Friday night was the MPA picnic.  Officially, it is the last get together before graduation. Unofficially I expect to drink with my classmates every night between now and May 9th aka graduation day!!!!!

I hate the MPA picnic because is huge, everyone from administrators to faculty is invited and it is the one event where EVERYONE brings their kids and families. It happens way out in the country and it is OUTSIDE so I get eaten by mosquitoes.  Furthermore, I have to make nice with people that I really don’t like much.

I decide (at the very last minute) that I should go.  (I mean, it is the LAST official event). I figured it would be worth it since skits and stuff were planned where we get to make funny of each other. (I like to experience my 15 minutes of fame like everyone else.)

 I was horrendously late; fortunately, I didn’t miss the real festivities (just the food). 

After about an hour of small talk, finally we came to the reason for the gathering! The faculty gave our class our superlative awards.  I received the award for most likely to grow an electronic appendage.  (This is hilarious SINCE I DON’T EVEN HAVE A BLACKBERRY!!!! —-Can you tell I really want a smart phone???) I had no idea that anyone else had noticed the number of texts I send and receive, my in-class blogging, twittering and facebooking.  Or how I am always preaching to them about the power of the world wide web.

Remedial as it is, my phone, laptop or netbook are never far away, and I have been known to stop a conversation to check on my phone. Since I seem to be the most technologically advanced of all my classmates, I guess it is only fair that I am awarded for my self-promotion efforts.

Later my classmates and I introduced ourselves. (we’ve had to introduce ourselves 100’s of times over the past 2 years)  This time we introduced each other using the academic, professional, and personal information we have gathered about each other over the past 4 semesters.  I was introduced as the Social Media Queen (no surprise there).  The introduction went on to say that when I’m famous, I’m firing everyone.  This was cute and funny because in class whenever we talk about ethics and HR practices, I’m always quick to fire someone. I have ZERO patience for ethical lapses.  If someone knowingly breaks the rules, I believe they should be fired.  However, in HR and Ethics classes my classmates continue to be appalled at the speed with which I would fire someone.  All in all, I LOVED my introduction.

Shortly after the introductions, I left the picnic.  I figured I should leave before I realized how much I’m going to miss those crazy sons of bitches. I didn’t want to consider how empty my life will feel without them in it every day.  Seriously, I prayed for friends, then I was admitted into the MPA program and fell in love with 25 strangers.  Now it’s all over.

And I’m too cool to cry in front of them.