In it for the long haul

Today was the first day of bar review courses. Today's topic: property law! Ok I can handle that. I'm really glad I took that real estate transactions class. Despite that semester of boredom I have at least heard of these terms once before (not necessarily claiming to know what they mean).

Tomorrow is torts. I was also fortunate to have had a good torts instructor who actually made us memorize elements.

I could really go for some ginger ale to settle this lingering stomach ache. fizzle fizzle...

Welcome Baby

Baby Simon arrived at 1:42 am this morning weighing 6 pounds 12 ounces. He is so very cute and sweet. I can't wait to see what he has in store!

Thanks Mom

In honor of this day dedicated to mothers I think it is important that I take a minute and thank my mom for all she has given me. I am grateful for her free spirit and strong devotion to her children. I realize all that she gave up to raise my sister and I and mold us into good and caring individuals.

She set standards as to how we are supposed to treat others and also how others are supposed to treat us. We are encouraged to follow our hearts and always help out the needy and downtrodden. Her ability to instill these values is reflected in both my sister's and my career choices. She taught us to always look for the beauty in those things that initially appear to be ugly and find the value in things that may appear to be worthless. No one and no task is beneath us and there is something to be learned from everyone you encounter.

Thanks Mom for teaching by example and showing me the kind of person I strive to be.

Organization Overload

Now that I have a little more time on my hands before bar review classes begin I have become obsessed with organizing. I find myself googling organizational strategies and checklists and printing labels for everything including the cat food container. I have justified my actions by saying it is imperative that things be in place upon the merging of my and my fiance's belongings.

But I am at a turning point...it has no longer become fun and has taken on a life of its own. I have to make a decision to continue the process or just throw everything back in the closet and close the door.

Because of my control freak, type A personality I think I must finish for my own peace of mind but this is my disclaimer...if you come over and the dog has a label stuck to her forehead containing all of her vital information please ignore (and don't remove...its meant to be there).

Little Sister Graduates!

While I was supposed to be studying for my non-profits exam I found something much more joyous and exciting to do...celebrate little sister's graduation.

It has been a long road for her but she should be extremely proud of all the hard work and countless hours of studying that have brought her to this celebratory occasion. Whether it was switching courses of study, dealing with Fibromyalgia, or floods in her closet she remained dedicated. While many even within her department made it unnecessarily difficult for her to accomplish her goals she persevered. Shamefully, while I begged her to go shopping on a Sunday afternoon she stood steadfast and continued highlighting pretty much every word in her notes. The fact that she began her graduate work without any time off the following Monday is a testament to her work ethic.

Congratulations little sister on a job well done...you have more than earned it.

The final final

I have officially completed all of my required coursework and taken all of my final exams making me eligible for graduation! I'm finally done with law school. It's been a long three years and I am very relieved that the nights of my nose in a book while everyone else can hang out, watch tv, and have a life are over!

Except until bar review begins...May 15th!

What's your biggest weakness?

Interview tomorrow and I have no idea how to answer that question.

hmmm, your honor I guess my biggest weakness is that i leave dirty clothes all over my room or sometimes i have low self esteem or I'm an axe murderer...but don't worry my therapist and I have that under control.

Or I could go with the advice of career services and say something negative that really is a positive...well sometimes I get too consumed in my work and forget I have a life outside of the office or I find myself taking way too much of my work home to finish. Like a judge won't see right through that.

We'll see what I come up with.

Learning to Share...or not to

So this may be somewhat disturbing to some (or most) but I go the the bathroom with the door open. I don't mean at work or at a restaurant, but when I'm at home in my own apartment. I have spent most of my life after age 18 living alone with the exception of the occasional roommate and/or cat and the need to take that little bit of extra effort to close the door seemed like a waste. But now with moving in with my fiance on the horizon I'm concerned.

He knows of this odd habit that I have developed and it has become somewhat of a joke between us. I will purposely accentuate the fact that I am leaving the door open and tease as to whether he can handle my socially inappropriate behaviors, but once I move in must I stop? Is the humor in my oddness going to fade into annoyance or even disgust? I like leaving the door open because its my own silent protest to social expectations, but up until now I was the only person effected by the strike on conformism. Now, I think I will have to give this up as a courtesy to my new cohabitant and find otherways to conduct my personal dissent.

I know its strange...can't I just leave the door open a crack? I'll ask, maybe he won't mind...

Hopefully this won't be us

http://kdka.com/local/wedding.brawl.Ross.2.709799.html

The end before a new beginning

I have one final left...non-profit organizations taxation. So tantalizing I know that is why I am doing this instead of studying.

I had a minor freak out several nights ago about whether I really want to be a lawyer or not. But I had the realization today that I do and I'm going forward on the right path.

A work colleague came into my office after interviewing a possible intern to take my position once I start studying for the bar and she asked, after speaking to to the candidate, how could she be in her second year of law school and not know what she wants to do.
A little voice in my head said "hey you are graduating from law school and you still don't know what you want to do." My colleague then commented that your gut always really knows what you are supposed to do and then I realized I actually disagreed with that little voice.

My gut has always told me what to do and other people surrounding me always decided to add their personal views as to how I should move forward in my career. I started out wanting to be in criminal law and I have always ended up going back to that initial instinct.
I may not be the millionaire lawyer that works 100 hour weeks, but that's ok. I'll go to work in a field of law that interests and excites me and be able to go home and eat dinner with my family and friends and actually have the kind of life that I want for myself.

It's like the Wizard of Oz, if i'm looking for who I should be it's already inside of me

Tin Woodsman: What have you learned, Dorothy?
Dorothy: ...it's that - if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right?