I have to leave my job in less than three weeks and I still don't have anything lined up for afterwards. Up until now, I was pretty relaxed about it because I know I'll eventually find a job. The only thing that annoyed me was constantly being asked by others what I'm doing next year and facing the obligatory grimmace when I tell them I don't know yet. But, now I just want a little certainty in my life. Has anyone tried the whole Oprah / Secret / just visualize what you want and it will come true thing? Do you think that could work?
Aaahh Freak out! / Le Freak, C'est Chic / Freak out!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Dictionary Fun
The last few nights, I've been doing some puzzles out of a New York Times Crossword Puzzle Book. Full disclosue: I am a crossword puzzle "cheater" in that I think research is fair game. Usually there is some inferential step required to successfully find an answer, so it's a sufficient brain exercise in my book. (Sometimes I actually cheat cheat and look in the back when I know it's a clue I will never figure out, but getting some letters down will help me with clues I know will eventually get.)
My laptop is broken, so I don't have a computer at home right now, which is probably the reason I've been doing crossword puzzles in the first place because I'm so ADD, I can't just sit and watch TV, I have to be doing something with my hands and the same time. (Fold laundry? Preposterous!) With my usual research method (I call it the Google/Wikipedia method) unavailable, I've been using these crazy old-fashion devices called reference books. It is so amazing how much information is contained in the Merriam-Webster dictionary!
For instance, I was able to confirm that "TET" was a correct answer for the clue "Eastern New Year," as it is defined as "the Vietnamese New Year observed during the first several days of the lunar calendar beginning at the second new moon after the winter solstice." It also lists a "Flemish painter: van ____," though not the one I was looking for. Apparently Jan van Eyck is dictionary-worthy, but Michiel van Coxie is not. While I was trying to figure out a five-letter word in Kansas's state motto, I looked to see if there was any kind of chart with that type of information in the back pages. No luck, though there is a chart with states, their capitals, populations, etc., and I was able to (correctly) guess that the missing word was "ASTRA," Latin for stars. (In case you're wondering, the full motto is "ad astra per aspera" or "to the stars through difficulty," which, if memory serves, was also the motto of my junior high school.)
While looking for the non-existent state motto chart, I did come across another interesting chart listing suggestions on how to avoid sexist language when referring to various professions. Some examples include: using cinematographer instead of cameraman, firefighter instead of fireman, and homemaker instead of housewife. This reminded me of growing up, how whenever we needed to something fixed or have some service done, we would always talk about needing to call the [something] man. The dishwasher man. The washing machine man. The parkay floor man. The fence man. One time we saw a frog in the backyard and my brother asked, "Are we going to have to call the frog man?" I'm not sure any of these were addressed in the dictionary chart, certainly not "frog man." Just the other day, my mom mentioned having to take the morning off work to wait for the dishwasher man. Perhaps she should have called him "the dishwasher repair person."
We were, however, politically correct whenever the toliet was clogged. We never called anyone "the toliet man," we always said "plumber." One of my favorite memories growing up was when my mom came and asked my brother and me if we had seen the plumber's friend (meaning the plunger), and we answered in sync, with the same incredulous inflection, "The plumber has a friend?"
My laptop is broken, so I don't have a computer at home right now, which is probably the reason I've been doing crossword puzzles in the first place because I'm so ADD, I can't just sit and watch TV, I have to be doing something with my hands and the same time. (Fold laundry? Preposterous!) With my usual research method (I call it the Google/Wikipedia method) unavailable, I've been using these crazy old-fashion devices called reference books. It is so amazing how much information is contained in the Merriam-Webster dictionary!
For instance, I was able to confirm that "TET" was a correct answer for the clue "Eastern New Year," as it is defined as "the Vietnamese New Year observed during the first several days of the lunar calendar beginning at the second new moon after the winter solstice." It also lists a "Flemish painter: van ____," though not the one I was looking for. Apparently Jan van Eyck is dictionary-worthy, but Michiel van Coxie is not. While I was trying to figure out a five-letter word in Kansas's state motto, I looked to see if there was any kind of chart with that type of information in the back pages. No luck, though there is a chart with states, their capitals, populations, etc., and I was able to (correctly) guess that the missing word was "ASTRA," Latin for stars. (In case you're wondering, the full motto is "ad astra per aspera" or "to the stars through difficulty," which, if memory serves, was also the motto of my junior high school.)
While looking for the non-existent state motto chart, I did come across another interesting chart listing suggestions on how to avoid sexist language when referring to various professions. Some examples include: using cinematographer instead of cameraman, firefighter instead of fireman, and homemaker instead of housewife. This reminded me of growing up, how whenever we needed to something fixed or have some service done, we would always talk about needing to call the [something] man. The dishwasher man. The washing machine man. The parkay floor man. The fence man. One time we saw a frog in the backyard and my brother asked, "Are we going to have to call the frog man?" I'm not sure any of these were addressed in the dictionary chart, certainly not "frog man." Just the other day, my mom mentioned having to take the morning off work to wait for the dishwasher man. Perhaps she should have called him "the dishwasher repair person."
We were, however, politically correct whenever the toliet was clogged. We never called anyone "the toliet man," we always said "plumber." One of my favorite memories growing up was when my mom came and asked my brother and me if we had seen the plumber's friend (meaning the plunger), and we answered in sync, with the same incredulous inflection, "The plumber has a friend?"
Monday, April 30, 2007
I have a fan!
Lately I've been spending a lot of time on Yahoo! Answers, which is an "online community" where people can post questions on literally everything, and others can post answers. The questioner then votes on which response is the "Best Answer," which awards the answerer ten points in a largely meaningless point system. Currently, I have 236 points and 20% of my answers have been designated as "Best Answers." :)
Another feature of this system is that you can let people know that you are a fan of their answers, and I got my first fan today! A college student posted a question last week about being tired all the time, due to depression and the medication she is taking for it. I responded by first suggesting that she talk to her doctor about her medication, and I also suggested that she try taking a short walk after class every day, instead of going straight down for a 3-4 hour nap as she said she had been doing. I wrote that, in my experience, exercise usually makes me feel less tired, even though it seems counterintuitive, and that physical activity is known to ease the symptoms of depression.
After getting chosen as best answer, I looked at her profile. I know this sounds silly, but I just thought her "About Me" section was so sweet!
I heart pilates and yoga! I love my boyfriend dearly. I wish I had more control over my life. I'm always tired and it sucks. I'm a vegetarian because I love animals! I'm very laid back. I'm a hippie at heart. I love comfy clothes. I'm a movie fanatic. Anything or anyone that makes me laugh is awesome! I'm in college, working towards a Bachelors Degree in Family and Child Studies. This May I'm getting my Associates Degree in Sociology too! Only two more years of college! Woo!
Her other questions range from the typical issues facing 20-year-old college girls--like fighting with her boyfriend and whether or not to go to the tanning salon--to much darker issues--like her struggles with bulimia, depression, and thyroid dysfunction. She obviously is having a rough time, yet still seems so cheerful and optimistic in all of her posts. I find it so endearing that it restores my faith in humanity. Is that weird?
Regardless, I was so honored that she wants to be my fan. It made my day.
Another feature of this system is that you can let people know that you are a fan of their answers, and I got my first fan today! A college student posted a question last week about being tired all the time, due to depression and the medication she is taking for it. I responded by first suggesting that she talk to her doctor about her medication, and I also suggested that she try taking a short walk after class every day, instead of going straight down for a 3-4 hour nap as she said she had been doing. I wrote that, in my experience, exercise usually makes me feel less tired, even though it seems counterintuitive, and that physical activity is known to ease the symptoms of depression.
After getting chosen as best answer, I looked at her profile. I know this sounds silly, but I just thought her "About Me" section was so sweet!
I heart pilates and yoga! I love my boyfriend dearly. I wish I had more control over my life. I'm always tired and it sucks. I'm a vegetarian because I love animals! I'm very laid back. I'm a hippie at heart. I love comfy clothes. I'm a movie fanatic. Anything or anyone that makes me laugh is awesome! I'm in college, working towards a Bachelors Degree in Family and Child Studies. This May I'm getting my Associates Degree in Sociology too! Only two more years of college! Woo!
Her other questions range from the typical issues facing 20-year-old college girls--like fighting with her boyfriend and whether or not to go to the tanning salon--to much darker issues--like her struggles with bulimia, depression, and thyroid dysfunction. She obviously is having a rough time, yet still seems so cheerful and optimistic in all of her posts. I find it so endearing that it restores my faith in humanity. Is that weird?
Regardless, I was so honored that she wants to be my fan. It made my day.
Monday, April 09, 2007
April Fool
I suck. Apparently, the naysayers were right . . . I'm losing steam on this whole monthly resolution thing. I've just been so lazy lately. Here it is April 9 and I haven't even touched my taxes, the piles of laundry are just sad, and I haven't even blogged about the Cherry Blossom 10-miler. Maybe it's because spring hasn't quite sprung yet and it's sapping my energy. Yeah, that's it. I'll blame it on the rain, yeah yeah.
Then again, my resolve this year hasn't been a complete failure. I think I've accomplished a lot in my post-Fancy New Can-opener world. Most notably, I've been lifting weights regularly, cooking more, staving off scurvy by eating my veggies, and watching a lot less television. Oh - and I bought Chucks! The brownish pink ones.
Ergo, my resolutions for April are:
1. Don't be hard on yourself.
2. Do what you can.
Then again, my resolve this year hasn't been a complete failure. I think I've accomplished a lot in my post-Fancy New Can-opener world. Most notably, I've been lifting weights regularly, cooking more, staving off scurvy by eating my veggies, and watching a lot less television. Oh - and I bought Chucks! The brownish pink ones.
Ergo, my resolutions for April are:
1. Don't be hard on yourself.
2. Do what you can.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Emma Went Down to Georgia
Partly due to the nature of my job and partly due to the fact that I'm a big dork, I'm always excited to find new online resources for grammar questions. I frequently refer to Dr. Grammar and I recently discovered (and am now addicted to) Grammar Girl, which is a weekly podcast and accompanying blog that provides "quick and dirty" tips for remembering particular grammar rules and often includes really interesting trivia and discussion (well, interesting to me.) I also highly recommend checking out other similar "quick and dirty" podcasts on qdnow.com. I like Mr. Manners and Legal Lad. (So glad I recently joined the 21st century by downloading iTunes!)
Today I was google-ing when to use a hyphen between the words "follow" and "up," and I came across a blog called Business Writing. (It corroborated my instinct that there is no hyphen when using "follow up" as a verb.) On the site's blog roll was a blog called Legal Writer. Of course, I eagerly clicked over to that one!
An interesting tidbit that I picked up by reading through Legal Writer's recent posts is that Georgia font was specifically designed to be read on screen. The post recommended changing your email program settings to write and display Georgia as the default font, thus making it easier on your eyes and those of your email recipients. (Apparently, as online fonts go, Verdana is a close second.)
FYI - The default font for this blog is, in fact, Georgia. Blogger must be hip to its "brilliant serifs."
Today I was google-ing when to use a hyphen between the words "follow" and "up," and I came across a blog called Business Writing. (It corroborated my instinct that there is no hyphen when using "follow up" as a verb.) On the site's blog roll was a blog called Legal Writer. Of course, I eagerly clicked over to that one!
An interesting tidbit that I picked up by reading through Legal Writer's recent posts is that Georgia font was specifically designed to be read on screen. The post recommended changing your email program settings to write and display Georgia as the default font, thus making it easier on your eyes and those of your email recipients. (Apparently, as online fonts go, Verdana is a close second.)
FYI - The default font for this blog is, in fact, Georgia. Blogger must be hip to its "brilliant serifs."
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Short, Sweet, Late
March has come in like the proverbial lion so I haven't had much time for blogging or resolution-keeping-track-of.
In short, I met all my resolutions for last month but one. I bought coat hangers, went to see the dentist, and have applied for a handful of jobs, maybe 5. I haven't gotten around to donating my cell phone and laptop, but thanks to Laura's tip, I should be able to shortly.
This month, I'm taking it easy on myself, and only have one resolution: do my taxes by the end of March. That will keep me from waiting until the last minute as I have done almost every other year.
In short, I met all my resolutions for last month but one. I bought coat hangers, went to see the dentist, and have applied for a handful of jobs, maybe 5. I haven't gotten around to donating my cell phone and laptop, but thanks to Laura's tip, I should be able to shortly.
This month, I'm taking it easy on myself, and only have one resolution: do my taxes by the end of March. That will keep me from waiting until the last minute as I have done almost every other year.
Monday, February 12, 2007
More Fashion Advice
When I first (re-)started this blog, I asked for advice on picking out a tote bag, which, by the way, I never picked out. There were just too many choices! Anyway, I'm having similar issues with picking out a pair of low-top Converse All-Stars a/k/a "Chucks." I currently have two pairs of tennis shoes to wear with jeans--one is bright orange the other is white with red stripes. I want another pair of casual, comfortable shoes that are versitile, but still fun and colorful.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Month of Purification*
As promised, my monthly post of resolutions.
But first, let's recap January:
Goal: Unpack my suitcase from winter break before MLK day.
Result: Success! I made it in just under the wire, finishing Sunday of the holiday weekend. Also, this small task inspired me into a full on cleaning frenzy.
Goal: Purchase a Metro Smartcard.
Result: Did it. Love it. Can't believe it took me so long.
Goal: Lift weights 1-2 times a week.
Result: Yes. I lifted at least once, and probably twice each week this month. When school (and group exercises classes) started again, I started going to a muscle conditioning class on Mondays for low weight/high reps. Wednesdays I've been using the machines. Also, we always do about 10 minutes of weights at the end of my step class on Thursdays. I plan to keep this routine up. Supposedly, now that I've done this for 21 days it should be ingrained in me as a habit, therefore eliminating the need for me to formally resolve to this again.
Goal: Have at least one day in January where all of my clothes and linens are clean, dry, and folded or hung in their proper place, save only the sheets on my bed and the clothes on my back.
Result: Not quite. I spent several evenings in a row watching Alias DVDs while doing laundry, and made huge progress on the doing of the laundry, but not so much progress on the putting away. The upside is that it's in laundry baskets, rather than in piles on my futon. Part of the problem is, you know in the movie It's A Wonderful Life when there's a run on the Building & Loan and George Bailey has to explain that the money isn't all in the back in a safe, it's in your house and his house . . . Anyway, my clothing storage system depends on a certain amount of clothing being in the laundry hamper. Also, I need more coat hangers. (Wow, that's a nice segue!)
February Resolutions
1. Purchase coat hangers.
2. I haven't gotten around to finding a dentist since I've been in DC, so I resolve to finally get around to that and make an appointment.
3. Find a place where I can donate an old cell phone and an old lap top, and donate.
4. Apply to an average of one job a week.
*Just in case anyone's interested in the etymology and history of February.
But first, let's recap January:
Goal: Unpack my suitcase from winter break before MLK day.
Result: Success! I made it in just under the wire, finishing Sunday of the holiday weekend. Also, this small task inspired me into a full on cleaning frenzy.
Goal: Purchase a Metro Smartcard.
Result: Did it. Love it. Can't believe it took me so long.
Goal: Lift weights 1-2 times a week.
Result: Yes. I lifted at least once, and probably twice each week this month. When school (and group exercises classes) started again, I started going to a muscle conditioning class on Mondays for low weight/high reps. Wednesdays I've been using the machines. Also, we always do about 10 minutes of weights at the end of my step class on Thursdays. I plan to keep this routine up. Supposedly, now that I've done this for 21 days it should be ingrained in me as a habit, therefore eliminating the need for me to formally resolve to this again.
Goal: Have at least one day in January where all of my clothes and linens are clean, dry, and folded or hung in their proper place, save only the sheets on my bed and the clothes on my back.
Result: Not quite. I spent several evenings in a row watching Alias DVDs while doing laundry, and made huge progress on the doing of the laundry, but not so much progress on the putting away. The upside is that it's in laundry baskets, rather than in piles on my futon. Part of the problem is, you know in the movie It's A Wonderful Life when there's a run on the Building & Loan and George Bailey has to explain that the money isn't all in the back in a safe, it's in your house and his house . . . Anyway, my clothing storage system depends on a certain amount of clothing being in the laundry hamper. Also, I need more coat hangers. (Wow, that's a nice segue!)
February Resolutions
1. Purchase coat hangers.
2. I haven't gotten around to finding a dentist since I've been in DC, so I resolve to finally get around to that and make an appointment.
3. Find a place where I can donate an old cell phone and an old lap top, and donate.
4. Apply to an average of one job a week.
*Just in case anyone's interested in the etymology and history of February.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
In Praise of Cereal
crunchy with whole grains
late night; spoon splashing cold milk
satisfied, shortly
late night; spoon splashing cold milk
satisfied, shortly
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Dishevelled Lady? Me Thinks Not!
Just wanted to report that I am making good progress towards disposing of my formerly dishevelled self. Last night, I even managed to cook myself dinner. (Thanks, Mom--the can opener worked great!)
Something came up at work around 5:00pm on Friday (which is always fun), so I ended up having to stay late, until about 9:30 or 10. While I was working, I got it into my head that, since I didn't have any plans for the evening, it would be fun to cook as opposed to ordering out or heating something frozen up. I was thinking back to an episode of the Take Home Chef, which I happened to catch several months ago where they made turkey meatballs. For whatever reason, that just sounded really good. So I googled an easy-looking recipe for low fat turkey meatballs and spaghetti and headed to the grocery store on my way home.
There is one grocery store between work and home, which is small, and another one only two blocks away from my house, which is smaller. I got to the store a few minutes before it closed (I forgot this would be an issue for the small, family-owned places) and grabbed a few things I needed. One of my classmates from law school said that every time she tries to cook, she just ends up calling her mom every five minutes asking for help with the directions. I didn't think I was this bad (my position has always been, that it's not that I can't cook, it's that I CHOOSE not to), but I did briefly consider calling my mom from the store to ask if there was a discernable difference between crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes (I could find the latter, but not the former.) I finally did find "crushed tomatoes," but it looked more like tomato sauce/tomato paste and I wanted something a little chunkier. Luckily, I found a compromise--chunky crushed tomatoes. Unluckily, the store had no ground turkey, no ground beef, basically no anything in the meat department.
Undeterred, I decided I was on a mission. The corner grocery store by my house was closed as well (and even if it had been open, I doubted it would have ground turkey) and my car wasn't working so I couldn't drive to the 24-hour Safeway. So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided at 10:30 at night, in 30 degree weather, I'll just run to Safeway! As it turned out, however, there was another corner-ish grocery store a few blocks away from my corner grocery store that stays open until 11. I went to the meat section, and there was exactly enough ground beef for the recipe. I did debate going on to Safeway anyway so I could actually get turkey, but decided there were many good reasons to just go with the beef in the hand. (Probably a good decision considering (1) my Safeway's nickname is the UN-Safeway, (2) I didn't eat dinner until 12:30 as it was, and (3) I was cold enough just walking home five blocks with groceries and Safeway is a little over a mile away.)
Anyway, no major cooking disasters and I enjoyed both the meal and the satisfaction of cooking for myself. (I even remembered how to separate an egg!) Now that I have my fancy new can opener and a new car battery, I may try this more often. Fodder for future monthly resolutions, perhaps....
Something came up at work around 5:00pm on Friday (which is always fun), so I ended up having to stay late, until about 9:30 or 10. While I was working, I got it into my head that, since I didn't have any plans for the evening, it would be fun to cook as opposed to ordering out or heating something frozen up. I was thinking back to an episode of the Take Home Chef, which I happened to catch several months ago where they made turkey meatballs. For whatever reason, that just sounded really good. So I googled an easy-looking recipe for low fat turkey meatballs and spaghetti and headed to the grocery store on my way home.
There is one grocery store between work and home, which is small, and another one only two blocks away from my house, which is smaller. I got to the store a few minutes before it closed (I forgot this would be an issue for the small, family-owned places) and grabbed a few things I needed. One of my classmates from law school said that every time she tries to cook, she just ends up calling her mom every five minutes asking for help with the directions. I didn't think I was this bad (my position has always been, that it's not that I can't cook, it's that I CHOOSE not to), but I did briefly consider calling my mom from the store to ask if there was a discernable difference between crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes (I could find the latter, but not the former.) I finally did find "crushed tomatoes," but it looked more like tomato sauce/tomato paste and I wanted something a little chunkier. Luckily, I found a compromise--chunky crushed tomatoes. Unluckily, the store had no ground turkey, no ground beef, basically no anything in the meat department.
Undeterred, I decided I was on a mission. The corner grocery store by my house was closed as well (and even if it had been open, I doubted it would have ground turkey) and my car wasn't working so I couldn't drive to the 24-hour Safeway. So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided at 10:30 at night, in 30 degree weather, I'll just run to Safeway! As it turned out, however, there was another corner-ish grocery store a few blocks away from my corner grocery store that stays open until 11. I went to the meat section, and there was exactly enough ground beef for the recipe. I did debate going on to Safeway anyway so I could actually get turkey, but decided there were many good reasons to just go with the beef in the hand. (Probably a good decision considering (1) my Safeway's nickname is the UN-Safeway, (2) I didn't eat dinner until 12:30 as it was, and (3) I was cold enough just walking home five blocks with groceries and Safeway is a little over a mile away.)
Anyway, no major cooking disasters and I enjoyed both the meal and the satisfaction of cooking for myself. (I even remembered how to separate an egg!) Now that I have my fancy new can opener and a new car battery, I may try this more often. Fodder for future monthly resolutions, perhaps....
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
You say you want a resolution?
My friend says she doesn't believe in New Year's resolutions because there's no point because everyone gives them up by February anyway. I propose that's because most people aim too high and resolve to do things that are somewhat vague. Any good personal trainer will tell you, the only way to reach your goals is to set some that are realistic and measurable, as opposed to "I want to lose weight and improve my fitness." Therefore, I propose to set a few bite-sized monthly resolutions. My only New Year's resolution is to do so here on this blog each month, and the next month, I'll report back on how I did.
January Resolutions
1. Unpack my suitcase from winter break before MLK day.
2. Purchase a Metro Smartcard so I don't have to worry about having change for the bus or slowing my friends down when I have to purchase a new metrocard and they can just quickly swipe on through.
3. Lift weights 1-2 times a week. (I'm aiming for two, but one is sufficient to meet my resolution. If I end up doing it twice weekly, next month I'll consider upping it to thrice weekly.)
4. Have at least one day in January where all of my clothes and linens are clean, dry, and folded or hung in their proper place, save only the sheets on my bed and the clothes on my back.
UPDATE: I'm already 3/4ths of the way there! I just purchased a Smartcard online.
UPDATE II: Resolution #5. Improve math skills. I meant to say, I'm 1/4 of the way there, and only have 3/4ths to go.
January Resolutions
1. Unpack my suitcase from winter break before MLK day.
2. Purchase a Metro Smartcard so I don't have to worry about having change for the bus or slowing my friends down when I have to purchase a new metrocard and they can just quickly swipe on through.
3. Lift weights 1-2 times a week. (I'm aiming for two, but one is sufficient to meet my resolution. If I end up doing it twice weekly, next month I'll consider upping it to thrice weekly.)
4. Have at least one day in January where all of my clothes and linens are clean, dry, and folded or hung in their proper place, save only the sheets on my bed and the clothes on my back.
UPDATE: I'm already 3/4ths of the way there! I just purchased a Smartcard online.
UPDATE II: Resolution #5. Improve math skills. I meant to say, I'm 1/4 of the way there, and only have 3/4ths to go.
How do you measure...?
The best advice I've heard about taking stock of those 525,600 minutes was from Ally McBeal (but then again, I only take advice from television shows about quirky lawyers). Anyway, if I recall correctly, Ally's mother used to say something along these lines: "A year is only wasted if looking back on it doesn't make you both laugh and cry." Check. And check.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Friday, December 22, 2006
A Benihana Christmas
As any of you who have had a conversation with me in the last month will know, I have recently become obsessed with NBC's "The Office," the hilarious un-sitcommy sitcom with wacky hi jinx, a lot of heart, and a sometimes tragic depiction of the human condition. I don't just watch it because John Krasinski is smoking hot, but let me state for the record, John Krasinski and his character, Jim Halpert, always leave me satisfied and smiling.
I started watching the DVDs over Thanksgiving, and have since finished two seasons, and am currently jumping into the third season mid-stream. After I watched an episode called "The Client," wherein boss Michael Scott holds an important business meeting at Chili's and continually interrupts things by ordering appetizers and several "specialty drinks," I emailed my brother and suggested that when I come home for Christmas we should go to Chili's (as we often do) so and order "an Awesome Blossom, EXTRA awesome," just like Michael did on the show. Then I tuned into this season's Christmas episode, and the chain restaurant featured there was Benihana, where a few of Michael's co-workers take him to help heal his freshly broken heart.
Tonight my parents went to a Christmas party, and my brother and I had planned to hang out--go to a Yoga class and then have dinner. As I was intent on an Office-related food option, we decided on Benihana, as neither of us had ever been there and both of us would probably chicken out from ordering something "EXTRA awesome." Also, Paul informed me at dinner, he will be gainfully employed at the Kerrville Chili's next semester, so he'll probably have his fill of Awesome Blossoms soon enough.
Anyway, our Benihana Christmas turned out to be lots of fun (and lots of food!) (Note: Nog-a-sakes were conspicuously absent from the menu.) Paul was surprised how much he liked sushi with freshwater eel and I was surprised how many puns one grill-master could make. (The word eggroll will forever evoke a different image for me now.) We enjoyed our experience so much, we filled out the comment card with the words "Awesome, extra awesome."
Michael and his "bros" 
I started watching the DVDs over Thanksgiving, and have since finished two seasons, and am currently jumping into the third season mid-stream. After I watched an episode called "The Client," wherein boss Michael Scott holds an important business meeting at Chili's and continually interrupts things by ordering appetizers and several "specialty drinks," I emailed my brother and suggested that when I come home for Christmas we should go to Chili's (as we often do) so and order "an Awesome Blossom, EXTRA awesome," just like Michael did on the show. Then I tuned into this season's Christmas episode, and the chain restaurant featured there was Benihana, where a few of Michael's co-workers take him to help heal his freshly broken heart.
Tonight my parents went to a Christmas party, and my brother and I had planned to hang out--go to a Yoga class and then have dinner. As I was intent on an Office-related food option, we decided on Benihana, as neither of us had ever been there and both of us would probably chicken out from ordering something "EXTRA awesome." Also, Paul informed me at dinner, he will be gainfully employed at the Kerrville Chili's next semester, so he'll probably have his fill of Awesome Blossoms soon enough.
Anyway, our Benihana Christmas turned out to be lots of fun (and lots of food!) (Note: Nog-a-sakes were conspicuously absent from the menu.) Paul was surprised how much he liked sushi with freshwater eel and I was surprised how many puns one grill-master could make. (The word eggroll will forever evoke a different image for me now.) We enjoyed our experience so much, we filled out the comment card with the words "Awesome, extra awesome."
Michael and his "bros" 
Me and my bro
Merry Benihana Christmas, everyone!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Finals are Here! Part II
A slightly more thoughtful analysis of the differences between working long hours as a student and working long hours as a lawyer...
When you're a student studying for finals and you suddenly decide that you'd rather sleep/go out/get a mani-pedi/drive to Pinole to get Krispy-Kremes/go see a movie at the Parkway than outline your Fed Court notes, you can if you want. If slacking on your studies has any repercussions when it comes to the exam, the only person it will affect is you. Maybe you'll get a low grade, maybe you won't make law review or get a clerkship, or maybe you'll flunk out altogether--you are the only the only person those things really matter to. But, when you're working on a brief and representing a client, you can't slack off as a matter of professional responsibility.
That said, you still have to make the time to relax and recharge. I've been pretty busy these days, and intended to work a good portion of last weekend, but I just couldn't. By refusing to concentrate on anything work-related, my brain was insisting that it needed a break (or so I justified).
When I was a student, I was pretty conscientious about being good and doing my work, though I did always make an effort not to get too bogged down in the law school minutia. When given an opportunity to blow off studying to do something fun, I often told myself that I'd be more likely to remember that in ten years than, you know, that day I was really prepared for class. That philosophy probably didn't have much of an impact on how I did in law school, because it's not like I was constantly being bombarded with wild social invitations and because of my aforementioned tendency to be conscientious about doing my work.
I guess the reason not to slack off when you theoretically can, is to train yourself for the times that you can't. Like Justice Breyer said in a talk he gave at Georgetown last year, "If you're good student and do your homework, the reward is that you get to do homework for the rest of your life." :)
When you're a student studying for finals and you suddenly decide that you'd rather sleep/go out/get a mani-pedi/drive to Pinole to get Krispy-Kremes/go see a movie at the Parkway than outline your Fed Court notes, you can if you want. If slacking on your studies has any repercussions when it comes to the exam, the only person it will affect is you. Maybe you'll get a low grade, maybe you won't make law review or get a clerkship, or maybe you'll flunk out altogether--you are the only the only person those things really matter to. But, when you're working on a brief and representing a client, you can't slack off as a matter of professional responsibility.
That said, you still have to make the time to relax and recharge. I've been pretty busy these days, and intended to work a good portion of last weekend, but I just couldn't. By refusing to concentrate on anything work-related, my brain was insisting that it needed a break (or so I justified).
When I was a student, I was pretty conscientious about being good and doing my work, though I did always make an effort not to get too bogged down in the law school minutia. When given an opportunity to blow off studying to do something fun, I often told myself that I'd be more likely to remember that in ten years than, you know, that day I was really prepared for class. That philosophy probably didn't have much of an impact on how I did in law school, because it's not like I was constantly being bombarded with wild social invitations and because of my aforementioned tendency to be conscientious about doing my work.
I guess the reason not to slack off when you theoretically can, is to train yourself for the times that you can't. Like Justice Breyer said in a talk he gave at Georgetown last year, "If you're good student and do your homework, the reward is that you get to do homework for the rest of your life." :)
Monday, December 04, 2006
Finals are Here!
Even though I generally feel pretty removed from the goings-on at good ol' GULC outside my clinic, I can definitely tell that the palpable anxiety of finals has settled upon the law school. My first clue was my difficulty in finding parking on Saturday, and today when I went down to the cafeteria for an evening snack, I noticed that the content in the vending machines has been decimated (well, more like 70-percent-imated) and the hot chocolate machine is woefully low on syrup.
I guess I'm glad not to be studying for finals and frantically finishing up papers, but it's not like I have a shortage of work to do these days. And, at least when you're a student, you have all of winter break to relax and recover. If only being a lawyer came with a month-long break every December...
I guess I'm glad not to be studying for finals and frantically finishing up papers, but it's not like I have a shortage of work to do these days. And, at least when you're a student, you have all of winter break to relax and recover. If only being a lawyer came with a month-long break every December...
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
I have dishevelled life and a ghetto can opener
"Dishevelled" Lady. Bosse, 1640.
In addition to the unfolded laundry, the dishes in the sink, the cluttered piles of junk mail, etc., etc., my valient attempts to (semi-) cook the last couple nights (i.e. heating a can of chili on the stove as opposed to microwaving a delicious frozen treat) have been hindered by a can opener that doesn't actually open the can all the way around, but only allows two crescent moon shaped slips on either side, and requires me to use a knife to pry the Hormel goodness out.
Items to purchase this weekend? One of these. And perhaps, this. Maybe if I clean and organize my apartment, I'll treat myself to a trip to IKEA.
P.S. Don't worry, Mom. I do best to drink juice and eat vegetables at work so I won't get scurvy.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Interview-een
I’m happy to report that I've scheduled my first interview this job-hunting season for the first and only job I’ve applied to so far – a tenure-track teaching position in the Southwest Indian Law Clinic at the University of New Mexico. It’s a thirty-minute telephone interview on speakerphone with the entire hiring committee, which sounds super-scary, and it’s on Halloween, to boot! My co-workers have offered to crowd into one office on speakerphone and call me in my office for a practice round, so hopefully that will help.
I’m nerve-wracked about the interview, but excited about the position. Wish me luck and go lobos!
I’m nerve-wracked about the interview, but excited about the position. Wish me luck and go lobos!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Half-Assed, but not Half-Bad
As my final race of 2006, I ran the Baltimore Half-Marathon last Saturday. I had originally planned to run the Army Ten-Miler, but when an opportunity to party with my girl, et al. in NYC presented itself, I (rightly) decided to bail. (Technically speaking, "Emma Garrison" did run the Army Ten-Miler with a time of 1:24:04, but that wasn't actually me. It was some chica named Courtney who is training for the Marine Corps Marathon and who I allowed to impersonate me for the day.) Since I knew as early as mid-summer that I wouldn't be able to run, and I thought it would be good for me to do one last long-run race before year's end, I registered for the half-marathon instead.Though it sounded like a good idea at the time, once fall arrived, things got busy and I started to lose interest in going out for long training runs. I figured all I had to do was one 10-mile run before the race, and it wouldn’t take many runs to ramp up to that as I can run 5-6 miles fairly easily. The problem with an easy training plan, however, is that it’s also very easy to blow it off. And, boy did I. I did make it out for a couple (literally two) 7-9 mile runs about a month before the race, but mostly my training consisted of lounging around the house, going to pilates and spinning as per usual, and sneaking out for the occasional 3-5 mile run during the week.
The main motivation I had for actually going through with the race was to not let the $80 registration fee go to waste, in addition to the registration fee I had already wasted on the Army Ten-Miler. I got kind of annoyed with myself for the self-imposed pressure to do race after race after race. As a compromise, I decided to go through with the half, pledging to walk or do whatever I had to do just to finish, and then I would take a break from races and not even considering doing another before the Cherry Blossom Ten-Mile Run next April.
It’s seems silly, because it’s not like I was even training that much, but something about feeling like I should constantly be running, swimming, biking, or doing some activity that supplements my training efforts was getting to me and starting to take away from the enjoyment I usually associate with exercise. I thought it would be good for me to forget about what I should be doing and give myself the freedom to do whatever I feel like doing. Lift weights, go to kickboxing, try out Zumba and Hip-Hop.
The Thursday before the race, I actually ended up going to Step, which I haven’t done since law school, and, I have to say, it was tons of fun. Probably not smart, because I was definitely still sore on race day, but it reminded me of the benefit of getting back to basics. What initially got me into making physical activity a regular part of my life was group exercise classes, the fun music, the peppy instructors, and getting to know the other regulars in the class. That’s always something I can go back to whenever I get sick of training alone.
Anyway, long story short (too late!), I had a BLAST in Baltimore, and I’m so glad I did it. Baltimore is one hilly city, but I ran the entire way and even beat my marathon-time-cut-in-half by a good 20 minutes. (My time was 2:23:03, which means I ran at a 10:55/mile pace.) The crowd support was also great. My faves included a woman dressed up like a pirate holding a sign that said “AAARGH you ready to run!?,” a pee-wee football team called the Longhorns, and various locals offering runners free beer.
In conclusion, the excitement of the Baltimore Running Festival reminded me why I love participating in these kinds of events and why the training bug bit me in the first place. I’m still going to take that break, but I’m glad to end the season with a positive impression of races. It will be all the more exciting when I get back into it.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Why do awesome job opportunities keep popping up in not-as-awesome places?
I must say, Grand Forks, North Dakota is starting to make Tulsa, Oklahoma sound pretty darn appealing.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
If my head weren't screwed on, I would probably leave it at the gym
First it was a hair brush (my keroppi hair brush that I've had since high school). Then it was another less exciting hair brush from CVS. Then it was a pouch with little bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Then it was two full-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Then it was a plastic bag of sweaty clothes, including my fun yellow shorts from Target.
The times I've asked to go through the gym lost and found previously, I've never recovered anything. Today, I went in to search for the sweaty yellow shorts, et al. A gym employee took me down to lost and found proper, but the bag of clothes was nowhere to be found. Then he took me around to a few other places where lost and found items might be. During this trek, I found the aforementioned lost pouch of shampoo and conditioner lying on a random table in the lifeguard area at the pool! After more poking around, we went back up to the front desk. He decided to double check to see if my clothes were there. And they were.
So, yay to the return of shampoo and shorts! You are welcomed back with open arms. Now that I know what a treasure hunt it is to recover lost items, I'll try to be more careful about not losing you in the future. Well, I can't promise to try. But I'll try to try.
The times I've asked to go through the gym lost and found previously, I've never recovered anything. Today, I went in to search for the sweaty yellow shorts, et al. A gym employee took me down to lost and found proper, but the bag of clothes was nowhere to be found. Then he took me around to a few other places where lost and found items might be. During this trek, I found the aforementioned lost pouch of shampoo and conditioner lying on a random table in the lifeguard area at the pool! After more poking around, we went back up to the front desk. He decided to double check to see if my clothes were there. And they were.
So, yay to the return of shampoo and shorts! You are welcomed back with open arms. Now that I know what a treasure hunt it is to recover lost items, I'll try to be more careful about not losing you in the future. Well, I can't promise to try. But I'll try to try.
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