seven and certain

the best

2009-12-22T12:49:00.003-05:00

In honor of the end of the year (and the decade), I want to take a minute to note some of the great things in my life that I am so thankful for:

1) K & I's house. I love it. It has a basement and a second floor. And it has a deck. We put lights on the staircase and set up the Christmas tree and it looks and feels amazing. The mortgage is insane, and we pay $1300 a month in interest for now, but it's worth it. Sunday night we were walking around it, wrapping presents and doing odds and ends. And it just felt great -- I told K, "I love our house." and she said "I do too."

2) That the wireless internet works like a charm in the house. At some point when hooking it all up, I set both of our computers to auto connect, and it is awesome.

3) The browser on the new blackberry tour is also awesome too (except when it is set on the international data plan).

4) Panera Bread. I have had some excellent Panera lately. I had a moment a couple weeks ago when I was wearing a hoodie and eating Panera with K and I told her, "I feel really good in my clothes." Not looking good -- they were just super comfortable and I was eating good food and enjoying awesome company.

5) Top Chef this season. It was really fun to watch since K and I had been to Volt (and loved it), so we were rooting for Bryan. Plus Zaytinya, where Mike I is the head chef, is one of my favorite restaurants in DC.

6) Skype. This saved me on my last international trip, and I was in need of saving.

7) That Lily is in a great home. My dad and his wife love having Lily. I am still desperately looking for a new home for Nasey (she is with my brother now, but I am not happy with her there), but I am happy that Lily seems to have settled into something great. Apparently she sits on their laps all the time. I can't wait to see it in person on Friday!

8) The prospect of big things in the future. Making big plans with K.

9) That the lunch I ordered last week for my practice group was a big hit. Very few people even know that I was the one that ordered it, and it was kind of a gamble, but it turned out great -- I was nervous!

10) I've bought some Christmas gifts that I am VERY excited to give. I found things for my parents that I really like and am excited to see if they like too.

This is the tip of the iceberg, but just wanted to jot a few thoughts in a free moment.

health update

2009-04-02T13:54:00.002-04:00

So I just realized I haven't posted in a month.... that's crazy because it's been a really great month in most, if not all, life categories that you can think of. A bit of a roller coaster in the first couple weeks of March, but these last two weeks have been amazing.

So the last time I checked (a day or two), I was at 110 and had stayed at that weight for several days. That means I have lost 16 pounds from my highest weight which was around a year ago. Three people at work have told me that they can tell a difference without any prompting from me. I have always worn my suit pants a size up because I don't like feeling squished in my clothes, but now I am having to wear a belt with some of my suits because they are too big.

I've done bootcamp for the last month three times a week, and I think this has been the biggest contributor in my suits not fitting anymore -- I'm shaped a bit differently. My biceps are different. :-) I've also done pilates almost every Saturday for the last two months. I'm definitely not done: I still am working on abs and I want to lose two more pounds, but I'm getting there.

2009-03-03T17:23:00.002-05:00

hello.

health:
I'm still mostly eating right -- I've been working out around four times a week, but I've been bad about letting that mean that I can eat more food. My weight is up a pound, and I am not sure if that's from eating more or just my body getting more muscle? Regardless of the reason, it's not going to stick -- I really would like to lose 4 more pounds, then I will be done with weight loss and focusing only on leaning/toning and maintaining that weight.

I signed up for a fitness bootcamp for the month of March -- it's at 7AM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Hate the early wakeup, but I am doing it with three friends from work so that's motivation.

This working out is changing my self-perception in a good way. I'm liking the results I'm seeing.

love:
Very character building, I hope anyway. I feel like I am laying the prep work now as a single person for what I hope to be a stable, happy future with an unknown partner something like three years from now (like coming out to my grandparents now so they have time to process it, working on getting my body in shape).

money:
I need advice. I got my bonus for the 2008 year, so now the question is:
Should I pay off half of my last federal student loan or should I buy a vehicle? The car would be paid for in full from my bonus, but it would mean adding monthly costs like parking and insurance. Because I live and work downtown, a car is not really necessary, but it would be nice. Should I spring for a luxury or be practical? I already bought myself a Kindle, so it's not like I am treating myself like a pauper.

2009-02-20T10:43:00.002-05:00

So I am finally to the point where I could start posting my eating and working out, as I am now doing both of them right. Still at the same weight, but feeling good about how I am looking these days. Last week I worked out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, then went to pilates on Saturday. This week I worked out Tuesday and Wednesday... went to dinner with K on Monday and went on a first date with a sous chef last night (Thurs) otherwise I would have worked out those days too. Tonight is quiz night at a gay bar, so skipping the gym, but I plan on doing pilates tomorrow -- it's pretty intense! My ab muscles hurt everytime I laughed for two days after the last session. I felt really dumb at the last session but the instructor gave me a sweet compliment afterwards -- "I can't believe this is your first session."

So last night I was very adventurous with the food I ate -- normally I have a "no cute animals" rule, but I ate the following:
Duck Confit, savoy cabbage slaw, roasted baby beets, beet vinagrette
Duck salami
Rosemary Chicken Liver Bruschetta, shallot marmalade, herb salad
House-Cured Trout, shaved fennel, toasted hazelnuts, tangerine vinaigrette

I decided when hanging out with a chef, eat what the chef recommends.

2009-02-12T10:14:00.004-05:00

I'm happy to report that I have gone to the gym two nights in a row. On Tuesday night, my friend's friend taught us this series of 12 exercises using free weights. So last night, I did a half hour on the treadmill then did the series. I'm happy to be a member of the going to the gym club, but not liking the mindset I have about my own body recently thats causing me to go (namely, yes my stomach is flat but it's not as attractive because it's not toned, etc). I need to not compare myself to other people and remember my self-respect... I have lost it in the last two weeks, but that's another story. It's not permanent though.

A asked in her blog what people do to relieve stress. I found out a while back that my blood has too much oxygen in it -- the balance is off. This is caused by taking shallow breaths a lot, which people do when they are stressed (like mini-hyperventilating). So I learned a breathing exercise that I probably do throughout the day every day (at least during the work week). It's based on the same concept of blowing into a paper bag when you have a panic attack-- you want more carbon dioxide in your system to have a calming effect (and restore the balance in your blood). So what you do is purse your lips like a straw and blow the air out through your mouth somewhat forcefully. Since there is just a small opening for the air to exit, this forces back some of the carbon dioxide, which is a good thing. It looks funny though, but it works.

2009-02-10T16:30:00.002-05:00

Still 112, still happy about that. A friend of a friend got certified as a personal trainer, so we're going to the gym tonight together to learn some new tips.

Two things I have done in the last few days that are helping me keep the weight off:

1. Eating small portions of bad food. It's unreasonable that I will eat solely healthy food all the time, so this weekend I started eating a little bit of unhealthy food (buffalo chicken bites w/ dip, a starbucks chocolate chip drink), but I only consume about half of the serving or less than throw the rest away. It's not ideal to throw away food, but there's no point in consuming a massive portion size that reflects an unhealthy western diet. Still trying to only eat healthy during the week, then be more relaxed on the weekends.

2. Switching to diet soda. I am seriously doing this. I know it is shocking. I just need to finish up the regular soda I have at home, but already at work I drink water in the mornings and diet coke after lunch.

Things with K turned into not what I had hoped, but I want to make it mean something by making life changes in terms of health, like diet soda and going to the gym. I want to look more toned.

weekend

2009-02-02T11:28:00.002-05:00

I'm to the point now where I think I may have lost a little too much weight too quickly (I weighed 112 this morning -- this is a 19.8 BMI, underweight is less than 18.5, so it's not an unhealthy weight). I want to be this weight but I want it to be right -- working out and such. I went for a run yesterday and I was not pleased with my endurance. So I think today I am going to eat Cosi for lunch and eat off the regular menu, not the light menu like I always do. I ate very little this weekend, and I think I am going to suck it up and start going to the gym at my work, despite the awkwardness of seeing co-workers -- so that means that I'll need to eat more.

In other news, my weekend was awesome and something new seems to be starting. I'm pretty excited about that.

the cat stays in the picture

2009-01-27T14:15:00.003-05:00

I weighed 117 this morning. Pretty happy about that. Now I am going to try to be 114. I need to join a gym ASAP.

What do you do when you meet someone you want to date but they tell you they are generally allergic to the type of pet you've owned for years? This is what I am dealing with today. It sucks. We'll see if she's like "just can't touch my eyes after I pet the cat" allergic or if she's "breaks out into hives and throat closes up when in the same room with a cat owner" allergic. Hmm.

generosity of spirit

2009-01-18T22:59:00.002-05:00

article

Just got back from a weekend in NY. This article makes a brief reference to "generosity of spirit," which is something I am going to think about for the next few days.

state of the weight

2009-01-11T10:42:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning and weighed myself -- 119.2. I am pretty happy about this. At my highest weight since I started working, I weighed 126 and did not look good. My goal weight has always been 117, but now I am thinking that maybe I should strive towards something like 114?

I think the key to my recent weight loss has been treating dinner like a snack. I work until 8 or 9PM every night, and so it doesn't make sense to come home and eat a big meal when I am about to go to sleep. So instead I eat some cheese and crackers, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, etc. But I have been struggling when there is free food at work -- normally my typical lunch is a small soup and a piece of bread, but it's pretty hard to argue with a free lunch that includes a tomato mozzarella salad.

I still need to incorporate more exercise into my health plan. I walk to and from work every day, which ends up being a mile and a half a day. But I'd like to eventually work out a couple times a week. However, I don't live near a gym right now so I am not sure what I am going to do.

My weight is about to go up though because I plan on eating Qdoba for lunch, followed by a banana pudding cupcake from georgetown cupcake!!

in the life

2009-01-10T12:56:00.004-05:00

I really think all/most GLBT people should try to catch "In the Life" every month on PBS. This month's episode has a really powerful segment on faith and sexuality with "jesus walks" by kanye playing duing a report on the ex-gay movement -- the program flashes the names and pictures of teenagers that commited suicide because they were struggling with their sexuality.

Also, on a more pop culture note, I actually think this season's The Real World might be worth watching. Genderiffic. The self-identified straight participants are some of the most interesting -- I love the Mormon guy and the bromance.

I had an amazing conversation yesterday about the universality of powerlessness/ frustration/ burn-out among all people are low on the totem pole of their particular employment situation. I sort of love those moments when I realize I was completely wrong about something.

i'm back!!

2009-01-04T18:39:00.004-05:00

After spending some time with JZ and AMR over break, I realized a couple of things:
1) I need to switch from hotmail to gmail
2) I need to start going to the gym
3) Blogging is still fun, and a great way to keep in touch with people beyond facebook
4) Google Reader is a more efficient way to view material on the internet
5) I want an iphone (but I really have absolutely no excuse to get one right now)

So, I'm going to pick this blogging thing back up again, at least for a while.

-----

Do you remember that episode of Sex & the City where Miranda buys all new bedding?

Miranda : I'm trying to change my bed karma. I figure if I can make my bed a place I really want to be, others will feel the same.
Carrie : Aah, the Field of Dreams.
Miranda : Exactly. If you build it, he will come.

I'm doing the same. I bought this today along with a new down comforter and new sheets. I normally do not spend this much money, but I'm working towards a goal of having a classy living environment instead of what I have now, which is basically a college dorm. My lease on my studio ends in July, and I hope to move into an actual one bedroom in a more expensive building.

The other big news is that I have lost five pounds since my heaviest weight. I went to Trader Joe's last Tuesday and bought $50 worth of healthy foods. Since then, I have been as happy about healthy meals as I was when I was eating delicious, but bad food.

new bar exam doc

2007-03-02T00:32:00.000-05:00

http://www.alawyerwalksintoabar.com/

L Word

2007-01-08T20:41:00.000-05:00

If I were a journalist who focused on queer pop culture, my headline today would be: The L Word: & You Thought the Writing/Acting/Plots Could Not Get Any Worse. There were several point last night where I was actually laughing at how horrible it was. Bringing back Marina was nice, but my first thought was, "woah, the last time she was on the show, it was actually kind of good and kind of hot." That was sad.

They are actually creating this online queer female community (ourchart.com), which is awesome, but they actually incorporated it into the show, which I found to be very, very dumb. Don't endorse your own products. Next thing you know the dialogue will be like this:
Bette: Oh Alice, I love your bracelet.
Alice: Thanks Bette! I bought it online at Love & Pride Inc, which you can actually get to by going to Showtime's website. Do you have Showtime? I love that new show on that network, The Tudors. Here, the Planet has wireless internet-- let's go to S-H-O dot com right now!

Plus, while the characters were busy hyping the new site (which is not up yet--it says it will be up in January), they mentioned that the purpose besides general social networking is to create a chart of all the women you have hooked up with. They described how women who have hooked up with 50+ girls are called hubs and create their own solar system.

Now maybe this was an exaggeration for the sake of the plotline, but if it's not, I have to wonder: who wants to make a list like that online!?!? Plus, if you have hooked up with 50+ girls, you may be a hub and you may have your own solar system, but you are also kind of gross. And of course the L Word character was all out to find the girl who slept with 1300 women, when all I can think is-- I'd like to steer clear of that walking STD.

2006-12-18T15:49:00.000-05:00

I've been saying forever that Fun Home by Alison Bechdel is the best book ever-- Time magazine agrees!

quiverfull

2006-12-15T22:55:00.001-05:00

i am fascinated by the whole quiverfull movement, as evidenced by my obsession with the Duggar family. They are the subjects of several TLC one hour specials like "Fourteen Children and Pregnant Again!" and "On the Road with Sixteen Children." Not only is it creepy to have so many children, the whole uber-religious homeschooling is just so interesting.

best thing ever

2006-12-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

so funny.

2006-12-13T18:43:00.000-05:00

So... circumcision may reduce the incidence of HIV in Africa, but articles like this totally ignore the fact that the practice has so many downsides. I wish articles like this would still ask the question, is it worth it?

And finals are over, so now i can blog all day!

three

2006-12-03T14:37:00.000-05:00

Dinner: H went to Five Guys in Georgetown and brought me a cheeseburger... so nice. I love having dinner delivered during finals.

Didn't set off Apt Building-wide Fire Alarm: everytime I move into a new apt, the previous tenant cleans the over with a product that makes the oven smoke the next time it is used. Like clockwork, I used my oven last night for the first time (yes, I have lived here for a month and it was the first time). The smoke alarm went off while the oven was heating up, the cats panicked, I opened the window and fanned the air by the alarm with a pillow and it finally shut off. Crisis averted, thankfully.

Clarity in Paper-writing: I wrote the most challenging part of my paper yesterday and fortunately, everything just clicked. I was a paper-writing machine and I think I was fairly articulate.

three things

2006-12-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

So late last night I was reading my friend J's blog. Apparently she read the same random article I saw a couple days ago because she made a list of three happy things-- this is supposed to make you more aware of positive life experiences and be happier in general. I don't want to use the blog function on myspace, so hence, here i am.

--Whole Foods: I went to WF yesterday because I am going to make my favorite salad. I looked around a million times and couldn't find bleu cheese crumbles... they had every other kind, but not that. So I asked a woman at the cheese counter and she said, "oh, we just got a shipment TODAY, it's in the back, just a minute." she went in the back of the store to the stockroom and was gone for like ten minutes. She came back with a big cardboard box, sliced it open, and handed me exactly what I needed. I was just so fortunate that I didn't have to walk to a different grocery store and it seemed like good luck that she knew what they had gotten that day, etc etc.

--Technology: yesterday I woke up and my new cable tv was reduced to a black screen. I called tech services, had them remotely reboot the system, no change. So I was on the phone waiting to talk to a technician (I was a little annoyed as I got a total of ten hours of working tv since it was first installed) and the automated voice said it would be 14 minutes before my call would be answered (but they appreciated my call). As I was waiting, I started searching online and figured out what was wrong and how to fix it myself. I got to hang up before I even talked to the technician. Then last night in the wee hours of the morning, my internet stopped working suddenly. I decided to just go to bed and hopefully it would be fixed today. Woke up: no internet. Again, fixed the wireless myself. Still no clue why both randomly stopped working, but both are fixed, thank goodness.

--Friendship with S: My friend S is my best straight female friend. She called me last night and we had the best conversation ever, like always. So much shouting, so much laughter. I'm really amazed how well we sustain a long distance friendship and just how wonderful she is-- it is a rare thing to have a gorgeous friend make you feel beautiful. Actual S quote: "the first time I saw you, I thought you looked exactly like my high school homecoming queen, you have that all-American midwest beauty. But then the more I was around you, I realized you have an exotic beauty too." I quote her not for the truth of her statement, but just to demonstrate the extent of her friendship generosity-- most women aren't like that, they hold their cards close. There's so many other reasons why she is wonderful, but I'll cut it off here.

2006-11-28T11:21:00.000-05:00

This blog will be boring only for the next two and a half weeks. Then my semester is over.

In the meantime, a great girlyman article.

2006-11-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

Normally I don't use my Ipod shuffle function because my audio files are just too diverse. It normally ends up being a broadway show tune, then David Sedaris reading a chapter, then a 30 second introduction to a song from a live folk show, then a clip from a really bad appellate hearing, followed up by a gospel tune (I sometimes like listening to songs from my childhood-- so catchy).

But yesterday the old shuffle played "By Way of Sorrow" by Cry Cry Cry then "After All" by Dar Williams-- perfect.

boring

2006-11-10T11:38:00.000-05:00

sorry for the lack of posts-- been incredibly busy. i've been surprisingly mellow about the elections-- happy about the first female speaker of the house, excited about the impending influx of new democratic staffers, etc, but mostly just taking it in and focusing on otherwise distracting life stuff.

i apparently slept with a clenched fist-- i woke up with my right pinkie swollen and painful-- hmm.

2006-10-25T18:28:00.000-04:00

Post-"Personal Best," (see Jespersen v. Harrah's Operating Company, 444 F.3d 1104 (9th Cir 2006)) it appears that Harrah's has had a change of heart. Once determined to enforce a grooming and appearance standard based on outdated sex stereotypes, now they apparently love the gays.

This is from the HRC mailing list:
We would like to welcome Harrah's Entertainment as a Silver-level corporate sponsor of the Human Rights Campaign. The company has made a long-term commitment to an inclusive and diverse workforce, and this year has achieved an impressive 95 percent score on HRC's Corporate Equality Index. Harrah's was also a presenting sponsor of the first-ever HRC Las Vegas Gala Dinner in September.

Harrah's has been reaching out to GLBT travelers through clever ads in GLBT publications for its Paris Las Vegas resort, and we encourage you to consider staying there the next time you head to Las Vegas. For more information on the company and its Casino Hotel locations in destinations such as Reno/Tahoe, Atlantic City, New Orleans and of course Las Vegas, visit www.harrahs.com.

Diverse workforce? Here is what they required for female employees, including Darlene Jespersen, an openly gay model employee with 20 years experience. They fired her for not wearing makeup:

Females:
. Hair must be teased, curled, or styled every day you work. Hair must be worn down at all times, no exceptions.
. Stockings are to be of nude or natural color consistent with employee's skin tone. No runs.
. Nail polish can be clear, white, pink or red color only. No exotic nail art or length.
. Shoes will be solid black leather or leather type with rubber (non skid) soles.
. Make up (face powder, blush and mascara) must be worn and applied neatly in complimentary colors. Lip color must be worn at all times.

RIP housing search

2006-10-22T13:17:00.000-04:00

I am cleaning out my email and found this-- it was the response I received when I asked a realtor if the property he advertised allowed pets:

Laura,

Cats can be the worst pet nightmare. I don't understand the technical
jargon of cats spayed etc., but I do know that I have seen many homes where it was impossible to get cat urine smell out of the house and
particularly on rugs. On the other hand, I am sure that if one
properly cares for cats, one never even notices that they were in a
house. Can you tell me more about the ages of the cats etc? Also if
I visit where you are living now, and there is no damage from cats,
that would also be very helpful. Thanks, Howard

I found it a little creepy-- it's nice he is trying to be flexible, but I don't usually invite strangers to my house.

survey of potential virginia voters

2006-10-17T12:11:00.000-04:00

The Washington Post did an interesting poll:

12. Amendment One on the November ballot would add to the state's Constitution a definition of marriage as being ONLY the union of one man and one woman.

It would also keep Virginia from creating or recognizing any legal status for relationships of unmarried persons that assign the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities or effects of marriage.

If the election were held today, would you vote yes or no on Amendment One?

Yes No No opinion
10/12/06 LV 53 43 4

13. (Supporters say the measure would mean that same-sex marriages would never be approved or recognized in the Commonwealth of Virginia.) (Opponents say the proposed language is too broad, and would endanger contracts made between unmarried heterosexual couples.)

With these arguments in mind, if the election were held today, would you vote yes or no on Amendment One?

Yes No No opinion
10/12/06 LV 48 47 5

14. Do you think homosexual couples should or should not be allowed to form legally recognized civil unions, giving them the legal rights of married couples in areas such as health insurance, inheritance and pension coverage?

Should Should not No opinion
10/12/06 LV 48 47 5

hypocrites

2006-10-16T22:10:00.000-04:00

How do the American Family Association and the Concerned Women for America like them now???

As First Lady Laura Bush stood behind her, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice administered the oath of office on Oct. 10 to gay physician Mark Dybul as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, a post that has the rank of ambassador.

In a ceremony held at the State Department's historic Benjamin Franklin Room, Dybul placed his hand on a bible held by his domestic partner, Jason Claire. Dybul's parents and Claire's mother stood nearby as Dybul became the nation's third openly gay ambassador.

"I am truly honored and delighted to have the opportunity to swear in Mark Dybul as our next Global AIDS Coordinator," Rice said. "I am pleased to do that in the presence of Mark's parents, Claire and Richard, his partner, Jason, and his mother-in-law, Marilyn," she said.

"You have a wonderful family to support you, Mark, and I know that's always important to us. Welcome," Rice said.

from: here.

I have always said that I don't think the highest members of the Bush administration are actually homophobic. But I don't know if that makes it better or worse.

Another article that basically says the same thing: here

crime

2006-10-14T12:34:00.000-04:00

this is the most interesting thing ever.

2006-10-05T17:22:00.000-04:00

Apartment hunting has its own joys. For example:

$450 Young Christian Professionals looking to fill 3rd Bedroom in DC
We are two young christian females seeking the same to fill the third bedroom in our NW DC rowhouse (It is actually pretty much right North of the Capitol, so barely NW). [...] We have excellent landlords and love our house, but want potential roomates to know that it is in a very transitional neighborhood. Although we have been fine living here, there is still crime and drug activity that you will find in any inner-city. We like to think of it as Jesus' neighborhood.

I am not making this up! (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/roo/216402003.html)

Closeted gay republicans are gross.

2006-09-30T13:01:00.000-04:00

In response to the recent Mark Foley (R-FL) resignation scandal, the mainstream media has only provided an email that he allegedly sent to an underage male page. The email seems fairly ambiguous and tame, so I was questioning why he was so quick to resign.

The gay press has more, including a graphic IM conversation. This explains a lot.

I wasn't going to post this link because a.) it's just too disgusting and b.) it doesn't explain how they got access to it, so I questioned its authenticity. BUT I sent the link to a gay friend, who called a former Foley intern, who confirmed that the screen name listed on the webpage is one that Foley used to keep in touch with him (but the friend of a friend says Foley was never stupid enough to have conversations like that with him).

I wish there was a way the gay community could banish closet case politicians who resort to inapropriate interactions with underage males. We need a system like the Mormon church-- excommunicate them!!!

2006-09-25T23:15:00.000-04:00

hypoallergenic cats!!!

2006-09-18T21:09:00.001-04:00

lyrics

2006-09-17T19:27:00.000-04:00

here are the lyrics i was obsessed with in eighth grade:

do you feel the way you hate?
do you hate the way you feel?

and

these foolish games are tearing me apart
and your thoughtless words are breaking my heart

That was Bush and Jewel, respectively.

Lately (ten years later):

I'm standing by my window and I can see the light shine through my hands / history. . .I could slip through my own fingers and that's how small I am / you could spend half your life sitting on intention / I know what it's like to get pulled along by dreams you do not mention / so take me back through intuition, the stories of your life I'm missing / and I want to, but there's loveliness in loneliness / it's the only thing that keeps me here like this / just for the record, I'm not as far as I seem / I play with words, I play with time / I fall back through empty space into your arms from three thousand miles away

(Ty from Girlyman, when she was in Garden Verge)

question--

2006-09-16T18:37:00.000-04:00

Are papasan chairs lame? I sat in this one at world market today that had the softest green cushion and it felt AMAZING. i want it for my new apartment, but I don't want to be made fun of everytime people walk in and see it (like the pet stroller).

2006-09-13T00:11:00.000-04:00

1. I saw this happen live and in person last night. What was apparently a blue blanket covering the dead dog looked to me like a person either praying or dead (I was several feet away). The article failed to mention that there were at least five police cars AND dupont circle was covered in police tape and people were making statements to the police. Not to mention a huge crowd of onlookers-- much ado about a (deceased) dog.

2. You know that Sex & the City where Samantha moves into a new apartment and yells out the window, "Do you see us NY? We have it all!" Then she gets the flu or something and no one helps her and she cries to Carrie, "Let's face it-- we're all alone!!" That was just me. Tonight. There is nothing like a bad cold to bring out my woe-is-me tears.

much love,
Laura

2006-09-11T21:40:00.000-04:00

I have two gay-married-in-Massachusetts friends. Last night I went out to a classy dinner with them, and we came up with the best book idea ever: we like to eat good food, but unfortunately, after telling all my humorous breakup and dating stories, it just becomes a romantic date for two with a third wheel (that wheel would be me). So each week, I am going to ask a new girl out to dinner and bring along my two married friends. Afterwards, the three of us will evaluate her AND the food. So the book will be both tales of lesbian dating in DC AND an evaluation of the DC restaurant scene... thus appealing to readers seeking restaurant reviews and those looking for a twist on Sex & the City. I predict lots of cross-marketing potential.

cutest girl in the whole world

2006-09-05T23:48:00.000-04:00

2006-09-05T21:06:00.000-04:00

Apparently if you google "IU cornhole" (not in quotes), you get this.

I love it!

it would take an acrobat...

2006-09-05T20:33:00.000-04:00

Hmm.... Jessica Simpson sang "Let Him Fly" on The View today AND discussed the song with the hosts. She neglected to mention that the song was actually written by the semi-obscure folk artist Patty Griffin several years ago.

The Patty Griffin version is 100x better.

I don't like when music I've been loving since the late '90s becomes trendy. This also happened recently when Faith Hill put three Lori McKenna (another semi-obscure "alt-folkie") songs on her album Fireflies. But at least in that situation, when Faith was on Oprah, Lori was invited on as well and was given full credit for writing the songs.

EDIT: The Dixie Chicks also apparently covered the song three years after Patty Griffin originally published it. Again, Patty's version is better, at least judging by the 30 seconds of the Dixie Chick's version I heard on Amazon.com.

What is wrong with this picture?

2006-09-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

This couple does not match up!!

As I have gotten older, I have noticed more and more mis-matched couples in real life and in the media (especially situation comedies). And by mis-matched, I obviously mean that one person is hot and the other is, well, not.

There is a famous psychology study where researchers took pictures of (opposite sex) couples and cut them in half, then shuffled the stacks of men and women and asked the study participants to match up the couples. Overwhelmingly, the participants were successful in this task. The moral of the story (or rather, study) is that people almost always date people who are similar in attractiveness. You can't fight evolutionary principles, even in the name of love.

The only exceptions to this rule: some lesbian couples and situations where the less attractive person is really rich (read: the fat, balding lawyer). Oh, and Christina Aguilera apparently.

Fernando tiene un secreto!

2006-08-29T22:14:00.000-04:00

My new after-school fun is catching up on my Espanol by watching Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish on PBS. It's designed to teach basic spanish and it's full of suspense. Even the cat is watching it. It is so good that PBS broadcasts it at 5:30AM-- fortunately I have season pass-ed it.

In other news, this is my favorite part of law school-- the first few weeks are so relaxed, like, well I suppose I will read a bit before bed.

2006-08-26T00:33:00.000-04:00

Also, I think I saw Alice Walker on the escalator of the Dupont Circle metro station tonight. Maybe it wasn't her. But I did draw my breath and instantly think, "Oh my god, Alice Walker." So it could have been her, or at least a very convincing look-a-like. My intuition is that famous writers don't use public transportation. but who knows?

hmm

2006-08-26T00:24:00.000-04:00

At times, I find that New York (as a city) is so full of itself. Many, many times.

Here is an example: this is from the NY Times, in a travel article entitled "36 Hours in DC". This is their restaurant recommendation:

Go to Penn Quarter, a vibrant Washington neighborhood, for Zaytinya (701 Ninth Street NW, 202-638-0800) a Mediterranean tapas restaurant, that serves fresh Middle Eastern plates in a bustling setting of candles and soaring ceilings. “It feels like New York,” a friend said at dinner one recent night. Precisely.

Because when I go on vacation, I like to find the restaurants that feel exactly like the city I live in. FUN!

best salad ever!!

2006-08-24T00:13:00.000-04:00

Chop Chop Salad

3 C. Julienne-sliced Romaine greens
1 T. Julienne-sliced fresh basil
2 T. Italian Provolone cheese, cut in ¼" cubes
1 T. Garbanzo beans
2 T. Genoa salami
3 T. powdered Parmesan cheese
¼ C. Julienne-sliced smoked turkey breast
Tomato wedges for garnish
Freshly cracked pepper

Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
2 pasteurized egg yolks
¾ C. Balsamic vinegar
3 cloves finely minced garlic
¾ tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 C. Olive Oil
Make dressing in a mixing bowl. Whisk egg yolks for 2-3 minutes, then add vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk 2-3 minutes. Slowly add oil to emulsify. Refrigerate until needed.
Combine greens, basil provolone, garbanzos, salami in a bowl; add ½ C. dressing. Toss to combine. Add parmesan and toss.
Place salad on plate; top with turkey and tomato. Serve with pepper mill.

2006-08-20T03:35:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about DC is that on weekends in the wee hours of the morning, strangers on the street get all Indiana on me-- they act courteous, they smile, and they say, "Hi, how are you?" It throws me off guard for a minute, but then I love it. The alcohol makes them friendly in a midwest sort of way.

I also love that these same strangers sometimes say exactly what you want to hear (sometimes they say obscene and gross things too, but that's another story). For example, tonight, a man with out with his couple friends said hello as I passed them on the street at 3AM. He then said, "Your hair is beautiful. I love it."

green thumb

2006-08-16T23:06:00.000-04:00

word of the day

2006-08-16T22:56:00.000-04:00

Today I was trying to explain to a friend how generally guys from Indiana suck a lot, but I do like East Coast guys (the educated, clever ones). In contrast, on the whole, I don't like East Coast girls, but I really like Indiana girls. I explained that I like Indiana girls because they are "scrappy."

scrap·py2 (skrăp'ē)
adj., -pi·er, -pi·est.
1. Quarrelsome; contentious.
2. Full of fighting spirit. See synonyms at argumentative.

I was using it in the positive sense.

2006-08-15T22:06:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the week hiatus-- I was in Indiana and Ocean City, MD. I am now home but burnt to a crisp. Although it was definitely worth it: waves + salt water + family = fun.

Here are some other things I currently love:
1. The book Stiffed: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers. Great beach reading and so funny!

2. Dippin' Dots. I ate three servings in less than 24 hours.

3. Thinking about the ways Indiana has shaped me for better and worse. Noticing ads on Indiana radio that wouldn't air on the East Coast.

4. Going back to Bloomington and eating Buffas-- best wings ever.

5. Having a job! They offered, I accepted.

6. Two songs I keep listening to lately--
6a. Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie. So catchy and so pretty. Yes, I know it has been around for a few years, but it takes me a while sometimes to get hooked on music everyone else knows.
6b. I Write Sins not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco. Again, catchy. And it reminds me of musical theatre in a weird way. Plus I have heard they wear eyeliner in their music video so they are my new best buds.

show

2006-08-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

Among the many changes this summer, I stopped watching TV-- the only time I watch it is when I am on the elliptical in the gym. BUT one of the attorneys introduced me to the most fascinating show ever that I do make an exception for: INTERVENTION. If you like train wrecks, you will love this.

theme

2006-08-07T11:05:00.000-04:00

So one of this blog's flaws (among many) is that I can't figure out its theme-- is it a DC blog, offering sharp critiques of life in our nation's capitol? A "blawg"? A confessional blog a la Anne Sexton/ Sylvia Plath? So instead it becomes a bit of all three, thus muddying the tone. Hmm.

I realized yesterday that it can't be a gender studies blog because I received a couple hits yesterday from people who had googled the word "sex" and another word (I don't want to type it again for fear that it will result in the same kind of web traffic-- but think "age group" mentioned in my previous post). Obviously they had not put the phrase in quotes, but somehow they still got here!

genderful

2006-08-06T12:22:00.000-04:00

So-- this isn't a gender studies blog, but two gender-related things, again:

1. I went shopping yesterday (it is tax free weekend in VA and I definitely bought the cutest clothes ever). I'm really fascinated by fashion (specifically, t-shirts) marketed to teenage girls that perpetuate the worst stereotypes about women (catty, bitchy, manipulative) and are directed towards other women as forms of passive aggressive size-ups-- shirts like "tell your boyfriend I said thanks" or the many types of clever ways to say "I am prettier/ more popular/ more promiscuous than you." It's a tough time to be a teenage girl (especially pre-teen) these days if you want a little integrity. Or if you just don't want to be negative and lash out at other girls. Anyways, the newest slogan for this type of t-shirt that I saw yesterday:

"Your boyfriend is in my top 8"

Hilarious. Love the intersection of technology and shallowness.

I can't stop thinking about the ways individual identity is shaped by the clothing options available, and how mainstream clothing manufacturers perpetuate and bank on the insecurities caused by strict gender roles. Assuming you want to be a trendy teenager, basically your only choices are what is being marketed to you-- and of course, every mall around the country has the same clothes. You have to shape your identity based on these few options, and the options often have such strong gender scripts underlying them. It reminds me of the dilemma my friends and I faced as teenagers and in college when we did not feel comfortable wearing super short shorts (as Anne cleverly called them "cookie cutters")--they felt skanky and we didn't like being 24/7 sex objects for the stereotypical male gaze. We would go to several malls, and none of them sold women's shorts that were longer than upper-thigh. So some of my friends wore boy shorts, but I was reduced to wearing long pants for several summers in a row until Bermuda shorts became trendy again. Such are the costs of identity preservation!

I also love the repetition in fashion-- things come back into style several years later. I saw a sweater at Banana Republic yesterday that looked exactly like a sweater I bought from Old Navy in eighth grade. No thanks.

Note: I recognize that current fashion is arguably much less restrictive as far as gender roles and evolving to allow more diversity in appearance. Express now sells the "boyfriend tank" for women, which is basically a man's white ribbed a-frame. And men are now wearing pink clothing even in a business setting, which is just the hottest thing ever. There is a whole chapter in The Guide to Getting it On about how fashion manufacturers like Calvin Klein changed the nature of men's underwear so that men can wear briefs and not feel like their masculinity is threatened.

But despite all these recent changes, the mean t-shirts directed at other women are just as popular.

2. I absolutely love this new gender divide series in the NY Times this summer. The newest one, Facing Middle Age with No Degree, and No Wife is particularly interesting.

I think I appreciated it so much because it reflects a generational shift occurring in my hometown, where my grandfather had no degree, but he worked at the automobile manufacturing plant and was unionized, so he was able to support his seven children fairly well (at least by small town standards: they went to McDonalds once a week and with the cost of living being so low, they had a nice house. However, my father was the only one to get a college education). In the last twenty years or so, the plant closed down, so now the small town economy and the marriage market have both shifted in response. Because of the sex-segregated economy, the women have stayed in the same jobs (pink ghetto, but again, low cost of living, so $25-40K is just fine in a double income household). But their husbands now look like deadbeats because with the plant's closure, they are now selling appliances at department stores or scheming up small businesses that aren't successful and drain the family's resources. They are forced to acknowledge and rely on their wives' financial contributions, all thanks to a lack of education that didn't seem necessary twenty years ago.

All of this breeds a lot of resentment, a lot of stress and strain on everyone involved. And it explains the continuing popularity of fraternal organizations (often named after masculine animals, like elks and moose), where many men drink the evenings away (day after day) among the company of other middle-aged small town male friends, despite the fact that they have families at home. I could write a whole scholarly article on fraternal organizations, as I am the daughter of a former chapter president of one of them (he was the "exalted ruler" until April of last year-- I swear to god I am not making up that title!).

2006-08-03T21:59:00.000-04:00

1. One of the best things about DC: genuine racial diversity.

2. I bought some of my textbooks today and actually got a little excited for school-- I can't believe i will be working full time in a year (& taking the bar!).

it's for the kids.

2006-08-02T10:34:00.000-04:00

Basically, both courts found that marriage is like a box of Trix: It’s for kids.

A very well written article. Howver, no offense to Dan Savage (because I love him), but his subtle use of the gender normative leisure activity (his son loves baseball) makes me laugh a little: it's so sad that same sex parents often feel the need to show that their children end up exactly the same as children from opposite sex families. It becomes a sly PR campaign-- think of how this article would be read differently by the dominant audience if the son was eager to see the ballet. I just hate how all these gay people are running around yelling, "I swear we can socialize him into his binary gender role just the same as if you straight people were raising him!"

Or the kid could just love baseball, no gender scripts involved. This is probably closer to the truth, but it's amazing how many articles I read about same sex parenting where the kids in the background just happen to be engaging in gender normative play. Now is not the time in this civil rights movement to acknowledge any sort of differences in parenting style-- "we're just the same, I swear!" The Goodridges' daughter never wore combat boots in those publicity shots.

Thinking strategically, I know this is fundamentally the way to go. Too few people have interactions with real life same sex families, so articles like the one above fill in the gap and hopefully get the majority on board to this civil rights issue. But as a gender studies major, it gets on my nerves in the meantime.

watch out oprah!

2006-07-30T19:17:00.000-04:00

1. A recent interview with Oprah and her "best friend" Gayle: (from this article)
Lisa: Do the rumors bother you, Gayle?

Gayle: Not anymore, but I used to say, "Oprah, you have to do something. It's hard enough for me to get a date on a Saturday night. You've got to go on the air and stop it!" And then you realize you really can't stop it. And, you know, somebody made a good point: "Well, every time we see you, you're together," which is true.

Oprah: We were just down in the Bahamas—I was giving a wedding for my niece there. And we're having this big party in my suite. And who comes walking in—

Gayle: With my suitcase.

Oprah: With her suitcase! And I knew what all the waiters, what everybody was thinking: They're gay. This proves it. Has to be, because Stedman isn't around.

Gayle: And sure enough, the tabloid headline was "Oprah's Hideaway with Gal Pal." Ridiculous. But that said, I have to admit, if Oprah were a man, I would marry her.

2. the best thing about a blog + a stat counter is seeing how people google and end up at your blog. last night someone googled "joy like a river" which brought them to a post i made a few months ago where i quoted a religious song from my childhood. i am sure this blog was exactly what they were looking for.

much love,
laura

just saying--

2006-07-25T22:20:00.000-04:00

one of the best weekends ever. i love indiana friends (especially anne).

future patron of the arts

2006-07-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

this article is interesting to begin with, but then this quote also made me laugh.

And how do they feel about the pre-emptive bid for their as-yet-unearned income?

“It feels sweet,” Mr. Shih said.

“I feel used!” Mr. Wang said.

from this article

2006-07-18T22:48:00.000-04:00

We took a tour of the east wing of the White House today. The end of the tour consisted of exiting through the north entrance (the traditional front of the building with the columns). They finished a big construction project around a year ago which closed PA avenue off from traffic, so now tourist groups hover around the huge fence which separates the WH lawn from the closed off road. Tourists take pictures, watch protestors camped out in the park, and generally peer through the lawn shrubbery toward the white house (~200 feet?).

So as we were walking through the exit, my friend stops walking and briefly waived to the tourists several hundred feet away.

They started screaming like he was the President.

It was SO funny. He actually felt kind of bad about it, and he took off his jacket with the hopes that they wouldn't recognize him because of course, we eventually had to cross their path to get back to the office. And it wasn't crazy for the tourists to assume we were some group of political officials-- we were all wearing suits and such.

I told a firm secretary about it, and she said, "From that far away [with his bald head], they probably thought that he was Michael Jordan or something!"

cursing love.

2006-07-17T18:36:00.000-04:00

The fact that the CNN headline today is about a microphone picking up the President saying the word "shit" to Tony Blair demonstrates how stupid the mainstream media tends to be. Especially considering everything else going on these days in international affairs.

The fact that I got a distinct feeling of pleasure while watching said video demonstrates my similar quality.

My favorite part of the CNN headline: "Bush to Blair: candid, open, uncensored"

HA!

If I were ever President, I would make a point of cursing like a sailor from the get-go. This would not only let the public get to know the real me (transparency in politics, love it), but it would also serve to undercut the stereotype of the weak government lady. Margaret Thatcher took lessons to lower her voice, I would simply relive my high school days (I have gotten slightly classier since then, although you can take the small town girl out of the midwest, but you can't take the midwest out of the girl) and I would stun/charm everyone with my eloquent use of the phrase, "What the fuck is going on in the mideast?!?!"

facts

2006-07-10T22:29:00.000-04:00

1. i eat beef noodle soup (AKA pho) at least once a week.

2. my secret food love as of late (so unhealthy!) is salami and fresh mozzarella. i also like cherries and corn on the cob.

3. my high school was more challenging than undergrad and law school combined. this disappoints me a lot.

4. i love reading periodicals.

5. i was raised pentecostal. but no denim skirts, thank god.

6. i once won 52 pints of ben & jerry's ice cream by registering young voters.

2006-07-09T21:23:00.000-04:00

so... i am obsessed with the washington post food critic's weekly chat, especially after i submitted a question and a month later, it was published in the express!

now, more dc food gossip: here.

favorite dc restaurant as of late: ROSA MEXICANO. technically it is a chain, but that is because it is so good. Oh, and I love Fogo de Chao, although I think it made me sick on my b-day on Friday (everyone else felt sick too).

in other news, my best friend from when we 11 through 19 randomly contacted me today... it had been years. i sat on a blanket out in the grass and we talked on the phone for two and a half hours. so much fun to reconnect and discover that at the core, we have not changed.

two links i love right now

2006-07-05T18:33:00.000-04:00

public interest= lots of time to play on the internet.

1. cancelling AOL

2. maopost.com (click the link on the right hand side of the page to get your face painted into a piece of communist propoganda art!!)

lawyer joke

2006-07-05T18:31:00.000-04:00

A young lawyer died and went up to face his final appeal, if you will. When he got there, St. Peter glanced at his records and thought for a second, then said to him "young man, it seems you've led a very good life, yet you're a lawyer and we typically send them 'downstairs', so to speak. This is quite a conundrum, so I've talked it over with God and we've decided to make you a deal: we'll show you both heaven and hell and you can make your own decision about where you'd like to spend eternity."

Now the lawyer thought this was pretty strange, but he wasn't about to argue with the Big Guy so he said okay. St. Peter immediately led the way to hell and he peeked inside the flaming gates.

All around him were people partying and laughing, drinking top shelf cocktails from an open bar and flirting wildly with each other as they danced to music played live by all the dead rock stars. The lawyer looked around and thought to himself "Holy s--t, if this is hell, then imagine what heaven must be like! This is going to be great!"

Then he stepped back outside and allowed Peter to lead the way to the pearly gates. Only this time, when he peaked inside their splendor, he saw only people in comfortable business clothes sitting at desks and cheerfully working away. He watched for a moment, puzzled at the apparent calm-but-diligent atmosphere, then turned back to Peter.

"Well," he began, "I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm going to go to hell, if you don't mind." Peter smiled and nodded, adding a quick "Yeah, most attorneys choose that place" before he led the way back to hell and opened the gates, this time forever. The lawyer ducked inside eagerly, ready to party, but instead found himself knee deep in documents, surrounded by groaning young workers who were struggling to stay upright at their desks while older devils smoking cigars stood over them with whips. "What happened?!!" He yelled to the devil who grabbed him by the collar to lead him to his new life. "I was here just a little while ago and everyone looked so happy!"

The devil just smiled and nodded, "Ah, yes," the devil chuckled. "That was our summer associate program."

can't stop listening

2006-06-29T22:58:00.000-04:00

that echo chorus lied to me with its
hold on hold on hold on hold on

my favorite summer associate friend explained the unexplainable: the reason I have struggled and somewhat disliked direct legal services is because you take the role of the client and... it sucks. it sucks to be poor and have legal needs and have to beg to get the public benefits you need or beg for some sort of justice for a wrongful termination based on HIV discrimination. i love doj and the firm because there's power, it's easy to get things done and still intellectually challenging. you are disconnected from the bureaucracy. as she said this, it completely overwhelmed my brain... suddenly so much made sense. and suddenly i was a little embarassed too.

i've figured out that i still like public interest, but i like the public policy and impact litigation parts of it... not so much being in the trenches and the routine application for public benefits and such.

2006-06-28T21:32:00.000-04:00

1. As I have said, I love, love Alison Bechdel: ny times review

2. this was so hilarious to me that I emailed it to myself at work:
Governor Daniels, who flew back from a trade mission to Asia to attend the ceremony marking the announcement, said Honda's decision was exciting for his state.

"These are the jobs we seek for Hoosiers most avidly — high paying jobs, stable jobs," Governor Daniels said. "These are the jobs that Hoosiers admire most."

article
umm... i beg to differ.

again, a crosspost

2006-06-22T20:20:00.000-04:00

So it appears that when it becomes hot in DC, all the homeless people get umbrellas. I was walking along K Street yesterday and all of this sudden this homeless lady emerges from underneath the umbrella and barks at me: "Buy me a Coke!"

That is SO what I would say if I were homeless and down on my luck!

also a true life overheard in dc:

Sorority girl to her friend: I really like monogrammed stuff, but my initials are ANS, which sounds too much like anus... so that would make me uncomfortable.
Friend: but actually if it were monogrammed it would be little A, big S, little N.
...
Sorority girl: hmm, I had never thought of that before.
--Tenleytown metro station

so long, civil rights

2006-06-21T10:25:00.000-04:00

i meant to post this last week--

This is so disturbing. This is the second of two Supreme Court decisions that came out after exams which would have changed some of what I was taught this past semester (the other was an evidence related case about 911 calls being admissible).

and you know you are in law school when you read the summary of the majority opinion and think in your head exactly what you later discover the dissent said.

fucking awesome

2006-06-21T10:19:00.000-04:00

(crossposted from my other blog)

Pope Makes First Papal Visit to Six Flags

In other news, H is gone until Sunday, so I am going to spend the rest of the week unpacking, getting my hair cut, going out to dinner with S, and doing all the DC type things I love to do (like shopping in Georgetown.... I have money to spend!).

2006-06-20T21:53:00.000-04:00

i'm in a computer lab, as the internet has not worked in my new apartment yet since i moved in this weekend. i keep thinking of amazing blog topics, but i have of course forgotten them all.

i am going fishing tomorrow with the firm. and by "fishing" i mean, sitting on a boat and drinking beer while the rest of the people kill animals in sport. :-) although i do think someone will end up eating the fish, which evens out everything.

this story makes me laugh so much. and last week cnn had a video of a cat that chased a bear into a tree. there's a photo where the bear is a 100 feet high, looking down in terror, and at the bottom of the tree is this tiny little orange cat. my childhood cat (the one with three legs who is actually still alive) used to chase deer, but then the deer would figure out the size differences and the chase would be reversed.

2006-06-01T20:50:00.000-04:00

this book is amazing. i met her last week and she signed my book with an exclamation point... so cute.

FUN HOME ALISON BECHDEL As a little girl, Bechdel knew that her father, an English teacher in small-town Pennsylvania, was odd. He was withdrawn, he decorated their house too much, he moonlighted as an undertaker. But she didn't realize he was gay and seducing his young students, and she certainly didn't expect him to kill himself at 44 years old. In this brilliant, bleakly hilarious memoir in comic-book form, Bechdel combines stories from her emotionally barren but weirdly fascinating childhood with elegant allusions to Proust and Joyce to make a gripping story of filial sleuthery and, in the end, hard-earned acceptance of how much of her father she finds in herself.
from here.

the firm is taking us on vacation starting tomorrow. time to go pack the seersucker and linen clothes.

2006-05-31T23:13:00.000-04:00

peace like a river
joy like a fountain
love like an ocean

back home again

2006-05-27T23:47:00.000-04:00

well, i am here in my hometown for my brother's graduation. i ate the world's best bagels. it's really nice to be in a real house and have a big kitchen and a yard and such. the cost of living here is amazing. tomorrow is a cookout at the open house and hopefully sitting on the front porch swing and reading. i miss having the space to house all my books.

i have no commentary on... anything. my life is currently jam-packed with a million things. it's going to slow down shortly i think. much love!

2006-05-14T21:02:00.000-04:00

this is my childhood:

--frozen cokes (@ Hills)
--the plastic smell of My Little Pony
--Bert & Ernie swing set
--filling sand buckets with rosebud tree blossoms
--having an address that was "rural route __, box __"
--Mash and the A-Team
--special trips to the mall
--The Facts of Life (my root)
--my black cat named Pokey
--plastic over the screened in front porch
--legos
--talking Alf doll
--being scared of Operation (the game)and the posters on my wall at night (I thought the figures in the posters moved)
--falling asleep to the American Tail soundtrack
--stranding on my tiptoes at the snack bar at the country club: "charge it to d__ b______ (my father)."
--Hardees breakfast and playing with the calculator with the written tape at my dad's work on Saturday mornings
--getting groceries at Cub Foods
--my dad lining the back of the truck with plastic and filling it up with the hose so i could swim
--saying the pledge to the christian flag in kindergarten
--having a boy doll whose arms folded in prayer with velcro
--crocodile mile and slip & slide!
--being little chief red cloud at girl scout camp

schadenfreude

2006-05-12T20:04:00.000-04:00

nice job, bow tie boy. plus he is a law student!

dare i say

2006-05-09T21:22:00.000-04:00

i am actually enjoying full-time work. it is nice to be able to come home and be DONE for the day: most of my law school days end with me reading the assignment due the next morning, and cursing myself for not finishing it earlier. even if i don't get home until 7-8PM (and that is reduced hours because i am not a real lawyer yet), at least those few hours left in the day are mine completely.

also you have to love a firm where an attorney comes over to you just to ask, "did you watch shalom in the home last night?!?"

i tivoed it.

also my new favorite dc restaurant: ten pehn. yum.

so i think i have read around 12 magazines in the past three days. i am catching up on the ones i didn't have time to read over finals. now i get all the jokes in the blogs: "the decider"-- hilarious!

indiana politics

2006-05-03T12:12:00.000-04:00

make sure to scroll to near the end: republican primary.

the two party system and primary system in general always brings out the best people. gotta love the flogging.

awesome

2006-05-02T15:32:00.000-04:00

so i take back that last entry. stress, you know. for some reason on the way to take my third final this morning, i started feeling like my old self: i'm a rockstar again. i think this feeling coincides with the end of this huge to do list as far as interviews, luncheons, traveling, outlines, etc.

in the middle of my exam, my power cord somehow got in that joint where the chairs connect, so when i pushed my chair back to turn my exam in, it snapped the wires. not so good considering i have one more exam in less than 24 hours. but one of my classmates is going to let me borrow hers tomorrow afternoon, hopefully that will all work out (still a bit nerve wracking, as my computer currently has only two hours and fifty six minutes left in battery power-- and it's a three hour exam).

i'm feeling great because the end is near, and by the end, i do not mean the Second Coming of our lord and savior... i mean finals. even though monday is definitely a new beginning: i start my summer job. oh powersuit, you're such a dear old friend.

occupation

2006-04-25T02:32:00.001-04:00

so what can i be?

so...

2006-04-22T20:54:00.000-04:00

if you couldn't tell, this blog is on vacation. a little vacation called final exams. let me give you an idea of what i have been or am currently dealing with in these two weeks:
four finals, two review sessions, at least three tutoring sessions, two interviews that are worth $50K+, a letter to draft to potential donors (due the day i interview), one flight across the country, one lambda party, still one outline to finish, and two outlines that need updated with the last two weeks of material. i am not even outlining evidence: there is just not enough time. oh-- and we will need to decide where H is going to work and tour three possible apartments. And a firm is having a luncheon for me because they picked me for a diversity scholarship.... the day before a final and H won't be here to drive me-- it's not on a bus line so her boss is going to drive me. Very inconvenient.

now there are just 11 days left of this stress which is both exhilerating and terrifying.... how am i going to get everything done???

so... look for new 7&c entries 11 days from now. i promise. they will be clever and/or thought provoking.

watch out

2006-04-10T13:34:00.000-04:00

a PSA for DC people looking to adopt this cat: you probably should not get this one. the animal law club brought the washington humane society's traveling pet adoption center to school, so there are a bunch of dogs playing in the quad today. The RV had a couple cats in it, and right before I was about to go in the room to look at the cats, I heard one of them scream like I had never heard before: very wild and very loud. a classmate explained that a student put his finger into the cage, and apparently the cat went nuts. poor kitty! they shuffled the cages around and stuck that cat's cage in the corner and covered it with a towel.

on the way into school i saw a ton of hispanic people waiting to get on the metro... this makes me happy, as i assume they were coming into the city to protest. i love when people exercise their right to assemble.

within a month of moving to dc, i began telling everyone how the metro system needed the equivalent of an interstate looping the city. what a shock, i am not the first one to think of this: the purple line. hopefully this will be built by the time i am sixty.

okay, i can't think of anything else halfway interesting to say.

lazy muncie

2006-04-07T15:42:00.000-04:00

growing up, this was the big city to me where we went on special occasions. my dad was also the elks president in a town very near to here, which makes it even more funny:

http://www.lazymuncie.com/

another link

2006-04-01T13:27:00.000-05:00

here's something useful for when you are stuck for a long time with only the internet to entertain you:

1. go to television.aol.com
2. click In2TV (upper left hand side)
3. you can watch old shows like growing pains, head of the class, perfect strangers, and wonder woman.

head of the class = best 80s show ever.

2006-03-29T23:33:00.000-05:00

"A lawyer's either a social engineer or he's a parasite on society"

--Charles Hamilton Houston

link of the day

2006-03-29T21:58:00.000-05:00

go to cnn.com and watch the video entitled "Psycho cat going stir crazy under house arrest."

omg, it is for real.

2006-03-27T14:11:00.000-05:00

MSNBC did a followup with the owners of the cat that fell 80 feet out of a tree, and had the cat watch the footage of its fall. so dumb. you can watch it online, there is a link from the msn homepage.

in other pet news, i want a siamese cat, a longhaired chihuahua, and a papillon. unfortunately, three cats and two dogs would kind of equal a zoo, so i am not sure when this is going to happen.

i have about ten million things in the air right now and i am just waiting for them to fall and settle... i just need to know. i keep hitting refresh on my email, over and over.

2006-03-18T19:49:00.000-05:00

Arrested Devlopment is hilarious... so clever. it makes me tilt my head back when i laugh.

2006-03-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

it took me 24 hours to figure it out, but i finally realized what i should have said to the guy on the metro:

scary military man trying to subjugate me: "if you push me again, i will punch you.... stupid bitch."

second year law student (me): "if you touch me, i will sue you for everything you own."

i normally confront hecklers because i know the law is on my side... in this situation, i temporarily forgot that the threat of the law is pretty powerful as well.

woah

2006-03-15T23:18:00.000-05:00

i love the metro because it is such a unique situation, so many opportunities to obeserve human behavior. sometimes it is funny (like two hippies transporting an old beat up bookshelf) and other times it is sad (noticing a nanny get too rough with the children traveling with her). today it was both scary and personal, which sucked.

so the orange line at rush hour is insane, people pack in like sardines. tonight, i met up with my dear friend S, who was in town to apartment hunt, since she is working at a DC firm this summer. i ate the best tom yum soup ever, then said goodbye because i was late to pick up H's birthday ice cream cake. there were 2 orange line trains two minutes apart, and i find a way to squeeze on the first one, but since foggy bottom is the second to last stop where people typically board the train on its way out to the 'burbs, i was very close to the door. when the train got to the last stop where people want to get on (rosslyn), this guy in a military uniform, carrying his military uniform dry cleaning, pushes me hard to squeeze onto the train-- one of the worst pushes i have received, i was literally knocked into this lady's backpack on wheels. but i say nothing and just hold on to stay upright. he had a shaved head, black combat boots, and he was at least six feet tall and black. he had a full camoflauge miltary uniform on. i mention that he was black only because it plays into something i did later.

so we get to the next stop, and of course tons of people want to exit, including the lady right beside me. so i turn and exit the train. it was squished, but absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. as i am waiting for people to leave, military man turns to me and says, "if you push me again, i will punch you.... stupid bitch." i was in shock, so i said nothing and reboarded the train. at this point, i was scared, so i weave around a bunch of women to be farther away from him. i explain this to them saying, "i need to move-- that guy just called me a stupid bitch."

he overhears me and says loudly in front of the whole train, "that's right i called you a stupid bitch-- don't you push me." i have this philosophy of trying to quell violence, trying to reach common understanding-- i hate how often (white) people won't talk to some people, and act like they are better in their smug silence. this is especially important to me when race comes into play. so i say to him, "there's no need for namecalling. i was just moving to assist others trying to exit." he starts saying again how i am a stupid bitch.

at this point the women around me made sushing noises, and i didn't respond. i hoped he would exit at the next stop, but he definitely stayed on the line until the end, when i exit too. so i waited until he exited the train before even getting up from my seat.

it was so scary and frustrating on so many levels. it sucked because no one spoke up when it happened (and frustrating that the threat was made outside the train, so no one heard about the punching) and no one afterward spoke to me... they just averted their eyes... so much like the kitty genovese situation which occurs in large groups. there was no community, just a 6 foot tall man in combat boots calling a 5 foot 3 girl a stupid bitch. plus i was frustrated because what was i supposed to do? there actually was a policeman in the station, but it just seemed pointless to file a police report. so instead i just got in the car and cried. and even now there is this pain in my stomach, a palpable fear-- i have never had a stranger threaten violence towards me.

it's hard to process too because the situation just violated all the rules i have in my head of ordered society. if it would have been H who had been threatened, we could have said, "oh, homophobe" and at least it would fill a compartment... but here, it makes no sense. it made me understand how victims, especially those who are attacked by strangers, feel-- i immediately understood the victim who buys a gun and keeps looking around. maybe this is overreacting, but i ride the metro at least 10 times a week and i have never seen anything like what i experienced. and the guy was not crazy, he got on at rosslyn, where a lot of military people work... he was carrying his dry cleaning. plus i didn't push him and he pushed me so hard when he boarded the train! and of course, even if i did push him, violence is never an appropriate response. plus it made me feel so alone in a sea of people.

it made me miss indiana, because people actually talk to each other and comfort strangers in bad situations. in indiana people are nice at gas stations. they may disagree with your politics, but if you are gender normative, they are genuine when they ask how you are. they talk to each other. i notice this in dc all the time: someone will be putting their fare card in upside down and no one will stop and say to turn it over. i do though. i think that is why tourists ask me for directions all the time.

so... i am scared i will come in contact with that person again. i also feel sorry for him, because what kind of person does that??? if i could redo the situation, i would have said, "i feel genuinely sorry for you." the namecalling is one thing, i probably would have just laughed about it later if that was all it was, but the threat of violence, which was so sincere-- i will never forget the way he looked at me. and it made me think about misogny, about the way some men use their strength and their combat boots to absolutely devastate women. how powerful that is. it riled up the feminist in me. but it also riled up a fear i have never experienced before.

peacefulness

2006-03-11T17:27:00.000-05:00

this weather forces me to love everything despite myself. it's so much easier to focus at the computer with an open window nearby and a bit of a breeze. the kittens love it too: they've been taking turns on the windowsill, sprawled out like parentheses.

plus i took a nap and now H is taking a nap and the house is quiet and only lit by natural light. love it love it.

did i mention it is supposed to be eighty-three degrees on monday?

2006-03-07T23:56:00.000-05:00

back from vacation, got way too much sun and now moving is painful. i got tricked because when i laid in the sun, it was windy... so i couldn't tell that my skin was gradually becoming overcooked.

the best part of being out of the country was getting to come home and find so much life waiting for me to catch up on. lots of mail, tivo, emails, news, etc. the worst part: by not being accessible by email, i missed out on the chance to get interviewed by an AP reporter re: solomon amendment. he emailed and i didn't check my email until it was too late. i would have liked 2.2 seconds of fame.

another best part: i LOVED speaking spanish in cozumel... it was addictive. i think if this vacation happened three years ago, i would have studied abroad. although i definitely had to count on my fingers when talking to a taxi driver-- "once, doce, trece.... okay."

the right to own a pet??

2006-03-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

i'm not surprised that more people know about the simpsons than the first amendment, but this.... really?

It also showed that people misidentified First Amendment rights. About one in five people thought the right to own a pet was protected, and 38 percent said they believed the right against self-incrimination contained in the Fifth Amendment was a First Amendment right, the survey found.

(from here.)

in other news, my vacation starts in like 18 hours... yay!

untitled

2006-02-22T23:19:00.000-05:00

a guy on the city bus today explained to me that it was unconstitutional that only verizon phones work in the metro. this is because, according to him, it violates his first amendment rights. he told me how the bombings in london illustrated his point: those people had a constitutional right to call their families in the emergency. he talked very loudly so the whole bus could hear, then told me how he is an intern at a conservative think tank.

i am not making this up. he did stop talking, however, when the person we both know (one of the students H supervises, who he was sitting with) told him i was in law school. i did not say a word, although i thought many words.

oh, he was wearing a bow tie too.

cornhole

2006-02-22T11:46:00.000-05:00

the best game in the entire world is cornhole. you have not lived (or tailgated at a football game) until you have played it. once i live in an apt bigger than this one, i am going to order a special set with the IU logo on it, like my friend tim.

here is a reference for those whose lives have yet to be touched by the joys of this game: cornhole .

a list

2006-02-21T21:16:00.000-05:00

here are some things that i do not like:

1. the gilmore girls. the dialogue is just too much.

2. kittens (or should i say, a kitten) with PTSD. long story short, there was smoke in the building and everyone had to evacuate and some kittens are more cooperative than others. little miss uncooperative had to be carried out by hand on a harness and leash and escaped from my grasp, ran into a boiler room, and basically freaked out from fear of the fire alarm. but the building did not burn down (overheated elevators caused smoke) and everything is fine. but someone is still jumpy. (that would be the uncooperative kitten, not me.)

3. another thing i do not like: milk. it is gross to me. the last time i drank milk, i was less than ten. this probably means i will probably get a hunchback when i am 60. but i do like cheese and ice cream.

4. mustard in its traditional condiment form. i do like it in its dried form on pretzels.

5. conflicts questionnaires. who knew i had done so much legal work?

6. that donatoes and penn station (east coast subs) aren't franchised in this area.

7. my sleeping schedule as of late: i stay up until between 2 and 3AM, then sleep until 11-12PM: staying up too late and sleeping in too late, a vicious cycle. it is going to suck in nine days when i have to get up at 4AM for my flight to miami.

besides those things, life is good.

ouch part two

2006-02-15T15:16:00.000-05:00

atrios reported yesterday that there may have been alcohol involved in the dick cheney hunting accident situation.

negligence lawsuit, what? EDIT: this was posted the exact same minute i made this post.

also, i saw on some other blog that the white house said he was hit with "between six and 200" pellets. way to estimate, WH! i am somehow guessing it was a little more than six.

in other news, girlyman concert tonight! i am so excited.

ouch!

2006-02-12T21:42:00.000-05:00

i want a t-shirt that says "dick cheney shot me on a hunting trip."

this is hilarious to me.

hungry!

2006-02-10T14:38:00.000-05:00

here are my five favorite restaurants in the dc area:
1. the melting pot
2. kinkead's
3. oceanaire seafood room
4. vidalia
5. indebleu

honorable mention goes to todai in fairfax, because all you can eat sushi plus crepes and a huge dessert bar makes for an amazing dinner too. it is a chain, but it is a chain of deliciousness.

2006-02-09T01:51:00.000-05:00

i think one of the most difficult parts of law school is often having to read cases where horrible, tragic things happen. the situation is made worse by the fact that no one talks about the necessary coping mechanisms-- i don't believe you'll find it on a PR syllabus (although correct me if i am wrong). in evidence, we talk about child molesters. in crim law, it was rape and abuse. now both con law II and family law discuss these two particularly horrible cases: one where social services failed to respond to repeated complaints until finally, a father beat his four year old son so badly that it caused brain damage. in the case i just read, a mother's three daughters disappeared while they were playing outside and she immediately called the police, suspecting it was her ex husband (whom she had a protective order against). they said they couldn't do anything until several hours passed. she kept calling and they kept pushing back the time. the husband called her and said where he had taken the daughters. the police still did nothing. finally, ten hours after she first called (and now 3AM), the husband showed up at the police station and opened fire. in the car, they found all three daughters, who had been murdered.

so unbelievably sad. and what makes it hard is that as a law student, you have to read these fact patterns and just keep going, searching for the holding and the legal analysis and all that must be anticipated for the socratic method which will occur in class. but for me, a part of me can't keep reading-- i can't focus on whether the 14th Amendment and her protective order gave the police the affirmative duty to respond, i want to grieve for this woman. i can't cut out the humanity. i wonder about my classmates: do most of them pause? or do they just keep speed reading? what is a good future lawyer supposed to do?

i think another part of this that bothers me is that often, these grieving parents don't get relief. normally i see the big picture of the just legal system and i am able to forgive the rough edges of the law. for example, i agree with the concept of a statute of limitations, even if that means that sometimes individual crimes aren't prosecuted even though they finally find the criminal. but i guess in my head i want to make an exception when children are victims, even though i know that is unreasonable and irrational. and at least that is what juries do-- smooth the rough edges of the law.

sometimes i even wish casebook editors could pick different cases-- my evidence textbook is full of child abuse cases, and i just don't see the point when so many less emotional cases could describe the same application of the Federal Rules of Evidence.

this was just something i didn't anticipate about law school-- leaving the building with a heavy heart after reading about something so sad. and most the time the cases barely feel real, but some cases are more detailed about the facts than others.

unusual

2006-02-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

yesterday i stood by this guy in the metro whose head reached the silver bars that line the top of the train. VERY tall. in fact, he was ginormous. he had to duck to exit the train. the rest of us mere mortals looked like midgits in comparison.

don't be hatin'

2006-01-31T23:22:00.000-05:00

"In-N-Out is one of those iconic Southern California cuisines," he said. "Every city loves to have something that is uniquely its. The problem with globalization is that you wake up in Munich and you think you're in Milwaukee. In-N-Out is unique because it's from someplace. You'd hate to see some jerk from Indiana take it over."

from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/29/AR2006012901026.html