From the It's Summertime Again dept.:

It's really hard to believe that another year is gone.  I know I say that at the end of every year but wow, 3/4 of the way through undergrad.  It's actually getting to the point where so many of the things that are required for medical school application are becoming due.  But all in all, things are falling into place.  

Things that need to happen this summer (in no particular order):

1.  Get some experience at the hospital or a doctor's office.

2.  Get research underway at school.

3.  Study for the MCAT

4.  Make some money.

The first one is necessary because medical school will have a hard time happening if I don't.  Plus, I really would like some exposure to the field to ensure that it is something I want to do for the rest of my life.  The second one is necessary so I can get my degree (mostly, the research is for my honors diploma).  The third is also so i can get into medical school; I need to pull something like a 30 to get in (that's what I'm aiming for; I could probably get away with less). 

 The fourth one is somehow the least important and most important at the same time.  After running out of money this past semester, I have become more keenly aware of how important it is to have a little money in the bank.  If I can get through this next academic year without a loan, it will mean that I have gotten through undergrad without borrowing money--and that means a lot to me.  I'm not sure why, as I will be taking out a lot of loans for medical school.

This summer is also going to be a musical renaissance, of sorts.  I have lots of new ideas that are quite different than before.  My previous work was all about one thing, probably because that was the most inspiring thing to me at the time.  However, I have been able to expand my horizons, and now I am able to write about things that are a bit more--timeless?  I find no pleasure in playing most of my old music, even though they used to be my (and everyone else's) favorites.  So I'm putting them in a box (in my head, anyway) and moving forward.  Like I said, musical renaissance!  I have several new songs that need to be recorded.  The first one out of the hopper will be Afterburner, one of my first new songs in a long time.  It's got some new elements that I've never really tried in songs before, like open droning strings and radical progression changes.  My goal for this album: to write good, powerful songs that cannot be taken away by anything.  It's hard to lose a song, let alone an album's worth.  I view it as a new beginning, though, and I'm not bitter.  Just a little sad.

I believe there's more text than anybody wants to wade through.  So I'm gonna leave it at this.  Stay tuned for more from the thacked dept..

DT