We can live like Jack and Sally if we want.

Career Update: After consulting with MSU and a few others, I've once again decided that leaps of faith should only be taken when they must and never when they mustn't. I'm finding that I'm quite scared of getting stuck in a bureaucracy that requires me to be quiet and not make any noise in order to survive.

It's true that I could take a chance and finish all the initial stages of my FBI application. With luck, everything else would go as planned, and I'd have my life career ready-packaged in T-minus Two years and one week. However, what do I gain by rushing things? One less year as an engineer. That's pretty much it. Really, what is one year in 25?

Looking at my job over the last four months, I've noticed a few changes in the abilities of "Mike the human Swiss Army knife." My newly acquired "man skills" make even the Mike of January 2006 look like a punk 4th grader with a screwdriver.

When I go to the FBI, my career as an engineer will be over forever. There will be no going back unless I wash out as a special agent and talk someone into giving me a spot on the professional staff. But who wants to work for the government as a science weenie? The pay is still low, the bureaucracy is still there, but now you all you do is work behind the scenes. Actually, these comments are all my own speculation. What do I know? The bottom line is a government job would only be worth it for me if I could see AND do stuff that is inaccessible otherwise.

So I've decided to slow down a little bit. I'll finish my degree and go be a real person for a while. The FBI isn't going anywhere and I won't lose the chance to get a Ph.D. if I decide law enforcement isn't for me. By waiting, I'll be able to gain some actual knowledge as to what life is like as an engineer, more time to compare first-hand experience (as oppose to second-hand speculations), and of course, more time to acquire even higher level man skills (that absolutely no one but me will ever care about).

Miss you - Blink 182