What's wrong with me that I don't get Twilight?

I devoured Harry Potter books and movies. I love fantasy, vampires and angst. But the Twilight series is a boondoggle to me. I thought it might be because I am older than the target audience (outside of puberty ). But it turns out most of the women I know my age and older looovvveee the series. So what am I missing?

I thought maybe the movie would speak to me where the book couldn't. Nope. I felt that the movie was all angst and no vampire. I mean the whole "I love you, I can't have you" stuff was the movie. It just so happened to be vampires in the movie.

And now I get this odd woman left behind feeling. I feel like I SHOULD like them. Which, of course, given my contrary nature leads to me disliking them more. Maybe I should go back and read the first one again. Or maybe I should give up. I don't have to be on every bandwagon!

The application to the bar

An application to a state bar is a lot more complicated and time-consuming than I ever would have imagined. You have to turn over your entire life. Now for someone just out of undergrad, this may also be time consuming. But 18 years after undergraduate, having also moved extensively due to work, this becomes almost an insurmountable problem.

So what goes into a bar application? And what are all of the parts just to get to the bar?

1. Character and Fitness forms. Luckily, the state I am applying takes the National Conference of Bar Examiners' form. So at least one of the forms is in a localized place.
a. Addresses - finding those can be a huge pain. But there are ways, including research sites on the web.
b. Traffic tickets - I know I have 2, one over 10 years ago and 1 over 20 years ago. I am almost certain which states for each. And that is as far as I have gotten.
c. Then there is the education list, the work list, etc. The part-time jobs I had in college are going to be difficult because at least 3 of those are no longer in business and I have no idea what the names were.
d. The time...just a lot of time to sit down and do it.

2. Affadavit of why I didn't apply prior to 390 days of being in law school. Do they accept...I didn't have a job in that state and had no idea that it was even possible? It also must be notarized so that is one more step.

3. Dean Certification from the Law school. Got to get it in to the Dean prior to January. Though they will obviously not fill it out until graduation.

4. The Student registration forms

5. The Bar registration forms

Basically, I am getting confused on which forms I have to fill out, how I am going to find all the information I need, etc.

Breathe...just breathe

I hate repeating myself

BUT the f'ing library is for QUIET. Not just quiet in the stacks, but shut up in the study rooms, the offices, etc. I don't want to hear your damn phone conversations, your hyena laughter, or your gossip. I don't want to always be THAT person, shushing everyone the hell up. Show some damn respect for the people around you.

This is just bullshit.

But other than that, I am having a great day. Smile and the world smiles with you. Scowl and everyone leaves you the hell alone.

I may come back and delete this.

If law school is rough, what will change with being an attorney

Hopefully everything.

A small group gathered for lunch recently. The discussion began like this.

S: I can't get everything done that I need to do. (Pause and a weird look) What the hell am I going to do when I am actually a lawyer?

E: Crap, don't think about it.

And the subject was changed.

But in that question is one that haunts many law students. If we are so freakin' busy now, what happens afterwards? Every attorney who brings this up says "Wait until you are actually in practice." That's supposed to be helpful. Or calming?

To stop worrying so much, I asked a few lawyers how things are different and how to prepare or at least have the right mind-set. Hear is a summary of what they said:

1. Start becoming organized NOW. Even if it's the last month of your third year work on creating an organizational scheme that works for you.

2. Related - do only what works for you. I specifically sought out an ADHD attorney to discuss this, in particular. Basically, you can't shoehorn yourself into another person's organizational scheme. So if the tips from one book fail you, keep looking. And look for what you have done right in the past. For me, it's complete silence. No music, nothing. And, unfortunately, it's also taking my medication everyday like clockwork (I forget).

3. As much as I don't want to admit it, exercise, nutrition, and down time are all very important. I don't want to admit it because I would rather eat MickyD's, never take another stair as long as I live, and work until I drop. But this year I have decided that this is not working for me.

4. Realize that being an attorney is different. I know that sounds like a stupid, duh statement, but many law students have no real clue what they will be doing on a day to day basis. Instead of reading cases for class, you have to find only a couple on point and hope you haven't missed something big. Also, you are much more time limited. Some even said to take advantage of Westlaw and Lexis training seminars on effective research. One quote: "I don't care how on point a case is if it took the associate 15 hours to find it. That's time I can't possibly bill to the client."

5. Stop listening to the attorneys that babble on and on about how being an attorney is harder than being a law student. Many of the associates I spoke with said these folks are just in that mindset of wanting to go back to when the work didn't matter. Working 60-80 hours a week for a grade is a lot less terrifying than working 60-80 hours a week knowing that your mistake could cost people their money or, worse, their freedom. Dramatic, yes. True, yes.

So the next time you are sitting around talking about the workload and hoping you aren't going to drown think of (1) you are still in school, so stop it; and (2) as one professor put it "stop worrying. I mean really, look at all the idiots out there in practice, you'll be fine."*

So there.

* That is a quote from a professor, NOT MY WORDS.

How to avoid insanity in law school?

Get food poisoning. Or stomach flu. Not sure what it was but it sure did the trick. Not only am I no longer reveling in self-pity but I actually looked forward to being able to read this afternoon. Yep, nothing like a good, ole fashion virus that makes you wish for death to remind you how good you have it when you don't have to spend the majority of your day booting up the linings of your intestines (and what ever miscellaneous organs that come loose in the process). Honestly, it's rainy, damp, cold, dark, I have a thousand things to do, will never finish everything today and STILL feel like dancing a happy dance around the library and its poor, perspective-denied inhabitants.

On the other hand, I wish I had time to laze in bed for "recovery." Ah, but we can't have everything, can we.

Bwaaahhhhaaaaa

Come on, add more. I don't care!!! I am insane!!!! I spend my days curled under my carrel praying no one finds me. I mumble imaginary answers to the MPRE. Tax codes are inked on my skin. Evidence rules get yelled out at the most inopportune times. And I laugh maniacally as I send in my application to take the Patent exam.

I want (1) a straight-jacket; (2) padded cell; and (3) all the time in the world to contemplate the floor.

Happy mid-semester everyone!!

Adding more stuff

I know, I know. Everyone is busy. And I am NOT bitching, really.

So I got a part-time job. It's wonderful because it is right up my alley science-wise. Though they want me for the law research, they liked me because of my background. Basically, I won't have a problem deciphering what the scientists are talking about. And I get to leave the law school a couple of times a week to work some where else (added bonus).

But then today, with everything that I planned to do...I felt utterly drained. It's 3 and my neck/back is stiff from sitting in a carrel for a couple of days staring at whatever. I feel like my brains are pudding. So I thought to myself, let's take tomorrow completely off. No cooking, no cleaning, no school, nothing. Most importantly, no freakin' 5 am alarm (that's another insane story).

REALLY?

No go. Tomorrow, I get to spend 4 hours in a BarBri class learning ALL about the MPRE.

Oh, and here I was thinking I'm still young. My doc is sending me to a freaking cardiac clinic. WTF? When did I get old? I swear I am just going to start using a walker. I caught myself the other day telling my husband to hurry and we might make the early-bird special. I am vastly ashamed of myself. Therefore, I must find a young woman to switch bodies with. This will require switching to worshiping the devil, but hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Adding one more thing

I want to get through a number of things over the next 4.5 months.

1. MPRE

2. Patent Bar Exam

3. Papers...ugg, papers

4. Working, hopefully.

Oh, yeah and classes. I know I am missing something because a moment ago I was freaking out over getting everything done. Oh, yeah, Bar crap. Including BarBri stuff.

Mediterranean Diet...HOW on my schedule?

Maybe someone out there can answer this for me or point me in the right direction. I have made amends with working much of the time. I barely clean my house enough to satisfy me (and I am no neat freak). We have a difficult time getting out to do just about anything that takes more than an hour or two. We divide the errands because it is more efficient that way.

And I desperately want to cook the "Mediterranean" way, but where the hell am I supposed to find the time to do this. First, to do this is basically retraining myself on cooking. Right now, cooking for the week is done on Saturday and usually involves a large piece of meat put in the crockpot with assorted spices to try to make it a little different from the last piece of meat cooked last week. Then I move on to a soup or stew. Granted, that falls under the mediterranean diet, sometimes, because one of the easiest things in the world to cook is lentil soup. But fresh fruit and vegies. Maybe an apple and banana, but everything else tends to go bad. And don't get me started on vegetables. We buy fresh, then we toss rotten vegies in the garbage. And I have no idea how to cook fish. Plus the fish at the grocery store is gross. I would have to add another stop to my week by going to Whole Foods to get decent fish.

AGGG...the universe is conspiring against me.

Should absolutely not be awake

But I am. Insomnia crops up at the most inconvenient times.

So I am exercising much more, but I am also eating constantly. I feel hungry all the time, which is new. But I hope that calms down soon. Maybe if I move the eating around, like eating in the am (usually makes me ill, but could try it). Other than that, I have dropped a little weight.

And Ashley got robbed on Top Chef. That's all I have to say about that.

I still love Depeche Mode, especially Black Celebration.

Crap, I have to get up at 5:30 and it's almost 12:30. It's not going to be pretty in the morning.

A Suit Does Not Cover BO

Walking down the stairs behind a well-dressed young man. Slight hints of odor. Wondering if I didn't shower properly. Then get close to young man and realize "good god, he has bad BO." Hm. I then begin thinking: Is it a genetic problem that can't be resolved? Did he forget deodorant? He looks clean, sort of. I suppose the hair looks a little greasy.

Moral to the story. TAKE A SHOWER. Or multiple. A nice suit does not mask BO.

Made the first step to complete a long overlooked project

It's just an email, but it's a a start. Goal date - October 30, 2009.
First goal, the email, completed.
Second goal completed Friday Oct. 9, 2009.

I am boring

Just read a post at Virgin in the Volcano. And I realize, I have become soooo boring. For instance, my husband and I have "date night." Every Friday we do something together and we try not to let anything interfere with it. Tonight, we are having dinner at home and watching a movie. I LOVE our date night. I look forward to it every week. This week, I said that I would stop by a party. My husband said it was okay. But I can't do it. I love the person throwing the party, but I just can't break date night. So, I have decided that I am okay with being boring and living vicariously through Virgin and no634. I don't need to go out when I can read their adventures. So PLEASE keep having adventures for all of us!

Procrastination strikes again

I want so much to get over this. Set deadlines...stop work. No deadlines...work. AAAAARRRRRHGGGGGG!!!!!