I am turning into a really cranky person

So, I am spending a lot more time at school in order to be able to spend more quality time with DH at home. This comes after many months of "I would love to do that, but am reading (fill in blank)." I have spent the last two years being unable to separate school from any other time. While this works (not well) okay with singles (all right, maybe not), for smug marrieds (nod to Bridget) it can lead to total disaster around exam time. Meaning, as soon as the REAL stress is on, that is the time chosen for your significant other to have a meltdown. While we have had only minor sallies, I don't want any more stress in my life than needs to be.

So, that brings me to "cranky."

Most of my time is being spent alone and in the library with little contact with other humans. While I realize this represents most law students lives, I have also spent some time previously isolated (about 4 weeks) doing all the things (read nothing) that I, and I alone like to do (okay, I am not always this self-centered). So in the past two days, I have begun to interact with others again. And I realized (with the help of a friend that was very direct) that I have to relearn how to interact. It seems that if I stay away from people too long everyone thinks I am angry during conversations. It's the abruptness. I begin to speak in very short sentences and not cuing into facial expressions. Finally, someone just flat out asked if I was angry. No, I am not angry. Just socially maladjusted.

So if you decide that you need to hole up for a very long period of time, remember that once you emerge, there will be an adjustment period. Don't be surprised if you spend the first few hours pissing off people :)

Late start

Wow, we start so late in the year. It is so wonderful to start so late. And to have had so much time off. And to have a job. Thank you greater being than myself, that I have a job. This year is going to be so much better.

This Year Is Tough, Money-wise

I don't want to complain, because I have so much to be thankful for. But this year is going to be interesting. Our money supply is beginning to run short just when expenses are piling higher. I have to take the Patent Bar, MPRE and the bar this year. Plus, we don't have the extra income this year from a part time job. And then there is the whole moving at the end of summer. The question remains how in the world are we going to sell our house for a reasonable rate.

Tired all of the time

Wow, 2 posts in one day. Guess I am on a roll.

I have been feeling tired for a long time now. It comes and goes, but lately it stays for much longer than usual. Everyone gets tired, I know that. But when this happens, I feel like I am in a brain fog. My thoughts get scattered and it's difficult to focus at all. For instance, right now, I feel as if I am typing through molasses. I could literally curl up on the floor and go to sleep. For a long time I thought I wasn't getting enough sleep. But that doesn't explain the vast majority of it.

So here are the possibilities:

1. Being overweight. But I did have major bouts when I was thin. Doesn't rule it out, though.

2. Poor nutrition. This really could be the source of all evil. I am terrible about eating right. I become a child when a meal rolls around. Right down to a pout.

3. Lack of exercise. Again, very good possibility here. The strange thing is that when I do exercise, I feel much, much worse. However, that may just be the initial phases. Maybe that floodgate of energy will crank open once I make exercise a habit.

4. Sneaking smokes. Yep, I have a tendency for lying to myself about smoking.

5. Too much caffeine and too little water. I live for coffee, always have. I was chugging the stuff in high school. Maybe it's time to let it go.

Okay, so maybe the whole losing weight based on good nutrition and exercise will actually result in a huge increase in energy (or at least fewer days like today where it's almost painful to do anything).

Here's to me getting off my ass.

The FINAL year

Okay, we are about to start school. We start late here, not sure what the reasoning is, but I love it. I had a few weeks to do very little and loved it.

I can't believe I didn't blog at all this summer. Quick summary:

1. We did indeed nurse a cat back to health. And it freakin' cost a mint. His name is now Vacation, because that is exactly where all of our vacation money went. We are just lucky we didn't book far in advance.

2. I worked for a firm in the South this summer. The firm was great, the people were good folks. That is high praise in Southern.

3. I got an offer from said firm. Relieved.

4. We lost fabulous tenants that we would have like to have stayed the whole three years. But when a house falls in your lap, you have to purchase. So now, we are kind of sweatin' about renting.

5. We stayed at home for vacation (see #1) and had a great time. So much to do around this city, so little time.

And now school is looming like the dark specter that haunts your dreams. I don't wanna!

Random tidbits for 1L's coming in this year:

1. Advice is all well and good, but frankly, until you get your first semester grades you don't know what works for you.

2. I didn't start getting good grades until I stopped using a computer in class.

3. I know people that study like fiends ranked low and those that don't, ranked high. And vice versa.

4. For the vast majority of people, law school blows. Most get over the whole, wow isn't this intellectually stimulating crap.

5. Don't believe the administration. Jobs are freakin' hard to come by. I don't care what the stats say. I didn't get even a nibble until I thought to look in my home town.

6. Decorate with liveliness. Don't you want to spend time in a place that has your name written all over it?

7. Laugh, laugh, laugh. Laughter reduces stress hormones. Laughter actually works abdominal muscles. Laughter just plain feels good.

8. Be kind to that woman or man in your class that seems odd. You never know. Plus, you just might prevent someone becoming an addict or worse.

9. Keep as many parts of you that make you who you are. Okay, kind of convoluted.

That's it. Oh, one more thing. I am doing weigh in Wednesdays. Since I keep blathering about losing weight, I am going to post my weight each week (yep, my real weight). The plan is simple: (1) stop eating out; (2) exercise everyday; (3) sleep 8 hours; (4) eat around 1500-1700 calories a day; and (5) drink tons of water.

If anyone is still reading, how ya doin'?

The Weekend

Yes, I bitch about working but I love the law school on weekends in the summer. There is no one here. I love the quiet, going into the student rec room. No one playing pool or watching tv or playing video games. Just an empty room where I can spread out my stuff and work in the silence. And honestly, the best part? The absolute best part is that there are no intense pre-lawyers discussing the import of Marbury v. Madison, contracts, torts, etc. No equally intense, but even less inviting, person discussing their GPA in the abstract or their awesome new summer job or whatever else the most arrogant asshats discuss in front of an audience. Or bemoaning their workload, etc. I love the silence.

Got a job, may lose a volunteer position, and overwelmed

I am awful. I procrastinated this last semester worse than any other semester. The problem is that I did so with my responsibilities outside of law school. I did fairly well at keeping up in classes. But my home is a shambles.

During Spring Break I had an interview with a great law firm. Or at least it seems great to me. Young, relative to many other firms I interviewed with. And not age young, necessarily. Young as in lots of room to grow, populated by energetic people excited about what they do, and the possibility to create my own niche in a good town. Not where I thought I would be but where I could do a lot.

Now I am afraid my procrastination is catching up with me. I was a volunteer for an organization and they ominously contacted me after a very long absence, on their part. I assume that I am going to be unvolunteered. I have never lost a job before, not even a volunteer position. Oh well. At this point, I will just say okay, sorry it didn't work out. Hopefully my ego will survive through it.

And I have a massive amount of work in the next 4 weeks. Ugggg.

And to top it off, we have been nursing a cat back to health and it has been a bit of an uphill battle. I am so tired of vets and trying to force medications into the cat.