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!