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Seems that wearing a veil in Florida can get your license revoked...or will it? It's funny though, my very first license had my eyes closed in the picture and I got to keep that one for 2 years. The "Under 21" irked me more than the eyes being shut. I figured, if I was pulled over looking glassy eyed I could say that that is actually how my picture appeared, but you just couldn't see it.
Gonna have to face it you're addicted to carbs... It's like the Robert Palmer song, except in this video all the guitar playing babes are shaped like potatoes. Which leads me to my point, I like potatoes too much. I realized, after the fact, that I had mashed potatoes with both lunch and dinner today. And y'know what? They were good. Yup, I like the spuds. This addiction is not a good thing. But since my 120/80 blood pressure is no longer considered normal, but 'borderline', what do I have to live for, eh?
The house is getting back to normal...since now I have time to help out on the inside projects and the weather here sucks. It's also a day of 1100 miles of racing, so we wouldn't be going out anyway. However, I tend to be very suggestible to commercials during long races. So far I want a funky looking Chevrolet and a Slurpee. I most definitely want a Slurpee. Mmmm....slurpee.
WHOA!
All I've got to say is today's events gave me the chills. As you can tell by the previous post, I was at Yale Law School on Monday and wandered around the main hallways (The above picture was taken Monday). At the time, I found it odd that I could wander in the front door and pretend I was a law student...oh wait, I am a law student, just not there. Either way, the security there is like the security at nearly every school...slim to none, and if you look like you belong there you won't be bothered. And of course law students can be seen by that strange haunted look as only exams can give you. Spouse and I were a tad freaked out. This is not the first time I've avoided a freak event at a school...when I was an undergrad we had a disturbed student take an entire Anthropology class hostage at gunpoint. I'm sticking to my theory that this is a disgruntled student's doing. Someone that wasn't allowed to sit for exams, or somehow had been disciplined by the university, not necessarily someone who didn't get in...the timing on this is telling. I'm very glad that no one was hurt.
Have you ever gotten behind the wheel of a car and decided to go somewhere, but weren't sure where? That's what the spouse and I did over the weekend. We decided to go east. East is a lovely direction, but things I learned in our trip:
1) Rhode Islanders have real issues with the use of directionals.
2) This lack of use of directionals has caused the State of Connecticut to remind drivers upon entering CT from RI that "state law requires the use of directionals."
3) The road surrounding Mohegan Sun casino would be a great road racing course.
4) Yale is like Cornell except it's in the middle of a city and not on a hill.
5) That Yale Law is still doing exams...bah ha ha ha.
All in all it was a lovely trip and I have the shirt to prove it, so when and if I get the chance to go back to school I will wear my Yale Law School shirt and not care about the glaring stares...cause you know I'll be a 2L!
And so it goes. With not the tiniest bit of fanfare, but a lovely meal of chicken schnitzel, I've ended my first year as a law student. The final exam was anti-climactic. It was a scheduled 3 hour Criminal Law exam with which the professor said we would not be time pressured or proctored for that matter. The only thing we had to do was sign in our own hand, "I understand I am on my honor for this exam." Unique and truly odd to say the least, since we were sitting shoulder to shoulder in a room that really shouldn't have been used for the exam. Nice chairs though, and you can't fault that. It only had 7 pages, 4 of which were lined to write the 2 essays, since there was no bluebook. The rest was matching and true/false questions. I didn't know whether I felt confident in my abilities or scared that I had screwed up by the end. And I only took 1 1/2 hours. And I wasn't the first one done...so that's what he meant by non time pressured.
So the lock is off the locker, the pre-registration schedule has been submitted to the registrar, and life is ripe with possibilities. I should be probably happier about the whole thing, but I think I'm somehow in denial that it is in fact over. I keep getting waves of panic that I should be reading for Monday's classes. I'm also making the assumption that since I haven't been told by the professor of the Witness Examination Skills course that I've been chosen means that I haven't made it off the waiting list. Still, common courtsey would make you believe I would have heard one way or another. Perhaps it's best this way, would I really want to be in a class with a professor who didn't finalize the class list before the day the registration forms were due? Nah, I didn't think so.
Oh, and I think it all ended on a good note...wandered aimlessly to my car, dropped the bag in the trunk, started it up and turned on the radio. The song was "Even Flow" by Pearl Jam. This is good for two reasons. One, I like the song. Two, Pearl Jam tunes are meaningful to me at the advent of a big event. When I moved out of my parents' house when I got married (yes, how old fashioned), I piled my life's possessions in the car and backed down the driveway to the tune of "Do The Revolution" by Pearl Jam. And it was the beginning of something pretty special. So I think it's an omen. This time I hope Eddie Vedder comes through again.
And here I thought I had no career...
In between studying for Crim Law and panicking, I flipped over to the Food Network to watch Iron Chef, just to put things into perspective. During the commercial break I have found what I can all do if I fail out of law school. Seems I can buy and raise alpacas! At I Love Alpacas.com I can find out about the "huggable investment" that is the alpaca. As long as there are no public restrictions on alpacas in my backyard, I am set for life!
That's what I get for procrastinating...
I was poking around and cleaning up my bookmarks, and was looking around the Practising Law Institute website. I decided to find out about the Patent Bar Exam, if at some time I had actually tried to take it. I had been led to believe at an Intellectual Property information session that it wasn't hard to qualify to take the exam. However, I found out that not only is it rather difficult to qualify as a non-science major, I can't do it without taking the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. Being familiar with engineering, seeing as how I'm married to an engineer, I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not be sitting for the Patent Bar nor will I be getting a concentration in Intellectual Property law. Doesn't seem to be much point to that since I can't sit for the test. I guess the science classes I took will not serve any purpose beyond making me scary at Trivial Pursuit. And I am...oh I am.
One more...only have to hang on until the end of the week. This one was more like a marathon than a test. While it's great that a professor will give the students 8 hours to take the 4 hour exam in order to be non-time pressured, when you subvert the spirit of test by attaching strange rules, like not allowing more than 16 oz. of water only and no food, it turns into something else entirely. Oh, and no more than one person can leave the room at once. With 80 people in the room, it makes for an interesting group dynamic. I worked 4 1/2 hours, including the time I took to review the exam, but honestly I don't feel like I did enough to prove I learned a year's worth of Contracts. And where were the third party beneficiaries? And the warranty of merchantability? I'll be living on pins and needles until the grades are posted. I really need to know if my life as a law student can go on, or whether I've crashed and burned spectacularly. My study group seems to think I really shouldn't fret about this, but I don't think they truly understand the position I'm in here.
Whaddya know...I take some time from studying, and I've become a natural disaster!
 What Natural Disaster are you? Take the quiz!
Yup, it's half over. I got to impersonate a Supreme Court justice on the Con Law exam, and didn't I just come off sounding like Rehnquist's long lost brother? Believe me, no one was more freaked out by that than I. When you're writing for a grade you will defer your liberal tendencies for the easy path of conservative legal thought. This, coupled with mild writers cramp compelled me to give myself a break for the rest of the day. Next exam is Contracts on Tuesday...ah, a year's worth of classes for one 4 hour exam given over 8 hours. What should I pack for lunch?
Con Law study group is due at the house in a little bit, but I wanted to breathe a bit after yesterday. We spent 3 hours in the morning working and realizing we knew nothing, and then proceeded to school for a "review session" by the professor. The short story there was we found out that the major essay on the exam is a 2 1/2 hour question. Absolute sheer panic for the majority, people began packing up and leaving 10 minutes in, realizing that their outline is woefully inadequate for this. This is an open book exam, and we did know this, but he kept harping on the fact that this exam, "...is quite time pressured...and you really won't have time to look at your notes." Did I mention the second essay, which is all theoretical constitutional philosophy? I went home, told the better half we needed to clean the house and get some snacks, and that I needed to write my notes and other outlines into a kick ass outline. 7 hours later I went to bed. Is it kick ass? Not a clue. Will I be ready? Maybe. I call this learning by sheer force of will. And all I keep saying is, this had better be worth it...because if I fail out after this?
Oh, and in the midst of all this, during a forced gyoza-eating-must-rest-my-eyes break I found out that IA is taking down Attorneys Suck. I was devastated. However I'm sure his reasons are sincere and personal, and I respect him all the more for making a clean break of it. He was the first person to comment on this smattering of thoughts I call my blog, and I wish him the best in the future. And oh...great pictures by the way!
Well, this was an exam for the ages...I woke up nauseous, which hasn't happened before a big event since my wedding. Perhaps this is a good thing. Came to the conclusion I really didn't have the energy or the brain power to waste trying to fight the nausea, so just got it done with and moved on. After prepping ad nauseum, literally, I felt ready. And perhaps I was, but that exam was like swimming against the waves for 3 hours. The fact pattern started out basic enough, but ratcheted up over the course of 6 pages, with sundry questions along the way to a 40 minute recording act question involving 7 parties, 2 mortagages, 2 contracts, 3 deeds, and a judgment. And this was 2 hours in. And to top it, it wasn't the last question, we still had 30 minutes of questions left. I succeeded in slinking out just prior to the last 10 minutes, when the room goes into lockdown and you can't leave. I didn't think I could handle the buffet of that much stress. My hand hurt, my head hurt...but I had my green lucky cat on the desk to guide me. How can you fault a happy little green cat with a raised paw. He knows all the answers! Unlike the gold lucky cats, the green one is supposed to help with your studies, and after that exam I am grateful for the cat's presence.
The Starbucks saga continues tomorrow, and we picked up another student in the process, so the three of us are going great guns with different flash cards. Onto Con Law...I got Wickard and his wheat...you want some wheat? We gots your wheat right here!
Can one be too prepared? This is the question that entered our heads after the 5th straight hour of flashcards, and after 2 overpriced drinks each at Starbucks. When we got there this morning, we weren't alone...which is scary since the one we went to was about 25 miles from the law school. After being at the pressure cooker...er...law school yesterday, we decided not to repeat the experience and seek new and exciting flashcard locations. Definitely has a special spin when you're drinking outdoors in the sun answering elusive questions about estoppel by deed, and the present and future covenants. Ah RESt today, AGE tomorrow....for the second to last time. Right to convey, Encumbrances, and Seisin...(further) Assurances, General Warranty, and (quiet) Enjoyment. *do a dance* And you also get to answer questions from people who have to know, "What the hell are you studying?" (While muttering, "You're harshing my mochachino...")
Why I'll never be a race car driver...
It's a good thing I'm going to law school. I got to drive laps around the airport ring road tonight while the other half went in to rent a vehicle for a road trip he needs to take. While I'm sure it would be more interesting if I could drive it faster, aim for the pedestrians and run the traffic lights, after 3 laps I was getting antsy. Of course, the first lap burned up all my good luck with the traffic lights, seeing as how I got them all green. Security was watching me on each lap to wonder when I was going to give it up and park in the short term lot. I got chased away once for "standing." Ahh...security. Having the radio cranked probably also got me some additional attention...another reason I couldn't be a race car driver, I need my tunes! Amazing what I'll do to get away from studying, eh?
I'm in denial about exams...but the summer is looking up. I spent yesterday morning at my new place of employment, doing those lovely things that you do when you start a job...filling out forms, and some more forms, and some forms for the state too. Did I mention the drug test? But...I get my own office, with a window and a bankers lamp! WOO! I really feel like I've come up in the world. Now, if I could only get my eye to stop twitching. I'm exhibiting stress in bodily tics? This is not a good thing.
But, in case that you've become too concerned about your exams and grades...just think, you could always sue to become head of your class.
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