The cold, hard truth

The truth is, not really that nothing has been happening. But that I've felt insanely busy. I've been leaving town every weekend (which, except for this weekend, will continue for awhile.) And the days are packed at work, squeezing in SHN stuff and then coming home and working on SHN and journal stuff for a couple of more hours. It's been very minimally social during the week, and feels kind of strange since I think it's the least social I've ever been. It's also a strange feeling since I can see into the future and this is how it's going to be. I didn't really enter this thing (life? law school? trying to make things better?) to work 9-5 and come home to watch tv. I mean, some of that is great, but... Anyway, the point is not only to make distant excuses to my readership/friends about my shitty communication skills, but also because I feel like I am learning to live and be happy (I think) in a completely different way. Unfortunately for my past, but fortunate for my future, finding intellectual and emotional fulfillment from work is kind of a new thing... and I kind of like it.

I also nominate MILLER CHILL for "Beer of the Summer 2007." Votes?

Update

The bike continues to go well. I have a cooler helmet, so it looks like I mean to wear it, not like my mom makes me. Someone broke or stepped on or ran over my rear wheel. And then I got it fixed. And I've been enjoying riding the bike in a skirt, it makes me feel like a slut. No, I am not a slut, just an inconsistent blogger.

Things are busy and little blog-worthy is happening. Except for the riding the bike in the skirt, of course. We went to grandma's house last weekend, I got even more tan. I still spend a day a week in prison, my clients stories make me sad a lot. I have been working for weeks on a letter to a man about why he will never get out of prison. I wish I were wrong, but I don't think I am. I am looking forward to the upcoming fun, all of it.

Something that is really nice:

If you're walking, crying-- because that's what you do when you're frustrated-- it's really nice if a woman comes up behind you and tells you you have pretty hair. Believe me.

The kind of person who wants to work in prison...

"Remember Jackson? He's up on a capital murder charge in Arizona. Yep, they're charging the death penalty."

"Cool."

"It was one of those cold cases, they thought his ex-girlfriend died in a fire, now they think he killed her before the fire."

"Well, I hope he gets it!"

Seriously, Lindsay?

She was "chasing" another car, drunk, with cocaine in her pocket and two passengers-- while wearing the little bracelet. This is so irresponsible, that "I know who killed me" needs to be boycotted. Not like I would have seen it anyway, but this behavior doesn't need reinforcement through royalties.

Jesuschrist.

Remember him?

How did it become mid-July?

Summer continues to be great. However, if you haven't made plans with me and would like to... I'm busy every weekend until mid-September. Except for the first weekend in August. But I would like to have ONE MORE SUMMER WEEKEND IN MADISON! How did that happen? I guess it does every summer-- at the beginning these endless days are stretching out and once we cruise past the 4th of July... we have to cram everything else in.
This last weekend was fun. Friday night we went to this secret-feeling Italian restaurant a couple of blocks from my house that I learned of by reading the interview with my Civil Procedure professor on the law school website. Apparently it is his favorite place in Madison. It reminded me of that place in Middletown, the name I can't remember, that was in some old brotherhood hall and you ate whatever they made that night, in huge portions. This place had delicious, delicious pizza. And delicious, delicious wine.

Saturday we drove to Chicago and hung out with thousands of other cool kids in the Chicago sunshine at the Pitchfork music festival. It was fun. It made me tired. But not too tired to continue to keep it real at prison, like I did today.

This is a Funny T-Shirt. It's called "Spoilt."

I love

I love buying plane tickets, since getting a "deal," going places and accruing frequent flier miles are #s 2, 3 and 4 after "drinking beer outside" on the list of favorite things. But I don't get it. I am shopping for ways to get myself to New Orleans in August, I might have a meeting. So it costs $376 to fly non-stop from Minneapolis to New Orleans. But if I fly from Madison to Minneapolis to New Orleans... it's $304. To fly the same flight, plus the MSN --> MSP leg. But, of course, if I wanted to just fly Madison to Minneapolis, that's $302. Maybe that's why I like it, the thrill of the challenge, the problem-solving. Man, if the LSAT had included a travel-logic section... I'd, well, have done a lot better.

Totally Sick

I confused my mom greatly by using "sick" to mean good this weekend. I also saw "SiCKO" and one thing that really resonated was the amount of control the government and corporations retain over our lives through debt. By putting us in hock for school and medical bills, we're much more dependent on our jobs and will tolerate much more than we otherwise would. And so then people say we couldn't have socialized medicine because taxes would go up. How much would I rather have had FREE college and paid more income taxes? SOOOO much. Hey, actually, about $30,000 worth. And free law/grad school? Oh, about $120,000. And how much for no insurance premiums and reasonable prescription costs? Oh, let's say another $50,000 over a lifetime. How much would they have to additionally tax me to get $200,000 over my working lifetime? Assuming I can a) get a job and b) retire from it-- we're talking $5,000 more in taxes per year over a 40 year working life. I doubt it would be that much... but thats also fine with me. I have super-digressed... I wanted to bring your attention to this and encourage you to write an email/make a phone call:

http://collegeaffordabilitynow.org/

Summer in the Midwest is like Happy Hour

And not just because both are super fun. I was thinking about this yesterday after getting my third sunburn of the season. What an idiot I am! But I realized I gorge on the sun, like this going to be my last chance, who knows the next time I'll get some, it's too good a deal to pass up and so instead of using sunscreen and staying within my limits, I end up crispy. Happy hours can have the same effect. Any good happy hour participant knows to order two drinks at 6:55... and 2-for-1s can also leave you crispy. So to speak.

It's Never Too Late

To be thankful we're free. And American.

Happy 4th of July.

Heck, Happy 7th of July.

Look at this. I could, personally, do without the clown... but whatevs.