A world without real journalism

Would be a scary world indeed, but it seems we are headed in that direction. As newspapers all over the country die a slow, painful death, I worry about what will become of us and our society. Who will do the investigative work that needs to be done? Who will ask the questions that need to be asked? Who will keep the government honest, or at least more honest? Really, these are important questions and the current answers scare the crap out of me. Clearly it won't be TV journalists, as tv news is already just fluff, and I don't think bloggers can answer the call either. Our government is proposing massive new powers in the wake of the recession, and yet barely anyone is asking any questions...I'm decently liberal, but I don't think the government should take on such powers without any checks. Basically, we need real journalism to question power and to at least attempt to keep it in check.

The younger generation might laugh at me, thinking I'm old fashioned and outdated. They may say, the internet will provide our news, via blogs, twitter and facebook. I'm sorry Gen Y, but those things just don't cut it. Very few of them are properly researched or fact checked, and very few have the resources to actually follow and report stories. Though we might not know it yet, I fear that the death of newspapers will leave a gaping hole to fill, and our current sources just won't fill the void. I can't see bloggers out there interviewing President Obama or Governor Pawlenty...blogs get their news from the AP or other newspapers. Where will the news come from when those papers no longer exist? We will live in a world where we won't know what's rumor and what's truth, and that sounds like a scary world to me. A REALLY scary world.

Despite my fears, I'm not sure there is anything to be done. It seems that newspapers are destined to die, and nothing as legitimate exists right now. Don't get me wrong - I like to read blogs and Twitter, but I don't see how they can actually deliver real, researched news like the current newspaper industry does now. It just doesn't seem possible. I can only hope that newspapers will evolve into something different yet still as effective...an online version perhaps. If not, I fear what will become of us...a nation of uninformed souls, all relying on different sources of information, most spewing rumors, gossip, and plain old mistruths (think Michele Bachmann for instance). I don't know how democracy, what little we have left anyway, can survive such a development. Scary to think about...scary indeed.

I could have sworn I was only 32...

When I was an athlete in high school (and even when I played intramurals in college), I never bothered with stretching or warm ups, and I never put much thought into cooling down either. I figured I felt great and that would never change. Stretching and all that other stuff was for old people, and I had better things to do. I also played sports for about two to four hours each day and never gave that a second thought either. I was young, in good shape, and felt great.

Fast forward to today - I'm only 32 and my body is falling apart! My right ankle is structurally unsound from all the sprains, and the tendon inside it is splitting. I demolished my right knee almost four years ago playing softball (tore the ACL, MCL, and both menisci), and that's never been the same. I had severe tendonitis in my right elbow during high school, and that still bothers me. My left elbow is super sore from - get this - carrying heavy bags on the train. How pathetic is that? And to top it all off, I'm pretty sure I have a pinched nerve in my lower back, as my back hurts and the pain runs down my left leg - a fiery sort of pain. My doctor wants me to have an MRI on my back, but I'm trying to save money for the house so that will probably have to wait a bit.

All these ailments make me look pretty funny from time to time. I have knee braces, elbow braces, and ankle braces. I have ice packs and heating pads, and lots of mineral ice. I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and literally hobble to the bathroom, hunched over. Honestly, if someone didn't know better and couldn't see me, s/he might guess that I'm 82 rather than 32. Funny. Sad and funny. Good thing I at least have my youthful looks; no one ever guesses I'm even close to 30, let alone 32.

Anyway, looking back, I'm not sure if my lack of stretching and all the sports actually caused any of these ailments, but it's hard to imagine they didn't at least contribute to some of them. Overuse injuries in kids are becoming more and more common, and I was probably the queen of overuse when I was a kid. Overuse in combination with no stretching, etc. However, even if I could pinpoint all the childhood sports as the cause of my current condition, I'm not sure I would change a thing. I loved every moment of my athletic days! I guess my creaky old body is something I have to live with in exchange for the fun I had back then. Stretching once in a while probably wouldn't have hurt though - a lesson to pass on to my kids I suppose. As if they'll listen...and then the cycle will begin again! :)

In all seriousness though, I do recognize most of these things are not a laughing matter, especially my back. And I worry that I maybe inherited my mom's bones/joints, which means I will be in REALLY rough shape in 20 years (Mom - I mean that will all due respect. I hope you know that). I actually decided to really commit to losing weight via Weight Watchers because I recognized something had to change if I wanted to feel good in 10 years. My poor joints are in rough enough shape without all the extra weight to carry around. Plus, I figure being a lot lighter can help delay and decrease some of the genetic trouble I may encounter later. Even though the damage is already done, I don't have to worsen it by carrying extra pounds. Knowing the potential health consequences of being heavy makes my weight loss even that much sweeter - it's easier to stay on track when I have a concrete reason to do so. I hope I can keep that perspective as I continue on the journey, as it's a long one; a lifelong one really. I guess I have no choice but to stay the course, as I really want to be able to play catch with my kids in a few years or to walk when I'm 70. I don't want to feel like I'm 102 when I'm 52! I can only imagine what that might look like... :)

One of the worst places to live?

The Pew Research Center recently released a poll ranking people's choices for the U.S. cities in which they would like to live. I believe the institute surveyed 2,000+ people or so. The results? Minneapolis-Saint Paul came in 26 out of 30. Only Kansas City, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Detroit ranked lower. OUCH! Cities like Houston, Las Vegas, Saint Louis, Dallas, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh beat us. Double OUCH (Houston especially - that place is just awful)! I believe Denver came in first, San Diego second and Seattle third.

I have mixed thoughts on this survey. It definitely stung, as I have a lot of hometown pride. However, as we are enduring the worst winter since 1984, I can see why people would not want to live here. It's brutally cold in the winter, disgustingly muggy in the summer, and super sloppy in the spring (when we get a spring). We do have fantastic autumns here, so that's at least something. I get it though - the climate sucks for most of the year. And as it turns out, people really valued climate, particularly warmth, in their choices (though how Seattle came in third then is beyond me - hello no sun for half the year!). Also, most people who move here say it's extraordinarily difficult to break into a group of friends; basically that Minnesota Nice only exists on a surface level. Again, I have to admit they are probably right - I've actually known people who have said that their lives are full and that they don't need any more friends. Obviously, that sort of attitude doesn't help newcomers feel welcome. Plus, the level of passive-aggressiveness that exists here is insane! So much so that some of B's coworkers don't get her when she's just herself - speaks her mind and is completely honest and direct. Hell, sometimes even I don't get that - I'm always searching for the underlying truth of her statements. Clearly, that passive-aggressive thing was hammered into me.

Despite all the bad things about the Twin Cities, I still love it here. And I think others would too, if they gave it a shot. We have fantastic parks, lakes, and trails. We have good schools (Minnesota consistently ranks in the top 5 in the nation), and we have activities for all - all four major sports leagues have teams here, we have a WNBA team and a professional soccer league team, we have fantastic arts (consistently ranking near the top for regional theater, with the Lion King debuting here. Also, the Frida Kahlo show opened its U.S. tour here), and a decent night life (obviously not like NYC). For a city of this size, I think all that stuff is pretty damn good! Also, within 2.5 hours, you can be hanging out in Duluth and exploring Lake Superior, or within 4-5 hours, you can be off exploring the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area. I'm not sure how you beat that.

Maybe there is a lesson for us Minnesotans to learn from this survey: if we want people to move here and endure our brutal climate, we must be kinder and more open to newcomers. No one wants to move anywhere they can't make friends (my sister Samantha is struggling to make friends in Seattle now, and it took Sarah a full year to break in to a group in Northampton - that's hard stuff)! It doesn't help that most Minnesotans grew up here, which means they have a lifetime of built in friends and acquaintances. This also means a lifetime of familial and friend obligations as well. This phenomenon results in busy, full schedules and a crazy social calendar at times. However, it probably wouldn't be that hard to open our doors and our hearts to new folks from time to time. And really, we would probably benefit more from it than the newcomers in the long run anyway. Insularity is NOT a good thing, as it stifles learning and personal growth amongst other things.

Perhaps I should make it a goal to try to meet some new folks this year, sort of a belated New Year's resolution if you can call it that. I think I like that idea. Perhaps we should all give it a shot! Now I just need to figure out how to go about doing that...stay tuned.

Rage Against...Everything?

I'm not sure what is going on with me lately, but little things irritate me to no end. Meaning, I'm getting furious over idiotic, daily life things. It's like I have 'roid rage, but without the steroids. Odd. Perhaps mildly justified (see below), but really, still out of proportion.

A few examples: I stopped at McDonalds the other day to pick up a hot fudge sundae for B, who wasn't feeling well. I wanted to do something nice for her; alas, McDonalds did not assist me. Why? Because apparently their idea of a hot fudge sundae is a squirt of chocolate on the bottom of the cup, a ton of vanilla ice cream, and then a drizzle of chocolate on top. And to make it worse, it had to be the slowest McDonalds ever. Honestly. So normally, this incident would leave me mildly irritated. Not last week though; I was seriously angry. So much so that I complained for a long time to B. And I think I twittered about it too. Whoa. Like I said, I think I had a right to be irritated, as I paid for something and didn't receive it, but come on - get a grip!

Another example: I grocery shop at Target a lot. I find the experience to usually suck, as they are normally out of many, many things, and their produce goes bad in approximately 3 minutes (okay, okay, more like four days). Plus, it's always overcrowded, and people drive their carts like they drive their cars - idiotically. One of my biggest pet peeves at Target is the cashiers. Usually, they are slow, and half the time they have no idea how to bag groceries. Sometimes they attempt to use all plastic bags without asking (when I'm shopping, I buy a lot of food - WW makes me eat at home a lot more). What, am I supposed to carry out 20 plastic bags? How does that make any sense? Another thing - they always try to put the fruit in with the cans, which greatly bruises the fruit (which then shortens its short life even further). And the other day, my cashier packed ALL of my cans in one bag. Hello moron! How am I supposed to carry that bag without having it break into several pieces in the parking lot? And he also forgot to use my coupons (after HE had pushed them to the side). When I mentioned that, he said I had to go to customer service if I wanted the credit. Now, it wasn't like I was going to be saving a lot, but it's the principle really. How can someone do their job so poorly??? I left Target feeling so angry that I actually vented to Karen on the phone. I swear I need daily Xanax or something...

One more example - I paid for a car wash tonight and the car wash failed to finish washing my car. I was in a hurry, so I asked the cashier if I could have my money back. He refused and said I could have a free wash, which meant having to go to the end of the line and waiting again...for a car wash that may or may not work. Again. I didn't have time, so I took the free wash and left in a huff, vowing to myself to never shop there again. Honestly, how can all these places be so craptastic? How can I learn to accept that I live in a mediocre, at best, world? Perhaps I need to seriously consider my xanax idea above...

Or maybe it's not totally me, and maybe we are just living in a world without customer service and without quality products, making me rightfully disgruntled, at least somewhat so. I don't remember things being so awful even five years ago. I'm not sure what is happening, but customer service seems to be completely dead. I really don't think it's too much to ask for decent service and a decent product when I'm SPENDING money on it. Come on people, get with the show! I also hate the argument that people don't want to work hard because they aren't paid well. Hello, I worked at Wal-Mart and Byerlys as a kid, and I busted my ass for my tiny wages. I guess some people just don't believe in working hard or even just doing a good job anymore either. Sad, but true. This is not to say that I don't believe in paying people livable wages. Obviously I know many people are paid horrifically, particularly teachers, but that is a post for another day. However, along with my belief that we should pay people better, I guess I just believe people should work hard and do their best too, no matter what their job is.

Unfortunately, I don't think the world is going to be changing any time soon, so I need to figure out how to implement an attitude adjustment if I don't want to be a raging bitch all of the time. I think lowering my expectations is a good place to start, and perhaps I need to reexamine where I choose to spend my money as well. I used to love Target, but it's not the same as it was even 5 years ago. Too much cost cutting has led to some horrible experiences, and they have changed their political priorities as well. Maybe it's time to shop elsewhere, though I refuse to go to Wal-Mart. Same goes for eating out - maybe I will only choose places that still value service and provide quality food. Might cost a bit more, but probably worth it.

Regardless of what I change, I know I have to do something. If I don't, I'll be the mad woman driving around screaming to myself in a Honda Civic...watch out world! :)

Duggar Wedding Insanity

B, Karen, and Paige suckered me into watching the Duggar wedding the other night. If you aren't familiar with the Duggars, you are missing out on a whole new level of insanity. Hard core, bible thumping, conservative Christian, southern family with EIGHTEEN kids. 1 8 ! Insanity, pure insanity. Don't get me started on all the reasons why having that many kids is just wrong, as that would equal an entire additional post. Instead, I will focus on the insanity of the wedding, which was the point of the crazy episode we watched.

In this episode, the oldest Duggar son (probably about 20 years old) was getting married...to a woman he had never even kissed! He hadn't dated her, talked to her much, hung out with her...he didn't know her and she didn't know him. It was basically an arranged marriage, and it was just creepy. The worst part - the son was so horny (well, duh, after 20 years of NOTHING) that his entire focus was on finishing the ceremony and racing back to the hotel. He kept saying that he didn't want anything to interfere with their departure time...that poor girl he married! A lifetime of Christian, missionary style, jackrabbit, let's make a baby sex lasting for a minute or so...EW. An even creepier part - his dad gave him some DVD explaining what should happen on the wedding night before the wedding. The four of us actually considered ordering that DVD just for the laughs!

Anyway, back to the wedding...how does anyone think this is a good idea?!? They are both super young and have barely experienced anything yet. Getting married without at least even kissing...what if there is no chemistry? What if they aren't physically sexually compatible (this is actually possible)? I guess they are just out of luck, or at least she is. Her wifely duties will require her to put out for the rest of her days, no matter how bad it is. Her duty is to reproduce, and now I'm sure they will go about overpopulating the earth just like his parents...creating little babies to continue on their weird, screwed up community. Scary, but mostly sad. I feel sad for her.

Obviously I could be wrong; they could wind up blissfully happy. Maybe I'm too cynical or too jaded. I guess we'll never know, as she won't be able to speak up if things turn sour. I never thought I would say this, but it turns out being raised Catholic wasn't so bad afterall!

That's a lot of butter!

I'm now down 20.6 lbs on Weight Watchers! Yay! I feel good about this loss, really good. My clothes feel bigger, my face looks thinner, and my knee feels better. All joyous things.

However, from day one of my weight loss journey, I've had a hard time thinking about how long it will take me and how hard it will be to stay motivated for such a long time...really, for life. When I really think about it, it's hard not to get discouraged. To help me with that, B. came up with a good visual image - picture one box of butter (4 sticks) as one pound of weight off my body. One might seem small, but when you add up twenty boxes? That's a LOT of butter! That image helps me to recognize what an accomplishment my weight loss is as of right now, even if it's only the beginning of the journey.

It also amuses me to picture the 100 boxes of butter that represent what I need to lose to reach my "goal" weight (really, if I lost that much I would be smaller than I was in high school, when I was in good shape, so I don't see that happening.). 100 boxes of butter...that's just amazing!

Regardless of how many boxes of butter I need to or choose to lose, I feel good about the twenty I've already lost! I think it's important to recognize that as an achievement in itself, even if I have many boxes to go. Thanks to everyone who is supporting me, especially B. I'm sure she's sick of hearing about food, points, meetings, exercise, etc., but she's quite patient and supportive through it all. Gotta love that! Thanks so much to her and everyone else. With all of you at my back, I will be able to stick with it and eventually say "bye bye butter!" I won't miss you, not even a little bit!

When is the flood coming?

Is a flood coming? Have warnings been issued? I'm not really sure, but clearly, Twin Cities men must think a flood is coming, as I'm seeing many of them wearing super short pants lately. As in ankle showing short. And in all types of pants - suit pants, khakis, jeans, you name it. Yikes! Obviously, women do this too, but lately, the male offenses seem more egregious.

Because I'm fairly confident we aren't about to be flooded, I'm not sure why this is happening. Perhaps people have packed on some pounds, making their pants fit shorter. Perhaps they just bought the wrong size, or maybe their tailors screwed up. Regardless, short pants make people look ridicious and clown like! I know my libran soul causes me to care more about physical appearance than I should, but I'm willing to bet the non-libran folks out there would completely agree with me as well. Short pants = clown car with you spilling out of it! Or Revenge of the Nerds. Seriously.

A rule of thumb - your pants should at the very least touch your shoes (don't quote this as a fashion rule - it's a Lisa rule for what looks halfway decent). I should not see your ankles, period. This is especially true when you are dressing for work. I know the economy is bad right now, but that makes it even more important to look sharp for work. Heck, even Target sells some decent dress pants, and you can always tailor your old clothing too. No excuses - end the short pants now! Oh, and don't get me started on male capris - yuck! ;)

Adventures in FloHo

I spent the weekend in Florence, Massachusetts, aka FloHo, where Sarah lives. FloHo is part of Northampton (I think this is right - it confuses me. It's sort of the British model with villages in towns, etc.). I had a really good time, and it was fun to meet Sarah's friends and her new girlfriend, Patty O'Brien. Random note - could her name be any more Irish? Beth wanted me to say "top o' the morning to ya, Patty O'Brien" when I met her, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Sarah and I giggled about it all weekend though. :)

In surprising news, my flights out east were all on time. I made my connection in Philly with no problem, and my flight into Hartford was actually early. When does that EVER happen these days? Air travel is just not fun anymore. In fact, it's often the opposite of fun - miserable. The planes are full, you have to fight for space in the overhead bins because no one wants to pay to check their bags, and flights are always delayed or cancelled. Every time I have to buy a ticket with a layover, I fret about actually making the connection, especially on short weekend trips. If a non-stop flight is available, I seriously consider purchasing it even if it's $100 more. Sad, but true. The airlines are a disaster, and yet we as consumers have no viable alternatives. Boo.

Anyway, after my surprisingly successful travels on Friday, Sarah picked me up and then we got dinner from Bueno y Sano, a local burrito place in Northampton (NoHo). It was delicous! Then we went over to Larissa and Heather's house, Sarah's friends, and we watched a movie. I loved their house - they have done all the remodeling work themselves, and I swear it looks like a Martha Stewart/Real Simple house. Beautiful. They even had great Christmas decorations and a tree.

Saturday morning, I was supposed to participate in a walk for a local safe house, but I woke up with a migraine. I slept in while Sarah walked and Patty ran, and eventually I felt better. We ran some errands, and then we went to a place called Judie's. Judie's is famous for popovers, and they were quite good. After dinner, we went to the local debut of a GLBT movie called Tru Loved. It was quite cute, but it always amazes me how bad the acting is in most GLBT films/TV shows. The main character, Tru, did a decent job, but some of the others were quite painful/humorous to watch. Sarah thought it might be because most GLBT movies are low budget, but many low budget movies aren't horribly acted. I just don't get why we can't do better. Maybe someday.

The movie experience was rather unique. It seemed like every lesbian in NoHo was there, and they all seemed to know each other. It was a like an odd family reunion or something. While it seems like such an environment would feel welcoming, it actually felt sort of off putting. Perhaps it's because I'm not from there, or perhaps it's the fact that they all seem to know each other's business. I'm guessing that everyone has dated everyone too. Idk, the whole thing was just surreal! NoHo is an odd place for that same reason - it's like if Chaska was a gay town. I'm not sure why I felt uncomfortable or why I found the whole thing funny, but I did. I need to do some more self exploration of that, as it doesn't make sense that I would feel uncomfortable in an all lesbian environment. Internalized homophobia perhaps? ;)

After the movie, we went to a neat coffee shop in town with some of our fellow movie goers. I really liked the place, but I skipped all drinks due to WW and because I don't really like coffee. One small victory in a weekend filled with food disasters!

On Sunday, we all slept in a bit and then went shopping in NoHo. I love shopping in NoHo for some reason. Lots of little cute shops filled with things created by local folks and non-local folks. Just really cute stuff, and I love it. After shopping, it was time for a quick lunch and then it was off to the airport. The weekend flew by, and I was sad to go. This time, I seriously considered whether I should move out there...I miss Sarah, and I'm tired of the bitter cold (it doesn't get quite as bitter there). I do think NoHo is too small for me, but perhaps Boston. Maybe some day...

Back to the airlines and air travel - here's a funny story about my return trip home: My flight to Philadelphia was on time, but then we were stuck on the runway for a LONG time because a plane broke down and had to be towed away. We sat there long enough that I started to worry about missing my connection, but we finally started to move forward. I made my connection, and then when that plane landed in Mpls (25 minutes late due to the disabled plane forcing all the planes to be late), they didn't have a jetway ready for us. They also couldn't find a jetway driver. What the heck? LOL. I finally got off the plane and headed home.

Really, the travel mishaps weren't a big deal, especially considering I've been through much worse, but I can't remember the last time I flew without some problem. It's like the airlines are held to a completely different customer service standard - or perhaps they just don't have any at all. Yuck. At least my plane wasn't the disabled one - those poor folks might still be in Philly!

JCC or YWCA?

I want to join a gym as part of my plan to lose weight, but I'm not sure which gym to choose. However, I do know I don't want to join Lifetime or some other corporate gym. I figure I can and should work out somewhere that gives back to the community, and those for profit places don't really compete in that department. Plus, the cost is comparable, so why wouldn't I choose such a place?

Because of that decision, I recently looked at the YWCA and the JCC. I like them both, but I think I like the J better. The only problem is that the Y is literally right next to the Lake Street park and ride station and the J is all the way across town in Saint Louis Park (okay, I do realize that SLP isn't THAT far, but I ride the LRT and often work late - driving to SLP seems harder, especially if it's ever during rush hour). I want the gym I choose to be convenient, as otherwise I probably won't go a whole lot. I need to go at least 8 times a month to receive the insurance discount, but I think I would like to go more than that even. Thus, the Y is tempting for that reason alone. It's the ideal location - I could go right after getting off the train or I could stop at B's and then go back without having to drive more than a mile either way. It doesn't get much easier than that. However, I do like the J better - the workout equipment seemed better, and the place had a warmer feel overall. I'm not sure what to do!

To complicate matters, both clubs have joiners' fee deals that run through Sunday, but I don't think we'll be home from WI in time to join a gym that day. As a result, I have to decide which club by tomorrow if I want to take advantage of the discounts. I think I'll probably just commit to one month at the J and then see how it goes. Wish me luck, and if you have any advice, please share!

I'm getting old

When I turned 32 this fall, I thought it sounded old. 31 didn't seem that bad, but 32...that felt different. Yesterday, I realized it IS different! I played in an all day volleyball tournament, and by the end of the day, I was pretty sore. Today, I can't really move around without stiffness. All of this is after taking a good amount of ibuprofen yesterday. Pretty funny. I can remember clearly being able to play volleyball, basketball, or softball games all day as a kid or a teenager without many consequences. I guess I can't blame it all on age, as there were women much older than me playing all day too (though, I have no idea how they feel today. ;) ). I'm sure it also doesn't help that I'm in terrible shape, but still I can't help thinking it has something to do with getting older. Sad, but true.

People always tell me that these days, 30 is young, blah blah blah. To those folks, my body begs to differ today - I'm certainly not over the hill, but 32 is NOT 16. I guess I need to add ibuprofen to the list of things for which I'm grateful this Thanksgiving. ;)

LRT adventures

I take the light rail train to work everyday. In fact, the only time I've ever driven to the firm was for my callback interview. I took the train every single day during the summer of 2007, and I've taken it everyday so far this month. It's sort of a point of personal pride now - not only does driving downtown seem like it sucks, but I feel like I'm doing a good thing by keeping my car off the road. I can't explain it really; it just makes me feel good to utilize mass transit.

However, not everything about it is sunshine and happiness. An example: the other day, it was quite hot, and the train was quite full. As more and more people boarded and several had to hold the overhead hand rings, I experienced a disgusting odor as it grew and wafted through the train - body odor. Yuck. It certainly wasn't as bad as the subway/trains in Europe (yikes), but it wasn't good either. People - daily showers are important, and so is deodorant. Just do it! If not for you, then think about your fellow riders (and everyone else you come in contact with). Or, to paraphrase a hokey commercial from my childhood, don't raise your hand unless you're sure!

Stay tuned for more reports on my LRT adventures, as I'm sure there will be more. :)

Reality Check

Okay, that last entry contained a lot of complaints, which is sort of ridiculous since I've been on "holiday" all month. Plus, given the blogs I regularly read, I know life could be much, much worse. In an instant, you can lose everything, and that is something to complain about. So, I know I'm blessed and lucky, and I hope you all can see that I typically recognize that. I rant sometimes, but life is good, and I'm lucky. Just felt I had to throw that out there!

I love the Minnesota Twins!

I've always loved the Twins (seriously, I watched them when they REALLY sucked), and this season, they are amazingly fun to watch. They really shouldn't be competing, yet somehow they are; this is true despite the blow out last night by the dreaded Yankees (sorry, B). And besides being good, they are truly a class act organization. Justin Morneau was incredibly gracious after winning the home run derby, noting that everyone will remember Hamilton's performance, not his victory. The night after that, the man goes out and gets two hits and scores the winning run in the All-Star game. Still no bravado or arrogance. Joe Mauer is the same, and so are the rest of the guys for the most part. I simply love that - talent AND class. Many professional athletes can learn from my Twins.

It's too early to say how things will turn out for them this year, but I do know this: win or lose (though I do prefer the winning), the Minnesota Twins rock, and they make me love the game of baseball even more than I already do. Now if they could only beat the dreaded Yankees...(sorry B!).

Go Twins!

BarBri Instructors and Sexual References

As my BarBri course continues, I'm noticing an irritating and somewhat disgusting habit that many of the instructors have: trying to captivate our attention through the use of often inappropriate sexual references. Of course, none of the women instructors have had this problem, just the men, and they are all quite a bit older than my dad. It's like we are learning the law from dirty old men!

An example: While explaining that contracts cannot be one sided (both parties need to be bound, etc.), the instructor said, "there is no masturbating in contracts." Now really, this guy had to be pushing 70, which was like my grandfather making that comment. Yuck. Another example: today our torts instructor discussed an erotic dream as part of a hypothetical for a good 2 minutes, and the dream ultimately had nothing to do with any of the law we were discussing. It added absolutely nothing, except to make us all really uncomfortable. WTF is up with these creepsters?!? Oh, another random thing: the torts instructor also likes to refer to people "pooping" themselves. Honestly, it's like I'm being taught by 10 year old boys.

It might seem like I'm overreacting, but anyone who knows me knows I'm not a prude and that I'm not offended super easily (I went through that stage when I was a radical in college ;) ). However, these instructors just gross me out, and I'm not alone in that feeling. One of my classmates actually left early today (though, I think she left not only because the man was offensive, but also because he is the slowest instructor EVER). My other classmates all discussed it while we were on our breaks. Honestly, it's just gross, and I want it to stop.

So, BarBri instructors, here's the word: Disgusting sexual references aren't needed to capture and maintain our attention, and you can be funny without them. Most of us made it past the 4th grade long ago, and most of us already are professionals. Please treat us that way. Also, please explore and further develop your senses of humor; there are other ways to be funny. Seriously, no one wants to learn the law from Creepy McCreepsters.

Peace out.

Some guidance for myself

Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. ~ Aristotle

The only journey is the journey within. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Yes, know thyself: in great concerns or small, Be this thy care, for this, my friend, is all. ~ Juvenal

All the mistakes I make arise from forsaking my own station and trying to see the object from another person's point of view. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness. ~ Shakti Gawain

Why some law students suck

Everyday before BarBri class begins, the administrator makes announcements. These announcements often include statements like, settle down, don't panic, study less, we know what we are doing, don't burn out, etc. Now, since I haven't studied a whole lot yet, I think these announcements are hysterical. Why? Because she is responding to students who email her and say, "the Pace program isn't enough work, I need more to do, what do I do if I finish all the assignments, I'm only studying 10 hours a day, is that enough, etc." For the record, the Pace program they provide is an INSANE amount of work, and if people are actually finishing that and wondering what to do next, they need to get a life. And fast. People like this crack me up, and they remind me why many, many law students suck. Settle down, do the work, and get a life. Seriously people. You are stressing me out, and that's just not cool.

BarBri and Me

Last week, I discovered night BarBri classes. BarBri offers class in the AM and the PM to accommodate different schedules, and registered students can attend either. I wasn't feeling well one morning, and I decided to attend the night class. Let's just say it will be hard to go back to the morning gig. It was so much more chill, and I'm a night person anyhow. The only bad thing is that if I go to night class every day, I won't be able to see most people, as it completely conflicts with a regular schedule...a bit of a dilemma I guess.

My other BarBri dilemma...actually studying. It's just so damn hard to get motivated. I go to the classes, but other than that, it's hard to do more. Most of my friends feel exactly the same. As one person said, June 16 seems like a good date to start (obviously, that's today). Ha! I'm starting to feel mildly panicked though, so I best kick it into gear soon. Yuck. Oh well, a month and a half of BarBri won't kill me...or will it? ;)

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.

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.