Beginning Again

Well ... how to begin (again) this blog? I have been actively blogging, since July 2005, under a different handle. Mostly, I've been blogging about my running and exercise regimen and my family. I've also been reading tons of blogs ... chess blogs, photography blogs, lds blogs and on and on. Blogging really is somewhat addictive.

Yesterday, I came across a very interesting blog about Michael de la Maza's 7 Circles. The name of the blog is mandelamaza.blogspot.com. Today, I read it from start to finish (about 6 months worth of blogging). It was really interesting and at times very humorous.

But before I delve into that story, let me provide a little history about this blog.

Before I went back to school to earn an MBA, I was playing lots of chess. I played in a few on-line tournaments and was starting to show some progress. I would spend hours playing chess and trying to improve. My wife would occasionally give me a hard time about not pursuing an MBA. Although I didn't want to admit it, she was right. All the time I was playing and studying chess, I could have spent it studying the GMAT and applying to grad school. I remember this one game I played. I spent over two hours brain-battling this guy in a chess match. It was a close game and in the end, I lost. I was SO frustrated and angry. I mean, veins were popping out of my head. I seethed for hours. The one thing that bothered me the most was the nagging feeling I had that I could have spent those two hours studying the GMAT. It was at that point that I became serious about earning an MBA.

I went to work early in 2004. I started studying the GMAT on and off in January and February. It was during this time that I first became aquainted with a web log or blog. In my search of MBA information, I found Tad's blog. Shortly after reading his blog, I registered at blogspot.com and created this blog with the intention of tracking my MBA application process, admission and experience. As you see, I did two entries. We spent a week in Hawaii in March and when we got back, I hit the books hard ... I didn't keep up with the blog! By May, I had submitted my application to Cox business school. By June, I was admitted. Immediately, they assigned us homework! School wouldn't start until August! So I studied accounting and stats during the months of July and August. I also was enjoying the last few long games of chess before I started school.

School started August of 2004 and now four semesters later here I am. I am a quarter way through my 5th semester. After this semester is over, I'll just have summer term and two classes in the Fall. My graduation date is December 9, 2006!

Anyway ... work has been very slow. When I have absolutely nothing to do, I read blogs. Yesterday, I came accross a whole bunch of chess blogs. One of them is the blog I mentioned above. After reading it today, I got to thinking that I would like do what he did ... track my tactics training and my chess improvement in general. Of course, I'll have to wait until I'm done with school to really get into it. So tonight, I was dinking around on the blogger during my study break. I thought I'd register my FICS handle and use it for a blog name. I attempted to register it, but found that it had already been taken (!?). So I tried to log in with the name and used a few old passwords and lo and behold I'm in! To my amazement, I found this old MBA blog. I had completly forgotten I had set this one up!

So tonight, I've been updating it and making it look nice.

Obviously, I'm not going to post here a whole lot. Maybe I'll post some info about the classes I'm taking and the teachers who teach them. That ought to provide some humor! Then, when I'm done with school, I'll pick up where I left off two years ago ... improving at chess!