Thursday, January 31, 2008

Give me oatmeal or give me death


I am so in love with these Quaker Oatmeal Express Cups right now. They are sweet without being too sweet, mildly nutritious (4 grams of fiber!). HOT, and filling enough so that I am not eyeing the candy machine before lunchtime.

For some reason, the only place to find them is at Target. So, I am forced to go to Target more often now. Oh, the humanity! (I love Target)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

I just wanted to ask a damn question!

Many times, as soon as the class ends, a bunch of students rush up to the professor with questions. Today, I had a question and decided to be proactive by letting the prof know (before class started) that I wanted to talk to her after class. I asked if I could avoid the crush of students and if I could "sign up" for the first slot and ask my question and get out of there. She agreed, and told me we would meet in another room as soon as she got packed up.

Then class ended and I stood there waiting for her to get "packed up" while a crush of students rushed up and asked their questions. What did being proactive get me? A 28 minute wait to ask a simple question.

I wasn't happy.

Then, got an email from a friend (someone who asked a question of the prof after class) "apologizing" for me having to wait, and saying that she heard I "was mad at those who rushed up to the prof." Now, the only people who heard me complain about the professor being tardy for her office hours were two people I would call acquaintances. And I never complained about students - only about the professor herself. Why would my classmates try to stir up fake drama like this? See, this is what I don't like about law school. It's not the work, it's bullshit like this. Let me tell you, it is not an isolated incident. People have so little contact with the real world, that their only topic of conversation is each other. I just wish they would leave me out of it. I am sick of hearing others' gossip and I don't want to be included in it either!

To avoid being the victim of gossip and dragged into drama created by a classmate's need for "excitement", I have been withdrawing from a lot of socializing with people at school. This goes against my natural personality, which is to want to be friendly and chatty. It's sad that I feel this way about my fellow classmates.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Class at 8:50 a.m.

When I worked full time, I had to be there at 9:00 am and usually barely made it there on time. Now, I have class at 8:50, and while I get here early, I still hate waking up earlier than 7:30 am. I am not a morning person. Ick!

Right now, at the beginning of the semester, everyone is here on time. In another month, this room will be half full. Why even have class this early? Whatever happened to night classes?

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Oh, and about New Orleans




Readers who know me in 3D also know that I made a second trip to New Orleans the week before school restarted. I was working with a terrific organization called the Student Hurricane Network. As its name suggests, the org was started by a bunch of law students and has grown into a national movement of sorts.

It was terrific to be there again. I even ventured out by myself to a show at the legendary Tipitinas. Since I was 18 years old, I have been hearing about this place and to see a New Orleans-based band there was Epic for me. I didn't even mind that I was by myself, I just let the music carry me away to funkland. Glorious!

Someone asked me the other day, "why New Orleans again?" I went originally out of maybe a sense of morbid curiosity and a willingness to help some people who seemed to need it. I now consider myself to have a special bond with that place.

It reminds me of myself. Screwed up but lovable. Old, but not in a bad way. Colorful, and sometimes over the top. Gaudy and garish but lovely and unique. Maybe needs some work, but at least the work is worth doing. There is something great there that is still worthwhile. :)

At least that's what I see.

I was so moved my first time there by the sights and sounds and feelings and a feeling of "we have to do something about this" that I couldn't wait to return. I was hoping the other students who went felt the same, but I am not sure they did. Maybe I would have felt the same way about the city 13 years ago. We shall see how many return for the next trip.

I spent way too much money eating and drinking. Now, reality has set in, and it's time to buckle down.

Back to school

This semester I am taking:

  • Trusts and Estates (3 credits)
  • Constitutional law (3 credits)
  • Equal Employment Law (4 credits)
  • Bankruptcy Law (3 credits)
I also have
  • Law Review (2 credits)
  • A clinic (3 credits)
Doing the math, that's 18 credits. I was never even brave enough to attempt 18 credits in undergrad! Well, for someone who hasn't been in school full time since 1993, I think I am doing OK.

Now, for balancing all of those credits with Student Bar Association, a job with a legal research company and working for the legal writing department in the law school...

Well, at least I am not bored!

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Despite stomach virus, I keep writing, and writing....

Somehow, the significant other and I caught some kind of stomach virus. He has been sick for 3 days, but I just started feeling icky night before last. It sucks, because I just cannot afford to be ill right now.

I couldn't go to the library yesterday because I, um had to be near....well, you know.

Now, I am scrambling to write 16 pages in two days. Yikes! If this were undergrad, no problem. But these law review people want actual quality work. What were they thinking when they let me in?

Well, back to drinking pink medicine and wishing I could trade tummies with someone.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

I have to write at least 25 pages in the next 4 days



Before law school, the longest paper I had to write at my undergrad (other than a sloppy 20 page independent study paper) was about 8 pages. I have to produce a 200-footnote, coherent, logical and hopefully publishable 40 page Comment by the 7th. I have made significant progress, but sometimes the fear that I won't complete it on time scares the hell out of me. I woke up this morning and immediately thought, "holy sh*t, I have to find a new source for the statistics in my paper!" before I even lifted my head off the pillow.

Maybe I need more sleep, or I just need to get this paper done!