Can I Take the Physical Challenge?

As I've mentioned, I'm taking the GRE in a few weeks. I've been preparing for it, studying vocabulary, brushing up on my eighth grade math, panicking slightly. Mostly, I've been taking practice exams online and with my computer. This helps me to see my trouble areas in the math and verbal sections, but it doesn't help me with the essay portion of the test. I figure the only way for me to get better at the essay section is to write a lot of essays, so I'm asking for your help. Send me essay topics. They need to be phrased in the form of an argument (i.e., "The only way to really cut loose and have fun on a Friday night is by studying a nice stack of flash cards."), but other than that, I leave it up to you. I'll publish the resultant essays here.

The Tyrant Calls You...
The first issue of the NY Tyrant is out. Buy a copy and you can read my story, "Every Little Farm Girl Knows How to Fix a Tractor." You can get it via their Web site or, if you live in NY, at your local independent bookstore.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Well, I'm back. I'm not actually going to bore you all with the details of my summer vacation, but in brief, I traveled up through the foreign lands of Canada to Niagra Falls, which would be utterly gorgeous if not for the fact that it's surrounded by one of the tackiest tourist towns I've ever seen. After that, I hiked in the Zoar valley and wandered around western New York for a few days before I caught a train to NYC to visit friends and then caught a bus to the Jersey shore, where I stayed for most of the rest of my trip.

I actually did get some fishing done. My mother's husband, Joe, and I went out deep-sea fishing one day. I caught this guy, a mahi-mahi who later became this meal, and Joe caught half a dozen sea bass. The rest of the time, I mostly relaxed by the water, read, kayaked, and spent time with my niece (picture to come) before I caught the train home.

On my way back, the train was waylaid by a group of monkeys who were hellbent on taking over the train. I managed to fend them off from most of the rest of the passengers, but was taken prisoner. They brought me to France and forced me to perform street theatre with giant puppets for days at a time. Finally, I escaped on one of the elephants and found a cruise ship bound for Chicago by way of the Atlantic. I stowed away disguised as a cocktail waitress and made my way back home one cocktail at a time. The ocean was lovely, and the tips weren't half bad, either.

Anyway, I'm back. I have a month to finish prepping for my GRE, a trip to North Carolina coming up, and all sorts of other craziness to deal with, but I'm back. It's good to be home. When I got off the ship at Navy Pier, I had a definite sense that I was back home, back in my city. I took it in on my way to the train, and boy, did it feel good.

Update
This is my niece, Maude. Tell me she isn't adorable.



As luck would have it, she's also fond of her Uncle Matt. I love family.