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The weekend was spent in quiet reflection, mostly because I couldn't talk and my cold took a turn for the worse. This morning I woke up with two pink eyes, a head full of phlegm and an overwhelming need for medication. Luckily, I was able to get an appointment and now have a happy pile of drugs. My muddled brain left behind my cellphone and my power cable this morning, leaving me to write half of my notes by hand. I have new found awe for those people who do this in bar review everyday. Thought I was going to die. Of course, with no network connection I also missed the announcement that Deep Throat lives! And no it wasn't Fred Fielding or Alexander Haig. It was a guy I had never heard of, W. Mark Felt. I was going to hold out and say I wasn't going to believe it until Woodward concurred, but supposedly this afternoon he did say that Felt is Deep Throat. I feel oddly let down, but perhaps it's the drugs talking.
Today was the day. I woke up with even less voice than I went to bed with, so there was much hand waving and pointing going on today. For once, it was sunny and warm and of course I had to stand outside in it in a velvet robe. It's a wonder we didn't have people go down. A small family contingent turned out, got fabulous seats and applauded loudly. I have the pictures to prove it. And the highlight? We all went out for sushi and chinese food afterward. We did learn that without Beanie talking, there can be awkward silences. Hot tea and udon did not make the voice return. Spicy tuna roll did not make the voice return. Really yummy cake did not make the voice return. So I'm smiley and silent and ready to get on with the rest of my life. But never fear...this isn't going away yet...there's still a Bar Exam to vent about. I just wanted to thank you all for sticking with me through this wild ride, even if I can't tell you personally. Hell, I can't even tell my family personally without breaking out writing implements. :)
I'm sitting on my couch wearing my poofy hat waiting for tomorrow. My minor cold which came on the scene earlier this week has settled in my throat, effectively making me mute. Luckily, I do not have to give any speeches. I wanted to make sure I put down any sort of feelings I have at this significant time, but honestly, this is the biggest anti-climactic event of my life. A week's worth of bar review in the bag, the Bar Exam in a little over 2 months and I get to dress up in a velveted gown and a foofy hat for the two hours it'll take to get me a degree in hand. I always did want to wear the hat though. It's a styling hat. It's a size 7 1/4. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life, and you better believe I'll be a Juris Doctor. But remember, if you throw the hat in the air you bear the risk of injury. It said so on the bag.
I signed up for my bar review course based on its reputation. It's supposed to be an intensive review and has a 'boot camp' sort of mentality. On average I type 10 pages a day, and at the end of each class I feel beat. I got everything I needed to know about venue today. It makes me wonder just how we'll cover everything in two months, but according to the schedule we will. In the meantime, my typing speed is going to skyrocket. I haven't typed like this since my gig as a secretary.
Okay, new news. Shortly after posting about possible phone calls, I received one...from "Unavailable." I nearly hurled in the library. However, given the heavy accent of the person on the line I had my doubts about whether it was a school call. My connection was fritzy to say the least and I lost the call. It was at this point that panic set in and I took off to see what I could find out. [Note: it is important to note at this point that the first time I graduated from undergrad, it turned out I didn't actually graduate due to credits. No one had bothered to tell me until after the matter. So I'm sort of sensitive about this graduation thing.] I nearly ran into one of the Deans and asked straight up if I was someone she was looking for. She asked me for my middle name. She repeated it, and nodded to herself. I peppered her with, "So does that mean I'm actually walking across the stage?" "Would you tell me if I weren't?" The answers were vague non-answers, but yet I felt oddly relieved. Fast forward 15 minutes. I recount the story to two of my friends, both of whom are as worried as I am. And doesn't the Dean wander through again. We nearly run her over with questions. And so comes the moment of truth. "If you hadn't heard from us by now, you're safe." Short pause. "Does this mean we're good?" "Yes." I swear I heard angels voices. Maybe it was the Hallelujah chorus running through my head. Maybe it was a moment of light-headedness. I wanted to hug her. I wanted to dance. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Instead, I told her that she had just made my month, if not my year. She smiled. I think I skipped into the parking lot. Today is a very good day.
Oh the Statute of Limitations is longer than my arm...how do I keep them all from harm....yeah, I sing to myself, what's it to you? New word on the street is that if you aren't going to graduate, you're supposed to get a phone call from one of the deans. So everyone is praying that they don't get a phone call this week. I left myself a small cushion, since I took 13 credits and only need 10 to graduate, but it's like waiting for the grim reaper. Supposedly one of the Deans made an appearance in the PMBR room, and it's a wonder people didn't die of heartattacks. My friend was approached only to be asked how to pronounce his name. I say that's an excellent sign. Me, I'm sweating it out in the library waiting for the phone call I hope never comes. Hurry up with Saturday already!
Today Bar Review began in earnest. For those of you who are keeping score, PMBR isn't over yet, so I get to pull double duty for these two days. Go to regularly scheduled class, get three hours to dwell on my notes and turn around and do PMBR to late in the evening. I've already done my Con Law quiz for today, and shockingly enough pulled a 56%. I nearly did a little dance. Here I thought I hadn't learned much in that class, but something stuck. It ought to be interesting to see if this trend continues for Property tomorrow. In the meantime, it's time for me to review Jurisdiction...which if you type enough times in one morning actually starts to spell itself. It's not jurisidiction or even jursdiction, but rather good ol' jurisdiction.
It's been crazy here the last few days, sorry I haven't been able to keep up. What we've learned so far...should have brought a yellow highlighter, red and black pens. Two, that it's alot nicer to sit at home in the morning and do my PMBR test and drive in for a noon video lecture than try to fight traffic. Three, I know much more about contracts and evidence than torts and criminal law. That being said, I don't know much about much. Fourth and finally, thinking is hard. The ability to string together a sentence seems much harder now. And if it's that bad after 4 days, imagine what I'll be like in July. Better start learning sign language now.
First day of PMBR done. I haven't even figured out the percentages on the Crim Law diagnostic, since I couldn't remember the differences between larceny, robbery, and burglary I was majorly screwed this morning. Took some really good notes, drank two cans of Mountain Dew and actually seemed to wake up as the day went along. I learned more in this class than I ever did in real Crim Law. Our prof's distinctions on intent were damn bastard, stupid damn bastard, and damn S.O.B. That really works well on the MBE. Tomorrow we face Torts. Seeing as how I remember that course through a medication haze, this ought to be fun.
Just got home from the midnight screening of Revenge of the Sith. Tomorrow/Today is so going to suck. I promise no spoilers. Highlight: lightsaber duels before the movie started. Lowlight: cops who break up said lightsaber duels. Highlight: Starting up the pre-preview reel with no sound. Lowlight: including nearly 20 minutes of preview for movies I could care less about. Highlight: watching Hayden Christensen's acting improve immensely once inside the Vader outfit. Lowlight: Wishing for three-quarters of the movie that he'd just wash his hair. It's been nearly 2 years since I've been to the movie theater, and I probably won't be back. No reason to go back now.
Break out the Mountain Dew. Must stay awake. I'm not one for midday naps, and I made sure I slept in this morning, but I'm not sure I have enough excitement to get through the movie tonight. More like, if Hayden Christensen's acting is as staid and cardboard as in the previous movies, snoresville for Beanie. I'm putting a lot of hope in the truthfulness of the review in The New York Times that it's as good or better than the first Star Wars. Either way, I have the joy and hopefulness of the first day of PMBR to look forward to for tomorrow. Like I said, break out the Mountain Dew.
Nothing says a day off than your coolant running down the street. Try to get a few errands run and find your car slowly bleeding itself to death. So now in the time of the least cash, I have to have my intake manifold fixed. Yeah. Feeling great about it too. I'll be sitting at home tomorrow while they fix my car. Sad. So sad.
Just saw the new commercial from Burger King with that creepy king that doesn't say anything. In this one Darth Vader just stands in front of him and breathes heavily. The spouse is yelling at the screen, "Take his head off with the saber! Do it do it do it!" Yeah, we think he's that creepy.
Thursday is the day PMBR begins, so until then life is free and easy. What to do, what to do. Clean the house? Shopping? Have a party? All of the above? Yes. And oh, Wednesday at midnight? Star Wars of course. So what if I'll get four hours of sleep before PMBR...it's Star Wars.
It may be Friday 13th, but it doesn't matter...because I'M DONE! Yes, fourth and final exam in the books, now just give me the mediocre grades and let me get the degree. I actually am not as happy about this day as I thought I'd be, but I don't think it's from lack of effort, but rather because of it. If someone told me three years ago I'd make it this far, I would have seriously doubted you. Just call me Beanie the pseudo-lawyer. Now, where's my drink?!?
If you hurry within the next 4 hours you can be the proud owner of your very own set of autographed Michael Jackson Puppet Theater Puppets! Amaze your friends and neighbors, spend those graduation gifts. They are only $15,200.
Yes, another one goes down in the books. Three hours, 83 multiple choice, 45 short answers. Time pressured? You betcha. In better news, I've heard through the grapevine that no 3L failed the Commercial Law exam on Friday. THB asked if I'm feeling a bit nostalgic facing the last exam, and honestly now that I'm in exam period I don't. We were all a bit misty during the last week of classes, but this exam period has been brutal. It's been reminiscent of 1L first semester exams. Hopefully the performance won't be similar. Perhaps it's that I'll be seeing most of these people everyday through July, perhaps it's because I don't have space in my brain to be sentimental, I'll just be relieved to see this all end.
So a duck walks into a bar...um, I don't know what I was going for there. It's almost like being done, except I'm not. Crim Pro is tons of fun. I have a packet of reading for this course that fills a 4" binder. Therefore I can't exactly reread big sections of it. Outlines? I have three. Now to cram it all into my brain where the State Practice stuff used to be and the Commercial Law was before that. Things have changed though as I've progressed through law school, for instance now I watch Harvey Birdman. "Whoooo...is the man in the suit?" And I've branched out in my alcohol consumption. See, before Sex in the City hit the scene I drank cosmopolitans. They were pink and tasty and looked sophisticated. Then they became trendy and I stopped. I picked up Tanqueray and Tonic. Also tasty, goes well with food and people seemed surprised I drank them. But now everyone is drinking them too. So I've picked up a new vice, Scotch and Ginger Ale. Not as bold a drinking statement as Scotch neat or Scotch on the rocks, but it's definitely growing on me.
Two down, two to go. This one, not as much fun. Hell, I'm not going to lie, it sucked. When people come up to you afterward and say, "Do you think it's possible to get a D- on this one?" you wonder just how bad it truly was. The way I see it, this test has to have one hell of a wicked curve, else we all failed. The rock in my class told me that it would be fine, that I had learned a lot in this class. Of course, that was before it started. When the same rock got up to leave the room for the bathroom, the rock looked a bit rocky. People looked a tad green. At least I have the first 12 right...but they were handed out before the exam. Here's to Thursday and Crim Pro. Woo.
One down, three to go. Without a doubt that was the shortest exam for a four credit course ever. When people start leaving less than an hour and a half in, you wonder what's going on. It was actually only 20 questions in total, and only 4 short answers that actually required explanation. I think I can actually say that I passed without doubting myself. If only the rest of them go that smoothly.
Tomorrow at 9am it begins. Commercial Law, the class that should have been three, lays a smackdown on Beanie that can only be described as scary. I know things. I read the whole friggin book. Test me on 1200 pages and see what happens. The sense of manic panic hasn't set in yet. Perhaps I need more caffeine.
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And with a sigh and barely a whimper it ended. Today was the last class of my last semester of law school. I suppose I didn't even have to go, but I thought it best if I didn't skip my very last class. We did a small review for the exam on Friday. It's a pass/fail class for me, so I need a good working knowledge for the test. The other exams I need to be a smidge more prepared. Monday's State Practice exam? Yeah, that's a biggie. Anyway, I'm home now, trying to stay warm and wondering what happens now.
The pattern now until what seems forever is the following...go to the back room, plug in the computer, turn on the tunes and study. I finally decided to play, what are we listening to and compiled the following list of the last 10 songs I heard.
1. Lord Only Knows - Beck
2. In Bloom - Nirvana
3. Ride - The Vines
4. No Mercy For Swine - Cherry Poppin' Daddies
5. Pretty Noose - Soundgarden
6. Time and Motion - Rush
7. Poetry & Prose - Primus
8. Rock Your Body - Stagga Lee
9. Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
10. High School Dance - Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Everybody sing: Hello student body! Hello faculty! Show of hands how many of you here have met me? Not too many - who am I? I'll try not to keep you guessin'...
Damn, it's May 1 already? This year is a blur. I felt I should post something today, mostly in my attempt to procrastinate even more than humanly possible. This is also why I'm currently wearing teeth whitening strips. I may not have control of my destiny as far as these exams are concerned, but I can have white teeth while doing it. Of course, I did cheap out and bought the cheap Target brand ones. Can't really talk with them on, though when I did I swore I sounded like I did when I wore retainers back in grade school. They taste rather disgusting and have to be worn 30 minutes twice a day. So, to make this totally pointless post at least a tad bit entertaining, go look at this link. It's work safe, about 4 minutes in length, and for a child of the 80s like myself it brings back great memories.
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