PERFECT STORM

A one-two whammy expected to hit Maryland starting Sunday night and through Tuesday: Hurricane Sandy gets down with the cold front blasting from the Midwest. The Governor has already called a state of emergency in advance of 'Frankenstorm' or, as others call it, the Storm of the Century.

I find it _________ (fill-in-the-blank: amusing, interesting, anxiety-provoking) this storm falls on the two days where I--and my colleagues at the University of Maryland--have so much at stake: our five-year accreditation visit occurs. The accreditation process for Schools of Pharmacy is a multi-year long ordeal, with much internal work and reflection and retreats by faculty, staff, and students. Not to mention the planning and coordination. The site visit team, composed of faculty from all over the country, are expected to arrive in Baltimore Sunday. Maybe.

At the same time, the School is hosting an annual endowed lecture on Tuesday, one in which I have personally invested much time. The guest speaker is local, but he will face the same crummy weather the rest of us face. So.

But really, none of these events concern me personally, as I am slated to head an hour south to the Food and Drug Administration early Monday morning. Two days sequestered in the bowels of the FDA to listen to testimony and evidence--and then vote--regarding the rescheduling of hydrocodone products from Schedule III to Schedule II due to concerns of the pain-killer's abuse and diversion potential.

For a few weeks I have been disappointed in my ability to clone myself into three Lindas. Now, it appears all that worry may be for naught, as I will find myself at none of the above.

MORAL: Don't pet the sweaty stuff, don't sweat the petty stuff. Nothing else matters when Mother Nature gets cranky.

Stay safe, stay dry, and hug the ones you're with. Peace...