This weekend the siblings were here. My two sisters and my brother came from Calgary for a visit. It was amazingly awesome. Now ... I'm sad that they're gone. There were 8 of us here in our little house, so now their absence makes my house seem like a mansion. Sigh. So sad.
BUT ... when I take a look at my list of what's left to do ... it is shrinking, and that makes me happy.
I've finished my minor paper, and so now all I have left is to:
Finish Natural Resources major paper (I have a good start on this one, and I know exactly what I'm going to say ... so shouldn't be too bad to just crank it out).
Deliver Natural Resources presentation on Thursday (I'm a little nervous about this one, since it's about a 25 minute presentation with questions from the prof).
Write Professional Responsibility Exam - 1 week from today!
Write Oil & Gas Final Exam - 24 hour take home test that I can write at anytime during the exam period.
I'm on track, and getting excited about being done. I can't believe that my summer is right around the corner. This year went by REALLY fast. I also can't believe that it's my LAST real summer as a law student ... next year I'll have graduated, and it'll be nothing but serious business for this cowgirl.
Just to disclose a little geekiness - the whole Tuesday morning reads thing developed because this is the time that World of Warcraft does server maintenance ... I haven't had classes on Tuesday mornings all semester long, so I've taken to surfing the net before I get down and serious with reading for school, since I can't get any WOW action.
I know. I'm a geek.
Anyhoo ... I've been wanting to check out Second Life ever since I saw Dwight on The Office have his character:
Jason and I saw this the other day when we were driving by - I'm SOOOO EXCITED. I've lived by an OJ's for the last 4 or 5 years that I was in Calgary, it's a staple of a place ... they have great food and great beer: Star Phoenix - Calgary-based Original Joe's opening on Eighth Street
Wow. That's all I have to say. Wow. How badly do we need dictionary updates on our press release software ... hmmmmm?
Has anyone been following THIS story? I've only heard blips on the radar here and there when it's reported in the news. Looks unbelievable though - must look into this a little more.
A GREAT piece over at the U of A Faculty of Law blog about the effect of motherhood/fatherhood on lawyer productivity for my Gender and the Law class ... would love to look at this for a paper topic, but alas, I think I've already committed myself to another. Tempting to have a paper-topic affair, though, I tell you.
If you're considering law school, and haven't yet committed to an undergraduate program, take something that will teach you how to write.
While computer science gave me the logic chutzpah to ace the LSAT, I'm floundering in paper-ville right now, as technical writing isn't exactly what I've found useful here in law.
GAH! I know it'll click soon ... I can feel the brain cogs almost aligning ... almost ... there.
Problem is, I don't feel like I wrote an exam this AM. Don't know if that bodes well or not. Yikes.
It was a long un'. Didn't have time to answer everything sufficiently. Hope EVERYONE felt that way, and the curve will embrace me lovingly. Sigh.
Good news, though, is that one class is officially done.
Now ... for the rest of the weekend, my plan is to ... write papers (you and I both were hoping for something more exciting). I'm hoping to crank out some quality verbiage. After my beer buzz wears off, of course. Well ... we had to go for beer after the test ... that's just what you do. It was a TAX exam. I wrote the Tax I exam, and all the peeps that wrote the Tax II exam were writing with us ... so there was a great group that was heading over to Louis' ... how could I resist?
I know, I know. It's crunch time. All right! No more Louis' extravaganza's until I've at least cranked out 1 paper. Deal.
... how powerful it is to have people around you to experience the same things that you are. Writing a Tax final exam on March 22nd, when a lot of my 'peeps' aren't having to worry about such things ... it's dreadful. I hate it. I just want to go enjoy the weekend ... but alas ... I'm chained to my desk.
At least it's foggy here today ... although ... I love the fog. So romantic/mysterious.
I'll be done one of my courses in T-23 hours (earlier if I don't take the full amount of time - which has never happened for me in a law exam).
23 hours ... until ... perhaps partaking in a beer somewhere ... maybe a movie? Haven't been to a movie in months. Anything good playing? Yup ... trying not to think about tax for a few seconds.
As a fun tax trivia point ... just before I go ... did you know that, generally, where you reside on the last day of the tax year decides where you pay provincial tax (there's a few more ins and outs, though, which look at where different types of income were earned for different provinces)?
I've got the sniffles this morning. Yikes. Time to up the Vitamin C intake.
On the positive side, I'm wearing a skirt with no need for tights (woo hoo ... WELCOME SPRING)!
Been a busy few days trying to prepare for my tax exam that is on Saturday. Did make time to go into school yesterday to vote for the LSA elections, and grab a lunch with some friends.
Tuesday, Jason and I got to have dinner with my Auntie Dona and cousin Brenda (and Thomas and Kaitlyn too). So nice to have a "real" dinner ... hehhehheh ... our culinary techniques over here in the Hutch household have been a little sparse and routine lately.
As for the rest of this week - I'm fully in exam mode as of today. I can't wait until Saturday, when the Tax exam is done, and I'm down to only 4 courses. Then ... it'll be time to begin to hammer out the papers.
So ... since Monday, I've been able to check one major thing off the big checklist. Still have 7 to go: 3 papers, 1 presentation, and 3 exams. Saturday knocks off 1 more item, which is great, and I'd like to get the smaller papers out of the way next week, which hopefully knocks two more things off the list. I won't do much for the last two exams until the papers are done ... so looks like I'm in good shape for everything.
As for the Tax exam preparation ... my trial versions of MicrosoftVisio have run out, so I'm making pseudo-flowcharts with Word ... sucks. I miss Visio, but I'm far too cheap to actually buy it.
SPEAKING OF WHICH ... the Microsoft's Ultimate Steal deal is up soon (ends April 30th ... just looked it up). I've been humming and hawing about this one, but I think I'm going to go for it. 91% savings off the retail price ... how could it get much better? Well ... it would be better if visio was included, but ... hey, what can you do? 2007 versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint would be great ... I've already run into some compatibility issues a few times, may as well upgrade. Just have to make sure that I'll be able to put the software onto all of my computers (yup ... admission of nerdiness right there).
Talking about the Googles and the Internets. It was classic Henry in Saskatoon (which as far as he knows is the first time he's ever performed here), a great Christmas gift for Jason from his parents.
I've seen Henry in Calgary twice before, so this was the 3rd time for me (5th time for the Hubby, as far as we can figure it), and of course, Henry never fails to deliver an awesome good time. There were periods where I was laughing pretty freakin' loud, I tell you.
Since it was my 3rd time, I opted to finally buy a t-shirt, just to keep up with Jason:
I love it.
The last time we saw Henry was in October in Calgary, so not that long ago. There were a few bits that were the same, but a lot of bits that weren't. Henry's performances are usually around the 3 hour mark, a little over. The guy literally gets on stage and talks for 3 hours straight ... so to have tons of new material was pretty cool. I love hearing about his travels, his political observations, and of course, his experiences in the punk rock world.
Different kind of crowd, here in Saskatoon.
First time I saw Henry in Calgary was at Mac Hall (left), so ... very much a university kind of crew with a feeling like you're attending a school assembly.
2nd time was at the Jack Singer (right), same KIND of crowd, but different dynamic (tickets were much more expensive), with assigned seating in a huge concert hall.
Here ... the venue was the Odeon Event Centre (couldn't find a great pic, but it's one of those older theatres that has levels, and a mezzanine, and no rhyme or reason it seems). It was general seating, so we made sure that we got in line a little early. Our seats were fabulous, and the venue really lent itself to that awesome intimate atmosphere that makes the experience that much more. There was a bar right inside the theatre, and places where people had tables to sit at (but we were near the front ... chairs only there).
The dynamic in Saskatoon, with the much more intimate environment and bar RIGHT inside the theatre, was a bit more on the heckler side of audience participation. People definitely added their two cents to the Rollins spiel as Henry motored along ... was great from the perspective that it made it that much more intimate, but not sure that I loved hearing people heckle. We were there to hear Henry, not some drunk dude down the aisle from us ... but ... I guess he paid for his ticket just like everyone else. The other times I've seen Rollins, the audience was in a much more adoring, reverential place ... maybe it was just different to see another type of dynamic going on.
Either way, we loved it. When we got home, the Henry Rollins show was on TV too ... so it was like Henry followed us home! Ahhahahaaha.
And so, in closing, here are a few videos for your viewing pleasure:
Henry on the Hour, with my George - safe for work:
AND ... here's the most PC video I could find of his spoken word from a few years ago ... gives you a real taste of what it's like (I think it's swear-word free - safe for work), but I urge you to youtube the Rollins yourself and find some of his really funny bits.
... I know that I have to clean up the links on my sidebar again.
Looks like we've lost a few law student bloggers again.
Will do when I have time ... if anyone has a law student blog, or reads a really great one, leave me a link in the comments, and I'll make sure to add it.
One of the goals of this blog was to document what law school is "really" like. This semester, law school has been a bit of a treat. With two seminars (which at the U of S are classes where we write papers instead of tests), my class time has been much less than usual, and it's been a different kind of thinking for me. Also - my tax class was accelerated, due to a prof that is now on leave, and so my tax classes finished in February.
This means that since the beginning of March, I've had one class a day (mind you, they're 1 1/2 - 2 hour classes), except Mondays where I have a 1 1/2 hour class and a 3 hour evening class. I've been using my time to stay ahead with my readings, to work on various extra-curriculars (volunteering, LSA website, etc.), on one paper that I've already handed in, and to make sure that my job application materials are up to snuff for the blitz of articling applications that are going to be happening in May (had an appointment with our Career Services Officer, which was awesome and totally recommended).
So ... now that it is March 17th (Happy St. Patrick's Day!), I realize that I have the following left on my plate:
Group Presentation today at 2:00 in Professional Responsibility (the prep for this is done, the run through is going on this AM, so I'm in good shape for this - DID I MENTION that I did it all in Flash? With MORPHING? Yeah ... it pretty much rocks).
10 Page paper re: above ProRes presentation (have not started yet, but shouldn't be hard to crank out since I've sorted through this material a few times now)
Tax final exam Saturday March 22 (haven't begun to prepare yet, but I stayed up to date with readings ... this week will be preparation week)
Minor paper for Gender and the Law - 15 pages - Due April 1st (haven't started this yet, or picked a topic, but am aiming to have a topic picked by tomorrow - have talked to prof about this, and have a few directions to look in, so it's not a stab in the dark ... just a squint into dimness)
Major paper for Natural Resources - 35 - 50 pages - Due April 3rd (have outline done, have done much thinking about, just need to begin to REALLY hammer it out, expect to begin this week, and finish next week after tax final)
Long Presentation of major paper topic for Natural Resources - 30 minutes - April 3rd (should be no problem)
Professional Responsibility final exam - April 7th
Oil & Gas Final - 24 hour take home final exam to be completed anytime over the exam period - I'm hoping to do it either April 10th or 11th ... but we'll see what kind of shape I'm in.
So ... 2 presentations, 3 papers, and 3 final exams until freedom for the summer.
Yikes.
Interesting thing, though. I'm not stressed yet. I think this is more than doable.
Tip to anyone doing seminars in the future - stay away from reading people's facebook status lines that say how many pages of their major papers they've completed - this can induce meltdowns until a reality check is performed.
Should be interesting in any case. Must be organized (especially as I have a few fun events coming up soon ... more on those as they transpire).
I just got my official id # for the Alberta matching program for articling applications, so I'm ready to start applying! Many firms participate in this process, which is outlined at the site below:
The weekend was the Jessup gala party, which was pretty fancy and pretty neat.
Monday was evening class, Tuesday was my polygamy discussion in Gender (where I had to lead discussion for half the class) and my FIL came to stay. He and Jason are working on our basement, so it's been great having him here. Today I've got class and a bunch of meetings.
Also - nominations for the LSA elections next week are in. I'm the only contender for Publicity Director which, of course, means I'm in (will be officially declared next week). Awesome. I even had some sweet posters planned, but now I'll hug a tree and not worry about it.
BUT - just so my work was worth something ... check it out:
Anyway, better posts are coming when I'm a teensy bit less hectic - I swear!
LSA Office, that is. I'm going to run for the LSA Publicity Director position, which has just been amended to include the Web Admin responsibilities that I've had on my plate for the last school year. This way, I'd ACTUALLY be part of the LSA, and would feel a lot better about taking a few liberties with the website (and would be able to work on it over the summer).
So ... I'm trying to design posters for my "campaign". AHAHAHAHA. I feel SO SUPER CHEESY, which actually makes it pretty fun. I'm going to let the cheese flow like Velveeta! Hopefully people GET the cheese factor when they see them ... oh well ... even if they don't ... the result should still be funny.
Did my Jessup volunteering this morning. We're so lucky that the Jessup is being held in Saskatoon this year, volunteering for a moot like this is such an AMAZING way to be involved without having to commit to being on the team. I can't BELIEVE what a well-oiled machine that Jessup organizational team is. They've really got it down to a science, and they're all so nice, even while dealing with minor emergencies. I believe that they DON'T GET PAID to organize this all, and with the amount of work they put in, I find that to be a STAGGERING FACT.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the Jessup as it unfolds over the next few days. Will keep everyone posted (plan on wearing my NY shoes for the first time tomorrow - EXCITING).
I had a minor (well ... I'll be honest ... major) anxiety attack on our way to Calgary on Friday morning. The highway between Saskatoon and Rosetown was so bad that I went into meltdown mode. Luckily, the Hubster is a cool-headed driving pro, and wasn't too distracted by my panic-attack gesticulations.
Once we got to C-Town, it was a whirlwind (a glorious, glorious whirlwind).
Sigh. Got to see a dear friend of mine (known her since Junior High School) get married on Friday. She was the most radiant bride ever, and it was such a thrill to be part of her day.
Jason and I got to spend time with my Family, get a bunch of errands done, and grab a pint with some friends at the Wildwood.
The drive home was much less eventful than the ride out there, and so we arrived back home safe and sound.
Now, to get back into school mode ... again.
Our Tax classes have ended, so it's time to prepare for the March 22nd exam. I have another Gender assignment that just came out, my Natural Resources long paper presentation is at the end of the month, and I have a Professional Responsibility group assignment unfolding in the next few weeks. Also - volunteering for the Jessup this week, so I'm shaping up to be a busy woman. Exciting, since that's generally the way I like to be. Have also had a few CLS appointments, which have kept my partner and I hopping. Exciting indeed.
