Posts Tagged duke
John Gilbert Wed, Past Woes Shed
Three nights and we’re done. After a long hiatus of human interaction Gilbert and I were reunited; a hug and a punch to the lip to bring it back together. The festivities happened to take place on the most sacred of ground: Duke University, which one bridesmaid very eloquently described as their closest thing to home at present.
John
At an early hour in our friendship for innumerable reasons John and I knew we were roughly the same person. Given my retreat after freshman year, however, we grew distant and underwent many unshared developments. So when I asked him what had changed for him to become marriage material, expecting something grandiose and informative (for my own curious purposes), I was surprised to hear just a genuine “I met Jenny.”
Man. He evolved within his self. I didn’t as much as I swing wildly for the identity with which to approach girls and live life. Maybe I should stop that nonsense.
Regardless, I am truly appreciative to have been invited despite my status as the least involved g-man.
Then in his amazingly composed and conducted toast, John referred to each of us in terms of a nature to which he rarely resorted. I was moved.
Finally, upon hearing the beatific FF Prologue and Rosa/Love Theme I knew he was still the man. Sheer happiness was visited upon me.
The New Faces
Knowing only four or five people of the seventy there made for some awkward moments, others interesting. With the few people who made it past small talk I think many of us would be good friends.
With those who didn’t, well, I’m not sure. Everyone seemed very nice, some so much that I wish we had in fact talked a bit more. I’d never met Jenny before, was happy to finally say hello, and hope to hang out with Gilbert sufficiently enough to get to know her. It almost goes without saying: the Dukies, I could’ve known them all.
WaDuke
The undergraduate fantasies came to fruition. I am a rich, white, golfing, southern businessman. I eat $20 omelettes and watch $15 movies. (thank you hotels.com).
From the willingness to bypass crummy interactive TV systems for the bachelor party of the ages to democratic political strategist James Carville’s mean Manhattan to the yummy food choices, all about the Washington Duke was as expected, wondrous. I hope later to make deals there.
The Partying
Ahh Yellow Toad and Marth were true fighters in the struggle to outgame Gilbert. And a struggle it was for all but a few glorious moments. Audrey beating him cold with BB Hood on MVC2 surpassed all as candidate for the best, but Yellow Toad’s “I’m not softcore” trance and Marth’s glorious final smash will remain memorable as well.
Dancing at the reception was a trip. Sauced up and ready to go I made a sufficient ass of myself early on during Poker Face to garner some rather interesting comments.
That’s about it for the wedding review. The pilgrimage back to the best place of my life nearly had me as excited as the wedding did. More later.
The End
Dear John: As you tried so proactively to get me to salvage my life in the past, and as you successfully save many now and going forward, your true colors in what limited serious stations confront us together have been shown. I am impressed. Congratulations, John. Kudos, Jenny.
For tomorrow we sail for the kingdom of Duke
John Gilbert, a true and appreciated friend, has decided to tie the knot. Doubt I would have done it any sooner, but I am surprised he is the first of my group of friends from Duke.
Duke. Where we went and where I return for the first time in five years. Work and life have kept me too busy to fully appreciate the gravitas of this trip, but I have no doubt that upon arrival I will be stirred violently. Returning to campus, seeing the chapel, walking and talking where I for just one year acquired a flood of invaluable knowledge, and lobbying the law school to let me back in, as it were, will fill me with emotions that I cannot predict and probably won’t be able to describe.
I’d do well to get over it and quick because a few hours into the trip I’m interviewing with a Duke Law adcom, hopefully giving me at least a marginal boost. Rehearsal in front of the airplane lavatory window? I think so.
Afterward it will be all fun, all reunion, all wedding. I have looked forward to this day more than nearly anything before it; I hope it is spectacular.
A Februarian Revue
This may not happen..
But god I wish it would.
Florida told my mom I hadn’t made their short list but thanks for applying. This does not bode particularly well because I thought I had a decent rapport with them after having had some nice dialog last year around the same time.
Three key factors probably led to this outcome and are likely to reduce my chances at MSU.
1) The economy has likely strengthened the competition and increased the applicant pool
2) My fickle and irresponsible behavior in deferring for a year certainly reached UF, which is pretty much a sister institution of MSU at least in the Management departments
3) I haven’t really done anything to increase my competitiveness in the past year.
One last opportunity remains in East Lansing, and I have an atomic hope that it comes through. Given how work has (or hasn’t) progressed I’m definitely going to accept it with certainty p < 0.01. But given how UF's verdict predicts MSU's fairly certainly, I'm likely going to have to rethink a lot of things if not accepted.
The lighter side..
While still leaking money at a few key points this month I definitely managed to save a ton. When I get my 2nd Feb check and commission for Feb I’ll be worth money again vs. my student loan, and that will be exciting. Mint graciously helped me achieve my February goals, and hopefully will push me strong (and responsibly) through March.
Also with respect to money I started deferring to a 401k, so that will give me a little bit more long-term equity depending on how long I stay with the company.
Duke’s Rollercoaster
Duke could not win a game in the past few weeks, but once they beat MD they seemed to be back. The physicality of the game got taken to a pretty dangerous level; I felt terrible when Nolan Smith got decked, he’s out for the season now. The response was appropriate though, as Henderson scored 4 sick points and made a sicker rejection as he was charged up. The team didn’t falter hardly any for the rest of the game and kept a healthy lead, winning 78-67.
The whole energy once being physically screwed with happened for Dwayne Wade and the Heat too when they came back from a 20ish point deficit against the Knicks. Seems like roughing people up in basketball is just a way to get them to play better.
The Magna Garta
I wrote a new charter for the guild.
It has been received pretty well and I guess going forward the guild should be pretty healthy.
Bottom line though, if I don’t get back into MSU, that in concert with all the rejections and the lack of mobility at work (terrible pun) will start to convince me that I’m doing something terribly wrong, much like I was convinced while in Japan.. ugh
All Good Things of this World Flow Into the City
Andrew Ryan had at least one thing right. Immediately when I bathysphered into Rapture I had memories of Tokyo, Shinjuku specifically, and of Chicago, Dallas, and Houston. I’ve been to/through the city the past four out of six days and am continually floored by its beauty.
A trip Aronn and I took to my work friend’s apartment last weekend kicked it off. New Territory: found out how to use I-55 inbound to get on Lakeshore and explored Edgewater on foot against my will looking for an atm to pay for parking. And had a pretty awesome time playing MK vs DC in a flaming setting.
Leon Leyson
Leon Leyson grew up in a small village in Poland, from where he moved to Krakow a few years prior to WWII. As a Jew, he ended up being trapped in the ghetto at the outset of the war and made an amazing journey, as the youngest survivor of Schindler’s List! For my ebullient interest in WWII this was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had – extremely emotional and inspiring. I definitely want to travel to eastern Europe at some point to both explore some of the war era landmarks in public to learn more and visit my roots in Czech/Slovakia/Hungary.
New Territory: Navigationally I had to brave the north suburbs and learn the difference between a Ct and an Av. the hard way. Afterward I made my first inbound trip on the Kennedy and felt an amazing jolt of city energy as I went through then took I-290 home. I seriously am at huge risk of wrecking when traversing the city because I stare out and up my windows while keeping going.. should probably stop.
Culturally, I was in an event hosted by a Jewish educational organization so there were tons of actual rabbis there, full attire included. I find it hilarious in a very bad way that I didn’t even meet a Jewish person until my first year at Duke, then met none (except online) between then and now. Being a part of their event and seeing how they carried themselves and opened up to me was a wonderful experience, one that could only happen in an incredible locale.
The Loop
Ever since Gilbert got engaged I’ve had my mind on Duke and got to take some real steps on the path to repentance. Andrew has a swank apartment in the West Loop, where he invited me for tea and crumpets and caviar. So we actually had freezer pizza (with TWELVE percent sales tax omg) and had one of my personal best catch up sessions in life. As soon as I saw him I immediately apologized for my putting them all at risk of Shashification and he graciously forgave.
From his high rise with the perfect view of the Sears tower we spoke of many things: of how our remaining college experiences transpired, of how I should take the coming months and years in a very Steve Jobsonian fashion, of how his girlfriend is a really cool chica whom I didn’t get to meet, and of how the vertical eastern temple level on Little Big Planet was damn hard.
His economic savvy has, as if it were weak in comparison at Duke, erupted into a very intimidating but very impressive, jaw-dropping proficiency. We did speak of work that was accomplished only for pay incentives and a struggle for tenure and how that work’s dismissal by academia at large really took the fulfillment out of it all. His best advice for me was to try to make unsolicited improvements at work asap and as frequently as possible, and that course of action, which had never really crossed my mind in such a form, immediately changed the way I look at work.
I can’t wait to hang out with him more. I missed the hell out of Andrew and Gilbert and am so glad they don’t hate me.
New Territory: I took the Kennedy straight in (Tuesday I used 94 to 90/94, this time it was just straight 90) and right after I passed O’Hare, where the plane flew what seemed to be merely hundreds of feet over my car to land, I saw the landing pattern formed above me. It indeed runs directly over the interstate for a good few miles, so seeing 6 progressively dimming but approaching lights faded into the clear night sky on their way into the world’s busiest (by some engineered metric) airport I felt the city love once more.
The loop is an amazing place. This trip from Kennedy to Ohio to Desplaines really reminded me of the only time I ventured through downtown Houston – the move out drive – and razzle dazzled me to the max with the proximity to so many important places.
High School Musical Reunion
And tonight I met Elise in Roscoe Park, from where we took the L (First time!) into Belmont for dinner then strolled around Wrigleyville in a highly touristy manner.
We had an amazing time catching up completely and complaining a tad about both of our work weeks. We definitely share a “flee the south” bent that allows us to appreciate everything about Chicago but our irresponsibility in not bringing warmer options to this -15 degree outing. My. Toes. Fell. Off.
New Territory: I did take the same I-90 route in but exited a little bit earlier onto Addison, from where I moved into the North side. Never having been here I was a little bit worried that I’d miss my turn, but thanks to the amazing GPS system that was chicken scratched google maps directions I arrived. Roscoe Park/Belmont/Wrigleyville and their surrounding areas had young people out and about at a rate of about sixty thousand percent more than what I normally saw in Houston or here in the burbs, and that was encouraging.
Whomever coined the quote is a mad genius, myself, a mad believer. This is a huge part of why I came here so I really hope I can continue frequenting downtown for whatever occasion and maybe if things take a turn for the permanent in a few months I could actually even be living the dream!