On Being a Semi-Job-Seeker

Here I am, on the cusp of graduation, wanting very much to move on in my career, and yet practical enough to know where I am now is a great place to be during these last months of school and through bar prep. The job is low stress, those I work with supportive, and I should be able to drop to half-time during Bar-Bri study time.

Still, I surf frequently, just in case that perfect "in" to a desired company, or even better, the perfect position, opens up. I've met with various leaders in my field of interest and have a list of probably 20-30 contacts that I have met with and try to keep in touch with at least many of them. There are certainly not many positions open, nor much stir about future openings, other than the knowledge that energy, my chosen field, will eventually boom. I'm not waiting for the explosion, and am looking carefully for the tiny click of a door potentially opening.

The other day, as I was searching the "career" section of a variety of companies who manufacture renewable energy sources, such as windmills and solar panels, I came across something that sounded promising. It was something about being a part of the energy solution, a member of a growing team committed to the environment...etc....it turned out to be jobs in sales. Not exactly what I had in mind. The search continues...

A Long, Pleasant Drive

Today we drove 2 hours to get to my great-niece's 4th birthday party. We've only been to their town once before, prior to Boy Wonder being born. Since it seems kind of far away for a couple hour birthday party, we've not been looking forward to the drive, but we have been looking forward to seeing my niece's new house. As it ended up the drive went fairly quickly, the kids were good, and we were really glad we went.

Thanks to a sale before Christmas, I am now the proud and happy owner of a handheld navigational device which we took as a backup to the written instructions emailed to us by my niece. Because the instructions contain such tips as, "You will pass a llama ranch and later a buffalo ranch" we knew we were going out in the middle of nowhere and there was no cell phone service if we got lost. The Christmas gift proved an excellent assurance that we were on the right track! We arrived before the party-start time, and we all had a great time visiting with family while we were there.

Long car trips can be a challenge and I have to say I don't know what we did before our portable DVD player, Leapster, and GameBoy. Boy Wonder has loved his Leapster since his 4th Birthday when he received it and was so absorbed that he did not even notice the guests left until 10 minutes after everyone was gone. Now Our Little Princess is the main Leapster player, using her brother's for a long time until she got her own pink version for Christmas. She was thrilled! The Leapster games are great - the kids feel like they are just playing a game, but educational components are built into game play so we can feel good about the hours they spend staring at the screen! I can't say that Boy Wonder's GameBoy is nearly as educational, but it too does build certain skills, such as logic, planning, and of course, hand-eye coordination. The Leapster though is something we always feel good about. I'd highly recommend one for passing the time on long car trips!

Appreciating the Good Stuff

Why is it that after Christmas, just when you're kind of back to semi-healthy eating habits, Girl Scout cookies and Camp Fire candy come out? I mean really - who can resist those scrumptious goodies? It is almost anti-American to pass by kids, selling chocolaty deliciousness, earning money for camp. Perhaps another group should come along in April selling an assortment of diet pills as their fundraiser!

Let's just say, we have done our parts this year, and probably not shared with the children nearly as much as might be expected. Hey - it is expensive stuff, and they don't appreciate the rarity of the treats nearly as much as we do. Is anyone buying this excuse for indulgence? I certainly hope so!

Slowly Creeping Out of Denial

Do you know if you misspell "denial" you get "denali" which is a town in Alaska? I am thinking "Slowly Creeping Out of Denali" might be a good name for a book which could later be adapted into a screenplay for a major feature film. That's what I'll be doing rather than being a lawyer.

A lawyer? Really? Seriously? So, was it the fantastic hours, the great reputation or the enormous student loans that first attracted me to the profession? Maybe it was the killer 2-day exam at the end of a HUGELY expensive 4-year education that if you don't pass you don't get to play the game?

All kidding aside, just for a moment, yesterday I went to a presentation/ Q&A session with a sampling of our state's Bar Examiners, ordered my cap and gown, and sent away for the bar application kit. Apparently, ready or not, graduation and the bar exam are rapidly approaching. Wow.

If any of my classmates are reading this, the most valuable tip I got was that the March 31st deadline for the bar application is really just the deadline for the application itself. You can send in supplemental materials, such as DMV records, later.

OK, so, I get through this last batch of classes, somehow piece together a freaking major research paper that I never should have gotten myself into (but that will probably prove to be the most interesting thing I am working on) and before you know it - BAM - I will have pretty initials after my name.

Crazy.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Boy Wonder was so cute this morning, excitedly reading every one of his Valentine cards to me. His class had a party yesterday and they all exchanged cards...some with candy...you can imagine how exciting that was!

This weekend we will celebrate a "Family" Valentine's Day, with candy and little stuffed animals for the kids (hey - they were on sale), and maybe a little something for us grown-ups, too. If we are lucky, maybe tomorrow night we'll get the kids to bed early, pop open a bottle of wine, and NOT watch Sponge Bob!

Admission - I love TV

I admit it, I am a TV junkie. I love good, mindless entertainment. I want scripted, acted stories - none of this reality TV crap that is passing as entertainment these day. Put writers and actors and producers to work - and create something to entertain me.

If you have been following my blog for long, you may know that I enjoy The L Word quite a lot. Who doesn't enjoy watching beautiful women involved in high drama? There are usually entertaining story lines, though not always the ones the fans want to see, but it provides a nice combination of romance and comedy. That is entertainment!

We still have not moved up into a big screen TV. The new 26" (?) we purchased last summer is a monster compared to the old 19". Hey, it was on sale when the old one died, so we got the biggest one that we could both afford and that would fit into our cabinet. It is important to us to be able to just shut the TV away sometimes. (Mostly to make the house look good for company!)My point here was really that I don't have to watch TV on a movie screen, with stereo sound presented in HD....my needs are simple. Entertain me.

Gray's Anatomy is entertaining, even when it is not that good. As many of you may know, it got mingled in double episodes with Private Practice for the last two weeks. Gray's Anatomy has been popular for a while now, in fact, so long that it's losing some of the "it" that made it such a success. Sad, really. Private Practice, a spin off, is actually getting to where it is almost as good as the original. During the first season, the show was total eye candy fluff, and yet, rather enjoyable. I would totally buy the first season, partly just to get the whole series at some point, but also just because it was such blatant "pretty people" playing doctor on the sunny shores of California. Pure escapism. Couldn't we all use a bit of that right now?

Crazy Week at Work

Well, it has been an interesting week at work.

Wait, let me try that again....

It has been an i-n-t-e-r-e-s-t-i-n=g week at work.

Did you catch the sarcasm that time?

We are undergoing a reorg, which is not a result of the economy, but the result of a new dean, which means, we've been expecting it. We are even a small part of the process. So, everyone is a little on edge about what all of the new lines between the boxes on the charts really stand for....

Add in the economy, legislative session stresses and a number of other things, and let's just say the powers that be have been cranky and it has many of us looking for the exit signs. Better to take a little break than get in the line of fire, you know?

Two days ago I did not get out fast enough and got caught in some crossfire. It was not fun. It was not personal. It was merely a stress explosion from someone that should know much better. Still, left me with an icky feeling that I am mostly over today.

I am ready to again be positive and move forward and enjoy this job for as long as I am here. There are good people, things to learn, and much flexibility, which has served me so well, and should continue to do so as I move into bar prep.

It continues.....

I took a restroom break from the torture, walked back in and heard the words, "I don't know." In the past 90 seconds, I've heard it two more times. He can't add to what the case says about one of the points he seems to be trying to make.

Really?

In that same 90 seconds, a student corrected him and he said that is what he had said, but it wasn't. The student was right.

13 more minutes.

Yes, I am counting.

Still, seems like a nice enough guy. See how fair I am trying to be?

The torture continues...

Did this guy really just say, "I don't really know about this, has anyone heard of this?" He then proceeded to write it on the board....but it may not be right since he seems to be guessing. I am so not OK with that....He is sounding a bit more confident about part of it here, but I am not really sure it is very important to the case. I am not sure what is important about any of the cases he is discussing because all parts are delivered with the same intensity. Wait..he is reading part of the case out loud. Shoot me now.

This is torture. What is that sound? Dripping water? Yes, his voice is the drip, drip, drip of water slowly splashing upon my forehead and causing me unbelievable agony. Quick, someone, get a Delta faucet and save us all! There must be some remedy for this violation.

I bet he is a very nice guy and a good attorney.

Will this class ever end?

I admit it. I am in the middle of a class. I am bored nearly to tears and must do something to amuse myself. Posting a blog entry seemed somewhat better than screaming out loud or throwing something to interfere with the crime that is being commited upon us at the front of the classroom.

I am happy to report that the fog in my mind has mostly cleared and I am somewhat engaged in most of my classes, except this one. It feels good to no longer feel I need a tool, like spring plungers, to clear out my mind and allow it to function again. Being engaged and somewhat interested certainly makes classes go by more quickly.

This class is dragging. What the heck is this guy talking about? I don't think anyone is paying attention. It seems pointless. Ugh.

Thinking About Technology

It has been pointed out to me that I am disappointing my readers by not writing more posts to entertain and distract them from their uninspiring work. So, with that in mind, I bring to you a New Post. Thank all that is good!

Today I have been thinking about the benefits and hazards of our technologically advanced world that allows us to constantly be bombarded by distractions and multitasking on a level never even conceived possibly as recently as 10 years ago. Cell phones, text messages, banner ads (Remember those...are they almost gone? We've learned to tune them out so well.....), instant messages on our computers, Blue Tooth (Is the plural Blue Teeth?), constant email, laptop computers that can go anywhere, and possibly most annoying of all to me - advertisements along the bottom of my television screen while I am watching another show. Who the heck thought that was a good idea? "Hey - let's add an annoying animation at the bottom of the screen so people know what is coming up next and will stick around and watch it. Really?"

Don't mistake what I am saying - I love technology. My cell phone is with me wherever I am. I could not live without my email. My newest gadget - a Nuvi navigational device is a really cool toy. Still, I sometimes worry about the next generation. Teens seem to think it is OK to text while driving. Having a conversation - voice or text - during a meal out is commonplace. Surfing the net, doing homework, listening to an iPod and watching TV, all at the same time, is not a foreign concept to the students of today.

Yes, I am a student myself, and have been known to multitask more than might be beneficial to me at times, and actually almost understand it when younger people say they have to be doing lots of things at once. I think their brains have been programmed that way....or maybe it reflects a lack of ability to concentrate on one thing for more than a few minutes. Are we raising a generation of people with the attention span of a 10-week-old puppy, moving from one shiny object to the next? Do they have the capacity to have a face-to-face conversation unaided by any technology?

I am probably sounding old. Maybe I am. I think the school-age kids of today are amazing with their technological savvy and ability to multi-task. Those are skills that will undoubtedly be required in the world we have created, but what are the long-term affects of the constant stimulation? Will we see more depression? Faster burn-out? Less satisfaction with life overall? Or - will this generation adapt so well to the constant level of "noise" that they ride it like a wave and will thrive on the fast-pace of change that will likely characterize their lives? Ultimately, will the technology prove to be a detriment to their overall well-being or will they harness it to create the lives they desire?

A Good Day

Just sharing a happy picture I found on my phone from a visit to the Children's Museum last weekend. Boy Wonder was very pleased with his creation. In the end, he managed to use every block in the display.

Happy Weekend!

Not Feeling It

I resisted the urge to post on this blog during my local government class last night. I was not quite bored enough to want to poke my eyes out just to entertain myself, but could clearly see the day coming that I will be in such a state. I could choose to load up on candy and eat my way through class, keeping a steady sugar high , but then I'd end up needing to buy weight loss pills, so that's no fun. Besides, it is my first of three classes; load on sugar during class #1 and there is nowhere to go but down.

It is probably not that the prof is particularly boring. (Though his stumbling through his reference materials in response to questions was not particularly inspiring.) I just need an attitude adjustment. I am ready to be done and don't want to do do the work to get there. I have no clue HOW I am going to gear up and write a 25+ page paper for another of my classes. How did I manage to sign up for that particular torture? I was thinking it would be a 10-15 page paper, that's how.

I am not the only one in this particular state of apathy. Those of us on our 8th semester of law school are all feeling quite done, thank you very much. I know I will get into the swing of things and the semester will fly by. In the mean time, I think my classmate who wants us all to quit law school to run off and work at a Borders in Costa Rica is onto something.

The Highs and Lows

What a week it has been! Filled with highs and lows. If this keeps up, I'll need to rig not only my car, but by rolling computer case with performance parts! First, although I imagine anyone particularly interested in my life has already checked Wife's blog for updates on this, Boy Wonder gained weight this week! We are hugely relieved. He has also been hungry the past day and a half...another really good sign. There are still tests being done, but overall, we are feeling positive.

Other highlights? Wife's dad was hit by a car, and broke his leg...and an update...his neck. Docs missed it the first two days. We are not impressed with the level of care he has been getting. We are not sure if the neck injury will mean surgery or not. Waiting for neurosurgeon to assess. We are going to visit him this weekend. Poor guy....being severely restricted in his movement due to his leg is going to be tough enough on him, adding in neck pain, potential surgery, collars, and who knows what all? Very sad and scary for him.

I have completed my first week of classes. My overall impression is that all of my classes feel like they will be very long. I am ready to be done. All are decent classes and I will learn a lot. Still, feeling very done, as are my fellow 4th year classmates.

More? The roof and siding issues were repaired for free by wonderful guys filled with integrity. If you live near us and need recommendations, let us know. I have never been so impressed by people just wanting to do the right thing.

OK - I best go get my homework done so I can get home to my family, pack, and be ready to travel in the morning. Stay safe everyone!

A Little Levity

Here's something you don't see every day:



In case you have trouble reading the note, it says, "Free Rubber Chicken."

It was in our kitchen/workroom at work. Being the smart-*ss that I can be, I later walked by and added the word "range" after "free."

Attention 2009 - Turn Yourself Around

OK, so 2009 is not starting out great. I have a theory though. It could be the resident evil and his minions are having a last ditch free-for-all before Hope takes over on January 20th. It could be the old, evil ways kicking and screaming as they lose power. I pointed out to Wife last night that we all think January should be this great, new time - a fresh year, clean slate and all....but really, it's pretty much the start of winter. Cold, dark winter. Maybe the new year should start in March instead.

Of all the things that have happened, most have been tempered by circumstances making them better than they could be, if not actually "good." They leaky roof/ceiling only cost us $100 (which possibly made the problem worse, but it got us through Christmas) because the people who originally put on our roof and siding stood by their work and did the repairs for free. Wife's "check engine" light issue only cost us $410 instead of the $1100 we were first quoted. My cracked windshield was covered under our auto insurance. The odd flea outbreak (yuck! haven't seen a flea since we were last fostering a cat in our garage about 4 years ago) and Maddie's paw issue were easily resolved....$200 later.

Bigger issues - Wife's dad was hit by a car and won't be able to put weight on his leg for at least three months. This will mean some sort of transitional care until they can get him back into his own apartment. He will hate this, in part because he lives for his multiple long walks each day, not to mention needing the companionship of his cat. All really sucks...but still....considering that he was hit by a car, he is in relatively good shape.

Boy Wonder. We just do not know the cause for his dramatic weight loss. So far, as you know if you have been tracking progress on Wife's blog, the blood tests have not indicated anything seriously wrong. There will be more tests. So, far, the news is good, but overall, this is still very scary and we just want to know what is going on and how to make him all better.

Add to all of these little, and not so little things, the general stress of just barely having enough money to scrape by (thanks to student loans) and a crappy job market/economy as I am getting ready to graduate and pay back loans....well, it is a lot. I am pretty good at staying positive and believing that all will turn out OK, but some days are difficult. Wife is not nearly as good at seeing the bright side, maybe because she is more surrounded by the impacts every day. I can at least escape in work and school, but she must struggle with figuring out what the Boy will eat, getting him to the doctor, talking with the roofers, and all the every day stuff of laundry, cooking, dogs, breaking up the kid fights, and still trying to find some fun family time. It is a lot and she is about at the end of her rope. We could use not just this tempered bad/good luck, but some REALLY, TRULY GOOD LUCK. I know there are many in similar and worse situations right now. So, come on 2009, come on Universe, it is time for some HAPPINESS!

Random Thoughts in Early 2009

I have a few spare moments so thought I would share some random thoughts.

First - after May I will no longer be "Law School Mama," so then what? Seems silly to start a new blog with a more appropriate name, but this one will no longer be the adventures of a law student mom. Oh, who am I kidding? I will probably no longer have any time to blog! We shall see what happens.

Today I plan on going to school to buy my new books and put my old ones on the shelf in hopes that they will sell. Our school has a great program for reselling books. As long as it is a book currently being used, we can put it in the bookstore with a price, if someone wants it, the bookstore handles the sale and pays us later. I have probably been able to sell about half of my books this way. The tricky part is that often a class is only held once a year, or once every two years. You have to put it in the bookstore during the next semester the book is used...if it is even used again, and if a newer edition has not been released.

Lots of little and some potentially bigger things have happened over the past few weeks, decreasing our funds and increasing stress levels. These include roof repairs - times two, a vet visit, car repair - times two, and health issues with both kids. Hopefully all will resolve well and quickly and be behind us soon.

We want, expect, need and will be very grateful for good things in 2009!

2009 - What Will It Bring?

Another year ahead, full of promise and milestones. Sure, there is my graduation from law school, and hopefully, the passing of the bar, but there is so much more.

In just a few short weeks, our Little Princess turns four, and in April, Boy Wonder turns seven. How did that happen? How could it be we are out of onesies, bottles, diapers and strollers? There is no longer a need for baby bathtubs and Ju Ju Be diaper bags. Babies R Us is pretty much a place of our past. It is sad in many ways. They were such cute, cuddly babies. On the other hand, the big kids they are becoming are amazing and so much fun!

We can now play games together as a family, using most of the actual rules. We have family movie nights and mostly all watch the movie with interest. The kids engage in interesting, though often goofy, conversation, and consistently blow us away with their individual strengths; Boy Wonder's ability to read and master any video game; and our Little Princess's physical agility and uncanny vocabulary. It is amazing watching them turn into these remarkable people which it seems impossible we helped create.

Somehow, we have turned into a family with two kids - real kids - not babies, not toddlers, not a family that needs a high-chair or a booster seat at restaurants. We technically have a pre-schooler and a grade-schooler, moving confidently forward in the world, interacting with us in all new ways, and interacting with the world. Strange - and wonderful, too.

Slowing Down the Pace

Ah, school vacation.....What a nice, slow-paced few weeks I have had with my family. Granted, some has been sort of weird due to the snow and uncertainly of how it would affect Holiday plans, but still, nice. Home a lot, playing games, eating meals together. No thoughts of law cases, reading assignements, whether my notebook memory needs to be upgraded,or whether I have enough food in my 'fridg at work to take for dinner while at school.

I have another week off before my final semester begins, but for now, those thoughts are being blocked out in favor of UB Funkeys, Angelina Ballerina, Connect Four and what stories we will read before bed. It is a nice change of pace.

What is that White Stuff on the Ground?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I could not believe that I woke up to more snow on the ground this morning. I immediately clicked on the tv to see about road conditions and weather forecasts. The snow was pretty much being ignored in favor of the more pressing news story - flooding. Too much rapidly melting snow, made worse by crazy amounts of rain, have turned many parts of our world into flood/mudslide zones. I am happy and relived to report that our immediate neighborhood is affected by neither. *Whew!*

I made it to work with no incidents - traveling a bit slower than usual due to the amount of rain and slush on the road. Even though we have relatively cheap car insurance, I would like to keep it that way by not getting into any accidents! I prefer to stay home when anything resembling snow or ice are on the road, but given the number of days away from work over the past couple of weeks, getting in seemed a priority, and relatively low risk since it was barely being talked about on the news.

It is now clear and sunny, and well-above freezing, so looks like our snow is gone - for now!

Christmas Updates

Merry Christmas to all!! We have had a wonderful past few days, though somewhat thrown off schedule by weather. Where to even start? I won't do weather coverage since anyone wanting pictures/updates of the kids can simply go to Wife's blog.

Santa was good to the kids, bringing one big present each, and then filling their stockings with toys, toothbrushes, candy and bath supplies (paint, foam, bubble bath). Mommies, Grandparents and a few distant relatives, including Auntie Stella, did a great job of filling the space underneath the tree, and we are still keeping busy playing with the new toys - kids toys, and adult ones, including a GPS navigational device from Wife that was totally unexpected.

We had a scare on Sunday night, after Christmas festivities with Wife's family (our second Christmas!) when loading the car. Our Little Princess had one of her pallid breath holding syndrome episodes. This is essentially a reflex where her body stops breathing when she gets suddenly hurt....she banged her head on the dvd player in the car while getting in her car seat, she started to scream, but nothing came out. Within seconds was turning blue and went limp. I grabbed her in my arms, started shaking her and calling her name. She did not come out of it as quickly as usual and totally freaked us out. Wife was yelling for her sister in case we needed an ambulance called, but could not run into the house because of a thick layer of ice. When I heard our baby girl gasp for air, it was a wonderful sound, and soon she was conscious again, with no real clue as to what had happened. We all went back into Wife's sister's house to get warm and stop shaking. We had to try to explain it to Boy Wonder, who had not seen it happen in so long that he did not remember it, and was quite shaken. We all were. Even though this is not life-threatening and she is supposed to grow out of it, it is frightening every time because...what if she does not start breathing again? We thank god she does not have something more serious like MS or cerebral palsy, and give thanks that both of our children are happy and healthy. May we always be grateful for that miracle.

Enjoy the Miracles in your life!

Snow Bugs

Want to see some cute weekend snow pictures? Check out Wife's Blog. Note the Boy's two missing front teeth! Probably in the next day or two Wife will post more photos from yesterday and today.

Happy Holidays!

"Let it Snow, let is snow, let it snow!"

Snow!!! Keep it coming!!!

We finally got our snow! OK, well, not the several inches that was predicted. In fact, probably barely an inch, but it was enough to play in, and pretty to watch. Now, everything is iced over and we can't go anywhere, so it may as well keep snowing! I managed to make it to work for all of barely two hours yesterday before dropping temps and accumulating snow sent me racing (OK, driving cautiously) home. By afternoon, all had warmed up and was melting, but then nighttime brought more cold air and snow. Yeah!

Boy Wonder's Christmas vacation has now officially started. We have days ahead of trying to figure out how to keep two kids busy and happy, while possibly being iced in. Snowed in will be much better since at least we can all go out and play in the snow. Could be more snow heading our way. Right now, we've pretty much used up what we had since it wasn't even enough to completely cover the grass. Still, we played in snow saucers, built a small Snow Mickey, and threw some snow balls. Inside it's mostly tv and computer games. We'll get out other activities later, and eventually Christmas movies. Hopefully the Christmas baking that is ahead won't cause us to go searching for Lipovox. Maybe pulling the kids on the saucers will prove exercise enough!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Let it Snow! (Please!!!!)

I am home from work for the second day, due to the weather. (Plus, Monday off for Wife's Birthday!) We were PROMISED a HUGE snowstorm. We got a bit over the weekend, which left roads icy. Today, however, the day of the promised storm, there is not even enough to measure yet. I am so sad. I really want to get out into enough snow to sled and have a snowball fight and build a snowman with the kids. How fun does that sound??? I know I have classmates who have not yet finished their finals and the school has closed (again), leaving them uncertain as to how/when they can take the exams. For them, I have sympathy. As for me - I am so happy I got done last week!

We wrapped up Christmas shopping yesterday, plus ran out late last night to get some more wrapping paper in case the storm had us unable to leave the house for several days. Yes, that happens here, where we are not equipped to deal with severe winter weather. We are all prepared to hang out, do Christmas baking, wrap presents, watch movies, surf the internet, click on links for known and unknown products like Chia Pets and Hydroxycut reviews, and play in the snow.

The snow it trying to come down, but it needs to try harder!

Time to Study - Then Shop!

One test down, two to go. I have some things I would like to say about last night's final, but until our exam period is over, I cannot. For now, I can say that the best part is, it is done. This is such an odd time of year for exams. I know it is not unusual...it is interesting, really. There is the dread/anticipation of taking the finals, the excitement of being done for the semester, and the excitement of the Holiday season.

I've done some shopping, but need to do more, and can, once finals are over. I still need to find the Christmas CD's for my car, so I can really start getting into the proper spirit. Without a huge sports fan in my life, I probably will not need any sports gifts, unless coffee drinking is considered a sport. If so, Wife qualifies! It may not be too many more years before I will be buying sport-related gifts and clothing more than we do now. Now our kids are very much still into toys, which are so much fun to buy. Dolls, princess anything, action figures and playsets, computer games, board games, building sets...all of it - so much fun! I will miss this time when the kids are older, and for now, plan on savoring every moment of it!

MPRE Results Are In

I passed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a nice way to go into finals, especially with tonight's exam being the one for "Regulation and Ethics of Lawyers," which is based on my state's version of the rules tested on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE).

YIPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milestones and Missing Teeth

We had a good family weekend, if shortened somewhat by my need to study most of the day on Saturday. My plan is to take all three of my finals this week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, DONE!

Boy Wonder lost both of his front teeth this weekend, inspiring a true-life story of "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth." See Wife's blog for details and pictures. I will admit, I did prod the teeth a bit, but they have been loose for a long time. Besides enjoying the surprise from the Tooth Fairy, we celebrated in style by going to the local Children's Museum, which was Boy Wonder's choice and something we all enjoyed.

Weekends lately have inspired the need for home theater seating, as we have instituted Friday Movie Night - with an occasional bonus feature later in the weekend. This weekend's movie was preempted by the need to go out and buy Boy Wonder a winter coat to replace the one he lost at school this past week. Some detective work revealed the likely events were as follows: Boy throws coat on cloak room floor rather than on hook. Looks for it later and it is gone. Does not show up in lost and found after 3-4 days. Girl was acting sneaky in cloakroom the day coat disappeared. She is believed to have thrown coat in garbage and covered it with paper towels, but substitute teacher did not put the pieces together until days too late. Boy Wonder now has a new coat, the knowledge of how to look in the lost and found area of his school, and a stockpile of lectures on taking care of his possessions that should last into his teens.

Random Things I for which I am Grateful

Wife just called me and told me about the things our Little Princess has come up with that she might like to get me for Christmas: A little blue Christmas tree and a small plastic rain cloud (blue). I have no idea. Still, her creativity makes me smile.

The peppered turkey that I accidentally bought at the deli. Well, I did not accidentally buy it, but I thought only the outside would be peppered and therefore not too hot for the rest of the family. I was wrong. The pepper must be injected in a liquid form, because it is all throughout the slices, and is delicious to me, but not the rest of the family. That's OK - they got ham and plain turkey, too.

Monogram Queen's kind words letting me know I have been an inspiration for her going back to school. (We've been emailing. I did not simply ignore her comments!)

Hot coffee with yummy creamer.

Jiggle bells hung over door hardware.

Boy Wonder's excitement over finding Jack the Elf each morning. (See Wife's blog if you are not familiar with this new tradition.)

I had my last class last night and now it's a short slide to Christmas break!

There are so many things - I have only to look around and I could come up with thousands of things to be grateful for each day. Hope you do, too.

Gearing up for the Holiday Season

Oh my gosh, where did the semester go? I am technically done with all regularly scheduled classes, but I do have two review sessions left. One I will catch on podcast, but I will go to the other one tomorrow night. Weird. I'm not sure I ever got so into the rhythm of this semester that I was tired of it. That's pretty nice. Yes, there were nights I would have preferred to not be in class, but I was not sick of it, you know?

Now, for the next week, or so, I will be cramming to figure out what I learned, and organize it, so I can spit it back out on an exam. I have three of them. In one class we had a major paper due. I turned it in yesterday! Yippee!

I am already mentally pretty into Christmas. The house is all decorated, our lights are up, shopping for the kids is pretty much done - thanks to Wife and Amazon, and I have done most of my shopping for Wife's Birthday and Christmas. I still have a bit to do, but lots of time, still. We have both gotten very much into shopping on the internet - so much easier than getting out into the crowds, and more realistic considering kids and our schedules. Let's face it, there's not much you can't get over the internet:

Want books or toys - check out Amazon.
Want shoes - check out MBT shoes.
Want meals - try Home Bistro.
Want anything - just do a search, and PRESTO!, there it is.

Once the "have to's" of the season are done, then we can simply enjoy the good stuff - the lights, the music, the decorations, even the mall is fun when you don't HAVE to shop. Good family times ahead!

Law School and Family Dynamics

I was thinking this morning about how law school has changed my relationship with my extended family. When we moved to this area, we had hopes that our children would be raised as close friends with my niece's children. We all live relatively close by, had enjoyed each other's company on our visits to see my Mom, and it just made sense. We thought we would become close with my sisters. None of that has happened. I was wondering what did happen. Was it law school? Was it something about our children or how we are raising them? Is is us personally? I suppose it is probably a combination of things, but this morning, I spent some time thinking specifically what law school might have had to do with it.

Due to my schedule, we stopped going to family "wine nights," generally held every Friday night. (In all fairness, I think those dropped off a bit in regularity, but still...) We chose not to attend a family gathering, or two, or three, or more, because of my schedule. When you only get two free days per week, and one of those is spent studying, well, there just is not much time to socialize. We've not gone out of our way to be social. Mostly just casual invitations like, "Hey - when you are in our area, give us a call," or "let's get together for dinner on a Saturday night," Saturday being our main free night. When we do get together with family, we generally focus on keeping our kids out of the breakables of non-kid-friendly homes, which does not lead to sustained conversations.

Those things are enough I suppose, to create some distance. Then, I wonder, are there other things related to law school? I don't engage people in political debates or talk about law stuff, but do I come across as arrogant? Is there some kind of strange social hierarchy thing happening that I am not even aware of....or a jealousy thing? I am the youngest sibling by far; the one who was given everything and spoiled by parents who had by the time I came around achieved a certain amount of success and stability. Is there an extension - oh, now she gets to go to law school? Hey, for a mere four years of your life and $150K, you too can go to law school!

As I write this, I suspect law school is only a part of the larger family dynamics. We are not of either my niece's (and nephews, who now also live close and have children of their own) nor my sister's generations. We are in between both. We have probably not always played the family games according to the rules. Our children rarely see family and when they do, are not content to be seen and not heard, and we've not raised them to be that way, either. Yes....I guess there is probably a lot going on that is way more complicated to look at than the Clean Water Act or the Rules of Civil Procedure. Sometimes, it is easier to stay out of the muddy water. Maybe it is my hesitancy to stir up that water that keeps us at a distance, but, hey, you never know where the 'gators are lurking.

Grateful for a Beautiful Morning

Here's hoping all of you find things to be grateful for throughout your day.

Happy Weekend!

Dead Week and Other Random Thoughts

Where has this semester gone?! I cannot believe there are less than two weeks left before reading period, also referred to by some profs that have been around a while as "dead week." I am not sure why this never struck me as odd before. There are no classes for the shortened version of the week, which is only three days since the first two are used as class make-up days, so campus is kind of "dead" except for those choosing to study on campus. It struck me that might also be the mental state of some of us after hours of endless studying.....or the state we fear we could end up in upon viewing the upcoming exams. Multi-purpose phrase...."dead week."

Yes, now the intense paper-writing, outlining and studying begins. On campus we are all whining about how much we have left to do. It is such an excellent time for procrastination. I have heard there are those whose houses are never cleaner than right before finals. Surfing - the Internet kind, not the water kind - is taken to a whole new level. Suddenly movie reviews, diet pill reviews, and clicking "here" to determine your IQ are very important activities. In the end though, most of us are quite good at crunch time, and somehow, the papers, the studying, and the finals all get done. Then - a month off for Christmas break! I can hardly wait!

Cool Personalized DVD for Kids

It smelled cold for the first time on my way to work this morning. It was the perfect almost-winter day smell of a wood burning stove, fresh rain, and coldness. That must mean Christmas is just around the corner!

We have already managed a couple gifts for the kids, but that is all. I will barely have time to think about it between now and mid-December when finals are over (Wife's Birthday is right about that same time, too. We've been thinking of moving it to July!) I did come across something fun this morning that I had seen one other time, but it wasn't near a birthday or Christmas, so it slipped my mind.

This company does all sorts of personalized gifts, but my favorites are the customized DVDs for kids. You know the various elf videos that go around at Christmas where you stick pictures of your family's faces onto elves and they have a snowball fight or whatever? The videos operate under the same concept - send a picture of your child, and next thing you know, they are in a Dora episode or hanging with Spiderman. The characters interact and say the child's name....and I have a feeling our Little Princess would love it. There are a variety of options, including a Christmas adventure. Of course, if we purchased one for our Princess, Boy Wonder would need one, too.

Well, we'll see! (Wife - check it out!)

Trade your old stuff for new stuff

Here is an interesting concept - trade your old CDs, DVDs, games and books for new electronic items. The company, which appears to be very environmentally conscious, is called abundatrade.com and have quite an interesting business model. They take in used used cds and DVDs for credit, based on the market value of the item. Mostly it is one item for one credit. Customers then can use those credits to purchase new items. If not enough credits have been earned, the customer pays extra for the difference.

What happens to the used CDs and DVDs? They sell them, of course! The prices appear to be very good. I did notice that under "used DVSs" there were many VHS recordings, so that is something to be aware of when shopping. I did not see an explanation of that particular oddity.

The amount of credits that were needed for a trade was at least 100, and more in the 200+ range....so this site will be best for those with stacks of old items that are still in good shape.

Seems like a smart way to cash in on people's desire to be more environmentally conscious and appeals to the concepts of trading and recycling. I wonder if any of the movies we want for the kids are available...

Completed MPRE? Check!

When I am grocery shopping with the kids, which frankly is anytime I go grocery shopping, other than picking up an "emergency item" on the way home after school, we play sort of a game. After shopping for a bit, I read off the list, and whichever child is with me says "check" if we already picked up the item. (I know, very original, right? *grin*) Sure, I could do it in my head, but it is a fun way to get the kid(s) focused and helping.

This past weekend, I took the MPRE, which is the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam, and I am sure I blogged about it sometime in the past week or two. It is sort of like a first step in taking the bar exam. It is only a two-hour test, relatively low-cost, and it can be taken again in March, if necessary. Still, clearly we all want to pass the first time.

For those not familiar with standardized testing situations, such as the LSAT or the MPRE (I won't even try to pretend to know what the bar will be like), I will say they are somewhat surreal events. You stand around and nervously await to file into a room where you present some form of identification assuring that you are the person identified on the test as the test-taker. You then have rules read to you about filling out boxes and taking bathroom breaks. Finally, you take a test designed by people fond of inflicting pain upon others that is supposed to either represent the likelihood you can handle law school (actually first year) and whose outcome will determine your chances of even getting into law school (LSAT) or how well you understand the rules that govern the professional responsibility and ethics of lawyers and how many practice questions you studied. It is very weird to be in the situation and thinking about the situation at the same time. Maybe it's just me.

Well, I feel pretty good about how I think I did, so I will be happy with that for now.

MPRE? Check!

Celebrating the United States

The sheer enormity of this victory, the patriotism and the postive energy that it has stirred up leaves me almost speechless. (Mind you, I said "almost" - let's face it, not much really shuts up a law student. *grin*)

Check out this scene last night.

The Next President of the United States of America

Thank God.

Just Vote

This is another fun video. It features well-known celebrities urging us not to vote.

WHAT?

Just watch it. (Thanks for the heads up, Mieke.)



On November 4th, Vote for Change. Vote for Barack.

Pike Place Fishmongers for Change

This is not the best video ever.
The message is simple and clear - but not terribly well-tied to the visuals.
No matter. It is totally fun to watch because it is filmed at Pike Place Market in Seattle.

Enjoy.
Vote for Change.

Do we want an America that enshrines hate into our laws?

This is from a newsletter I received from Love & Pride today. It is well-written and says a great dea, so I wanted to share it with you here.

------------------------

Dear Friends of Love and Pride
I was recently asked to share my thoughts on marriage equality and Proposition 8 the proposed amendment in California that would effectively enshrine homophobia and hate into in their state constitution. This measure has the potential to reverberate either positively or negatively across the U.S. We have made such wonderful progress in our fight for the rights of all loving couples even under the last 8 years of a less than supportive administration. We cannot afford to take such a giant step back. Please take a look at the editorial that was recently posted online. And let your voices be heard in a clear and resounding NO to Proposition 8 next week. Whether you live in Wisconsin, New York, Alaska or anywhere else we are all Californians next Tuesday.
- Udi Behr


THE IMPORTANCE OF 'I DO' A STRAIGHT MAN'S
PERSPECTIVE ON GAY MARRIAGE.

Picture this.

A typical New York dinner -- good friends sitting around and pontificating on the state of the world -- with everyone having an opinion on everything. The upcoming election is the topic of the evening. And while the majority of the diners are confirmed liberals -- there is of course, a smattering of Republicans -- well, OK, only one confirmed conservative at the table. I do believe in equality after all.
He gets very quiet while we are discussing the impact of the election on marriage equality -- especially the upcoming vote in California on Proposition 8. Thinking he is just a bit uncomfortable about voicing a negative opinion on marriage rights for gays and lesbians amongst this ACLU crowd, and given how vocal I tend to be on the subject, I turn to him during a lull in the conversation and ask what he is thinking.


The table quiets down as he turns to one of the gay men at the table and says, You know, apart from about 1 hour a week, you and I are pretty much the same. I am really uncomfortable about taking away such a basic right. I always supported an America that gave freedom and rights -- not one that enshrined hate in their laws.

Overwhelmed by his comment and insight, I am encouraged that perhaps the true spirit of Americans will show itself in California in November.

Marriage equality is a reality in California -- a right that we, as Americans from every state, need to nurture and protect from those who would like to see the State Supreme Courts decision set aside. How ironic that we need to protect our lesbian and gay children and family members newfound rights from those organizations with names like the Campaign for Children and Families.

Who do these people think lesbians and gay people are? Where do they think they come from? Dont they get that every gay and lesbian is the son and daughter, sister and brother, uncle and aunt, mother, father -- and grandparent of someone else in this wonderful world.

I have been married for 25 years. Flexing emotional muscles every day is hard work -- whether straight or gay. But the end results can be wonderful. My wife and I have two children, a son and a daughter. They are our family and we only want the best for both of them . We want them to have the ability to experience the universal joys of life. How could parents look at their children and know that they couldnt share the same right to express their love -- our most astonishing gift as humans -- just because of who they were born to love?

Love is our very best quality and the law cannot put a limit on that.

I am a jewelry activist. I express my dreams and my beliefs through my designs. I design jewelry for people who want to make a fashion and a social statement. 10% of proceeds from my companys sales are donated to non-profit organizations that support a world of true equality -- like the one that Lambda Legal fights the good fight for on behalf of the gay and lesbian community.

The right to say I do is fundamental and a life experience not to be denied to 10% of our family and friends. So, if the gay and lesbian community cant say I do, Ill say I dont.

- I dont understand why over 4,000 American soldiers have died fighting in Iraq to bring democracy and civil rights to those outside the U.S. when many more are fighting in California to deny the basic right to love.

- I dont get why foreclosures are up 65% from last year -- and rising with no end in sight.

- I dont fathom how gas is at $4 and we continue to be the #1 global warming polluter in the world.

- I dont conceive how our elected officials can look at themselves every morning in the mirror knowing that our most vulnerable children and citizens dont have affordable healthcare.

- I dont understand why people are surprised at the global economic meltdown with the policies of the last 8 years.

I dont get why all of this is true -- and were still talking about enshrining prejudice and hate in our state and federal constitutions. As if the right of all loving couples to marry is the most important evil to overcome.

Where are the constitutional amendments for equality, diversity and tolerance?

Now I am an optimist at heart. And I believe in the better angels of our nature. But I will keep a vow to say No and I dont until all of us can say I do. I truly hope that others, like my conservative friend, will also say no to hate and send a clear message on Proposition 8 that love and marriage is a basic right for all loving couples.

For me, its truly that black and white. As a jewelry designer, I know that no two diamonds are created equal. But as a husband and a father -- I know that all love is.

A former Israeli paratrooper turned award-winning jewelry designer, Udi Behr is the Chief Designer and Creative Director of Love and Pride, the first high-end designer jewelry online destination for people who believe in equality, diversity and tolerance. Find out more about Udi Behr and his Love and Pride Collection at www.loveandpride.com.

More Weekend Thoughts

You might say I am on a roll today. Hey - it's Friday! I can mostly breathe, after fighting a nasty cold for the past two weeks, and I've got movie night to look forward to. Not bad!

Hey, this is strange, but we've not had a family weekend in two weeks! Since Wife was gone last week, we were not together as a family. It is supposed to be nice. As I mentioned, we'll be doing pumpkin carving, raking, maybe a bit of other yard work. The kids can play on their wooden swing sets. Well, OK, they really have only one swing set, and another swing that is on a raised playhouse that we often call a tree house. Our backyard is filled with kid-stuff - the swing set, a plastic play structure, a sandbox, and numerous balls, golf clubs, Frisbees...etc. Add in the dogs toys that are scattered about, and I'd say we have the perfect playground for kids and dogs alike. Of course, mowing becomes a bit of a challenge, and as soon as the rain starts, one with which I will have to deal again. I haven't needed to mow in months. That's been nice, but we are looking forward to the grass getting green again, rather than the mostly brown of the past couple months. About the time the grass is getting green, the brown and orange leaves start to cover it - and really - it is quite beautiful.

Hope it is a nice weekend, wherever you are.

Higher Education: A Good Reason to Stay Ignorant

C'mon good headline, right?

I was just listening to a short video by James Ray, who is one of the gurus of the Laws of Attraction. Basically, it is a lot of the power of positive thinking, with a bit of science thrown in to make us True Believers. I love this stuff. There's nothing wrong with focusing on the positive things in life, your goals, and watching them happen.

The message was about not letting yourself drown in the negativity of the economy, politics, global warming....etc. - all the bad stuff we hear in the media, if we listen much at all. I realized I simply don't have the time, nor desire, to get too caught up in it. If I let myself really listen to all the sides, research it all, dwell on it day in and day out, there would be no time left for my school, or homework, and probably no drive left either.

Sure, I think about it some, I read about it some, but it has it's place and I cannot allow it to be all-consuming. I can't keep up on all the daily news, or the latest trends - alli diet pills, $500 shoes, $1000 purses. Really, it's hard enough to keep up on the important things, like Boston Legal and Gray's Anatomy, without listening to a politician's latest lies. I'll take my news in small doses, please.

Now it makes sense, right? Sometimes being ignorant is the best way to become educated.

Weekend Plans

Happy Friday!

Our weekend is shaping up to be one of a fall theme: carving pumpkins, raking leaves (with some of the required pictures, of course), maybe some hot chocolate if we get a little chilly.

First there will be movie night tonight and homework much of tomorrow. That whole MPRE thing, and a big paper that's not yet been started are both looming. With my reliance on my laptop, I am happy to report that I have a new memory stick, good not only for transporting files, but excellent for back-up purposes. I sometimes remember that, but at least once a week, I do put my class notes and papers onto our school's web-based storage. Very convenient.

It should be a good and productive weekend.....now if it were just one of those nice, PAID, three-day weekends, we'd be set!

A Baby and Law School?!

So, did you see my posting about our zoo trip? If not, scroll down, because it is fun to show off my kids :)

As you can see, they are getting big! At about 6 1/2 and 3 1/2, they are not babies anymore. *sigh* Although we still take the stroller for longer outings, gone are the days that we are longing for the latest Bob stroller, fancy high chair, or baby sling. In fact, the youngest is now ready for her own two-wheeler (with training wheels, of course).

Hard to believe that three years ago, I was entering law school, leaving Wife at home with a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old. I remember saying, "Wow, Boy Wonder will be 7 when I graduate." Now, we are almost there! Someone asked me the other day about having a baby while in law school. While every situation is different, and people have to make their own decisions based on their own life circumstances, my first instinct is to say, "NO - Don't do it!"

I've been lucky to have a partner that could be a full-time stay-at-home mom for our two while I've been working and going to school. The sacrifices she has made have been tremendous, and the constant adjustments (including acting out to get my attention) from the kids were prices they had to pay for my choice. They always would rather I had been home, and often asked me to be when I could not. In my situation, it was not possible to give my all to either my partner, my kids, my school work or my job. Everything was only done to my partial best ability. Well - it was the best I had at the time. Sometimes, that has been enough. Others, I wish it could have been more. I didn't have time for law review or volunteer activities. I could only be home 3 nights a week for dinner, bath time and bedtime. I could only spend one full day per week seeing my kids. Sure, sometimes I have taken time off of work, or school, when one of them was sick, or had a special occasion, but sometimes, I just missed out. So did they.

Having a baby and raising a baby is harder than most people believe it will be. It is also really amazing.

Law school is challenging - mentally and emotionally - especially if you are also working full-time. It is sometimes nearly amazing.

Trying to do both, or rather, all three at once is crazy, if you have a choice.

I'm sure I could say a lot more on this topic, but for now, that is enough.

Computer Envy

I am grateful for all that I have. I truly am. I must confess, though, that I have laptop envy. I have a three-year-old, perfectly fine Dell laptop for school. It's small enough, compared to ones of 5-6 years ago. It isn't terribly heavy. Still, I look at some of the really thin, sleek, ultra-lightweight laptops and think about how much I would love to cart around one of those instead. I imagine myself booting up my new computer in half the time it now takes, and using only half the muscle-power currently needed to lug my overstuffed computer/book bag around. Maybe one of these days - but by choice, not necessity, please!

Single Mom for the Weekend

Yes, it is true: I played solo parent this past weekend as Wife went off with her friends for an all-girl getaway sans kids and partners. This was her first time ever away from our Little Princess for more than a couple hours. It was also her first chance to not have parental responsibilities in over 6 years. So, the break was far overdue.

I took a bit of time off of work to do the homework I would normally do on Saturday, and starting Friday afternoon, it was just me and the kids! I printed up a schedule, including pictures, so the kids would know what to expect. I planned fun, vacation-like activities so we would have our own special weekend as the other mom was off having fun at the beach.

First, I did once-every-two-week grocery shopping trip with the Little Princess, arriving home in time to meet Boy Wonder's bus. Then it was Pizza and Movie Night, featuring the newly re-released Sleepy Beauty. The waltz lessons in the bonus feature were a big hit! After the movie, I allowed the kids to skip bath and we proceeded with our standard bedtime routine of stories in bed.

Saturday was an all-day trip to the zoo. Big fun was had by all! Lots of money spent! Lots of pictures! Good memories!

Sunday we had an art project - using nature to paint Mom welcome home cards. We had a scavenger hunt in our yard, then used the objects as stamps to paint cards, which I then helped write words in for the Little Princess. Boy Wonder wrote his own message. (Very cool!) We also made cut-out cookies, and decorated them, but not until mom got home, after 3:30 sometime.

What a full and fun weekend! The kids and I did really well together, but we did miss their other mom! (Glad you had a fun weekend, Honey!)

Here is the slideshow Wife put together for us from the pictures I took: (The original is on her blog, along with a slideshow from her weekend. Thanks for doing this, Sweetie!)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

MPRE and other things

You know how sometimes there is so much going on to blog about that it is hard to select just one? There's the election, the economy, my fabulous weekend with my kids where I was the only mom on duty, the fact that I have to take the MPRE in just 17 days, big decisions like paper or plastic,
term life insurance or whole life, a Quarter Pounder or a simple cheeseburger, Ebay or Craigslist.....? See? So many topics.

*deep breath*

Choose One.

The MPRE. That is the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam, and in most states a person must pass it in order to be admitted to the bar. It's a two-hour test on the rules that govern the ethical behavior of lawyers. Stop laughing. We have ethics. There are rules. They must be followed.

A lot of it is common sense, or the underlying logic is based on common sense, but that doesn't mean that the questions are phrased in ways that the answers are obvious. In fact, generally tests are written so as to confuse test-takers if possible. What does this mean for me? Lots of rules to memorize. Take the test. Pass it. Then the next big test (aside from class finals) will be the Bar Exam.

(*Shhhhhhhhh* We're not thinking about that, yet.......)

California's Proposition 8

I was just speaking with one of the Associate Dean's with whom I work and she is as disgusted with what is going on with California's Proposition 8 as I am. She brought it up, in fact. Proposition 8 proposes to write discrimination into the California Constitution by eliminating the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to marry for same-sex couples.

The Mormon church has solicited their members to donate TONS of money towards funding the discriminatory proposition. (Google it -Proposition 8 and Mormons.) Reports say that some families are sacrificing huge amounts of their life-savings in order to support this attempt to save marriage for only men and women. Really? That is what this religion is about - sacrificing a person's own family's security in order to discriminate against others?

Followers somehow really believe that marriage between same-sex couples will ruin the sanctity of heterosexual marriage (whose reputation is clearly pristine...) and are donating like crazy, following the herd. Might as well go ahead and get some cattle supplies, because these folks just don't seem to be thinking for themselves.

I guess that is what many organized religions are about though, isn't it? Having someone in a position of authority telling the followers what God or a Higher Power wants them to do rather than figuring out the right things for themselves. To me, that sounds like what church authorities might want, but not so much what a Higher Power would have in mind.

Want to help support the defeat of Propostion 8? Go to www.noonprop8.com.

Don't Throw Away Your Vote

I live in an area with a lot of independent thinkers. Lots of folks don't want to label themselves as Democrat or Republican because they don't totally agree with either platform. They want to vote for the Independent or the Green Party. I understand the sentiment, but please, before doing this, consider the ramifications. We know that ultimately, a Republican or a Democrat will win all of the major races - especially the race for President. That is simply the world we live in right now. Consider which of the major parties most represents your views, and vote that way. To do otherwise is to throw away your vote, no, actually, it is worse. It is helping the party that may be the furthest from what you believe in. For instance, a vote for Ralph Nader is not going to cause him to win, but could put McCain closer to the top since otherwise a Nader vote would likely be a vote for Obama.

I've heard some folks at my school say they will vote for the Green Party. Please reconsider. Cynthia McKinney, The Green Party's presidential candidate, is not going to win. Maybe there are local races that the Green Party has a good chance to win, but not the Presidential race. In 2004 there was quite the stir as Republicans helped fund Nadar's campaign in an effort to split the Democratic vote. Look what happened. Don't let it happen again. Make your vote count.

(Thank you for the prompting from Wife to blog about this. Were I not loaded up on a ton of cold medicines, this posting might have even made more sense.)

Colors of Autumn

How cool is this ivy? This is just a camera-phone picture, so imagine how gorgeous it is in real life! It is right outside the building where I work. We have so many amazing trees and bushes that are changing color right now. Some of them are this blazing bright red - incredible! If I had color security cameras, or I suppose even a web-cam, I could take you on an amazing tour. That would be fun. I should learn to do that....OK, well, all I would have to do is remember the camera and figure out how video can be posted to my blog. Probably not that difficult...other than finding the time.

How much fun can you pack into one weekend?

Wow - you know those weekends when you've been so busy and had so much fun that you just need a rest by the time Monday rolls around? Well, we had one of those weekends! Wife had a friend from out of town visiting, and managed to rope her into helping paint our living room and dining room. It looks great - and I am thrilled that I did not have to do it! (I was doing homework.) We all finished what we were doing by mid-day on Saturday, so then we all went out for a late lunch, then to a local outdoors tourist attraction. We enjoyed a little nature hike, and got back in time to settle the kids into bed at nearly their normal bedtime.

Sunday was a crazy day! We started it by going to Kung Fu Panda, as part of a fundraising program that our local second-run theatre hosts. After that, knowing that we needed to let the kids burn off some energy after sitting quietly in the theatre for so long, we took them to a park. As if that was not enough - and it would have been - we realized this was the best (maybe only) weekend we would be able to go enjoy our annual pumpkin patch activities. So, off we went to the pumpkin patch to enjoy pony rides, a hay maze, a petting zoo, a hay pyramid, launching pumpkins with a giant slingshot, grinding corn into feed for the chickens, and a tractor-pulled wagon ride out to the pumpkin field to select pumpkins. That adventure required quite a long walk since the drop-off was in a very picked-over field, and we wanted a better selection. Though we hit a few rough spots in the cooperation department, all in all, it was a good, fun-filled day, made even better by some unexpected sunshine.

Check out wife's blog within the next day or so, as I suspect there will be photos! :)

Where do kids get these things?

It is always amazing noticing the things the kids have learned. Boy Wonder is reading and using his imagination in wondrous ways. Our Little Princess has an amazing capacity for gratitude and empathy, and an impressive vocabulary. Sometimes we wonder where the heck they came up with a particular expression, or how they learned to us it in just the right context, but mostly,we can chalk it up to the fact they are sponges.

Case in point - This morning I ate my breakfast while watching Boy Wonder play a computer game. He had just reached a new level, and was doing quite well.

"This is going to be easy!" He proclaimed.

A few moments later he lost a life (actually popped the bouncy ball he was manipulating in a Mario-style game) and had to start the level over again.

"I stand corrected," he says with perfect timing.

I smiled to myself and thought about how I had to remember to tell Wife this one. Instead, I have posted it for all the world to see.

Next thing you know he will probably be designing engineering marvels and casually tossing out opinions on the lastest in music and Oscar de la Renta fashions. You never know what will be next!

Have a nice weekend.

Gratitude

I am certainly not one who relishes in the tragedies of other. Frequently though, I am grateful for my own circumstances as compared with someone else. I can honestly say I am truly grateful that I am not the owner of this house.



The entire house slid right down the hill this morning, totally demolishing the house. Neighbors rescued the home owner. I wonder, does home insurance cover this sort of thing, or is it an "act of nature" and this poor homeowner is just out of luck? Crazy.

Yes, today I feel very fortunate!

Family Day

For a grocery shopping day, it actually ended up quite good. First off, I have not been dreading it since Thursday. I've decided that is just a terrible way to go into the weekend, and is a set up for failure. Both kids were good in the store - got lots of groceries, a new shirt for the Princess, batteries, bar faucets - well, maybe not that, but there were a ton of bags, so I can't be really sure.

After putting away the groceries, we had a picnic on a blanket in the living room. Later Wife went to a baby shower and the kids and I found several fun things to do in between me trying to get chores done. For the last week or so we've been playing "Halloween," which could be any of a variety of games focussed on dressing up and playing "trick or treat" at the bedroom and bathroom doors. We played one of these games today, with background music found on Youtube - like Monster Mash and the Addams Family theme.

The night ended with me discovering that I could walk with one kid attached to each foot (I had told Boy Wonder earlier in the day he was too heavy and I could not do that with him anymore), tickle games, bath and bed.

It was a good day. Now for some quiet time with my Wife. Good night, all.

Politics or Weather Only?

So, is it good to talk politics with your family, or not? Maybe yes, maybe no......Due to the email discussed in my previous post, I had a very long conversation with the family member who started the whole thing. I realized how dark and scary her world seems. There is too much input from the tv and internet and it is all bad, negative news that she worries about - A LOT. I personally don't think it represents a particularly balanced view....but then, I tend to live at the other end, trying to almost always focus on the positive.

Also as a result of the situation, I spoke with my mom a bit about politics, and remembered other perspective - that of not really caring enough to get passionate about politics. I've certainly been there before....especially before children, but now, as a lesbian who created children with her partner and adopted those children in a legal action not allowed in all states....well, I am more aware now.


It is useful to understand where others are coming from and remember how our lives are all very different. It does mean it is harder to pretend you share the same world view, though. Preserving that fiction is one reason for not talking with family about politics and just focussing on ligher subjects instead - best lowfat ice cream brands, the weather, how to remove blackheads - that sort of thing.

I think I will reserve judgment on the issue for now.

Political Parties and Families

My extended family is a mix of Democrats and Republicans. You can imagine how it is not easy being a lesbian, with a wife and kids, with family members who are Republican. They support US, of course, but because of their other beliefs, still support Republican candidates. It is hard to not feel very offended that their candidates do not support my life and family, and would prefer not to offer any kind of protections for us, but I realize a party is more than a single issue. That said, I wrote a very long email to them today in response to a family member sending an email encouraging us to check out alternative media, like Fox News (?!) and other conservative choices for the real story.

This is really long, and may not be that interesting, but you will never know unless you read it!

Reasonable minds can differ, and I agree that the media has not been telling us the truth for a long time. However, I find it interesting that all of the sources you suggest we go to get alternative views either are, or recently were, Republicans with a mostly conservative slant. In fact, a quick Internet search on all of them quickly reveals the word “conservative.” O’Riley and Dobbs both call themselves independents or populists and are not happy with either political party. OK, that is certainly reasonable. Colmes, the Fox liberal, admits he is really a moderate and often takes conservative positions (his words, not mine). Alternative media implies a balanced view, but really it is “alternative conservative media” you suggest we turn to. I am sure alternative liberal media is no more balanced. Each side strongly believes it is right, and is therefore not good at representing the other side, or sides.

Among more liberal folks, Fox News is considered bought and paid for by the Republicans and/or the Bush Administration. Guess we cannot really separate the two. There was a 2004 documentary called Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism that criticizes the Fox News channel and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, claiming that the channel is used to promote and advocate right-wing views. Fox, of course, has taken issue with the documentary. What the truth is, we may never know, but I would be cautious about buying their stories hook-line-and-sinker.

Some of the folks I know rely on getting their news from the BBC or Canadian news sources. It is amazing how much more Canadians know about our government, politics, economy..etc. than most Americans. Sad, really. Another great source, not exactly for news, but for checking how accurate either side is being: factcheck.org. This is a really interesting site to read after the debates because they take candidates’ statements and explain, with citations, what parts were true, and which were false. Often it is not that the person was lying, but that what was represented was not quite accurate. From what I can tell, this is totally non-partisan.

Yes, we do all need to consider multiple issues and how they align with our own personal values – AND what the consequences of supporting those positions will or could be. Since without saying it, you are encouraging those of us likely to vote for Obama to vote for McCain, I will outline the facts for why this does not support my values.

I could make this even longer and explain why Obama’s stance on each of these issues is more palatable to me, but I think it is pretty each to see what the opposite of each of these issues is, so I won’t do that. The one thing I will say specifically about Obama is to seriously look at his views, put them in another body and another face –maybe a 56-year old white man and see if you still feel the same way. Casey and I have spoken with people that are afraid of Obama because he might be a Muslim. First, it seems to have been proven he is not. Next, what if he was? We do still have freedom of religion in this country. Not every Muslim is a terrorist. Most are not, in fact. Get over the fact the guy is black. We have racist roots going way back, so deep that most of us do not even see it when we are up against it. Don’t think it is not at play in this election.

OK – so this issues:
Woman’s Right to Choose – McCain is pro-life. That is a nice way to say it, isn’t it, because who isn’t in favor of life? What he means is he does not support a woman’s right to choose what happens with her own body. He supports repeal of Roe v Wade – one conservative judicial appointment, and it could easily be done. What does that mean? It means back alley abortions that used to exist become prevalent again. It also has other ramifications. Just yesterday I saw proposed legislation for a “pro-life” bill. In the fine print is prohibitions for physicians giving pain-relieving drugs at the end of life if the dose could be fatal. This is a right-wing, religious issue and most of the proponents don’t just want to control the beginning of life, but they want to control your decisions at the end of your life, too. Probably most of us are anti-abortion for ourselves, but I sure don’t feel like I should be able to make that decision for anyone else.

The War in Iraq – McCain intends to win the war. He has stated that. Is this a war we can win, and at what expense? He has backed Bush all the way in a war that we started under false pretenses. He is a war president. That is one of his main priorities – and a strength – if military victories at all cost are something you value. Can we afford to keep spending hundreds of millions of dollars (estimate seem to range from $343-750 million per day) that we do not have on a war when we still have not adequately helped the victims of hurricane Katrina? I have heard the argument that the Iraqi citizens want us there – sure – in any country where we go in and start building roads, and water systems and improving the level of poverty, the citizens will appreciate it. We cannot save the world. We are not even taking care of our own citizens. How many people are now homeless or soon might be due to foreclosures? How many people are or soon will be without jobs?

The Economy – No one can argue that McCain was not a part of what has happened. He has been quoted all over the place backing Bush and encouraging deregulation. (Now he is all for stricter regulation.) When asked during the debates how his plans as President would change in light of the economic crisis his first response was to take care of our troops and our vets. The military is his first priority. Yes, a strong military is important, but again, at what cost? It seems to me we have serious problems here at home, but the fact that his first response was about the war really concerns me.

The Environment – McCain says he is pro-environment, and the fact that he was against some of the Bush administration policies is hopeful. HOWEVER, his conservative bias tend to indicate he will appoint conservatives to the Supreme Court, which could be disastrous for our environment. Also, of great concern, he chose a person who does not even believe that man has contributed to global warming as his running mate. (She has done nothing in the area of clean energy in Alaska.) That means he supports her views, or wouldn’t believe she was a good choice. She is pro-drilling, supporting expanded drilling in Alaska, including the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. She opposes listing polar bears as a species threatened by the effects of global climate change. She leads the National Governors Association Natural Resources Committee which works to promote the expansion of oil and gas usage.

Equality for Gays – of course I could not leave this one alone. While McCain is not as conservative as his running mate on this issue, he did vote for the CA proposition 8 of marriage being defined as between one man and one woman. He feels gay marriage should be left up to each state and does not favor a constitutional ban on gay marriage. He feels “Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell” policy works fine. Tell that to the veterans who after having served honorably are kicked out when their sexuality comes to light. A lot of people support the idea that marriage should just be between one man and one woman, but that gays should be allowed equal domestic partnership rights. That is still discrimination because there is power in language. The word “marriage” automatically means something to people. It legitimizes the relationship. McCain not really supporting and not really opposing gay rights in general is more of the “if you aren’t with us, you are against us.” If we let states VOTE on civil rights, the day might not be far away where Casey and I are not even allowed to live together, same sex adoptions are made illegal (not legal now in many states), and my rights to Boy Wonder and our Litle Princess could be severed. That is extreme, but when we let extreme religious conservatives start running things (Palin, for example), that is a path we open up. That is not a value I can support.

Worse than McCain on gay rights though is his running mate. Sarah Palin claims to be a friend of the gays, but when the Human Rights Campaign went to Alaska, they couldn’t find any of her friends. Her record reveals that she not only is very concerned about preserving marriage for one man and one woman, but also that she supports denying benefits to same-sex couples. She actively sought to ban books about LGBT topics from the Wasilla library . (Sound like censorship to anyone? Is that ever OK?) The GLBT people in Wasilla are very frightened that she could become VP – check out this video with the people in Wasilla made by HRC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfL2l1dk8nA

Sarah Palin – no, she is not a political issue, but she can’t be ignored. She could be in the number 2 position in our country. This is frightening people, it really is. A lot of people worry about McCain’s health, and what if he dies in office and she become President? She doesn’t even have to die. What if he just needs to undergo surgery? At his age, that is not unrealistic. Sarah Palin becomes Commander-In-Chief until he is able to resume his duties.

Please, please, listen to her interviews with Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson. They are on Youtube. The woman does not have the knowledge and experience to lead our country. You can see she is desperately trying to remember the words on the flash cards she’s been provided. She struggles for answers. She says things she probably should not say. She is out of her league. We all know that she is being tutored and prepped like no other candidate ever before. Do we as regular citizens get to prep for a job interview like that? I want to know what she knows NOW, what she thinks NOW – she could be governing in just a few short months and we need to know real abilities that do not just reveal how well she crammed for the test of the debates and other public appearances.

Want to know where people stand on the issues? This is a really helpful site: http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

We all have to make our own decisions when voting, and they should be well-thought out ones. They should be informed by multiple sources. They should not be just because we have always been a Democrat or a Republican, but because the party and the candidates embody our values. Casey and I have been talking with a lot of people and it is shocking how many people vote with a party just because their parents did, and their parents before them. Times change. Issues change. Parties change. The Republican and Democratic parties of our grandfathers, or our fathers, are not the Republican and Democratic parties of NOW. Be an informed voter, because then, when we disagree, at least it really is reasonable, educated minds disagreeing about real issues.

If you stayed with me this far, thank you for your time.

A Real Law School-Related Post

A fellow law student introduced herself to me last night as someone who reads my blog. ** Hi Mary! ** We started talking about some of the challenges of having a family while going to law school, whether the family is a wife and human kids, or a spouse and furry kids, there are still sacrifices all around. Sometimes decisions are made, and other times they are forced upon us by circumstances, to put off parts of our life, or lose touch with friends, or not be as present for our family as we'd like. People tend to not talk about the emotional toll that the sacrifices take - on us as students, and on our partners, children, animals, and others. First year especially is kind of a mind-game and it forces us to call into question a lot of our own priorities and values. I think that is easier to see in retrospect than when you are going through it, and probably easier to value in retrospect, too.

I think more folks should be honest and open in their communication with others about what they are experiencing emotionally - at home, with friends, and maybe people would feel less alone. I know I've found a few people similarly situated and it has been nice to know we're all going through the same challenges, but not everyone is as up front, or has that kind of support. As lawyers-in-training we are taught to put on this all-knowing, in control-facade and it does us a disservice as students. The fake it till you make it mentality is necessary in the real world, but with each other, sometimes we just need to admit that we feel like we've been hit by a fleet of moving trucks. We are tough, or we wouldn't be in law school; we will bounce back, but sometimes the long hours, the studying, and the competing demands take their toll.

A lawyer recently gave me some advice about studying for the bar. She said that everyone around me will be saying they are doing great, all is going well, and the truth is that for most people, that is not really how they will be feeling. She said not to let that behavior psych me out. It ended up that most of the people she knew were actually uncertain and nervous while studying for the bar. So, it is OK to let our guard down sometimes, admit that what we are doing is often tough, even it if is mostly because we haven't seen our partner or children all week and almost nodded off twice in class.

(I am personally doing great this week, this is just a topic that came up in discussion that I thought was post-worthy.

Maddie the Great

There's nothing quite like our love for our dogs, is there?

Thought today I would share some really good photos that Wife just took of Maddie. She's the Boxer-Whippet mix we adopted in February. She's a great dog - but way more great (and quiet) when I am around than when I am not. She drives Wife a bit crazy by afternoon, when the barking starts...if its not her, it is Jordan, the dalmatian, who often just barks to get Maddie to play with him. Too bad Maddie can't come to work with me. She would love it, and everyone would love her.

In the photos, she is soaking up the sun by one of the kids' play structures. She's got the right idea. Somehow, that activity sounds way better than hearing about effluent limitations and the Clean Water Act, which is on my agenda for this afternoon.

Have a good week, my friends!

Tired of School

I'm actually coping better than many of my classmates, but can I just say it here - I am done. Not really, of course, but I am feeling done with the full-time job, going to school, then going home to mostly not see my family because they are sleeping, and then doing it all again. Don't get me wrong. I am actually mostly enjoying my classes. I wish I could get paid to go to them instead of the other way around.

I miss my family. They miss me. I want to be around each night to put the kids to bed and then watch TV with my wife. All the new shows are starting and law school is definitely going to interfere with the new season. Yes, I know, TV is mostly mindless entertainment. THAT is the point. I LIKE mindless entertainment.

We watched Grey's Anatomy last night. I got to talk to my co-workers about it today. That was fun. I want to see what everyone is talking about the next day - and I hope that soon it will have nothing to do with Sarah Palin. It can be sex, drugs, money, how to get unlocked cell phones, fast cars, fast women, family drama, silly fun - I like it all!

I am looking forward to family fun this weekend. I don't know quite what that will look like, but I do know there is still homework tomorrow. How fast can I read (and comprehend) 100 pages?

Happy Weekend, Friends!