I haven't blogged in months and this blog is pretty much just for me, but it seems like a good way to "journal", so I will try to blog more this year. Let the updates begin!
1.The 2nd Part of the Trilogy is Over
2L year is over! It's really over! Woohoo! They say: 1L year--they scare you to death, 2L year--they work you to death, 3L year--they bore you to death. I definitely felt scared the 1st year and felt like the 2nd year was a ton of work (more reading + trying to get experience), so we'll see if the 3L year brings boredom. I will say that this year will be different from the previous two years in that I am really enjoying working (even if it's not actually for pay), and I can't wait to join the workforce. I'm finally ready to graduate and enter the real world.
2. The Judicial Externship
The summer job is a very important right of passage in one's law school experience. Summer jobs come in 3 main forms in law school--paying jobs at law firms, externships, and judicial externships. The externships do not pay, but you can get credit for them and the judicial externships are very fondly looked upon by employers. So, this summer, I went with the judicial externship. I was lucky enough to end up as an appellate level extern. I have really enjoyed evaluating cases, the extensive research, bench briefs, drafting orders, etc. I feel like I have learned a lot in a very short period of time. This experience also makes me excited about the future. I'm starting to get excited about finishing school and getting a real job. Yes, that's what I said--a REAL job. In my mind, a real job entails 40-60 hours a week and provides a steady stream of income. Now all I have to do is finish law school, pass the bar exam/MPRE, finally get all my ducks in a row and apply to the bar, and oh yeah, find an employer willing to hire a recent law school graduate. Well, I am up for the challenge. I look forward to tasting sweet success.
3. The Ethical Exploration
Besides all of the final exams law students take, there are major exams--or I guess 1 major and 1 minor. Everyone seems to know about the bar exam, which is the major exam. However, there is another lesser known exam called the MPRE. This test questions our ethics as an attorney. We have to memorize the Model Rules and Model Code of Judicial Conduct. Luckily, we get a whole semester on the Model Rules in a class pretty much universally called Professional Responsibility. We also have study help from programs like Barbri and its recent offshoot Themis. These two programs want you to sign up for their very expensive bar exam prep, so they give you cheap study aids during law school to entice you. Today, I sat through the 4 hour Barbri MPRE lecture. It was long, but the material was well organized and broken down in a way conducive to memorization and application. Barbri has been around for a long time, and is the choice for most people. I also have a free prep course through Themis. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to do so soon. Once I try it out, I will provide a comparison.
Anyway, I hope this test goes well. I'm feeling pretty confident at this point, but there is the fear of failure. The MPRE is one of those tests where a lot of people say "if you can't pass it on the first try, you shouldn't be a lawyer." Whenever I hear this statement, I think 2 things: (1) man, I hope I pass the first time, and (2) yeah, right, I'm sure plenty of great lawyers failed it the first time by a few points for a variety of reasons.
4. The Never Ending Story
There is actually an update on the never ending story, aka--thesis. My committee is willing to review the entire thesis now, rather than just individual chapters. I hope this means that the end is in sight. Perhaps this means that I can finally finish it after a couple more rounds of edits. Since I started law school, Husband has been joking that I will graduate law school at the same time or before I defend my thesis. I used to think that assertion was absurd, but now it seems entirely possible. On that note, it is almost time to ask for another extension and to pay more tuition...sigh, I really hope they will find more time to review my thesis. I know they are really busy, but I'm ready to put this chapter behind me and it's costing me money every semester, not to mention that it is getting harder to explain to potential employers.
5. Vacation
My husband and I finally went on vacation, and it was great. We went to visit his family for a few days over the 4th. We had a great time relaxing, playing poker, roasting marshmallows, and visiting with his family. They are all so welcoming, and I always enjoy getting a chance to visit with them.
6. Those Crazy Cats
a. One Less Member
Our house has one less member. One of the cats has left us and moved in with my mom. He is such a great cat, but we already had 2 cats and they were absolutely horrible to him. He was a starving stray, and it was a temporary solution to starvation and homelessness, but I'm glad we were able to find him a good permanent home. I had originally hoped he would fit well with our family, but our cats terrorized him. We tried so many things to get them to stop, but we never managed to find a solution to the problem. So, mom offered to take him, and it sounds like he is thriving in the new environment.
b. The Food Trial
Our male tabby cat is now seeing a special vet, who practices both eastern and western medicine. Basically, it means she does lab work and pays attention to his chi. This cat has been getting sick nearly every day and sometimes 3X a day (TMI I know, sorry) ever since he quit kitten food. We have taken him to different vets, and have had a number of tests done, but the previous vets had no answers and said he was fine. So, we decided to try this vet, even though I'm not sure how I feel about the chi stuff. At this point, nothing has worked, so I am willing to take a chance that the combined efforts of the two practices may result in finding a solution. So far, through blood testing, food trials, and herbal drugs, we have gotten him down to getting sick every few days. The food trial food is crazy expensive and doesn't seem to be working, but the herbal pill that he takes seems to calm him. At first, he looked all glazed over, but now he just seems happier and calmer.
7. Amateur Astronomy and Me?
Husband and I joined the local astronomy club. I bought Husband a telescope for Christmas, and we didn't know anywhere around here to use it, so he looked online and found the local astronomy club. I have always been someone who loved looking at the sky at night, but not someone who had any clue about constellations or a nebula. My previous other before Husband tried to teach me constellations, and that was a big fail (I was only ever able to learn 1 constellation--Orion). But looking at the sky from the star park is a whole different story. The sky is amazing there where there is much less light pollution and we can see so many more stars. I am now able to spot multiple constellations, know how to use a telescope, and have been able to see things like the moon, Saturn, and many stars. I was so excited the first time I was able to take the telescope and get it to point to the moon. It looks so different through the telescope--so amazing! I also like that this hobby is something that Husband and I can share with each other. It also seems to make him really happy to go to the star parties and monthly lecture.
8. The Nicotine 30 and Beyond
This past March, I finally said goodbye to nicotine forever. I had been wanting to quit the nicotine gum for a long time, but I had not been able to do it. One morning in March, I woke up and just decided that I was done. At first, it was a roller coaster of emotions and sleeping, but then it got better. The one thing that has not gotten better is the weight gain. I knew people could gain weight when they quit nicotine, but I didn't expect to gain so much so quickly. Within about 2 months, I had gained 20-25 lbs. It took me awhile to pay attention to it because of school, but I could no longer ignore it by the end of April/early May, so I began running on the treadmill. At that time, I could barely run 2 miles. I did this for a few weeks without any loss, so then Husband and I joined a gym (good deal thanks to Living Social). We went to group fitness classes nearly every day in June, but still no weight loss. Once July began, we were back on our own, so Husband joined the school gym with me, and we have been alternating between working out there and running at home. It's now 2/3 through July, and I work out nearly every day--running 4 miles and more (650-700 cal workout these days) or working out on the gym machines for 50 min. However, I am still not losing weight. In fact, the weight gain is still happening, and I have gained approximately 30 lbs. However, I am way more toned and have a ton of muscle now. But I still can't stand what the scale says, so I had a thyroid test done and am going to a nutritionist. The nutritionist does not have much experience with nicotine addiction through the gum, but she says it can take 6 months sometimes for the metabolism to kick back in after something major has thrown it off. Well, I hope it kicks in soon. I'm used to eating what I want and being a size 6, regardless of whether I work out. Anyway, I plan to keep working out after I get this weight back under control. It's a great stress reliever and it just makes me feel good. :)
Enough updates for today. I will try to be more consistent about blogging. Farewell until we meet again.
No comments:
Post a Comment