My sister Samantha went to Tahoe this past weekend for a girls weekend, and she planned to learn to ski while out there. I thought this sounded great, and I was quite excited for her to go. However, before she left, I woke up with a bad feeling about her going. Specifically, I felt worried about the potential for alcohol poisoning, which is odd, since she rarely drinks. So, I called her and said, please be careful if you drink - don't drink too much, etc. She said not to worry, but that she had a dream that she broke her wrist while skiing. I said, wow, that's interesting, we both have a feeling that something will happen to you on this trip. We agreed that she should have a blast yet be careful at the same time.
Fast forward to Saturday morning, when I got a text that she had sprained her wrist! Crazy! I'm not sure what happened exactly, but I thought it was wild that we both had these premonitions. Obviously, mine wasn't exactly right, but I generally had a feeling that she should be careful and that something bad might happen. Then, I talked to my mom last night, and she mentioned that she too had had a feeling about the trip but didn't tell Samantha because she didn't think it would affect her decision about whether to go, and why cause extra worry? Anyway, the point is, the three of us all had a bad feeling about the trip, and then something that Samantha actually dreamed happened! Such premonitions are not that rare for the Schmid women (it actually comes from my mom's mom), but this was a concrete example of one being true. This might sound hokey, but I don't care. It's happened before, and it will happen again. :)
Lesson: if we tell you to be careful, you better listen! ;)
I arrived home from Northampton last night, and I had a great time. On Friday, it snowed heavily in NoHo, but Sarah and I still walked into town and did a little sightseeing. Once again, I was reminded of Stars Hollow - a cute little town. Friday night, we had dinner with Sarah's friends Carrie and Spice, and that was very fun as well.
Saturday, we were off to Boston, and that was also quite fun. Our hotel was quite neat; it was formerly a jail and is now a fancy schmancy place to rest your head while traveling. It reminded me of the Graves 601 hotel in Mpls, if anyone has ever been there.
After we checked in, Sarah and I walked the entire Freedom Trail, which hits most if not all of the major historical sights in Boston. It's a fabulous way to see different parts of the city, and I really enjoyed it, despit
e having to walk through snow/slush/ice at times (the weather was fantastic overall - not super cold and sunny later in the afternoon). However, I did suffer from major road splash as we crossed the bridge; some car drove through a puddle and suddenly one side of me was quite drenched in gross, salty, slushy water. This happened again in NoHo on Sunday...you think I would learn, but I guess not!
After we finished the Freedom Trail, we went to visit Fenway Park, which I had never seen before. Obviously, we
didn't get to go inside, but it was still cool to see the place. I definitely hope to see a game there one day in my life. I saw a sign by the stadium that indicated that all 2008 games are already sold out; that's insane! Bostonians love their Red Sox!
Saturday night, we hit Club Passim to see Edie Carey perform, and I very much enjoyed the concert. I wasn't sure I was going to make it that late after walking around all day, as I was exhausted, but once I ate and the music started, I was solid. I highly recommend Edie Carey's music; check it out on Itunes if you want.
Sunday, we visited Somerville, a neighborhood near Cambridge, and we picked up breakfast at a fabulous little bakery. After that, we headed back to NoHo, and after one more walk into town, including to the Smith campus, we were off to Hartford for me to catch my flight home. A whirlwind weekend, but a really fun one as well. It was terrific to see and spend time with Sarah, and I think she had fun as well. Good times!
Because my class schedule this semester provides some free time during the week, I decided I should volunteer somewhere. At about the same time, Planned Parenthood sent out a note saying they needed clinic escorts, and I decided to sign up. For those of you who don't know, clinic escorts literally escort patients into the Highland Park Planned Parenthood clinic. We meet the patients near their cars and then walk them to the entrance, acting as sort of a buffer between the patients and the anti-choice protestors that descend upon the clinic every day (the Highland Park clinic is the only Planned Parenthood clinic in the Twin Cities that provides abortions).
Anyway, I've always wanted to be an escort because it seemed like a really worthwhile use of my time, unlike some of the other volunteer work I've done in the past. I had my first shift last week, and I think it went really well. It was bitterly cold, but fortunately I had the later morning shift, meaning I started at about 9:45 and ended at around 12:00. I still don't think the temp rose about 0, but at least it wasn't below 0! During my shift, there were 3 protestors present, one of whom actually approached me as soon as I walked up to the clinic. She wanted to provide me with some anti-choice information, and she was vocal and right up in my face. Per my training, I ignored her and told the escort there that I was a new escort. I then had a little training/orientation, and began my shift.
Many of the patients for the day were already inside the clinic, but I did have to escort several folks in, and I also tried to block the patients from the protestors while they went out for cigarettes or snacks. One of the protestors just walked back and forth carrying a big crucifix while praying the rosary. He didn't really cause any trouble; it was just amusing. However, the other protestor was extremely vocal, talking at the patients for their entire walk into the clinic. He would tell them they were making the wrong choice, that there was help down the street, etc. He would also tell the patients' friends/partners/boyfriends/girlfriends that it was their job to encourage the patient to make a better decision, etc. He also told them they would go to hell if they made the wrong choice. As an escort, I am not supposed to engage the protestors at all, and despite the idiotic things coming out their mouths, I was able to ignore them completely. The vocal guy tried to engage me at least twice, and I just stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact. He did inform me that hell is a real place however, so I'm glad to finally know that! In actuality, it really wasn't that hard to keep quiet, as there is really no point in engaging these folks. They obviously believe what they believe, and nothing I say on the street is going to change that. My job is to make the patients feel comfortable, and engaging in a battle won't help with that. Besides, many of the patients were quite vocal themselves, and they came up with some brilliant comebacks on their own. It was hard not to say "right on" at times, but I kept a straight face and did my job.
Despite the cold and the nut job protestors, I really enjoyed my first shift, and I'm excited for my next one. I finally feel like I found a volunteer gig that matters, and I'm working for an organization that I support wholeheartedly. Perhaps if things get really sticky one day, I will have a change of heart, but I doubt it. I survived the 2004 legislative session, during which the phone rang off the hook with anti gay marriage, homophobic, hate filled callers and we received 1000s of similar emails; certainly I can handle a few anti-choicers on Ford Parkway!
PS: Planned Parenthood is looking for pro-choice, pro Planned Parenthood volunteers to come to the clinic on Good Friday, March 21. Every year, anti-choicers organize a HUGE rally at the clinic, and Planned Parenthood would like to counter that with some friendly folks. I cannot go as I will still be in Washington, D.C., but if you could spare a few hours that day, I'm sure they would greatly appreciate it. Contact me for more information.
PPS to Mom: Try not to worry too much about my safety while volunteering. There hasn't been violence at that clinic for a very long time. :)
Tomorrow I take off to visit Sarah in Northampton, MA, aka NoHo! I don't know how many of you watch the Gilmore Girls, but if you do, you might know what I mean when I say that NoHo is basically a queer Stars Hollow. I was there this summer to help Sarah find a place to live, and I swear downtown was seriously Stars Hollow - people milling about, little shops, random tabling, etc. Craziness!
This trip to NoHo is just the first of several upcoming trips I have planned, and I'm really hoping the airlines cooperate tomorrow. I didn't have the best luck for my last trip, but I'm hoping that was due more to Lot Polish Airlines and international travel in general. Fingers crossed, and please send positive thoughts my way tomorrow! :)
Anyway, I'm quite excited to see Sarah and to spend a bit more time in NoHo/queer Stars Hollow. I arrive tomorrow evening, and on Friday, I get to visit Sarah's school, (UMass - Amherst) where she works as a counselor every day. Then on Friday evening, I get to meet some of her friends there, and that should be fun too. Saturday, we are heading into Boston, and I'm super excited for that. I love Boston, and Sarah's never been, so I get to do a bunch of touristy stuff again. In the evening, we are going to see Edie Carey play at Club Passim, a queer friendly club in Boston. I really don't know much of her music, but it should be fun regardless. To end the night, we booked a room in a really posh hotel; should be fantastic! Sunday, we will probably spend a bit more time in Boston and then I fly home in the evening. All in all, it should be a great weekend, and I'm quite excited! I heart Boston! (sorry, Beth!)
Over and out!
PS to Karen and Paige - have a blast on your road trip! Be safe and enjoy. :)
Since I started law school in the fall of 2005, I always get slightly nostalgic during the early winter months. Why you ask? Well, the Minnesota legislative session begins at that time each year (January in odd years, typically February in even years), and while I think I made the right decision about school, I also miss the excitement that came along with each new session. The capitol would always be hopping, lobbyists would reappear, the phone would ring off the hook, the mail and email poured in, and everyone just seemed eager to start again. Basically, it was fun and exciting; I was a part of something big.
Anyway, yesterday was the first day of the 2008 Minnesota legislative session, and I'm feeling a bit nostalgic as usual. Several of my friends still work for the legislature, but I just don't have the same inside connection that I used to. I'm an outsider now, guessing about their strategy (or lack thereof), wondering what's going on, etc. I think miss the high; I suppose this makes me a real political junkie (some might say geek!). Perhaps my path will lead me to politics again one day...you just never know.
I know many people don't care about politics or government in general. I encourage everyone to rethink this choice for many reasons, with the obvious one being you should care about what your elected officials are doing to solve and prevent the problems facing our state: education, transportation, the economy, health care, etc. Most people seem to care more about what Congress and/or the President do, but in reality, the state legislature's decisions have a greater impact on our daily lives. Our education system doesn't teach us this, and my political science degree certainly didn't prepare me for state level work at all - when I showed up for my interview to be Senator Cohen's page, I had no idea who he was! Yet, the decisions these folks make impact just about everything in our daily lives: classroom sizes, road/transit quality, drivers' license fees, state park fees, access to health care, etc. Really, they make hugely important decisions, and often people don't have a clue what they are up to. So, as session begins, I urge everyone to pay attention and get involved if you feel the need/desire. Write a letter to your Rep or Senator, go to a lobby day, call, watch session and/or committee hearings, or just read the coverage in the local dailies. It might sound boring, but really, it's not, and you can make a difference!
A note to my legislative friends: I hope this session goes smoothly and that much work is accomplished with the minimum level of stress. Hang in there; it will be the interim before you know it!
I saw Into the Wild on Saturday night, and I highly recommend the movie to everyone. It was one of the best I've seen in a while. Depressing, but good. Speaking of movies, I still want to see There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men. Once I see those, I will have seen all five of the best picture nominees before the Oscars. Anyone interested in either of those? Anyone hosting an Oscar party? I like Oscar parties.
I also saw Sweeney Todd at the State Theater on Sunday night (thanks for the tix, Samantha). I knew the show would be dark, but wow, it was dark! I guess when the full title is Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (or something like that), people shouldn't be surprised when there is lots of killing. Regardless of the killing, it was a good show. I miss going to the theatre; I should go more.
On a random note (as if the other stuff isn't random), I think I will be ordering my cap and gown today. Craziness! Now I just need to pass all of my classes...I better get busy!
Later skaters! :)
Obviously, everyone has the right to vote for whomever they want, but I would like to make a pitch for Hillary Clinton. Actually, I will let Gloria Steinem do the work for me, as she wrote a nice Op-Ed piece for the NY Times that pretty much sums up what I think. The article is available here:
Gloria Steinem OpEd
I'm quite fired up about this, and I hope you will at least read the article and give it some serious thought. If Barack Obama wins the nomination, I will obviously support him, but for now, I'm strongly in the Hillary Clinton camp. Take this for what it's worth - it's just my opinion. :)
Peace out y'all!
As many of you know, I'm graduating from law school this May. However, to become a practicing attorney, a degree is not enough. In addition, I must pass the Minnesota Bar Exam to be admitted into the Minnesota Bar. The bar exam is a two day test in July, and basically it sounds awful. I think I can pass, but the preparation process just isn't pleasant.
Anyway, in order to sit for the exam, I have to turn in my application in mid-March. The application itself is approximately 20 pages long, and it asks questions about pretty much every facet of my life. For instance, one question requires me to list the address for every place I've lived for the last ten years. I also have to list the time periods. Who keeps perfect track of that stuff? Not me! If you know where I was in July of 2003, give me a call. Another question: list every job you had in the last ten years and explain every period of unemployment. I also have to list the name of every supervisor, provide addresses and phone numbers, etc. I wonder what the Bar Examiners do with this stuff...will they call the Housekeeping Supervisor at St. Ben's to ask if my dorm cleaning skills measured up in 1998? Will they verify that I was job hunting during the summer of 2000 after working as a page at the Senate? Who knows. All I know is that I want to get every single detail right, as they care a great deal about that sort of thing.
So, if you see me walking around with the White Pages, you now know I'm looking up my former supervisor from the now defunct company I worked at in 2000. Awesome!
Later peeps!
Last night, Beth and I attended the U2 in 3D concert at the Imax theater in Apple Valley, and it was a really good show! I didn't really know what to expect, as I've never been to a 3D concert, but it was really neat. Suddenly, Bono would be right in front of us, jamming out. Hanging out with Beth has made me remember how much I love U2, and I've been listening to them quite a bit lately. Good times, and to my fellow U2 lovers, I highly recommend the show. Plus, who doesn't look fantastic in 3D glasses, honestly? ;)
Funny story about attending the show: if any of you know me even decently well, you know that I don't really sit still when there is music playing (or even a washing machine running really). If I hear rhythm or a beat, I'm moving. So, of course I'm jamming a bit in my chair last night. At one point, I glanced around to see if I was the only person jamming out, and there were tons of people sitting absolutely still in their seats - not even a little toe tapping. I thought that was extremely odd; it's not like we were at a serious film or something similar. It was basically a rock concert on a giant screen. What gives people? Do you not feel the music in your soul? Cuz it's in there, if you listen/look. Or maybe that sets some people apart, makes us different, idk. I cannot imagine a world without music, but maybe not everyone feels that way. Regardless, I found it quite amusing that people just sat there like statues while I (and Beth too) jammed out. Good times!
Later skaters!
After just two requests for an update, I feel pressure to write something new. However, I don't have a whole lot to say. Law school is back in full swing, but I am not. I'm finding it extraordinarily difficult to get motivated. I know I will catch up at some point, because I always do, but unlike other semesters, it's hard to simply attend class. I think that not having a holiday break is catching up with me. I am very glad I went to Jerusalem, but I never had a chance to truly recover from finals (those of you that know me know how I function during finals - no good). All I want to do is lie around, watch the Gilmore Girls, sleep, eat, and talk on the phone. It doesn't help that I've never found class to be particularly helpful...I'm more of a "I did the reading and learned that way" sort of girl. Now that I'm close to graduation and have a job, it's that much harder to really care about class. Additionally, I have to take care of things like my bar application, Barbri registration, graduation application (done!), and ordering a cap and gown. I can't believe how fast time flies...I just have to get through one more semester, and I'm done! No worries, especially you Mom, as things will come together and all will be fine.
In other news, as my title indicates, it is absolutely frigid outside today. It's currently -14 degrees outside, and with the wind chill it feels like -35 to -45 degrees. Insanity. I actually wore a hat today, something I usually only do when I'm participating in outdoor winter activities. If I hadn't, my hair would have frozen instantly. Craziness. Fortunately, I have a heated garage, so I had no car problems. Hopefully the new car would have started anyway, but when it's this cold, you never know.
In fun news, I've been busy planning all my upcoming travel adventures. In February, I'm going to Northampton to visit Sarah , which should be quite fun (on the map to the right, Northampton is near Holyoke). I think we will spend one full day in Boston, and I'm very excited about that. I love Boston, and Sarah's never been, so that should be fun. In March, I'm going to Washington, D.C. with Mary, Jessie, and Sarah (for two days) for spring break. I'm extra excited about this trip, as I've never been to DC. Be
ing a political junkie and a political science major, I've always felt it was odd that I had never been there. So, I'm finally rectifying that situation this spring, and I can't wait. I contacted my congresswoman to set up tours, ordered a visitor's guide, and started some basic research of things to do. Also, I believe our lodging is ready to go, and that is always a relief. If anyone has suggestions for things I must do, please shout out.
Additionally, I'm working on my big summer, post bar exam trip, and I'm also super excited for this one. Dad and I are tossing aroun
d different options, including Alaska (the picture on the right), the Canadian Rockies (the picture below), or a baseball stadium tour. I think Alaska would be amazing, but the pictures of the Canadian Rockies are breathtaking. I'm a bit torn about which location to choose. We have a travel agent working on things, so perhaps th
at information will help us decide. Again, I'm open for suggestions/advice.
This weekend should be fun, as I'm going to a birthday party for a high school friend on Friday and then I'm going to the U2 3D show with Beth on Saturday night. I also can't wait to sleep in on Saturday morning. The rest of the weekend should be filled with...homework! Woot! I haven't been dancing in forever, so let's get that planned peeps. I miss it.
In bad news, and as most of you know, the Twins traded Santana to the Mets for basically
nothing. I knew they were most likely going to trade him (the ownership is super cheap), but I thought we would at least get more than we did. This could be a very rough season for my boys, but I will still love them. As long as the White Sox don't win the division, I'll be decently happy.
Okay, that's enough of an update for now - I honestly have been pretty low key lately. I hope everyone is well!
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