Yes, I said "icky." It is a technical term.
Right now I am NOT a big fan of Immigration Law nor of Secured Transactions. I had classes in both of these areas and am now responsible for knowing and relating huge amounts of information in these very technical areas. I know, I know, law school is not supposed to be easy, but do I REALLY need to know so much about areas that I plan on never practicing?
It would be more fun to shop for a present for Wife. I think we can all agree she deserves a WONDERFUL gift, but I am clueless as to what it might be. We've about decided not to give each other graduation gifts and wait until we can agree on something together.
I know for sure that sports gifts would not be high on her list, but our Little Princess would enjoy almost anything sports-related. She loves her dresses, high heels and tiarras, but is almost as happy kicking around a soccer ball or hitting a baseball in the backyard. Oh, and the two loves are not mutually exclusive.....she'll happily play soccer in a party dress if her Moms will let her.
That does not help with an idea for Wife however...she'd not be happy in a party dress or playing soccer. Guess I know what NOT to buy!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Blue Screen Blues
Did I mentioned getting the blue screen of death about a week or two ago? Right, with only about a week and a half left of classes, plus finals, my laptop computer died. Well, it is possible it can be revived, but I will never trust it again, certainly not for finals. Maybe for note taking that I can back-up everyday during bar review.
I have been using Wife's laptop (Thank you, honey!) that we bought as a back-up in my second year...or was it my third?...when I was having power cord issues with mine. It's been good to have, and Wife enjoys it for portable digital scrap booking and surfing in the backyard on warm summer days. Hence the reason she wants her laptop back soon - summer is nearly here!
Just in case I need to get a new one, we've looked around a bit. A person can get a decent laptop these days for $500-600. Those I've been are bulkier that I would like though. I did some research and found what is undoubtedly the best of the netbooks. Netbook - yes - that is what I wrote. They are those adorably cute little computers meant mainly for surfing and checking email. I found a version though that can handle the MS Office apps, and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. I even found someone using it for college note taking. Perfect, right?
The winner is the Samsung NC-10. It can be found on sale for about $400, has a 93% normal size keyboard (some specs I've seen say 95%), with all the keys in the right place. Key placement is apparently a big problem with many netbooks. It is fast, apparently reliable, and the resolution is said to be excellent.
Due to size, there is no CD drive - so an external is necessary, or one can rely on a flash drive to transfer to and from a main computer. I'm told that is how I could load Word and PowerPoint, though I've not tried such a stunt.
At this point, we'll hope once finals are over I can try an XP repair or maybe just zap the hard drive and start over, so I can keep my old laptop. Still, the cute little Samsung is calling my name. It comes in blue. :) On the other hand, maybe if I wait a year or so, I could buy a lightweight but very powerful real laptop and that might be a better purchase in the long run. Ultimately, it depends on what I would want to use it for. For what I've done on my laptop for the last four years, other than burning CDs during finals, the NC-10 would be just fine.
Who knows? Maybe there will be graduation money in my future for just such a purchase!
I have been using Wife's laptop (Thank you, honey!) that we bought as a back-up in my second year...or was it my third?...when I was having power cord issues with mine. It's been good to have, and Wife enjoys it for portable digital scrap booking and surfing in the backyard on warm summer days. Hence the reason she wants her laptop back soon - summer is nearly here!
Just in case I need to get a new one, we've looked around a bit. A person can get a decent laptop these days for $500-600. Those I've been are bulkier that I would like though. I did some research and found what is undoubtedly the best of the netbooks. Netbook - yes - that is what I wrote. They are those adorably cute little computers meant mainly for surfing and checking email. I found a version though that can handle the MS Office apps, and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. I even found someone using it for college note taking. Perfect, right?
The winner is the Samsung NC-10. It can be found on sale for about $400, has a 93% normal size keyboard (some specs I've seen say 95%), with all the keys in the right place. Key placement is apparently a big problem with many netbooks. It is fast, apparently reliable, and the resolution is said to be excellent.
Due to size, there is no CD drive - so an external is necessary, or one can rely on a flash drive to transfer to and from a main computer. I'm told that is how I could load Word and PowerPoint, though I've not tried such a stunt.
At this point, we'll hope once finals are over I can try an XP repair or maybe just zap the hard drive and start over, so I can keep my old laptop. Still, the cute little Samsung is calling my name. It comes in blue. :) On the other hand, maybe if I wait a year or so, I could buy a lightweight but very powerful real laptop and that might be a better purchase in the long run. Ultimately, it depends on what I would want to use it for. For what I've done on my laptop for the last four years, other than burning CDs during finals, the NC-10 would be just fine.
Who knows? Maybe there will be graduation money in my future for just such a purchase!
Symptoms of the Rush
The rush of my last class has just about worn off, and I was hit with the reality of studying for my finals. I am woefully unprepared. At least I still have time. First final - Friday.
I think the excitement and lack of sleep are catching up with me. Last night I had a weird dream about giving engagement rings to two different women, but one was a mistake and I didn't really even know her. I had to try to find her and fix it so the second wouldn't be upset. I'm not sure I actually wanted to marry either one. (I don't know where Wife was during all this - clearly she did not exist, yet.) The weirdness must be from lack of sleep coupled with the episode of Brothers and Sisters we watched last night where Kitty is starting an affair.
I am happy to report I got a fairly good night's sleep and am ready to tackle work and study!
I think the excitement and lack of sleep are catching up with me. Last night I had a weird dream about giving engagement rings to two different women, but one was a mistake and I didn't really even know her. I had to try to find her and fix it so the second wouldn't be upset. I'm not sure I actually wanted to marry either one. (I don't know where Wife was during all this - clearly she did not exist, yet.) The weirdness must be from lack of sleep coupled with the episode of Brothers and Sisters we watched last night where Kitty is starting an affair.
I am happy to report I got a fairly good night's sleep and am ready to tackle work and study!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Reporting Live from My Last Class
This is Law School Mama, soon to be Law School Graduate Mama, reporting live at 8:26pm, Monday, April 27, 2009. I am currently sitting in my last formal law school class ever! My professor is standing at the front of the clasroom discussing undocumented workers in the context of immigration law as if we are all still paying attention. I am copying the notes she is writing on the board, drinking champagne and writing this post. (Hey, I might as well get in all of the "bad" behavior I've missed out on while I still can. If that is the case, I should be shopping online. Yes, I've actually witnessed that behavior.)
I best pay attention now. This is it, folks!
Thanks to all of you for sticking with me over the years.
More to come as I enter finals in the next few days...
I best pay attention now. This is it, folks!
Thanks to all of you for sticking with me over the years.
More to come as I enter finals in the next few days...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Last Local Government Law Class!!
I am currently in my very last local government law class ever! This has been one of my very least favorite classes and I will not be sad to say goodbye to it forever!
Sadly, the final is a closed-book, no note final. We had only cases as class materials, so most content was by lecture. He was not the best, nor the worst lecturer..but I am quite uneasy about the material I need to memorize. Great...he just mentioned something that sounds totally unfamiliar that is not in my notes anywhere. Even as he is reviewing material, he keeps saying, "Remember when we talked about...? Wasn't that the case....?" Ugh. Just thinking about this stuff is bringing me down from my last class high.
I have to be sure and not overindulge in food (or alcohol) during the upcoming time of celebration. Yesterday at work there was an immense chocolate cake and there was lots left today. I had two pieces yesterday, but today was good about only having about three bites. Still, chocolate and Cokes are great ways to celebrate, to keep awake while studying, and to cope with stress, and if I am not careful, I will end up needing the best rated diet pills. I am sure walks in the sun will be much healthier than all the possible goodies within my reach. As long as the sun stays out, I'm happy to indulge in that kind of treat!
Sadly, the final is a closed-book, no note final. We had only cases as class materials, so most content was by lecture. He was not the best, nor the worst lecturer..but I am quite uneasy about the material I need to memorize. Great...he just mentioned something that sounds totally unfamiliar that is not in my notes anywhere. Even as he is reviewing material, he keeps saying, "Remember when we talked about...? Wasn't that the case....?" Ugh. Just thinking about this stuff is bringing me down from my last class high.
I have to be sure and not overindulge in food (or alcohol) during the upcoming time of celebration. Yesterday at work there was an immense chocolate cake and there was lots left today. I had two pieces yesterday, but today was good about only having about three bites. Still, chocolate and Cokes are great ways to celebrate, to keep awake while studying, and to cope with stress, and if I am not careful, I will end up needing the best rated diet pills. I am sure walks in the sun will be much healthier than all the possible goodies within my reach. As long as the sun stays out, I'm happy to indulge in that kind of treat!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Summer is Calling
Spring has arrived! We had a beautiful weekend, with tulips in full bloom, and the sun shining down upon us. It was the perfect weekend to start dreaming about beach vacation rentals - any beach, anytime, is a really good thing!
We may escape for a few days following my last final...wait, let me say that again, my LAST FINAL...*grin*...and before bar review starts. Bar review, for me, will be formal 5-6 day per week 3 1/2 hour classes for 6 weeks, then 2 weeks of studying on my own right before the exam. Those that run the class say to expect about 6 hours of homework per day. How fun does that sound? Great summer, right? Well, after July 29th, it will all be over.
In the mean time, I will dream about being done with finals and soaking up a little sun and ocean air to get in the proper frame of mind to learn everything I need to know to pass the bar. (...and the sound of semi-hysterical laugher fades into the distance....end scene.)
We may escape for a few days following my last final...wait, let me say that again, my LAST FINAL...*grin*...and before bar review starts. Bar review, for me, will be formal 5-6 day per week 3 1/2 hour classes for 6 weeks, then 2 weeks of studying on my own right before the exam. Those that run the class say to expect about 6 hours of homework per day. How fun does that sound? Great summer, right? Well, after July 29th, it will all be over.
In the mean time, I will dream about being done with finals and soaking up a little sun and ocean air to get in the proper frame of mind to learn everything I need to know to pass the bar. (...and the sound of semi-hysterical laugher fades into the distance....end scene.)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Three Class Days Left!
What a fun and weird place to be. I have three class days left of law school - two next week and one the following week. It is very exciting and in some ways, things are going too fast to take time to consider. First, I study like crazy to figure out what it is I am supposed to know for the three classes for which I have finals, then I get finals out of the way, have about a week off, go through graduation, then start bar review. Bar review will be long and hard and tedious and frustrating because it has so little to do with anything I want to do with my life (other than passing the bar!)- yet - it is a ritual, and a requirement - and part of the whole law school experience. At the end of July, it will all be over. Weird to finally be here.
Despite not having a new job to go to yet, I feel strangely positive that all will work out well. In my current job, I can go down to half time during bar review, which means I can still work, and not be stressed about trying to learn a new job. It is comfortable and that will be good during the stress of the next few months. In that time, I'll keep up my networking, watching for things in my field of interest, and remain positive that I will end up in a good place that will move my career along on the path that I want to be traveling.
Best of luck to all of you who find yourselves similarly situated! We've almost done it!
Despite not having a new job to go to yet, I feel strangely positive that all will work out well. In my current job, I can go down to half time during bar review, which means I can still work, and not be stressed about trying to learn a new job. It is comfortable and that will be good during the stress of the next few months. In that time, I'll keep up my networking, watching for things in my field of interest, and remain positive that I will end up in a good place that will move my career along on the path that I want to be traveling.
Best of luck to all of you who find yourselves similarly situated! We've almost done it!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Happy 7th Birthday, Boy Wonder!
Boy Wonder was born 7 years ago today. What an amazing 7 years it has been! I remember when he was born, C-section after 38 hours of labor (Wife was a total trooper!), how amazing it was to finally hold him, and how wonderful to give him his first bath when he was less than one-hour old. (Picture of that on Wife's blog today.) I had no clue what I was doing or how to get him into the onesie I was handed by the nurse, but I managed. Wife was still hooked up to an IV and such during our first night together, so he was my boy to watch after, to freak out about when he was coughing up disgusting tar-looking stuff, and to notice the next day that he was turning yellow and then orange. Those first few days were scary. Time spent in the NICU with nurses without much more to do than pay way too much attention to our baby and notice every thing that could possibly be wrong (but wasn't, thank God!) was nerve-wracking.
Now....7 years later, Boy Wonder is a beautiful, smart, funny boy. No longer a baby, or a toddler, or a preschooler. To look at him now, he is a kid, a real boy, and all boy he is. Sometimes, Wife and I look at each other and have no idea where he gets the things he does. It's not like we are teaching him typical male behaviors, but there they are, just the same.
Maybe his predisposition to love video games is a "boy behavior," but maybe not, as our Little Princess is following in her brother's footsteps. He told me last week he was going to help her become a computer whiz, too. What a sweet big brother, right?
For his Birthday, celebrated on Sunday (and today) we surprised him with a Ninetendo DS , which we'd told him would be a long time before we could get for him. We found one on a good sale, and he has been beside himself happy about it. He's been very happy with his Gameboy Advance, but all the new games are only being release in the DS version now, and the new device has many more capabilities, plus can play his current Gameboy games, so we figured we'd go ahead and get it for him. From other family members, he received a couple of new games and gift cards, so he could go choose another couple games for himself. He chose Monsters v. Aliens, based on the new movie, and a version of Pokemon he didn't have, yet. We found out the DS even has voice capabilities. So far, Boy Wonder has been able to make a monster spit as a weapon when he tells him to. Cool, right?
Yup - he's gone from a teeny, tiny helpless baby to a big First Grader, skilled in reading, math and video games and so much more. His moms could not be more proud.
Happy Birthday, Son!
Now....7 years later, Boy Wonder is a beautiful, smart, funny boy. No longer a baby, or a toddler, or a preschooler. To look at him now, he is a kid, a real boy, and all boy he is. Sometimes, Wife and I look at each other and have no idea where he gets the things he does. It's not like we are teaching him typical male behaviors, but there they are, just the same.
Maybe his predisposition to love video games is a "boy behavior," but maybe not, as our Little Princess is following in her brother's footsteps. He told me last week he was going to help her become a computer whiz, too. What a sweet big brother, right?
For his Birthday, celebrated on Sunday (and today) we surprised him with a Ninetendo DS , which we'd told him would be a long time before we could get for him. We found one on a good sale, and he has been beside himself happy about it. He's been very happy with his Gameboy Advance, but all the new games are only being release in the DS version now, and the new device has many more capabilities, plus can play his current Gameboy games, so we figured we'd go ahead and get it for him. From other family members, he received a couple of new games and gift cards, so he could go choose another couple games for himself. He chose Monsters v. Aliens, based on the new movie, and a version of Pokemon he didn't have, yet. We found out the DS even has voice capabilities. So far, Boy Wonder has been able to make a monster spit as a weapon when he tells him to. Cool, right?
Yup - he's gone from a teeny, tiny helpless baby to a big First Grader, skilled in reading, math and video games and so much more. His moms could not be more proud.
Happy Birthday, Son!
Milestone
My FINAL paper of law school has been turned in.
What more is there to say?
Oh, right - WAHOOOOOOO!!!!
What more is there to say?
Oh, right - WAHOOOOOOO!!!!
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Random Thoughts During Painfully Dull Class
Random thoughts during the last 50 minutes of class, or whenever I hit "post."
- Happy Anniversary, Wife! Happy 14 years of marriage - may we celebrate many, many, many, many more wonderful years together!
- Hey - there is only ONE CLASS left of new material for this class! Thank God. This guy is killing me. If I hear any more hesitancy and uncertainly of facts, I may scream.
- I am so happy that I am getting close to being done with my FINAL PAPER OF LAW SCHOOL. I still need to add in the figures, polish and check the whole thing, but I am so close that I am thrilled!
- It was so fun to take the kids to Monsters v Aliens last week. See Wife's Blog about our April Fool's Day. After discovering our surprise was taking them to the movies, Boy Wonder declared, "This is the Best Day Ever!" I love that he has a lot of these. He is a happy boy. (Note: Both kids LOVED the movie and near the end both let me know that we had to buy it because it was "the best movie ever." As far as animated features, I still prefer Monsters, Inc., but this one was pretty fun.)
- Happy Anniversary, Wife! Happy 14 years of marriage - may we celebrate many, many, many, many more wonderful years together!
- Hey - there is only ONE CLASS left of new material for this class! Thank God. This guy is killing me. If I hear any more hesitancy and uncertainly of facts, I may scream.
- I am so happy that I am getting close to being done with my FINAL PAPER OF LAW SCHOOL. I still need to add in the figures, polish and check the whole thing, but I am so close that I am thrilled!
- It was so fun to take the kids to Monsters v Aliens last week. See Wife's Blog about our April Fool's Day. After discovering our surprise was taking them to the movies, Boy Wonder declared, "This is the Best Day Ever!" I love that he has a lot of these. He is a happy boy. (Note: Both kids LOVED the movie and near the end both let me know that we had to buy it because it was "the best movie ever." As far as animated features, I still prefer Monsters, Inc., but this one was pretty fun.)
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