The Good News, The Bad News

Alright, well I've been meaning to update this for weeks, but recent events aren't very bloggable. So let me just give you the important highlights:

-Got my comprehensive exams back. I passed the IR exam and earned "Distinction" on the American exam. This is on par with highest honors at Oberlin. Guess I should have spent more time playing poker this summer or something...

-Two days after the exam, Tenley broke up with me again. Said she loved me, but wasn't in love with me. So life has kind of been sucking since then. Guess it will get better eventually, but for the moment, I'm dividing my time between frantically trying to get back in shape and drinking heavily at Fiume. Those two efforts may be at cross purposes, its hard to tell.

-Had a great time at the Sierra Summit, finally got to be social with people my age in San Fran. Also got to hang out a lot with Lindsay Telfer, who is fantastically cool, but unfortunately lives in Alberta.

-About to leave for DC, anti-war protests this weekend. Should get to see some dance friends, Michelle Luke, and Joanna Winchester while I'm in town. Should be a good time, I'll write more then...

exams are done... I think I broke it

Well, as of 2PM yesterday, I am officially finished with my comprehensive exams. I'm honestly running into trouble focusing on anything or figuring out what to do with my time now that I'm done. The IR exam was on Wednesday and it managed to be less of an ordeal than I'd expected. Just like everyone said, that field is substantively small enough that there aren't really all *that* many questions they can ask you. I felt fine about what I wrote and expect to pass.

I then took the rest of the day off. Watched a movie, "The Cave," which wasn't any good, went over to Megan Slater's new place to have a beer. I was one of only two non-Drew University people there. Don't think I've mentioned this in the blog before, but I'm basically a Drew-groupie when it comes to my circle of friends in Philly. Dave Faris, Christine, Derek Loafman, Megan... I've never felt closer to North Jersey.

Anyway, the American exam was ridiculous, in a good way. I didn't just pass it, I beat it. And I beat it hard. So hard, in fact, that I think I might have broken it. I now feel totally vindicated for not having studied for most of the summer. I managed to write three strong answers without reference to a SINGLE BOOK that I read this summer. In other words, years of American politics geekitude paid off in spades. I focused on the books I already knew perfectly and had a lot to say about, and my answers kicked ass.

So now I'm done. And I'm drained. Supposed to go out to Swarthmore in an hour to help write an energy campaign plan. Don't really know if I've got it in me, but I'll head out there anyway.

This weekend I'm either A)going to a family reunion in Binghamton, B)going to New Haven again to see Tenley, or C)sitting around here, maybe going to AC. A and B are complicated by the ridiculous gas prices, though with poker I can afford it and all. A is what I *should* do, but hanging around with a bunch of relatives who I honestly don't know all that well just seems really draining at the moment. And B is what I really *want* to do, because we're in a really good spot right now and seeing her is going great. We'll see how it all turns out.

...oh, one other thing: final talley for summer poker winnings: $12,000. Assuming I pass these exams, I am officially a criminal mastermind.