SUNY-Albany (and more)

Yesterday I found out I have been accepted to the grad school at the University of Albany. However, it's only as a teaching assistant, which means a much smaller stipend. There also seems to be a lot of "catches" and "what ifs". So it's something to consider, but it's definitely less lucrative and more risky than Utah. It would be closer to home though. And unfortunately, I'm pretty sure they didn't invite me for a visit. Speaking of visits, I can't wait until Wednesday, because that means I'll be in Utah, and half of the semester (and all the crazy work that needs to be done) will be OVER.

But yesterday was kind of topsy turvy anyway. There were at least three different occasions where I could have aptly used Bill Cowher's famous "there's a fine line." And to continue the trend, I worked the midnight shift for my NWS internship. The midnight briefing was pretty hilarious (quote above applied).

*****

Last night as I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep, I kind of had a philosophical brainstorm. A "grandfather speech" so to speak (that is, if you know Don Snyder). I rarely get to voice such ideas, but look, I have a blog. It was more of a thought process, but maybe there's something useful in it, so take it for what it's worth.....

With this being second semester of my (and others) senior year, there are a lot of decisions being made. Some seem huge, others seem trivial. But most of them are important. And when making these decisions, we need to stop and think about our priorities. May I suggest the following: (1) God (2) Family (3) School/Career (4) Friends. Do I live by that? Usually, no. It's an overly simplified list, but it's something to strive for. And more importantly, there needs to be balance (much like a football offense). Thinking about this balance would theoretically lead to better decisions. That's important, because no matter how small a decision seems, they accumulate over time and can have large ramifications. The decisions we are making now will ultimately affect our careers, money, health, relationships, and more. That's a big concept to consider. You have a large hand in determining your destiny. It's important not to screw that up. Think about it, and as Kathy Rathke would say, "PASS IT ON..."

Utah

I've been accepted to the University of Utah for graduate school and have been made an offer for a research assistant! And even better news, Casey has, too! We're flying out at the end of the month to visit, meet with professors, etc. It seems like a really nice school, and everyone there has made a good impression on me so far (versus the other schools I applied to who haven't communicated with me one bit). Plus Salt Lake City looks gorgeous. But did you know there are a lot of Mormons out there? Everyone seems to want to mention that to me for some reason. At the very least, I'd get to see more snow out there than I do here!

Speaking of snow, we got our annual <1" snowfall last week that appropriately changed to rain after a few hours. It was more than I was expecting, but still pretty boring overall. It looked pretty on the trees, though. It'd be nice to see at least a little more snow before the winter is over, but with this being Raleigh, I don't have my hopes up. At least it's been pretty cold recently.