Well, well, well. Remember that time I said I'd keep this updated so friends/family could follow me along in graduate school? Turns out I lied. Sorry. I'm a bad Quaker!
BUT, I'm back now, if you'll still have more! And I'm going to make a much more concerted effort at writing, I promise! What's getting me to update now, you ask? Well, I must confess, it's a stack of student papers to grade. But motivation is motivation, right? Right.
A lot has changed since last September, obviously. I had a successful round of Ph.D applications. :-) I got accepted to UCLA & OSU. I got called down to Emory for an interview (only 11 candidates got called), though ultimately I did not get a place. It's is for the best because the interview weekend made it pretty clear to me that Emory would not be a good fit for me, so the spot went to someone who really wants to be there. I got called to interview at U. Maryland as well, though I had them withrdraw my app b/c at that point I had been accepted at OSU and knew I would rather be here. Rutgers was the one school that flat-out rejected me, but whatevs. They're in New Jersey. So, I'll be at OSU for my Ph.D., which I'm really excited about. I've developed a some close working relationships with faculty from a number of departments, so I think that will serve me well.
Luke has started undergrad, and is planning to major in painting with a minor in chemistry. Right now he's just at Columbus State Community College, but he plans to transfer to OSU in another year.
I also have some other potentially exciting school news, but it's hush-hush for now, so if you know it, please keep your lips sealed! Oooh, a cliffhanger. What now??
Will is also living with us while he's trying to figure out what his next step is. It's nice to have my younger sibling around. I have a lot of fun with him, and he seems to really be enjoying himself in Columbus.
In other news, I've gotten really into cycling lately. I bike 4 times a week, and I'm logging a total of about 52 miles a week. We have a gorgeous bike path right near our house, and it's a very enjoyable ride. It's also been great for my mental health - it gives me some time away from school, stress, etc. And, I often see deer, rabbits, etc. on the path, which is fun. A deer and I actually had a stand-off yesterday, about a 7 feet from each other. It eyed me warily while I explained that I understand why it would be supsicious, after all, humans do like to run them over and shoot them for no good reason. I let it know that I'm a vegan Quaker, so it really didn't need to worry. It continued to watch me from the corner of its eye as it slowly meandered off the path and I passed by. It was the fifth dear that I saw this week.
I started on this bike:

I know, It's sweet. But once I started riding more, ti became clear that I needed more than a cheap Huffy cruiser w/ no gears and cruising breaks. So, now Will rides "the golden bicycle" around Colubmus, and I've upgraded to this wonderful bike that I got used:

It's a GT and I love it *a lot*.
Ruby (our dog) is doing well. She's matured quite a bit from last year and is in much better health than when we got her. She's calmed down and brings a lot of joy and hilarity to our house. BB (our cat) is his usual, talkative, funny self. He just likes to narrate his life as he goes along; I think he might be writing a memoir. Will claimed that he has nothing to write a memoir about, but I pointed out that A LOT OF people write memoirs despite not having much to write about. Touche.
Well, that was my random entry for today! I'm going to do better. I promise!