The Ups and Downs

Yesterday was a long, tough day. The day started out not very good because I was still feeling a little annoyed about something someone said the day before. Then I went to chemistry class where the professor who hates me passed back a lab report with this note on it: "Please make sure you get to lab on time. It disrupts the class and you will miss valuable information. Thanks (I put this same note on several other students lab reports too--Not just yours.)" I don't like doing things wrong, and while it bothered me that she gave me a verbal little scolding for having been a couple minutes late to lab, what bothered me most was that she felt like she had to explain that she wasn't telling this to only me. Whatever.

THEN, because I had a longer break than normal, I went home for lunch. CMB made a comment about the fact that I was on-line all the time. He probably didn't mean it as a judgement, because HE'S on-line all the time too (since he's always emailng me) but it bugged me. Whatever.

THEN, I ran into professor who kindly had to point out I was slightly wrong about something. I hate being wrong, especially when I know the right answer. I merely forgot to include the word "inhibitor" after "reverse transcriptase." Whatever.

THEN, I went to campus where I ran into an old prof who should have been done writing me a recommendation letter for UCSF. It is due on Sunday. I told her about it in April and gave her all the materials (a form, some background info, the guide-lines and an addressed envelope for her convenience) she needed at the end of August. Every time I saw her in September, she would say things like, "I'm working on it this weekend!" or "It's gonna be great. I hope to send it out tonight!" Well yesterday, I casually asked her if she'd sent it out already, thinking that me asking was only a formality, as she certainly had already sent it out knowing how important this was to me. NOPE. I was wrong. She was like, "I thought it was due on October 5th..." NO NO NO. October 1st. OCTOBER FIRST.

If my application does not have all the application materials, it is considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

I saw my future goals flashing before me eyes as though they would never happen....

So I walked in a fury to the library, blinking back angry tears. I emailed the other two reference letter writers to confirm they'd sent out the letters. I called them both too. I then called my momma to find out about the best way to ensure a Saturday delivery for the stupid late letter (the prof was going to leave it for me that night so I could pick up the pieces for her lack of responsibility and FedEx it to UCSF on Friday morning). Then I ran into my Microbio prof (the one I TA for) and was whining/venting to her about it when she said these little magic words: "I'll write you one tonight." To which I responded with a "Really? But you have a lab until 10pm, and I can't ask you to do that..." But she did. And it was great and perfect and so kind of her to do that for me with such little notice.

I ran back to the library to print out the necessary forms for her (thank god for ubiqutious internet access!). And fortunately, I had kept a few other important documents she would need in my hotmail inbox (thank god for internet based email accounts!).

Her letter definitely added new/good stuff about why I would be an asset to the program. The other flaky prof ended up finishing hers too. I picked them both up this morning and FedEX'd them off with a letter to UCSF explaining why I was sending them (they're supposed to come direct from the profs) and why they were being sent together.

So in a quick turn of fate, everything has ended up all right.