm looking forward to temps in the 30's with 30% chance of snow/rain tomorrow. :)

Looking forward to meeting Byron and PowerYogi (assuming he hasn't "mysteriously disappeared" due to his involvement in HBS "Status-gate").

BTW, seeing HBS's reaction to this thing makes me giggle. Gotta love the "holier than thou/shame on you/threat of reprisal/CYA/everyone else is to blame but us" attitude.

I refuse to get sick

I woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat. For me, nine times out of ten a sore throat is merely the prelude to a cold, which usually turns into a sinus infection. I am fighting this thing off by any means necessary so I'm not sick for Chicago's admit weekend. I cannot afford to be sick right now, too much to do at work and elsewhere. I'm popping cold-eeze zinc lozenges like they have crack in them, I'm giving Zicam a try, I'm drinking a bottomless cup of hot tea, and I got some hot and sour soup from the local Chinese take-out joint. Suck it, Mr. Virus.

Finally got my UCLA Anderson Admit binder. Of course it didn't arrive until after the exploding deadline on my scholarship had already exploded. The binder is actually really nice, very slick and filled with a ton of information, however it kinda irks me a little that they expected me to turn around a decision faster than they provided me with the basic information needed to make that decision. Oh well, so it goes. Although my non-response puts my scholarship back up for grabs (good luck guys!), I still have until April 15th to decline admission. Assuming all goes well in Chicago, I'll formally turn down UCLA next week.

Finished up my application for a sorority related scholarship that is due March 15th. Any additional funds would just be icing on the cake at this point, but with my level involvement in my sorority, I'm hopeful to get a little something.

So what is wakeboarding anyway?

Not me...just a trick I wish I could do.

A version of the wakeboarding-related essay I included in most of my b-school applications:

Wakeboarding is similar to water skiing, only using a snowboard-like apparatus instead of skis. The shape and buoyancy of a wakeboard allow you to use the boat’s wake as a launch ramp for jumps, flips and spins. There is nothing better than spending a beautiful day on the lake, in a boat filled with friends cheering you on as you skim across the surface at 22 miles per hour, launch into the air, and stomp a new trick. From the moment I learned how to get up, I was hooked and wanted to learn as much as possible. I made two trips to wakeboarding camp in Florida to learn from the best and I’ve traveled all over California in search of the best riding spot.

As much as I enjoy wakeboarding, teaching people to wakeboard is even better. I will never forget the feeling of pure joy the first time I popped out of the water and I love sharing that feeling with others. I share their stoke as they experience that joy, laugh with them as they take those first crashes, and scheme with them as they make plans to master their new sport.

Wakeboarding also allows me to meet new people. I don’t own a boat, so I use wakeboarding message boards to network with boat owners who need a “third,” an observer to accompany the driver and the rider. To make myself more marketable as a third, I learned to drive and trailer a boat, and I always help with clean up.

By the way, if you're reading this, and you have a boat, live in So-Cal (or Chicago or Philly) and need a third, send me an email!

Anyway, there are two wakeboarding websites I spend time on...

wakeboarder.com
wakeworld.com

News, gear guides/reviews, contests, message boards, etc. All the info you need.

And in case you're interested, here's a wakeboarding glossary from wakeboarder.com

Where's Waldo...er...Wakechick?

Anderson R1 Admits So-Cal Happy Hour

If you've met me, you can't play :)

Met up with a great group of fellow Anderson admits in Newport Beach for beverages and conversation. It was really nice to meet everyone and if these guys are any indication, the incoming class will be kicking ass and taking names come fall. They gave me a hard time about turning down Anderson...until they found out my decline would free up some fellowship money, then they were all about me going Chicago. I've got my fingers crossed that some of that money ends up in your pockets, guys.

Wakeboarding was a bust this morning...again. That's 3 strikes now. I have got to hit the lake soon. My regular pull just bought a house in Dallas and will likely be moving before I do, so I need to ride as much as possible in the next couple of months. I just wish the weather would cooperate. It was actually nice today, but there has been so much rain that the boat launch ramps were completely covered (and therefore closed, hence no riding for us). The manager told us that the channel that leads from the launch area out to the main lake, that had a depth of 4-5 feet this summer, is now 27 feet deep. That's how much rain we've had. Crazy.

A couple of blog readers have asked me what wakeboarding is and I realized that I never really explained it. Oops, sorry folks, I guess it's about time I do that. It's why I'm "wakechick" after all (and not because of any association with Wake Forest, right CalGrad?). I'm going to be lazy though. Pretty much every one of my b-school applications had an essay (or part of one) that talked about wakeboarding and/or my knee injury, so I'm going to post one of those next.

Wharton visit

Currently enjoying a lazy Saturday night due to tomorrow's full agenda...wakeboarding in the morning, So-Cal UCLA admit happy hour in the afternoon, and a friend's Oscar party in the evening.

I had a really nice visit to Philly and Wharton, and I'm really happy I opted to do my interview on campus rather than locally with an alum. I feel like I have a fairly well-rounded impression of the program based on the visit, the info session I attended last summer, and all of the information available online. Next up is the Chicago Admit weekend. If I get good news from Wharton, I should be prepared to make an informed decision between March 24th and April 1st.

So, a recap of my trip...it was a quick one. It's a busy time of year at work and I couldn't take any more than a couple of days off. (Plus, I'm hoarding vacation days for a trip home to Seattle in April and I want to have some left as my time here in San Diego draws to a close, for things like packing and playing hooky to hit the beach or go to opening day at Del Mar.) Wednesday was pretty much just a travel day that started early and put me in to Philly in the late afternoon, which didn't leave me much time to sightsee around the city beyond a couple of cab rides. Iceman and I had planned to try to meet up for dinner that night, but never managed to track each other down. Got some dinner at the hotel, watched Lost & American Idol and called it a night.

Spent all of Thursday in Huntsman Hall. First up was sitting in on Abel's Macroecon/Finance class. Not the most exciting class, but the material was familiar to me from undergrad. Poor guy had a horrible cold and pretty much no voice, about half of the class was absent and the other half, despite the prof's requests, wasn't doing much of the talking to help him save his voice. The next class was a lot more interesting, a business law class with Borghese. The class is part of core and the full cohort was there. The lecture on employment law was pretty good, but it was even more interesting to see the interaction and banter between members of the cohort. It was evident that they were a tight group, much like a family, exchanging ideas and good natured ribbing.

After that, a few first years joined up with all of the prospective students for lunch and Q&A. It was around this time that I realized that I was the only female prospective student out of about 25. Seemed kinda funny since Wharton is 1/3 women and their applicant pool is likewise about 1/3 women. I was happy to see a couple of other women coming out of interviews while I was waiting for mine. My interview went really well. It was the most conversational interview I've had. She only asked my 3 real interview questions: walk me through your resume, what do you consider is the weakest aspect of your application, and why Wharton. Other than that, it was very chit-chatty and I probably asked more questions than she did.

I forgot to mention that Wednesday night's news was all about snow, and sure enough, it started snowing around 10:30 am (and hadn't stopped by the time I left Philly). When I was finished with my interview around 2 pm, I started checking online to see what kind of delays I'd be facing at the airport. US Air was still listing my flight as on time, but the FAA site warned of minor departure delays but significant (i.e. 5+ hour) arrival delays. Our departure time would depend on the arrival of our plane and our crew. I've done this dance with the Philadelphia airport before, so I knew I could be in for a long night.

About this time, I met the man behind Wharton's online presence, Alex Brown. He was also planning to brave the airport on route to London for HUB interviews. We figured we'd share a cab, so we plotted a strategy of hitting Pub for a beer then heading to the airport early because the snow was beginning to accumulate on the roads. He fared a bit better than I with just a two hour delay.

My flight was originally supposed to leave Philly at 8 pm EST and arrive in San Diego at 11 pm PST. Late, but not so late that I would be a mess at work the next day. I got to my gate around 7:30 pm and at that point our estimated departure was 9:40 pm. Of course, our plane was grounded in Manchester NH, and the time kept getting pushed back. Lucky for me, I made a friend in the gate area so we went and got a couple of drinks until our plane arrived around 10:30 pm. At this point, anyone on an expense account had already bailed, knowing that the flight would either be cancelled or very very late. Oh, if only I had the luxury of an expense account (at least everyone who was left had a full row of seats to themselves for the flight). We boarded the plane at 11 pm and proceeded to sit on the tarmac, taxi, de-ice, and sit on the tarmac some more until we were finally wheels up at 1 am EST. Ugh.

My new travel buddy and I had some pre-flight entertainment. There was a woman on board who was absolutely *bombed*, out of her mind drunk and/or high. Given our wait on the tarmac, even though technically we were supposed to be in our seats, the crew was cool about trips to the bathroom. However, drunk chick kept getting up and getting lost...on a pretty much empty airplane. She went to the back a couple of times, then back to her seat, then pulled her suitcase out of the overhead bin and about knocked herself out, then "charged" towards the front before being escorted back to her seat. She got up again and locked herself in the bathroom. The male flight attendents jimmied open the door and took her back to her seat again, this time forcing her boyfriend/husband to sit on the outside so she couldn't get past him. She proceeded to hit him and growl at him. It was weird and somewhat entertaining, as long as she didn't get so beligerant that we'd have to return to the gate. According to the flight attendant, the dude she was with told them that she was on anti-anxiety meds and had a few drinks at the bar. Whatever it was, she had no idea what was going on and was probably going a bit schizo. Hell, by the time we landed in San Diego around 3:30 am PST, I was a bit delirious. First song that came on the radio when I got in my car to leave the airport was "Blurry"...very appropo.

Wharton...good impression, could definitely picture myself there in the fall. Philadelphia...seems like a nice enough city, but the air traffic control needs some work so they don't get so backed up in bad weather.

Funny aside...Wharton students are some busy people. So busy, in fact, that every one I talked to had no idea that snow was in the forecast. It seems that most of them don't have time for the local news; however, judging from the number of people carrying the distinctive pink paper, they consume a lot of the world's financial news. Either that, or salmon newsprint is the hot accessory in Huntsman.

Let's get ready to rumble

Don't ya just love a good pissing match? I do. I really think we need to set up a Celebrity/Blogger Death Match between Aregon & Bskewl. Go to the mattresses, fellas!

There's also been a lot non-confrontational blogging this week. I've got a lot of blog reading to catch up on after 2 days offline while I was in Philly. Currently writing up that trip, to be posted sometime this evening, if I don't pass out first. The quick and dirty: enjoyed my visit and my interview went well, but the snow in Philly made for an extra long two day trip that ended 5 hours later than scheduled at 4 am PST this morning. I'm beat.

Quiet

I am all by my lonesome today at the office. All the other finance folks are out today, so it has been pretty quiet. Which is nice because I was up way too late reading last night and I'm a little sluggish today. I have a serious problem with reading "just 10 more pages", or "just one more chapter", as if it's not going to be there on my nightstand, waiting for me tomorrow.

I was really excited last night because my gym is finally offering a cool class. Lately, all they've been offering is: boot camp (yuck, getting yelled at by wannabe military dudes while doing push ups, no thanks), yoga/pilates/yogilates (too new age with not enough cardio for my taste), and spinning (those seats hurt my ka-dunk-a-dunk). Now, they have a gal who is doing hip hop cardio once a week. Great music, fun choreography, and the hour flies by. A nice break from the cardio machine + machine weights monotony I subject myself to the rest of the week.

Three day weekend! Woo-hoo. The bad news is, the weather is suppose to be crappy the whole time, so another week without a wakeboarding fix. This is getting ugly.

Back on topic

We now return to regularly scheduled b-school related stuff, although I haven’t had any interesting blog ideas lately. No inspiration (obviously, since I wrote about socks & laundry last time!), and no new news on the b-school front. Basically, I’m bored at work and looking forward to getting out of town. Philly trip is next week, Chicago trip is the following week. It’s weird; I’m really not sweating the interview portion of my Wharton visit. I've been through enough of the MBA admissions process at this point that I feel prepared for anything. I was pleasantly surprised to get the invite, but it lacked punch after the Chicago phone call. I’ve heard the interview is mainly about fit, and like the interview, these trips are mainly about fit for me. My current offers have me kind of ambivalent about Wharton, so I’m hoping my visits help me form an opinion and prepare for the decision I may have to make between March 24 and April 1. Things could be made very clear after my trips…I don’t click with Wharton and it solidifies Chicago as my top choice. Or, it may confuse things even more. Let’s say I fall in love with Wharton & Philly, or it moves into a tie with Chicago… What if W dings me? Does it take away some of the luster of what has been a pretty awesome application experience? What if W admits me, with no scholly money or less money than Chi? Easy decision if I prefer Chi to W after the trips, tough decision if I feel the opposite. Or, the impossible happens, I cash in all of my karma chips, and the offers are comparable? What then, flip a coin???

Yes, I’m playing the “what if” game and it’s entirely counterproductive. I know I should be playing the “be patient and see what happens” game…but where’s the fun and excitement in that?

Not to mention, I still have to respond to UCLA’s offer by March 1. I think I’m going to try to get a week’s extension, so I can finalize that after my trips. Either way, it will likely be a “thanks, but no thanks.”

BTW, could Blogger be any slower??

Off topic

I read a couple of progressive political blogs, primarily the Flytrap. Not because I’m a lefty (more of a centrist slash libertarian, really); I read because I strongly dislike and lack trust in the current administration. I’ve followed links a couple of times and found other interesting progressive blogs…All Spin Zone, Rude Pundit (rude is an understatement, but it’s some funny stuff). Lately, I’ve been reading AmericaBlog & Daily Kos and they have been investigating a potentially huge story. It’s just starting to get picked up by the mainstream media, and other outlets like the Daily Show (last night’s was awesome, I highly recommend watching the replay tonight). Whether you’re a lefty or a righty, I really encourage you to read what the folks at AmericaBlog have uncovered. Fair warning that some of the material is explicit, but they’ve covered the relevant “parts” so it’s semi- work safe.

The highlights: a pseudo-journalist, known for regurgitating White House press releases and lobbing softball questions slash editorials to the press secretary and president, has been circumventing the usual FBI procedures for getting press room access, and all evidence is confirming that this guy has been using a fake name, is/was an active gay male escort/prostitute, also owes $20K in back taxes and has an outstanding judgment against him. He’s also somehow involved in the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. This has blackmail, payola/propaganda, and national security implications, not to mention the hypocrisy of the party of family values and federal marriage amendments appearing to be in cahoots with a gay male prostitute. Something very fishy is going on here and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Nobody seems to want to touch it at this point (Repubs, Dems, or the media), maybe because this guy has dirt on everyone. Talk about the ultimate black book. Heidi Fleiss who?

Productive

1. Did my taxes
2. Submitted my FAFSA
3. Paid off my car

Now I gotta finish my laundry so I don't have to wear dirty jeans tomorrow.

I hit Costco this weekend. I love that place. I always buy my gas there and I usually pop in to the warehouse to see if there are any books or DVDs worth purchasing. I picked up the Friday Night Lights DVD (great book, OK movie), and I got new socks. What it is about new socks? They just feel so good. My dad and I are of the same opinion: if we were to become incredibly wealthy, our splurge would be a steady supply of new socks. The socks I scored at Costco for cheap are these nice Fila short sport socks, and they are so cushy and have like this built in arch support (or at least they feel like they do). Anyway, we'll see how they wash up. Usually socks don't feel as good after they've been washed, but I've got my fingers crossed this time.

Speaking of socks, my friends and I have developed a theory about socks that disappear. You know how it seems like the washer eats your socks, usually just one from a pair? They vanish without a trace. If your washer or dryer were actually eating them, eventually there would be mechanical problems with the appliance. Socks disappear. There has to be something more sinister. Well, what if it's a conspiracy among sock makers that one or two socks out of every pack is made of vaporizing fibers so one sock eventually *poof* disappears? Wouldn't that be a racket? If they're not doing it yet, someone should look into this, there is a boatload of money to be made.

I was talking to a friend the other day. He doesn't have an MBA, but he was at Stanford recently recruiting MBAs for his company. It was interesting talking to him about the butt kissing going on at their reception and about students stumbling through the case interviews. He wasn't impressed; he felt most of the people he talked to had little experience and bloated resumes. I got the feeling it changed his opinion about my decision to get an MBA. I felt kind of protective at that point, like I had to defend my decision and defend MBA students at a program I didn't apply to/have any interest in. It was weird, but it put things in a different perspective that I will have to keep in mind when I start interviewing for internships.

Yeah, did I mention it's late and I'm waiting on laundry and I'm bored? Jeez, this post was all over the place...and, now you're all saved from my ramblings by the dryer buzzer!

For my female readers

(or guys who need gift ideas for their ladies)

A friend of mine started making handbags for herself about a year ago. She developed a couple of nice basic designs and had a knack for finding great fabrics, so of course they got noticed. She now has a website and this has become her part time business while she is in graduate school. Check it out at Janova Design.

The sea was angry that day, my friends

The weather had been beautiful here all week. The Santa Anas were blowing, so we had sunshine and 70 degree temps. My friends and I made plans to go wakeboarding, thinking it would be an awesome weekend. I haven't been riding since mid-December so I was jonesin' for some time on the water. Last night when I checked the weather report, it called for mostly cloudy skies with temps in the low 60s and no rain. All systems were go for a morning on the lake before the Super Bowl.

So much for that. It was completely blown out when we got to the lake. Chop, some whitecaps, 50 degrees, raining off and on. The wind calmed down for a little while, so we launched the boat and B. tried to make a go of it. That didn't last long. It was awful. If it's like this next weekend, I may start to lose it. I need a wakeboarding fix.

Since I had to get up early this morning to go on my futile wakeboarding mission, I had a mellow night on the couch last night. Finally watched Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. Hysterical movie, laughed my sober ass off.

As for the Superbowl, let the dynasty talk commence. Good defensive game, not the blowout some were expecting. The coin toss was interesting. They had a kid do it, which was supposed to be cute, but the coin flipped maybe once in the air, if at all. Fair toss? Probably not. Commercials and halftime show were tame like everyone told us they would be. There was a serious overuse of chimps this year. The Blockbuster Online ads were driving me crazy. If you're going to spend all that money for multiple 30 second Super Bowl spots, you'd think you'd want more than one ad version so you don't bore and start pissing off an audience expecting cutting edge, entertaining ads. Just a thought. I thought the Mustang ad was pretty clever, a good way to build buzz for a car that won't be release for another couple of months.

Wharton trip

Just 5 hours after receiving the good news from Philly, my trip is booked...flight/hotel/interview, it's all done. And I found some deals, too! Scored direct flights to/from Philly on US Air for $218, then got a room at the Wyndham for $81 (tax included) via Hotwire. I guess it helps that it's February, but when you're flying out of a vacation/destination city like San Diego, it can be hard to find deals even in the winter.

Checked the weather in both Philly & Chicago...looks like there is typically a 30+ degree difference between those cities and San Diego in February/March. It's 76 degrees and sunny and I'm wearing flip flops today. Guess it's time to pull my old winter gear out of storage :) Aside from my ski gear, it hasn't seen the light of day since March 2003.

Just when I thought it wasn't going to come...

that magical little email shows up in my inbox.

Wharton wants to get a look at me in person, and I'd like to get a look at Wharton in person. More to come as I make plans...

Weighing my options

I've been doing a lot of thinking about where I want to go to school. Sometimes when I'm facing a decision, I get a little "analysis paralysis"...think too much and over-analyze myself into a non-decision. However, for the biggest decisions I've made in life, all of which have had fairly positive results, I've been able to evaluate/decide/execute in pretty short order. After writing out a pros & cons list and having a long talk with my parents today, I feel like the decision of where to go to school is going to fall into the latter category. I'm definitely leaning one direction. My only concern is that it has happened a little sooner than I anticipated, so I'm going to really try to picture myself at each school in the next couple of weeks and sort of take each option for a pseudo test drive.

Now, on to my pros & cons list. Please keep in mind that these are my personal opinions. You may agree with me, you may disagree with me. That's fine. Just take them with a grain of salt. What's right for me may not be right for someone else. Feel free to leave comments if you have information that may be helpful.

Curriculum: Prescribed core with cohort system at UCLA vs. Flexible core at Chicago. Applied Management Research Program at UCLA (required) vs Management Lab projects at GSB (optional), both sound like really cool experiential learning opportunities that can be customized for desired function/industry. Leadership Foundations at UCLA (5 days pre-term) vs LEAD at GSB (quarter long lab class, only "required" class)…I could see myself really enjoying LEAD and being a facilitator in my second year. Really like the flexibility of the Chicago curriculum, the selection of classes, and the quant strength (I may pretend to be cool, but I’m really a nerd at heart).
Advantage: Chicago

Prestige: Rankings aren't perfect, but generally speaking Chicago is top 5, UCLA is top 15. Chicago has 6 Nobel prize winners. My old economics major advisor at WSU would be tickled pink about my scholly from Chicago (and he might die if I turn it down!).
Advantage: Chicago

Network/Career: Both networks are roughly the same size. BW rankings Chicago was #1 among corporate recruiters. While UCLA has some location & program specialization advantages with regards to entertainment/media management, either way I'm going to be doing a lot of the recruiting leg work myself if I‘m going to find a job in the sports business arena. Disney/Nike/Reebok recruit on both campus, plus Fox at UCLA and the Tribune at Chicago. UCLA’s network may have better representation in my desired industry, however those alums are probably more highly utilized than Chicago alums in that industry (i.e. I’ll be one of many pestering the same set of UCLA alums vs. one of few pestering Chicago alums). UCLA is great for opening doors on the west coast, not as strong elsewhere. Chicago will open doors west coast/mid-west/north east.
Advantage: Toss up

Climate: LA is sunny and 70 pretty much year round, very little extreme weather and very subtle "seasons". Chicago is more extreme, hot & humid summers, bitterly cold winters, and definite seasons.
Advantage: UCLA (by a mile)

Sports: LA has the Lakers, but I'm not a fan. Chicago has the Cubs & Wrigley Field. UCLA is a Pac-10 school, Chicago is Division III. Not sure that I'm ready to divide my loyalties between two Pac-10 schools (being a loyal Wazzu alum), but it would be fun to go to big time football & basketball games. UCLA has the advantage when it comes to collegiate athletics; Chicago has the advantage in professional sports. It's a toss up so the tie-breaker is length of wakeboarding season.
Advantage: UCLA

City Life/Housing/Transportation: La-la land = pretentious & plastic people. San Diego is a kinder, gentler version, that's why I live here and not there right now. A car is a must-have in LA, nice-to-have in Chicago. From what I hear, you don't want to spend time on an LA bus unless you absolutely have no other choice. Traffic sucks in LA, parking on campus is not an option, so you have to live as close to campus as possible (read: not cheap). Both campuses are beautiful, for different reasons. Much better public transit in the windy city. Slightly cheaper cost of living in Chicago. More down to earth people. Excellent restaurants.
Advantage: Chicago

Friends/People: LA is close enough that I would still be able to see my San Diego friends regularly. Already have a wakeboarding network established in So-Cal. A couple of my best friends from undergrad live in Chicago. Clicked a little more with the students/fellow applicants at Chicago than at UCLA during my initial visits, but I liked everyone I met.
Advantage: Toss up

Intangibles: I've lived on both coasts, but never in the middle. I will probably end up on the west coast in the long run because that's where my family is, so it might be nice to spend a couple of years somewhere else. I'm not a fan of LA, and I‘ve kinda “been there/done that“ as far as living in Southern California goes, but I liked the school. On the other hand, I loved the city and the school when I visited Chicago. Personality-wise, I think the school and the city are a better fit and most of my friends that I’ve told about UCLA & Chicago say they see me at Chicago. Plus, I don't know that you turn down 50 large from a top 5 school, regardless of post-MBA aspirations.
Advantage: Chicago

So yeah, I'm leaning towards Chicago and really looking forward to the admit weekend :) But nothing has been decided yet, and I'm still waiting to hear from Wharton. However, I do think I'm ready to decline the McCombs admit at this point.

Went to see In Good Company last night. I really enjoyed it. Topher "I'm too cool to shorten Christopher to Chris" Grace is really funny, and Scarlett Johanssen is beautiful as always. Great satire on coporate life and cute story about dads and their little girls. I'm definitely daddy's little girl and I always will be.

Oh, and on the BWBB front, another co-worker's last day with the company was Friday and he was having lunch with BWBB. He promised to say something to him about it. We'll see if the halitosis is kicking again tomorrow. For others facing the same problem, there are actually several bad breath solution companies out there that offer annoymous email services.

How do you tell someone...

that their breath smells like butt? Someone I work with has the most rank breath ever. It wasn't always this bad so I'm not sure what is going on. Anytime we talk in close proximity, I feel like I have to put a poker face on and do my best not to flinch when he talks. If anyone has any ideas of how to tactfully confront someone regarding their halitosis, let me know. Something has got to be done, but I don't want to damage a working relationship.

Booked my ticket to Chicago today. I *heart* Southwest Airlines. Great prices, easy scheduling/reservations, easy to earn free tickets. Direct flights to and from Midway at convenient times for $175. My friends are so excited that I'm coming to visit again and have started campaigning in earnest to get me to Chicago. I'm looking forward to seeing them, experiencing a little bit of Chicago winter to see if I can handle it, and learning more about the GSB.

I've started pros/cons lists for Chicago & UCLA. I'm not going to post them just yet, but I probably will in the near future.

My weekend was awesome, but I'm exhausted. I needed a weekend to recover from my weekend. Hit Big Bear for some snowboarding with friends on Saturday. We made it a day trip so it was a long day. The drive up wasn't bad, but the 38 was closed with a rock slide, so there was only one way down the mountain (330/30) at the end of the day and it took us 3 hrs just to get down to the Redlands, not to mention drive back to San Diego. We left the mountain at 5:30 and got home around 10 pm, with only one stop for food. We were all tired and a little looney towards the end. I hallucinated a wiener dog in the car in front of us. (I actually said out loud "Look at that cute dog!" and everybody was like "What dog??") That provided needed entertainment for the rest of the drive. The hand shadow wiener dog is now our running joke, and I will be the first to crack it because I can laugh at myself. The next morning we were driving up to Torrey Pines for the Buick Invitational, entering the reserve from the north end along the beach. Me: "Dolphins! For real this time!!" There were 20+ dolphins just offshore, surfing the waves, jumping, playing. It was an incredible sight, it would have been awesome to be out there surfing with them (if I actually surfed, that is).

The Buick was so much fun. A friend of a friend works for the Buick/PGA Tour (yes, I've got her on my list of people to contact for internship/job stuff). She hooked us up with passes for the day. Torrey Pines is beautiful...makes me want to take up golf! Highlights from the day:

• Seeing Tiger get sandy twice on #1 and still make par
• Seeing Tiger & Lehman tee off from about 10 ft away
• Ending up positioned perfectly to see Sergio make a great shot out of the rough on #15, also close enough to see that he was wearing plaid boxers under white pants (who does that?? not to mention, white in January?)
• Seeing Daly drop his cigarette, make his put, pick up the cig and cut up with the crowd
• Sitting in the stands on #18 to witness Howell3's approach shot hit the pin, bounce practically out of the hole and into the water hazard (that was killer! and it cost him at least 2nd place by himself and maybe 1st)
• Fellas, sorry to say that we saw neither Phil's nor Tiger's hot wife, but we were on the lookout

If anybody saw the telecast, you know about the fog. It had been wreaking havoc all week. It was pretty incredible, you could see it hanging around offshore and you knew it was only a mater of time before it moved in. It was so thick for awhile that we were sure play was going to be called for the day and we nearly left. We were really happy that we stuck around because the sun came back and it was a pretty great finish. I'm telling you, if you have the opportunity to go to a PGA event, go. It's like a carnival, with all of the booths with free stuff, activities, lots of beer and food. The best part is that you are up close and personal with the greatest golfers in the world.

Chivalry

What's up with the dude who sees me walking toward the elevator, makes eye contact with me, sees that I've started to reach my arm out to catch the door, yet fails to push the "doors open" button or reach his arm out to catch the door? Thanks, buddy, I guess I'll catch the next one. You know, I'd be a little peeved if it was a woman who did this to me, but I'm extra pissed off since it was a guy. I'm an independent woman and everything, I certainly don't expect a man to take care of me, but c'mon, it's common courtesy to hold a freakin' door. As my great uncle would say, "conditions" are breaking down. Although he was a bit of a chauvinist and usually said it whenever he saw my dad cooking instead of my mom!

Although I've received good news from Anderson on two occasions, today was the first time I got a phone call from the folks up in LA. Dean Willison called this morning to confirm that I had received the congratulatory emails and to let me know how excited they are to have me join the Class of 2007. He also said that he was pretty sure I would have other admits to consider and that if there was any information he could provide to make my decision easier I should call or email him. I thought it was a nice gesture and I appreciated the offer to answer any questions I might have.

I've requested time off work for admit weekends and my boss is dragging his heels a bit on days for Chicago because it hits right as we're in the thick of month end reporting and my co-worker is already planning to be out of the office that week. Hoping to get a schedule of events soon so I can work my negotiation magic and find a way to have my cake and eat it too.

I've joined the Yahoo groups for Chicago & UCLA admits. My blogging cover is pretty much blown at this point as far as those groups are concerned. I forget how much information about me is really contained on this little website; it doesn't take much to connect the dots. So I will just throw out a reminder that there is a reason why I don't use my real name on this blog, and I would appreciate it if those who leave comments also refrain from using my real name. And of course, if you have any questions or concerns, you can always email me privately. Thanks!

Still in shock

How am I supposed to focus on work at a time like this???

Bloggers are kicking serious ass right now. Congrats to PowerYogi, TDC, and Megami!

Had to check my phone this morning to verify that yes, I did in fact receive a phone call from the 773. My boss and former boss were elated by the news, and of course took credit for their excellent recommendations.

I must have built up some really good karma or something. I wish I could bottle this good fortune and save some for the internship & job hunt.

Early on in this process, everybody was talking about the oddball Chicago essays. I always kinda liked them best and had a great time writing them, so I think I'll share my "choices", so to speak. Keep in mind that a creative or original idea is probably least important for these essays. I think it's much more important to choose something you really believe in, and tell a great story with solid reasons for your choices. I don't think any of my choices were particularly original, but I had fun with them and I definitely used humor in the essays and really tried to let my personality come through.

Mascot--polar bear (however, I didn't give him a name or anything)
Celebrity--Oprah (which is kinda interesting because one of my friends in Chicago just landed a job with Oprah)
Hero--my grandmother

Speechless, Part 2

Just got the most fantastic phone call from area code 773. Chicago loves me, they really really love me!

Stacey Kole called about 20 minutes ago with the good news. I'm in, and they've offered me $50K ($25K first year, $25K second year)!!!!!!!!!!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy freaking cow, how did I get here? :)

That means money is pretty much a non-factor now when considering UCLA & Chicago. Texas is officially out of the race. I have to accept the Chi offer by April 1 and the admit weekend is the first weekend of March. I'm thinking I'll drop a deposit to both UCLA & Chicago, attend both admit weekends, see what happens with Wharton, and make a gut check from there.

Stacey had some really nice things to say about my application. I used the optional essay to talk about my previous application to Chicago, how I reacted to their decision, and how far I've come since then. She specifically cited that essay, that she remembered my old app, that she agrees that the decision was right for both parties at the time, and they are really excited about my progress and think I'm ready to take on the world with an MBA from Chicago. Swoon!

I'm so excited I could puke. First call after I got off the phone with Stacey was to my mom. Second was to my friends in Chicago. They are just as excited as I am.

Still thinking

Not much news to report here. Still walking a couple inches off the ground after last week's news. Funny how what started as a bummer of a week with the Kellogg ding turned into a fantastic week with the Anderson $$$. Just goes to show that you have to take life as it comes and trust that everything happens for a reason and things usually end up falling into place.

I haven't made any decisions yet. Nothing is set in stone and I still have a lot of time to think, talk to people, make visits, etc. I'll get my Chicago decision by the end of the week and I have no plans to pull my Wharton app. I am in a "wait and see" mode, while I'm getting my financial stuff together for my tax return and FASFA, and also trying to find a couple of scholarships to apply for. My sorority gives out a lot of scholarship money each year and I'm still actively involved in an advising capacity, so I think I should be competitive. Just need to get some sorority-related recommendations lined up.

Speechless

Anderson just showed me the money. $30K in total ($15K for 1st year, $15 for 2nd year).

Wow. Just....wow. Considering I'm a CA resident, that is a substantial chunk of the expense. Thank god I have an office, because I'm a mess right now. Called my mom, crying and hyperventilating.

I have to accept by March 1st. Not sure what this means for my outstanding apps (W/Chi), and McCombs is most likely out of the running at this point. I need to think.

Time

One of Dave's recent posts, about the time warp that is the MBA application process, struck a chord with me. At times, it feels like I've been at this forever. Time slows to a crawl when awaiting a decision. Yet it also feels like only yesterday I was starting apps and arranging visits.

Dave's post also resonnated with me because of the book I'm currently reading. Einstein's Dreams, by Alan Lightman, has been out for over a decade, but I only recently discovered it. I wouldn't call it a novel so much as a collection of short stories, which makes it a nice book to read in small doses whenever you have a few minutes to spare. Even if you only spend a few minutes reading each story, the ideas linger with you much longer. Each story is one of Einstein's dreams as he works on his theory of relativity, each dream an alternative idea of the nature of time, either in this world, or in other worlds. Time stands still, moves in reverse, is slower at higher elevations, is circular, moves in fits and bursts. Wonder what people would do if everyone knew the exact date that time & the world would end? Lightman has a great take on that scenario.

Fantastic book. My favorite quote: "I want to understand time because I want to get close to The Old One."

Ding letters with style

Just for shits and giggles, I pulled out my old Kellogg ding letter. (I applied for admission for Fall 2000 as a college senior; Kellogg was one of five dings.) Kellogg has forbidden me from copying, reproducing, or forwarding their ding letter...oops, already did a little in my previous post. Anyway, I won't post either letter in its complete form, but let me tell you that they are dated five years apart yet they are nearly identical. What's up with that? The marketing gurus of the b-school world have been using the same direct mail creative for five years? For shame!

Ding letters really don't tell you anything other than you didn't make the cut. They are form letters with bad news. I'd like to see schools spice it up a bit. I realize they don't have enough time to personalize every letter, but maybe they could get a few more options in rotation.

Typical ding letter phrases:
"careful evaluation and consideration"
"superb quality of the applicant pool"
"not a reflection of your personal qualities"
"best wishes for future success"

Ding letter phrases I'd like to see:
"it's not you, it's me" (boyfriends/girlfriends have been using it for years!)
"yeah, right. nice try, thanks for playing"
"thanks for supporting our office fun day budget with your $200 application fee"
"if only you had climbed Mount Everest or cured herpes"
"the office pool has you at 2-to-1 odds for your local truck driving program"

:)

Dinged by Kellogg

"Despite your many merits as a candidate, I regret to inform you that we are not able to offer you a place in the entering class."

Bummer. Oh well. Post-mortem on this app: My first application, and definitely not as refined as later apps. My first interview, and the one I felt least confident about walking out of the interview room. Only one recommendation, from my current boss, may have not painted a comlete picture of me as I think my former boss knows me a little better and I worked on completely different types of projects with him, but I wanted to follow the rules and only submitted one. Wish I had asked a family friend who is a Kellogg alum & very successful CEO to submit an informal letter of support (had decided to keep that in my back pocket in case of waitlist).

It's a disappointment, but in the grand scheme of things I still feel pretty good. Having that Anderson admit alleviates much of my worry. We'll see what happens with Chicago. Wharton seems like a pipe dream at this point.

Farewell to Haas

This morning, I officially withdrew my Haas application from consideration. I was invited to interview at the Jan 22nd Super Saturday a couple of days before Christmas. After the holiday hoopla, I started thinking about my situation and possible scenarios/decisions. I waited until the last possible day to decide whether I would be attending Super Saturday or bowing out of the Haas race. I talked about this with family and friends on several occasions, and I kept coming back to the same conclusion. My application strategy was to apply to both CA state schools in hopes of getting in to one of them (preferably Anderson due to my post-MBA aspirations) so that I would have an in-state option. After I had some time to process the news of my admission to Anderson, I started to think, is there any scenario in which I would choose Haas over Anderson? I couldn't think of any. Cost-wise they'll be the same, but Anderson is better for sports/media, I prefer the location, the move would be cheaper, and I felt like I vibed better with the folks at Anderson. Every time I would bring this up with family & friends, they all said the same thing: "You pretty much answered your own question. If you wouldn't choose Haas over Anderson, there's no reason to continue." So in fairness to the Admissions Team and my fellow applicants, and in the interest of saving a little money for admit weekends & moving expenses, I decided not to attend Super Saturday and to withdraw my application. It was easy in the sense that I feel confident I'm doing the right thing, but there's that little part of me that likes to finish what I start.

McCombs reception

When I received my admit to McCombs, I was also invited to a reception here in San Diego. It was this evening and it was a lot of fun. It was held at the private home of a McCombs 2nd year student. The assistant dean of the MBA program sent me an email earlier in the week to let me know that he would be there, so it was nice to meet him. He was there with a group of about 20 current students, both 1Y and 2Y, who will be meeting with several companies here in San Diego before heading up to San Francisco. I hadn't expected current students to be there so it was a nice surprise. There were also several local alums at the party. Everyone I met was really cool and had great things to say about McCombs & Austin, and it was interesting talking to them about their job searches. They all highly recommended attending McCombs Preview. I was the only prospective student/admit present, and apparently I'm the only one in San Diego (so far).

As for the Preview weekend, it could get crazy. McCombs Preview is April 7-9 (Thu-Sat). Anderson Days is April 9-11 (Sat-Mon). Oh boy. I definitely want to go to both. The schedule for McCombs Preview hasn't been finalized, but it sounds like Friday & Saturday are the fun days, Thursday more of a travel day. So I'm hoping Saturday at Anderson Days is more of a fluff day and I won't miss much if I don't arrive until late evening from Austin.

Barfly

I don't know whether I'm proud or embarrassed to admit that I just spent 12 hours at a sports bar. Not only did I spend 12 hours at a sports bar to watch 3 specific games, I spent 12 hours watching all 3 of the teams I was rooting for lose. Aside from the losses, it was actually a pretty fun 12 hours, however it's hard to overlook 0-for-3.

My friend and I decided to do the Moondoggies Marathon while watching the Orange Bowl there on Tuesday. She is a Maryland grad and the MD folks had convinced the Moondoggies staff to open their favorite bar early so they could watch today's game vs North Carolina at 9 am. Then we figured we wanted to watch the Chargers-Jets game there later, and with the Seahawks-Rams game in between, it just made sense to secure a good table and stay in it for the long haul. We figured a Maryland win vs #4 UNC was a long shot, but we thought we'd at least split the NFL playoff games (I'm a Seahawks fan since I'm from Seattle, and we're both Chargers fans because we live in San Diego).

Part 1 of our tripleheader was ugly. Maryland started well in the first 15 minutes, playing good defense and taking a 5 pt lead. It was all downhill from there. They stopped putting much pressure on NC, and the Tar Heels started hitting shots and before we knew it they were up by 20 points. They ended up losing by 34 points. Ugh. 0-for-1 with two games to go.

The ending for Part 2 was inevitable. The Rams beat the Seahawks twice in the regular season, the Seahawk defense has been hit hard by injuries, and Seattle hasn't won a playoff game in 20 years. So when the Rams scored a touchdown to take the lead late in the 4th quarter, my heart sank but I wasn't surprised. Seattle did make a go of it, driving down the field trying to tie it up and send the game to overtime, but on 4th and 4 at the Rams' 5 with 27 seconds to go, an incomplete pass sealed their fate and added to the streak of playoff losses. Double Ugh. 0-for-2 with one game to go.

The bar was packed in time for kickoff of Part 3 and we were glad we had put in the time to get a good table as it was standing room only. This game was the most exciting of the three. It was back and forth, there were some spectacular catches, and wouldn't you know it...the Chargers needed a drive similar to the Seahawks, trying to score a TD in the final two minutes of regulation to send it to overtime. Like the Seahawks, the Chargers faced 4th and Goal from the Jets' 1 with just seconds left in the game. Drew Brees was sacked and it looked like that was it, but never fear, a flag for roughing the passer is here, and with it, 4 more downs. The Chargers got the TD to send the game to OT, where they won the toss and got the first shot at winning the game. They drove down to the 20 yard line and sent in the kicker. I should mention the kicker is a rookie and the Jets' used a timeout to "ice" him...which worked. He just pushed it to the right, so the Jets' took over, driving down the field and winning the game with a FG. I should mention that the Jets' kicker had missed a FG in the first quarter and later had one hit the the goal post and just barely make it through. I feel so bad for the Chargers' kicker, poor kid, that was the biggest kick of his life and it ended their season. I hope he recovers. A bummer ending to an otherwise great game, and a great turnaround season for San Diego.

Triple Ugh. 0-for-3. Stick a fork in me, I'm done. At least Wazzu beat USC in hoops today.

Tsunami aid

The company I work for just announced their pledge to the Red Cross and an additional pledge of 2-for-1 matching on employee donations to the Red Cross. I was waiting to see if they would do something like this before making a donation because I wanted to get the most bang for my buck. My employer definitely steps up in times like these. After 9/11, they were a major force behind the American Tribute to Heroes Telethon, creating the infrastructure for the world's largest vitual call center in less than 4 days. I was one of 7000+ associates who volunteered to work in our call center taking donations. It was a pretty overwhelming experience, an affirmation of the intrinsic goodness of human beings.

Edit/update: My employer announced today that they will be providing call center support for the tsunami aid telethon on Saturday. Glad to see them stepping up again! They've put a call out for volunteers, but I'm not sure if our call center here in San Diego will be put to work. We'll see, I'd love to do it again.

Done! (for real this time)

I'm the girl who cried wolf. I claimed to be done with b-school apps back in November, only to decide to apply to Wharton Round 2 in the eleventh hour. This time I really am done...I swear!

I just attempted to officially pull the trigger on the W app, but it appears there is a little glitch in the system right now in that the Round 2 option has disappeared from it's drop down menu and they won't let you submit the app without selecting a round. Hopefully that will be fixed in the AM.

I am really excited to be applying to Wharton. I drew a hard line at 5 applications for Round 1 and didn't think I would be able to apply in Round 2. It was a tough decision to drop Wharton from my Round 1 lineup, so I'm happy that it's back in the lineup and I won't be wondering "what if" a couple of months from now. The funny thing is, since it's my last app, it might be my strongest (despite the rush) and the delay may end up working to my advantage. We'll see if adcom agrees.

In other W news, I attend a coffee chat tonight put on by Wharton Women in Business. A first year (and San Diego native) hosted it and fielded questions from a small audience. The audience included a R1 admit, a partner of a R1 admit, a Fall '06 prospective, and yours truly. So the questions were all over the place, from living arrangements to partners finding jobs to GMAT study strategies. Very casual. One interesting thing is that she was the first Whartonite I've talked to who lives in the on campus grad student dorm. Sounds like it's a pretty typical dorm, very close to campus, cheaper than apartment living, but has some minor drawbacks, such as space and the fact that most folks live in Center City so that's where the action is. I don't think I could handle the space thing, but it would be nice to be that close to Huntsman during the winter. It was also nice to talk to the admits about the process after you submit the app.

My recos rock!

I gave my recommenders two weeks notice, during the holidays, that I needed one final reco each for Wharton. As of this morning, both have been submitted. I had my doubts about this. When I decided to apply to Wharton R2, I gave them veto power if they didn't think they'd be able to complete another one. Boy, did they come through for me!

Quiet

No new posts lately because I've been busy. I didn't do any work on my Wharton app when I was at home, so I had to get cracking. In between work, having holiday fun with friends, and watching football, I've made slow but steady progress on my essays. One of my big challenges was modifying my primary career progress/goals/why mba essay for Wharton. The main problem is that one of the examples I use in that essay is perfect for the impact essay (#2). So I had to come up with some new examples & tie-ins/transitions to make it work. I think the new version works pretty well, but I need my proofreader (AKA Mom) to take a look at it. Other than that, I feel pretty good about making the January 6th deadline. Work will be a little busy this week because of month & year end reporting, and the remaining BCS games are on Monday & Tuesday nights, but they'll be over around 9 pm on the West Coast, so I'll have some time before bedtime to make sure everything is on point for Thursday.

I had a pretty good New Year's Eve. I'm over the whole "buy a fancy outfit and spend a bunch of money to get into a club and hang out with a thousand people you don't care about" thing. There is so much hype around New Year's Eve that it rarely lives up to expectations, and it's just not worth all that money. I'm down with going to a house party or your regular bar, and letting the night take you wherever it may go. My friends and I went the regular bar route last year and did it again this year. We have a friend that works in a bar downtown and it's our usual spot. So that means no cover, cheap drinks, and our friend who is working gets to feel like she gets a New Year's too. It's a beautiful thing. The best part? Four of us spent $80 TOTAL for the whole night, including parking, cab ride home, booze, and burritos at 2 am. And to think some people spent more than that per person just to get in somewhere. BUWAHAHAHA!

Quote of the night, from our bartending friend's little sister, who was letting two guys feed her way too many shots. Context...said during the cab ride home, in reference to hitting her head as she dismounted her bar stool (read: fell off), and the fact that the guy she made out with at midnight had witnessed it and decided to move on for the night:

"Seizures. Gyrations. Whatever. It could have been hot."

Classic :)

Christmas Eve

Just finished wrapping all of my gifts. I love wrapping presents. There's just something about it. I'm not much of an artist, but gift wrapping is a creative outlet for me.

It's really nice to be home, with the exception of sleeping in my old twin bed on a 15 year old mattress. It's not nearly as comfortable as my bed back in SD and my back is not happy about that. Lucky for me, my folks have a hot tub, so I spent the morning soaking and reading Skipping Christmas.

My mom and I went and saw Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events yesterday. We both thought it was clever and pretty good, but dark and certainly not a movie for children. I wouldn't recommend paying full price for this movie...catch a matinee or wait for the DVD.

To be honest, I'm still in a haze from Wednesday. So much good news and a great homecoming. I can't help but dance a little jig from time to time. When I get the urge, it doesn't matter where I am...I did it in the breakfast aisle at the grocery store yesterday. I really can't believe my good fortune and I am so thankful for it. A substantial weight was lifted from my shoulders and now I can enjoy myself, content that things are falling into place.

A couple of people have asked what my top choice is. I'm waiting to see what happens with Kellogg & Chicago before I put too much thought into that. Then it will come down to admit weekends (which I plan to attend as many as possible) and if there's any scholarship money offered. Right now, Anderson has a slight edge on McCombs due to my CA residency & the entertainment management opportunities.

Others have asked if I'm still going to apply to Wharton R2. My answer: You bet your ass I am!

Merry Christmahanukwanzakah to all!

And the hits just keep on coming!

Not another admit, but I did get invited to interview at Haas. Woo-hoo!

Thanks for all the notes of support and congratulations. I really can't tell you how happy I am right now. My folks and I are headed out to dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant here in my hometown and trust me, we will be throwing back the Margaritas!

The next time I whine about being stressed about my applications...

Please smack me and tell me to shut up!

I got accepted to Anderson & McCombs today...Merry Christmas to me :)

Got into Seattle around 10 am this morning, turned on my cell phone to find a voicemail from McCombs....hmmmm :) Wonder what that might be about? Talked to Claire about an hour later and got the good news.

Then my dad and I finally got home from lunch and walking the golf course about 15 minutes ago, and I log on to find an acceptance email from Anderson.

Wow. I'm on Cloud 9. Thanks to those who have been keeping me positive the past couple of weeks (Dirty Martini & Classy particularly). Happy holidays to all!

I've been inspired...

So I'm throwing my hat in the ring for Wharton Round 2. 4 essays in 16 days? No problem!

What pot?

BTW, congrats to all the Wharton Round 1 admits, and double congrats to Brit-Chick for the Wharton/Kellogg Double Play Day! For those who didn't get in, best wishes for the rest of your apps. Come party with me in Limboland!

A watched pot never boils

That's my new theory. I'm thinking so much about getting notification of a decision that it's somehow cosmically preventing a decision from being rendered and/or released.

Since dings have been among the decisions released from Kellogg & McCombs, I guess no news is just that, no news, at this point. It's neither good nor bad. So here I sit, stuck in neutral.

Haas released a batch of interview invites last Friday, but I don't expect to hear anything until January. No action from Anderson yet, or at least none that has been posted on the BW forums, as far as I can tell.

Good luck to Wharton Round 1 applicants. I am a tad jealous of your position. Not only will you know your fate tomorrow, but today you know that you will know your fate tomorrow. Much better than Limboland.

Nervous

First off, let me offer my congratulations to Classy & Aregon on their Cornell admits. Way to go guys, you totally deserve it!

Now, as to the post title, it's my current category based on Clear Admit's definition. The wait is starting to get to me. I'm completely distracted at work, mainly because there's not a ton of stuff to be done right now. All the hard work was last week, now I'm just tying up loose ends before the holiday and completing year end review stuff. Trying to come up with specific behavioral examples for peer feedback while refraining from speaking in platitudes is a bit taxing. Completing my self-appraisal has been easier since I've just put myself through all these introspective tasks for b-school apps. I have plenty of examples ready and waiting in my arsenal. However, it's not really helping my efforts to ignore the fact that my phone is not ringing. Re-reading already submitted essays isn't a good thing, yet that's what I'm doing for my self-appraisal and now I'm finding I'm not as pleased with my essays as I once was. As I've mentioned before, this process has inherent peaks of confidence and valleys of doubt, and I'm currently kicking it in a valley. All I want for Christmas this year is just one decision.

Speaking of Christmas, I cannot wait to go home! A week from today, I'm headed back to the Pacific Northwest for a week with family and friends. I haven't seen my folks since my trip to Hawaii and I haven't seen my brother in a year. I will also get to see my two best friends from high school...one had her first child a couple of months ago and the other is 7 months pregnant. We're going to have a little mini-shower for both of them. Hard to believe that many of my oldest friends are married with children now, especially when those types of life events are not even on my radar right now. But I grew up in a small town and most of the people that never left (or left but went back) settled down pretty quick. Completely different life from mine. I can't imagine being satisfied with that, but everyone has their own unique vision of happiness and satisfaction. I'm happy that my friends are happy, and I can't wait to spoil their children!

As for stress relief, I'm getting my hair cut & colored tonight, one of my favorite activities. You see, I'm a tomboy in the sense that I love sports, camping, and getting dirty, but I'm a girly-girl too. I love hair and make-up stuff...I am a product queen. The gal who does my hair is really cool. She's a few years older than me and she's going to school part time for her English degree (and she studied in Spain during the summer), so we talk more about literature and travel than typical salon gossip. Plus, she gives a great head/neck massage during the shampoo...that's worth an extra $10 in the tip, at least in my book.

Circuit overload

My nerves are fried. The first McCombs admit was posted today on the BW boards, so now I've got two reasons (K & McC) for my heart to stop every time the phone rings.

I was already on edge from the weekend. My upstairs neighbor and his buddies decided to go on a bender and wake the whole apartment building up at 3:30 am Sunday morning. I even heard my neighbor warn his buddy to shut up or else he'd wake up the neighbors...too bad he allowed him to continue to holler obscenities for the next 45 minutes. Then yesterday, I had a ton of laundry to do, 5 or 6 loads, so I had the dryer running all late afternoon and into the evening. We have a shared laundry facility that is adjacent to my apartment on the ground floor. I went in to get my last load out of the dryer around 9:30 pm and was startled to hear snoring outside the window. Some homeless person had found the space between our building and the brick wall next door nice and cozy and warm due to the dryer. I know the homeless have to sleep somewhere, and we certainly have a lot of them in San Diego due to the climate, but I'm not comfortable with one snoring outside my bedroom (my window faces the same brick wall about 10 ft from laundry area). I'm a single woman, and my building is pretty much all single women, save for the guy who lives upstairs. However, he is a doctor and works crazy hours. Plus, he's a little guy, I'm pretty sure I could take him. Anyway, it's a personal safety thing. I don't want this guy figuring out he's got a prime spot, then figuring out we're all women and hanging around long enough to figure out our daily routines. Not cool. So I talked to the gals next door to me, then called the police non-emergency line. They took down my information and said they'd send somebody out. I finally crawled into bed around 1 am, having given up on the cops making an appearance after waiting 3 hrs. Of course I didn't sleep very well because my senses were on high alert and I was wide awake with every noise. The cops never did knock on my door or call me back, and I never heard anybody confront our camper. So now I've got to keep an eye out for him and I've been playing phone tag with my landlord this morning because I need to bring him into the loop. Fun times.

Holiday Eating Tips

Got this in an email this morning. I thought it was pretty funny and worth sharing. I don't know who the original author is, otherwise I would credit him or her. Whenever I get a really good email joke, I always wonder why the creator doesn't brag to the world that this was their little piece of genius and contribution to workforce procrastination. Take credit, funny people!

Holiday Eating Tips

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it as 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

I love that last bit. I fully intend to enjoy the gastronomic pleasures of this season, then get right back on the diet and exercise wagon after the first of the year. In fact, I'm kicking around the idea of starting another blog for diet/exercise/weight loss. I'd really like to get in better shape before summer & b-school. I found my blog to be helpful in keeping me on task with b-school apps and it might provide the same outlet fitness-wise. Something to think about.

Doubleheader, baby!

Only in California...

Today, I wakeboarded AND snowboarded, and I was home by 6 pm. Unbelievable! I made plans earlier in the week to go wakeboarding this morning with my friends, B and A. A had been planning to go ride motocross after wakeboarding, but that was moved to Sunday. So she sends me a text message last night to tell me that and ask me if we should hit the mountain instead. A is definitely a little crazy and she has the ability to bring out my crazy side. Last night (still hungover from the office holiday party Thursday night, mind you) I was just crazy enough to say "Sure! Let's do it!"

It sounds ambitious, but it really is do-able here in So-Cal (assuming your body is up to it). A and I met up in Escondido at 7 am and headed up to Lake Elsinore to meet B at 8 am. No fog this time, nothing but clear blue skies, so we launched the boat right away and got to it. The water temperature keeps dropping, it was down to 52 degrees F today, but the air temp was high 60's and we had a dry suit so we were toasty. It was only the three of us and the water was beautiful glass so we each took two nice long sets and got off the water by 11:30. Cleaned up the boat, grabbed some food, then started the trek up to Mountain High. It's right on the border of LA & San Bernadino counties and it's just an hour drive from Lake Elsinore. We were up there by 1 pm and got ready pretty quick for part two of our little doubleheader. This was only the second time I've snowboarded in California (thanks to last year's ACL injury) and my first time at Mountain High. It was pretty nice, although a little crowded which is to be expected on a Saturday at LA's closest ski area. It was warm & slushy spring-like conditions, but we had a good time. We didn't last too long though. A couple of runs and both of us had legs like Jell-O, so we called it a day.

Needless to say, I am one tired kid and I'm going to be one sore kid tomorrow. I think a hot bath with epsom salt is in order. Was the doubleheader fun? You bet. Would I do it again? Maybe. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

I feel like a real California girl now.

And so it begins...

News flash from the BW message board: Kristen, from Kellogg Adcom, recently announced that they have started releasing decisions for Round 1.

My stomach is in knots now.

Best wishes to my fellow blogging Kellogg applicants Brit_Chick, Kalki, Aregon, and Swoop!

Wishin' and hopin'

And thinkin' and prayin'
Plannin' and dreamin'

*but*

No news on the b-school front.

I went to the Chargers-Broncos game yesterday and had a blast despite horrible weather. I felt like I was back in Seattle. It was 55 degrees and pouring rain most of the day. We had a group of about 50 people and we started tailgating around 10 am. I had to break out my ski jacket because it is the only waterproof jacket with a hood I currently own (really not necessary for life in San Diego). Anyway, started the day with bloody marys and shots of Jagermeister so that kept us warm. The Chargers are doing really well this season. They are currently leading the AFC west and the Broncos are right on their heels so this was a big game...hence a sell out. It was very loud in the stadium and it was an exciting game that came down to the wire as the Broncos rallied in the 4th, but the Bolts pulled it out. My voice was gone at the end of the game and I fully expected to wake up this morning with a nasty cold, but I feel pretty good.

The Seahawks just blew a 10 point lead in the final two minutes of Monday Night Football to lose to the Cowboys. Ugh. At least my fantasy football team won.

I was a little surprised by the BCS selections yesterday. This system sucks. We need a playoff (just like every other sport at every division level in the NCAA), but money talks so we get the status quo and something to talk about Monday morning. I'm happy for Texas that they finally got a BCS bid, however I really feel like Cal got shafted. They are more deserving of a BCS bid than either Pittsburgh or Virginia Tech. And I'm a traditionalist so I don't like the idea of a non-Big 10/Pac-10 Rose Bowl...it's just not right.

Why not?

So yesterday I get a call on my cell phone around 11 am PST. It's a number I don't recognize from an area code I don't recognize. At first, my heart skips a beat..."Is this a call from McCombs?" Nope. It's someone from Arizona State's MBA program, calling to make sure I was aware of their San Diego reception. It was held tonight at a hotel in downtown San Diego right near where I work. The guy has me on the phone, I've revealed that yes I know the hotel and it's less than a block from my work, so naturally I agree to attend. I get off the phone and I'm kinda feeling...ugh...I've been to so many receptions, my applications are done, it would take a total failure of five applications to get me to consider applying to ASU and now I've been talked into going to this reception during one of my busiest weeks at work. Great. Little did I know...

Earlier today I tell my co-worker that I'm going to this reception. He asks if there's going to be free food. I tell him there's a pretty good chance of that, so he decides to go with me. We head over there around 6 pm. Well I'll be darned if this isn't the best reception, food & beverage-wise, I've been to all year. It was hosted at the W hotel, which is very swank and cool. They had fantastic heavy hors d'oeuvres and get this...open bar. Nice. This was the only MBA reception I've attended that offered booze. It's unlikely that I'll even apply to ASU, but hey, thanks for the free goodies! It felt a little funny when alums asked if I was applying to ASU, trying to spin a story about having a couple apps in to other places first round and maybe applying in a later round. This was completely different than any other reception I've attended. There was NO formal presentation. Zip, zilch, nada. No powerpoint, no brief words, nothing. Just mingling with alums, a couple staff members and current students. Anyway, we had a good time, met a really cool prospective applicant for class of 2008 and I gave her my business card so I can hook her up with information, and I enjoyed exchanging snarky comments with my co-worker (who now wants to accompany me to any and all future MBA-related events even though he has no interest in an MBA).

Tonight's reception was also a nice preview of the fare the W has to offer. Our office holiday party will be there a week from tonight. It should be really nice. I hope we've ordered the beef wrapped asparagus spears, they were awesome.

Now, a couple of folks have asked when I expect to hear back from schools. Here's a run down (in order of anticipated decision notification, with area code noted because I am a dork and looked them up after yesterday's gut check):

McCombs/Texas--(512)--Could hear any day, supposedly 3-5 weeks post interview. Looking at the BW thread from last year, it looks like those who submitted apps in early November were notified by mid-December. No decision deadline due to rolling admissions.

Kellogg/Northwestern--(847)--Probably won't hear until after the holidays, however some R1 applicants last year were notified of favorable decisions in mid-December. It was only a handful so I'm betting on January. Decision deadline for R1 is January 17.

Anderson/UCLA--(310)--Pretty much same story as Kellogg. Decision deadline January 19.

Chicago--(773)--Last year decisions started being release about 2 weeks before the decision deadline. This year's R1 decision deadline is January 21st, so this will be mid-January at the earliest.

Haas/UC Berkeley--(510)--This one is a little different. Interviews are by invitation only. Looking through BW thread for R1 last year, invites really didn't start going out until the beginning of January, then decisions started going out after the Super Saturday interview weekend in late January. The decision deadline for R1 this year is January 31, so this is probably the last school that I will hear from.

EDIT: I've re-read through this post a couple of times. I'm not going to change it because I feel like it was kind of a funny experience and I had a couple of glasses of wine and it captures that. I do want to add that I think this post may come off a little snobby, but that is not my intention at all. All of the ASU alums I met tonight were really cool and it is a respected regional program. It also has a pretty good sports business program, and the dean is a former Whartonite, so I have a feeling this program is going to continue to improve. I don't think it's the right place for me at this time, but I think it is an up and coming program.

Quick turnaround

Logged into the Chicago application system this evening. My interview is already showing up as "Complete" just two days after it happened. Gotta love interviewers who are on the ball.

On the other hand, the check I mailed to UC Berkeley over a month ago has still not cleared. Huh.

Just finished watching a Tivo'd show and ended up on ABC, which is showing the Nick & Jessica Christmas special. Sugar shock! And quite possibly the worst lip sync job ever by Jessica, which is saying a lot considering her sister Ashlee's botched SNL lip sync. You'd think they'd at least try to make the lip sync flawless this time around. Ugh.

The Amazing Race is back on and this season has been entertaining so far. It is by far the best reality show on TV. Love it. However, they seem to have this recurring theme of subservient, weak women who just take heaps of verbal abuse from their male partners. Last season it was Colin & Christie, this season it's Jonathan & Victoria. I think every episode so far has featured at least one scene of him absolutely SCREAMING at her. We are talking complete meltdown, screeching at her like a little bitch. Where do they find these people?? Anyway, last night's Detour happened at the world's largest IKEA store and was a choice between counting misc items in a large crate (2K+ of all shapes & sizes) or building a desk. So I'm pretty sure I would have opted to build, and I certainly would have switch to build if we were wrong after two counts. There were a couple of teams that just kept counting and getting it wrong, over and over again. It was pathetic. I really think the key to winning this thing is not worrying so much about speed and focusing more on making smart decisions and planning ahead when possible. So many teams have caused their own demise by getting so wrapped up in the race/speed aspect and making really horrible decisions. Although it does make for good TV!