Whatnots & Bon Mots

I DID IT

The process to get into an ivy-league graduate school is fraught with bumps, slim chances and intense competition. While most people know that I was waitlisted to Columbia University’s School of Journalism earlier this year, I made it a point to reapply as soon as I could. I filled out the reapplication about two months ago, took their writing test again, and sat back feeling confident that I did the best I could.

Fast forward to three weeks ago when I get the notice that decision letters are going out in the next 2 weeks. I get excited but not manic and proceed to go about my daily routine. Then an email pops up last week, which reads, in part, “we will be emailing you the decisions by the end of this week”. I wait, and nothing arrives in the old hotmail account. Ok, so now I think they forgot about me.

At the start of this week, another email arrives that reads “we will be emailing you decisions late this week”. Friday morning rolls around and I am in full on nervous mode. I even paced around the apartment debating what to do. I caved and called the Director of Admissions who explains that they are still working, not to worry, and that by 3pm I will know. I tell him I will try “not to obsessively check my email before then” despite knowing that that is precisely my course of action. 3pm rolls around and nothing. I’m starting to pull hair out and will now need Propecia for the rest of my life.

I go home early from work and an email sent at 5:30pm dings in explaining that they will have the decisions within three hours. I start clicking ‘refresh’ every two minutes. I have a much-anticipated date who I am meeting at 8:30pm, which means I have to leave by 7:50pm to ensure I am not late. And I think, I should just go because if I don’t get in I don’t want to be a miserable prick the entire night thinking about what could have been.

On my wonderful date, copious wine is enjoyed, cheese is ordered and somehow I pay $200 for the evening. But she is beautiful, funny, witty, inquisitive and kissable so somehow I banish most thoughts of my education related future and focus on her. We leave the restaurant and I take a cab home, run upstairs, turn the computer back on, log into hotmail, see an email sent 15 minutes after I left the apartment, click it open and…

I GOT IN TO COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM, CLASS OF 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by UpperWestSideGuy @ 8:15 AM 1 comments

Vegas Round 2

I might have to change my tune about Las Vegas. Ok maybe not change it, but alter the tonal harshness. I was there 2 weeks ago, and I had a really great time- yes its true. Mr. Never-Satisfied Snob from New York had fun in the playground for middle America.

Staying at Caesar’s palace in a nice suite was a good first step. Seeing two Cirque de Soleil shows was the second. I was taken to Ka by one of the presidents and the show was really cool. Lots of intricate martial arts and dancing with a huge rotating platform that serves as a vertical stage for flips and jumps but also a massive vertical setting for acrobatics. The other show I saw was O which is Cirque with water. A huge pool, high dives, crazy contortionists and oddly compelling synchronized swimming made for a spectacle worthy of the $150 I paid in advance for a ticket.

I think my enjoyment stemmed from the brief amount of work to do (only 4 hours a day with 1 of those hours a cocktail hour) coupled with the roughly six 20-something people/Vegas alcoholics that were with me. Not only did we hit up Tao at the Venetian, in which I asked random women if they got into the club with a coupon like I did, but upon my suggestion, we went to Mix lounge at Mandalay Bay which is an “ultra-lounge” (stupid name) on the 60th floor of the hotel with an incredible view of the entire strip. My new Panasonic FX50 digital camera took some great shots. Well, I should say, I took some great shots with the new camera. Ok you get the point.

Of course you are asking yourself, did this guy win any money? And the answer is I lost $85 which isn’t too bad. And I did discover the hotel with the most crookedest roulette table in town which I plan to gamble at copiously when I return for business in late February.

Yes there were degenerates and yes I did get annoyed by the amount of fatness around, but I ate really well and didn’t pay for anything except my gambling loss. Overall a great trip and no Freemont street visit which made a huge amount of difference.

posted by UpperWestSideGuy @ 8:31 PM 0 comments