Pretending to be a grad student

I'm enrolling in urban and regional planning courses this fall as a non-degree-seeking student. Yes. I didn't get into the Master's program at the U of MN's Humphrey Institute for Fall 2008. I am optimistic. Instead of emailing me and telling me exactly no and don't bother us again, the director emailed me and told me that the committee encourages me to take a few courses and if I'm successful, I should reapply. She also explained that they are keeping my application open, and will not have to fully reapply for next year.

So I'm definitely going to take PA 5211 Land Use Planning. It meets before work and the course guide description is really exciting.

Goals rather than plans

My friend pointed out to me that this plan continuum thing is really harsh. It doesn't really take into account the steps that it takes to achieve things, which is presumably to point to make this plans. I think that I originally made them because I was feeling direction-less and the idea that safety nets were set made me realize that I had a plan, which made me feel better about it. The reality of it is that I obviously shot low with the plans and ended up in the easiest groove. So these new plans are a bit more ambitious.

I did a little research on the Humphrey website and discovered that the person that I thought that I was communicating with all of this time is indeed not at the Humphrey anymore!

Still waiting for an answer...

How did I end up with plan F

A few years ago while I was graduating from college, I composed a list of plans.

Wow. I'm living plan F and have been for 2 years!!! Yikes.

Last November I felt like I was in a hole that I couldn't get out of.

I better start composing more plans!

A. Get into the MURP program and work at the Center for Writing until finished.
B. Get into the MURP program and work as a grad student somewhere, supplementing my income with something like a loan or a second job.
C. Get a job that requires a linguistics degree.
D. Work teaching ESL.
E. Get a job that requires a bachelor's degree

So. I guess that I would be on to plan C or D if I didn't get into graduate school for a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning from the Humphrey.

The next Philip Pullman movie might be out before I blog again!

I was driving home last night from our new house in Northeast. I went up to the red light at 29th and Johnson and made out two figures walking together in the darkness. I could tell they had flowing garments and assumed that they were Somali women. As they stepped into the light of the street lamp (why isn't there more street lighting in Nordeast?) their features became apparent. Two Buddhist monks in saffron robes and shaven heads were walking calming up Johnson Street.