The End is in Sight

Well, it's come down to the final day. 24 hours and 19 minutes from this second, I will be turning in my exam. It is going fine. Yesterday, I had a breakthrough on the question that was giving me the most problems (about public officials acting as budget-maximizers). One aspect of the question asks what this explanation leaves out; it finally hit me yesterday, in the Giant Eagle parking lot, that it leaves out the "public service motive". PSM is the belief in public administration that people serve in bureaucracies because of a "calling" to serve in government. It has a very Christian ethic and feel to it. And, one of my professors at Tennessee is a leading expert in the field...so, it will obviously look good to have that as part of an answer. The exam will get done; it will be a late night tonight, hopefully I can get home and get started right away and maybe get to bed by 3am, but I'm not counting on it. Oh well...by this time tomorrow, it will be done.

On to more exciting news...

The little things in life are the ones that matter most for enjoyment, and yesterday I experienced what I would consider to be a little thing, and it gave me great joy. However, when I shared this news, I really didn't feel as if people appreciated it.

I reserved a plane ticket yesterday to San Diego (I have until midnight to buy it, and I'm waiting to hear back on whether I can get the days off of work). The travel dates are Sept. 27-30, a Saturday through Tuesday. That's the last week of the MLB season, and the Pirates are playing the Padres in San Diego, so I thought it would be fun. Plus, I owe a trip to San Diego; I was supposed to go in 2005, but I got a kidney stone that prevented me from going (the kidney experience deserves a post all its own). So, I thought it would be nice and relaxing to go to what is hailed as America's Most Beautiful City. Hit the beach, drive up to LA for a day, hit the San Diego attractions...seems awesome.

So, what made this remarkable to me? The cost of the plane ticket: $240. Two hundred and forty dollars!!!!!!!!!!! Do you understand how great of a deal that is? I just paid forty dollars more to fly half as far (to St. Louis over Labor Day). I'm a bargain flyer, and I don't think there could ever be a greater deal in the history of man, given the cost of gas and the struggles of the airlines.

So anyway, that made my day. Something to look forward to...