Batghanistan

Duke, did you give your undies away?

Sluisy Checking In

It's good to hear from you guys. It sounds like everyone is doing quite well, despite the pressures of actually growing the fuck up. I hesitate to count myself among you all in this regard, as grad school remains a far cry from the real world. I am, however, settling in and slowly feeling the reality of becoming a real person. I still find time to 'get shitty' and 'party down' every so often, but 2nd year is much more real than the 1st. Most of my cohort, myself included, are engaged in some level of qualifying exams. While the vast majority of students pass these exams in my department, they're still a big deal and need to be taken seriously. It involves me proposing what I'll be doing for the next three or four years to a panel of four faculty. You need to be fairly knowledgeable about your field, and prepared to say what you'll do in the very likely scenario of having absolutely nothing work as planned. It's tricky, and requires you to understand how science is done in your field, for which there is no manual. You also need to know what papers are generally considered to be garbage, because if you justify an experiment or method with that paper, you're suddenly in a good bit of trouble. I don't have a date for the exam, but it will likely be in April.

Last semester I taught intro biology lab, which was surprisingly little work and a fair amount of fun. It's a huge class of about 600 kids, so everything was streamlined and a lot of the work was done for me. I didn't have to design or set up any of the labs, so essentially I just walked in the room, talked for a little while, and scared the undergrads for three hours twice a week. I was definitely the 'cool guy' GSI and diligently avoided having to do any more work than I had to. Despite my best efforts, the kiddos seemed to like me, and gave me good evaluations, featuring feedback like, "Aaron is chill," and, "Pretty laid back, good GSI," and a surprising number that focused on my appearance, oddly enough. This is certainly a result of the "GSI effect" where, contrary to all logic and reason, I'm seen as an authority figure who is mature and successful. Those silly girls.

Berkeley remains beautiful, despite the homeless, and the oppressive police force in Oakland. The weather is fantastic and abnormally dry for the season. We've had several weekends with solid t-shirt weather (everyone come to California *cough* *cough*) and I've managed to get out of the lab and outside. I recently got a fairly nice camera, so have been going around taking pictures of plants and mushrooms and things. While mostly staying around town due to the imminent exams, we're hoping to get some trips in the coming months. Hawaii has been floating around, as well as Puerto Rico, but that would probably be in the fall.

I guess we're looking at the weekend of March 9th? I may be able to do that, we'll see. That's just after my girlfriend takes quals (she won't be happy to seem me jet right after she gets her life back, but she can deal), and right before Maize Meeting. The later is a conference for researches who work with Maize (duh) and is purportedly a complete and utter shit show. Apparently it's fairly common for some attendees to stay awake for the entire three days (probably with the help of amphetamines) and be drunk for most of it. Favorable job offers are apparently given to those with the stamina to drink and stay up with the best of them. I can only hope the Michigan prepared my liver for what it is about to receive. Anyway, the weekend in question does fall right between those events, so I might manage to make it out. No promises, but I'm certainly hoping I can.

Hope you all continue to be awesome.
-Sluisy Loosey McGoosey

Sybil UNITE

Ok so i wanted a separate post for this so we could argue/discuss this reunion. Sooo I just bought a plane ticket to fly into BWI on 3/1 and will be flying back on 3/11. I would like to see as many of you as possible and am willing to move around the East coast area provided i can cuddle with someone wherever i go, but it might be easier if we all decided on a place to meet up. From what I understand Nathan has spring break on the weekend of 3/9 and Bill would consider that weekend an option too. What do the rest of you think. Also what city do we think would work for this extravaganza? Also Sluis I miss you dearly and want to know what you are thinking about this proposed man love session. Sooo yeah weigh in on your preferences and lets get the planning going.

PS If we get planning fast enough maybe ill finally make the i believy in jake b levy shirts for a wine walk or some other vaguely competitive event.

Yay for blog posting

Hello sybilites,

First off good to see everyone blogging and congrats to Wkbriggs and Scambou. I look forward for attempting to not tell the tackle story to too many of Suz's grandparent aged relatives (but by then ill technically be a MD so if i cause any heart attacks i should theoretically know what to do...theoretically). Let's see what i should tell you all. Life in Cbus is going as well as can be expected. I suppose i should tell you all about this photo. As most of you know, I live with 2 other UofM grads here and we try to get more michigan grads to come to the med school. So we end up hosting a lot of these kids for interviews and we occasionally get gifts like this flag. Since we wanted to keep our windows intact in the house (it gets cold here) we havent hung it up and I promised that if we won I would raise this over campus. So sure enough on the Sunday night after The Game we did a night mission and hung it on the med center flagpole. I felt like it wasnt ok to lower the American flag to do this prank so I put it in place of the state of ohio flag (who cares honestly). It went up around midnight and it was there at 7 the next morning when i was walking to the hospital. Sadly it wasnt at around 11 for lunch break (moment of silence for the flag that was sacrificed in honor of this historic victory).

Overall, 3rd year is way better than the first 2 years. I'm finally out of the classroom/library and spending most of my time in the hospital (with the nurses). I do have to admit I miss the library but I still get to visit, albeit for shorter periods of time. The only real disadvantage is the complete lack of free time, so things like getting my clothes back from the dry cleaners and other normal tasks become a challenge because you're stuck in the hospital during normal business hours. I'm still not sure what I'm going to be when I grow up but I think I have ruled out anything surgical at this point and will end up in medicine. If all else fails I'll probably end up doing Internal Med just for the amount of sub specialty options it has but I still have a bit of time to think about it (aka panic).

I'm currently on Child and Adolescent Psych which is a crazy (literally) service. I'm not sure its something I could do for life but I can say there is never a boring day with this one. I have to agree with Nathan here and say I'm excited to not be going to the real world for another year. But Nathan was so convincing that I am considering DC for residency now and hopefully by then this train will be built so we can make this trip to see Billy and Sluis and Arnold Schwarzenegger too. But its not entirely my choice either as to where i end up. Residency programs interview you and rank you and then you rank the programs you interviewed at and some magical computer decides where you end up so yeah its a ridiculous day in March where everyone get a letter saying where they will be spending the next 3-5 years of life. Fun times. Also I'm about to blog again about this reunion so we can all exchange stories, wine and man sweat in person.

Hearts,

James

Really, Duke, what a tease that subject line was. Not that you or anyone else should be in a hurry to tie yourself in knots.

As for me, I'm set to graduate in May with mixed emotions. There's a lot about law school that I won't miss once it's in the rear view mirror, but I also realize that it's basically the final playpen. I credit that to the lack of any true responsibility and the company of hundreds of your peers in the same boat. Beyond that, the version of adulthood on the horizon, with suits and ties and grinding work hours, just seems kind of jarring. That said, I am eager to just get on with it. I have a feeling it won't be all bad.

Notwithstanding Bill's optimism, and my own zealous love for the Bay Area, I'll be headed to DC to begin work in mid-October. Two years from now, I could imagine applying for a judicial clerkship and using that break to seek a lateral position in California, but that's all guesswork right now. Besides, I'm not moving until they build the high-speed rail [that's never coming] so Sluis and I can show up at Bill and Suz's door in SoCal at 3am when we're tripping.

For now, I'm pleased to be returning home. The city has become truly gentrified in the past few years, and although there are downsides to the yuppie influx, it's mostly good. Not being able to walk around at night or find decent restaurants nearby were never really attractive features for a city, even if it felt a bit less "soft" than the suburbs. My radical plan at the moment is to forsake my automobile and rent an apartment within walking distance of my office, and in the vicinity of Dupont Circle. If that should come to pass, and I think it will, I would be very happy to host any and all future DC reunions. [But my spring break this year coincides with Bill's, and I'm also interested in meeting up, even if it's in NYC this year to be fair to Jake].

For anyone curious, Flopperz 2.0 is almost beyond bunny adolescence, which he has apparently survived despite his steady diet of carpet fiber and paint chips from the floors and walls of my apartment. He's calmed down, and is developing some of that charm that made me so fond of his predecessor, 1.0. He also has full on mutton chops, a perk of the genes passed on by his "lionhead" breed mother. I expect I'll always feel awkward explaining to people that I own a pet rabbit, but so it goes.

Love,
Shanaynay

I thought Duke was Getting Married

So Duke's title made me think he put a ring on it too until I actually read his post. Damn, we could have had a sweet double wedding.

Big news for me is obviously that I'm getting married to some chick I hardly know. There's tax benefits though so there's that. Also, by marrying a future doctor I greatly increased my chances of getting away with being a stay at home dad someday. Most likely wedding date: June 1, 2013 so MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW. It will be in the beautiful city of Grand Rapids. It is also really far away which means procrastination of planning and Suz freaking out for 18 months. Yay.

I'm also graduating this semester, which is weird. Not sure how the adult world functions or what it's like to be making money instead of spending it. I have already vowed that I will not class up my liquor tastes. Black Velvet will always be my favorite. Although they don't sell it in Cali (because it's Canadian) so I've been panicking about what to do. I'm thinking of buying a case of it in Indiana (yes, they sell it by the case there) if I drive across country to Cali again.

I'll be in the G-Rap for a year bribing and arbitrarily influencing a federal judge before permanently relocating to Los Angeles with the missus to work at a big evil law firm there. Odds on me lasting more than 2 years are slim. Nathan's going to move out to San Francisco to be closer to me (I hope) and I expect you all to do the same.

The week starting February 25th I'll be on spring break. I would love to do another Sybil reunion on one of those weekends. Maybe this time in NYC because I've never been there although I would also be up to doing Baltimore/DC again. I've been practicing my wine walking. I will also be free most of May so I would be up for doing a reunion then too.

Glad to hear those of you who have posted are doing well since the only one I ever see is James (sometimes we go to bars in Farmington on dates. His parents sometimes serve as our designated drivers too, no lie). Hopefully I'll be able to see you guys soon.

Until then, I will be busy making an Afghan for Nathan's mom. I'm also writing a country song for her.

<33333

William "Silly Pony" Briggs, esq.

Put A Ring On It

Thanks for lighting a fire, Ace, it's been too long.

I must begin by extending my sincerest and most joyous of congratulations to Big-Boned Briggs on his and Suz's engagement. As the first in Sybil to sign away personal freedom, including late night man-spooning and latin-library rendezvous, he has taken a large leap. Make note of his immaculate hygiene, wholesome appetite, prowess for coining verbal quips / simple nonsense like "I so smart for you," and undying love for crochet. These may all change in unpredictable ways in the coming years. We will always love you, Silly Pony. But seriously, I can't wait for the wedding.

As for yours truly, all is quite good. I've had the opportunity to see Nathan a couple times since the Fall football reunion, but I miss the rest of you. I recently holed up at Starr's pad in NOLA and had a fantastic, head-splitting-hangover type of time. No carrying laws, no societal norms for dress or behavior, and generally no problem doing whatever the bleep you want. My hunch says it's where you go when you die. Having a million Wolverines on site and winning the Sugar Bowl made for an awesome few days. We should seriously consider Michigan vs. Alabama in Dallas for the season opener. Throw it on your imaginary calendars.

Life in Baltimore is good, although I don't always feel like I live here given how much I'm in DC to see the folks and friends, Durham to see Hannah, and of course the occasional NYC trip to fist pump with Jake. I lost about two months of my life November-December for a project at work. My company is unique in that because we have 50 employees, 10 of which bring in the clients and new projects, the supply and demand for working hours don't always match up. I enjoyed the asymmetry in summer but paid for it dearly this winter. Nevertheless, seeing as the work is stimulating (not sexually), I find myself enjoying it. Fun tidbit for those I haven't told, I traveled around for undergrad campus recruiting last fall. Sitting on the other side of the table is quite enjoyable, I must say. You judge people and then memorialize it in ink.

Hannah is doing great and seriously wants to join in on a reunion to see everyone soon. She landed a summer internship at a law firm in DC this summer, which hopefully puts her in DC full-time when she graduates.

Hope to hear from you all soon, whether it be via blog, face time, or surprise visit. Until then, Mashed Potatoes.

Love,

Dutch