Friday

I finally started on my essay for Foster. After doing even more in depth research, I was able to jot down ONE whole sentence. Talk about getting a major writer’s block. At least I was able to brainstorm and put together a sketchy outline for the three required essays.

Foster’s essays are pretty standard. The first essay is the standard goals essay. The only difference is that Foster asks for a lot of detail, especially in the area of how Foster fits into our ultimate career goals. See

• “What steps have you taken to assess the viability of your post-MBA goals given your experience to date combined with your intended MBA study plans?”
• “What do you anticipate will be the primary challenges to achieving your career goals”.
• “What unique aspects of the University of Washington MBA Program would contribute the most to achieving your short term and long term goals?”

The other two essays are not as bad. Hopefully I can write another sentence or two in the next couple of days. I want to hammer out the first essay by next Sunday.

Given how long its taken me to put together what I’ve got right now, I’ve decided that in order to put together the best app for Foster, I’ll have to submit in R2 (Oct. 15).

Turning to the GMAT, I worked on some CR questions. I felt pretty good about how I did on the practice questions. Hopefully it’ll translate to the practice tests. I also worked on AWA, something that I didn’t focus on enough from the first time around. If there’s a time to not have writer’s block, then the AWA section is it. Practice, practice, practice.

Saturday

I headed back to my mom’s place to do some errands. JJ Bakery opened up a new store on Gale. The new store is part bakery, part restaurant. The food was pretty good. I’d go back for the chow me fun and roo row fan (fatty pork stew on rice). Mmmmmm.

After lunch, I started on the CB radio install that I’ve been meaning to do since the last time I went to Pismo. I bought the Cobra 75 CB that a lot of the guys I offroad with have. Before I got started on the install though, I had to find my tools in the garage. One thing led to another, and I ended up cleaning out one section of the garage that was piled with my junk. Baseball bats, PVC pipes, batteries, tennis rackets, fishing lures, wetsuit, the list goes on. And this was just one of my shelves.

Eventually I got back to the CB. I ended up stashing the connection box inside my glove compartment. The coaxial cable and power lines sneak out through the back side of the center console lid and the microphone cable comes out the front. The microphone hangs on the clip that I had installed for my previous CB. I haven’t connected the power cables yet because I couldn’t find the antenna whip so there’s still some more loose ends with this project. Next weekend, and hopefully pics.

Sunday

What’s a summer without a beach day with the gang? We went out to Dockwieler Beach in what turned out to be a pretty uncrowded beach despite reservations about a huge Labor Day crowd. Parking at the first spot we found put us right on top of a bluff that overlooked the beach. We had to scramble down a dirt hill with all our gear and then lug everything across a 100 yard strand of beach before we found our spot.

The annual erection of the volleyball net went pretty smoothly this year despite some hard packed sand. With some well placed ice chests, the net posts were anchored down in a matter of no time. We ended up playing 4-5 games of vball. Py was limited to one good arm after he caught Drew’s one-armed-bandit disease from playing bball the day before. Vik was continuously seething with anger throughout every game. There was some football and ultimate frisbee action after vball. I think I speak for everyone but Sunil that we’re never playing ultimate frisbee ever again.

We ended up back at my place to eat because we couldn’t decide whether to risk bbq-ing at the beach. Py and Vik both got the munchies so we went to Ralph’s to buy fried chicken for Py and sushi for Vik. Sunil made veggies, chicken, and steak. We spent the rest of the night feasting and semi drunk dialing Hsu, LC, Mau and SMO. Some of us also discovered “shocking” news regarding some HS friends. Ah it was a glorious and revealing night.

Monday

TL had to work again so I was left to my own devices. I woke up a little groggy and very sore from the day before. My legs, my back, my shoulders, they’re all out of order and have been sent in for service.

I spent most of the day working on math problems that I found from GMAT Club. Some of the problems were ridiculously hard so it wasn’t that surprising that I only got 60% of them right. My weak spot, surprise surprise, turned out to be number properties. So depressing.

Actually what was truly depressing was when I picked up the mail and found my UCI transcript. After reviewing and reliving the disaster that was my undergraduate coursework, all the goodness that I felt from last Thursday was replaced with concern. There’s not much I can do about the past now but to show through the other components of the app that my undergrad experience isn’t representative of my current abilities and achievements.

So ends the final real holiday till Thanksgiving. Good thing this week is a short one.

• 96500
• Cleaned the throttle body. PITA but the car seems to idle and accelerate better
• Changed oil. Remember to pour in Gumout at the next oil change
• Change battery. Buy Optima online or research alternative.
• Possible change out front suspension for coilovers. Shocks are banged up, prob more important to change rears out too
• Look into tire options ASAP

I thought about restoring an old porsche as a new hobby. Then I looked into what it would take and concluded that I’d probably be broke by the time is car is running.

The weekend was too short…. way to short… I didn’t even do the makeup hours I planned on doing. Sigh… need a vacation already.