all our crying voices, they can't turn it around

Back and broken from spring! I mean, returned from spring break. Ireland was grand, simply grand--though a bit on the cold and rainy side. Locals said that the weather was the coldest it's been there all winter. Yep. That's to be expected, I suppose, whenever I travel someplace. Torrential rains in LA, snow in Las Vegas and Alabama, 50-degree days in Hawaii, nor'easters in New Haven... I've learned to pack sweaters. Lots of sweaters.

Also, I've been catching up on my many sundry Internet reads from the past week (it's AMAZING how much reading material accumulates when you're not vigilantly scouring the 'net on a daily basis), and saw the blurb on Reuters about the shooting/suicide at a party in Seattle wherein the gunman killed six people before taking his own life. It's a sad, confusing story, particularly after hearing of two suicides of acquaintances in the last three weeks. What it it about March and suicide? In March of my senior year of high school there were two suicides within a week of each other, a sophomore and a senior. Is it that the beauty of spring re-emerging from the bleakness of winter is simply too much for an aching heart to take? Or is it purely coincidence? I'm not sure, and I haven't dwelled long enough on this connection to really make anything of it, but I did find the final line of the Reuters article startling and inappropriate:

"Neighbors said the house was a party spot for young people with dyed hair, body piercings and elaborate makeup."

...and? And this makes them more likely to get shot by their friends? More likely to lead a sordid lifestyle that ends in tragic death? More deserving of their fate, somehow? Ridiculous. Equating the behavior of a severely disturbed individual with his physical appearance (or that of his late friends) is grievously unacceptable stereotyping that does not enlighten the substance of the story in any way, and I certainly expect better reporting from a world-wide news source.

On a lighter note, I really did have a great spring break. Relaxing and lovely. I'm just realizing that it's coming to an end, and I'm feeling vaguely crabby and unsettled. Not to mention, I'm sure, the nascent tree pollen that will fire up my allergies any day now. grrr arrrgh.

Back to the reading for class I should've done a week ago. AWESOME Saturday night. *throws metal sign and bangs head*

all the air we breathe is clean

Spring break sure is flying by. I had the grandest of plans to get reeeeeally caught up on my studies... but instead, I seem to have gotten reeeeeally caught up on my sleep and my tv shows. Oh, well. I'll pay for all this later, I'm sure, but for now, I can't seem to muster enough concern to do anything about it. I foresee an intensely stressful exam period spent feverishly outlining... but that's a good month from now, so ehhhh.

Ireland tomorrow! Should be wonderful. I'm very, very excited--it's been so long since I've traveled to a foreign country! Well, at least, a foreign country that's not Canada. (Not that Canada doesn't count--it just feels like, er, a second home! Oh, dear. Now I've alienated my Canadian readership...) The Boy and I agree that we probably should have booked an additional day abroad, since our schedule will likely be fairly tight and involve a lot of driving, but I'm well-versed in living out of a suitcase. Besides, this just means I'll have to return to Ireland someday to catch what I missed this time around.

Back to memorizing lines for Wigmore (since it's less than two weeks till opening night!)... did I mention that it can get darn expensive financing an 80's costume? Did I also mention that our Robert Palmer video spoof has provided the perfect excuse for me to buy a pair of black Fluevog heels I've had my eye on for awhile? Ahh, to be *making* money, rather than just spending it... someday.

cities in circles drawn perfect, complete

one. more. day.

Spring break is so near I can taste it. mmmm.

...but I have 30 pages of property to read, a (final!!!!11) CLR memo to edit, and two more classes till it's officially here.

Oh, and pancakes. Pancakes for breakfast tomorrow. but that's a treat, not a burden. And I'm having sushi for dinner tomorrow at my favorite sushi spot in the city pre-Belle & Sebastian/New Pornographers... and THAT combination is the BEST SPRING BREAK GIFT EVAR.

so excited.

almost.

yes.

just tape the numbers to the bed

Well, I emerged from the cave of my CLR brief, still alive.

So this is hedging on a "yay almost-spring-break" post, which may disappoint those of you who seem to delight in my sorrow. (Well, perhaps that's phrasing it incorrectly. But you get my point.) Unfortunately, the beast that is CLR is not yet tamed--there's one more assignment due friday, but it's a short one, and hopefully I can knock it out tonight and wash my hands of the class... till it's time for moot court oral arguments, anyway. But that won't be till April.

In other news, I have some shockingly 80s costume-wear for Wigmore, I have tickets to see the New Pornographers/Belle & Sebastian on Friday, and friend Erica is coming to visit on Saturday! We're road-tripping up to Milwaukee to see Ben Folds on Sunday, and then after she leaves Tuesday I'll be seeing Jenny Lewis's solo gig here in Chicago. yaaaay concerts! Makes up for missing BOTH Aqualung AND Nada Surf this past weekend. Yet another reason I harbor such vitriol for CLR.

And finally, one more development: I've been appointed president of Habeas Chorus for the coming year! I just found out yesterday, so it's still sinking in. I'm very excited, though. My main institutional goal is to get us a website ASAP after exams, because as an admitted student last summer, I was bummed not to be able to find out more about the Habeas audition process online. I'll keep you posted as this project progresses.

you're the funny little frog in my throat

ARRGH I HATE CLR ACK ACK ACK

*bangs head on desk*

No, not talking about this. I'm referring to my legal writing class. My brief is due bright and early tomorrow morning and it's making me sad.

I'm even sad about going to Wigmore rehearsal tonight, and it's been nothing but joy so far--it's just the fact that I'm losing 3 hours of CLR working time.

I really, really, really hope I'm not on call in Con Law tomorrow... but with my luck, I will be.

anyhow. that's what's up. more soon when I don't feel so much like whining. 'cause who wants to read more of that? nobody, that's who.

start... please start... please start

Ooof. This is going to be a LONG week. It's already been a long week and it's only Wednesday. On the flip side, hellooooo March! I'm counting on winter to be on the long, slow slide outta here. I'm tired of cold weather.

More importantly, I'm tired of legal writing assignments that seem to provide me more stress than benefit, and I dread the hell that will be this weekend in trying to finish my brief. *sigh* Wigmore rehearsals are fun, but they leave me exhausted (even when we're *not* practicing choreography) and eat up my evenings. I loved watching the Olympics, but they cut WAY back on productivity because it's really impossible to "just have them on in the background"--at least, *I* find it impossible. Lindsey Jacobellis was a fool, Bode Miller was a tool, and Sasha Cohen choked like we all feared she might--but it still made for quality programming.

Ho hum. I swear my life feels more exciting than this on most days, but I'll be damned if I can think of anything more remarkable to share with y'all. And I feel bad for just coming on here and complaining--but it's how I feel right now, and BLOGGING is all about FEELINGS, right? And since I'm not in an emo band, all these hard emotions have to go SOMEwhere, right?

Right. *sigh* back to work...

the cars were just lumps on the snow

yeah yeah yeah, I've fallen into the black hole of non-updating again. NOT my fault. First I had to scramble to get ready to leave for a weekend, then I had to scramble to get caught up from having left for a weekend.

More specifically: the 145th Anniversary Yale Glee Club Reunion was last Saturday in New Haven, and it was *such* a good time. Fun to see folks I hadn't run into in awhile (as well as those whom I manage to see somewhat regularly), and WONDERFUL to sing again on stage in Woolsey. "Alleluia"? Not since Baccalaureate, and boy, had I missed that song... The gala reception was a'ight--the speeches ran long (and don't get me STARTED on "Eight Bells"), but the portrait of David that they unveiled was perfect, absolutely perfect. The swing band was cute (old folks playing old music), and they ended right at midnight, and we walked outside... into three inches of snow. yeah. It had begun already. Finally got back to Erica's after a round of drinks at Anchor (Richter's had closed because of the weather, the pansies) and a long, cold walk to the car... called the airline at 2am to rebook my cancelled flight and was told that I couldn't be guaranteed a flight till Tuesday morning. ???!!! SO. More of a vacation than I planned for, particularly when I didn't bring any work along with me, but truthfully? It was a long, rejeuvenating weekend, and I'm so glad I had the chance to spend some quality time with my long lost college pals.

The aftermath of the weekend? Not so much fun. Spent last night at home trying to work on my property reading; didn't get particularly far, but I DID see Lindsey Jacobellis screw up on the gold medal run of Women's Snowboardcross, so I suppose it wasn't an entirely wasted evening. Today? Laundry, more property, con law, gnashing of teeth, pulling of hair... oh, wait a sec. *sigh* It's also -4 degrees outside. ??? Suddenly, property reading doesn't sound so bad...

kitten break

I miss my kitty. *sigh*

just read the dialogue balloon

I take it all back.

Aimee Mann was worth whatever price I'm paying in staying up too late to get my work done--and then some. What a kickass show.

More soon, as the aforementioned work has to get done before I collapse. But boy oh boy, am I in great spirits.

oh, and she played "Fourth of July." acoustic. My heart nearly broke.

Thank you, Aimee. You didn't have any idea what you did, but thank you.

hearts up, heads down

Why, pray tell, do I never seem to have time to do ANYthing anymore? ARRGH.

I'm seeing Aimee Mann tomorrow night (...I think. I got nervous that it might be cancelled when I heard of Chris Penn's untimely demise last week--Chris being her brother-in-law and all--but no word from Ticketmaster or the venue about cancellation, so all systems appear to be go), and while I'm VERY excited and love love love her... I kind of wish I had the time to myself for schoolwork. How sad is that? I haven't gone to a bar review all semester, but I'm tempted this week because it's back at the bar where the Boy and I talked for the first time. (As the Boy pointed out, this bar was RIDICULOUSLY loud and I lost my voice from having to shout over the music... but aww, gee whiz, nostalgia.) Also, I feel somewhat like a hermit for my lack of social-ness so far in '06. However, this Friday is Barrister's Ball, this Saturday is a Wigmore cast party, and Sunday is a Superbowl party with the dean of the law school (and next Tuesday is my lunch with my Torts professor from last semester, so the brown-nosing does, in fact, have an end in sight). I suppose I'm having my fair share of law school fun. And the YGC reunion is nigh approaching, so that's something else to look forward to--but it's also a source of stress, thanks to the CLR assignment due the 13th. Basically, next week is going to suck, because I have to get a LOT of work done in advance, and I'm not sure how successful I'll manage to be.

Anyway, I saw Colin Meloy perform a solo show last Monday, and for my first concert of 2006, I can only say that it's setting the bar pretty darn high. He was SO much fun. I was front row, which hasn't happened much in my concert-going experiences of late, so I had a delightfully unobstructed view. He brought out a table with a skull (Cheryl), a stuffed sheep (Erick) and a model tall ship (Maya Angelou), as well as a bottle of red wine. He played just about every song I'd ever want to hear, including "Shiny," "We Both Go Down Together," "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" (!!!), "Engine Driver"... yeah. Fantastic. He ended with "California One," which he played for a full 14 minutes. Someone shouted out a request for The Tain and he scoffed, but, like, he was practically there, length-wise anyhow. Most importantly, he was witty and charismatic between songs--and you know how I eat that up, having cut my teeth on concerts in the folk tradition. He only played one song off the Shirley Collins EP he sold at the show ("Barbara Allen"), but he opened with a Tarkio song, in homage to the re-release of all the material off his Missoula, MO college band. He also played his just-written paean to his unborn child, and Ben Folds/Steve Page, take note--it was cute and quaint without being treacly, and I dare say I'm looking forward to an album version.

[I'm actually listening to the EP right now, and I was very excited for "Charlie" until the female singer broke in with a duet... Colin, you may love your girlfriend, pregnant mother of your first child; she may do delightful, whimsical drawings for your albums and your merchandise, but she CAN'T SING. Nothing grates more than flat singing (both in pitch and in color). *sigh* Love makes us all blind and deaf in some way, I suppose...]

Anyway. Aside from a bizarre instance in the gym last night wherein I discovered in one fell swoop that a college acquaintance of mine both won the 1994 Spelling Bee and was the subject of ridicule for same on ESPN, life has been fairly unremarkable. Mostly good, a little bad. I'll let you know if things shift drastically.

Right. Back to work.

la la la I can't hear you

Wow, I'm busy. How do these things sneak up on you like this? I have about eight things to do on Tuesday (committee meetings, meetings w/ professors, talking to my public interest law mentor, a contract-drafting project), and I'm seeing Colin Meloy tomorrow night, so I need to get two nights' worth of reading done tonight... I meant to clean my apartment this weekend, and that totally didn't happen. I meant to make much greater inroads on my legal writing project--and that didn't happen, either. ARRRGH. The bright spot is that we had our first Wigmore Follies readthrough tonight, and it was REALLY funny and a lot of fun. I'm so looking forward to being a part of this production. (March 31 and April 1--come to Chicago! it'll be a great time!)

Soooo... yeah. It's not even February yet and panic is already beginning to set in. I just need to be uber-productive, and I'm not succeeding. Perhaps a nice, swift, kick in the ass (kick in the ass... kick in the ass...) would help. Or, you know, some discipline. Whatever.

sing me spanish techno

Yeah, I suck.

I don't understand the definition of "blog," clearly.

SHORT POSTS. OFTEN-Y POSTS. HOW HARD IS IT?

Incredibly difficult, obviously, because I just can't freaking grasp it. arrgh.

Anyway, hi! I'm back! I had a lovely Christmas, an even lovelier time in Seattle with my former suitemates/Yalie friends, and I'm thrilled to be back in a Chicago that actually has above-freezing temperatures (it was downright balmy yesterday, though today was kind of a wintry, slushy drizzle). I got my grades back on Wednesday--I can live with all of them save for one which seems royally unfair, if not utterly impossible. I'm speaking with that professor on Monday, and while I'm not expecting any grade-altering miracles, I'm hoping I can at least stop obsessing over it. gah. But I'm still alive, and I'm liking my classes so far this semester.

I'm also watching Coldplay on Austin City Limits right now, and Michael Stipe just walked out and sang a duet with Chris Martin. So, I'm in relatively good spirits at the mo'. ExRec '05 is done but for the burning, though I still need to come up with an article for the online NU Law newspaper, the Pleader, re: my top-10 cds of 2005, which I'll likely co-opt into an EC update (as though anyone cares about those anymore! no, I'm not wallowing in self pity--just allowing a minor indulgence. don't mind me). I've also got to watch Sixteen Candles, which I've shamefully never seen, because I'm playing a character based on Molly Ringwald's part in (da DA!) Wigmore Follies! whee! I'm so excited. I'm sad to be missing Coldplay when they come to town March 31, but this really was one of the reasons I came to NU Law, so hopefully this is the start of a dream come true. I'll be sure to let you know how the first rehearsal goes.

Really! I promise! No, don't go away! come back! come... oh, well. *scuffs shoe in dirt*

Anyway, happy new year, reader. 2006! wow. hope it's a good one.

I don't regret a single thing

home.

more soon, as it's late and I'm really really freaking tired, but I'm tied to the computer like a leash, as is always the case late at night.

I survived! And even better, I turned 24! I'm still OK with getting older because I haven't really reached a "scary" year yet. Check back in five; I might not be so jovial. The Boy surprised me with a delightful birthday dinner with various and sundry friends on the day before, and I saw Death Cab the night of... but it really just whet my appetite for a full Death Cab show. Preferably one with fewer jackass highschoolers. I don't mind youngsters at all ages shows if they're well behaved (as I was, back in the day), but for God's sake, people--if you didn't get there early enough to be right up by the stage, can you NOT PUSH FORWARD once the show starts, making everyone miserable? Thanks. I appreciate it. Really.

ANYhow. I got Seasons 1 & 2 of Ali G and Season 2 of Arrested Development from the 'rents, and the Boy got me a pair of Fluevogs, which basically makes yours truly one lucky girl. So much has changed since the beginning of '05, so much that I didn't anticipate--and some that I'd hoped for. I'm surviving law school, I'm enjoying it--and omg, I'm headed to Seattle in 10 days to see my college pals! delightful.

...and, as promised above, more soon. *yaaaawn*

the minor fall, the major lift

Oh my god, it's beautiful outside.

It's snowing--really, really snowing--and while it wasn't so beautiful when I was thirteen blocks south and praying my taxi wouldn't rear-end the car in front of us, it's gorgeous now. I'm staring up at it through my blinds and I can't stop. I need to do laundry, I need to finish my civil procedure outline, I need I need I need--but Rufus is singing Hallelujah, and my heart is soaring through the falling flakes, and I'm positively transfixed. There are just so many snowflakes! Has it really been so long since I've seen it snow, like, really snow? Usually it happens overnight, or I'm at work, or otherwise occupied... but daylight is fleeting--it will be dark in an hour and a half--and for now, all I want to do is watch the snow fall. It's accumulating really rapidly, too. I'm so glad I have nowhere else to go.

Oh, yeah, exams. I've taken two so far, and there are two to go--halfway, thank heavens. I feel... okay. Cautiously optimistic? I know neither of my exams was perfect, but I also don't think I totally screwed up, so I would say definitely... maybe. And despite patting myself on the back for being a civ pro rockstar all these weeks, I know the exam going to kick my ass, so I need to get going on it. And torts... torts is just going to suck, plain and simple. I will be so ready to be done by then. I'm already so ready.

Oh, and I had an interview for next summer! A judicial externship... I really hope it went well. It was so low-key--refreshingly so--but that makes it all the more hard to read. Like the exams. I'm doing my best, and I can only hope it's good enough.

Oh, wow, it's snowing harder now. Excuse me.

I have to watch.

where does the time go when it's not around here?

i dont know but frank black has a new album out in july called honeycomb!!
I highly reccomend it!

Oh, hello, reader. Didn't notice you there. Doing a little bit of woxy.com reminiscing/procrastinating before getting back to my studies, and it occurred to me that perhaps I ought to update here, too... I have no idea if I'm studying properly for exams or not. I guess I'll just have to find out come Monday. I've hit all my classes to some degree this week, and I'm turning back to contracts later tonight & it'll be full-force K till Monday at noon, at which point I will cease to care about contracts at all, ever (until, possibly, the bar exam, or maybe my legal practice... but that's many moons from now). I've had a headache all afternoon and I think it's from too many hours peering at my computer screen... not like I really have a choice. Oh, well.

In other news, I'll be taking Narrative Structures (law & literature--my "perspective elective," required for graduation) and Law & Social Change as my electives next semester, along with requirements ConLaw and Property... unless I decide to switch Law & Social Change for International Law. But both of the classes I'm in now have profs with excellent ratings, so I feel like that might be a foolish thing to do. Oh, well--I'll figure it out.

Back to it. I'll be more interesting soon, I promise. Oh, and btw, it is FREEZING at my desk. I think the remainder of my Target gift card will go towards the purchase of an under-desk space heater. brrr.

here in our hollow we fuse like a family

Ohh, how have we reached the waning days of November already? I have less than three weeks until my birthday, and within that time I have to take 4 terrifying exams. *sigh* But it's better to be burning my candle at both ends than twiddling my thumbs and feeling restless, I suppose, so onward we go.

But! I spent a couple days at home for Thanksgiving, and it was wonderful. I saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and was properly impressed by the acting and directing; it's my favorite of the books, so I'm quite glad that they seemed to do it justice. A few plot points weren't properly explained for the uninitiated (whatever happened to Barty Crouch, Sr.? And are we supposed to assume that Dumbledore's muttering of "priori incantatum" is sufficient explanation for why Harry survived Voldemort's attack?), but for the most part, it was grand and glorious, and I didn't miss the house-elves at all.

Also worth mentioning: I saw Walk the Line the week before Thanksgiving in a super-special sneak preview, and it, too, was great. Reese Witherspoon was particularly compelling as June Carter, but Joaquin did a mean Cash and both are likely looking at Oscar nods. Apparantly it's somewhat similar to Ray in its telling, but I never managed to see Ray, so it was all new to me.

Anyway. I know the point of a blog is to make frequent, inane posts, so I'll try to get on that with greater regularity. In the meantime, I have a civil procedure outline to finish...

every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

Ok. Trying something new. I got used to the idea of blogging through my imeem blog, but I can't access that via my PowerBook. So, I thought I'd create a new blog to fulfill my blogging needs/desires. Also, it's a grand procrastination tool from outlining for my law school exams. AND I bet you can comment on this blog without being an imeem user! Winners all around!