For those who think they can't pass GS and/or LF...

YOU CAN! Really, you can do it! If I can do it, so can you!

To my complete amazement, I received two PASS letters yesterday - one for GS, the other for LF. UNFREAKING BELIEVABLE!!!! I passed! I passed I passed I passed I passed! I never have to deal with that GS exam again! I never have to deal with the LF exam again!

I really, honestly, definitely thought I blew GS. A few weeks later I thought the same about LF (although I was so burned out at that point that I didn't react the same way I did after GS). One major thing that I would recommend to anyone studying for these is to take Marc Mitalski's On-Line Anytime seminars. I personally liked this format as opposed to the "live" one because I could go back and forth at my own speed. Marc was great about answering questions and spending some one-on-one time with me. Totally worth the $$$.

So now I wait for the last letter, my "Last Waltz." I took PD on 12/15 so I should get results by the end of next week at the latest. Of course, I say that with a grain of salt given NCARB/Prometrics/ARE Oops' track record of late. But that's another post. Right now, I'm basking in the glow emitted by the two letters sitting on my desk - PASS. Oh, and obsessive/compulsively checking the NY state license verification website every hour...

Oh, and Randy was right as usual!

Lateral Forces (LF): FEMA Must Read

Just a quickie on a FEMA doc that you should read for LF. It's free, and FEMA sends it out within a week of ordering it. You can always download it and read the PDFs, but I like to have the paper and ink on my shelf.

FEMA 454 - Designing for Earthquakes: A Manual for Architects(http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2418)

It's got thump value (ie, it's a thick bugger), but don't worry - big print and wide margins make it a fairly quick read.