101 Wednesday, #2

Remember that time I told y'all I would start doing 101 Wednesdays, but then didn't update for a reallllly (ridiculously, embarrassingly) long time? Yeah. I'm not really sorry, but I can pretend I am.

I was going to do it, but then I carried on living my life. 

Good news is that leading my life consisted of tackling a few things on my list. Specifically, I can report that I crossed off numbers 4, 19, 59, 78, and 92 and started on quite a few more. And here is my synopsis of living my life and crossing things off lists (which is my FAVORITE)....

Like smiling, only with lists

4) Pass Texas Bar Exam: I found out on 05/02/13 that I passed. I'd like to be all cool and say I was really reserved and totally expected to pass, but the truth was I was drunk because that was the only way my mother could tolerate me that day (thus she enabled my margarita habit) and that I nearly had a stroke in the backseat of my own car (she was driving, given my impaired condition) when I heard the joyous news. I got sworn in this Monday (05/13/13).

Pretty sure I did something akin to this in my car.
The spinning may have been because of margaritas, though. 

19) Participate in a 5K: a few weeks before I took the Texas Bar Exam, I was clearly experiencing a bout of dementia, and thus signed up to run in a local 5K benefiting the Lion's Club Camp (great cause, people). I then ran it THE WEEKEND AFTER MY BAR EXAM. I'm going to let that sink in for a second. To say this was ambitious was an understatement, especially given my tendency to hate running and life in general after such a harrowing event.

Then I went, and I won the damn thing. It was 3.35 miles long (a quarter mile longer than the 5K is supposed to be), and I ran it in 28:02, which means I actually ran faster than a 27 minute 5K, which has always been a goal I wanted to meet. I even got an award and everything. (Note: I won the entire woman's event, and that was partially because the fast awesome beasts of women were running the 10K and left me to my rookie 3.1 miles, but DAMMIT, I'LL TAKE MY AWARD AND MY CONGRATS AND THAT IS THAT.)

59) Drink the requisite 8 glasses of water every day for a week: I started trying to do this around the beginning of January, and around the end of March, I not only started doing it, but I made it a habit. I'm now drinking 8-10 (or more) glasses of water every day, and I'm glad I embarked upon one thing that may benefit my health in the long run.

Now if only I could break my horrible crack and list addictions...

78) Roast marshmallows around a campfire: my little brother was slated to have a sleepover for his 12th birthday, complete with marshmallows and ghost stories and all that. I made him adorable invitations to said event, which he went and distributed to his friends..including GIRLS. :) Imagine my mom's chagrin when one of the girl's moms texted her inquiring about the "co-ed sleepover"  (all in good fun). Long story short, everyone came over, a good time was had by all, and I ate those GINORMOUS marshmallows normally reserved for chubby bunny games at church lock-ins.

(Also, if you never played chubby bunny in a church lock-in, I don't particularly feel sorry for you, because it ruins your ability to enjoy marshmallows for a really long time while simultaneously making you unattractive to the opposite sex for however long it takes them to mindbleach your grotesque and contorted face from their memories.)

92) Meet up with at least one of my twitter friends in real life: while taking the Texas Bar Exam, I got to meet Zilly and Amby!!!! THIS WAS AWESOME. THEY ARE AWESOME. I lerve them. And I am now resolving to meet more of my twitter friends in real life. Kayla, YOU'RE NEXT.

(Amby and I went out for dinner the night before the exam, which calmed my nerves, and she gave me an adorable "bar exam gift bag" which was precious and awesome and DID I MENTION I LERVE HER? Zilly was kind enough to cart my ass down to the testing site and not strangle me when I got too annoying--because let's not lie, I'm annoying and those tests don't exactly bring out the best qualities in people.)

Let's talk about the southern stereotype

I grew up in the south. The deep south. As in, there is no question that I'm living well below the Mason Dixon line. My dad subscribes to the Obama birther theory, and my family is funded by "Big Red" (aka: my dad works for a very well-known oil company). I originally hail from a town that stages a battle reenactment each year. I competed in beauty pageants, some of which required me to dress as a Southern belle.

No I was not a debutante. I earned my crowns with poise, talent,
and by prancing around on stage in a swimsuit,
not familial connections, thankyouverymuch.

Growing up, I took up for the underdog. I defended the "geeks," was ostracized by the cool kids, and used to go home crying due to wearing my heart on my sleeve (until my mom told me to tell them I would punch them in the face if they messed with me again. When I asked what if they kept on, she told me to go ahead and actually punch them in the face and that she would deal with the consequences).

And although I'm southern through and through, I'm also a registered Democrat, extremely pro-choice and pro-gay-everything, and am not particularly religious. I also try to keep my mouth shut, because God knows I don't appreciate it when people begin to espouse on their religious/political principles. It has taken me years to cull down my Facebook friends so I don't have to view Glen Beck nonsense. But sometimes they sneak through, and I cringe. Sometimes I just have to open my mouth and speak out against this ignorance.

Just to be clear: I'm speaking of the people that give all southerners a bad name. Do I own a gun? Yes. Would I shoot someone to defend myself? Hell yes. At the same time, I'm also capable of higher-level thinking. Just because I own a gun and believe I should be allowed to own a gun doesn't mean that the privilege of owning one suddenly becomes absolute. I fail to see how a background check will make it impossible to obtain a gun. It will hopefully just make it a little bit harder for criminals to obtain their guns, although (yes) they may end up with one anyways. But by no means does it prevent law-abiding citizens from getting their little grubby hands on a Ruger.

Another favorite I encounter quite a lot: anyone who thinks their state can opt out of federal legislation using the tenth amendment. Or, as I like to call them....idiots who are aware there is a Constitution, but who have not actually read it. Even better? Idiots who have read the Constitution but fail to acknowledge that there is a Supreme Court who expounds upon fundamental rights and other pesky interpretive viewpoints of this living body of law. Or that thinks the Supreme Court should just be done away with. These people exist. I swear.

And when there are attacks against the United States, these people come out in droves. Let me correct myself. When there are attacks against the United States by someone who doesn't look like them, they come out in droves. When there was the Aurora shooting, yes, they were sympathetic, but I mostly heard stuff like "If they had a concealed carry, they could have defended themselves, rabble rabble rabble." (You know, because I can TOTALLY see through smoke bombs to target the one person dressed all in black in a dark movie theatre to pick off.) In the wake of the Boston Marathon Massacre, I've heard everything from "he shouldn't have any rights" to "he should be classified as an enemy combatant" (never mind that we are NOT at war with his country and that he wasn't perpetuating an act of war on behalf of his country). I've also heard a lot of Islamaphobic rants about Muslims.

Let me be clear: this is not all southerners. However, these are the ones that appear on FoxNews talking about picking up their pitchforks and tar and feathers. These are the ones who drive around with a rebel flag painted on the back of their pickup trucks. These are the ones who CLING to their Second Amendment rights, but think it's perfectly okay to deny other United States citizens their due process rights just on the basis of their religion or skin color (for your personal knowledge, those are the rights guaranteed to you by the 14th and 5th Amendments). And it drives me nuts.

I'm tired of reading about my home state crafting a bill to allow gay people to be fired just for being gay. I'm tired of reading about the most recent state I lived in disallowing abortions past the time of basically 2 months, using faulty science and completely disregarding the fact that it is unconstitutional to do so. I'm tired of the endless rants on rights, but the hypocrisy demonstrated in lifting these rights from someone who isn't like you (e.g..: white, "middle classed", men, etc.).

Southerners, you need to do better. And for those of you who are southerners who don't ascribe to these qualities, you need to speak up. Educate others. I'm not saying pissing contests are desirable, but no one will ever alter their behavior if you refuse to speak up when someone uses the N word in your presence. Or if you won't address them when they start speaking about Islam while knowing nothing about it. Maybe it won't help, but maybe someone will learn something. And if nothing else, at least you can sleep at night.

But what the hell do I know? I'm just a Southerner. 

Hope for the future.

Most days I'm tongue in cheek and sarcastic on my blog. Tonight, though, I feel like writing for the sake of writing. Oftentimes I don't know what to write about, and I generally do not update my blog unless I have something specific to say, or a witty illustration to add. However, I see nothing wrong with the occasional update regarding the state of affairs of my life.

As of a couple of days ago, I'm studying for the patent exam. But I've already told y'all that. I'll learn of my results from the Texas Bar Exam in approximately 10 days. I'm also still actively looking for a job. I work out 5-6 days a week, and I'm eating like a starving wildebeest. Other than that, I'm just...existing. I had a great time going "away" for a few days with my boyfriend about a week ago. We saw a show, had a really nice dinner, and generally enjoyed each others' company.

Although I'm highly realistic regarding mostly everything in my life (swift kicks in the ovaries by life generally tends to strip away your sense of optimism and replace it with cold, hard realism), I still like to dream about what my life will one day be like. I like to imagine a house with a backyard. A front porch with a swing on it. Gardens and fresh herbs that I grow in them. A job that I actually enjoy arriving at each day. Home cooked meals each night. Being debt free.

I know this blog entry may shocking to many, because I'm rarely 100% open regarding my feelings and dreams, and even when I am, I tend to be extremely sardonic and self-deprecating about them. I wonder if this sometimes keeps me from landing the jobs I interview for, and wonder even more often if there is something specific about me that is causing me to be unemployable. I had another friend who was in this same boat and she recently landed a job, and I'm so happy and excited for her. And hopeful for me.

Even when it seems like I will never be able to achieve what I have set out to do, I strive to maintain that little flicker of hope within my heart. I tell myself that I rarely am presented with opportunities in a normal way--things normally happen in the most peculiar of instances in my life. I do believe that you have to make your own fate, but I'm not stupid enough to think that luck has no part in it. Many times, being in the right place at the exact right time with the exact right mix of people is everything.

At the same time, I have to wonder when this exact moment will come. Because I keep waiting. Anxiously. With bated breath. Hoping.

Maybe I needed to release these thoughts in the atmosphere (blogosphere?). And maybe this is just superstition, but maybe I need to express that hope. That desire for more. To everyone. I've begun to live my life day by day. I try to enjoy each opportunity, and give thanks for my good health, a beautiful day, my faithful dogs, or even getting out of bed in the morning.

I strive to be authentic at all times in my blog. Because if I can't be myself here, where can I be? And tonight, this is how I feel. Wary. Cautiously optimistic. But above all, hopeful.

101 Wednesday #1 (17, 54, and 81)

101 Wednesday. The day where I update you on my list and tell you what new and awesomely exciting things I've managed to cross off. This won't happen every Wednesday, because I'm not deluded enough to believe I'll actually accomplish one thing every single week. (Who knows, though?) (Also, I think it's safe to say I'm obviously not ambitious.)

Since I created my 101 in 1001, I've crossed off three things. It was shockingly easy to do. :)

#17 - Reconnect with two old friends

A few days ago, I received a text message from one of my oooolld high school friends. Rather than recounting it, I'll let it speak for itself.

Without even realizing it, I made a date with two very old friends, and we had a GREAT time chatting and reconnecting. I got my sushi fix, we got to catch up, and I can assure you that they have not packed on the pounds. (We actually all look almost the same as we did in high school, which we finished almost eight years ago.)

Probably the funniest moment was trying to figure out who in our original high school (in 11th grade, we swapped to an advanced boarding school) hadn't married (like us). We came up with two. Then Friend 1 asked "Who do we know that we went to (original school) with that got their advanced degrees?" Friend 2: "One of the girls we just named who isn't married." Me: "Naturally."

Ahhhh, the South. Where people seem to strive to be married, divorced, and laden down with children by the time they're 25.

#54 - Make Christmas cookies with my little brother

I have absolutely NO SHAME in informing you that I DO NOT make gingerbread. I tried a couple of Christmases ago using my mother's recipe, which calls for SIX cups of flour. After chilling, I was met with something roughly the size, texture, and hardness of a basketball.

(NEVER AGAIN.)

So a few days before Christmas, I picked up a box of gingerbread cookie mix (no judging), got out my cookie cutters, and ripped my little brother away from his electronics. Hilarity ensued.

Then we feasted.

Don't pretend like you're not drooling. 

#81 - Buy myself a piece of jewelry

The day after Christmas, I happened upon an ebay search I saved a while back. You see, after I graduated from law school, I wanted to use the money I received as gifts to buy the most perfect awesomest gift to remember it by EVAR (which I elected to be a ring with a red stone). And since I wanted it to be perfect, I still hadn't found anything by the end of the year. 

When I'm telling you I searched far and wide, I did. Rubies are hard to find, and I wanted a deep red stone. I considered garnet as well, but nothing I found was right. I wanted yellow gold. I wanted it close to my size so it wouldn't be difficult to resize. I wanted big, but delicate. I wanted something I could wear for-ev-ver. (Squints' voice from The Sandlot.)

I searched in jewelry stores. On ebay. In pawn shops. Nothing was perfect. 

Until this particular ebay search. A beautiful garnet ring popped up. In my size. In yellow gold. Flanked with white sapphires and diamonds. 

And now it's mine. 

My....precioussssss.

101 in 1001 (Or: my addiction to lists is showing)

The 101 in 1001 days challenge has been around for quite some time, but (like always) I'm just now getting around to it.

I've decided to start today (12/20/2012), and it will end on September 17, 2015 (09/17/2015). (Jesus that's a long time away.)

As I complete them, I'll cross them out, and hyperlink to any blog entries I may have composed about particular goals I accomplished. And I really REALLY want to finish these goals. 

For convenience and ease of grouping, I put them in specific categories. 

Professional Goals

1)            Pass Louisiana Bar Exam

2)            Take a case to trial

3)            Land a great job

4)            Pass Texas Bar Exam

5)            Win a difficult case

6)            Take and pass the Patent Bar

7)            Become accomplished enough in my career that I feel comfortable speaking to undergrad students in my old department about it

8)            Speak to undergrads about career options with respect to my experiences

9)            Write a legal article and submit it for publishing

Personal Goals 

10)        Buy a house

11)        Pay off my student loans

12)        Start a savings account

13)        Become an expert at something

14)        Build or refinish a piece of furniture

15)        Build a budget and stick to it for one month

16)        Do one thing I have always said I would NEVER do

17)        Reconnect with two old friends

Self-Betterment 

18)        Donate 100 hours of pro bono time

19)        Participate in a 5K

20)        Discover a healthy activity I love doing

21)        Don’t cuss for an entire day

22)        Read ten classic novels

23)        Develop a nighttime skin/winding down routine and stick to it for two weeks

24)        Watch five classic movies

25)        Complete one, real, honest-to-God pullup

26)        Take a spin class

Altruism

27)        Write someone a thank you note for influencing me in a positive way

28)        Send someone a care package

29)        Hand write my grandmother a letter

30)        Digitally store and create at least one photo album for my mom

31)        Knit my little brother a scarf

32)        Buy someone a gift just because I can

33)        Give blood

34)        Plant a tree

Educational Endeavors 

35)        Educate myself about the stock market (at least 2 books)

36)        Reeducate myself about ancient history and modern geography (at least 3 texts)

37)        Revisit learning Latin

38)        Visit a museum

39)        Visit the Smithsonian

40)        Go to an orchestra performance with my little brother

Artistic Endeavors 

41)        Audition for a movie or show

42)        Take a painting class

43)        Participate in another play/musical

44)        Watch a Broadway play

45)        Sew something that I’m not embarrassed of

46)        Visit the opera

47)        Perform a musical number with my little brother

48)        Put an Earl the Squirrel story into writing, and make brother illustrate it

49)        Watch a stand up show/routine

Cooking

50)        Make homemade bread

51)        Make a homemade cheesecake

52)        Discover my signature dish

53)        Take a cooking class

54)        Make Christmas cookies with my little brother

55)        Create edible gnocchi

56)        Make a homegrown pesto

57)        Plan and execute an elaborate dinner, complete with tapered candles and music

Autonomy

58)        Do the dishes every night for an entire week

59)        Drink the requisite eight glasses of water every day for an entire week

60)        Go to bed by 11:00 every day for an entire week

61)        Get up at 6:00 every morning for an entire week in order to work out

62)        Change my own oil at least once

63)        Go through ALL old pageant clothes and donate, sell, or trash 90% of them

Travel Plans 

64)        Travel to NYC

65)        Take Josh to New Orleans

66)        Travel abroad

67)        Go camping

68)        Attend my 10 year class reunion

69)        Visit the Grand Canyon

70)        Visit somewhere with crystal clear waters and snorkel

Electronic Age

71)        Digitally store and sort all of my old photos online

72)        Fix an electronic of some sort

73)        Create photo albums of all my precious moments

74)        Finish photo editing photos for important moments (graduation, vacations, swearing ins)

75)        Store all of my old schoolwork digitally and get rid of all the paper I scanned

76)        Organize all of my files and documents

Just because I can.... 

77)        Get my concealed carry

78)        Roast marshmallows around a campfire

79)        Decorate a gingerbread house

80)        Take a partners dance class

81)        Buy myself a piece of jewelry

82)        Buy a hammock and lay in it

83)        Try eyelash extensions

84)        Plant a garden

85)        Frame and mat my diplomas

86)        Read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy

87)        Grow, dry, and drink my own tea

88)        Mail a secret to Post Secret

89)        Pay for a fancy meal for me and the bf

90)        Compose a list of 101 things I’ve already accomplished of which I’m proud

91)        Have a day at the spa

Online Presence 

92)        Meet up with at least one of my twitter friends in real life

93)        Write a blog entry once every day for a week

94)        Break 500 followers on Twitter

95)        Redesign my blog

96)        Market my blog in such a way that I become more mainstream and relevant/pick up   more followers

97)        Blog 10 haikus

Grown Up Stuff 

98)        Host Thanksgiving

99)        Throw a dinner/themed party

100)    Discover and add three new vegetables to my diet

101)    Stand up for one person who is being ganged up on, regardless of the setting

Confessions that no one should be surprised about....

I'm about to drop a little bit of truth on you.....

I dress like a 90 year old woman.

No, really. On my first date with my boyfriend of three years, he made a quip about me suffocating him with my "Bill Cosby sweater." (And here I was thinking I looked snazzy.) When I was a kid, I used to circle turtlenecks and those shirts made out of the long underwear material in the JC Penny catalog. And then I wore them every day. One Christmas, I distinctly remember begging my mother for weeks for a pair of penny loafers.

(I'm going to let that soak in for a minute.)

In high school, I wasn't much better. I shopped at Goodwill. I chose things that made me laugh, and made others laugh. I didn't give a flying flip about what others thought. (And still don't, honestly, which isn't always necessarily a good thing.) I opted for outfits that were outlandish. Garish. And I still loved turtlenecks.

Nowadays, I resemble a librarian. The unsexy kind. I live in cableknit sweaters. Hugemongeous cardigans. Sweater-set cardigans. I layer them over camis. And over turtlenecks (obviously).

I love fashion. I really do. I like trendy clothes, and cool makeup, and funky styles. I follow fashion bloggers and drool over their outfits. I participated in pageants and have the 29 LBDs and 50+ other cocktail dresses to prove it. I wore false eyelashes. Rocked the five inch pumps. Know how to dress for every occasion. (And I'm honestly not making that up.) I own no less than 13 Antonio Melani Suits. But when it comes to picking up an outfit for my day-to-day non-career wear? I'm cheap. I hate spending money. And I hate cheap clothing. Which is a catch-22. You can't hate them both.

Which means I'll probably die wearing the same cardigan I almost suffocated my boyfriend with on our first date.

But at least I'll die warm.

Another blog about nothing....

It seems like every time I sit down to write, either (a) I have nothing relevant to say, (b) I see something shiny, or (c) I end up deleting everything because I think it sounds dumb. I still have a second blog to write about whether or not new attorneys qualify for the patent exam, then the followups regarding HOW to apply (spoiler: it's a pain in the ass) and my plans of attack after I send mine in (it's finished, but money is tight). I've also been contemplating blogging daily about my prep for the Texas bar exam, which may serve as a "what not to do" in the end (although I don't plan on failing it--but then again, who does?). Since I have recently applied for another spate of jobs, I'm sure I could always finangle a blog out regarding how my life sucks because I'm unemployed, living at my parents' house, and have enough rejection letters to paper our living room with (no, but really, I do, and for some unknown God-awful reason, I KEEP them. All of them.).

Which leads me to my post today. I don't think y'all want to hear another whiny blog about unemployment. And my life isn't particularly interesting at the moment, although I find enough things to keep me entertained (namely, my 11 year old brother). I'm pretty sure y'all don't care about my eye exam visit (or the fact that I reeeeallly wanted that second pair of frames, BECAUSE THEY ARE CUTE AND I NEED MOAR GLASSES).

I'm also sure you don't care about my health woes or exercise escapades. And a large majority of my blog readers are taking final exams, WHICH SUCK AND I'M SO SORRY YOU'RE HAVING TO DO THAT. (Seriously.) Btw, those of you who find by blog by googling "no friends in law school"--your day will come, but for real, most of those guys are assholes, and the majority of my lawyer friends (save for about three) are people I met on twitter, because those guys/gals rock.

So yeah. This is really a blog about nothing. But it kinda feels good to write about nothing.

 (Oh look, grumpy cat hates law school finals too....)

(Or, in my case, studying for the bar....)

At any rate....

Ever have a day that starts off so well, you just know it's going to be a great one? You get things done, nothing seems too difficult, and you're clipping right along.

And then by dusk, you just end up wanting to cry under your bed through no fault of your own?

Oh, maybe it's just me then. 

Boomerang Generation, or as my mom put it: "Welcome home; now get the fuck out."

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I'm done moving out of my old apartment, which (if any of you read my Twitter, know) was a horrible terrible HORRIBLE ordeal. Mostly because I was packing it all myself. Thankfully, my dad came up at the last minute and helped me drag the last of it to storage and transported what I wanted to keep back home. And when I tell you that man can PACK a truck, I do mean it. I thought it would take three or four trips to get all my crap to storage. One, guys. ONE. And when we got there, he strung up rope and hung my clothes from it like a clothesline. Because my dad is obviously a genius.

I owe my dad in large part to fitting entirely too much shit into such a small area 

I want to say I was really sad about leaving my apartment, but really I was so friggin' tired of moving and so overwhelmed by tiredness and dust, that I mostly said good riddance and got the Hell out of Dodge. Regardless, I still took some "reminiscent, empty house" photos. Whatever.

An empty house never looked SO BEAUTIFUL.
(Also: bye F-town. You've been good to me.)

So....I've now been officially inducted into the Boomerang Generation. I'm crashing with my parents until I can find a job, which hasn't been forthcoming as of yet. Today I applied for a job about seven states away today, and will snap it up if I am offered the chance (which will almost assuredly not happen, given the fact that I've been so ridiculously un-hireable as of yet). I've also been applying for science jobs across the state that may or may not utilize my legal "prowess," and haven't heard back from any of them. Yesterday, I finished finding, printing, and highlighting all the classes I'm using to claim eligibility for the Patent Bar (it took a couple of hours), which I credit in large part to the workspace I've set up in my parents' new house. I'm in a closet y'all, which is ideal for me. Not too much room, not too many distractions, but not so small that it makes me feel like stabbing my eyeballs out. 

Behold....the glory.
(Also known as "where the magic happens.)

In order to keep myself further occupied, I've been planning out my mode of attack regarding getting into shape/becoming a super-sexy-beast. I hate the routine I've managed to get into, but hadn't changed it due to my life being in flux and the inability to plan more than a week into the future. Now that I've moved, though, and am settled into a place I'm likely to be for a few months, I'm ditching the excuses and recommitting to being a sexy mid-twenties lady. I refuse to allow unemployment, laziness, and advancing age turn me into a bigger slob. Now I'm trying to figure out the perfect cardio playlist. Do y'all have any suggestions?

I hope y'all have a wonderful holiday, eat until you can't move, and take long, tryptophan-induced naps. 'Tis the season. 

I HATE HATE HATE PACKING

I'm finally moving from my apartment (back into my parents' house until I find a job....fail) and am feverishly packing. I packed for a while during October and the last time I was in town, but left stuff because I didn't know when I would *officially* be moving out. I gave my notice a week or so ago. Then I started packing kinda for real.

Yesterday, my wonderful boyfran and I loaded up my house furniture that I wanted to keep, leaving my bedroom furniture alone (because that shit is new and if we fucked it up, I was going to cut someone). The things I didn't want, we put on the curb. The definition of hysterical? Watching a couple of frat guys claim your old pink particleboard desk. After our first trip, one of my dear friends came over to assist with the bedroom furniture. By seven o'clock p.m. we had moved all my furniture to my storage unit.

This is after actually cleaning up the living room. 

The rest of the house, however, is a joke. There are dustballs everywhere and I woke up this morning barely able to breathe. My dogs also made this trip with me after being MIA for several months (bf was starting to get pissed that he hadn't seen them). Crackers is sullen, having been pulled from outside where she can eat whenever the hell she feels like it and run around doing things that are generally looked down upon in my household. The second dog, Rosy, (who used to be an outside dog) came inside and told me she's never going back outside EVER. Except to pee.

So now I'm alone again, packing up the rest of my shit and wondering if I would actually miss anything if I just were to throw it all away.

I don't think I would.

I assure you this is a lot more shameful in person. 

No...really.

Making Short-Term Goals

I recently read a post by one of my friends discussing various (financial) goals she made for herself and accomplished, and it made me seriously consider the state of my own affairs/life. Yes, I've graduated from law school and passed the bar, and yes, I've been scrambling to find a job, but I haven't really sat down and analyzed my goals in a logical, coherent way. I'm a person who bites off more than she can chew, and I tend to overwhelm myself with goals, which is why I rarely make them. I, instead, mostly focus on the little things day by day, and hope that I eventually reach the big picture.

While I realize a large part of my frustration has to do with the (shitty) economy and lack of (respectable) legal jobs for new graduates, there has to be a better way of approaching my joblessness and mounting desperation resulting from the realization that I may be, quite possibly, a true member of the boomerang generation. Thus, I sat down and asked myself DATES I'd like to have certain things materialize by, and what I would need to do in order to accomplish those goals. This was difficult, because a lot of my aspirations have everything to do with other people and their decision to hire me, which is something I can only marginally control.

Nonetheless, I've created a list of goals that I hope to realize within the next few months. Here goes....

These months are the tentative dates I hope to have these particular things accomplished by, and while there are some big ticket items on there, I realize I may not accomplish things in this order. However, there's nothing I like better than crossing stuff off a list, so wish me luck.

What goals are y'all seeking to accomplish in the next few months?

Getting to know me, getting to know all about me....

I generally tend to talk a lot about law school, and now that I'm done, about bar prep. I rarely talk about myself in a strictly personal sense, because I like to pretend that I'm operating under the shield of anonymity. What the hell, though? This is my blog and if you don't like this particular entry, you can content yourself with the law-related blog that's sure to follow.

There are relatively few things I can't live without. Here are a few of the things that make my "have to have" list.

1) Sleep--obviously, we'll all die if we don't sleep. However, if I do not sleep, I have the added benefit of being a raging bitch. I need at least 8 hours per night, and I tend to get in bed early rather than sleep in.

2) Citizen jeans (specifically, the Dita style)--this past Christmas, my awesometastic boyfriend invested in a pair of ridiculously overpriced jeans for my wardrobe. He somehow hit the amazing-jeans lottery, because these ARE.IT. I'm really short (5'2) so the inseam (31") works awesomely with a pair of heels, and the rise in front and back are high enough to cover asscrack without looking like mom jeans. The Oxford wash is as buttery as velvet. They feel like money. And I've bought 3 pairs since (off ebay, of course). Which brings me to my next obsession:

3) Ebay. I love ebay. I love deals (but hate couponing), so this is my site of choice. I'm constantly trolling, and wish I had MOAR MONIES so I could buy ALL THE THINGS. Normally I'm content to buy tiny things off of ebay, or things I would be purchasing anyway (so I might as well get a good deal on it, right?).

4) My support pillow. You know those hideously ugly pillows that offer you back support and have the arms? Ugly as sin? I couldn't bring myself to buy one for the longest time (both due to ugly factor and the fact that I didn't want to shell out $15, since I'm a huge cheapskate). Now, I'll never go without my ugly-as-shit pillow.

5) Intuition razor--like the support pillow, I hate shelling out the money for the cartridges. But they're worth it. And anything that ensures my legs aren't hairy and scaly is worth a few extra dollars (but seriously guys, why the hell are razors so effing expensive?!?!?!?!).

6) Candle warmers--these are cheap. And amazing. I can always have melted, amazing-smelling candles in my house. And I don't have to worry about burning down my house or setting my eyebrows on fire. (The latter has happened before, only it was a grill and IT'S A LONG STORY, SO GET OFF MY BACK.)

7) My Dinair airbrush makeup--spent lots of money on it. Worth it. Enables me to quickly apply my makeup, covers everything I need to cover, allows me to blend two or three colors to get the perfect match for my skintone, and doesn't break me out. Also, the makeup ends up lasting a lot longer than most foundations I've used.

There you have it...seven things that I consider to be personally awesome. You're welcome.