My, I've been away for a very long time. It's the nature of the beast that is TMC: it sucks up your life. Thesis presentation and defense was last week, comps the week before, full thesis two weeks before that, term paper last Monday, and a presentation tomorrow. But hey, they're being nice to the graduates.

Commencement is a week from today, and that scares me like nothing else. I've been in this little green world for four years (it's literally green now-- Spring finally made an appearance). It's hard to let go because it's so imminently comfortable, and I'm finally at the top of the heap, and now I have to go (If I had a dime for every time someone has said "Hurry up please, it's time" in the last two weeks I wouldn't need loans for grad school.) I suppose it's time to leave, and believe me, we've reached the point where for my own sanity I cannot be here any longer, but that doesn't make it easy. This is actually the first time I've been able to complete a program at the same school I started at. It's an interesting feeling. More interesting is the idea that I'll be an engaged bachelor in a week's time.

I'm purposely avoiding discussing the myriad of nasty things that have happened here in the past weeks. I don't want to think about it; I'm leaving in a week. The thing that pains me most is that I've hit the point of not caring. I can't let go and I have already all at once. People who are staying past next week are screaming blue murder about this that or the other thing and all I can do is shrug my shoulders. Am I being politic on purpose? Perhaps.

As an aside from the real world, Real ID has been extended to Jan. 2010, which means that everyone could still get on planes this morning. So yay for that. Boo for the thing not flatly being canceled yet. As always, Realnightmare.org has the articles and such. Another good website is the National Conference of State Legislatures Countdown to Real ID. They have links, facts, and figures to please even the most stubborn of modern men ^_^.