And Today's Winner Is.....

Prosciutto, Zucchini, and Corn Pasta

2010-10-13T08:48:00.001-07:00

I was in a big-chain home improvement story yesterday and started salivating over the cover of a magazine while waiting in line. I wanted to buy it but the price was 12.99. I refuse to buy a cooking magazine for the cost of what I can buy a whole book. So, I prosciuttowas only able to look at the picture for a minute or so before it was my turn to check-out. I decided to try and make it anyway based upon the picture - and it turned out amazing.

Start boiling one package of your choice of pasta. I used Farfalle because I had it on hand but the recipe picture had penne in it.

One shallot (or onion) chopped, two garlic cloves crushed/chopped, and a package of diced prosciutto (I imagine pancetta would work just as well). Saute shallot in olive oil with a little salt and pepper for a few minutes - add garlic and prosciutto, cook for a couple more minutes. Add 1 C of chopped/sliced mushrooms, one or two thinly sliced zucchini, and 1 C of corn (I cut it straight off the cob). Let saute for a few minutes, stirring frequently. You will need to watch it and ensure that all the water from the zucchini is cooked off otherwise its too sloppy.

In a separate pan, add 1/4 C olive oil and 1/2 C pine nuts to warm. Add in 1 C of chopped basil and stir to coat evenly. Remove from heat.

When zucchini mixture is done cooking and most of the moisture is gone, add the pine nut/basil mixture to it, stir thoroughly.

Drain pasta and in a large bowl combine the pasta, zucchini mixture, and 1/4 C freshly chopped basil and 1 C of parmesan/romano/etc. cheeses and let it melt just a little. Add 1 C fresh chopped tomatoes and stir. Serve with garlic bread.

Delicious!

Late Night Meandering

2010-10-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

My first night alone as a parent. And I choose to watch a happily, sad romantic move. Dumb dumb dumb. At least it had a happy ending. Still, a little left over reserve of post-baby hormones left over I think. Or maybe just the soft edges of me coming out. The movie I watched was Letters to Juliet... predictable but sweet.

I found myself a little melancholy about how beautiful the main character was in this movie (again, remember the hormones) and I really wish that I was the type of person that felt comfortable wearing dresses on a regular basis for everyday things, events, outings. Problem is, I've never been that person.

I'd like to be that person sometimes. I liked being that person in Mexico but it was easy there. It was a different me, and I didn't have to justify it or talk about it or explain it because it was vacation and no one said anything. I'd have to explain it if I did it here. Maybe with my recent life changes I can manage it in small stages and won't have to talk about it or explain it or live through the taunting.

Anger Issues. Again. Yes, I know - again.

2010-02-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

I always have good intentions to post more often but I refrain from doing so because the only thing that truly inspires me to physically sit down and write a posting is anger. And somehow I feel like perhaps my entire blog shouldn't be about anger. Then again, maybe I'm missing something. Maybe it should be ONLY about anger. I mean look at Ed Anger in the Enquirer - he's made an entire career out of posting about what makes him angry. And Andy Rooney - even though he is usually mild-mannered, his spot on 60 minutes is usually about things that make him angry - and he manages to do it in a politically correct manner. Unfortunately, things that make me angry enough to write about tend to lead to inappropriate outbursts with swear words and wild gesticulating, and getting flustered to the point that I am simply unable to form any argument or coherent thought or have a logical cadence to thought or speech. Which leads beautifully into what actually caused me to post tonight.

The first amendment.

Yep - its a big topic. I could probably write 30+ pages on this topic without even blinking. In fact, I could probably write a 30+ page legal brief on this topic with little effort - and still have more to write. There are very few things that inspire me to have as strong an opinion as the first 6 amendments to our constitution - with the first being the most important, and the 5th and 6th following close behind. Anytime someone takes their own quasi-religio-politico views and uses them to warp the true intentions of the first amendment I get mad mad mad. Its basic - freedom of speech. Really - its that easy.

Yes, I know - there are exceptions and rules that try to corral it in a number of ways but its still really simple - I have the freedom to write and say what I want. (Barring, of course, some legal agreement I may have signed which is voluntary and not imposed).

You see, here I am, starting on a semi-structured argument about the topic and I just want to start spouting insults and threats and throw my hands up in the air and scream. But, please, someone tell me why a blog written about personal educational experiences in college could possibly be subjected to censorship.

It doesn't matter if someone else is offended by what I write or say - its unfortunate and I sometimes feel bad if I offend someone or hurt their feelings but that is also self-imposed and not justification for a suppression of what I want to write or say. Just because someone is inconvenienced by me doesn't mean I should in turn be inconvenienced by them. You see the offendee also has a choice - to not read or not listen. Basic human rights. And tolerance.

(I'm off on a new tangent now...)

Tolerance is certainly something we could all learn a little bit better. Myself included. I have very little tolerance for incompetence. I also have very little tolerance for ignorance - especially from someone with the full capacity to be educated but is unwilling to do so.

And now I have reached the point I always do - the anger was fueled fiercely for a short period of time and I no longer have the desire to write anything else. This is probably why I don't practice law. hahaha.

Things that Anger Me. Vol. 15

2009-11-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

Short post -

I find it totally ridiculous the number of people who talk on their cell phones while working out at the gym. Really?? Put it down and step away from it for 30 whole minutes. Step. Step. Step. Step....

Pre-Winter Happenings

2009-10-28T18:39:00.001-07:00

It's been a good fall so far but here we sit with snow threatening for the last few days. Isn't that something about the predicted weather? It's rarely spot-on in Idaho. Its the only real job one can have and keep and be wrong ALL the time.

All of the wood at our house is now cut, chopped, and stacked. Still need to cover the one wood pile but it should be ok for a while. As a result - my back is pretty sore but the workout at the gym last night didn't make my legs as sore as it normally would have. I guess that is one benefit to chopping and stacking all that wood. Aside from the actual wood itself. :)

I think Mark has the swine flu so I'm just hoping at this point that I don't get it. It's been a few painful days for him but he's feeling a bit better. We're hoping to make the 9-hour trip to the Tri-Cities this weekend so we'll see how he feels tomorrow.

I read the news today about a sad sad story of a 15-year-old girl who was raped at her Homecoming dance this last weekend by 5-10 different people while 15-20 others watched. The police are still making arrests and questioning people. I hope they nail every single one of the bastards who did it. Unfortunately, the law is written as such so that none of the bystanders (watchers) can be prosecuted for their inaction. It makes me sick. Physically and emotionally sick because none of the people involved will ever be the same. She will be in my thoughts.

2009-10-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

This has been a trying week - to say the least. I have been working hard to accomplish things before leaving for for 4 days but I'm sure having a hard time exercising any patience. I wonder sometimes what it would be like to be able to refuse to accept responsibility for my own actions or how relaxed I would be if I didn't have a built-in sense of obligation. It must be nice.

So, I've decided that a good dose of healthy drinking was in store tonight because, frankly, I can't go through another day like today without a little self-medication tonight. I only have to make it through 9 hours - then I'm off to South Dakota trudging through the snow...awesome awesome snow. I'm hoping there is room in the car for my giant snow boots.

So the trip to So Dak involves a visit to Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks (yep, in October, in the snow - awesome!) then on to Cody, WY through the white and wonderful snow before heading towards Devil's Tower - can't wait, I've always wanted to see it. From there it is on to Deadwood, Sturgis, and Mt. Rushmore before landing in Sioux Falls, SD to watch the homecoming parade and the little brother's football game before getting back on the road to head home. Only 19 more hours!

In Support Of

2009-10-09T07:36:00.001-07:00

Today is my day off. I have every other Friday off which is really nice. I enjoy having a day to myself to get things done that won't take up the weekend or, sometimes, to just do whatever I want: read a book, work in the garden, get a haircut. There are a ton of things I want to get done outside today but because it is still a bit nippy outside this morning I'm checking email and tidying up the house for now. As I was checking my email I noticed a headline on iGoogle that caught my eye. Apparently our president, Barack Obama, has won the Nobel Peace Prize. I'm a little surprised but not, I think, in disagreement.

Several articles in response to this award have quoted a number of people asking, "why?", "for what?", or "what has he done to deserve that?". I have to admit that Barack Obama is no Ghandi or Nelson Mandela or the Dalai Lama but, in my mind, he's a far step ahead of Mikhail Gorbachev or a few others who have been awarded the prize in recent history. I'm not one-hundred percent behind Obama but I am a believer in what he is trying to accomplish and how he is going about doing that.

I suppose living in an area of the U.S. which is fairly conservative (and not being a conservative) helps me have a bit of a different opinion about the state of politics in this country. I am mostly incapable of having a civil conversation about political subjects with conservatives because they are incapable of discussing a subject with someone who disagrees with the rhetoric. It is amazing to me that I can't discuss something as simple as delisting the wolves, or the benefits of church and state separation, or gun ownership, or immigration (legal or otherwise) without it resulting in an out and out personal attack on me. And, before you start to change the page, let me explain that I think the wolves should be delisted and numbers reduced, not eradicated. And I think that church and state should be completely separate and when you start modifying the school year or curriculum to accommodate the dominant religious beliefs that you've lost that separation. And I actually own a number of guns but I'm not opposed to some regulation on them. And I really, really disagree with the way our country handles immigration (oh, and by the way, illegal immigrants don't get social security benefits - you're actually required to have a SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER to receive social security benefits so quit forwarding that email, please?)

I see I've wandered off the subject a little bit. To come back around to the point - Barack Obama represents, to me, the type of political behavior that is sorely missing from our country and others around the world. Its about civil, decent discussions that don't involve name-calling, personal attacks, or tendencies towards violence. Its about being open-minded and trying to find a middle ground on matters instead of being so polarized that nothing is ever accomplished. Its about having a strong sense of beliefs, moral and otherwise, and actually having them because they are yours and not something you have because your political party has defined them for you. Its about being passionate, truly passionate, about an idea and bringing that idea to fruition in a civil, decent manner.

Politics in our country for too long have been about personal attacks, extremist ideas, and polarized parties. Nothing can be accomplished this way that will improve our lives or our country. So, whether or not you agree with awarding our President the Nobel Peace Prize, perhaps consider what Barack Obama represents - its not about him being black, its not about the deficit, its not about healthcare reform. Its about approaching politics in a civil, decent manner with a belief that life can be improved, people can work together, and we can change.

Small Irritations

2009-10-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

Little things irritate me - mostly unimportant things but all stupid little things.

1. I am originally from Pocatello - known as Poky for short. Its not Pokey, Pocy, or any other version - just Poky. I know this to be true because I went to the high school of the same name and it is P.O.K.Y.

2. The misuse of the word You're drives me crazy. In fact, the misspelling of basic words drives me nuts - especially when you know damn well the person who misspelled it had access to a spell checker. Its a good thing I'm not in charge of hiring anyone - any application sent in for consideration would be thrown out for misspellings.

3. I've recently started to hate crocs. I mean really, really, really, hate them. Which is a bit unreasonable I realize - I mean they are just a shoe, right? BUt they are hideous and overused and did I mention hideous? Something funny I've discovered though is how many websites, groups, fan clubs, etc. there are dedicated to the hatred of crocs. Apparently there is something there. Yep, its apparent!

4. Incompetent people annoy me. I go through cycles of optimism where I think other people have the ability to rise to the occasion and then I just disappoint myself with the expectations and cycle down into extreme irritation. Any advice on a business I could start that would only entail me dealing with me and still make >75K?

5. Why is it so hard to put two dirty dishes in the dishwasher?

6. Have you ever noticed how some people use a particular saying over and over and over? Often times it is used to the point where it is completely out of context but they keep using it.

7. I bet that about 90% of the time I get to the bottom of the milk jug and only have enough for 1/2 a bowl of cereal. I guess a 1/2 bowl of cereal is better than none. :)

8. I think I complain a bit too much...hahah.

2009-10-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't exactly been faithful in blogging since law school. It was so much easier to post random comments/thoughts while sitting in constitutional law class. I think I'll try to be more faithful in writing - even if it is just one liner sarcasms.

I got an email the other day with some random funny thoughts - the one that stuck though is that sarcasm needs its own font. I really wish there was a designated sarcasm font so that it was never confused by anyone when you sent them an email or a note saying something like, "oh yeah, seems like a great idea to stick your hand in the blender" (just for instance...)

Heading off to Pocatello this morning for the Homecoming Parade and foot ball game. Nothing like a little alcohol on the public streets on a beautiful fall day!

Trespassing, Conversion, and other Criminal Acts

2009-01-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

Some of this might be a repeat for the few people who still check in on me from time to time...

Last week was a bit eventful for Mark and I. It started out just fine until Mark went home for lunch on Tuesday and found some guys cutting down one of our half-dead cottonwoods on the back edge of our property. It seems that these idiots were told by the next door neighbor that they could cut down some of their dead trees but got confused about where the property line was and decided that one of our trees would be easier to cut down than any of the others. By the time Mark caught them the tree was already sawed through half way so there wasn't anything that could be done. I'm talking about a 90+ year old tree that, while it wasn't in the best shape, was certainly far from dead. The trunk alone is about 3-4 feet in diameter so this was no small feat.

To add insult to injury, the old coot who was directing the circus didn't think he had done anything wrong and continued to cut and chop up our tree. Despite the fact that I was seriously irritated about the initial trespass - we figured we couldn't do anything to change it so we were trying to figure out a reasonable solution to the situation. We were thinking it would be fair to let them chop it all up and only take half of the wood. Well this moron didn't see it that way and thought he and his minions should be able to take the whole thing AND leave the mess behind. I think Mark may have blown a blood vessel at that point.

The old guy and one of his helpers had the gall to try and tell us that they had done us a favor because it was eventually going to blow down anyway. After Mark and I weren't buying that load of crap and told him exactly what we thought was fair the guy stopped being any sort of reasonable and Mark threw him off our property and told him to not come back until we sorted this out with the neighbor who was the one who told him he could cut trees in the first place. Lo and behold this guy shows back up on our property the next morning and starts loading wood again. At this point Mark told him to get off our property and stay off or he would call the sheriff. The neighbor left us a note to call him so Mark would call to chat with him and see where we go from here but it turns out he had some kind of surgery the day after and we haven't talked to him yet. It is just so unbelievable that someone would/could do such a thing. Its been interesting to say the least.

I've had to answer the obvious question about 20 times as to why I haven't pulled out the whole "lawyer" card on this guy yet. I'll tell you why - this is the perfect beginning to a case that could end up in a law school book somewhere and I don't want future generations of law students being forced to answer painful questions about the case history in an 8am property class.
Besides, I'm fairly reasonable - I figure the initial trespass and conversion (or theft as it may be) were an honest mistake so in exchange for the labor - I still get half the value of the tree as firewood. Unfortunately, the inbred, bass-ackwards farmer from Shelley didn't see it that way and wanted the whole thing. I'm fair - but I'm not spineless.

I had to laugh though - at one point during the dispute, when the "loggers" were trying to convince us pretty hard that they had done us a favor and how nice it was of them to cut down our tree when it could have fallen over on a power line that is a dead end and doesn't supply power to anywhere Mark asked the guy where he lived. When the guy looked at Mark all confused - Mark said, "Well, I need to know so I can come over and flood your basement. God knows I'd be doing you a favor because your house could have caught on fire and I would be doing you a favor." The logic was a bit off but the timing was perfect.

In the meantime it has snowed at least a foot and the issue has become a non-issue, at least until the snow melts a little more and you can find all that beautifully chopped wood under the snow.

Random Sprawling Thoughts About Winter and Wood Stoves

2008-10-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

Here I sit - in a living room that is reading about 84 degrees F. Seriously, who needs an 80 plus degree living room??? The problem is that the house we bought is weirdly put together which is really the reason why I love it so much. We bought an old farm house that we think was built around the 1920's with all of the excruciating problems that go along with that, but somewhere in the 70's a huge addition was added on the front and somewhere along the way a smaller addition was added on the back creating a great laundry room and a HUGE pantry.

The front addition that was put on about 40 years ago created a huge living room on the main floor and a huge family room in the basement which is, strangely enough, completely separate from the original "main" basement. Yes, that's right folks, I have two basements. Basement 1 and Basement 2. Its all very strange but explainable once you see it.

So, here I sit in a living room that is about 84 degrees F and I wonder why this room is so hot - except I understand that because this was added on and because it is only connected to the rest of the house by a normal sized door, it is really hard for the heat to disperse to the rest of the house...

So, the big plans are to knock out the wall between the new living room and the old kitchen or at least widen it so the heat will disperse a little better, I really just need to win the lottery so I can do it all at once and then just keep this as my "vacation" home that I stay at in between my travels to various foreign countries.

In line with the "my living room is 84 degrees" - it snowed hard today. So hard that the ground outside is white, still. Its sad. Summer /spring barely showed itself about the third week of June so the fact that winter has reared its beautiful but oh-so-ugly-head this time of the year in mid October is a little hard to take. I"m not ready. My garden froze and died this week - and just when it was ready to kick down some good produce, its all very sad. Still, I guess I have to deal with it and move on. Really, I'm the girl who loves winter, but part of that is definitely due to the fact that I love the other three seasons too. When you ahve four distinct, mostly equal seasons, its much more easy to appreciate the one that you currently find yourself in. But when the first snow hits October 5 (like last year) and the last snow hits June 12th(like this year) - its hard to appreciate winter when it is back 4 months later and barely a chance to appreciate summer and fall. Clearly winter has taken over and is attempting a coup on the other seasons. And the Republicans say that global warming is a myth. I haven't seen this kind of snow since I was a little girl. No global warming my ass.

I promise - I haven't changed that much

2008-10-07T21:38:00.001-07:00

And there it is again. I just can't help it. I LOVE fall. I went in late to work on Monday because my mom was visiting and the whole 35 minute drive flew by as I reminisced about other fall days that have come and gone. You see, I'm one of those people who think that the high-mountain desert around this area is absolutely beautiful. It doesn't matter what time of the year it is - it always has something to offer. Granted, its no rainforest, or deep, wooded greenery, or even coastal beauty - but it holds its own beauty and it has its own fierceness. The drive on Monday was more than special because I saw my first snow. It wasn't falling on my windshield or a recently departed storm leaving its traces on the road, it was a white cap on the tallest peaks reaching over the tops of the Whitecloud Mountains just above the desert. I love snow but the first signs of it this time, this year are leaving me a bit conflicted. Like I said, I love snow but as I've previously indicated, I like ALL seasons and I especially love Idaho for its penchant for (usually) having three very distinct and usually even seasons. We weren't so lucky last year. The last time it snowed here was June 12th...the first snowfall last fall was October 5th. You do the math - its WAY too long by anyone's standards. Still, I'm having a hard time feeling negative about it. It's like a Thursday - which is my favorite day of the week - because its the anticipation of what is to come. I like knowing that the time of year I love the most is still not in full swing and I can appreciate it that much earlier. Same reason I love Thursdays, always have, its the anticipation of knowing I have the whole weekend off and it stretches out in front of me. Its a little more intuitive to like thursdays whereas Saturdays are always just what you expected.

I think part of it goes back to my nostalgia for fall but part of it is certainly due to the fact that I received my wedding dress in the mail on Monday and got to try it on for the very first time. I'm a little conflicted in saying that I was giddy to try it on. Mostly just because I'm not that girl. Never have been so my reaction is a little foreign. Still, I love the dress, I look pretty good in it and I've been forcing myself to not put it back on because that's just a little beyond my realm of comfort when it comes to girly. I keep asking myself, " Who IS this person - where did I go". but I know I'm still here - I just played the role of the girl who doesn't care for so long that its a bit disconcerting now that I do. Don't get me wrong - not a whole lot has changed I just realized how happy I am of late. Somehow I lucked out in the scheme of things. I get to marry my best friend and the love of my life. Not many people get to say that and truly, truly mean it.

Ach! Now I'm all sappy and sounding like a hallmark greeting card. I am still the same girl - just excited to dress up in a beautiful dress and get married.

There's Just Something About Fall

2008-10-05T07:22:00.001-07:00

I don't know what it is about fall that makes me love it so much. It is by and far my favorite time of the year. I love the rain and the clouds and the warm wind, even if it means that I won't be wearing my sandals anymore. I love the smell and the way things look after the rain - we live in a place that has extremely dry summers so when fall comes back around, the temperatures drop a little, and we get some rain, the colors are absolutely amazing. Its a little ironic that my garden has gone crazy this past week - I'd like to know what it is about rain that makes it do that. I love waking up on a day off and curling up on the couch in my fuzzy socks with a cup of coffee and a breeze blowing. I think a big reason why I like fall is nostalgia - its the idea of what fall represents. Still, I run across those fleeting moments where the reality of fall is exactly what I had pictured in my head and its all just wonderful.

I guess I do that with Christmas too and other times of the year. The three weeks before Christmas are like a Bing Crosby christmas carol for me. I somehow manage to block out the travesty of commercialized Christmas and focus on the way its supposed to be. For me, the weeks leading up to Christmas are like walking down a tree-lined lane right at dusk, big snowflakes falling, wrapped up in a warm winter coat, a cozy cottage in the distance ahead with a warm glow shining from all of its windows. Unbelievably cheesy but its true. I love December for that reason.

I really like that moment in the spring, too, when, in a split second, it becomes completely clear that spring has come. Where it has been raining non-stop but the snow is all gone, and it has warmed up just enough to let things grow and just like that everything is green. And its not a spring green or something totally obvious but you can look at the landscape around you and the colors are just a little less brown and gray with a hint of green. I can remember one very distinct moment in 2003 when this happened - the colors in the foothills around Pocatello that year were amazing but it was almost a dark blue tint. I wish I could describe it better.

Fall really is my favorite season though. There is just something about it. I hope it lasts for a while longer. We had our first snow one year ago today and I'd just as soon not repeat that pattern this year. Considering that we didn't have any summer weather until the end of June I think it can hold at least another 6 weeks...knock on wood.

2008-07-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy year for me, one that hasn't inspired any writings obviously. Perhaps I'm too busy or maybe I just don't have the writing bug any more.

I'm conquering all things commitment-related this year. We are getting married (Thanksgiving), we bought a house (farmhouse, 2 acres)
, and I went to the store on the 11th and bought a car , just like that.

It's all very strange but somehow familiar like this is what I was waiting for. We've been busy though, putting up a fence and planting a garden, and planting lots of trees and just keeping up with everything - there just isn't enough time to get everything done.

In the meantime, summer is here (kind of) and the nights are long and warm. Just like every other year the weekends are booked and I'm not getting to all of the things on the list of places to go. Still, life is good and I can't ask for more. (Unless of course it was 4 weeks of vacation instead of 3.....

Winter Dreams

2008-01-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here on my couch, in my cozy house trying to decide what to do with myself today.

I actually went to the gym yesterday which is really unusual for me -( I don't work out on the weekends as a rule since I go during the week) so going to the gym today is out of the question. Plus they are only open until noon on Sundays I think.

I need to go snowboarding. I say need because I haven't been for about 5 years or so and I NEED to go for a half day to break myself back into it. Still, I'm just not feeling it today.

I'm considering going to see a movie. The last movie I saw was I Am Legend - which was unbelievably good. I don't recommend it if you scare easily. But if I go to a movie I have to decide what Im going to see. I want to see the Golden Compass in the theater because I have a feeling that the cinematography can only be fully appreciated in a big theater. But I also want to see the National treasure movie. There are a couple of other movies I wouldn't mind seeing (sweeney todd and mad money) but they aren't playing here. I suppose I could go see two movies today - it's not like I have anything else to do.

I made baked goods yesterday and I just figured out where the phrase "baked goods" came from - because they are good good good. I made orange rolls which are delicious, and orangey, and sugary sweet. I wanted to add something exotic to them but I couldn't think of what would go well in orange rolls. I think the next time I make them I'm going to add some thyme - I have two different kinds of thyme - lime thyme and orange spice thyme - which I think would go really great in there and add an extra layer of flavor. We'll see. BUt I'm not baking any more today so that's out.

My house is clean for the most part so that is out.

I can't go to the library - I live in Idaho Falls, need I say more?

I guess I could go look at a few houses. That's right - not only am I getting married, we are buying a house too. I think they say that the three most stressful events in a person's life are starting a new job, moving(buying a house), and getting married. Sweet! I'm going to do all three in a 9 month period. Funny thing is that the only thing I'm feeling stressed about is the wedding and that is mostly because we are having a really hard time deciding where to have it.

What I really want to do today is go sit by the pool, have a couple of cocktails at the swim-up bar and do a little snorkeling in the ocean in between eating some fabulous meals. I sure do miss Mexico. That trip was fantastic. Just look at it - http://www.meliacaboreal.com/. Man, I miss Mexico.

Happenings

2007-12-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't said much of anything in like...ages. Literally.

Several very large goings-on have come about or are going to come about.

I got a job. I don't want to be too optimistic just yet but it's got about 90% of my dream job qualities. That's pretty damn awesome AND I don't have the stress of practicing law.

I went to Mexico for 8 days. My international forays thusfar are limited to Canadia so Mexico was really pretty amazing. I can't even describe how amazingly beautiful it was. I plan on adding at least one more country to my list in the next 9 months.

While in above said country, I got engaged. Yep, that's right - Mark finally asked me to marry him.

So, after above-said proposal I will be getting married sometime in the next 9 months (thus the travel to some other foreign country for the honeymoon....)

So much has happened in such a short period and yet I somehow managed to tell it in such a short time....

Where Are These People's Parents?

2007-08-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

So, I was driving around the other day, running some errands, singing along to Fergie's Glamorous (yeah, it's like that) when I came across an older woman, and by older I mean older than me so mid- to late-forties. She was totally a leftover of the early 80's, she had long, stringy hair that would have looked great had it been curled and feathered....oh yes, I said feathered. She was tall and really quite skinny which somehow still didn't excuse the fact that she was wearing a pair of these..., although probably a little shorter if you can believe it and a pair of old white keds....I just don't get it. To make matters worse, she hops into a newer, black GMC truck, lifted of course, and proceeds to pull out in front of me at which time I noticed that her license plate said "Badgurl". Seriously? It was at this moment in time when I noticed the bumper sticker which was stuck to her back window. If you will excuse the content, it said "I have the p*$$#, so I make the rules". My initial reaction was to wonder why in the name of all things would you ever put that bumper sticker on your car. It made me start thinking about why it isn't a good idea to put things like that on your car and why it is that I have never putsuch a thing on my car.

First thought: I would be worried that someone I knew would see me driving around in my car with that sticker. Namely, an employer, or a client, or a student, etc.

Second thought: Nevermind about those people, my dad would have a fit if I ever had something like that on my car.

Third thought: How sad is it that there are people out there who don't have parents around to curb their misguided decisions.

In fact, I think a good general answer for many problems is just that - where ARE these people's parents?

Hello, My Name Is....

2007-07-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone - my name is Sadie and I'm an addict.

I guess my story starts about eleven years ago. Its probably a story pretty similar to others who have addictions that control their lives. It started out with just trying a little bit each year and it somehow gained a life of its own and grew more and more each year. I've met others who dabble in it a little but only one other person I've met really comes close to the same level as me. I've been told that if you accept your faults and talk about them with your friends and family - its the first step to working through it.

Last year was the culmination - that was when I realized that I had a problem. I became consciously aware of it and made an effort to control my addiction this year but tonight I realized that I was just kidding myself. You see, tonight I was enjoying a drink in my backyard when I realized that fourteen tomato plants is just not enough. I NEED more.

Like THIS many.... http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/biopesticides/growervisits/tomato_small.jpg

or THIS many... http://www.parsource.com/images/jack.JPG

I want them. I need them. I want to bathe in them.....

Yeah, I know, it's like that.

They've Hatched

2007-05-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago today Mark and I came home from a great weekend in Boise where we met our goddaughter. Yes, I did say it. We have some friends who got married (miracle 1), had a child (miracle 2) and named us godparents of said child (this is where you run screaming from the computer). I can't tell you how many people have looked at me twice when I told them the news with a "someone actually put their child's moral upbrining in you and Mark's hands?" look. Because, frankly, that's the role I'm supposed to play. Sweet jesus, the world is coming to an end.

But I digress. As I was saying, we returned home from Boise and I just had to check on my nest of eggs to see how they were doing. I was ecstatic when I saw that three of the eggs had hatched and that two more were soon to come. You wouldn't believe how amazing it was. The new hatchlings were still a little wet and sticky and just absolutely fragile. So, I've been good and kept my distance for the most part. They've grown fast and I've spent a lot of time watching both parents feed their chicks. I've watched the chicks slowly gain a feather here or there and now their eyes are open. The babies simply sit in their nest with their mouths wide open, heads resting on the edges and eat and eat and eat as soon as one of the parents comes back with food. In between feedings they sleep and then eat and then sleep and so on and so on.I can always tell when they're getting fed because they make a ton of noise. It's been fascinating and the anticipation of the day they decide to fly is getting to me. I'm afraid its going to be next weekend and I'll miss the whole thing. I'm hopeful that they simply don't have enough feathers just yet to try anything crazy.

To add to it all, my dog Rainy discovered the feathered treasure sometime last week and I have spent a good deal of time ensuring that she doesn't get through the fence. I plan on getting some better photos in the next couple of days now that the chicks are getting bigger and are a little more active. I love spring.

New Additions to the Family

2007-04-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

As you can see, we have five new additions to our house. I realize that they really don't require a whole lot of effort on my part - but I'm going to do my best to make sure nothing happens to them. The nest is built behind a clematis vine in our back yard and its right at eye level. It's been really fun to watch the parents fuss over the nest and then when the female is sitting on it, the male perches on a nearby branch or wire and keeps an eye out, all why letting the female know that all's well. I love spring.

Spring

2007-03-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Spring officially arrived sometime between the unloading of our moving truck and the best holiday ever (uh, yeah, that would be St. Patrick's day).

Spring for me is not flowers in full bloom or the grass turning bright green. It's that smell in the air or days like the one in the picture where you know that the heady days of summer are just around the corner.

I personally like wearing a jacket just because its just not quite warm enough outside to not have one - but at the same time being able to open my doors during the day and let the sunshine warm up the house.

Its the anticipation of what's to come. Probably somewhere along the lines as to why Thursday is my favorite day of the week. I know, I know - they have nothing in common.

In conjunction with this new great change in the weather, I'm currently training for a relay race in June from Stanley to Hailey. It's roughly 60 miles and each member is required to walk two legs of 5 miles. I honestly think I could do it right now, but I guarantee it would kick my collective rear. So, I'm working on a schedule that has varying walking times and works into walking longer distances over the next two months. I walked three miles the other day in pretty good time and it was a walk in the park. I'm enjoying pushing myself and working towards getting in better shape along the way. Before I started working last spring I was doing something similar but without a target goal in mind and I actually got up to the point where I could jog good distances which for me, with my bum knees and trick hip, was pretty damn good. But, then the job came along and I stopped keeping up with it. I'm hoping that I can get back there pretty soon by following a schedule.

Things That Annoy Me Part 17

2007-02-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many of you watched the SuperBowl but if you happened to see the new commercial for some investment company with Kevin Federline you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen it yet then you won't but I'll explain it to you anyway.

So, Kevin Federline made a commercial for some company wherein he is basically making fun of himself, acting like he is working at a fast food joint and dreaming big to become a rap star. (So, basically its a parody of what his life has been up to this point - minus the fact that he has now fallen flat on his face after being dumped by hot vixen turned trailer trash barbie Britney Spears.

The point of this is not that Kevin Federline is a moron or that Britney Spears is an even bigger moron but that the American Association for Restaurant Workers (or something equally similar and equally ridiculous) had a hissy fit over Kevin Federline portraying himself as a fast food worker. Somehow, in all the mess that goes along with a SuperBowl commercial, the Restaurant Workers took offense saying that there was no call for making fun of the people who work hard at fast food restaurants to provide the majority of America with its sustenance (albeit unhealthy) and for the workers at fast food restaurants who also work hard at their jobs so they can in turn provide food to their own families. I'm at a loss. How in the world did a commercial about investment opportunities even remotely offend people who work in a fast food restaurant? And why in the hell did someone equally pansy-ish decide that it was necessary to issue a formal statement saying they were offended and didn't appreciate it?

It's official - we've all lost our minds. It upsets me that I heard and/or read four separate stories on this supposed outrage last week. I can't possibly see why this story would be soooooo newsworthy when a war is in full swing overseas, children are starving and freezing to death in our own streets, and our grandparents are suffering from lack of proper health care. But, you're right, Kevin Federline's portrayal of a fast food worker is definitely more newsworthy than the rest of that and I'm sure received enough search "hits" on Google to warrant a posting.

Oh yeah, and I hate bad drivers.

A New Beginning

2007-01-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

And so begins a new countdown. At various times in my life I've started a countdown for an upcoming event. Some of them have been long and probably over-dramatized (turning 21, quitting my teaching job - both of which lasted longer than 6 months) but some of them have been fairly low-key and not all that significant.

The latest countdown is my move back to Idaho. I've been wanting to do this for so long and yet dreading it at the same time. I love Idaho and I am fiercely loyal but I am also very satisfied that I moved out of my hometown, at least for a little while. The last 4 years have been a whirlwind of change for me. Four years ago tomorrow, I decided on the spur of the moment (with a little alcoholic encouragement and a few dares) to go to law school. Somehow it all worked out and I ended up making a blind move to a town I knew nothing about. It has been an amazing experience but it also made me realize how much I miss home. Home for me will always be my hometown. Every time I go back home I find that I am completely enamored with the scenery and the colors and the environment. The mountains seem so much bigger the longer I'm away. I truly am homesick most of the time. It hasn't stopped me from experiencing the places I've lived since leaving home but I find that I am constantly comparing my surroundings with those that I am most familiar with. Damn I miss Idaho.

And so, we made a final decision last week and I let my employer know that I was leaving. This countdown is only a few short weeks but it might possibly be the hardest one to wait for. I'm leaving a fantastic job and a beautiful part of the country to move back home, unemployment and housing unknown, and it just can't come fast enough.

I threatened that I was going to start packing this weekend - and truth be told I probably will - but I think that might make the next 6 weeks seem that much longer. In the meantime I am trying to absorb as much of my current surroundings as I can. There are many things about where I live now that I will miss; but they just can't compare with home.

28 Hours 33 Minutes

2006-12-21T12:27:00.000-08:00

that is all the time i have left before my head explodes from the rage that has been building.

not to worry, though. I've been channeling the anger into humor which, as always, entertains everyone around me and entertains me too.

I've worked my ass off the past two weeks just to justify taking a week off. who decided that was a good idea? what is happening to me?

I have a new theory. I'm calling it the "All Successful People are Guilt-Ridden Morons Syndrome" or ASPAGRMS - not to be confused with Aspergers Syndrome or Asparagus.

Back to the point - I don't work 70 hours a week, and I won't work 70 hours a week because, frankly, my life is not about working, but falls into the much more selfish arena of working in order to fund what I want to do in my spare time. I don't care what you may think of me. I do my job, I work hard, its just that when I'm not at work - I don't think about it because I'm usually doing something much more fun and mentally healthy and exciting. Still, I find myself becoming a slave to the system in that just because I am taking an extra four days off, I have to work really, really hard to make up for that. I'm paid hourly - what the hell is wrong with me.

Therefore, I've decided that I'm going to take it easy my remaining 12 or so hours of work this week and keep plugging away but not over-work myself. So there. That's my big phbttttt to the "man" and the "system".

Oh yeah - and Merry Christmas.

Anyone Can Go To Law School

2006-11-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

I have daily affirmations that anyone can go to law school and pass. Seriously.

I have had regular contact with several lawyers recently that make me sit down and stare with absolute wonderment. My problem is that no matter what facts I add to the scenario, I just can't picture these people actually in law school and actually graduating to boot. And let's not even discuss them passing the bar exam. My god. It's sad. Truly, truly sad. I have to literally put my hand over my mouth to keep me from telling people to RUN! when I hear that certain attorneys have been appointed to represent these people. Equal access my ass.

In completely unrelated news....I have a couple of one liners that I found moderately funny the other day.

- I'm an atheist, by god!

- I don't believe in Atheists and I'm not really sure about Agnostics.

That's all I have right now. I know, its sad. But, unfortunately I'm trying to figure out how the wonderful Department of Homeland Security and the INS can be such complete jerks so I have to run - its going to be a great day!

Musings

2006-10-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

First things first.
1. Mr. Slack - hey, what's with the french. I never know what it is I'm getting ready to read when I look at your blog. It's all very confusing to me in an "I don't speak that language" kind of way and I tend to read past things that I don't understand much like the citations in cases.

2. I'm not sure if I should be offended that my blog is referred to as "speaking the language of the kids" or rejoice in the fact that, although I'm 30, I still refuse to act like a professional - which takes me to my last point in "first things first":

3. Speaking of "Professional" - I'm a little curious to know what Ms. Andrea means by calling me "The Professional" - exactly what am I a Professional at or of or whatever... ;)

Second things second.
1. I've said it before, I'll say it again. Family law cases are often boring and melodramatic and overly taxing but sometimes they just piss me off. I HATE people who think that it is acceptable to use their children to get back at a former spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend. And it upsets me even further to know that there are certain elements of our court system that facilitate this pettiness.

2. I spend at least two hours in my car every day and I think of things ALL the EFFING time that I want to write about in one of my blogs and then when I get to work or I get home I have forgotten all the great things to write. It's sad, really, because I entertain myself and I know my entertaining myself would likely entertain you as well.

3. I took on two of my very own clients today and that kind of excites me. First of all because they are both relatively easy cases and second of all because I'm doing one of them pro bono just for the sheer pleasure of being able to tell at least one school district where they can go...

4. I have more but unfortunately I have to work a little bit this afternoon. Sweet.

Rant #471

2006-09-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

I don't understand. When did our culture change such that we are unable to embrace fictional renditions of semi-true events? I am sick and tired of hearing complaints about some moron or another who took a real story and manipulated it and molded it into some ultra-dramatic rendition BASED on true events. That is why it's called fiction. All of the whining and crying and people up in arms for the past few days about some made-for-tv movies that dramatized 9-11 make me just a little bit angry. Apparently some people weren't taught the finer points of the first amendment. And its not just the ever so hallowed ground of 9-11 that has been a victim of this nonsense. Remember all the crazy bullshit that came up when the DaVinci Code came out? Remember all those religious crazies that ran as fast as their little feet would carry them to the news stations and to the publishers to ensure that they could denounce the FICTIONAL story so none of the members of their respective congregations would give it any thought? It's freaking FICTION, which by definition means NON-TRUTH.

I don't mean to down-play the horrific events that happened 5 years ago yesterday and I don't mean to cut into people's religious beliefs; but if we live in a world where the hyper-sensitive control what we are allowed to watch, listen to, create, or produce then we are most definitely devolving. Perhaps things will change and perhaps we will see an improvement in the years to come but, for now, I'm just tired of it. There are real problems and real people with issues in this world which would benefit from just a portion of the attention that is lavished on what we may or may not see in the media. Perhaps the effort that has been expended on curtailing our first amendment rights would be better spent on determining how to fix our education system or helping to feed the homeless or working on ways to cut down pollution. But, then again, focusing on such "real" problems requires the populace to face the reality we live in and not the one that is created in the media.

Hiatus

2006-09-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

I know it's weird and sad and a damn tragedy but I haven't posted anything here for months. literally. I'm pretty sure that no one even looks at this anymore so it doesn't really matter all that much. Still, I'm an actual licensed attorney now and I have a real job and I help people solve real problems. Its exciting at times and mostly scary. Real f***ing scary. But we do what we can and we continue on and somehow through it all its stops being scary and just becomes normal. I like that about life. If you just keep taking deep breaths and keep your eyes open and your head above water, everything turns out ok in the long run.

You know, there has been something annoying the heck out of me the last year or so. I didn't start to notice it until I was working last summer but this certain annoying behavior has become more prevalent recently. The problem is that certain people have started providing me with answers to my questions which they think I wanted but not which I actually asked for. I ask a question and instead of simply answering the question asked, it's almost as if they think that they know better than I do what question I meant to ask or what question I was planning on asking next and so these people provide me with a completely different answer for some perceived line of questioning or conversation that they thought was going to occur. It drives me crazy.

So, I thought a new post was in order. Still - blogger just looks prettier, doesn't it?

tomatoes are evil

2006-01-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

I just found this website and had to laugh that someone actually has enough free time to make a website like this. Seriously. tomatoes are evil

Wrapping Up

2005-12-21T14:37:00.001-08:00

Literally AND figuratively. I did it. I graduated from law school. It seems so surreal. Was that really me? Did I really just go to law school and finish? I'm detached from the whole thing somehow which is usually not a good sign for me. So it is time to refocus and regroup and get my stuff together. Well, hmph, its about damn time.

I finished my last exam a week ago and got more than a little drunk that night - and while I didn't feel all that drunk I think the fact that I fell asleep in a sitting position is a good indicator that I was D-K-runk. After the night of debauchery I woke up and cleaned the apartment, stuffed all of my belongings into my leetle car (ok, so I put a few in V's car too) and drove to my new home.

I have spent the last 6 and 1/2 days preparing for Christmas which entailed shopping, shopping, decorating, wrapping and more wrapping and then shipping everything. I sent out Christmas cards and put up Christmas lights and even made Christmas cookies. In fact, I took a break from decorating my little bells and trees and Christmas balls to write this. Yes, that's right, I'm a freaking Christmas ball of joy. M keeps trying to turn the Christmas lights off at night when we go to bed and I just scowl at him - so he sighs and grumbles and leaves them on. Christmas is coming to our house damnit!!! haha

So, now I'm in the process of waiting for my bar exam loan to come through so I can pay some company an exhorbitant amount of money to study for the bar exam for the next two months. I know, I probably should have taken care of this before now - but oh well. I graduated from law school and I refuse to study until I have partied my ass off.

Now that things are starting to settle in I think its time to catch up on some movies. And hooo boy are there some movies to catch up on. I could spend the next 3 days at the theater starting with the early matinee and going through the late showing and I might get all the movies in I want to see. Seriously.

SO, I go back to decorating my sugar cookies. Watch out Martha Stewart - I'm going to take your job.

Thank God

2005-12-07T10:59:00.000-08:00

Its finally here - thank god. All I want to do is start taking my exams so they can finally be over. In 2 hours I will start with the first one and the time should fly by after that. I cant freaking wait.

My Stupid Horoscope

2005-12-01T14:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to The Girl - who forced me to look at this silly thing and freaked me right out. Seriously - who puts "take the law boards" in a horoscope??? Now I'm going to have to read the whole thing.....*sigh*

This should be a glorious month, dear Aries. You seem to be getting ready to travel quite a distance, and all sorts of good things will come out of your trip if you do go. This configuration is about to put you in the limelight and revive your yearnings for a fresh adventure. As an Aries, you need a certain amount of risk in your life to be happy too, and now you are about to feel confident enough to take it. The world is about to open up for you kaleidoscopically, pushing you forward into new territory - just what Aries loves best!
If you have been thinking of going back to college, use the energy of the new moon December 1 - 14 to mail your application or accept the invitation of a university to go there.
Or, if you need to take a major exam such as the law boards or GRE, for example, or need to take a test so that you can gain citizenship, again this month you'll be in luck, for you will likely do well. If you need a green card to work in a foreign country, don't let this time pass without taking action!
On another note, the old saying that "patience is a virtue" is one you've reconsidered and probably now feel is completely overrated. You like to use time productively, but lately, over the past few months, you probably felt like you have been walking through glue. A project that you thought should have clicked easily into place hasn't, but this month you may get a second chance to make it work or tweak your plan to make it more doable.
The problem has been that Mercury has been retrograde since mid-November and on top of that, your ruling planet, Mars, has also been out of phase too, since the start of October. As a result, the past two months have brought all sorts of snags and slowdowns, and chances are that a few were of your own making. Now, thankfully, you will see the pace pick up.
Mercury will turn direct on December 3, but don't think of this date as a start date. The day Mercury starts to normalize its orbit is always a time when this planet exhibits its wildest state, causing worse confusion than it has many of the weeks leading to this day - so take it easy. The first day I would like you to even begin thinking of moving forward is December 5. Better yet, see if you can wait a few extra days, until Mars, your guardian planet, from December 10 onward.
First on your to-do list will be a little holiday shopping, but it appears the very thought is causing you worry. Since last summer, you've had to endure enormous - and some unexpected - expenses. You are probably looking for ways to cut back on this year's holiday shopping. Since you need to cut back, you will - and you'll find some interesting solutions as a result. Your high level of spending won't abate until mid- February, so the start of the year will bring more of the same.
For best luck, begin shopping for holiday gifts on December 5 or a few days after that. (It would be better to wait until after December 10 if you are looking for the ideal electronic item). Use the first few days of December to make your list and do online searches for prices.
Although travel and distant cities will be on your mind early in the month, you seem to be thinking about taking a quick trip out of town to a nearby spot at the full moon, December 15, plus or minus four days. You may need to see a client face-to-face or confront a family member who is insistent that you do something you don't particularly want to do. There could be an emotional tug-of-war.
Alternatively, if you need to sign a contract, it may be that the other party will not want to give you the changes you want. I am not sure how successful you will be in changing things - you may feel a bit wrung out at times. I still think you should try. This full moon will be in excellent angle to your Sun, especially if you are born on or within five days of April 13. (If you are not born close to this date, or any fire sign planets at 24 degrees, you might have a harder time.)
Still, you seem to have a financial windfall coming at the time of the new moon December 1, and that's sure to cheer you. I say this because at the full moon, although Pluto will be cranky and difficult, Uranus and Jupiter will be all sweetness and light, and this configuration could put money in your hands out of thin air!
Later in the month, on December 30, you will have a simply brilliant second new moon in your house of professional career status. Some people have to work over New Year's Eve, and if that's you, you are about to show the world just how smart and talented you are! This is a wow of a new moon for your career, capable of lifting you up, up, and away.
Even if you don't work over New Year's Eve (or thereabouts) this new moon that will arrive on December 30 will bring you luck in the first half of January, so you can still make excellent use of it! This new moon again brings sensational aspects from Uranus, the planet of unexpected developments, as well as support from Pluto and Jupiter. You are about to end the year by making quite a splash in your career! It looks like you will have plenty to celebrate!
When it comes to love, there is no doubt that in December you'll be on top of your game. If you are not yet attached, you may be soon. Keep your eyes open for a stunning someone at a party in December or first few days of January. Whether you are male or female, the person you'll be attracted to will have a good job, and may even hold a prominent position in the company, industry, community, or even (and you may smile at this), the social register. This attraction may not be too serious, at least to start, but it surely will be fun.
Saturday, December 10, could be a headliner day for ALL Aries, no matter what your exact birthday, for it's the day your ruler goes direct speed. It also is the day that Venus will flirt with Mercury and the moon will glide in Aries. On that weekend wear something that makes you feel like a million dollars, then sit back and watch the fireworks fly.
Your best romantic evenings will be December 1, 10, 29 and 30.
So special is this month for you, that if you are dating seriously, or if you are in an established relationship, your partner will likely present you with a token - a friendship or engagement ring, other important piece of jewelry, or symbol - that signifies to the world that you are officially a couple and that you take one another's feelings seriously. Everything in your chart is saying that for Aries this holiday season, love will be bright and beautiful.
To welcome the New Year:
As mentioned earlier, you seem to be ready to travel to a cool spot for or just after the holidays. (The French Alps? Paris? LA or New York?) Your chart suggests that you will either know people where you're going or once there will make new friends easily. It's clear that travel won't dim your social life one bit - in fact, it will liven it up.
By month's end, you'll have two key planets, Pluto and Mercury, in fellow fire signs, like yours, squeezed into your exotic journey sector. You'll be "in your element" for sure! So lucky in love will you be in December, that it is possible your current heartthrob might find a way to join you on your distant trip. Oddly, you may need to work on your trip - perhaps you make your living in the entertainment or restaurant industry - and if so, as mentioned earlier, you'll make your mark in your career AND have fun.
Keep your energy up, because a party you're invited to on December 28 or 30 (that you aren't expecting much from) could easily turn out to be even more spectacular than the party you'll be invited to on New Year's Eve. You may make an important new contact at the party too (possibly for work) and if so, it will only add to the double dip of pleasure you seem to be in for this month!

For the Final Time

2005-11-28T19:55:00.000-08:00

Here I am, once again, at the end of a journey. My posts always become more frequent when I find myself in a state of procrastination. I don't want to study - I just want to take the test. Please? I promise you won't flunk me...I swear.

One of my professors asked a fairly philosophical question a few weeks ago. She said, "It has been said that the Law is the search for the truth." And I burst out laughing. "You MUST be joking", I said. A few people felt that it was necessary to throw their two cents in on the matter and so six cents later she offered up the second philosophy, "Other people have said that Science is the search for the truth." I nodded but felt and still feel the need to expand on that.

The Law is not the search for the truth - it is the study in how to hide and bend the truth to the whim of the person who holds the power. If there is one thing that I have learned from this long and often tedious path it is that the Law is the furthest thing from the search for the truth. It is a temporary answer to a persistent problem. I grew up in a world of science and "truth" where no matter what you did - the salt always sank and the pepper always floated. The great and fascinating and endearing thing about science is that you know what the answer will be. Once the factors have been isolated - the answer is always the same. Not so in the world of the law. Rarely is the answer the same. You could have the same facts, the same law, the same court, and the same judges, and 9 times out of 10 the answer won't be the same. Somehow they always find a way to screw something up.

Wouldn't it be nice if we knew what the outcome would be. It would save us all a ton of trouble. You murder someone - you go to jail for 57 years. Period. You get a DUI - you go to jail for 381 days. You steal some stock certificates from your dear Aunt Cecil - you go to jail for 14 weeks. You kick your cat - you lose a leg. Sadly, that isn't the world we live in. Life seems like it would be so much more simple if it were still an eye for an eye. Thieves lose hands, liars lose their tongues. I guarantee that we'd have alot less stealin' and lyin' going around this world.

Anyway, as you can see - I'm rambling. I started with one thought and ended up in an alternate universe. Shocker. I tell ya - the strange things that happen in the state of Procrastination.

New Times Old Feelings

2005-11-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

I sat and listened to her talk to him on the phone and without realizing it I was clenching my jaw and my back was a complete mess of knots knowing that whatever he was saying to her I wouldn't like. I wouldn't like it one fucking bit. He thinks that this is a phase I'm going through - that once again her daughter is being a little bitch and that eventually I will come around and apologize for disrespecting him. - are you kidding me? Did we fall out of some movie set in the 'hood where 'dissing' someone is a capital offense? Grow up he said to me - but I'm pretty sure that I'm not the one in the need of some growing up. He also thinks that if he contributes to my graduation celebration that it means I will have to pay for it even more when I do eventually apologize. What he doesn't understand and never will is that I am not going to apologize - not now - not ever. I made a conscious decision almost three years ago that I don't want to be part of his life and I don't want him to be part of mine. The reality of that decision is a little bit more complicated than just that but I feel even stronger about it now. I want nothing to do with him. Like I said before - not now - not ever. I manage to create enough negativity in my own life - I don't need him to double or triple it. I love her - we're family - but he isn't - as much as I tried to make it so for so many years - he is NOT my family - never was - and never will be - and I'm doing my best to erase the parts of me that somehow developed from being around him. And with almost three years behind me it has been slow progress but I'm hoping that with even more time I can erase them completely. In the meantime she and I do our best and continue to try and have a normal relationship - as mother and daughter should - and while it is a little weird that we skirt around some major issues I think she will maybe understand someday. And if not...then that is the way it will be.

10 Minutes...

2005-11-13T20:48:00.000-08:00

What is the amount of time it takes to complete the Washington Bar Exam application?

apparently all those years of being a good girl have paid off and made my life easier - crap, my theories were all wrong...

Pinch Me

2005-11-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I can't hardly believe it. A month from today I will have walked the big walk and be an official graduate of that crazy thing called law school. I have been trying to play it all off - after all this will be the THIRD time I have graduated from an Institution in my life - I can't imagine it will be any different than the first two times. Except of course I will be wearing the kick ass purple and gold stole of a doctoral graduation robe. Sweet. Our graduation robes are SO much nicer than everyone else's. haha. I have sofar refused to send announcements and I tried to hide the little ceremony from everyone but as it turns out, certain people found out and insist on coming up (which warms my heart like you can't believe because no one in my family will be making it). However, due to the aforesaid refusal and hiding of the ball it has been very difficult to find a decent hotel room for the people coming to see me. (Way to go dumbass). I'll have to see if I can just call the hotels every day and find something better. Moving on.... I'm starting to feel a little sheepish because I have no idea what I'm going to do with my lovely little Juris Doctor degree - but I am very excited to be able to add some initials to the end of my name on any official looking document that I can find. I mean, before, it would have been a little idiotic to sign my name Sadie Butler, B.S. - that carries a whole slew of doors waiting to be opened. On a completely unrelated note, as the actual end date approaches I find myself blatantly refusing to abide by all the rules that I have learned over the past 28 months (that's the equivalent of 3 babies for all you baby machines out there) in such areas as writing - punctuation - banking - contracts - etc. In fact, as you can see, I have become quite fond of the hyphen. It has SO many useful applications. And - paragraph breaks - who the hell needs 'em? H'ok, h'ok but its still fun to pretend sometimes. The end is near, I can't hardly believe it - 28 freaking months. That's nothing...it disappeared...and yet, when I look back on the time, it is so FILLED with memories and activities and *hack* studying...weird. Oh well, enough for now - wouldn't want to set a precedent and post too often.

Its Been A Hard Day's Night

2005-11-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

and I haven't been working like a dog - drinking like one, yes - working, absolutely not.

I am getting antsier and antsier (is that a word? who knows - don't care) about being done with school. I'm letting it affect my mood and I'm not happy about it - not happy about it at all. I know I can be a bitch but (believe it or not) I manage to suppress my bitchiness and my comments most of the time and can get over shit but lately that hasn't been the case. bad bad bad bad Sadie...bad bad bad.

Anyway, funny humor - check out this website http://www.cafepress.com/lawschooltees - if you are a law student, a lawyer or no someone who is - this is the website for you. As funny as only law students and lawyers can be.

I'm down to 34 whole days left before I am officially done with law school - 12 actual class days. WOO HOO. I'm rambling - shocker.

Next, went camping the past two weekends and steelhead fishing - I personally only caught one - but, hey, who's counting. The normalcy of the whole weekend was just what the doctor ordered.

So - here I sit - enjoying the new, non-budgeted wireless router - thanking my freaking stars that I don't have to call tech support for at least 2 years - and thinking THINKING about doing some homework. But we all know how those thoughts turn out - they turn right into drinking thoughts and the drinking thoughts always win out. Speaking of which....

HI, My name is bitter

2005-09-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'm turning into an old woman. Bitter bitter bitter - all the time. I'm going to blame it on having to count down days - yet again. Let's revisit that shall we?

1. 9th Grade - couldn't wait to be part of the big bad high school scene. Result: bitter disappointment. High school was lame and Highland high school was even lamer.

2. Senior Year - I think I may have started counting down this major moment in December. Result: fanfreakingtastic. Being out of high school was great but being responsible for myself wasn't.

3. Quitting Blockbuster Video - I worked here through high school and for a while afterwards. I would say it was possibly the worst job ever but I'm sad to say that I've had worse. Result: moving on to bigger and better things.

4. Waiting for the big 21!!! - this was the hardest I think because all of my friends made it to 21 months ahead of me. All I wanted to do was hit my last hurdle and not have to 'wait' for anything else. Result: I am a functioning alcoholic and proud of it. And, lucky me, many of my good memories involve drinking. So there I was after a few drinks, minding my own business...

5. Graduating from undergrad - not that exciting really. I didn't think it would be a big deal but - hoooo-boy was I wrong. Result: The immense weight that was gone from my shoulders was fantastic. I can't even describe how great it felt to not have homework or class the next day.

6. Quitting my teaching job - I actually started counting this one down in September or October of the previous year. It was all I could do to not breach my contract and quit early. Result - sweet earth!

7. Graduating from lawschool - its starting to get really hard. I'm bored. Super bored. I already know how to do all this. I know how to study for class. I know how to pass a test. I know how to learn what I need to learn. I want to be done! I'm ready to move on and try something new. I'm ready damnit! Result: I'll let you all know but I'm sure it will be the best yet.

Next - guess I'll have to wait and see....it can only get better.

(....now where did that bitter girl go?)

uh huh

2005-09-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

ok, I know - its been almost two months but I've been really busy. Ok? So leave me alone. I don't have time for such arbitrary things as writing my random angry thoughts down. Seriously. I don't have full-time internet access anymore - I spend half of my time in Moscow and the other half in Richland - and now that I live in Moscow I sure do drink alot. And to top it all off I have 2 months and 28 days left until I'm done with law school for good so its hard to concentrate on anything. Other than that, everything is fine. I find myself really annoyed with school. I just want it to be over. And - I really really don't want to be here. Did I already say that? hmmm - guess not. Senioritis (or 3L-itis) has set in. I think the other thing affecting everything right now is that I feel like I'm living in a hotel room since I'm back and forth between two places which are completely new and foreign to me and living out of a bag in between. Oh well. 2 months and 28 days...

In other news - I'm apparently supposed to turn in my bar application by the end of October. (I just found this out yesterday). Man I'm a dumbass. I need to start applying for jobs, fill out a bar application, start planning to study for the bar, etc etc etc.

Ok - that's enough. Got to go.

Tracking My Progress

2005-07-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I now have 74 credits under my belt and not a single class flunked yet. Its a freaking miracle I tell you. Who would have ever thought that two years ago I would be 14 credits and 4 months away from having a law degree. Not me!!!

Its nice to have a few weeks ahead of me that don't require a whole bunch of classes and appointments. I will certainly be doing work and other things but at least its on my time and not at the whim of someone else.

I should be able to wrap up most of my cases in clinic - or at least get them to the point that they don't need constant monitoring but it just feels like I actually have some time off.

I have nothing else to say - it just feels nice to have my own time.

CNN.com - High court�OKs personal property seizures - Jun 23, 2005

2005-06-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court has made a decision today that is just wrong. Shocking, really, especially considering it came from the few Justices I normally have any confidence in. Bottom Line: This is BullShit.

CNN.com - High court�OKs personal property seizures - Jun 23, 2005

Grocery Store Wars | Join the Organic Rebellion

2005-06-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

*O*M*G*

This is the funniest thing I have ever seen.

Grocery Store Wars Join the Organic Rebellion

Back in the Swing of Things

2005-06-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived finals again - barely. And then I had a week long class of grueling 9 hour-days. And then I got to start working in the clinic. Nothing like jumping in a black hole with both feet. Good lord. I think that my new favorite pet peeve is people who can't keep their shit organized. Not just their own shit but shit that other people have to deal with too. I spent over 7 hours last week trying to organize the files for just ONE case. Irresponsible jerks. I hope they continue to conduct their business in the same way when they start practicing so someone will sue their asses for malpractice. Seriously - teach them a lesson. At any rate - I have to get over it now or else by the time I get over it the summer session will be over. haha. I did get to go on a mini-vacation last weekend which was great. We went to the little cabin in the woods in Island Park and drank heavily with 13 of our closest friends ... I also spent a little time fishing and only caught one - but, damn, it was a nice one and I did it all on my own. Tied on my own fly (which isn't that unusual) but I also managed to pick out the right fly AND tied on a dropper which was apparently just what the fish were eating. To sweeten the deal - I managed to be the only one who caught a fish that day. I also managed to take a dip - twice - on Saturday, while trying to wade across the river. Whoo - it was cold. Anyway - thats a short and sweet update. Summer school started this week and Mark moved to Pasco. I guess we'll see how things turn out.

Well - It worked

2005-05-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I think it worked. I'm pretty sure that all the alcohol I consumed last night helped me to forget everything I learned in the last week along with a few other things that I didn't really want to forget. Oh well - that just means there is more room to stuff in some Criminal Procedure or Evidence.

In other news, I realized last night how much I like M. Some of my friends that I went out with have some assholes for husbands. It amazes me what some women will put up with. Seriously. Ladies night out in Colfax is apparently a threat to the manhood of a few boys in this town - because, you know, when women go out all they do is get drunk and whore around. Its absurd.

Well, going to get back to work now that my head has cleared a little.

Later.

Friday Night Types!

2005-05-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

So, I just whipped through a month and a half of notes for Negotiable Instruments. I'm quite sure that most of what I'm not putting in my outline is answers to practice problems and I'm feeling good about that. Its amazing to me how much I can retain after such a long period of time because I went over it so well the first time. Skip that, uh hmm, skip that and that, and this part, uh huh, ok, and that, include this and that note and skip. Kind of like that Phone book commercial from a few years back: "skipping, skipping, skipping, uh hmm, skipping..." I think Jon Lovett was in it. Funny stuff.

I'm watching a cat for some friends of mine for the next week. I watched him all last summer and then again for a week last fall. He's funny. Moose is his name and he's great. Still can't convince me to get another cat though. I refuse after the last one. Never again. No more.

So, just plugging away at my homework some more. Getting ready to stop for the day - I'm hoping that a few alcoholic beverages will help me do a memory dump of the subjects from my two finals this past week. I really don't need to know anything about Constitutional Law and I sure the hell don't need to know anything about Professional Responsibility. I mean, hell, who needs ethics when there is an 800 number to call every time I don't know what the heck I'm doing?

It started to rain again today. Kind of nice, kind of depressing. The two week period of finals every semester is really a buzz kill for reality. It doesn't feel normal. Hard to believe it has only been a week since classes ended.

In other news, a good friend of mine just announced that she is pregnant with she and her husband's first child. Great news, I was in their wedding the summer before I started law school. They seem so happy and in SUCH a different place than I am. Strange some times how different two people can turn out who were on such a similar path at one time. We were both in the education program together, both played softball for a very long time, we definitely drank together alot, but she loved teaching and loves what she does and I didn't. Anyway, I'm really happy for her - she's going to be a fantastic mom.

I'm rambling - just waiting for 7:30. Am going out with the 'ladies' in this small town. I convinced one of them that if her husband can go out all the time and leave her at home with the kids then she can do it too. Such a hellraiser I am. So she then convinced two other women to do the same and so I'm going to be in trouble next time we all go out. Oh well. Stupid men. Big night out on the town at the Pheasant Room in the back of the Chinese restaurant then to the Eagles for some great music on the jukebox (haha) and maybe some pool. What a swingin town I live in. Happy Friday.

Times You Need a Camera

2005-05-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a camera right now. Sitting in the new art-deco (for Moscow) coffee-shop and taking the first few minutes to become adjusted to the environment and doing a little people-watching. You wouldn't believe the outfit of the girl sitting next to me. It is a congolmeration of every bad fashion idea that involves camo and fake fur. It really is quite hilarious but disgusting at the same time. Knee-high faux fur, suede boots. weird-cut regular green camo pants. Fleece black and white camo hoodie sweatshirt, brown "bomber" style leather jacket over the top of that and some weird sheepskin looking outback hat with a feather in it. Seriously - you wouldn't believe it if you saw it. Interesting for sure.

Great Picture

2005-05-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

So I Guess We Don't Fuck Everything Up All the Time

2005-05-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

I don't care what your views are about such things - you really should stop and absorb the import of this absolutely amazing discovery.

Ivory-Billed Woodpecker - The Ivory-Bill Woodpecker has been Found in the Big Woods of Arkansas - Ivory-bill bird - Ivorybills

How Cool Are You?

2005-04-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Am I cool or uncool? [CLICK]

You are Super-Cool!

Woah! Step back - the future's so bright for you it's blinding me! You are the coolest of the cool. Everyone looks up to you as the benchmark for being coooool. The fonze was your grandfather. Any cooler and you'd freeze! WOO it's chilly in here.

Cool quizzes at Go-Quiz.com

My Last Twenties Birthday. sniff sniff

2005-04-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

H'ok, so - I'm 29 today and true to form I woke up right at the time I was born: 6:27 am. (Mountain time of course). Very weird. I know it sounds weird but I almost always wake up at that time on my birthday - strange happenings. It doesn't really feel like my birthday but that is probably because I got super drunk on Saturday to celebrate so the actual day has been confused. It's ok...Tuesdays suck anyway. I arrived at my carrel this morning to find everything I needed to make margaritas sans ice. (I have no idea if I just used that word right - but I don't care - I like it the way it is.) Apparently I'm going to have to sneak the tequila out of the building - law students aren't supposed to break the law ya know. I've had a few birthday reflections today but don't really want to share them - mostly I want to point out that this time next year I'll be a lawyer and hopefully will have a job and not be anywhere near this polarized, high-intensity place. I'm sick and tired of it. But let's think about happy thoughts. Happy Birthday to me, twenty-nine years ago my mother was exhausted and probably extremely grateful that the labor was over. Little did she know what was to come... Ahhh, well - Happy Birthday to me.

Getting Older

2005-04-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my birthday isn't until Tuesday but we went out last night to celebrate it and I'm pretty sure that I aged ten years or so. I was so hungover today, in fact, I'm pretty sure this is the MOST hungover I've ever been. And to top it off I drank so much last night that I blacked out for the last part of it. Completely blacked out. Bad, bad things happen when you blackout. It was fun though and I'm glad we did it. M and I started drinking at 2 - watched a little baseball and then moved on to Mingles where we played a bunch of pool and then a few people showed up. We made it to the Corner Club a little after 8 and everyone started showing up. We drank and drank and drank some more and I apparently took shot ??? but I don't remember that part. You'd think a mature, responsible law student like me would know better than to drink that much - but I don't. I think that could definitely be labeled binge drinking. So I guess I'm a binge drinker. Happy Birthday to me a few days early.

Happy Birthday to my Grandma Monna

2005-04-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

Never has there been a more amazing woman than my grandmother. She could do it all and was a true inspiration to me as a child and into my adulthood. Unfortunately, she passed away 10 years ago but today she would have been 81 and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her. So I wanted to give a shout out and a happy birthday to a wonderful woman.

FYI

2005-03-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Just so you know: No, I don't fucking agree with Garret. Fucking right-wing, born-again, christian weirdos! What kind of a six-year old thinks he or she is a sinner. For chrissake. (pun intended)

In case you want to know what I'm talking about...

http://www.garret.info

Couldn't Resist

2005-03-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know I'm kind of on an extended soapbox stay but it isn't that bad - just posting some great quotes reflecting my general opinion about the whole thing. Not to mention, Con Law has ruined me - I understand politics now, damnit!

"My party is demonstrating that they are for states' rights unless they don't like what states are doing."CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Republican congressman of Connecticut, on the Schiavo case.

Have You Ever Noticed...

2005-03-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

... that Tom Delay's eyes are screwed up?

I asked Mark this question because the dude's eyes go in different directions.

Mark's response?? "They weren't before he ran, but now he has to see what's going on behind him; he has to watch his back."

And if you don't think that is funny, you need to do some serious research until it is because that shit is hilarious.

Checks and Balances

2005-03-19T10:39:00.000-08:00

There is something eerily wrong with the fact that this woman's life is being used as a political platform. Can we say thirteen years?

"I see no cogent reason why the committee should be able to intervene into a case involving the decision of whether or not to remain on life support. I don't think that legislative agencies or bodies have business in court proceedings."
- Judge George W. Greer, rejecting congressional intervention in the Terri Shiavo case.

Not Much to Say

2005-03-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

The worst flu I've had in as long as I can remember set in early Friday afternoon and since I made it home from Boise on Friday I haven't left the bed except to move to the couch and vice versa. Its painful and I can't take enough medicine to knock me out. In fact, the medicine I am taking won't knock me out at all. It sucks. Body aches, hot and cold flashes, sore throat, congested lungs, gut wrenching cough, and now a stuffy nose. Its great. Just the way I wanted to spend my spring break. SO I sit here in the living room watching the SIlence of the Lambs for the second time in a row because the first time TMC just played the movie and this time they are showing it with pop-up-video-esque blurbs of info. And there's nothing else on. And one last thing, the Commie cat, the great defector herself, showed up on my front porch today and actually had the audacity to try and open the screen door. I haven't seen one lick of her since the first of November and that was just a brief glimpse of her. Stupid cat. Doesn't she know that traitors usually aren't welcome back?

And the Bullshit Just Keeps Coming

2005-03-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

I haven't been having any coherent thoughts that last longer than - oh, say - two minutes so I thought I would just go with the flow, not buck the system, and keep in line with how my brain is apparently working.

1. The great and venerate writer, Hunter S. Thompson, passed from this reality recently and while he deserves a full farewell this isn't going to be the place. Perhaps one day when I have the time or the energy to do it right I will sit down to it and get it done. Until then, let's just say this - I have enjoyed everything of his I have ever read and will admire Dr. Thompson for the rest of My days. He is a true inspiration for what this country is supposed to represent. You will truly be missed. And, frankly, I don't think he killed himself. But more to come on that later. For a look at what Dr. Thompson was working on recently check out http://www.lisl.com which, conveniently, is very closely related to something we learned in Criminal Law last year.

2. Apparently I am naive and a complete fucking idiot about some things in this world. Silly me, I thought our Representatives were supposed to represent us. But, based on a recent letter I received from one of the distinguished members of Congress and several conversations I had with people who are oh so much more knowledgeable than me I was 're-educated' about that. I should have known - our politicians aren't there to make things happen that the constituents want, our politicians are there to make sure that their ideas and beliefs are promulgated. (And let's not beat around the bush... By 'their' ideas I mean those few elite rich who can afford to pay enough to have their ideas and beliefs matter.)

3. Kind of a spin-off on the last thought - oil consumption in the United States has risen by 14% in the last eight years so it just logically follows that we should find new and innovative ways to increase the oil production. Well, duh. Of course. Just turn on a bunch of heat lamps over Alaska and get those damn tankers in full gear so they can make it up there just in time to rape the land underneath the ancient arctic ice-shield. I'm sure it isn't there for a reason anyway. And the wildlife? They don't need it - they have the rest of the continent to which they can migrate.

4. Ut oh, now I'm rolling. My stream of consciousness is lasting a little longer than normal now that I'm actually capitalizing on it. Why is it, do you think, that oil consumption has risen in the past 8 years by 14%? I have an idea. I know it may be crazy but I'm willing to bet that if you look at the numbers of SUV sales in the past 8-10 years that the numbers are going to strangely coincide. Everyone has to have one, hell the Joneses have one, so we MUST have one. God forbid we weren't exactly like everyone else we know. It's like the bad dream of being in high school and having some deep-seeded need to have what everyone else does has perpetuated itself into our main-stream society. Some fucking suburbanite idea of environmental policy is a well-placed shrub or some pretty little flowering tree that sets off the undertones in the siding of their 1.3 million dollar house they just built in the middle of the only known nesting area for some endangered bird. Good plan. Let's continue to perpetuate that by drilling for oil in Alaska to ensure that Johnny and Suzy can have their cute little SUV's too. After all, we wouldn't want to ruin the rest of their lives by not giving them the perfect vehicle at the age of 15.

5. On to other subjects - Astrology still sucks. Its all bullshit. Period.

6. I had this great fish in my fish tank. I had him (or her?) for at least 6 years, probably 7. Frankly, I never named my fish - first, they die too quickly and easily to commit to them that way and second, its hard to tell them apart when they're new. Still, I had this great fish - parrot fish in fact. He ( I feel it was a he) was this big orange, puffy-checked, clown-lipped fish. He was something of a conglomeration of different parts, or so it seemed and I grew a little fond of him. Unfortunately, his time was up this weekend and I had to fish him out of the tank. It bothered me more than it should have. I guess I was more attached than I thought. I've been watching the tank the last couple of days, knowing that something is missing and you wouldn't believe it but I'm pretty sure the other fish miss him. I guess its time to do a major cleaning and buy some new tenants.

7. I love hyacinths. I think they are number one on my list of favorite flowers. Their smell is intoxicating and has filled the entire house for two weeks. Mmmmm.

8. Lat thought because I think I'm nearing the end of the mental burst. Michael Jackson is a freak. Plain and simple. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He is a freak.

Montana Big Brown

2005-02-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

Montana Big Brown

This monster was caught on February 1, 2005 in Clark Canyon Reservoir just outside of Dillon Montana. It weighed 31 lbs. 11 oz. and was 35 inches long. Hooooooodogggy. I want one of them.

Not to mention that Clark Canyon is drained down to almost NOTHING every year and that these guys were more than likely ice fishing. I wonder if they had to cut the hole bigger in order to get the damn thing out.

Stranger Things Have Happened - I Suppose

2005-02-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

So, I've had several conversations lately with several professors who seem to think that this should be the funnest semester yet. Bullshit. I'm starting to think that I'm going to hate it even more than the last one. And the strangest part about it is that my two favorite classes shouldn't be anywhere near the top.

I love Negotiable Instruments. Granted that Professor Beard is my favorite professor and all that jazz but I've decided that I'm in love with the UCC. Yep. Absolutely, head-over-heels in love with the UCC. Seriously. I'm a chem and math girl, come on...all this law stuff and having an argument for either side is crap. I like things with answers and, damnit, the UCC gives them to me. I love it. It has all the qualities I like in a statute. There are technically 10 parts to the thing and I have had extensive relations with Article 9, Article 1, Article 2, and now Articles 3 & 4. It's great. Too bad there aren't any other classes dealing with the rest of it. Maybe I'll just start reading it before I go to bed at night.

The other class I love is Criminal Procedure. I know, I know. After the mess of last semester's exam in Con Law I swore that I would forever dislike Miller. However, I have to say that in comparison to the rest of my professors this semester he stands out far above and beyond the rest. And I have to say that he is a stellar teacher and you can't dislike the guy for his love of the subject matter.

But then again, maybe it has something to do with the fact that I am a morning person and both classes are at 8 am and the rest of them (with the exception of the absolutely worthless class of Con Law II) are at a much later time in the day.

The problem with all of this and the reason I find it so strange is that Negotiable Instruments is supposed to be THE hardest class offered. Period. And Criminal Procedure isn't supposed to be the greatest class either taken along with the fact that I have a grudge against Miller based on last semester. But, alas, it isn't turning out that way and so this is my way of giving props to these two professors for saving my bacon this semester and making it at least a little bearable.

Astrology sucks.

2005-02-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

Jupiter is positioned in your seventh house of partners, so a spouse, steady date, agent, manager, business partner or other collaborator will increase your luck, and could play a pivotal role in the scheme of things this month. A day when this will be very evident will be February 7, when Jupiter will send the Sun a happy hello--this will be a four-star day for dealings with any sort of partner.

Lying fucking bastards. Astrology sucks.

Ahh...the pain.

2005-01-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

I am sooo sore today. We played a pick-up game of volleyball yesterday for over 2 hours and my shoulders and upper back are super sore. Apparently I don't use those muscles all that often. I had a ton of fun, though, and the pain is of the good variety.

I also got some homework done yesterday which is a miracle for me when it comes to Saturdays. It makes me feel like I'm on top of things but in all reality I'm not. Mondays and Tuesdays are killers for me because there is so much homework that has to be done. And then the rest of the week feels like undergrad without the job - so super lazy if I want.

But, it is the start of a brand new day so I'm going to figure out what to do with it.

I Didn't Come to Law School for this Crap

2005-01-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

And by crap I mean this touchy-feely bullshit that several of my classes seem to revolve around this semester. You'd think that the-powers-that-be would structure law school appropriately so that you are coddled and cooed to and made to feel all loved and warm by STARTING with the touchy-feely bullshit of being a lawyer rather than inserting it into the middle of your law school career in between hateful Con Law and boring Remedies. Seriously. I had enough of that do-gooder bullshit in my Education classes from undergrad. What. The. Fuck. I want hard core rules and bull nosed thinking and some serious problem solving. Not, "what can Yooouuu as a laaaawyyerrr do to help the profession?"

Ummm.

Not steal from the trust fund?

There's a start. On the other hand I can always count on Beard to bring things back intol perspective first thing in the morning at least two days of the week. If I could I would take most of my classes from him with maybe a Goble or an Anderson class thrown in the mix. I am sooooo not impressed with the Professional Responsibility class. That's not to say that I'm completely void of any ethics or morals or that I don't know right from wrong - its just that, fortunately for me (and probably you) my parents brought me up properly and I learned all of this in ... say...Kindergarten. I realize that some people may be morally bereft but isn't there a test or something out there that can excuse those that are already all morally fortitude and shit? (I know that doesn't sound right but it was still funny when it popped into my head.)

*sigh* I'm done. Just had to get that off my chest. Back to reading why the Constitution somehow dictates Criminal Procedure.

And in More Miller News...

2005-01-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

I think Miller has forgotten what he is supposed to be teaching. I swear that I was back in Con Law this morning and not actually in Crim Pro. And now sitting here in the actual Con Law class I find that I'm just a little bit confused as to what cases belong to which class. Damnit.

And Ra Ra sucks.

2005-01-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

Miller can bite me. Prick. How about having a test the next time that actually covers the fucking material we covered in class.

2005-01-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

This is what I miss about home.

2005-01-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

My Dog LOVES her new bed.

I Knew He Was On My List For A Reason

2005-01-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

I love Goble. Just absolutely love the man.

2004-12-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

Palouse in December

Russian Ice Festival

2004-12-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

I have to apologize. I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to publish all of the following photos together so the next 14 posts are basically a slide-show of the Russian Ice Festival that I just couldn't resist. There is something about the whole idea that just captivates me. Enjoy. Oh, and Merry Christmas.

2004-12-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

The temperature in Harbin reaches forty below zero, both Fahrenheit and centigrade, and stays below freezing nearly half the year. The city is actually further north than notoriously cold Vladivostok, Russia, just 300 miles away. So what does one do here every winter? Hold an outdoor festival, of course! Rather than suffer the cold, the residents of Harbin celebrate it, with an annual festival of snow and ice sculptures and competitions. This is the amazing sculpture made of snow greeting visitors to the snow festival in 2003.

2004-12-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

Snow and ice sculpture in Harbin dates back to Manchu times, but the first organized show was held in 1963, and the annual festival itself only started in 1985. Since then, the festival has grown into a massive event, bringing in over a million tourists from all over the world every winter. The sculptures have become more elaborate and artistic over time; this bear and cub are just one small part of a fifty-meter-wide mural sculpture.

2004-12-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

Most of the sculptures appearing at the snow festival are competitive entries. Each team starts with a cube of packed snow that appears to measure about three meters on a side, and then starts carving away. Teams come in from all over the world - Russia, Japan, Canada, France, even South Africa. Part of the fun is guessing the nationality of the team, based on their sculpture's artistic style, before reading the signs. I believe this was a Russian entry.

2004-12-10T19:48:00.001-08:00

The sun begins to set behind the magnificent entryway sculpture. The snow festival is actually separate from the ice festival; both take place on the wide open spaces of Sun Island Park north of Harbin's river, Songhua Jiang. Harbin is situated south of the river, so it's a chilly ride over to the sites. It seems even chillier when crossing the bridge over the very wide and very frozen Songhua Jiang.

2004-12-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

I was surprised to discover this sculpture of a Native American sitting in the frozen northeast of China; sure enough, I read on the sign that a Canadian team sculpted this entry. Chinese teams had many sculptures at the festival as well, off in another section, but a vast majority didn't measure up to these amazing works.

2004-12-10T19:47:00.000-08:00

Even the sunsets in Harbin look cold. Though only mid-afternoon, the sun was setting over the snow festival and the temperature was falling even further below freezing. But the coming darkness was actually good news, because it meant that the ice festival was about to begin.

2004-12-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

The ice festival, a few miles away from the snow festival, is anything but dull and colorless. Crowds flocking to the entrance are greeted by dance music booming in the distance, as if at an outdoor pop concert. And bright neon colors shine everywhere, buried within huge blocks of ice forming structures as high as thirty meters, such as this huge structure beyond the entryway. You can just make out people standing atop its blue and red stairway.

2004-12-10T19:45:00.000-08:00

A view from atop that structure, looking back on a Russian-styled building and a mock Great Wall, both constructed out of ice. Making it to the top of this structure is an accomplishment in itself - imagine walking up a stairway of solid ice for two floors with no handrails. The yellow block wall on the right and the balconywork on the lower left are all ice, with no internal support structure - just lights.

2004-12-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

The Great Wall doubles as a long ice slide; just sit and go. You can pick up some serious speed and wipe out spectacularly at the bottom if you're wearing a slick coat, but you won't go anywhere if you're wearing corduroy pants.

2004-12-10T19:43:00.000-08:00

An overview of the ice festival from atop the Great Wall of ice. It's like a Disney theme park, with multiple attractions and food hawkers and kids running around and people lined up for bathrooms. The only differences are that the temperature is about a hundred degrees colder than the typical Disney park, and all the structures are made out of ice rather than plastic - and slipping and falling here doesn't result in tremendous lawsuits.

2004-12-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

One of the popular activities at the festival is climbing a wall of solid ice. Amazingly, I didn't see a single person fall, and most everyone made it to the top. All the ice comes from Songhua Jiang, the nearby river, which provides a limitless supply; huge chainsaws are required to cut through the ice, which can be meters thick.

2004-12-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

The snow festival is mostly a display of art; the ice festival is mostly a display of architecture. Nevertheless, a number of sculptures can be found at the ice festival, such as this life-sized horse. Agile youngsters with good balance climb atop the horses to have their pictures taken. Notice the layers of ice in the horse; blocks of ice are fused together to form larger blocks so that sculptures - or huge buildings - can be made.

2004-12-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

An entire ship constructed of ice, with passengers onboard. Though it might not be seaworthy, the ship would certainly float - after all, it's made of ice. Hundreds of years ago during the Manchu days of ice lantern art, the sculptures were lit only by candles.

2004-12-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

A Thai temple of ice, complete with hallways and rooms inside. Long ago, Disney made a Circle-Vision 360 film called "Wonders of China" - still showing at the China pavilion in the World Showcase at EPCOT - which includes a brief section on Harbin's ice festival. In the movie, the sculptures are quite low-key, little more than blinking light bulbs inside small globes and ice carvings. Things have changed a bit since those days. Hope you have enjoyed this beauty and talent from across the world.

Friday Night Lites.

2004-12-10T18:58:00.000-08:00

I literally watched that little fucking stress monster pack his god damn bags (and there were several of them), put on his overcoat, wave goodbye and leave the room. That is how literal it felt from 11 am until oh, say.....12. It's gone. No more. I'll try to remember it all for the bar in a year but until then I don't give a flying fuck. My big claim to fame, and by claim to fame I mean some miracle that I was given at birth, is that I don't stress. Or at least I don't stress that much. And while it tis true I stressed a little more than I would have liked for this exam. It wasn't the grade, it wasn't the exam, what I realized last night while laying in bed and desparately trying to will myself to sleep is that I was stressed out that I hadn't studied all of it. Like I hadn't put in the full effort, which is a load of crap. And as foreign as that was to me, it all turned out fine when I was done with the exam and like all of the others before it, whatever I thought would be the problem just doesn't matter anymore. Period. So, here I sit, drink in hand (again), chuckling at the complete contrast of how I feel tonight and how I felt last night. I know better. I do the work, I do what I can, and damnit, that's good enough for me. Because when its all said and done, I'm funny, and I know that each and every one of my professors laughs out loud when they read the little bit-o-funny I left in my exam for them. Merry Christmas.

Oh Yes, I Forgot to Tell You

2004-12-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

By the way, Anderson swore up and down a Tamarack tree that if we didn't understand partnership stuff way back when (september) that we weren't going to understand it at all. Well, you can **** ** ***. That's SO not true. I hate when teachers or professors use scare tactics. They don't work.

Oh, wait, I think I used them a time or two...hmmm.

Regardless, partnerships make sense. Eerily enough, most of it makes sense, its just a matter of cramming it all into my brain for regurgitation tomorrow. Although, it isn't seeming as bad when I start to look at fact patterns. Either way, I can always hope for something more, but mediocre grade for this one doesn't seem that bad. I just want to be done so I can go Christmas shopping, drink spiked cocoa at 8 am if I feel like it, take the dog outside (other than to put her on her leash), watch movies!!! (Oh, sweet, sweet, glorious movies), and maybe, just maybe, (haha) get completely shit-faced drunk.

Sweet Earth, you might say, this time next week I'll be on my way to party central. I have a party the 17th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 24th, and of course 25th. Can't wait.

Merry Christmas!!!

Good Deed 2004

2004-12-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

Finished the first of the last of my finals today. Went to lunch with some great friends. I always forget the intelligence behind mingling with a variety of people. Spent the rest of the day doing CALI lessons and causing a disturbance in the upstairs of the library. But I don't care because there wasn't anyone up there. On the way home the car in front of me blew a tire and I knew it because the burning rubber was horrendous. As it was pulling over I pulled right behind knowing I was probably freaking the driver out. When he got out of his car I just popped out my door to make sure he either had a spare tire and knew how to change it or had a cell phone. I think I still surprised him. He said he was ok, so I offered to stay parked behind him and provide some light so he could change his tire. Of course he said it was no big deal but I could see that he was wondering how in the hell he was going to be able to change it in the deep darkness. So I just smiled and said no problem, I'd wait anyway. So I waited. I sat in my car, read some Business Associations Q & A because I knew that if I got out of the car I would just end up embarrassing the dude with my tire-changing skills. It took him about 10 minutes maybe, he really wasn't that bad at it. (Not as bad as some people I've seen.) And he came to my window to thank me for staying and providing the light. No problem, I said, have a great night. He stopped for a second, gave me a genuine smile, and told me to do the same. Sometimes, it just feels right. And so the holiday season has begun again.

Oh Yeah, I got THAT.

2004-12-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

Bring it on Anderson, I got your number!

Finished the first day of BA studying and it sucked. However, one more day, a little more studying just means that I'm that much closer to being done. I can't wait for the end of this semester to come. It's old, already - sheesh.

I'm Reminded of Hell

2004-12-01T17:18:00.000-08:00

So, here I sit, writing my paper (that was due 2 days agoo by the way) and I am reminded of the hell of the first year of law school. Seriously. I realize that I put this off myself and its my own damn fault for not being done but I can still bitch.

It's my blog, and I'll bitch if I want to, bitch if I want to, bitch if Iwant to...

The one thing getting me is that I still have 7 pages to fill. Yes, fill. I could have easily made a nice, succinct, complete argument in 12 pages - promise. However, it has to at least be 20, so in good lawyerly fashion I have inserted the most ungodly words into my writing. So now a sentence which could have been complete in say 10 words contains 17 or 23. It's really quite amazing when you can fill so much space with adjective and useless sidebars.

Anyway, I'm actually moving on it now so I better get back to it before I hit a block again.

Got Any Plans This Sunday?

2004-11-21T22:27:00.000-08:00

So, Bob, what are your plans for this weekend?

Well, Stan, I think I'll flood the Grand Canyon. Wanna come?

CNN.com - Scientists flood Grand Canyon - Nov 21, 2004

Correction

2004-11-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

The editors want to apologize for a previous reporting error. Due to circumstances unforeseeable at the time we previously reported that there were four exams left. Recent events have caused certain details to surface which requires us to report that there are, in fact, only three exams left.

(No, really, Goble just cancelled our Public Lands final because he is possible the coolest guy ever!)

How To Avoid the Flu

2004-11-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

Two ways to avoid the flu:
Eat right!

Make sure you get your daily dose of fruits and veggies.

Take your vitamins and bump up your vitamin C.

Get plenty of exercise - because exercise helps build your immune system.

Walk for at least an hour a day, go for a swim, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.

Wash your hands often. If you can't wash them, keep a bottle of antibacterial stuff around.

Get lots of fresh air. Open windows whenever possible.

Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can.

Get plenty of rest.

OR

You can take the doctors office approach. Think about it, when you go for a shot, what do they do first? Clean your arm with alcohol.

Why?

Because alcohol kills germs.

So......

I walk to the liquor store (exercise)

I put lime in my Corona (fruit)

I put celery in my Bloody Mary (veggies)

I drink on the bar patio (fresh air)

I get drunk, tell jokes, and laugh (eliminate stress)

and then pass out (rest).

The way I see it, if you keep your alcohol levels up, flu germs can't get you!!!!

One Down

2004-11-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

One Down, four to go. *sigh* The Con Law exam was like nothing I expected. I really really should have known that I was wasting my time studying the Black Letter Law. What a load of crap. Touchy-feely, wishy-washy crap.

Ahhhhh....There You Are.

2004-11-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

Hello little soapbox. I have been looking for you everywhere for quite some time. I can't believe it took me so long to find you. What's that? You miss me too??? Awwww..... well, hold on a second, that's it, let me just step up on top...(deep breath)....hmmm, the view IS a little different from up here. Ahem. Testing, testing...

H'ok, so.

Yep, that's right.

There is something wrong with the world we live in. I don't have any answers, I don't have any suggestions. Hell, I can't even articulate what the real problem is. (Yes, that was an Arthur Miller 'articulate'.)

For those of you who read this and go to law school you'll have an idea where this all started. For those of you who don't go to law school you'll just have to read this letter and the multiple comments that just keep streaming in. http://tabrasa.blogspot.com

Apparently the mormons and the supporters of gay rights don't like each other. Gee. I can't imagine why.

I have so many things running through my head right now that I can't even think of where to start. What the hell is wrong with people just living their own lives, dealing with their own piles of shit, and minding THEIR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS???!!!???

And, seriously, where the hell do these people find the time? Shouldn't you be studying???

There are a TON of things I like about law school but there are still a few things I don't like. One is that everyone suddenly feels the need to express their beliefs and explain why everyone else's are wrong. And, yes, I know, I do it too. It's an evil little seed that begins to grow when you start to expand your mind and the way you think.

My least favorite word right now: "institution". I want to know when the fuck marriage became an "institution". It's as bad as "WMD's" a year ago or so. There are a bazillion words in the English language out there, people, use them. In fact, our law books seem to freely interchange some damn Latin words on a regular basis which mean absolutely nothing to me - why don't you try a few of those while you're at it???

My absolute favorite word right now: "tolerance". I LIKE the fact that there are a ton of people out there who don't think the same way I do. How damn boring would it be if we were the exact same people?

Frankly, I wouldn't want to hang out with someone like me all the time. Don't get me wrong. I like myself - I think I'm funny. Like right now for example. I crack myself up when I get up on my little soap box. But there are times when I know I'm not as fun as a barrel of monkeys but I still make an effort to offend the fewest number of people as possible.

Boy I like tolerance. It's just a great word. Rolls right off the tongue doesn't it?

Hmm, and suddenly, soapbox, I feel much better. Thank you for that. I'll have to put you somewhere so I can find you a little more easily next time. That's it. I know, I know...don't worry, I'll be back soon.

2004-10-31T20:45:00.000-08:00

Too true.

2004-10-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

What NOT to be for Halloween.

2004-10-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

I KNEW IT!!!

2004-10-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, that's the stuff. Now, a little to the left. Yeah - that's it - right there. Ahhhhhhhhhhh.......

2004-10-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Getting your ducks in a row.

2004-10-28T20:19:00.001-07:00

You dirty bastards. You dirty, dirty bastards.