I've started to feel a bit of a second wind, which I was hoping for and counting on for the last month or so. I'm particularly excited because I adore Christmas and I can't wait to geek out with all sorts of holiday traditions I've never had any business participating in before. As for this last week, it is, most assuredly, the last boring week you all will be subjected to. Bring on the holiday cheer!
November 12, 2010
A Whole New Block Entry
Stuff.
Day 294 - Research a Legal Question for a Friend
Date: October 27th, 2010
There are strict rules against pretending to be a lawyer if you're not one. There's that whole, ethics, thing to contend with. However, one of the things that is nice about studying the law is that, as long as you're clear with people, you can help informally with legal questions. What was particularly nice for me was being able to point a friend in the right direction so he could take care of a situation pro se (meaning, without a lawyer). I felt useful.
Day 295 - Watch Wrestling on TV
Date: October 28th, 2010
I figure if I'm going to force Justin to watch my silly shows like Desperate Housewives and other miscellaneous, unforgivably dumb television; the least I could do is see what his unforgivably dumb television is like. It was... unforgivably dumb.
Day 296 - Get Rejected by a Potential Employer
Date: October 29th, 2010
I have been fortunate in my life that when I've applied to jobs, I've tended to get them. I generally interview pretty well and I know I work hard so my recommendations are good. That being said, I'm realistic about how bad the economy is and how fierce competition is for jobs, especially for newly minted lawyers. Even so, I was surprisingly okay with getting rejected for a job. I applied very broadly and got my first rejection, of my life, when I checked the mail. While I would very seriously prefer to have a job lined up (how glorious it would be... seriously), I found myself unemotional about it. It didn't feel personal. Rather, I just wasn't the person they needed. Hopefully I stay this zen about things because with as many apps as I've put in and as few jobs as there are available, I expect a few more rejection letters in the weeks to come.
Day 297 - Eat a Tamale
Date: October 30th, 2010
Oh the simple joys in life. Like trying a new food for the first time. Being squeamish about hot food (see the Ethiopian cuisine adventure if you doubt it), I'd never tried tamales. Why? Because sometimes, when people describe them, they call them "hot tamales". Seriously. That was all it took. I was surprised at how different they were from what I thought. I expected the consistency to be similar to a burrito, but it was more like... Mexican meatloaf.
Day 298 - Give Out Candy on Halloween
Date: October 31st, 2010
There is a transition point in everyone's lives when they stop going trick-or-treating because it becomes a dumb kid thing. That is usually during their teenage years when they're not forward looking enough to understand that, for the sake of peer pressure, they've giving up access to several months worth of free candy. I mean, come on teenagers. Its totally worth it.
After that, the next transition comes when you go from just not participating to actually giving out candy. The last couple years I sat on the sidelines and watched my parents give out candy or held the dogs back while kids came to the door. This year I actually did the handing out. I feel old.
Day 299 - Study with a Podcast
Date: November 1st, 2010
What the hell is a "podcast"? I feel like there should've been an alien invasion for this to be an actual term in the American lexicon. Its so many kinds of not ok. Turns out its also just a fancy, Apple term for video. Its not a podcast. Its a video. Only nerds care about the format. Also, it was a highly enjoyable and effective means of study. But whatever.
Day 300 - Be a Poll-Watcher
Date: November 2nd, 2010
A couple years ago, I was a challenger working for the Obama campaign. My job wasn't to challenge votes. It was to make sure no one from the McCain campaign challenged votes. This year I was assigned a little more interactive of a task. I had to gather the numbers for the Peters campaign (Gary Peters) and report them back to his war room. I also had to report back if there were any challenges, machine malfunctions or anything like that. Two years ago, I mostly sat around and watched people vote. This year, while there was still a lot of down time (since there were no challengers at my location), I at least got to be more directly useful.
Day 301 - Get Electronically Fingerprinted
Date: November 3rd, 2010
That was kind of epic. So, here's the thing. Never talk to people in a waiting room. About things. Ever. As my mother and I were waiting to get fingerprinted (since we're both applying for the bar at the same time), we were roped into a conversation with a very talkative, very weird young man. It was essentially passable until he brought up politics.
Now, I don't know what free pass all the darn "libertarians" think they had to rant on about politics even when people don't want to listen, but let me tell you, I gave that guy a piece of my mind. Actually, that's a lie. When his train of thought took a detour to crazyville, I just stopped talking and thought about puppies. It seemed more effective, long term, than saying anything else.
Also, the machine that takes fingerprints was totally neato.
Day 302 - Help an Old Woman Carry Groceries to her Car
Date: November 4th, 2010
I'm nice.
Day 303 - Cram for a Test with my Mother
Date: November 5th, 2010
That was weird. We set aside the day to cram for the MPRE (the ethics portion of the bar exam). Generally speaking, when I study with someone, I'm pretty effective... but it took a solid 2-3 hours to get over the cognitive dissonance associated with the fact that I was studying with my mother. Actually, we both got distracted by this game where you breed frogs. Its best for there only to be one person like my mother or I in a study group and several militantly productive people instead... but such was not the case.
Day 304 - Take the MPRE
Date: November 6th, 2010
I still think she and I did pretty well on it. We both took our time, read the questions slowly and had spent a long time studying for the test the day before. Also, we went to Steak and Shake afterwords so its really hard to be upset or worried about anything. They have bacon-cheese fries now.
Day 305 - Have a Birthday Dinner with my Boyfriend's Family
Date: November 7th, 2010
Now, don't think I'm cheating here because truthfully, I have had birthday dinners before. However, in previous relationships there was always this weird feeling that I was interrupting something personal if I, the lowly girlfriend, dared to attempt to join them at their family-only affair. So when Justin talked about his family wanting to come to Ann Arbor and get dinner at Mongolian BBQ, I got a wonderful feeling knowing that I was assumed to be on the guest list, rather than off of it. More than that even, my parents came too. It was such a great sense of family to see his folks and my folks all sitting at one table. And his nephew is the cutest thing since adorable, adorable sliced bread.
Day 306 - Write a Letter for Someone
Date: November 8th, 2010
I tend to prefer not to be someone else's voice, but I've found that there are times when knowing how something should be worded from a business standpoint is so helpful that it doesn't matter if their personality is infused in the letter. So, with that in mind and having been raised by a family of psychologist/HR managers (its like being raised in a pack of wolves, but with more use of the word "paradigm"), I set to writing a letter on behalf of a friend who was having some trouble at work. I eagerly await the results of the lettering.
Day 307 - Talk my Way out of a Ticket
Date: November 9th, 2010
I get a lot of parking tickets. Like, a lot of parking tickets. Its not on purpose, but if you park in Ann Arbor long enough, you're bound to get caught on an expired meter. Usually I just shrug, roll my eyes and whip out my wallet (because what else can you do). On this particular day, though, I got back to my car just in time to see the officer begin noting the license plate. I tried to do the casual "oh, I was just leaving", but that didn't work. So I begged. No, I'm not kidding or lying. There comes a time, in a young woman's life, when the effectiveness of her actions matters more than their outward appearance. Also, seriously, it really had only run over about two minutes earlier.
Day 308 -Mail Out Resumes
Date: November 10th, 2010
Remember that whole, applying broadly thing I mentioned earlier? Yeah, well, its a pain in the butt. I spent several hours doing this before realizing how lucky I was not to have had to do it before. Its horribly tedious, seriously annoying and it costs a buttload in postage. It will, however, be completely worth it if I find a good job once law school is done. Being particularly passionate about public interest law, as much as I may complain a little about the tedium of the application process, I'm happy to jump through whatever hoops I need to get a chance to work in the field.
Day 309 - Change a Car Battery
Date: November 11th, 2010
I'm awesome. Actually, this was one of those moments like installing cable much earlier in the year. I was so utterly convinced that I wouldn't be able to do it, but it turns out that going slow and following directions made it darn easy. Justin and I worked together to get the battery in his car replaced and I learned a valuable lesson about cars. Unlike medieval dragons (with I had previously equated them), they won't burn your face and then eat you if you get too close to them. I guess what I'm saying here is that installing a car battery made me feel a bit like a knight. Or perhaps a squire, since Justin did most of the work. What? That thing was heavy.
Day 294 - Research a Legal Question for a Friend
Date: October 27th, 2010
There are strict rules against pretending to be a lawyer if you're not one. There's that whole, ethics, thing to contend with. However, one of the things that is nice about studying the law is that, as long as you're clear with people, you can help informally with legal questions. What was particularly nice for me was being able to point a friend in the right direction so he could take care of a situation pro se (meaning, without a lawyer). I felt useful.
Day 295 - Watch Wrestling on TV
Date: October 28th, 2010
I figure if I'm going to force Justin to watch my silly shows like Desperate Housewives and other miscellaneous, unforgivably dumb television; the least I could do is see what his unforgivably dumb television is like. It was... unforgivably dumb.
Day 296 - Get Rejected by a Potential Employer
Date: October 29th, 2010
I have been fortunate in my life that when I've applied to jobs, I've tended to get them. I generally interview pretty well and I know I work hard so my recommendations are good. That being said, I'm realistic about how bad the economy is and how fierce competition is for jobs, especially for newly minted lawyers. Even so, I was surprisingly okay with getting rejected for a job. I applied very broadly and got my first rejection, of my life, when I checked the mail. While I would very seriously prefer to have a job lined up (how glorious it would be... seriously), I found myself unemotional about it. It didn't feel personal. Rather, I just wasn't the person they needed. Hopefully I stay this zen about things because with as many apps as I've put in and as few jobs as there are available, I expect a few more rejection letters in the weeks to come.
Day 297 - Eat a Tamale
Date: October 30th, 2010
Oh the simple joys in life. Like trying a new food for the first time. Being squeamish about hot food (see the Ethiopian cuisine adventure if you doubt it), I'd never tried tamales. Why? Because sometimes, when people describe them, they call them "hot tamales". Seriously. That was all it took. I was surprised at how different they were from what I thought. I expected the consistency to be similar to a burrito, but it was more like... Mexican meatloaf.
Day 298 - Give Out Candy on Halloween
Date: October 31st, 2010
There is a transition point in everyone's lives when they stop going trick-or-treating because it becomes a dumb kid thing. That is usually during their teenage years when they're not forward looking enough to understand that, for the sake of peer pressure, they've giving up access to several months worth of free candy. I mean, come on teenagers. Its totally worth it.
After that, the next transition comes when you go from just not participating to actually giving out candy. The last couple years I sat on the sidelines and watched my parents give out candy or held the dogs back while kids came to the door. This year I actually did the handing out. I feel old.
Day 299 - Study with a Podcast
Date: November 1st, 2010
What the hell is a "podcast"? I feel like there should've been an alien invasion for this to be an actual term in the American lexicon. Its so many kinds of not ok. Turns out its also just a fancy, Apple term for video. Its not a podcast. Its a video. Only nerds care about the format. Also, it was a highly enjoyable and effective means of study. But whatever.
Day 300 - Be a Poll-Watcher
Date: November 2nd, 2010
A couple years ago, I was a challenger working for the Obama campaign. My job wasn't to challenge votes. It was to make sure no one from the McCain campaign challenged votes. This year I was assigned a little more interactive of a task. I had to gather the numbers for the Peters campaign (Gary Peters) and report them back to his war room. I also had to report back if there were any challenges, machine malfunctions or anything like that. Two years ago, I mostly sat around and watched people vote. This year, while there was still a lot of down time (since there were no challengers at my location), I at least got to be more directly useful.
Day 301 - Get Electronically Fingerprinted
Date: November 3rd, 2010
That was kind of epic. So, here's the thing. Never talk to people in a waiting room. About things. Ever. As my mother and I were waiting to get fingerprinted (since we're both applying for the bar at the same time), we were roped into a conversation with a very talkative, very weird young man. It was essentially passable until he brought up politics.
Now, I don't know what free pass all the darn "libertarians" think they had to rant on about politics even when people don't want to listen, but let me tell you, I gave that guy a piece of my mind. Actually, that's a lie. When his train of thought took a detour to crazyville, I just stopped talking and thought about puppies. It seemed more effective, long term, than saying anything else.
Also, the machine that takes fingerprints was totally neato.
Day 302 - Help an Old Woman Carry Groceries to her Car
Date: November 4th, 2010
I'm nice.
Day 303 - Cram for a Test with my Mother
Date: November 5th, 2010
That was weird. We set aside the day to cram for the MPRE (the ethics portion of the bar exam). Generally speaking, when I study with someone, I'm pretty effective... but it took a solid 2-3 hours to get over the cognitive dissonance associated with the fact that I was studying with my mother. Actually, we both got distracted by this game where you breed frogs. Its best for there only to be one person like my mother or I in a study group and several militantly productive people instead... but such was not the case.
Day 304 - Take the MPRE
Date: November 6th, 2010
I still think she and I did pretty well on it. We both took our time, read the questions slowly and had spent a long time studying for the test the day before. Also, we went to Steak and Shake afterwords so its really hard to be upset or worried about anything. They have bacon-cheese fries now.
Day 305 - Have a Birthday Dinner with my Boyfriend's Family
Date: November 7th, 2010
Now, don't think I'm cheating here because truthfully, I have had birthday dinners before. However, in previous relationships there was always this weird feeling that I was interrupting something personal if I, the lowly girlfriend, dared to attempt to join them at their family-only affair. So when Justin talked about his family wanting to come to Ann Arbor and get dinner at Mongolian BBQ, I got a wonderful feeling knowing that I was assumed to be on the guest list, rather than off of it. More than that even, my parents came too. It was such a great sense of family to see his folks and my folks all sitting at one table. And his nephew is the cutest thing since adorable, adorable sliced bread.
Day 306 - Write a Letter for Someone
Date: November 8th, 2010
I tend to prefer not to be someone else's voice, but I've found that there are times when knowing how something should be worded from a business standpoint is so helpful that it doesn't matter if their personality is infused in the letter. So, with that in mind and having been raised by a family of psychologist/HR managers (its like being raised in a pack of wolves, but with more use of the word "paradigm"), I set to writing a letter on behalf of a friend who was having some trouble at work. I eagerly await the results of the lettering.
Day 307 - Talk my Way out of a Ticket
Date: November 9th, 2010
I get a lot of parking tickets. Like, a lot of parking tickets. Its not on purpose, but if you park in Ann Arbor long enough, you're bound to get caught on an expired meter. Usually I just shrug, roll my eyes and whip out my wallet (because what else can you do). On this particular day, though, I got back to my car just in time to see the officer begin noting the license plate. I tried to do the casual "oh, I was just leaving", but that didn't work. So I begged. No, I'm not kidding or lying. There comes a time, in a young woman's life, when the effectiveness of her actions matters more than their outward appearance. Also, seriously, it really had only run over about two minutes earlier.
Day 308 -Mail Out Resumes
Date: November 10th, 2010
Remember that whole, applying broadly thing I mentioned earlier? Yeah, well, its a pain in the butt. I spent several hours doing this before realizing how lucky I was not to have had to do it before. Its horribly tedious, seriously annoying and it costs a buttload in postage. It will, however, be completely worth it if I find a good job once law school is done. Being particularly passionate about public interest law, as much as I may complain a little about the tedium of the application process, I'm happy to jump through whatever hoops I need to get a chance to work in the field.
Day 309 - Change a Car Battery
Date: November 11th, 2010
I'm awesome. Actually, this was one of those moments like installing cable much earlier in the year. I was so utterly convinced that I wouldn't be able to do it, but it turns out that going slow and following directions made it darn easy. Justin and I worked together to get the battery in his car replaced and I learned a valuable lesson about cars. Unlike medieval dragons (with I had previously equated them), they won't burn your face and then eat you if you get too close to them. I guess what I'm saying here is that installing a car battery made me feel a bit like a knight. Or perhaps a squire, since Justin did most of the work. What? That thing was heavy.
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