Sometimes it doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on...

...What matters most is the fact that you get off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.

**NOTE:** I started this entry 3 weeks ago, but haven't had the time to actually finish it. Therefore this will just be a super long entry to accommodate everything that has happened. So don't say I didn't warn you if your eyeballs pop.

This past week, I've had to make several decisions that could very well change how the next year or two of my life plays out. Perhaps the most important decision I've had to make is in regards to the MCATs, which I am scheduled to take in April. I'd like to say that despite my best efforts, studying isn't going as well as I'd hope, but that would be a lie. I could lie to you all and lie to myself, but that still wouldn't help me prepare for the test any better. The honest truth is that I haven't been putting my best effort into studying. I haven't been doing all the things that I should be doing in order to maximize what little free time I have. I can make all the excuses I want, blaming long hours at work, constant fatigue, and busy weekends, but in the end, none of that justifies my lack of motivation. I feel different, like I've changed, and I'm not liking who I've become. Somewhere along the road, the old me and the new me got separated, and I need to get myself together...

...but like the title of this entry says, what matters most is to make a decision and move forward. Progression is dependent on the ability to ward off idleness. So I've made the executive decision to push back my MCATs till June instead of April. This has two distinct consequences. The first is that I now have more time to study and better prepare myself for the test. The second is that I've delayed my application process for another year. Both are good and bad. It's good that I'm getting more time to study, but bad because it gives me a false sense of security. Delaying the application process is good because I have more time to better up the app and make myself more appealing, but bad in the sense that it'll be another 2 and a half years (1 year for the next app season and 18 months for the actual application process) at the very soonest before my dreams of becoming a doctor are realized. Plus with the unstable lifestyle of the biotech industry, I may have the added stress of looking for another job. So many uncertainties.

But enough of the dramatic stuff. These past two weeks have also been filled with lots of fun. There have been lots of birthday celebrations, including but not limited to drunken fun at T-Rex and AsiaSF. Now I've always heard stories about AsiaSF, but had never ventured there, until last Wednesday. Surprisingly, it was way more fun than I ever imagined. It wasn't weird knowing the fact that the beautiful women were actually beautiful men. It was a night filled with wild debauchery, lots of alcohol, and dancing; all in all, a great birthday celebration, and perhaps one of the most fun Wednesday nights ever. Ever. =Þ

The following day was also quite fun, thanks to Dvax's very own ELISA Queen, for taking me out to the ball game! Though a die hard A's fan, I put my team loyalties aside, and enjoyed a Giant's pre-season expo against the Mariners, all in the name of the game haha. Despite the defeat of the Giants, unholy parking prices, and despite the fact that we were both dumb enough not to bring our sweatshirts even though we're both Bay Area natives and know very well how cold it can get in SF (which would ultimately lead to an ill-fated attempt to faux-warm ourselves up with booze, huddled arms to share warmth, and finally a rejuvenation via hot chocolate), I had a great night :)

More recently, we went to celebrate BK's one year at Dvax. Nothing too fancy, some food and beer, and great friends, what more can you ask for? How about a cute blonde who couldn't keep her hands off me? I don't mean to toot my own horn, but what can I say? This charm, these dashing looks, it's almost unfair...almost. What's my secret? It's all about the smooth pickup lines. Here's a freebie from my personal collection. "If I were an enzyme I would be DNA helicase so I could unzip your genes."

:)