I’ve been playing grad school musical chairs these past few weeks. I had a realization that the grant writing class I had signed up for was, while helpful, not particularly what I wanted to do with my summer. It was also requiring huge amounts of my time and effort, and I wasn’t able to do things like sleep or talk to my wife until something like 11 pm when I finally got home.

At which point I would promptly fall on my face in the entry way, and pass out.

Super Sexy.

 

 

To be fair, it wasn’t just the class or the internship or the commute or the black belt test or the half dozen other small projects going on. It was all of it together in a massive pile of crazy chaos and ridiculousness that propelled me out of bed at 6:45 without any alarm and drove me straight to the office to work with the frenetic goal of getting something done.

After a few weeks of it, lots of things got done.

1: I dropped the grant writing class and, after some very focused phone calls with the Mt. Mary Business Office, convinced them that I should not have to pay an extra $2,000 for a class I’m no longer taking.

2: My Internship at (b)OINK has officially begun and I’m now their social media guy. I’m actually on their masthead, which is super cool and rather exciting. I’ve never been on a masthead before! I actually didn’t even know what a masthead was until I was on one.  Anyway, as part of my new job, it’s my contractual obligation to tell you to check them out. So, check ’em out. Also, follow them on twitter and facebook and laugh at my witticisms.

 

 

3: The BBLA black belt test is completed and everyone did phenomenally well! It was a wonderful experience and each candidate excelled in all ways, in many cases pushing themselves to new levels. It was an incredible experience to be a part of and an honor to see each student achieve their goal. On a slightly more personal note, it was also the first time I have ever graduated students I started in a martial art and trained all the way to black belt. Something of a spooky moment in some great ways.

4: We have finally gotten the new apartment set up to a point where you don’t hate stepping foot in the place for all the boxes and piles of random stuff scattered absolutely everywhere. We also have a new shelf. Which we bought from IKEA. And was the ONLY THING we bought from IKEA. This fact impressed my mother to no end.

 

 

5: I just returned from a wonderful 24 hours in the Twin Cities with Lia’s family for a graduation celebration, father’s day, and a birthday. All in the same house. It was busy sequence of events, but a wonderful one that resulted in a whole lot of laughter. (Hey, Tim, this will be wrapping up soon, not so many words this time.)

6: I also got a blog post out on (b)OINK, an article out in Mt. Mary Magazine, I got some driver’s license things changed, our fish died, I traded cars with my Mom, I started training with Sensei Sharkey again, joined a new gym, argued about getting a new couch, bought a couch, and am in the process of getting all sorts of things set up for the dojo. Oh, and my wife started her residency and is a Doctor who goes to work at a hospital and everything now.

 

 

It’s been completely insane, and though my schedule has lightened up considerably from where it was (I no longer feel like the world is going to come crashing down all at the same time. Just…possibly sequentially.) It’s still crazy.

The coolest part of all the chaos. Of all the crazy ups and downs are the wonderfully incredible people that I meet everywhere. I have managed to become part of a wonderful community of souls who make me laugh every day whether I’m at a family gathering in Minneapolis/St. Paul, at work, on the phone on I-94, or in a dojo in Naperville. There is so much joy and ridiculous activity that I can’t help but have a blast. It’s a crazy time with the most intense game of musical chairs ever. But it’s also the most fun I’ve ever had.

Now, I need to go get 37 things done before I go to work.

MOAR COFFEE!