Limping to Austin

I shall be ringing in the new year in Austin, with my future in-laws. Which, in my case, is a good thing. On my one day in Boulder between Crested Butte and TX, I tried to be a good girl, and I went to Jazzercise. That turned out to be a terrible pre-travel idea, as I twisted the hell out of my ankle halfway through class. Twisted it, as in it was 90 degrees in the wrong direction: the sole of my left foot was looking (rather shocked-like) at the ankle of my right. Luckily Jazzercise is full of moms, so I was taken care of in style. I managed to drive home, where I got to lay up whilst Rex ran all of my necessary pre-travel errands. And then, I got to travel with a cane. As it turns out, traveling with a cane is brilliant, because you get to go in the special no-line security line with the pilots and such, and you get to "courtesy pre-board." That means we were the first people on the plane! My little ankle was swollen to the size of a tennis ball yesterday (or perhaps it was a novel way of smuggling a small bomb? Kidding), but today she's looking much better. And I've dispensed with the cane, which truth be told made me feel a little conspicuous.

White Christmas

It is, decidedly, a very white Christmas this year. It has been snowing since yesterday evening, and shows no signs of stopping for at least another 36 hours. Merry Christmas, everyone! There's enough white here to go around for those of you with a more, er, green Christmas.

Retailing in a Winter Wonderland

I walked into my mom's shop in Crested Butte this evening, to find my mom and sister waiting on a young couple. The girls jubilantly told me that the couple are getting married tomorrow at the base area of Mt. CB, and they were just purchasing the bride's outfit. At my mom's little shop! The couple just up and decided to get married while they are in town, and she knew she wanted to take the plunge on Christmas day. So, they got a local wedding planner and hit up all the shops in town to find a ring (oh, what a ring) and wedding clothes. For the life of them, they couldn't find a suitable outfit (despite their extra casual approach), and were just about to give up, when at the last minute they stumbled on Four Eighteen. They found an outfit and jewelry, and we sent the very happy, adorable couple on their way. The couple, in turn, invited us to the wedding. It's such a great Christmas fairy tale, and on Christmas day we'll head up to the mountain to attend this couple's wedding, along with all the other locals they have met along the journey of throwing their nuptials together.

Merry Christmas!

So....close....

I rented my graduation regalia this morning. Doctoral graduates (that's me! Doesn't it sound fancy?) get to wear a tam, and the law color is purple. As for the color, at least it's not pink--music has to wear pink. But the tam? It's a square, floppy, velvet hat. Seriously? I think the goal of graduation is to utterly humiliate us in front of our families. Me? I'm going to look sexy in that floppy, shiny, square hat. Yes indeed.

Still counting down

I now have 24 hours and 15 minutes left until I am FINISHED with law school. That is, unless I can finish my exam sooner. Closed book, 3 hour water law exam...perhaps 2 hours (easy 2 hours), better at 1 1/2 or less. Then 'tis time for champagne and happiness.

Counting down

I have two days plus roughly two hours of law school left. The end won't come soon enough, but when it does, there will be celebrations and family time and NO MORE EXAMS! Until that unholy of unholy exams, the Bar Exam, but let's not worry about that now, okay?

Counting down to the end of school makes me think I should count down until the end of winter. Because yesterday? It was nineteen degrees below zero. And I don't even live in the mountains anymore, for chrissake. Five more days until the days start getting longer again (FINALLY), and 13 1/2 weeks until the official "first day of spring" (though we in cold climates all know that's a load of crap).

Thirty eight and a half weeks until I get married. And I still don't have a caterer. C'est la vie.

The Shoes

These just might be the magic shoes I will wear down the aisle. I love. Love them. 'Twas love at first sight.

Giveaway

Because I can't resist free stuff, and I'm sure you cannot either. There is a giveaway at http://www.kirtsy.com/story.php?title=Chicks_Who_Click_Excellent_Giveaway, and if I might add, it's a pretty good one.

Going, going,

GONE. I'm not sure if I'm one of those people that fears change, or if it's just some kinds of change that bother me. I've always been fine moving from place to place, but when my hometown changes dramatically, it makes me feel all funny.

Crested Butte is a fabulous, wonderful, even magical place. But it changes a lot. That's normal in the ski/tourist industry, especially when you're somewhat behind the whole fancy-all-looks-the-same ski resort trend, but most of us hope that CB will retain some of its charm. After all, it is known to locals and those abroad alike as "crusty butt." How much more charming can you get?

The sad/scary-change part is that the resort sold again. Last time it sold, it sold to a very small "corporation" (basically a couple and their adult son--the Muellers), so it was actually a good thing. They started pouring money in, and people were generally happy (just don't mention the word "Snodgrass," and you won't get hurt). This week, though my happy place was sold to a giant corporation, the mean ugly hateful kind. CNL Lifestyle Properties, Inc. bought the place, and while they're going to lease it back to the Muellers to run it, it's the nasty corporation that owns the place and therefore calls the shots.

Perhaps it will be ok--maybe I've always wanted to live in a cookie-cutter corporate community and never knew it? And who doesn't love the idea of living in a place designed by the same people as the Dallas Market Center?

Looking...this time for a new place to live

After the job search that would never end (really it's just suspended, and I'll work for $10/hour part-time in the mean time), I'm now on to the next search--this time for a new place to call home. We had to terminate the contract on our condo for a whole host of reasons, but I CANNOT live in a crappy apartment with no dishwasher, a/c, washer/dryer, or closet space any longer. Our pantry and our linen closet and our storage closet are the same thing. One closet, about 18" wide and 24" deep, has to fit food, cleaning supplies, and miscellany. There is one drawer in the kitchen. It holds our silverware. Everything else goes on the countertop. The only counter space is occupied by the dish dry rack, so you have to move that to cook. The sink isn't divided, so you can't dry dishes on one side of the sink instead. It gets to be around 95 degrees in the summer months. The bathroom is through the kitchen, which means from the bedroom you cross past the front door, the living room, and through the kitchen to get there. Given that I'm about to have a JD, I think I'm ready for more commitment. Like with a dishwasher. I lust after dishwashers, to the point that people who have them think I'm going to sexually assault theirs. Wish me luck, and look out, dishwashers of Boulder.

Miss Grace: Remember Pardall? I think this is more poorly equipped. Even when you consider the neighbors and that eensy shower.

Legislative Aide-ing

Rex and I both finally have jobs. We are going to be legislative aides! We'll only make $10/hour, and work just 20 hours/week, but things were looking so grim I'm willing to regress to a high schooler's paycheck. We're hoping to make enough connections and such so that we can get real jobs when we pass the bar. If we pass the bar. Yay for us and our new jobs!

Because Global Warming IS Real

"President-elect Barack Obama, in strongly-worded remarks to a gathering of governors and foreign officials on Tuesday, said he had no intention of softening or delaying his aggressive targets for reducing emissions that cause the warming of the planet." (here)

Thank goodness we are actually going to get some change. I know the economy is extraordinarily important now (I'm accepting a job that pays $10/hour, and is only part-time, and I will have a doctorate), but this is also very important. I'm so happy we elected someone who will really act on the climate change problem. That is all.

The never ending job search

"The slowdown also has made it much harder for lawyers looking for work to find positions, said Robin S. Miller, a principal at Corrao, Miller, Rush & Wiesenthal Legal Search Consultants in New York." (NYT)

I'm graduating from law school next month. I haven't been able to find even part-time work, despite having been looking since last April (well before the downturn). Everyone I talk to says, "oh, it'll be fine. You'll find work." Well, I'm here to say that there is a good chance I won't, at least not for a while. So stop annoying me by painting a rosy picture with your eyes closed. Things suck for lawyers right now, and I'm about to be at the bottom of the totem pole. Last year's grads are still looking for work, and they are licensed.

"You know things are bad when even lawyers are getting laid off." The same article, refuting the constantly posed comment that, "people always need lawyers." Well, they don't need 'em if they can't afford to hire 'em.

I just hope the economy turns around. Soon, and dramatically. Otherwise, I'll be looking for a box on Colfax avenue to call home.

On why I hate Career Development...

I am going to a career fair at the law school tonight. There are numerous employers collecting applications. So I have been diligently drafting cover letters, in the hopes that I might find a job tonight. Since there are two separate lists of employers attendees, one entitled "employers collecting applications," the other titled "employers participating," I had assumed that there would be at least the possibility of job openings.

I was wrong.

I just ran into my illustrious career counselor, one of those in charge of the event. I said to him, "E---, I hope there are going to be some jobs for real lawyers/graduates tonight!" His response? "Oh, don't go looking for jobs, just collect information."

SO WHY DO I HAVE TO WRITE COVER LETTERS??? Why are applications being accepted if there are no jobs? AND HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO ACTUALLY GET A JOB??? Information doesn't exactly get the job done. It's called a career fair for a reason.

A New Day Dawns

I am totally speechless, but couldn't resist the urge to put up a quick post. We have elected Obama, and now have OUR FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT, and he Baracks my world. Champagne, anyone?

Vividly remembering the 2000 election in the Santa Rosa dorm, and the CNN gaffe, I waited till I heard two networks proclaim Obama winner before I got all giddy and teared up. This time, though, is for real.

HELL FUCKING YEAH!

Yet another medical saga, and insurance

Sometimes I think I might be a hypochondriac, because it seems like I have more weird and somewhat serious medical issues crop up than other people I know. I use my self-awareness of this to tell myself that it's all real, and that I'm not a hypochondriac, rather I'm just not the healthiest girl. Which would stand to reason if you knew about my lifestyle.

It all started in college, with "the gremlin." Somewhat suddenly, I was throwing up just about everything I ate. Wednesday night pizza and beer at Woodstock's in Isla Vista was particularly egregious, and there was a tree I would always duck behind on the walk home to retch. It became so commonplace, I didn't even blink. Well, the condition of my tummy got so bad that a roommate demanded I go to the emergency room. At the time, I was in so much pain I couldn't stand up all the way. She was probably right about the need to seek treatment, but I tend to avoid doctors like the plague (see, I told you I'm not a hypochondriac). After a little morphine, I felt all better. After six months of no alcohol or greasy food, the gremlin had been healed considerably. It has never totally gone away, though. Mostly I just ignore it now, except fo those times it hurts so badly I just moan and try to go to sleep.

Last year, in May, my right calf went numb. Then my thigh. Then, as the feeling would come back at the lower end of this numbness, the feeling would move higher. A numb half-belly feels really weird. Rex's dad is an MD, so a phone call to him revealed that this could be nothing normal or ok. Again, I protested a trip to the ER in a way that you might have thought Rex was trying to remove my fingernails with rusty pliers. Until the right half of my tongue went numb. It's hard to be convincing if you sound like a drunk retard. To the ER we went. I got scared enough by the time we were checking in with the triage nurse and my speech center went wonky. In the exam room, I lost the ability to speak certain sounds, "thank you" would come out only as "yank you," no matter how hard I tried. It looked like a stroke, and a trip to the ER was probably well-advised.

It wasn't a stroke, just an "aura migraine," unusual only for the severity of the aura symptoms. Auras usually present as mild visual disturbances, and they'd never seen anything quite like mine. So they sent me for a CT scan and an MRI, plus trips to the neurologist. Two grand later, I was pronounced just fine. That two grand, however, will haunt me for around five years, because that's how long it will take me to pay it off at $30 a month, which is still more than I can afford.

Don't you have insurance?, I hear you asking. Well, yes'm I do. With a $3000 deductible. That renews each year. I have zero coverage until I meet the deductible, be it for perscription drugs, office visits, or something that looks like a stroke. So the two grand falls entirely on me to pay. This is the kind of insurance someone like me can afford (actually, my dad pays for it. I would be uninsured if he didn't. And it ain't cheap).

Two things just converged that caused me to write this rather long diatribe. One, as you might have guessed from the title, is that something else has gone awry with little Parepare. The other is the revelation from a New York Times article that women are paying more for health insurance than men. And the reasons are not entirely clear. This more expensive coverage does not include maternity care, which would at least account for the disparity. Anthem, my insurer, is listed as being one of the major offenders. Women with Anthem in Columbus OH (the example cited) pay 49% more than men in the same age group, and the disparities are worse for young women. Being a young woman who is barely insured, and at that can't afford health care, this makes me so mad really I'm just disappointed. Because really, are we surprised? No. We know that the system is totally f***ed. But this should be illegal. We can't discriminate based on race, but sex? Sure, go right ahead. That's progress.

So, in the shadow of this knowledge, I just made an appointment for a breast core biopsy, because I have a fibroadenoma in my right breast. A fibroadenoma is a lump very common in young women (particularly my age bracket) that is almost always benign. So it's really just a lump that's more annoying than anything. But because of the severity of cancer, since there is a remote chance that the lump is cancerous, fibroadenomas are nearly always biopsied or removed. Mine shall be biopsied in a procedure that will have me out of commission for 24 hours, and guess what? I get to pay for it all with the riches I have from being a law student for 2 1/2 years. My insurance does not cover this sort of treatment (though the guy at Anthem enthusiastically told me that they cover 100% once I reach the deductible!). I chose the less expensive biopsy option, which will mean I'll still have the lump. But I'll know it's a nothing lump. And I'll get to remember that fact every month when I get the bill, asking for another $30. I just hope they don't raise my monthly payments with addition of the new charges. That would really hurt.

City of Angels

In the first half of the 20th Century, William Mulholland felt the way about L.A. that I do today:

"I'd rather give birth to a porcupine backwards than be the mayor of Los Angeles."

And he's a major reason the city even exists.

Amendment 48

I've surprised myself in realizing that I haven't mentioned it yet, but Colorado is trying to go back to the awesomeness level of the anti-gay Amendment we had with Amendment 48, which would define a person at conception. I was prompted to post this because I read this excellent blog about it, written by a non-Coloradoan who is rightfully opposed. I would get shakingly mad to explain all that is wrong with Amendment 48, but I encourage you to think about the rights you have by virtue of being a person. Then think about an embryo having all the same rights. Read the link. And then think about how awesome the girl is who created it. By the way, she's about to graduate from law school, kind of like yours truly. Unlike myself, she "attends" an un-accredited online Christian law school. Good luck with the bar exam, honey.

Fashion

Sometimes I worry that I have no fashion sense, in a way that might be embarrassing. I worry that I can barely dress myself, and that perhaps people are laughing at me (or cringing).

I just saw a woman wearing a black t-shirt, hunter green tapered jeans, and tennis shoes. T-shirt, no problem. Hunter green tapered jeans? In all seriousness?

I feel much better about my own ability to get dressed in the morning. Even if my clothes are too small, at least I don't own hunter green jeans. Or tapered jeans. Or, worst of all, the two combined.

Pro-Abortionists

I just gotta show solidarity with that movement that Obama is part of--the pro-abortion movement. John McCain sure does know what he's talking about! In fact, I'm going to go have an abortion even though I'm not pregnant, because I think we should all be having abortions, all the time. Go abortions!

Okay, but seriously? I'm so sick of hearing right wing nonsense. I'm just holding my breath, beaming at the polls that show a good chance of, I'm going to say it, the change we need.

Wolf Law, 207

Room 207 in the Wolf Law Building is perpetually FREEZING. And there's a vent over my head that blows frigid air on me the whole time I sit here. Green building? I think not. It's not warm outside, folks, we don't need the A/C on full blast. Now I shall stop typing because I have 10 finger popsicles.

HeeHee

Since I haven't anything clever of my own to say...

superpoop.com


superpoop.com

Also, I happen to be a Satinist. Especially if I buy that wedding dress I want...

A gift from the DNC

The Democratic National Committee sent me presents! Well, they actually sent me junk mail asking for money and time, but more importantly, the envelope had PRESENTS! The presents are stickers, and you might not think that's too exciting, until I tell you that one of them says "Ask me how many houses I own." And it's in the style of a McCain/Palin sticker. I LOVE MY PRESENT.

Mavericks

We all know how much Sarah and John like to call themselves mavericks. It's one of their favorite words/phrases. Well, the family who is descended from the original Maverick, isn't so pleased. The NYT has a piece about the origin of the term, and the current family's feelings towards our self-proclaimed mavericks running for high political office.
The term originated when Samuel Augustus Maverick of Texas refused to brand his cattle. Unbranded cattle, then, became known as "Mavericks." The term literally means "unbranded," from this origin. The Maverick family is still alive and well, living in San Antonio. But they are not Republicans. In fact, they are progressive liberals, and resent that John McCain and Sarah Palin have adopted the term. One member of the family fumes, "they are branded. They're Republicans." Just another Republican move pissing people off.
So there's your etymology lesson for today.

The Bar

The good news today is: two of my friends passed the Colorado Bar. And they are not two of the people who would be a shoe-in. One didn't take the main bar review course (and I'm not going to), and one was, well, sort of an underacheiver (like me!). Today is a reassuring day. If they can pass, I can pass too.

UPDATE: It turns out, my third friend did not pass the bar. And he is not an underachiever, and he did take the bar review course. This is not encouraging. Two of three is like University of Denver odds, and I go to CU. Which is supposed to have a very high bar passage rate. C'mon class of 2008, you're making me n-e-r-v-o-u-s.

Because it bothers me so much when people call it "expresso"

toothpastefordinner.com

Wedding update?

My current problem is the caterer, and the cake. Which, unfortunately, are two things I CANNOT do myself. Or I would commit suicide. Perhaps hire some girl scouts to get a baking badge in exchange for a wedding cake? Of the few caterers actually in Crested Butte, all of the few are rumored to suck in some way or another. Which is super.
On the upside, I have the invitations nailed (I'm doing them myself, and it STILL costs about $3.00 or so per invitation). Plus about 1/2 hour for each of the fucking things. Oh, but I love it. And oh, how I love spray adhesive. Lovely fumes.

David's Bridal

I'm in the process of trying to find a wedding dress, and I'd convinced myself I could do it on the cheap (you only wear the thing once, right?). Unfortunately, cheap meant I couldn't do an "eco" dress, but I relented on that point. Being budget-minded, I sucked it up and went to David's Bridal (too bad, reader, I can't type the apostrophe as a little heart), that strip-mall big-box bride factory. The nice lady at the "reception" desk assigned me to Cathy. Take a look, she said, and Cathy will be right with you. Shortly, a blonde Eastern European woman with imperfect English approached, so I told her I was Paris. "Do you want to schedule your pampering session now," she asks with a thick accent. This was not Cathy. This woman was going to make me submit to a "makeover" in which I leave looking like a circus clown. I declined, and she left.
Rex and I continued looking at dresses, finding most to be much the same, and nothing was particularly exciting, when Cathy finally approached. She grabbed one more dress and we were off to the fitting rooms.
Behind a fully-mirrored door was a fitting room like you'd expect at Wal-Mart, but smaller. At these places they always give you a "bra," which is more like a grandma's foundation garment from 1976. Cathy also furnished a slip (these dresses have, like, 10 layers of material. Do I really need a slip? How crappy are these things?), and told me to get moving. I put on the first dress, and walked out. Totally unremarkable, as you might expect. I tell Cathy that it's not really what I'm looking for, I'd really like x, y, and/or z features. "Brides, they always want something," she says. "Brides are so quirky." I'm a little put off by her snarkyness, after all, we are brides and it is our wedding dress. I go back in to try again. I tell her I really want a corset back. She says, you can have one put in, but it'll cost ya. Again, with that horrid snarky tone. Couldn't I just get a dress that already has one? No, I have to buy the ugly one she picked so she can sell me and move onto the next bride. While she saunters off to find another David's Bridal "creation," I quickly dressed and grabbed Rex. We ran, like we've never run before. David's Bridal is the Wal-Mart of bridal gowns, and since I don't even shop at Wal-Mart, can someone please tell me why I even went in there?
Worst shopping experience. Ever.

But it gets better. When we go outside, and a woman from a DARE tent approaches us, and says "doyouwanttobuyoneofthesebackpacksforunderprivelegedkids?" No, we say. "Butwe'retryingtogetridofalloftheseonthetablefor$20youcanbuyoneorallsix." No thanks, we say. "Mostpeoplebuyoneortwowouldyoulikeoneortwoorallofthemwetakecchecksorcreditcards." Now, it's time to just walk away. I do not want to buy a crappy clear plastic backpack with pencils in it for a kid in the ghetto. If I wanted to help a kid in the ghetto, I could think of a million better ways than that.
Get me the hell out of Westminster. The suburbs are so scary, I'm beside myself.

Jeopardy?

I just played water law jeopardy. And had cookies. School is better when you regress to second grade.

It makes the system go.
What is return flow?

Now you may have a cookie. There are enough for two per person. Don't be greedy.

WOO-frickin'-WHOO!

Not to get to excited, but I just saw that Obama has taken a real lead in the polls. Which is SO exciting. I saw this, of course, on the NY Times, which calls it a "significant" lead. That sounds good to me. Now I gotta go celebrate (maybe some champagne will kill this horrid cold?).

Just got back

Just got back from Texas. Partied myself REALLY sick at Austin City Limits Festival. It was SO SO SO awesome. Maybe I'll have some time for recapping, but probably not. Have a meeting tomorrow regarding all the work I've done on a BLM project. Except that I've not done a SINGLE thing yet. Get to be sick AND up all night. Yay!

At least someone is in charge!

A quote from Eve Ensler:

♫ "Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor. In her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The melting of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the pollution and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is fighting to take the polar bears off the endangered species list. The earth, in Palin's view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves and the bears are here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to be taken and plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As she said herself of the Iraqi war, "It was a task from God.""

Lucky for us that God is such a competent leader. If we just do nothing, God will take care of us.

Another terrific McCain plan!

The McCain-Palin health care plan would require employees to pay taxes on the value of health care provided by their employees. What's this about tax cuts? Oh, I get it. Cut = more.

Palin is on those substantive issues!

Listening to NPR this morning, a Libertarian Palin supporter called in to talk about all of the substantive issues that Palin is focused upon, naming among them that Palin is an admitted pot smoker. The caller said that because of her focus on such substantive issues, Palin is a great candidate for vice president, and the caller will be voting for the McCain/Palin ticket.

Yes. Pot smoking is a substantive issue that should help us determine who we vote for.

Hayley, on driving

I do have balls, but it's raining, and it's dark.

In response

Rex's response to my tweet:
Pirates don't get bored. They're pirates.

Is that true? Because maybe I want to be a pirate. I hear they're still pretty plentiful off the coast of Somalia.

Sex, drugs, and valuable minerals

Surprise of surprises -- there's corruption in our government! Okay, so you knew that (and, hopefully, that W is to blame). So the NY Times did an article about rampant ethics abuses in the Minerals Managing Service. Sound boring? Not to a nerd like me! As Erin put it: the Bush administration is in bed with the oil and gas companies . . . literally! She's right- the government employees were sleeping with the oil and gas execs. And doing a bunch of coke to boot (which they bought from their secretaries!). Yay Republicans!

If you like having your tax dollars at work for this stuff . . . vote John McCain!

The date.

I'm getting married. On 12 September, 2009. Hurrah!

If you have any skills that might be wedding-planning related, you could volunteer your help and I could promise something like a first born child? Or something? We're on a tight budget, so it's gonna be sort of a low-key DIY affair, but with at least most of the regular trimmings.

Republican National Convention (Part I)

Here are some of my observations from watching last night's RNC events on CNN:

Fred Thompson was talking about the “economic downturn” and how Obama wants to raise taxes during this time—wasn’t it McCain who said the economy was fine? So what’s this Republican talk suddenly about problems with the economy? Plus, Obama will only raise taxes on the rich folks who don’t notice the problems with the economy. Hypocrisy much?

Thompson also made a comment about how Republicans will protect newborns. What exactly is it that Democrats are doing to endanger newborn children? Encouraging infanticide?

I love that the Republicans complain that Obama is a “celebrity,” and that’s the only reason why he’s appealing to Democrats. But I put this to you—Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Ronald Reagan… Republicans LOVE celebrities. Where are all of the elected Democrat celebrities?

Another problem I have (though this is one you’ve heard over and over)—Obama’s inexperience is one of the most common reasons Republicans decry Obama. But Palin has WAY less experience. Somehow, when it’s a Republican, it doesn’t matter.

The audience tried to get a USA chant going, but Lieberman shut them down. When I was at the DNC, we chanted USA full-force, and no one stopped us. Who are the patriots now, I ask you?

I saw a sign in the audience that read “Democrots for McCain.” Seriously, if that’s evidence of your intelligence level, go right ahead. Because you don’t even know which way is up.

And here are a couple things gleaned from listening to NPR:

McCain badly wanted Lieberman for his running mate, but chose Palin because some Republicans were threatening to bring a competing nominee at the convention. He chose Palin only to avoid an insurrection at the RNC. Because the party is in enough trouble as it is.

How are you a huge supporter of family values when your teenage daughter is getting knocked up? If you were such a great mom, wouldn’t you be able to instill your values in your girl so that doesn’t happen? I thought only low-class welfare mothers got “knocked up.” Maybe they have a nicer term for it when it’s rich people?

Democratic National Convention

Thursday I had the great fortune to attend Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Stadium in Denver. I'll start by saying that yes, I was a Hillary supporter, but I (a while back) conceded the loss and am 100% behind Obama. He is a great politician and really will be an awesome President.

We got to the stadium at about 1:15 to make sure we wouldn't miss anything (though apparently we missed HUGE lines by arriving so early). Our seats were waaaaay up in the nosebleeds, but we were facing the stage and I can't complain. Besides, they had plenty of big screens. Yonder Mountain String Band was playing when we arrived, and played again after a couple-hour lapse in activity. Since I'm kind of a hippie, I love them and it was good entertainment. Then, around three o'clock will.i.am re-created his Obama endorsement video Yes We Can.

We went to get food, and I will complain about this. As someone who is relatively affluent, I can afford stadium food prices ($5 for a soda, and they claimed only to have large sizes). However, for Obama supporters who are not wealthy, a hot dog for $6 is a little steep. We were also told that we had to purchase water (not true, there are water fountains in public places like a stadium). Again, for someone on a low income, that is outrageous. Attendees were not permitted to bring in food or drink, including water. The campaign should have made some accommodation in this respect, because people need to eat over an eight hour period, and we spend a WHOLE LOT of $$$ on food.

Anywho, we got to see Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder play, and that was great. We saw Martin Luther King III speak, which was a treat. Lots of other politicians spoke too, but I'm only mentioning the highlights. Mark Udall is a favorite of mine, so it's always nice to see him speak. Al Gore gave a great speech, of course focused on the climate. All of the speakers gave wonderful endorsements of Obama, and the energy was great in the stadium.

Before Obama spoke, the campaign had a number of ordinary people come out and speak. Of note were those who were staunch Republicans, but because of the way the party treats the working man, they had jumped ship and were voting for Obama. All of these speakers were heartfelt, and it was emotional because they illustrated how the American people are suffering under the Bush Administration.

Obama himself was incredible. He really railed against McCain, which was a departure from his typically patient, reserved style. It was totally appropriate, and all the more effective because he had been so reserved--it didn't sound like the whining that Republicans say it is. As he harped on his policies, you couldn't help but nod your head and agree and cheer, because he is so on point. Obama knows what we need--new energy policies, the right to choice, economic fixes, lower taxes for the middle class, more higher education funding, better K-12 services, and so on and so on. When he was finished, and the fireworks started going off, there were tears in my eyes. It was so powerful, and the energy so incredible, that I couldn't help myself. This party is on the right track, and we need him so badly.

DNC!

I am going to the Obama acceptance speech at Invesco Field in Denver tomorrow. I got my grubby hands on two of those coveted community credentials because I have all the right connections (none of which can get me a job, but that's a different issue). And I am ridiculously excited.

It's not what you know, and I know Katie.

Seriously, a Band-Aid?

I ripped this off from my sister, but seriously? Band-Aids as a real, honest-to-god fashion accessory? In the world of U.S. high fashion, this is the next hot accessory/jewelry. I tell no lies, and they MUST be coordinated with your outfit and handbag. Even if you're a dude.

And I thought my engagement ring was pretty...should have asked for an engagement Band-Aid. THEN I'd be soooo cool.

Ever been a renter?

Then this should speak to you:


toothpastefordinner.com

Sneaky

My mom was in New York last week for a merchandise show, as she is twice a year. She likes to catch Broadway shows when she can, and if she can get a good deal on tickets, when she's in the Big Apple. A few years ago, she saw The Producers with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick for $100, a ticket that she scalped from some guy on the street (and she refused to pay more than face value, thank you very much). Last week, she went to check out Wicked, and found that tickets were $250 and up. So, she decided not to go. What she did do, however, was sneak into Mamma Mia. Not her first choice, but the theater was easier to sneak into. When the ushers busted her, and she admitted to not having a ticket, they escorted her to a seat where she watched the end of the first act and all of the second. I guess when there's a well-dressed 62-year-old lady sneaking in, you can't do much else, can you?

Gadget irony

I was reading this article about iPhones and other tech gadgets in classes, distracting students. While I am sitting in class. Surfing the internet on my laptop with wireless internet. Then, the irony of it struck me but also the inevitability.

Professors, it's inevitable. We cannot pay attention for more than 5 minutes, and if you're just gonna ramble on up there (for three and a half hours, in the case of this class), yes, we are going to take advantage of all that Steve Jobs and his cronies have given us.

No "poo"

Since I totally lack the ability to come up with my own subject matter, here is another post that I have ripped off from another blogger. At least I know Miss Grace personally.

A little while back, Miss Grace posted a link (here's Grace's post) about going shampoo-free, and as soon as I read it I was convinced. I have to admit that I avoid regular dish soapi and laundry detergent (with phosphates and so on) like the plague, but failed to think about the horribleness that is shampoo. So, I almost immediately went "no-poo" (almost because I was out of baking soda and had to trek to the store for some). I am so pleased! My hair feels perfectly clean, and I love not using shampoo (not least of all because I use the expensive kind, and it's, well, expensive). Baking soda works remarkably well, and I can't wait to try all the fun other stuff I can add, like chamomile and lavender.

On a side note, Rex is going "poo-free" with me, and I put the baking soda mix in a green shampoo bottle. Remembering that it was in the green bottle, he washed his hair with a large amount of Clinique face wash (I know, I need to get off that too. Any suggestions?). He didn't like it as well as the baking soda.

Every day I get a little more "hippie," and every day I love it more. My food is more expensive, but most other stuff is cheaper (like baking soda, tupperware rather than ziplocs, walking not driving, ...). I recommend hippie-ness whole-heartedly. But please, I think we should all continue to bathe (using water in your home is not actually very wasteful, most of it is recycled, and soon we'll all be drinking our used water, and so, yeah, please bathe).

Beef, humanely

I went vegetarian for a while, mostly for ethical reasons related to how our meat is raised. I've gone back to meat, and will admit that though I try to eat only ethical meat, on my budget I "cheat" way too frequently. My own hypocrisy aside, here is a post from the Daily Coyote about cows and grass-fed (and finished) beef, which is the only kind any of us should ever eat. Grass-fed, which is as opposed to grain-fed, means the cows have been out to pasture eating grass their whole lives (it must also be grass-finished, a cow can be grass-fed and then sent to a feedlot for "finishing," which defeats the whole purpose). Grain fed cattle are those from the infamous CAFOs, which are concentrated animal feeding operations. If you've ever driven through the Davis area in California, you've been by a CAFO. Cows are packed tightly and wallow in their own waste, being stuffed grain (which is not nearly as good for them as grass). The result is a cow inhumanely treated, and on the consumer end it is not only unethical but has 500 times the saturated fat of a grass-fed steer. Writing this is a good reminder to me how important it is to eat ethical meat. I am lucky because in Boulder, I have access to great beef at relatively affordable prices, and it's local to boot. I can also get it in several restaurants, which is a place where people tend to cheat the most when trying to eat ethically. You might not be as lucky, but not only are CAFOs inhumane, they contribute a remarkable amount to climate change--the methane emitted by cattle is toxic for the environment, and more potent that carbon dioxide in it's global warming ability. Grass-fed cattle don't release any less methane, but if we try to eat ethically, we tend to eat less meat, which is better, anyway.
Thanks to the Daily Coyote for posting about this (again), it's an issue I think about a lot.

Wasting my time....

Just had a job interview. They said, "your resume is very appealing," and sounded ready to offer me a job on the spot. For a job that I actually want. Then, I ask about salary. The job is unpaid. Thanks for your time, judges. On to the next thing. Maybe someone will decide one day that my law degree makes me deserving of a paycheck (however paltry, I'll take just about anything at this point).

My dancing grandma

She's 92...

Caffeine, my hero

I'm a coffee drinker. I'm one of those people who is utterly dysfunctional until I've had 16oz of strong coffee. I try to balance it with water, because I never manage to drink enough non-diuretic fluids, and am therefore constantly dehydrated. Or so I thought. Today, my favorite news source revealed that caffeinated beverages, unless they are extremely high in caffeine, count towards the body's need for hydration and are NOT diuretics (coffee's caffeine level is below the diuretic level). SERIOUSLY. Which means I can drink as much sweet, sweet coffee as I want and not feel guilty that I'm depriving my body of much needed water. Not only that, but the article touts several other POSITIVE (or neutral) health aspects of the glory beverage, debunking several myths about the tolls caffeine and coffee can take on one's health. So, I'm raising my mug in a toast to coffee. Starbucks, here I come.

I (sort of) got a job!

I got a job that will last about three weeks! I take an $8/hour pay cut from my last job, but it pays infinitely more than this one (which, if you didn't know, pays nothing). It's short term, but any money is better than no money. I get to work from home on my own schedule, so it's worth it for even a few bucks (and another line on my resume, which is proliferating by the minute). Plus, I learned how to sell my old casebooks on Half.com, and so have made a little dough that way. Things are starting to look up (and I'm starting to look around to see what else I can sell on the internet).

Status update?

Since I'm still out of a job (and in my last week at my unpaid position with EPA), I figured I better find SOMETHING to do with my time, so I decided to volunteer. I already do tours for the law school, but this week I agreed to serve as a bailiff for a capital murder trial. In Centennial. Almost 50 miles away. So I will be commuting almost 100 miles round trip to escort jurors to and from the courtroom. At least I'm a good citizen?

My affair with Chuck

So the pictures are two years old (it took Jodie that long to send them to me), but this is me in the throes of a love affair with a horse named Chuck. He has since retired, and I have had to begin a new affair (now with Badger and Ladago), but since Haze lost her camera, I don't have photos of that tryst. Jodie will have to take me riding again so that there can be photos of Haze on a horse...it's so damn adorable!

These photos were taken on a ride up to Jodie's cabin, out towards Paradise Divide, outside Crested Butte. The last photo is a spectacular shot of the divide.

Grandma gets struck (almost) by lightning

I went to visit my Grandma while I was home over the weekend, and if you've ever met her, you know that she's hysterical and entertaining, especially for a 92-year-old. In fabulous health, the woman is up-to-date on current events and has a razor-sharp wit. So while I'm visiting her, she asks if I've heard what happened to her and Martha the previous week. No, I tell her, I've not heard anything. I start to worry that it's something health-related, because 92 is pretty old.
Grandma embarks on a story about how Martha came by one evening wanting Grandma to go with her to Sonic to get a hot dog. Grandma agreed to go along for the ride in Martha's Crown Victoria, even though she'd already eaten. Off to Sonic they went, and Martha got her hot dog and Grandma a strawberry milkshake, and they headed for home where they were going to enjoy their treats in front of Martha's telly.
On the short drive home, the weather quickly turned ugly. It got windy, started to rain, and the next thing the old ladies knew they saw a bolt of lightning strike a tree, split it in half, and half of the tree came crashing down on top of the Crown Vic. Martha hit the brakes, and a man came running out of his house to see if they were all right.
What he saw was two old ladies, stunned silent in the Crown Vic, one holding a hot dog and the other a pink milkshake, with the car all beat to hell from the half-tree that was on top of it. The ladies didn't want to open the door for want of getting shocked should the car be charged, so the nice man cleared his way to the door and opened it. Both ladies were unhurt (thank goodness), and still had their Sonic foodstuffs. The mental image I get of this event is just outstanding.
Well, the insurance company won't fix Martha's car. They called it "an act of God," which for the most religious woman I've ever met, just seems too cruel. She's elderly and godly, for Chrissakes just fix the damn car!
At least God didn't want to hurt the old ladies, just the old Crown Victoria.

Trying hard

Well, I'm still unemployed (unless you count the 10 hours a week that I pay $20/hour to work), and still desperate for paid employment. Hell, I'd probably babysit for my old price of $2 per kid per hour if someone asked. Except that I probably shouldn't be left alone with children...
But I digress. In my unemployment, I have decided to attempt to better myself in some way, and given that I am now a size 16 (almost), and with zero income can't really afford new clothes, let alone new suits, losing weight seems like a great idea. Plus, I'm already verging on scary hippie-dom with my refusal to use plastic bags and use of public transport (which, like Jenny says, is miraculous), love for all things organic and free of scariness like trans fats, hydrogenated whatnot, and high-fructose corn syrup, and so on.
My mom gave me this book, Ultrametabolism, by Dr. Mark Hyman, and it seems so soundly based in science and not fad-like and all that I couldn't put it down. I even tried to give up caffeine for a week, but when I had to drive 200 miles to Crested Butte I decided that I would be a danger to myself and others without at least 16 ounces of coffee. So. I lasted 7 days without caffeine, which I think is still pretty remarkable.
Anyway, the diet is based essentially on the principles of whole foods and the Mediterranean diet with healthy fats and so on. For over a week, I have avoided gluten and dairy (done so that one can determine if one has any allergies to these commonly irritating foods). I eat only whole grains (not even whole-grain wheat, though), which is how I discovered amaranth. I use soy milk rather than the cow kind, and have discovered that it is SO delicious. Unfortunately, I am now hooked on $4 iced soy lattes, but what with my income that should be no problem... I still eat out plenty, and have found that vinegar alone is just about the most delicious salad dressing I have ever had. I'm not kidding, and it doesn't even matter what kind of vinegar it is. I'd pretty much kill for cheese, but if I can last two weeks of the recommended three without, I'll still feel like a success. I have lost about 2 lbs in the first week, and feel good about being so good to my body.
Another think I love about Dr. Hyman's plan is that he urges consumption of only organic fruits and vegetables, and grass-fed range meats. Did you know that a feed lot steer has 500 times the saturated fat of a grass-fed range steer? That is not a typo. Healthier AND good for the environment! Cows are still bad, but they are less bad when sustainable grazing practices are implemented. Also, organic grains are really cheap at Whole Foods, and so what could be better? The diet fits with my understanding of what my body wants and urges people to be more eco-friendly (it's also much healthier for you to eat organic etc.), and so far I think it's pretty awesome. So cross your fingers for me that I can fit into my suits...I'll never get a job if I show up in elastic-waisted capris and a baggy shirt!

Obama strikes out again

What I didn’t like about Obama was his constant promising that we would have CHANGE!!!! Well, of course we need change in this country. Change I can believe in, even. But I want real change, not empty statements of policy that sounds great but that may not be achievable. In her campaign, Hillary could back up all of her numbers and financial proposals, which I loved. Now, Obama’s promise for health care savings may not be all the “change” he has promised. The NYT says that of the money Obama has said we’ll save ($2,500 for a family of four, per year), most of that savings will be by the employer, not the employee. It breaks down to roughly ¼ of that amount to be saved by the family itself, with the remainder of savings going to the business. Yet Obama routinely promises that a family will save $2,500 a year in premiums. This seems misleading, if you ask me. Furthermore, analysts are now saying that it’s not clear that such savings can even be achieved in the time he has promised, with some saying it’s like waiting for pigs to fly. I am, once again, disappointed in this “change I can believe in.”

A is for Amaranth

Amaranth, a “golden seed” that was apparently very popular in times past (way past), is double delicious! I understand that it’s making a comeback as people start avoiding trans-fats and hydrogenated-this and partially hydrogenated-that. In my quest to do just that, and eat more “whole” foods, I came across a recipe for Apple-Walnut Amaranth. I bought some in bulk from Whole Foods, and after mixing one cup of the golden seeds with three cups of plain soy milk, one diced, cored apple and a dash of cinnamon, and boiling and then simmering (covered) for half an hour, I can’t keep my hands off the pot! It’s delicious, kind of like cream of wheat in texture, but better and way more delicious. I would HIGHLY recommend amaranth to anyone looking for something to add to their kitchen repertoire. Amaranth is amazing!

Indulging my desires to eat and complain in one fell swoop!

Don't yell at me for last time. Try this.

More whining

I know you’re sick of hearing me whine about not having a job, but that’s all I got going right now.

Currently: I am paying $20/hour to work (yes, that’s the reverse of how it’s supposed to be). I go to the law school, the one to which I pay ever-increasing tuition plus $20/hour for my job at EPA, in order to search for jobs. However, lately the internet rarely works at the law school that is causing my debt to balloon, so I can’t even use the career development website or use other online resources in my job search. Might I point out that everything is on the internet these days, which is why I take the time to come to the school for my job search—so that I can use the magical World Wide Web. Which is so much less magical when it only contains the page “Problem loading page.” I can’t even check my damned email, and I would be screaming at the top of my lungs were I not in the library with someone working at the table behind me.

Note: I’m writing this in a Word document, because I can’t get online. No email, no blogging, and no productivity. I might cry, because it’s costing me a fortune to do nothing. No income = big financial problems (for very obvious reasons).

Impending Weekend

I've been bad about posting because all I do is stress about not having a job (and trying to find one, which I spend many hours doing). As it turns out, there is nothing interesting in the NYT for me to add either, which doesn't help matters.
BUT, it's Friday, and I'm having a cocktail party tomorrow! I know you're dying to know, so I'll reprint my menu here:

• Portable caprese salad
• Rumaki
• Warm goat cheese on toasted baguette with bread crumbs and olive oil
• Bruschetta, with my homemade tapenade
• Little pizza bianca
• Cosmopolitans

See, now I bet you wish you could come. It's going to be Loki's coming out party...
I got a kitten two weeks ago, so that makes things vveeerrryy interesting around the house. His name is Loki, and he is a charmer/total terror (or, perhaps, "contriver of all fraud?").

'Tis not the best photo of the li'l guy, but the rest are being held hostage on my camera (until I get around to uploading them, I'm VERY lazy about this). Lucy's not nuts about him, although she has started doing this thing where she pins him down while he cries and licks him, and I think it's some kind of mothering-type activity (I hope). Otherwise, they wrestle, or fight, if you're not as optimistic as I am about their relationship.
That's about all the news I have. I have to get home and tend to my raging kitten and his less-than-thrilled-about-the-baby fellow cat. Aren't you so jealous of my life? Unemployed with cats?

Some fun math

An idea of my monthly expenses:
Rent: $1100 (for both me and Rex)
Car Insurance: $80
Energy Bill: $75
Gas: ...
Food: ...

My monthly income (combined, with Rex's): $0

Someone please tell me: how does this work?

Yes, I have student loans. No, they do not cover the cost of living. Plus it's summer, where they are particularly paltry (read: gone by July 1).

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I need a job! The thing is, employers expect law students to work for free, which presents a problem that would have been nice to know about before going to law school: you have to be wealthy to attend, otherwise you will be poorer than before you began. I thought I would go to law school to make more money than my pitiful post-college job paid, but it turns out that I am making less. A lot less. So much for that bright idea.

Separation of Church and State, anyone?

I am strongly opposed to any shift away from the separation of church and state as it was intended. Which is to say, I think that the separation should remain (nay, be more so) clearly demarcated with no blurring of the lines. Giving federal funds to faith based groups is, to me, an evangelical right-wing conservative action, one that I think other liberals like myself abhorred when Bush proposed more of it. Luckily, he proposed such action but it never really took root--it was one of those things designed to appease his evangelical constituents but lacking any cognizable result. Unfortunately, Obama announced that he supports this program and intends to expand what Bush started. While Mr. Obama assures the American people that there will be checks on the system to ensure that the line between church and state doesn't become too blurred, I think that this is a truly awful stance. I thought that Obama was nominated to be the Democratic nominee. So why is he proposing that our federal government utilize religious groups to perform the work that would otherwise be performed by state run agencies? It is not just the addition of religious programs, it is giving the money that could otherwise go to existing state programs, to religious ones. If we didn't have state run programs, and it would be too onerous to create them, I might understand. But shifting activity from government to churches when we clearly have the programs in which this activity could be improved? That I have a problem with. A BIG problem.

I want to be www.paris.paris

Icann, the Internet gods, decided to add more suffixes for web addresses (to expand on the familiar .com and .org). Paris, France is the home of Icann, and they want to add .paris to the system. If they add a .paris web address, I vote that I should get to have the web address www.paris.paris. Wouldn't that be awesome? My computer even just turned that address into a link automatically--like it was meant to be.

If I can't see it, it's not there.

EPA decided to classify GHGs as a pollutant, pursuant to Massachusetts v. EPA, the April 2007 case that required the EPA to determine whether or not they are. This is, of course, the only logical decision. If you don't think that GHGs are a pollutant (defined as "endangering the public health or welfare), then you are a moron and surely voted for Bush. Twice. Well, it would be a giant leap in the right direction for EPA to make this decision, except that the Bush Administration refused to open the email containing the decision. In refusing to do so, it has de facto refused to accept the ruling, and so it doesn't matter. This is really how it works? If I don't read the email, it didn't happen? So now EPA will go back and write another memo that doesn't come to a conclusion as to whether or not GHGs are pollutants for purposes of the Clean Air Act; it will just review some science and say the evidence is incomplete (along the lines of, we're not sure about climate change/global warming, the science is inconclusive). Stevens is gonna be so pissed.

I'm tenacious!

I was just called a tenacious researcher, AND got an extension on the deadline for this horrifically in-depth research project. Yay!

Update: I just deleted the document with ALL of my tenacious work from today. Almost 4 hours worth of research. Because I am on a secure network and it didn't just go to my recycle bin, it may be irretrievable. Feeling less tenacious as I wait for IT to call me back...

Tidbits from Monday night television

I have to admit to watching too much television. It's still far less than the average American, but for someone who watched little or none for about 10 years...well, American television is pitiful in any amount (for the most part). There were, however, a few choice morsels:

"You pretty much told me my penis would shrink if I didn’t eat organic food."

"That’s not bickering, that’s being a good friend!" [From Bones]

And from Fox News: (Yes, I watched some Fox News. I haven't sprouted horns. Yet.)

Stunted growth—usually used to refer to a failure to grow to full height. On Fox News? It means being killed. “A 21-month-old who’s growth was stunted when he was killed.” Well yes, growth does tend to cease at death.

A message to my sister

Sister,
I hereby publicly shame you for the utter lack of updating on your blog. How am I supposed to get though classes and studying without the distraction? That is all, kthxbye.
Love,
your sister

State of the what?

I go to school in a brand new, state-of-the-art law school building(CU's Wolf Law Building, it's supposed to be super cutting edge and all). This sign just appeared in the library ladies room:

"Sensitive Plumbing... [you know how it goes]"

We don't even have low-flow toilets. They are NEW, REGULAR, COMMERCIAL fixtures. Methinks someone cut corners on construction (the fact that roof tiles were falling off all last year is another key indicator. They are redoing the entire roof, just a year and a half into this puppy. Aren't buildings supposed to last longer than that?).

Educational Post

more cat pictures

Obama is really earning my support...

Naturally, I would support Obama in the fall either way, but he really is an appealing candidate for a number of reasons. Here is an article that outlines his attitude towards absentee fathers, with a nod to domestic violence problems and poor parenting in general. I agree so completely with this stance, and am SO pleased that our nominee is urging us to take strides to improve some of these social problems. Social problems are huge in this country, and far too often overlooked.

Aura Migraines

Doesn't this sound fun:

"It is usually a visual symptom, such as an arc of sparkling (scintillating) zig-zag lines or a blotting out of vision or both. But any other brain-related symptom may occur, such as numbness of one side of the face and hand, weakness, unsteadiness, or altered consciousness." (from here)

I get all of these symptoms, severely, when I have an aura migraine. I had my second one yesterday, and while I was experiencing "blotting out of vision" I was at the EPA office in downtown Denver. Nausea and "weakness, unsteadiness, [and] altered consciousness" set in as I was waiting for the bus back to Boulder, and then I had to take another bus home. I saw a friend, and when she asked how I was, my reply was: "good, well, actually I'm hallucinating. But I'm fine, I just feel like I'm on drugs. How are you?" I think I freaked her out.

The first time I had an aura migraine, Rex thought I was having a stroke. So he took me to the emergency room, where I lost some speech functionality, and over and over "thank you" came out as "yank you," no matter how hard I tried to say "t." I kind of hoped I'd never have another one, but now I'm having what I like to call the aura hangover, which is like a mild aura migraine for days (or weeks) after the original. Doctors have never heard of this phenomenon, but in the interest of not being a medical mystery and not being able to afford more doctors, I've decided that it's nothing to worry about. In the meantime, cheers to a few days of "altered consciousness!"

By the by, most information and doctors indicate that aura precedes a migraine. For me, the aura is mostly all I get. There's some headache, but it's simultaneous, the aura lasts hours (rather than the usual 1/2 hour-hour), and there's no real migraine afterwards. Does anyone know more about this type of aura phenomenon? I don't really like disabling visual and tactile hallucinations that render me unable to work.

My grandma's heart

My grandma has congestive heart failure. Granted, she's 92, but she's always been in excellent health. No one called to tell me, and she was in the hospital Monday and Tuesday. I guess it can be treated, and she'll probably be fine (other old-age notwithstanding), but it's making me sad. I love my grandma a whole lot, and I'm not ready. I want her to see me get married to the boy that she keeps threatening to steal from me she likes him so much.

We ALL need a vacation

So it's a major long shot, but there is a plan to introduce new legislation next year that would require Americans to get paid vacation time. Not only that, but three weeks of paid vacation time. Every year. It's still less than other industrialized nations, and we are currently the only industrialized nation with no paid vacation, but it would seem so outrageously generous to overworked Americans. Of course, the downside is that the legislation is not expected to even come close to passing. It's a nice thought, though.

Here is the NYT article that mentions the legislation and talks about the benefits of vacation. As though we didn't know.

My Ethics Class is Bulls***, Conclusion

Remember the horrid ethics class? If not, you can look here and here and here. I just discovered (thanks to the wonder of public information) that the awful professor makes $174K per year. He's one of the highest paid professors at the law school. How? Why? Just like in corporate America, compensation in the higher education system does not reflect actual ability to perform one's job. Now I feel more ripped off than ever that I had to take that class from PW.

Last day...

It’s my last day at the dreaded job. See here for more on why it’s not my favoritest place to be for 8 hours a day. So, I’m pretty excited, but still have to go to this staff meeting. Whereupon, the bosses make an announcement that it’s a sad day because I’m leaving, which is an awfully nice sentiment. The big head boss-man even said the following:

“Don’t stray too far from the mothership...tell [the new job] you may need to come back to your roots.”

My job is a mothership, and better yet, a mothership in which I have roots. That’s some imagery. Plus, they want me to come back! Do you hear that? Come back to the job that I have publicly loathed and disdained for weeks on end. That’s how much I rock. Not that I would necessarily want to (though I LOVE most of the people I work with), but I could.

On a less happy note, I am currently in limbo with an undiagnosed “medical condition.” That phrase sounds so horrid and scary, but that’s what they call it. It’s making me gain weight at a rate probably only matched by a pregnant blue whale. And I’m just guessing, but they must blow up pretty heavy pretty quick, right? Either way, you get the idea.

The Democrats need to get smarter

We have blundered, big time. I don't think Obama can beat McCain in the fall, and several months back the Democrats were a sure thing. It's not clear that Hillary would beat McCain either, so we totally effed ourselves. Here's what's scaring me today--blue collar workers support Hillary, not Obama. Which means that they are somewhat likely to defect to the Republican side in the fall. I think that blue collar workers are more likely than other groups (such as educated white women like myself) to switch sides. If you're following me, you'll see the scary risk that lots of Democrats will jump ship, making our case even more sketchy in November than it already is.
Where did we go wrong? We probably shouldn't have focused so much on what we each wanted as Democrats. We should have focused on who could beat McCain, or any Republican (because smart Democrats would have taken this route long before McCain was the presumptive nominee). But, we're not smart Democrats, and we all fought bitterly amongst ourselves to get our favorite candidate with no regard whatsoever for who could win. Effectively, I think we handed the next four years to the Republicans, and we did it with gusto. Bravo, Democrats, bravo. Y'all suck (myself included).

My friend and his band, because he IS a rockstar

My friend CV, also known as Mr. Van Nasty, is in a band. You don't care, you say? Everyone is in a band, or wants to be, or dreams of being a rockstar? Yes, that may be true, but my friend had a sold out show. His band is called Level 12, and you really should check them out here. Besides, if my friend becomes famous, I get to be his #1 groupie, which means he supports me as my sugar daddy. But we still get to see other people. It's a beautiful arrangement, you see. So go on, take a listen. And if you're in the East Bay area, go to one of their shows. Because once he's famous, I benefit, and that is surely what you want.

My sister, the comic genius

"And then I ate my guilt sandwich, and was like, *groan*"

Heehee

Where Are The Dogs Humping.com

I HATE MY JOB

Let me just repeat, I HATE MY JOB. I used to love this job, it was awesome, I was very autonomous, it was flexible, and I felt appreciated. Now, I no longer have any autonomy, the flexibility has become rigid, and the appreciation evaporated. It's the group, not me, causing these things, so at least I know I'm not a total failure. A month ago, I was in charge of both our volunteers (15 of them) and our publications/printed materials. Now I'm doing internet research that a monkey could do. I did NOT come to law school to research S&P's 599, or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. I want to be an environmental lawyer, not a stock analyst. And yet... I really just want to cry I am so frustrated, because essentially these guys have totally screwed me, but I still have to give them my time. And I don't even get anything out of it, because I work for work study, which is money that I could just get as loans if I didn't have to sit here deciding what financial information I think should be a part of the interface that we use to analyze corporate pledges. I AM NOT A MONKEY, but I sure feel like one. Also, my total inability to stand up for myself and tell them that I don't really like being treated like a chimp (or chump, whatever you prefer) doesn't help.

The Great Sand Dunes

Spent the weekend down at the Great Sand Dunes, camping and playing and just generally having a good time. I'd just like to recount a couple of the highlights:

- After passing a large sign reading "Point of No Return" and telling drivers that high-clearance vehicles with 4WD only should pass the parking lot at that point, a not-so-bright middle aged man continued on in his low-clearance 2WD minivan. He got stuck. And therefore blocked the road. His wife/some woman with him proclaimed about the sign that was directly applicable to her, "yeah, but even then..." No, lady, not even then. Obey the sign telling you to stop and avoid making a long line of 4WD cars wait for you to dig your idiot asses out. This scenario became funny when the two children, tagging along with angry stuck-daddy said, "Dad, why don't we use four wheel drive?" It appears that the children could read even though dad could not. Dad replied, angrily, "we don't own four wheel drive." Yes, that's why they put up the "Point of No Return" sign-- so that you would know to stop.

- Once past the stuck minivan on our way to the dunes, a man leaning against his Durango flagged us down. AL rolled down his window, and the guy says, "there's a lot of, uh.... sand up there." We were driving to the sand dunes, and were about 100 yards away at that point. Yes, sir, there is a lot of sand at the Great Sand Dunes. Thanks for the most helpful advice.
-The Murder Chop House, aka the bathroom in an old train car. Three stalls. One nailed shut. At one point, one was operable. At another point, zero were. If we pay for bathrooms at the campground, it's helpful if we don't have to pee on the floor. Good news was, we could just pee in the woods.

-Pancakes fried in butter. I will be making these every chance I get.

-And, of course, hiking the dunes. But really, running all the way down.

Obama the "apostate"

From my favorite source, the NYTimes, an op-ed piece about Obama's Muslim heritage. It's a really interesting lesson in Muslim culture and how it could affect Obama should be be elected as our President. You have to read the whole piece--halfway through you kind of feel like it's just another Obama-bashing article (especially if you link to it from my site!), but that's not all there is to it. It's just an interesting tidbit I hadn't thought about.

Here's the gist: Obama was born to one Christian parent and one Muslim, but apparently there is no such thing as "half-Muslim," it's simply not permitted. Anyway, Obama renounced his Muslim roots in favor of the Christian side, and is wholly Christian (we know this--remember Reverend Wright?). Well, under Muslim law, renouncing the Muslim religion is punishable by death (it's worse than murder, and murdering an apostate as they are called is not a punishable offense at all). The point is that Obama would probably not be able to travel to areas of the world with Muslim populations, because Muslims are essentially under an obligation to kill him. Islamic security guards couldn't even do their job, because it would be contrary to their religion. So, the idea that having Obama for our President would elevate the status of the United States in the minds of Muslim countries is probably false, and in fact, it may just have the opposite effect.

A weekend of NOT being in Boulder

Rex and I are going on vacation. Given our extremely limited budget, we are only going about 50 miles away. BUT, we get to stay in a hotel. Which is INCREDIBLY exciting. We get to stay in this little charmer of a room--with an in-room jacuzzi! Thank goodness for a few days off to do absolutely whatever I want, which will probably include mostly nothing plus a little time in the jacuzzi. And eating.

The NYT does NOT like Augusten today

I finally got around to perusing the New York Times today, because I am utterly sick of studying. One of their writers reviewed Augusten Burroughs' new book, a memoir about his father. Man oh man, did she hate this book. You might take a stop by the NY Times to read it, because she slams the hell out of him and it's actually kind of interesting to read. I, for one, will still be buying his book in hardcover. I actually liked Possible Side Effects and Magical Thinking, even though the reviewer says they were about nothing. That's the problem with book reviews--what you like is just that, a subjective preference. Though I have found spectacular reading material by following the New York Times' advice--maybe I'll hate A Wolf at the Table. Maybe I love anything that's not a casebook. Maybe you don't care. Now I'm just rambling to avoid studying the Clean Air Act anymore, because I am tired of reading about what the Administrator shall do. Even though he never does, because he's a government employee. Just like I might be one day.

Remember when?

Remember when I used to have time to read the news and then tell you what you should be reading from NYTimes.com? Remember? I don't. Now it's all just library, library, library. On the upside, I've finished three finals. Only two more. Plus a 30 page paper. Oh how fun it is to be me.

Also on the upside of things, I have an interview with EPA on Monday. The job doesn't pay, but I hear that they are great to work for. Imagine me, a government worker (or slave--isn't that what you are if you don't get paid?). It's pretty much the last thing I would have thought of, but I also never thought I'd be a lawyer. Back to the downside, I'll have a 45 minute commute each way, and if you know me, you know that if I can't walk there I'm probably not going. Unless it's shopping or eating, but a job is neither.

Wouldn't you like to be me?

Another update on what I'm doing right now. You voyeur. I'm sitting at school (not in the library, that closes at 10), with my sunglasses on because my eyes hurt from the florescent lights and staring at my computer, drinking vodka and 7Up out of my coffee cup. I have been at school for 11 1/2 hours, and was here for 12 hours yesterday. This is what it's like to be in law school, I tell you. I don't even know what "outside" looks like anymore. I don't even leave to eat--Rex goes out for food and brings it back to me, and he feeds the cat, and does all those things I would do if I wasn't a law student. Or at least, if I wasn't a total nutjob.

Domestic Geek-ery

They make a washing machine and dryer in one now! I know, I know, you're thinking that two can't fit into one, that's why two was invented, and if you put two into one it would overflow. But you'd be wrong! It's not a stackable unit (I was looking for those 'cause they say that's all will fit in our new palace), it's actually one machine that's BOTH! If you don't believe me, it's here. Plus, it's not just a hideous ugly white box. Appliance appearance is important to me, I am just that vain.

Marathon studying

I have been at the library for over 5 hours, and have moved once to go to the bathroom. My eyes feel like they are going to start bleeding. There's no end in sight. This is what law school finals do to a person--I was not known to ever even go to the library in college, let alone stay there.

Turns out, the library closes at 10, and I wrote the above at 9:09. Since I was nowhere near finishing my mountain of work, I was a little worried. Luckily, once you're in the building, you can stay here ALL NIGHT! Thanks, mr. friendly law school security guard!

12:31 a.m.: finally time to go home. More than 8 hours of straight studying. Well, almost. Stamina was radically improved by Provigil and a jumbo bottle of wine.

My birthday wish list

My three favorite authors are all coming out with new books between now and my birthday. If you want to be my favorite person, you could buy them for me! 'Twould be a terrific little birthday package; containing one, two, or ALL THREE. They are: Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey, A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs, and When You are Engulfed by Flames, David Sedaris. I will read them promptly, whilst ignoring my two jobs and summer school work.

Onion Article

Funny article in the Onion about the tall black man (as Robbie calls him): here.

A sign I saw today

Walking down the hall of my liberal law school today, I spied the following on a sign:
"Being a victim is a choice. Don't make it yours."
And it was signed by some group advocating concealed weapons. Apparently, if you don't carry a concealed weapon, you are a victim. Better yet, you have chosen to be a victim. But if you carry a gun, you will not be a victim. Which is funny, because I was under the (apparently mistaken) impression that those who own guns are more likely to be shot in a robbery etc. Boy, those right-wingers must be right. I'ma go git me a gun, so's I don't have to choose to be a victim. If owning a gun means that I won't get raped (surely the guy wanting to mug me/rape me/rob me will just know that I'm packing heat, and he won't bother me). Also, when they see my car parked on the street and think of stealing it, they'll just somehow know that it's owner has a gun and will track them down and shoot them, and my car won't get stolen. Deterrence, I tell ya.

I need a job

Two months ago I told my bosses that I would be graduating in December. Both indicated informally that they would very much like to hire me, and I know that I'm a favorite there. So, I figured I had a job post-graduation, especially since they didn't bother to get back to me more formally for two months, and everyone NEEDS A JOB. Today, boss #1 calls me into his office to say, "We can't afford to hire you when you graduate. But we really really like you and wish we could. Also, please do all of this sh** before the event tomorrow." I agreed to work for the place all summer on the assumption that I'D HAVE A JOB when I graduate. Because in the law world, the place you work in the summer is the place you usually work when you graduate, as they've tested you out. Now, I have a summer job and therefore can't get "tested" by another place that might actually hire me. Did I mention that I'll be graduating with a mortgage? That I have to pay each month? "Adam mentioned to us that he'd want to work here a year and a half ago." I didn't work for the place a year and a half ago, so how could I have mentioned it to them then that I would want to stay on after graduation?

The Butte

Crested Butte has just set a new all-time record for snowfall. Four hundred eighteen inches. More is on the way. This is crazyness! There is such a thing as too much snow, and this is it. My mother has started trying to melt it with a space heater outside. The motivation is partly to protect the building, but partly because she is ready to hibernate till it's all gone. And that's not practical.

Wish me luck...

I need all the good juju I can get...I'm negotiating a contract to BUY PROPERTY. And I want LOTS of seller credits so that I can get all the good upgrades.

Native Americans' "Plight" of drug abuse

I mean "plight" in the best of ways, and don't know how better to phrase it. You may have imagined that I am referring to alcoholism, but I am in fact referring to drug addiction, namely heroin, in particular. This post is based, as they often are, on a NY Times post about the excessively high numbers of addicted people on an Indian reservation in New Mexico (in the study of the West, we do call them Indians, I know it seems/is politically incorrect, but it could also be un-PC to say Native American in this circle). It's striking to me because most articles are about alcoholism or addiction in general, but this high number of opiate/heroin addicted American Indians in one place is striking, especially to someone so obsessed with such things (me). This country has little or no resources to really deal with the drugs/drug problems that we have, but we fight one that locals in the area proclaim to help to some degree: Narcan. Narcan is a drug that helps in the event of an overdose of heroin, and can thereby save lives in the absence of EMS or other medical personnel. Granted, it can be argued that a drug that can save an overdosee abets drug abuse, but I argue that it is for the best. Drug abuse is a disease (yes, I subscribe to that philosophy, after reading hundreds and hundreds of pages on the subject), and anything we can do to help is GOOD. The argument that a drug that saves people from overdose is bad is fatally flawed; those overdosing need help and are more likely to seek it after such a close call. The other situation is that they are still using (having not overdosed) or are dead. The argument that they are better off dead is heartless. Just imagine your brother/sister/mother/father/uncle/aunt/cousin/best friend as the addict. I promise if it was them you'd care, and agree with me.

My blog is boring?

Well, I suppose it doesn't matter if my blog is boring because it is my own, unadvertised, personal ranting space. So, I can put whatever I want on it. If you think it is boring or that it sucks, you probably should spend your time reading one of the tens of millions or billions of websites that exist merely for your pleasure. For those of you who have continued reading, I support Hillary, like extremely few television shows (watch most I like on DVD), have a fabulous kitty, am loved by a fabulous boy, enjoy [often unsuccessful] gardening, and drink too much. Like right now. This post has no content whatsoever.

Editor's note: I say that my blog is boring of my own volition, not because someone accused me of it! But feel free to accuse away, I'll just defend that it's MINE. Classic good sharing language. Most of this makes no sense. Again, my prerogative.

Augusten Burroughs

I got to see my favorite author of all time (aside from a few other all-time favorites) speak at CU with his brother, John Elder Robison. How the Cultural Events Board scored them as speakers in a run-down ballroom, I'll never know, but I was so giddy with delight that I sat (nearly) still for 2 and a half hours, which is definitely a personal record. The best part was that they took audience questions. So, I went up to the microphone and waited my turn. When it came, I said, "Mr. Burroughs, do you still retain your affinity for foil and other shiny things?" And he replied, "Yes, yes I do." To make it even better, John Elder threw in and said, "Well that's a novel question!" I was giddy once more, and if I do say so myself, it was the best question anyone asked all night.

America doesn't do drugs

Tuns out, if you're British and you've been convicted of a crime involving drugs (or anything else that implicates moral turpitude, a phrase that governs lawyers too and that I hate), you will not be permitted to enter this country without a visa. Brits can typically come to the states without one (just like we can go there without one). But they are literally turned away at the U.S. airports at which they land if they have drug convictions, or if they simply admit to having been a drug addict at one point. I get that we want to protect our country from villains and the like, but this is silly and absurd. Just because a person has done drugs, we turn them away. Murder, by the way, is not a crime involving moral turpitude, so I assume that convicted murderers in without a question. Because they're less dangerous? A British memoirist, who was arriving at Newark to attend a book party and book tour to promote his book, was deported straight away for this reason. I guess we'd rather get rid of him than read a book?

Lunch with the ducks

Well, that irritating girl (see below) may have almost ruined my morning, but Rex just said that we can have lunch by the pond and feed pizza crust to the ducks and/or geese. Now it's a GREAT day! I just have to wait until lunch time...
Here's a picture Rex made in anticipation of this terrific event:
It makes me smile so big my cheeks hurt. See, we're sharing pizza with the duck, and holding hands. Yay.

Sometimes, I just can't like everyone

Most law students are hideously irritating people, so it should come as no surprise that I wanted to shove pencils in my ears this morning. There's this girl in my administrative law class, and I don't know her name, but I was sitting here thinking about how annoying she is and how much I detest her, when she began to speak. The following ensues:
Annoying girl (AG): The people at Starbucks always make fun of me for ordering child size drinks.
Me (interjecting, OBVIOUSLY not thinking): You could order a short, which is what they call it.
AG (suddenly very agitated): I DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO LEARN A NEW VOCABULARY TO ORDER A DRINK AT STARBUCKS, AND I THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE OF THEM TO EXPECT ME TO.
Me (trying to calm down the crazy): Oh, well, 8 ounces is a traditional size for a cup of coffee (?).
And in my head: Holy god woman, if you hate it so much, why do you go there enough to know a guy who "always" makes fun of you for ordering child size? You don't have to like Starbucks and you certainly don't have to go there, they sell coffee lots of places. And you exaggerated by saying "the people at Starbucks always make fun of me" because you then gave away that it's one guy. Anyway, my strategy for dealing with places that I really don't like is to NOT GO THERE, if I can help it. And there is a coffee shop INSIDE THIS BUILDING, and it's not Starbucks. Like they say in the law, vote with your feet (and leave).

Transgender...gaining acceptance?

This is an incredibly long article about transgender and other gender identity issues (it occurs to me that the clinical term is gender identity disorders, but disorder sounds so wrong), but it's definitely worth reading. The article highlights the fact that, at least in some circles, the notion of fluid gender identities are acceptable or gaining acceptance. The article is touching and gave me chills--this is an issue that we have been tragically slow to accept, and that has caused a lot of suffering from our ignorance. While I post this article because I see it as somewhat encouraging, the article points out that employment discrimination laws in this country persist in excluding gender identity as a protection in seeking and maintaining employment. We may be on the path to acceptance, but we've got a long way to go.

Cute + Cuddly Article, to brighten things up a bit...

It's real because it was on CNN: A dolphin rescued whales from beaching themselves! It's too cute for words. This should break up the cynical, perpetually bitchy tone of my blog a little. Makes me want a pet dolphin...or perhaps a whale.

LOL Cats

You know those awful LOL Cats that I have a propensity to post? Because they are so irresistible? It turns out, I Can Has Cheezburger is an award winning website. Stunning. Sometimes I hate the world, and sometimes I love it. Today, I love it. If other intelligent, educated people read it, then dammit, so can I. Though, I suppose, I would anyway.

My Ethics Class is Bulls***, Part III

Today's topic: What makes good people do bad things. Is this really what I came to law school to learn? Really? Because I thought I came here to learn law, not psychology. If I wanted to study Zimbardo and his Stanford Prison Experiment, I would have studied psychology. Oh wait, I already did. But today, I get to study psychology. In law school. By reading blogs, because that is where the professor gets a majority of our readings. Psychology from the blogs. Now that's what I call not-a-waste-of-time-at-all-not-even-a-little-bit.

Obama's "Change"

So you know how Obama's campaign is all about "change we can believe in?" And how those of us who believe in Hillary are critical of it for being empty? I keep waiting for him to say what that change entails, and tonight I got my answer. While speaking to San Antonio, TX, Obama said that Hillary and McCain criticize the promise as empty, but that in fact, it was a change that came from the people. So it's not an empty promise, it's one he didn't even come up with himself. He took it from the people, and then still couldn't even fill in the blanks of what "change" means. I know the time may come (very soon, even) when I have to rally behind him because he is the nominee. So I am trying to like him more. But I'm liking him less, because he is sitting there, on the tv in front of me, proclaiming the same, empty promise of change. Again, Obama, I ask you: how will you pay for your programs? How will you ensure that ALL Americans get insurance, if you don't make it mandatory? How do you plan to withdraw from Iraq? What do you plan to do about the subprime mortgage crisis? And so on. I can answer ALL of these questions definitively for Hillary.

At least he is saying we have to do *something* about climate change. "We hope, we believe, yes we can." That's a direct quote.