In my second biggest absence this blog has seen I went through and did a lot of things! I'm sorry for not getting an update between now and when I took my last test, I guess I sort of forgot about updating this in my hurry to see Leslie in Chicago
Auditing Test - My final exam. It went (I felt) the best of the 4 tests. I FLEW through the multiple choice questions - all 90 in about 90 minutes. I didn't want to go that fast, my review company recommended about 2 minutes for each question, but I was really finding the right answers and rarely had to read a question more than twice. So there I was with 3 hours left to complete the simulations (30 percent of the test). For the first time taking these tests time was on MY side. I made the most of it and left the test center 99% sure I passed the test.
It felt so good to be done. I hadn't experienced total relaxation in quite sometime, and although it might not seem like a particularly calm experience, I drove back on I-35 feeling the best I had in months.
I'll get my score sometime in the next 2-3 weeks, along with my Regulation score. I'm hoping for good things.
If you noticed, I only mentioned that I'd be receiving 2 scores in the next few weeks. That's because (as probably anyone reading this blog already knows) I got my first two test scores on Sunday when I returned from Texas.
Words can't describe what it was like getting myself to open the letter. I'd known it was in my room for the last 5 days, but I still wasn't sure when or how I wanted to look. For the next 5 minutes, my life went something like this:
I grabbed the envelope, then set it down, got some water, sat down, got some ice for my water, told myself I'd open it after I unpacked my bags, opened my luggage, looked back at the letter, opened my Xcel bill, went back to my luggage, and then finally grabbed the envelope without taking anything out of my bags.
I didn't want to look right away. I slowly took out the envelope's contents - wanting to look at the scores in the order I took it. As I was flipping over my BEC score I noticed an expiration date of 1/31/2011 and knew instantly I had passed. I flipped it over and saw an 85 staring right back at me. I passed!! I tried to calm my excitement knowing that I still had to look at my score on "The Beast". The sour feelings I felt as I left Prometric on that sunny July afternoon and told myself it was time to accept the inevitable. Looking for that 67, I was instead greeted with a friendly looking 80! I had passed both tests! The happiness was too much and I let out a big "YEA!!!" which caught the attention of Erichsen, who up to this point had been enjoying an otherwise quiet night.
I called my parents, called Leslie, I couldn't stop smiling. Don't ask me how I did it, but I'll never have to take the dreaded Financial exam ever again. Sweet, sweet, victory.
I unpacked my luggage the next morning.
Going backwards, I spent the last week and a half in Chicago and Dallas. I visited Leslie for 1 whole week, and accomplished many meaningful and important things such as: drafting my fantasy football team, playing on her flag football team the Saturday I was there, and watching Season 1 of Heroes. In the words of Peter Gibbons (Office Space), "I did nothing, and it was everything I imagined it could be". I was pretty much a couch potato and I was happy. Leslie didn't mind at all - I think she was happy I got hooked on Heroes after saying she was lame weeks before for getting hooked on it herself.
$65 later, I was out of my cab and walking into the O'Hare airport. I spent the remaining 4 days of my trip in Dallas for my Aunt's memorial service. It was really sad, but I think everyone was overall relieved to be able to grieve together. The whole thing is far from over, but the memorial service went very well and family and friends were able to get start to what is likely going to a long road to closure.
Nearly my entire family was there. Mike and Charlie weren't able to come because they just started school, but I really had a great time with everyone. I've never spent that much time with all my relatives for so many days in my row, but I felt like I got a lot closer to a lot of my family I don't see too often. It was sad saying goodbye to everyone, especially those who live in Texas, but I'm sure I'll go down there sometime soon.
Whew - this has been a long one. I could have written a ton more, but I probably wouldn't have many of you coming back very often. One more quick thing though: I start work tomorrow.
Whoa.
I hope you all enjoy this picture as much as I do.
