Happy New Year!

Soon enough, anyway. I just thought I'd pop in and give everyone a quick update, focusing on those things that are making me happy to see 2007 come to a close.

1. All the hubbub surrounding the September car crash is finally dying down. I went to court on December 20th and the judge dropped the charges, meaning I am not at fault for the incident. Of course, this doesn't make the other driver automatically at fault, legally speaking -- it's just that nobody's at fault at the moment. That means the damages suffered will still come out of my insurance, but at least I don't have to pay a ticket or pay for the other guy's losses.
2. Connected with the above, I am theoretically just days away from walking without crutches. I have a doctor's appointment on January 8th, and when I last saw my doctor a few weeks ago, he told me I should be able to walk into his office without my crutches by the next time I see him. I'm a tiny bit skeptical that this will end up being true, but I have sampled walking with only one crutch (or even no crutches) for just a few steps. There is potential there, but I'm far from sturdy. We'll see if I really think I can dump the crutches for good within just a week.
3. I have officially submitted two of my graduate school applications. I am only going to apply to five or six schools, so this puts me well on the way to completion. Getting the first applications off is the toughest anyway, because once you've done those, you basically repeat the process without having to come up with anything new. I've done a rush job on these things, but I think I feel better about them than I expected I would. Unfortunately, I find myself increasingly hopeful that I can get into University of California-Riverside, which means if I don't, I'm going to be really sad. I'm supposed to know by the Ides of March, but you know what they say about those...
4. I'm in Utah visiting family. One of the biggest perks of living the college life is that you get a few weeks off at the end of the year, which means you can (if you so choose) immerse yourself in the friends and family you are otherwise forced to neglect. While I've had to work on Ph.D. applications during the holiday break, it's been nice to spend some time with loved ones. It's also nice to be back in a city where I know my way around! Furthermore, it's nice to be back in a city where I know what restaurants are worth patronizing, and I assure you I've been doing my best to revisit all those beloved eateries that I have sorely missed since being in Atlanta.

That's it for now. I've got to go hobble into the shower and head off to visit my side of the family. My mother has promised me cheesesteaks from Grinders 13, the most unbelievable sandwiches I have ever eaten. You would think a bigger city like Atlanta could outdo a little sandwich shop in Salt Lake City, but so far nothing even comes close to rivaling Grinders 13. Vacationers, take note!