WonL
The random thoughts of an architect-turned- lawyer from the deep south living in Washington, DC...
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Exams
One of my favorite parts of exam-time (okay, who am I kidding, it is just a horrible experience...but I am attempting to get a little amusement out of it). Anyway, you find yourself doing really strange things at really strange hours. Things you would not normally do at that time, or any time for that matter. I may or may not have found myself doing some of the following during the ExamSpring06 Season:1) Made a pot of coffee and banana pancakes at midnight. (I often listen to Jack Johnson while studying.)
2) Rearranged the tupperware lids and bottoms to be more organized - a never ending battle.
3) Pulled out my sudoku calendar to catch up on old puzzles dating back to early February.
4) Scraped the wax from the inside of candle-holders with a screwdriver.
5) Checked out every single post in the archives of this website.
6) Googled former males in my life out of curiosity.
7) Googled current male in my life, finding some recent article he published, begin reading it so I can impress him. Two sentences in, realize that I do not understand a word of his legal-speak.
8) Returned to Scary Personals.
8) Listened to THIS at least once every few hours.
9) Counted how many times the words "blah blah" appears in my classnotes.
10) Sat by the window and "Cooo"-ed back at the pigeons on my balcony.
Apparently, I am not the only one procrastinating!
Saturday, April 29, 2006
On Fire
Apparently the DC Fire Department is having some sort of training camp in the GW Quad today. If you are not familiar with the quad, it is the large open area ADJACENT to the law school. Noises from the quad resonate throughout every building in the law school. If you are not familiar with the law school, it is the place in which I arrived at 9am this morning for a peaceful day of studying. Now, any other day, I would probably enjoy a DCFD training camp. A lot. However, with two exams next week, the "we are men, hear us roar" chanting and non-stop fire engine noises are just not impressing me. Do you think if there was a fire on the other side of town, they would all leave?Thursday, April 27, 2006
WaPo siting
Go ahead and look away Britney...you know this Louisiana girl is doing better than you are. I may have spent my day on the sofa with Wendy's, but at least I am not carrying a Federline child!
Thanks to the Washington Post Express for the mention, but moreso for the strategic placement on the page!
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Phew, one exam down...
two exams to go.What I should be doing right now:
getting rid of my corporations junk (Delware won the race to the bottom - game over
preparing for my 2 exams next week
downloading exam software so I can take 2 exams next week
grocery shopping
cleaning room
washing clothes
getting a pedicure
getting things waxed
returning phone calls
picking up dry cleaning
getting new Verizon phone service because Cingular SUCKS!
finishing letter and printing stuff for Cingular (in anticipation of Consumer Throw-down 2006!)
booking flight to London
getting in touch with Italian "family" and maybe booking flight to Italy instead
figuring out financial aid stuff
...and I'm sure there is more
What I am actually doing right now:
eating Wendy's on my sofa while watching every episode of Days of Our Lives from last week.
Turning. Off. Computer.
UPDATE: Now, Evan, if I would have known that procrastinating was the theme of the week, I would have posted this one sooner:-)
Monday, April 24, 2006
Aaaaaaaa!
That is all.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
This will make you jealous.
I'm not really a big fan of weekend re-caps. Some things in my life are just not your business. Besides, if you knew everywhere I went or who I went with, it would just be too easy to stalk me. I'll make an exception just this once. In fact, I will even post throughout the weekend because it's not like I am going anywhere:Friday:
Wake up late. By late, I mean 7:30am. The loud gentlemen with the crane across the street usually gets cranking at 7am, so with 30 extra minutes of sleep, my day is destined to be a good one. It dawns on me: I don't have a job and classes are over. YAY! And by yay, I mean, 'oh crap, exams start next week.' Instead of fixing my own coffee, I decide to head to Starbucks and a bagel shop for some nourishment. Big mistake. By 10am I have fallen back asleep. Sitting up in front of my computer. Because Starbucks coffee is weak. I brew a pot of real coffee. Spend my entire day re-reading, organizing, IMing about, printing (after loading a new black print cartridge), and typing Corporations. If you have never done this, you should try it...loads of fun.
Since my food for the day has consisted of cheesy poofs and diet coke, around 7pm, I decide to get some dinner. I am in the mood for chinese food, but I'm still scared to have my favorite place deliver to me. (This goes back to the time my friend went absolutely psycho on the delivery guy and he called his manager from my doorstep and he kept yelling all this stuff in Chinese and he looked like he was about to cry and then my friend wouldn't pay for her food and she was shaking in a corner and I'm afraid after that scene they will either refuse to deliver to me, or maybe even worse...) Um, where was I? Oh yeah, I figure it would do me some good to get out of the apartment, I decide to walk to pick up the food. I wait 10 minutes for the elevator because having more than one working elevator in a 21-story building is waaay too much to ask. Upon exiting the building, I immediately realize I hate everyone in the world for not telling me it was raining. Of course, by this time, the card access door has shut behind my cardless-self. You know, when I was a kid, I used to love walking in the rain. This won't be so bad. Needless to say, when I arrive home soaking wet and freezing with squishy flip-flops and find that my fortune says "have a good day" I am pretty pissed.
Saturday:
Again, get up way too damn early. Hurry downstairs to feed the meter just to find a sopping wet green ticket on my windshield and a bitch standing 10 feet away giggling. Going to be one of those days...back upstairs: cereal with no milk. I spend a little while cleaning because I have a possible roommate-replacement coming over at noon. Clean, then corporations, then clean. Get a phone call around 11:30 that possible roommie-replacement had her identity stolen yesterday and will not be able to make it. Seriously. Back to Corporations. Take a break to pay some credit cards online. I hear a strange noise from across the room. Printer? What's going on little guy? (Foresee a trip to Staples with recently paid off credit card to buy a new printer and new cartridge since printer is taking my new cartridge down with him.) Use screwdriver and fist and flip-flop to solve printer problems. Back to corporations and leftover chinese food.
I am NOT dwelling on the fact that my guy had surgery on Thursday and is currently being nursed back to health by his two female roommates, one of which I've met and she's hawt. Nope, didn't think about that once today. There is an unopened bottle of white wine in my refrigerator that may or may not be there tomorrow. Judging by how much corporations I have done today, I'm voting (via proxy) that it will not be there.
Sunday:
Awoke at 4am dreaming of Equitable Subordination and Successor Liability. Couldn't fall back asleep. Do I really have to do this all over again? Hit corporations again and welcome a study-break phone call chat session with my best Richmond friend. Call dropped. Call back to continue. Call dropped. Again, call back. Guess what? Yep mother-effing-call dropped. Are you effing kidding me, Cingular? After 5 dropped called in less than 30 minutes, I give up on a conversation with my friend to get back to studying. Only, I can't study. My hatred for Cingular is blinding me. Spend the next hour going through my contract and what little they have online about my service. Check out Verizon specials. Begin writing my letter to Cingular in anticipation of their attempt to charge me the $150 cancellation fee. Try me, Cingular, try me! Back to studying.
This recent thing in my life is really perplexing me (no, not him)...the presence of pimples in times of stress. I might have had 3 zits total in my entire adolescent life. Why now? I think "piercing the corporate veil" sounds dirty. I think I may finish an entire bag of cheesy poofs in one weekend. I feel sick. I think I found a new roommate! YAY. Oh my gosh, my ITunes "Study Music" Playlist just ran out. That list is 152 songs/10.5 hours long. I'm tired.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Ladies Night
I am a 20-something (approaching 30) year-old female. I live in an urban environment/big city. I own a car, but I am still renting an apartment. I have spent my time as an "adult" both in jobs and in careers. I am now furthering my education. I have had wonderful relationships and horrible relationships, both of which will undoubtedly continue.I do not have any of this figured out yet. Sometimes, that scares the hell out of me. Sometimes, I take comfort in not knowing. Some days I am so glad I am not sitting at home with three kids in an 'okay' marriage wondering what else is out there. Some days, I wonder if that means I will never have that or if I even want that. I write about all of this on a blog. Once again, I do not have any of this figured out yet.
The best part of all of this is knowing that I am not alone. Other women, just like me, near me, go through these things too. I had the wonderful opportunity to drink margaritas and sangria with a few of them this evening. I cannot tell you how good and refreshing that feels (the friendships, not just the drinks). What a wonderful evening. Big ole shout out to my favorites: DCPussy Cat Doll, Asian Mistress, Moxie, Stef, DCOE, Sharkie, and Chase. Thanks girls:-)
(Photo stolen from the Asian Mistress)4/19/74
Dearest Ma and Pa,
Happy Anniversary. After thirty-two long years together, I hope you are as happy today as the day you were married. Although, I suspect you are even happier.
Law-Rah
PS-I realize I am a day late, but the media failed to remind me yesterday about the Oklahoma City bombings...which usually in turn reminds me of your special day. (How sentimental of me:-)
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Trainwreck
Have you ever seen a trainwreck in slow motion? Me neither. But after our trial last night, I can tell you exactly what it would be like. Train going along; maybe slowly becauseI think train operators (or at least their co-operators) should have parachutes. Hey, you never know when you are gonna need to just bail.
P.S. It was not me. Nor was it my witness.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Riiight
I have my final trial for my Trial Advocacy class tonight and, rest assured, it will suck. Many factors will go into the sucktitude that will prevail. For instance, I owe a huge thanks to my Judge/Professor who denied my pre-trial motion to exclude evidence last night. "You know, Law-Rah, I should grant your motion to exclude this extremely prejudicial piece of paper that they have absolutely no way to authenticate, *giggle* but I think it would make the class more interesting to go ahead and let it in *giggle*." (Please note that I did NOT respond by saying "your honor, if this is about making things more interesting, I could cross the courtroom and kick you in the shin when you try to leave. I think that would be really interesting *giggle*.) Riiight.I guess Judge/Prof had a point. I mean, why actually inject the rules or law into class at this point? Like that time when they decided we should practice our opening and closing statements (for this case) in front of the class and I said "wait, um, if we do it in front of the team we are going against, won't that give away our trial strategy?" Apparently, that is okay. "Silly, Law-Rah, this is not about trial strategy. It's okay if they know your entire theme of the case." So, now opposing counsel knows what we are going to say. And we are the plaintiff, which means we go first. Which means all they have to do is respond to what we say. Did I mention they already know what we are going to say. Why don't we just take the "adversarial" completely out of the system? Riiight.
Another factor that will add to our sucktitude is the case itself. It's a fairly straightforward insurance contract. They pay double for accidental death to the tune of $500,000. We represent the widow who is suing the company for her money. Insurance Co. is trying to claim they don't have to pay because of the clause in the contract regarding suicide. WHAT? That is preposterous. What makes anyone think this man would kill himself? Okay, so maybe he was in debt up to his ears and was being investigated by the attorney general for embezzlement. And maybe just the day before he said crazy things like "I'm desperate for money and I'm worth more dead than alive." And maybe when he was found, he had been alone in his home-office, door locked, shades drawn, with a bullet hole through his face. I'm thinking it will be easy to convince a jury this was an accident. Riiight.
Wish me luck. And no matter what happens, I can assure you, that our sucktitude will have nothing to do with our two fabulous witnesses!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
I'm back
Technically, Lent in the Catholic Church ends at sundown today. However, I feel like since I started my hiatus a day early, I can end a little early...right? Before I begin my "come-back" post, I really want to thank all my readers. I had no idea my ramblings on WonL had actually become a part of anyone's daily lives/routines. You have no idea how much I appreciate your comments and emails (even the threatening hateful emails;-) I missed y'all. Of course, knowing that some of you were actually awaiting WonL's return has put a bit of added pressure to make the come-back post a decent one. Hope it does not disappoint...on to my journey.Journey without an ending
A journey is "the act of traveling from one place to another." This implies a beginning and an end. Moving towards a destination of some sort. Rather than tell you everything I did on my Lenten Hiatus, I will give you a glimpse into my beginning and my end.One week into Lent:
Sitting in a Houston Church with my brother and his family, I just smiled at those adorable little girls and beamed with pride at the life my brother has made for himself. It was hard to concentrate on the Homily with niece #1 talking about Jesus going to ballet class. Nevertheless, the Priest began with a story that caught my attention. He had performed a funeral earlier and spent some time wandering around the mausoleum. He spoke of this small symbolic "chamber" behind glass that sits in the wall next to each tomb. The family and friends of the deceased put objects in the chamber that signify their loved one's life. One chamber particularly stood out. Unlike the other chambers, this one had no photos of the man as a child nor of his family as an adult, no poems or writings by loved ones, no objects of sentimentality such as a ring or a blanket. In this man's chamber lay cigars, beer and a deck of cards. Anyone could see through this small glass box and know how this man lived his life. More importantly, how his existence was viewed by his family and his friends.
This really got me wondering how the people I love see me. What would people think to put in my chamber when I am gone?
Determined to have this figured out by the end of Lent, I sat down to make myself a list. I was surprised that my objects don't come to mind so easily. I had to dig really deep inside to figure out some things about my existence. My chamber would most likely contain something Washington DC. Not only is it my place of residence, but DC is somewhat symbolic of how far I have come and the hard work it took to get here. Next to my DC something, would sit something Louisiana. Although Louisiana may not be "home" to me anymore, it will certainly always be a part of me and a reminder of where I came from. Likewise, although I am no longer an Architect, tools of that trade would go into my chamber to signify my creative side. And of course, the Scales of Justice would sit in my chamber as a symbol of my upcoming life as a lawyer.
Imagining what would go into my chamber was much more difficult than I anticipated. It was not really hard to narrow down the objects. Rather, the difficult part was contemplating objects that could timelessly capture who I am and what my time on Earth meant. As I pondered what I figured would be in my chamber, I was hit with the jolting reality of how trivial it all is. A city, a state, and two jobs. Is that my life? Is that how people will remember my existence? Most importantly, I ask myself 'is this really what I want?'
One week before the end of Lent:
When he asked me to meet him last night, I hesitated. It has been months since we have spoken. We both know what happens when we do. No matter how hard we try and promise that we will just hang out, no strings attached, just friends...it does not work.
I think about him a lot. For three years now, every time I see a white jeep, I glance at the driver. When I go to certain bars or certain areas of town, I look over my shoulder. For three years now, a part of me has truly thought that one day we would make this work. He has too. We keep trying and circumstances keep taking over to push "us" aside. I never understood how two people could have such a deep connection and have such strong feelings for each other, but could not make a relationship work. Both of us have tried to move on and both of us keep coming back to each other. Neither of us willing or wanting to walk away...as if we were just meant to be together.
My rational side forced me to say no to meeting him for a drink. Exams are coming up, this is not good timing. He understood, but he asked again. After a pep talk from a friend, I decided to meet him. As I headed downstairs, I assured myself that I could do this.
It was really good to see him. We chatted and laughed and caught up on life. His smile faded as he said "so, it looks like I got a job back home in Texas. I think I will be leaving in a few weeks." I was surprised although I shouldn't have been. I knew this is what he has always wanted. I smiled big and congratulated him thinking I was doing a good job hiding my shock. I thought my smile could mask what was going on inside. Not so much. Before I even knew what was happening, my walls crumbled and a tear rolled down my left cheek. I turned away. I had no idea that it would hurt so much. For the longest time, I couldn't look up at him. When I finally did, I noticed his tears matching mine.
He told me that doesn't want to leave me. As I stood in his arms, a part of me just wanted to ask him to stay. But I know that I can't be the only thing keeping him where he doesn't want to be. I also know he wants me to go with him. Maybe not now, but later, and forever. I can't do that either but I am not sure why.
So, is that it? Am I supposed to continue living this "dream" I have worked so hard to put together while I watch this guy that means the world to me walk out of my life? This really hurts.
Years from now - a conversation at my glass chamber:
Friend 1: "Dear sweet Law-Rah. She was always so determined and worked so hard her whole life."
Friend 2: "What was she working so hard for?"
Friend 1: "She never did figure that out."
...a fear realized.