Bill's in the lower left, obvi. I'm in the upper right. We're, like, practically touching.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
At What Point & Thankful
The undergrad class continues to be a font of bizarre, boring and amusing things. I can't share all of them for fear my classmates will find my blog and I'll get the reputation of "old bitch." Assuming that is not already my nickname, of course. But there are a couple of things...
1. Say you're a white male in your late 20s with a ponytail and you work with a central american solidarity organization in Madison, Wisconsin. And say your name is Steve. Is it ever acceptable to introduce yourself to other Americans as "Esteban"? I don't think so. And the pony tail has a lot to do with my feelings on the matter. I guess I will never be confronted with such an issue, with a name that doesn't change in Spanish. Carlos? Pedro? A million years ago in high school, there was a Molly who swore her Spanish name was Maruja. Some things don't translate.
2. This afternoon, I appreciated my delicate and overpriced college experience when a girl was standing in front of the class talking about the gender binary and heteronormative language and suggested there is an intersection between race and gender. And her classmates totally didn't get it and spent a lot of time whispering and snickering. Poor girl. Some things still don't translate.
Remember when my mom thought I coined the term heteronormative? Well, she may still think that...
1. Say you're a white male in your late 20s with a ponytail and you work with a central american solidarity organization in Madison, Wisconsin. And say your name is Steve. Is it ever acceptable to introduce yourself to other Americans as "Esteban"? I don't think so. And the pony tail has a lot to do with my feelings on the matter. I guess I will never be confronted with such an issue, with a name that doesn't change in Spanish. Carlos? Pedro? A million years ago in high school, there was a Molly who swore her Spanish name was Maruja. Some things don't translate.
2. This afternoon, I appreciated my delicate and overpriced college experience when a girl was standing in front of the class talking about the gender binary and heteronormative language and suggested there is an intersection between race and gender. And her classmates totally didn't get it and spent a lot of time whispering and snickering. Poor girl. Some things still don't translate.
Remember when my mom thought I coined the term heteronormative? Well, she may still think that...
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
26.91 Years Old
It's a month until my birthday, so I thought now would be a good time to list all of the things I want. I am American, after all. I like to think that some day I will have money (I learned this morning I have $147 in my checking account... good thing I got half of my summer stipend early.)
1. A road bike that doesn't suck. Preferably with fully operational brakes and able to support a rack on the back. These are things the current bike lacks.
2. A Japanese 4 door hatch-back with working airconditioning, fewer than 10 years old and with under 100,000 miles. This is in contrast to the my 17 year old 181,000 mi, no A/C stallion.
3. A Mandolin. And instructional materials to acquire the ability to play this mandolin.
4. An iPhone. Just because.
5. New clothes from Old Navy for cheapass gulf coast casual summer wear.
6. 36 hours in a day.
7. More points in Pet Pupz, the Facebook Application that is sweeping the nation. So that I can get Steve the Chow Chow a virtual pet fried, possibly Margaret the Border Collie.
8. Not a new phone... since I just resurrected mine with a hair dryer!
1. A road bike that doesn't suck. Preferably with fully operational brakes and able to support a rack on the back. These are things the current bike lacks.
2. A Japanese 4 door hatch-back with working airconditioning, fewer than 10 years old and with under 100,000 miles. This is in contrast to the my 17 year old 181,000 mi, no A/C stallion.
3. A Mandolin. And instructional materials to acquire the ability to play this mandolin.
4. An iPhone. Just because.
5. New clothes from Old Navy for cheapass gulf coast casual summer wear.
6. 36 hours in a day.
7. More points in Pet Pupz, the Facebook Application that is sweeping the nation. So that I can get Steve the Chow Chow a virtual pet fried, possibly Margaret the Border Collie.
8. Not a new phone... since I just resurrected mine with a hair dryer!
Smartest Person You Know
Or not. I dropped my phone in the toilet last night... a replacement should be coming Friday. Soooo... sorry about that. The replacement is the slightly newer version of the same phone (score!) but only comes in black instead of the mint green I have been enjoying since August (bummer.) Oh well.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Upcoming Professional
After spending some quality writing a motion about a fake case. And outlining a cross-examination of a fake cop in the fake case, I thought I should reward myself by bringing my leftover giftcards to the sale rack at the Gap. And so I did. I did vigilante pants shopping and walked away with two pairs of pants suitable for work that fit just fine and came off the sale rack. This is, of course, a raging success. But I also tried on a bunch of white shirts, some of which fit fine... but were all kind of translucent. On top of their see-through nature, I was also trying them on with a black bra, so the effect was particularly Carrie Bradshaw Business Casual. Now, this presents a problem for someone like me. I am not dressing demurely sexy business casual in order to catch the eye of the cute senior associate one of the late nights we spend pouring over discovery boxes.... nope, I am wearing these clothes to prison. Or, in the alternative, to jail and court. This is not the time to be demurely sexy. Or sexy. Or translucent.
So, I didn't get any shirts. But I did kind of like that whole Carrie Bradshaw part.
So, I didn't get any shirts. But I did kind of like that whole Carrie Bradshaw part.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Lame
I have been so lame this week, knocked on my butt by a terrible disease. I have left the house for a total of 2.5 hours since Sunday... and have spent most of the rest of the time sleeping, doing a little LITTLE work and watching DVDs. Completely pathetic. Internet, please have pity on me. Next entry, more uplifting-- I swear.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Freakin Weekend
In other activities, it was a good weekend. Friday went straight from executing a good direct examination in trail advocacy class to admitted students dinner where I identified another Wesleyan alum at the law school (a clinical professor, we were both very excited to discover this. Obvi) and talked to people about coming to school here. Then I saw a concert, Bon Iver. He's a friend of a friend here from high school, a Wisconsin falsetto that will break your heart. It was awesome and they came out and played the last song right next to us in the audience. Then we drank beer.
Saturday Charlie's roommate made us a surprise brunch and I transitioned straight from that to talking to admitted students some more. OH-- and sending on applications for an apartment. Assuming that goes through, we'll have a cute place with a lot of built-in shelving near the capitol next year. There is also free laundry.
Later Saturday a banquet and after party, which both ended up being a lot more fun than anticipated. Today we cashed in coupons like crazy, got 2-for-1 lunch, a free do-it-yourself dogwash and 50% off dog treats.
Was there some minutiae I missed? I sure hope not.
Saturday Charlie's roommate made us a surprise brunch and I transitioned straight from that to talking to admitted students some more. OH-- and sending on applications for an apartment. Assuming that goes through, we'll have a cute place with a lot of built-in shelving near the capitol next year. There is also free laundry.
Later Saturday a banquet and after party, which both ended up being a lot more fun than anticipated. Today we cashed in coupons like crazy, got 2-for-1 lunch, a free do-it-yourself dogwash and 50% off dog treats.
Was there some minutiae I missed? I sure hope not.
Being a Winner
I actually learned of something else I won, after writing the last entry about winning. This one is an inaugural scholarship award from the Public Interest group at school. Before this grand season of winning is too far behind me, I just want to meditate on it for awhile. I think these are the first awards I have won. I have won elections and other good things have happened for sure... but oftentimes forms and applications leave space for "awards" and I've never had anything to put. In high school there was this strange program where a student was selected and given a book "from" a fancy-pants women's college (also strange since I don't think too many people from SW went to these places.) So, like, Kristina won, I think, the Mount Holyoke book? For being a kick-ass girl who was good at English, or something like that. I didn't get one of those. And Senior Superlatives? Didn't even get mentioned in those. And even though I was co-Senior Class President, I sat in an auditorium and watched my co- get all of the awards... and I didn't get one. This isn't just a pity-party for pity-party's sake, it's to make the point that after working my patootie off for the past year and a half in school, out of school and in ways that carry no financial reward... it's strange to be recognized, awarded, rewarded.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
And then.
As if yesterday weren't awesome enough... I won $80+ from the Final Four. I am totally en fuego.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Scholastic Updates
In chronological order over the past week:
1. I more or less quit grad school. Emphasis on the more. I dropped a class and mentally decided it's ok not to do the dual-degree. There are a number of reasons I decided this, chiefly that I started it because I thought it would be fun and I have been finding it neither fun nor rewarding. I didn't want to stay more time in school to complete it and if I did complete it in three years, I would miss other opportunities. Dropping this class was a hassle and a half and really made me miss attending small school where if there was a bureaucratic problem I could direct each agent the other, across the hall of North College.
2. Last Friday was law prom, which I did not attend. I didn't go last year, either, because we had tickets the Decemberists. I would like to say I didn't go because I am too cool. The truth is feeling alienated, unattractive and totally F-ED in a certain class that shall remain nameless except that it rhymes with Kevifence... made it seem like maybe I should be doing something other than wearing too little clothing and getting black-out drunk. Maybe.
3. Yesterday I was elected Symposium Editor of the Journal. Even more than my position, we have an amazing board that I am really looking forward to working with. And, of course, I will put together a butt-kicking Symposium.
4. And then this morning I won award about caring about poor people.
5. And then this afternoon learned I got one of the Project Assistant positions in the clinic I've been working in for the past year. This means next year I work for them 14 hours/week and in exchange do not pay for school. And am paid a stipend. And get health insurance. It's basically the best thing that has happened in a while. Charlie actually got one of the other two positions. Which not only means we continue to be a pukey puke puke power couple, but a power couple that will have about $75,000 less in debt than they would have otherwise.
1. I more or less quit grad school. Emphasis on the more. I dropped a class and mentally decided it's ok not to do the dual-degree. There are a number of reasons I decided this, chiefly that I started it because I thought it would be fun and I have been finding it neither fun nor rewarding. I didn't want to stay more time in school to complete it and if I did complete it in three years, I would miss other opportunities. Dropping this class was a hassle and a half and really made me miss attending small school where if there was a bureaucratic problem I could direct each agent the other, across the hall of North College.
2. Last Friday was law prom, which I did not attend. I didn't go last year, either, because we had tickets the Decemberists. I would like to say I didn't go because I am too cool. The truth is feeling alienated, unattractive and totally F-ED in a certain class that shall remain nameless except that it rhymes with Kevifence... made it seem like maybe I should be doing something other than wearing too little clothing and getting black-out drunk. Maybe.
3. Yesterday I was elected Symposium Editor of the Journal. Even more than my position, we have an amazing board that I am really looking forward to working with. And, of course, I will put together a butt-kicking Symposium.
4. And then this morning I won award about caring about poor people.
5. And then this afternoon learned I got one of the Project Assistant positions in the clinic I've been working in for the past year. This means next year I work for them 14 hours/week and in exchange do not pay for school. And am paid a stipend. And get health insurance. It's basically the best thing that has happened in a while. Charlie actually got one of the other two positions. Which not only means we continue to be a pukey puke puke power couple, but a power couple that will have about $75,000 less in debt than they would have otherwise.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Old
I was formulating this whole post about how lovely it was that it was supposed to snow yesterday, but instead has been sunny in the 50s. And how cute college kids are and how I see them and remember me/us and feel happy as well as excited for reunion. But, meh, who wants to read all that happy stuff, wouldn't we all let me complain?
Today I found my first gray hair. This is combined with my visit last week to the nutritionist and nurse practitioner to once again address the cholesterol situation. My cholesterol is high again, as it was two years ago. But then it wasn't when it was tested in Madison in December 06. Weird, right? Well, it's nice to have health care providers who are competent and nice. Like I could tell the nutritionist, hey, listen, I am not perfect and there are definitely ways I can improve my diet... but I am also frustrated because I do already do the big things. This is contrast to the Brooklyn Dr. who gave me the sage advice to eat chicken instead of beef and use olive oil to cook instead of... I don't even know, lard? That made me mad. Anyway, these health care professionals were good. And I gave them a good challenge with my vastly different cholesterol readings. The NP suggested it may have to do with the fact that I had been off birth control from 8 months or so when I had the good test. And apparently birth control can raise cholesterol. UMMMMM... this is interesting, but does it strike anyone else as irresponsible? I mean, I know that reproductive years are not the ones where women are most at risk for heart disease... but it's also a period when women's cholesterol is likely not being monitored and so all that crazy plaque and whatever can just accumulate like nothing.
Anyway, the point is that I am back to a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet. When I drink, I get heart palpitations (for which I am now taking medication daily) and now I have gray hair. Basically, it is a very exciting time to be me.
Today I found my first gray hair. This is combined with my visit last week to the nutritionist and nurse practitioner to once again address the cholesterol situation. My cholesterol is high again, as it was two years ago. But then it wasn't when it was tested in Madison in December 06. Weird, right? Well, it's nice to have health care providers who are competent and nice. Like I could tell the nutritionist, hey, listen, I am not perfect and there are definitely ways I can improve my diet... but I am also frustrated because I do already do the big things. This is contrast to the Brooklyn Dr. who gave me the sage advice to eat chicken instead of beef and use olive oil to cook instead of... I don't even know, lard? That made me mad. Anyway, these health care professionals were good. And I gave them a good challenge with my vastly different cholesterol readings. The NP suggested it may have to do with the fact that I had been off birth control from 8 months or so when I had the good test. And apparently birth control can raise cholesterol. UMMMMM... this is interesting, but does it strike anyone else as irresponsible? I mean, I know that reproductive years are not the ones where women are most at risk for heart disease... but it's also a period when women's cholesterol is likely not being monitored and so all that crazy plaque and whatever can just accumulate like nothing.
Anyway, the point is that I am back to a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet. When I drink, I get heart palpitations (for which I am now taking medication daily) and now I have gray hair. Basically, it is a very exciting time to be me.
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