BarBri Blahs

I'm home from a fabulous trip to NYC, and unfortunately, reality kicked in right away. I had to go check in for class today and the actual fun starts tomorrow. Yuck. I'm not sure how to get motivated, but I hope I figure it out soon. In ridiculous news, the BarBri folks thought it would be a good idea to have us all take a simulated bar exam...on the Saturday and Sunday of 4th of July weekend. WTF? That's just insane. There are many other weekends this summer - why not choose the next one? Bastards bastards bastards. Perhaps I will just blow that off, but probably not. I'm a big talker now, but when reality sets in, I'm sure I will drag myself to those stupid classrooms. Boo. We also have some weekend classes...during weeks when we have weekdays off. Why does that make sense? BarBri makes a fortune off of us poor saps and then isn't even accommodating. That blows.

Also, in typical Lisa fashion, I managed to get myself lost on the Concordia campus today when I went to pick up the BarBri materials. I found the location just fine, as I had looked at a map before arrival, but once I walked out of the building, I was completely confused and went the wrong way. For some reason, that always happens to me. It's like that part of my brain is broken or non-existent. Obviously, I eventually made my way home, since I'm writing this entry, but really, I'm not sure why I have such a hard time with navigation, if you could call it that. I can literally drive into a parking lot, go into a store, come out after five minutes and then not have a clue which way to turn out of the lot. Jigga what is that? Oh well.

Think of me tomorrow, sitting in a stupid classroom studying for the Bar. I think I would rather be at work. And thus begins the saga of BarBri.

Memorial Day in the Big Apple

We woke up around 8:30 and decided to go get bagels somewhere in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the place we had seen the night before was closed…by the Health Department. Gross. Glad we didn’t eat there. As we looked for another place, we wandered back over to Rockefeller Center, as the Today show was being filmed. That was sort of neat to see, and we actually heard the B-52s concert that was featured on the show from our hotel room. B heard it and said I think that’s the B-52s. We turned on the tv, and voila, there they were! Cool.

We then found another bagel place, and after having to explain our complicated order of two bagels and cream cheese several times, we finally emerged back into the sunlight. We ate, packed our stuff, checked out of the hotel, caught a cab to Hertz, rented a car, and off we went to Brooklyn. B wanted me to see more of the city than just Manhattan, and I’m really glad I took her advice.

As we left Manhattan, we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, which was pretty neat, and then we went to the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood, where Beth’s mom grew up and where she spent a summer living with her grandparents (as well as many other family vacations). It was a really cool neighborhood, right on the water, and the house her family owned was super cute. Unfortunately for me, NYC drivers are nuts, and our resulting defensive driving made me carsick. No vomiting, but I didn’t feel particularly great either.

After Sheepshead Bay, we hit Coney Island, which I very much enjoyed. We walked on the boardwalk, ate a bunch of junk food, walked on the beach, and I even was brave enough to walk out into the water, which was freezing. The beach/boardwalk were packed, and it was a fun environment to be in. We also headed into the amusement park area, where we played carnival games and went on two rides: the Cyclone Rollercoaster and the Tilt a Whirl. The roller coaster was awesome, even though I rode with my eyes closed for most of it, but the Tilt a Whirl was a bad idea. That was fun for about the first minute, and then after that I felt quite ill. Again, no vomiting, but that ride would have been much better if it had lasted only a minute. It was the longest Tilt a Whirl ride ever.

Back to the Cyclone – it’s a super old, wooden roller coaster, and it might have been the craziest roller coaster I’ve ever ridden. Not because it was super tall or anything like that…just because it was super curvy, super fast, and perhaps a bit…idk, dangerous. I hadn’t ridden a roller coaster for well over ten years, but I am really glad we rode the Cyclone.

Coney Island was a complete blast, but after a while we decided to move on to something a bit more chill. Beth suggested the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, so we went there. On the way, we had to stop at a Rite Aid for me to buy some motion sickness products. I bought some pills and some wrist bands. I rocked the wrist bands the rest of the way, including right now, and they seem to work decently well. I also took a pill before take off, so I’m feeling quite sleepy as I write this. Oh well, at least I haven’t vomited yet!

Back to Brooklyn: Normally I’m not a botanical garden sort of girl, but this was basically a giant outdoor park with pretty plants and flowers. The weather was fantastic again today, so spending time in the gardens was absolutely perfect. Sunny, warm, beautiful, and relaxing. Certainly can’t complain about that!

After the gardens, it was time to head to the airport. I’m actually writing this while sitting on the plane, which is a bit of a challenge, as the dude in front of me can’t sit still and has his chair leaned way back. I’m going to blame any errors or lack of quality writing on him. That sounds good to me.

To sum up my NYC holiday, I would say that it completely rocked. I liked the city quite a bit, B and I travel very well together, we did tons of fun things, we spent a ton of time outside, we visited lots of different parts of the city (I set foot in every borough), and I got to see a new place. I’m not sure I could live there, as there are just so many people and driving was insane (idk how B did it – I’m in awe). I think I would spend a lot of time carsick and wanting to kill other people so I could have some space. However, I’m sure there are places I could live and get plenty of space – Brooklyn seemed to have some of that. I would have to spend more time in the city to truly make a decision about its livability. Never say never, right? Regardless, the trip ruled. Thanks B for being a terrific guide – you rock!

Pictures:
1) Me and Beth at the ocean - Coney Island
2) Wonder Wheel at Coney Island
3) Me running out of the cold water
4) Wonder Wheel again
5) Me and the Cyclone - I rode it!
6) Coney Island
7) Boardwalk at Coney Island
8) Astroland at Coney Island
9) Fountain in Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
10) Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
11) Beth in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
12) Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
13) Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
14) Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

Sunday in the Big Apple

Beth and I slept in a bit on Sunday morning, as we were up super late on Saturday night enjoying the city. When we woke up, we stopped by Rockefeller Center so I could see it in the daylight, and then we stopped in at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Mass was taking place, so we just stopped in, looked around, took a few pictures and left. Then we walked toward the Empire State Building so I could get a pic or two. After all that, it was time to catch the subway up to Yankee Stadium, as B bought me tickets to the game for my graduation present.

We arrived at the stadium without any trouble (though we did see another rat or two in the station), and we wove our way through the crowd looking for something to eat before we went in. We found some Italian sausages and decided to split one. Poor B managed to get quite a bit of it on her shirt, so then we had to go buy a new shirt for her. She wound up with a Robinson Cano shirt, and all was well.

It was quite cool to go to the game, as the Yankees will be moving to a new stadium after this season. The current stadium has quite a bit of baseball history, and it was neat to experience it. Plus, it was just a good all around game to watch, as there was a decent amount of scoring and the Yankees eventually rallied to win. B said they normally lose when she goes, but perhaps I changed her luck. Normally, I hate the Yankees, but even I was cheering for them on Sunday. Plus, the weather was absolutely fantastic, and you can’t beat watching outdoor baseball. I can’t wait until 2010, when the Twins stadium opens.

After the game, we decided to walk through Central Park. We walked from one end to the other, meandering east and west as we made our way south. We saw many things that are regularly featured in movies, such as some famous apartment buildings, the Bethesda Fountain, bridges, the row boats in the lake, and different statues among other things. I liked the park quite a bit, and once inside, it’s hard to believe you are still in a gigantic city. There were all sorts of people there, young and old, different races and genders, couples, singles, etc. We even saw a guy playing the bag pipes, and he wasn’t doing it for money. He just stood under a bridge and played away. He had a Wisconsin shirt on…guess that makes sense. ;) Oh, a bird pooped on me (actually, on my bag) and we also saw a swimming rat and two men who “whipped it out” right in public to urinate. Good times.

After we emerged out of the south end of the park, we decided to catch a cab back to the hotel so we could shower before heading back out to dinner. B wanted Turkish food, so she did some research and found a place a few blocks from our hotel. After an excellent meal (Beth said our bodies were thrilled to consume actual vegetables), we decided to walk around a bit. We went a few blocks and suddenly stumbled upon…Times Square! Yeah, somehow we didn’t know Times Square was within walking distance of our hotel. Crazy. It does explain the long line of people waiting at a food vendor in the area well past midnight on Saturday night – we stumbled across it and had no idea where all those people came from, as our area seemed sort of quiet. Anyway, we walked through Times Square again, and we then decided to catch a movie, since we weren’t tired yet. We saw Made of Honor, and it was pretty cute. Predictable, but cute.

After the movie, we decided to call it a night. We had spent most of the day outside in the sun and a lot of it walking around, and we were both exhausted. It was another fantastic day in the city.

PS: Happy 29^th Birthday to my sister Amanda! Enjoy your day and I love you!

Pictures:

1. Statue from Rockefeller Center
2. Empire State Building
3. Yankee Stadium
4. Yankee Stadium
5. Yankee Stadium
6. Beth at Yankee Stadium
7. Me in Central Park
8. The reservoir in Central Park
9. Bethesda Fountain in Central Park
10. Beth pondering life in Central Park

Big Apple Report - Friday/Saturday

Beth and I left for NYC on Friday evening, and everything went really smoothly - our flight was on time, etc. However, we did have a pretty bumpy flight and a crazy hard landing (the pilot even commented on it). By the time we arrived at LaGuardia Airport, I was of course air sick. I don't know what happened to me, as I never used to get motion sick, but these days car and air travel can be a real challenge for me, especially when either is jerky/rocky. Oh well, I love to travel so I have to suck it up. Random note from the flight- our flight attendant seriously might have been Oliver Twist. Very odd looking/acting dude. I really wanted to shout out, "please sir, may I have some more," but I didn't think that was a good idea since we were trapped in a plane with the guy. Oh well.

Once we arrived, B's cousin Joey picked us up and I soon became car sick too. We headed to a hole in the wall diner in Flushing, Queens, (Joey promised it would have the best burgers), and we ate a sick amount of bad food (idk why I ate when I was already feeling a bit ill. Not the smartest move). We then got back into the car and headed into Manhattan to see Times Square at night. First thought: holy electricity! Second thought: wow! After driving around a bit, it was quite late, so we headed back to New Hyde Park on Long Island, where we spent the night with B's grandparents. Funny story - the door was locked when we arrived at about 2 am, as B's grandpa had looked into the guest room and thought we were in bed...not sure how he thought the two empty beds contained people...good thing he does not drive!

The next morning, we had breakfast with B's grandparents in their tiny little house. It was cute, but I swear it was made for little people! Seriously. Also, B's grandpa was basically deaf. I guess he already has bad hearing, but to make things worse, he recently used some sort of ear drops, and he literally could not hear us unless we shouted directly into his ears. However, he could somehow hear B's grandma, or at least pretended to. Is that a form of selective hearing? ;) After breakfast, we went to say hi to B's Aunt Doris, who lives about 2 blocks from her grandparents. For some reason, her house seemed more normal sized. We then went back to her grandparents' place and after a little more visiting, it was time to leave.

B called a cab to take us to the Long Island Railroad, and from there we caught a train into the city. Once we arrived at Penn Station, we caught another cab to our hotel, which is near Rockefeller Center, dropped off our luggage, and headed out to explore the city. We caught the subway and went south to explore the southern tip of Manhattan. We wandered through the various neighborhoods, eventually eating a delicious Indian lunch at a random hole in the wall joint. For some reason, we decided to risk using the bathroom at the restaurant, and as we ventured into the basement (of course it was in the basement), poor Beth was scared to death by a random cat. It had been all dark and she saw it when she flipped the light switch. I think she thought it was a rat at first, which makes sense. The entire basement bathroom experience was sort of creepy after that, so we hurried and got out of there.

After lunch, we continued walking, and as we turned a corner, I knew instantly that we had come upon the WTC site. It is absolutely huge, and I don't think you can understand that without actually being there. I literally got the goose bumps, and we both became quiet. It really feels like a sad place, and both B and I felt pretty emotional being there. The Freedom Tower is already under construction, so you cannot get super close to the actual site, but you can still see the absolute devastation that occurred there. Plus, it's hard not to think of the place as a giant tomb, as that is basically what it is. Sad, but I'm glad I saw it.

After the WTC site, we walked through Battery Park City, an area along the Hudson River. I really liked that, as I love being by the water. Plus, there were random little park areas all around, and I enjoyed those. From the water's edge, we could see Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and that was neat. Also, we found Beth's favorite childhood friend, Spiderman. B said she didn't want to pay $5 to have her picture taken with him (the Statue of Liberty performers were charging that amount), and he quickly said, it's not $5. I asked him how much it was and he said we needed to make a donation. I asked for what, and he said, "my rent." I laughed at his honesty, gave him $2, and took B's picture with him. I would say it was a fabulously spent $2.

We then made our way to the Staten Island Ferry, which is a free and fabulous way to see the Statue of Liberty fairly close up. We got to ride on the front portion of the boat, which was outside, and that was awesome. The wind felt great (we had fabulous weather all day), and I love being on the water, so it was a cool way to see things. Once the boat docked, we raced through the station (there was weird peer pressure to run as tons of other people were doing so, and we caved and joined them) and got back into line for the return trip. On the way back, we got to be by an open window, and that was great too.

After the ferry ride, we decided to catch a cab back to our hotel so we could actually check in and rest a bit before meeting up with Beth's friends/family for dinner. B napped and I played around on the inet and eventually took a much too short nap as well.

That night, B, her cousins Liz and Josh, Liz's fiance Justin, their friend Joanie, and I all caught the subway to Little Italy, where we had dinner outside at a nice Italian restaurant. I love to eat outside when the weather is nice, and we had a nice meal. However, I really should let B order for me, as I've liked everything she's ordered more than what I've ordered since we've been here. Perhaps I should just become a copycat. After dinner, we continued wandering through Little Italy, and we eventually found this fun little street fair. We of course had to play some carnival games, and Beth managed to win a stuffed Elmo. Also, even though we were all full after our huge meals, we just HAD to eat a crepe (how does one say no to nutella and banana crepes?), and it was delicious.

After the street fair, we said good bye to Liz, Josh, and Justin, as they had to catch the train back to Long Island. Joanie, B, and I decided to go to Times Square to look around and have a drink. It is Fleet Week in NYC, and Joanie wanted to find some sailors (or so she said). We found an Irish pub and had a drink. Elmo had a little too much fun, and he was quite popular with the other patrons, one of whom offered to buy us shots if we would give him to her. She then assured Joanie that she wasn't a "dyke." She was lucky B and I didn't hear her say that, as I believe there would have been words. Seriously, who frickin' says that? Also, I think it's pretty obvious that I'm gay, but I guess not to her. Anyway, Elmo returned safely with us to the hotel, and hopefully he will make it home to B's nephew Charlie. We'll see.

After we finished our drinks, we decided to call it a night. Joanie caught a cab, and we took the subway, where I saw my first NYC rats. Lots of them. I had no idea they were so big. Pretty gross, yet I was sickly fascinated by them. I couldn't turn my head away. Odd, I know. Once we arrived at our stop, we decided to quickly walk by Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral, and I enjoyed that. St. Pat's could seriously be in Europe, which is a bit odd, considering it's located in a very modern, gigantic city. Finally, after we bought some sodas for the morning from a street vendor, we called it a night and crawled into bed to fall fast asleep.

All in all, it was an awesome day! I like it here a lot, even if the number of people overwhelms me. I am not sure I could live here because of that, as I need space, quiet, and solitude at times, but perhaps there are ways to get that here too. I just don't know how, as most places we go to are filled with people. I would also need to become much more aggressive, and I'm not sure that's me. Also, the city really is quite dirty. There is garbage everywhere, which might explain the rats... Regardless of the negatives, I think NYC is a fantastic place to visit. The city really never sleeps, and I dig that. As B says, it's like a giant time warp - it could be 3 pm or 3 am and you won't know it and it doesn't really make a difference. Also, you can find any kind of food you want - literally any kind, and probably at any hour of the day. Pretty cool.

Tomorrow, we head off to the Yankees game, and I'm quite excited for that too. Stay tuned for more!

Pictures:
1) Sign for New Hyde Park station
2) Set of stairs that survived the WTC attack
3) WTC site
4) Me and Beth in Battery Park City
5) Statue of Liberty
6) Beth and Spiderman
7) View of Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry
8) View of Bridges from the Staten Island Ferry - the brown bridge is the Brooklyn Bridge
9) Near our hotel at night - Radio City Music Hall
10) Radio City Music Hall sign - near our hotel
11) Times Square at night
12) Times Square at night

Who the Heck Am I?

Blog warning: deep thoughts ahead. :)

I just spent some time driving to my parents' house, and it was the first truly down/thinking time I've had since graduation. As I was stuck in traffic on 494, I couldn't help thinking, who am I? Clearly, I'm a daughter, sister, friend, etc. But besides the obvious stuff, really, who am I? I don't feel like I'm an attorney yet, and I'm no longer a student. I guess I'm in limbo. Also, what do I stand for? I used to be all about justice, fairness, following your dreams, and doing what was right. I think I'm still those things, but I think I'm a bit lost when it comes to following your dreams. By my own choice, I'm on a slightly different path, and all I can do is hope it will be okay.

I think I'm having these "big" thoughts because I recently discovered Randy Pausch (thanks K and D). He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and he has terminal pancreatic cancer. He somewhat recently delivered his "last lecture" (it was part of a series, but in reality turned out to be true for him), and in that lecture, he emphasized following your childhood dreams. However, he said the key to doing that was leading a good life and doing what is right. I can only hope that I will eventually find my way by following his advice, but right now, I feel a tiny bit lost.

It's not that I don't think I'm a good person or that I don't lead a good life...I just don't know what I'm supposed to be doing exactly. I've never really had a passion for work, meaning that for me, it's a necessary means to an end. I don't love going to work, period. Would that change if I found the right job? Hard to know really, as I truly just enjoy people and adventure more than any sort of work (I'm not sure this makes me unique ;) ). I still hope to someday become a teacher, and then maybe I will know if I'm capable of having passion for work. Stay tuned...for about 20 years probably! Dr. Pausch would be disappointed, given that I might not have 20 years, or even 20 days. Life is short; you never know what will happen. Perhaps I should REALLY embrace that cliche. Perhaps we all should, but then who knows if the world would actually function!

Maybe all this deep thinking is just a case of the post law school blues. I'm not sure really, but the thinking is good regardless. It's always good to check in with the ol' gut, and now is as good of time as any.

FYI: Google Randy Pausch and you will have no trouble finding information on him. I started off with his book and then actually watched the last lecture too.

NYC Here I Come!

I'm going to NYC this weekend with Beth, and I am unbelievably excited. I've never been to NYC, and Beth is basically an expert, as she grew up there and has spent a great amount of time there. At this point, I think I'm most excited about going to the Yankees game, as we have pretty good tickets and it's the last year the stadium will be open. I feel lucky I get to experience that before it's gone. I'm also excited to just see how BIG the city is. I don't know if I can truly comprehend a city of that size. We'll see. Stay tuned for pictures, as I'm sure I will take tons. :)

Long time no blog

I graduated on Saturday. I can hardly believe it. It still doesn't feel real. They called my name, I walked across the stage, accepted my fake diploma, took pictures in the crazy get up, and had a party. Yet, I still can't believe it's over. I feel like I'm just on a bit of a holiday or a school break. Perhaps reality will set in when BarBri begins. Or maybe when I go to work for the first time. Who knows?

I really enjoyed the graduation activities. I participated in the 3L Booze Cruise, a boat ride down the Mississippi river. I really had a good time talking, dancing, drinking, and eating with my fellow classmates. It might be the last time I see some of them - craziness. Plus, I love being on the water, and I realized that I had never been on a boat ride on the Mississippi river. Odd, since I've been on several American and European rivers; somehow I managed to skip the biggest river in my home state. Glad that's remedied.

Saturday was the graduation ceremony, and while it felt a bit long at times, it actually went by quite quickly. Then it was on to my party, which several of my friends and my sister put together for me (thanks you guys, really you're the best). The party seemed to be a hit, and that was good.

All in all, graduation was great. It was a nice way to cap off a law school career that led to many different life experiences, some good, some challenging, but all worthwhile. I've grown and changed a ton, but at the same time, I'm still essentially me. I like that. I like that my core remains. I think it's important to have that base; otherwise it is too easy to lose one's way.

I also learned a lot during my three years, but I'm not sure I learned enough to be a lawyer. I guess I will find out, and deep down, I believe I can do it. It just will take some time to adjust to the learning curve.

I just can't get over the idea that I will never have to sit through the Socratic method again, I will never have to take a final exam again (discounting the bar), and I will never live the student life again (unless I figure out a way to not work and get another degree at the same time; not likely). I can't wait for it to set in, because I think it's gonna be great!

So law school, I bid you a final adieu. It's been both awful and amazing. I'm glad to be done with you, but I know part of me will miss you too, sick as that sounds. Adios!

Life after law school part deux

26. Blog more and blog better.
27. Update my myspace page. That thing is stale.
28. Order pictures and complete photo albums.
29. Go to more Twins games.
30. Eat watermelon.

I'm open to suggestions.

Life after law school

Things I plan to do now that I've finished law school:

1. Sleep. This is priority number 1.
2. Spend time with my fabulous family and friends, who have endured "law school Lisa" for 3 years. Sorry for the mass texting today peeps - I was just so dang happy that I couldn't help it! Let's hang out soon. Also, I honestly can't remember the last time I've been to my parents' house. Pathetic.
3. Work out.
4. Eat better (based on 3 and 4, finishing law school has made me optimistic).
5. Clean my apartment. It's amazing how much I neglected that chore. I never knew I had that in me.
6. Travel - as much as my limited budget and Barbri time constraints will allow me.
7. Relax.
8. Donate clothes and other stuff to charity. Anyone interested in free stuff, probably mostly clothes, give me a shout out.
9. Surf the web. More than I do now.
10. Watch movies. I'm WAY behind on my Blockbuster queue.
11. Watch tv - I have an entire season of Beauty and the Geek to watch. Don't mock me.
12. Play with Tony. He's had it rough.
13. Take walks.
14. Sit outside.
15. Swim in the pool.
16. Talk on the phone or text. More than I do now. It's possible. Shut up.
17. Sell law books. I don't want to see them again.
18. Study for the bar exam. Notice how low this is on the list.
19. Finish the miscellaneous things on my omnipresent "to do" list.
20. Wash my car.
21. Catch up on my People magazines.
22. Read FOR FUN! Yay!
23. Attempt to play softball. Attempt is the key word.
24. Master the Wii. I can't wait. My Mii misses me. She told me...or I told me. Whatever.
25. Master the drums on Rock Band.

And that's just the things I thought of off the top of my head. The possibilities are endless...at least until Barbri starts and I begin working at the firm. Ah, reality.

I fricking did it!

I finished law school today...that's all for now! Too much going through my mind to really write - joy, happiness, excitement, relief, sadness, etc. Stay tuned for more!

My friend Sarah rocks...

and might be a little evil too! JK, Sarah! Seriously though, she is quite creative, and she puts that talent to good use in regular pranks. Recently, she catnapped her co-worker's Hello Kitty cat. The picture below is the latest ransom note. Awesome - I say awesome a lot. Perhaps I should work on that. Anyway, enjoy. Rock on, Sarah!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in the world! Well really, I imagine maybe only 1 or possibly 2 moms actually read this blog, but whatever. I'm putting the love out there. To my mom - "you're simply the best!" :) I love you dearly and I wouldn't be where I am (arguably I turned out okay) without you. I admire your strength, compassion, wisdom, loyalty, and bravery. Thanks so much!

In related news, my family went out to eat last night to celebrate Mom's day, and it was quite fun. Great to see everyone, including Amanda and Blair, who came down for the special day. The meal was excellent and the company was even better. Good times. Possibly stay tuned for some pictures - I'm hoping Samantha will share, as I forgot my camera. Okay, clearly Samantha shared, as there are pics on the blog. :)

In other completely unrelated news, only 2 finals stand between me and graduation. I have until Wednesday to complete them. Unfortunately, I've sort of hit the wall. You see, I really hate finals. I imagine most law students do, but they do something special to me...sort of leave me in a state of semi-panic and exhaustion for two weeks. People often say, why don't you just go take the test and do your best - clearly you will pass. However, for some reason, that's just not good enough for me. Despite my slacker ways, I still haven't been able to let go of my perfectionism. As a result, I spend most of finals period glued to my laptop, guzzling diet coke, eating bad food, and sleeping very little. Oh, and procrastinating, as evidenced by this blog. Blech - perhaps one day I will learn to ease up a bit. Probably not, but a girl can hope!

The reality of graduation hasn't set in yet. Sarah mentioned that she will be here on Friday, and I thought to myself, holy crap! That's less than a week away. Less than a week from now, I will be done with law school forever (barring a disaster on 2 finals - I can fail one and still graduate). The last three years have both dragged on and flown by - how is that possible? One minute I felt mired in the awfulness of law school, and the next I'm a 3L in May. Whoa!

I keep waiting to feel overwhelmed with joy...nothing yet, but maybe that won't happen until after finals. Or perhaps not. In actuality, I imagine I will experience an array of feelings - joy, sadness, pride, relief, etc. Law school always seemed like such a daunting task, something I didn't want but yet felt compelled to do, and now it's over. It's finally over. Really, I think I'll mostly just feel relief. Sad, but true. Ah the complexities of me!

Adios para ahora!

Pictures:
1) Mom and Dad
2) Manda and Blair
3) Me, duh. I'm smelling the gift bag - it smelled delicious! I look really tired.
4) Samantha
5) Mary (my second mom) opening one of her cards
6) Jessie and Brad - my siblings via Mary.

PS to K and P - thanks for the study care package; you guys rock!
PPS to BT - travel safely tomorrow!
PPPS to K and D - I'm thinking about you guys!

I survived the 2008 MS Walk!

In fantastic news (in my strongly biased opinion), I survived the 2008 MS Walk! I even managed to do so without having to dodge flying tents or any other dangerous objects. In fact, the walk went incredibly smoothly. Honestly, I'm not sure it could have been better. We had fantastic weather, the rest stops along the route were plentiful and well stocked with delicious treats and water, the finish line was filled with cheering folks which made me grin uncontrollably, and we had more even more snacks at the end (located in the lovely Minnehaha Park).

To improve the day even further, I managed to make my fundraising goal of $2000 at the very last minute, as my aunt and uncle, Nicole and Doug, came through with a huge donation. My mom also helped with a very generous donation near the end. Thanks much to them and to everyone who so generously donated to the Walk this year; with your help I once again raised more money than ever before. Additionally, my team, composed of me, my sister Samantha, our family friend Jessie, and my dad, raised nearly $6000! According to my sister, that makes us one of the top fundraising teams; not too bad considering many teams have way more members.

After the walk, I went to Beth's and crashed for about 3 hours - I still have no idea how we used to walk 18 miles (the length of the walk when I first started ten years ago). Absolute insanity I tell you, as today's little 6.5 mile route exhausted me. To say the least, I'm glad the walk is much shorter now. Perhaps when I'm 40 I'll have to do the little 1.5 loop! Ha!

Thanks again to everyone that supported me this year - my friends and family continue to amaze me on a daily basis. Lots of love to all!

If you want to see more pictures and read another account of the day, go to Samantha's blog.

Pictures:
1: The four of us at the beginning of the walk
2: Samantha and me before we started
3: Me, Samantha and Dad at the rest stop sponsored by Great River Energy, my dad's company.
4. Reenacting the great tent debacle of the 2007 MS Walk. (or at least attempting to do so, which was hard because I kept laughing - at least we were near the actual location.)
5. Me at Minnehaha Falls after we finished - enjoying a well deserved Coke.

Goal for the 2008 MS Walk: Survival!

Sunday is the MS walk, and I have a goal (in addition to raising tons of money - thanks peeps!): survival. Why you ask? Well, last year I barely managed to escape major injury from a fly away tent (the kind you rent for graduation parties, not the kind you camp in) at a rest stop along the route. Literally.

Here's what happened: I had waited in line for chocolate milk and then I stopped to look at the signs listing the names of the $1000 fundraisers when suddenly I heard the two guys playing guitar and singing nearby say, "WHOA!" I turned to look and the big tent covering the guys was being blown off the ground and heading right toward me. Of course, out of the hundreds of people in the area, the tent somehow only hit me. After it hit me, it then kept going and almost hit a car on the River Road. Fortunately, I was able to throw my arms up in time to protect my head. I just wound up quite scared and with a decent bruise on my elbow. It was honestly quite frightening, and my dad and Samantha will vouch for me when I say I'm not being overdramatic. I truly felt lucky that nothing worse happened.*

So, given that incident, I think survival is an excellent goal for Sunday! Keep your fingers crossed; you never know when a tree branch will fall down or other such calamities might occur!

Also, let's hope for nice weather. Through the years, I've walked in snow, rain, sleet, and a combination of all three. Sunny and cool would be perfect, thank you very much weather gods.

*This blog was shamelessly adapted from a previously posted blog entry on Myspace. Finals are here; cut me some slack!