G has been gone a week. :cry: 

School is going well, still having trouble getting up and focusing in the mornings.  Had problems with the running this morning, got up and went (the running part was fine), but we told J1 that we were only doing one lap today (1.8 miles) and she went two, so J2 and I were standing around for close to a half hour trying to figure out what to do, whether we should go looking for her or what.  Needless to say, we were a little pissed.  Oh well.  It just sucked to sit there and wait.  We decided from now on there will be two cars and no waiting for each other. 

Blah, have to go reread the section for Contracts II today so that I can keep up with class.  Maybe I'll go see Oceans 12 this afternoon . . .

Semester two.  Going to make this.  G deployed last Tuesday, so we're struggling through.  Went to Memphis for MLK weekend and my Jen and Jenn took me horseback riding in Mississippi last weekend.  It's kind of been a whirlwind since we got back from break.  I have a feeling that this whole semester will be.  I am waiting to hear back from the Pentagon to see if I got the summer internship I applied and interviewed for.  We are also still waiting for our Contracts grades, which should be available tomorrow or Wednesday. 

Some days I think that the waiting game might kill me.  Not that I don't have enough work to do to keep me occupied, but then I get distracted when I start thinking about the other things, and I get little accomplished.  But on the up side, I have seen five movies in the last week, all on DVD.  Mostly cute little teeny bopper movies, but also saw The Others and The Village.  Good movies all the way around.  Saw Along Came Polly last night on HBO, so I guess that makes six.  Where am I getting all of this free time from?

Soul Searching often comes at the most unusual times.  Had every intent to brief contracts and read torts or work on my memo.  But just wanted to check on the online news quick and make sure that I wasn't too out of touch with the world.  Found an article about a guy that is following his dreams and making them happen.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6248958/" title="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6248958/" target="_blank"http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6...

Got me wondering . . . what are my dreams anymore?  And what am I willing to do to further them?  Far from being alone, I know that most of us here have no idea what we really want to do with a law degree.  I just don't want to use it simply as a way to make money.  I mean, that's a part of it, but what good is it if I'm not pursuing my dreams?  The hardest part of that right now is that I'm not really sure what my dreams are.  How do you pursue them if you are not really sure what they are?

It's not that I don't know where my passions lie.  Just the opposite, there is so much that I am passionate about that it seems hard to incorporate them all or to do it all.  Something has to be calling my name in one direction.  I guess until that time, I will lie here quietly and listen for it, preparing to throw myself whole heartedly into it when that time comes. 

Jury's back, I'm back to being addicted to caffeine.  I have to admit, I gave it a good run, but let's face it, law school leads to many addictions.  I'm just glad that mine is caffeine. 

So I'm going to have to go get some coffee before the exam in a little over an hour.  Trying to study but nothing is sinking in, I think that I'm just a little too out of it today.  Lack of sleep?  Stress?  Who knows, hopefully caffeine will fix all my problems though!

And for those who are by now feeling sorry for me, I really do love this stuff.  So don't mind all my whining, as long as I have my iPod and laptop and a book, I am good to go.  Law school students (at least the good ones, and by good I mean not the undermining, backstabbing, bookstealing kind) thrive off of real competition.  If we didn't love it, we wouldn't make very good lawyers!

Did I mention that I was tired?  Why is the caffeine not kicking in?  Going to be a long week.  Saturday night I am doing a ride-along with NOPD.  Should be interesting, have to show up at 6pm.  Suppose that we will see more criminals at night. 

And can you believe this b/s?

"It has come to my attention that a helpful treatise, placed on reserve for the open memo, was missing.  Apparently, someone had taken it out of the Reserve section without checking it out and failed to return it to its proper location.  This behavior, if intentional, is unacceptable and an honor code violation.  You are putting your classmates at a disadvantage.  If it was accidental, please be much more careful in the future."

Let's grow up people and get over it.  If you have to cheat, you weren't going to win in the first place.  Thankfully, I have everything I need from that book for my memo (and they finally did find it). 

Read a quote earlier this week that said something about heroism is perservering just a moment longer.  That's what I'm beginning to feel like law school is.  I got home last night at 9:30, fixed dinner (Ramen, who has time for anything else?) and packed a lunch for today, ate while reading my Contracts.  Finished about 10:45 and showered and crawled into bed for the end of the NY/Boston game. 

Back here before 7:30 the next morning. 

I have a headache and I'm not sure how much more of the Model Penal Code I can cram into my brain before the exam this afternoon (I hate criminals).  Plus, we are kneed deep in research for our open memo, for which the research outline is due tomorrow.  And the other practice exam this week is scheduled for Wednesday.  Not to mention keeping up with our other classes.

Everyone is more than a little stressed out and we are all coming to the realization that there is no let up in the next eight weeks between now and finals.  And the even scarier realization that finals are rapidly approaching and there is nothing that we can do to slow them down.  One day at a time, right?  Been listening to a little Don't Worry Be Happy to keep me from becoming too stressed out.  Trying to keep it all in perspective.  But everyone is getting a little crazy and with computers randomly crashing all over, it's not helping the stress level.  Here's hoping that me upgrading my virus-ware will help prevent that. 

Gotta go learn more about the MPC and criminal liability for the conduct of another.  Did I mention my headache?

Accidentally erased my blog, so here we go again.

One more day until G gets here.  Have worked all damn week for this, so it's a good thing that it's almost here because I am losing motivation.  Not to mention that I had a bad day when I got picked on in Crim yesterday (bad enough that I walked out of there, and dragged everyone and their books to the bar to study because I needed a beer). 

But he will be here tomorrow and then I don't have to worry about anything until after he is gone again.  All of my work that I would have had to do this weekend has been crammed into the last two weeks, which was not an easy accomplishment but says something about my level of dedication to law school and G, I guess.

Supposed to rain all weekend, which I originally was upset about, but G says that he was half expecting it (and having lived here for a number of years, he isn't too concerned about it). 

Going to see Ella the dog after Torts this afternoon in her new house.  I'm really happy that she found a permanent home finally but also kind of sad that she's gone and I can't go see her whenever.  No more random walks on the Fly, well, no more with the dog anyway. 

Probably not a lot of blogs this weekend, if any, because G will be here.  Going to bar review tomorrow night so that he can meet all of the law school peeps who all know that he is going to be here, and then I am not even going to think about the whole law school thing while he is here with the exception of when I am actually in class.

Have a great weekend, you know I will!

That's really the only word for it some days.  I was here until 8pm last night working working working until my brain shut down.  Then I went home, took a half hour break, and went at it again until 10:30.  Got up this morning at 6, was at school a little after 7, and back at it. 

Lots of people again today in Contracts that didn't do the reading.  Most were smart enough to give him notes before class.  (There is a rule in that class: you get four absences or four "unprepared days" before you sail out of "safe harbor."  It doesn't really count against your grade, but if you are borderline A/B, that's when it will come into play.  But you have to give him the notes on the unprepared days.  If you come to class and he calls on you and you aren't prepared but didn't give him a note, you are automatically outside safe harbor.)

Just don't understand that mentality.  I am working working working to get through this stuff.  It is overwhelming but I keep my nose to the grindstone until I get through it.  Yes, after a certain number of hours I see a diminishing return, where it might take me twice as long to do it because my brain is tired and doesn't want to function.  But I will spend twice as long doing it if that is what it takes because that is what I am here for.

But G will be here in a little over 48 hours, and so I have been getting lots accomplished so that I won't have to do anything this weekend.  I think Amy put it best this morning when she said, "All Contracts.  All the time."  Worked on nothing but contracts last night from 5pm on.  Got up and did contracts this morning.  Back in the library now looking at contracts.  Contracts study group meeting tonight.  Contracts again on Saturday.  Oh so excited.

This is the latest I have ever gotten to campus.  I got up this morning normal time, was just going to read over the paper due today one more time, then print out our required three copies after making the minor changes.  But as I am trying to read it this morning, H the cat starts crying.  Like she's not feeling well.  So I am trying to find her and she vomits all over my contracts book.  Great.  But I can't be upset at her because I feel bad that she's not feeling well.  So I clean that up and go back to reading the paper after trying to make her feel better.  But she starts crying again 15 minutes later and I go to find her and she vomits all over the floor in the living room.  So I clean that up, finish my paper, print it out, make lunch for the day, and head out finally. 

I think that she is feeling better now.  She ate a piece of one of her toys and I guess it just didn't agree with her.  But the paper is done, except for one question I have to email the prof.  So now I have to go back to my readings. 

TCA meeting was great.  Smaller group than I expected, but the people are awesome.  Great officers, one in particular that is really nice. 

Still working on this closed memo, but after meeting with both the TA and the prof today, I feel like I have a good grasp and should be able to hopefully pound it out in the next two hours so that I can go home, do grocery shopping with J, and then watch CSI: Miami before I have to print it out and do all of the spot checks: making sure everything is properly cited, etc. 

This morning was the first time I have ever seen so many people so completely caught off guard.  During the course of classt this morning, there were at least three people that were called on that were not prepared for class.  I think that with the short weekend with Saturday classes and the closed memo being due this week, some people have fallen behind in their readings and such.  Which kind of shocks me because I just assumed that everyone was spending as much time working as I was to stay on top of things.  Maybe not.  There were also about 6 people that were late to class this morning, another incredible first.

I was at school this morning by 7:30 ready to work on that rascally memo again.  Mine is nowhere near done, but I have it more or less written out (although not in any recognizable organization, at least my discussion part).  It just blows my mind that people aren't getting their stuff done.  This is law school, suck it up and stay home and work.  Feel free to whine about your lack of a life, but remember that you signed up for this and it was to be expected on some level. 

Not only is it Saturday, and I've been at school for an hour now, it is HOT and HUMID outside to top it all off.  It's like someone is trying to tell us that we are truly in hell.  It's supposed to hit 88 tomorrow, it's 89 today.  And the humidity is 80%. 

Just have to survive until 4pm, then I'm out of here for the SALDF bbq on the Fly.  Taking Ella, which should be fun. 

Driving to school this morning, it was unusually quiet.  Walking across campus, I would have sworn this place is deserted.  Then I got to the law building and the doors were locked (they are locked on the weekends and we need to use our IDs to open them).  The library door was propped open, but there were minimal lights on.  So we are studying in the back corner and opening the blinds to get some light in here.  They finally turned the lights on, but all of these factors just serve to remind me that today is Saturday, as much as I don't feel like it. 

I was here (in the library) working until 7pm last night (and the only reason I went home then was to watch the debates).  I will be here until probably about 7pm tonight.  I will be back here at 8am (on SATURDAY) for school, and will spend all day studying Sunday.  Is there no end to the injustices of law school?

If it is truly this miserable, why am I so damn happy here, cooped up, wasting the sunshine of the day, trying to find a claim for Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress based on the fact pattern I've been given?

It's October.  Let's talk about this.  Why am I still sweating on my walk from the parking garage to the building.  Just not right, I tell you. 

The debate party went well last night.  J and I watched most of it, there were probably about 11 people there I think, and it was crowded (still don't know where they were putting everyone else if people showed up).  But some of our friends that A invited showed, so that was good.  Everyone was out by 11, and I just hopped into bed. 

Back at school at 7:30 the next morning trying to knock out more work.  And so it goes.

Oh, back in the library.  Again.  Does anyone else see a pattern here?  Went and signed people up for recycling.  I was hunting them down on the sidewalk and asking them if they had recycling.  J equated it to those people that you pass soliciting for things that you try to stay far away from or make no direct eye contact.  Yup, I had those.  And I asked them if they had recycling too.  There is no drawback here people.  You're already paying for it, you just don't have the bing unless you request it.  You don't have to lug it around with you, the city will drop one at your house.  All we need is your name, address, and phone number.  Not so hard.

Having a good day, took a break after Crim Law to go eat my snack in the lounge so that I wouldn't starve to death up in the library like I normally do.  But I want to be out of here by 6pm if possible so that I can run to the store before I go home.  CSI got moved.  It's on tonight with CSI: NY because it got pre-empted for the debates tomorrow (please, I bet if we took a vote, more people would vote for watching CSI than the debates).  Is this the networks way of trying to feel better for filling our heads with nonsense the rest of the year?  They're going to move all of our favorite shows so that we HAVE to watch the debates. 

  So A, the other roommate, comes to J and I last night and tells us that he wants to have some people over to watch the debate.  Since we have such a large living room and all.  He actually said that.  I looked around and wondered if we were living in the same apartment, but that is another story.  So of course, we had to agree (what were we supposed to do, tell him he wasn't allowed to have some friends over?).  J and I don't claim to be very political, though we do vote and are following what is going on.  But A and his friends are obsessed with it.  Politics is all they ever do or talk about, which is one of the reasons they drive me up a wall and I can only take so much of them (at some point in time you have to branch out and get a life). 

So I get an email today from one of the other people "organizing the event" addressed to "Tulane Law Kerry Supporters" and giving everyone  ;our address.  :?  The list is hidden, so I really have no way of knowing who got the email, but couldn't you at least tell them that you will send an address when they RSVP.  And how many people are on this list? 

All I know is that J told A as a condition of him doing this, that everyone has to be out of the house by 10 or 10:30.  I do not care if I have to come off as the bitchy roommate, this rule will be enforced so that I can go to bed (because I am not going to bed, even with my doors locked, with strange people in my house). 

Got picked on this morning in Contracts.  You always know, because it was right after I ***accidentally*** made eye contact.  They look at you, see you looking at them, glance down at their seating chart, and it's all over from there.  I managed to give him what he wanted, but for the most part, I like to fly low in class.  Have to go read Monday's assignment for contracts so that I can go outside and sit at the table trying to register people to recycle through the city (remember those blue bins we saw, Dad?).  Let A and his friends expound their philosophies on politics.  I'm out saving the environment.

Back in the library again.  I have been here since 8:00am.  After Legal Reserach and Writing ran over its allotted 50 minute time slot, we got kicked out of the room due to a CDO presentation (Career Development Office).  But did we give up there?  No, we moved to the general use room on the first floor (okay, it was optional, but still, if we're talking about the closed memo due next Tuesday, I'm going to be there).  So I got out of there, went to my locker to change books, and at 5:30 am back in the library.  Have to brief the cases for Contracts tomorrow (yes, I've already read and book briefed them, just have to put them in my computer). 

Trying to play get ahead for next weekend.  But we already have enough work to fill our days, which just means that I will be putting in longer hours here.  And I wanted to get out of here tonight by 6:30 so that I could pick up cookies to bake on the way home to put in G's box, but I don't know if that will happen tonight or if that will have to be a product of tomorrow.

We shall see.

For those who were dying to know: I got a report from the kickball captains about last Saturday's game (which I sadly, could not attend). 

Tulane Law Students: 17

Tulane Grad Math Geeks: 3

Guess they underestimated the competitiveness of the law student mentality.  I heard that the two teams after the game engaged in a drinking contest as well.  Not only can we beat them on the field, turns out the law students can outdrink the math geeks as well.  Is there any limit to our powers?

Just got one of those "if you don't forward this to at least five people you will have bad luck the rest of your life" forwards.  Um.  Delete!  Now, I'm not anti-forwards.  I love the silly little ones and the stupid jokes and even the ones that make you go "awhhhhhhhh."  I'm all for the forwarding thing.  I may even send select ones on.  But with those that have the little story and then the "send this on to five people," I will erase that line so that no one ahead of me feels the need to send it on if they don't want to. 

But no, the one that I just received HAD NO STORY, just one of those, send this on type chain letters.  What's the point? DELETE DELETE DELETE.  At least give me a cute little story to distract me from the annoyingness of my being threatened with bad luck for life if I do not forward.

Tuesdays are the long days.  On top of the normal day of classes, I have legal research and writing for another hour until 5pm tonight.  And then I have to stick around and make sure that I'm prepped for tomorrow and such.  I'm debating going to the undergrad green club tonight too.  Don't really think that I will make it, but it's always a nice thought to at least try.

Found a study group for Civ Pro, which makes my study group search complete.  Now I just have to schedule them all at times so that they don't meet while G is here . . .

Have to go jump ahead in Torts.  My goal is to be completely done through Tuesday's assignments the weekend that G is here so that all I really have to do is show up for classes.  Crim Law even got moved from the Saturday he was here until the following Friday, so I only have Contracts from 8:30 - 9:15 on that Saturday. 

Worked all weekend and now we're back at it.  My fingers don't want to type anymore, but they keep pushing away relentlessly trying to brief the case or structure the outline.  Had a good Contracts class, got my study group set up and ready to go for next Wednesday night.  But you know that you are losing it when your email to the contracts study group says something like:

This could be construed as our agreement to meet next Wednesday night (after the Closed Memo is due!) to go over our Outlines for Contracts and discuss questions, whatever, before the practice exam.  I guess this would make me the offeror, but unless you manifest assent it will not be a binding contract.  I suppose one could say that neither party is bound (this is an incomplete agreement) because there really is no promise to do the work, but it is arguable that t his agreement could be construed as an implied promise to show up and help everybody out and thus enforceable.

Maybe one day I will have the ability to think like a normal person again.  But I know that I am not the only one losing it when my group replies:

i hearby promise to meet you at cc's next wednesday and to bring with me any contribution i have with respect to this insane course.

and

I hereby explicitly manifest my assent! 

I am hereby living under the assumption that if we do not all hang in this together, we will surely hang separately.

I think that everyone would pretty much agree that Monday mornings are the worst.  It's 8am and I am sitting in room 357, I have a half hour until contracts begins.  That's usually time that I spend checking my email and reviewing the cases that we are likely to cover today so that if I get picked on I can at least sound like I know what I am talking about.

Had a good weekend, full of studying.  Friday J and I met with our mentor, who is awesome.  She had a lot of great things to say and suggest and mainly told us not to freak out.  Many, many people have told us not to freak out, but I always appreciate hearing it.  Friday night we didn't do much, bummed around the house and watched Kiss the Girls and Medical Investigator.

Saturday J and I got up pretty early, ran a couple of errands, and camped out at a tea shop where we studied for two and a half hours, took a walk and grabbed some food, went home and discovered that we had no motivation to study there, and headed to the Bulldog (a bar) to study some more.  We were going to go bowling that night, but after a couple of failed attempts (first one was too ghetto and the second one charged a cover and wouldn't let us bowl until 10pm), we ended up just seeing a movie (Forgotten) and wandered around the parking lot where they were having a car show. 

Yesterday was full of . . . laundry and studying.  Contracts and the memo we are writing.  Super exciting, but somebody has to do it.  Went for a run just to get out of the house for a while.  Not a bad weekend all in all.  Couldn't figure out why no one was calling me yesterday until I found that my phone had been off all day.  Go figure. 

Talked to G briefly last night and Saturday night when we got home.  He is underway again tomorrow (hopefully).  At least they will have six days out so hopefully they won't have to go back again and make him skip coming to NOLA.  I would not be a happy camper if they did. But then again, what could I do about it?