http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=8e6d9ec9-c3ef-44d3-9e5e-7dbf8e8982c3&k=59613
This one is something I've been thinking about for awhile ... I have the Lisa spin already going in my mind ... hmmmmm ...
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Maclean's Response
Maclean's on the CBA Rebuttal:
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070727_112012_3188
Philip Slayton (original interviewee that sparked the controversy) Rebuttal:
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070727_161043_8468
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070727_112012_3188
Philip Slayton (original interviewee that sparked the controversy) Rebuttal:
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070727_161043_8468
Six String Nation
A co-worker of mine came back today after being off to volunteer for the Calgary Folk Fest that just wrapped up here in Calgary.
He told me about the coolest thing EVER.
THIS amazing guitar made an appearance at the folk fest, and you can read all about it here.
http://sixstringnation.com/en/the_guitar
An amazing construction of Canadian landmarks and history, this guitar includes pieces such as a log from Jack London's cabin, a piece of L.M. Montgomery's house in PEI, a sliver of gold from Maurice Richard's Stanley cup ring ... it's a spectacular read, I HIGHLY suggest you check it out!!!
He told me about the coolest thing EVER.
THIS amazing guitar made an appearance at the folk fest, and you can read all about it here.
http://sixstringnation.com/en/the_guitar
An amazing construction of Canadian landmarks and history, this guitar includes pieces such as a log from Jack London's cabin, a piece of L.M. Montgomery's house in PEI, a sliver of gold from Maurice Richard's Stanley cup ring ... it's a spectacular read, I HIGHLY suggest you check it out!!!
Interesting Article
I found this article at Law Times:
Men, women judges vote differently; Study shows party that appoints jurist also affects way criminal cases can go by Helen Burnett
Hardly surprising, but with the fact that I'll be writing papers this year at the forefront of my mind, could be an interesting tidbit to keep in mind.
Men, women judges vote differently; Study shows party that appoints jurist also affects way criminal cases can go by Helen Burnett
Hardly surprising, but with the fact that I'll be writing papers this year at the forefront of my mind, could be an interesting tidbit to keep in mind.
CBA's Rebuttal Continues and Saskatoon Real Estate
The Canadian Bar Association's rebuttal to the Maclean's August 6th cover story about lawyers continues.
Page A11 of the National Post (July 30th) featured an article by James Morton (President of the OBA and member of the CBA Board of Directors) called "An inexcusable smear on lawyers". James Morton also got to be on the Charles Adler radio show (I friggin' love Charles Adler ... I know he's a bit of a nut, but he's such a lovable nut).
Here's some of the article (click the link above to read the rest):
While I understand that Maclean's magazine is in the business of making money, I find it just hilarious that, as per an e-mail send out to CBA members by J. Parker MacCarthy:
So ... obviously Maclean's is loving every minute of this. Should be interesting to follow this story, and see where it all ends up.
As for my weekend, Jason and I drove to Saskatoon Friday night after work. MAN is that a long drive. We got into Saskatoon at about 11:30 PM or so, and crashed hard (into our bed). We had an appointment with a Realtor on Saturday, and spent the day looking at different properties.
I am FLABBERGASTED when it comes to the real estate market in Saskatoon. I am absolutely floored. The houses that we looked at were SOOOOO expensive, and were older homes that really need to be gutted and redone. I kept wondering how the heck Saskatoon could possibly sustain this real estate market, when the city itself (in terms of industry) doesn't seem to be going through a proportional boom. Salaries are nowhere near comparable to Calgary salaries, and while people are starting to move back to Saskatoon, my impression is that it's more young families and older retirees that are making the trek back ... hardly people in their prime earning years (or earning years at all in the case of the latter).
I found this blog (an excellent resource) by Saskatoon Real Estate agent Norm Fisher while doing some searching last night, and it shows that my shock is well placed:
Saskatoon Real Estate Resource Centre Blog
These articles in particular sum it up:
The other side of the boom: collateral effects of a changed Saskatoon real estate market
Housing affordability deteriorates nationally, but most sharply in Saskatoon
Another thing that was surprising is that many of the homes that are for sale accept bids only through a presentation of offers (usually via your real estate agent) on a particular night. This seems to create an atmosphere much like bidding for tenders, as you don't know what anyone else (if anyone at all) is going to bid. When Calgary was going through the CRAZY upswing over the last two years in their real estate market, I had heard of this kind of thing going on, but more commonly I heard about auction-style bidding, where buyers were present and could see what other people/bids were in contention.
On the blog mentioned above, there's a whole article addressing some issues that arise for agents from scenarios as described:
The ethics of "bidding" for Saskatoon real estate
Last weekend, we were told that a house we looked at, that was listed for X$, had a market value of X+10K or X+15K, as most places in Saskatoon were being overbid and purchased for above listed price (i.e. it was suggested that if we were to place a bid, that it be from $10K-$15K over list).
Needless to say, from an investment perspective, this is not the direction that we took.
If you peruse the Norm Fisher's blog, you can see that while there is still some overbidding going on, there are certainly still properties that sell for both under and at listing price. This is the category that Jason and I will belong to, if we buy anything at all in Saskatoon.
In a market that I'm not sure can sustain itself, why would I pay over list price when I'm only interested in a 2 year plan? If I was looking at investing over the long haul, I could see myself thinking differently. But ... there are neighbourhoods in Saskatoon, like East College Park (as per the Saskatoon Real Estate Resource Centre), where the average selling price of the homes takes hiccups from year to year. YIKES (for those of us wishing to invest for only two years).
Anyway, that's my rant for the day.
We still aren't sure where we're going to live this fall, or when we'll be able to move our household to Saskatoon, so we'll be making another trip to Saskatoon in the near future to scout out some more potential homes.
As for the rest of the weekend, we met some of my law buddies at O'Shea's, on the rooftop patio where there was a heavenly mister making our sweltering stay a little more bearable. It was so awesome to catch up with some of my classmates, and hear about the exciting things that they've been doing this summer. We hit Whiskey Jack's afterwards for some stellar karaoke performances (none by yours truly, though, since I was driving ... and it requires a little more than diet Pepsi to get this girl up and singing).
Sunday, we basically drove home. Yup. Long drive, no A/C and 34 degrees Celsius. Needless to say, it made us a little grumpy. We crashed when we got home (again, into bed).
Page A11 of the National Post (July 30th) featured an article by James Morton (President of the OBA and member of the CBA Board of Directors) called "An inexcusable smear on lawyers". James Morton also got to be on the Charles Adler radio show (I friggin' love Charles Adler ... I know he's a bit of a nut, but he's such a lovable nut).
Here's some of the article (click the link above to read the rest):
In my years as a lawyer, I have seen many things. These include a (very) few lawyers who intentionally lied about their billing, slept with a client or defrauded someone. Where discovered, those lawyers have been disbarred and, in some cases, sent to jail. That's how our system works: If a lawyer breaks the law or the professional code of conduct, he or she is punished just like everyone else.
The distorted, one-sided cover story in Maclean's this week is an insult to the country's legal profession. One can only hope it isn't a trend. Bankers, architects, engineers, dentists, accountants - who will be targeted by the next smear campaign? I suppose we should keep our eyes on the cover of coming issues of Maclean's to find
out.
While I understand that Maclean's magazine is in the business of making money, I find it just hilarious that, as per an e-mail send out to CBA members by J. Parker MacCarthy:
Despite our request for space to refute the article, Maclean’s has only agreed to publish a short letter to the editor from the CBA in the next edition. I am sending the letter today. I am also speaking to The Lawyers Weekly today and will continue to schedule media interviews to refute the outrageous accusations contained in the original article.
So ... obviously Maclean's is loving every minute of this. Should be interesting to follow this story, and see where it all ends up.
As for my weekend, Jason and I drove to Saskatoon Friday night after work. MAN is that a long drive. We got into Saskatoon at about 11:30 PM or so, and crashed hard (into our bed). We had an appointment with a Realtor on Saturday, and spent the day looking at different properties.
I am FLABBERGASTED when it comes to the real estate market in Saskatoon. I am absolutely floored. The houses that we looked at were SOOOOO expensive, and were older homes that really need to be gutted and redone. I kept wondering how the heck Saskatoon could possibly sustain this real estate market, when the city itself (in terms of industry) doesn't seem to be going through a proportional boom. Salaries are nowhere near comparable to Calgary salaries, and while people are starting to move back to Saskatoon, my impression is that it's more young families and older retirees that are making the trek back ... hardly people in their prime earning years (or earning years at all in the case of the latter).
I found this blog (an excellent resource) by Saskatoon Real Estate agent Norm Fisher while doing some searching last night, and it shows that my shock is well placed:
Saskatoon Real Estate Resource Centre Blog
These articles in particular sum it up:
The other side of the boom: collateral effects of a changed Saskatoon real estate market
Housing affordability deteriorates nationally, but most sharply in Saskatoon
Another thing that was surprising is that many of the homes that are for sale accept bids only through a presentation of offers (usually via your real estate agent) on a particular night. This seems to create an atmosphere much like bidding for tenders, as you don't know what anyone else (if anyone at all) is going to bid. When Calgary was going through the CRAZY upswing over the last two years in their real estate market, I had heard of this kind of thing going on, but more commonly I heard about auction-style bidding, where buyers were present and could see what other people/bids were in contention.
On the blog mentioned above, there's a whole article addressing some issues that arise for agents from scenarios as described:
The ethics of "bidding" for Saskatoon real estate
Last weekend, we were told that a house we looked at, that was listed for X$, had a market value of X+10K or X+15K, as most places in Saskatoon were being overbid and purchased for above listed price (i.e. it was suggested that if we were to place a bid, that it be from $10K-$15K over list).
Needless to say, from an investment perspective, this is not the direction that we took.
If you peruse the Norm Fisher's blog, you can see that while there is still some overbidding going on, there are certainly still properties that sell for both under and at listing price. This is the category that Jason and I will belong to, if we buy anything at all in Saskatoon.
In a market that I'm not sure can sustain itself, why would I pay over list price when I'm only interested in a 2 year plan? If I was looking at investing over the long haul, I could see myself thinking differently. But ... there are neighbourhoods in Saskatoon, like East College Park (as per the Saskatoon Real Estate Resource Centre), where the average selling price of the homes takes hiccups from year to year. YIKES (for those of us wishing to invest for only two years).
Anyway, that's my rant for the day.
We still aren't sure where we're going to live this fall, or when we'll be able to move our household to Saskatoon, so we'll be making another trip to Saskatoon in the near future to scout out some more potential homes.
As for the rest of the weekend, we met some of my law buddies at O'Shea's, on the rooftop patio where there was a heavenly mister making our sweltering stay a little more bearable. It was so awesome to catch up with some of my classmates, and hear about the exciting things that they've been doing this summer. We hit Whiskey Jack's afterwards for some stellar karaoke performances (none by yours truly, though, since I was driving ... and it requires a little more than diet Pepsi to get this girl up and singing).
Sunday, we basically drove home. Yup. Long drive, no A/C and 34 degrees Celsius. Needless to say, it made us a little grumpy. We crashed when we got home (again, into bed).
Friday, July 27, 2007
I Always Knew It
I never could stand the taste of Aquafina, and here's an interesting article that clears it all up for me:
Pepsi Says Aquafina is Tap Water, CNNMoney.com
Pepsi Says Aquafina is Tap Water, CNNMoney.com
CBA Strikes Back
I don't know why the world seems to LOVE to characterize lawyers as bad people ... well ... actually ... I probably do know why. But to me, it's the same with all professions. There are dirt-bags everywhere, and unfortunately those that are the biggest wind-bags usually end up being the loudest ones that are mistakenly taken as a representation for all.
There are certainly some pretty amazing people in my class at U of S law, and I know that they're going to be amazing lawyers, community leaders, principled professionals, and people who genuinely care and give back to the community.
I guess that MacLeans magazine was looking to stir something up with their August 6th edition, when they interviewed Philip Slayton, author of Lawyers Gone Bad.
Nice to see that the CBA fires back with the July 26, 2007 press release below:
There are certainly some pretty amazing people in my class at U of S law, and I know that they're going to be amazing lawyers, community leaders, principled professionals, and people who genuinely care and give back to the community.
I guess that MacLeans magazine was looking to stir something up with their August 6th edition, when they interviewed Philip Slayton, author of Lawyers Gone Bad.
Nice to see that the CBA fires back with the July 26, 2007 press release below:
CBA condemns unfair characterization of lawyers in Maclean’s magazine
OTTAWA – The Canadian Bar Association has condemned in the strongest possible way the cover story in the Aug. 6 edition of Maclean’s magazine that paints a distorted, one-sided and sensationalized picture of the legal profession.
“By cherry-picking the worst cases of lawyer misconduct, the article has tarnished the reputation of thousands of professionals who are honest, hard-working, and community-minded people,” says CBA President J. Parker MacCarthy, Q.C. of Duncan, B.C. “Lawyers defend their clients’ interests on a daily basis, and there are countless examples of lawyers who provide pro bono legal services in their communities.”
The Maclean’s article is a broadside against the legal profession that doesn’t tell the whole story. In Canada, provincial law societies are vigilantly maintaining standards of professional conduct and disciplining lawyers who fail to meet them. Law societies look out for the interests of the public, by investigating complaints and taking necessary disciplinary action.
In those isolated cases when lawyers break the law, they are treated no differently than anyone else in society. “If they break the law, they are subject to the law and all its penalties,” says Parker MacCarthy.
Lawyers’ conduct is governed by strict and enforceable Codes of Conduct in each province and territory. The CBA’s model Code of Professional Conduct, updated in 2006, guides lawyers on many areas of their professional work including integrity, legal skill, discriminatory behaviour, conflict of interest, and confidentiality.
The CBA is a strong proponent of access to justice, or making the justice system more “user-friendly” to the average person. The association has lobbied for increased funding for civil legal aid for more than two decades. Its legal aid test case on the need for a constitutional right to civil legal aid for poor people is currently before the courts.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
I have to say, when there's a real story there, I have no problem with characterizing the bad guy as such. BUT ... there is real damage done when these kinds of broad, generally destructive, generalizations are allowed to propagate among the public ... for any profession. 
I finished reading the 13th Stephanie Plum novel, Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich. Must say, I was sorely disappointed. Seems like Janet Evanovich had to crank this book out in a hurry, because there were no real plot developments beyond a formulaic adventure like all the other Plum novels. Too bad, I really like this series ... hopefully the next one will be better, since I'm not so turned off that I won't read that one too.
I would love to pick up a copy of Chambermaid: A Novel by Saira Rao, which I saw featured on the Precedent site. Seems that Rao clerked for a Judge down in the US, and this novel is "loosely" based on that experience. LOVE it. Can't wait to read it. This will probably be a Saskatoon read for the fall.
Also, my B-Day was this week, and I must say that I was rather spoiled. Thank you to all of my family and friends for making me feel SPESH on my day, when I've been feeling rather blue about having to move to Saskatoon (AGAIN, not that it'll be terrible, it's just that I miss being home with my family and friends ... ya know, and I'm finally at an age where b-days seem to be depressing ... the big 3 - 0 seems a little too close for my comfort now ... AND ... I find moving really stressful in general).
The folk fest is going on right now, here in Calgary, and my sisters both got to check it out last night. I'm a little jealous, I must admit.
Found this article, and found a new appreciation for Queen. Looks like Queen guitarist, Brian May, is finishing up his Ph.D. in Astrophysics. Must look up more on this guy. Looks like he co-wrote a book: Bang! The Complete History of the Universe, will have to look into it (before I switched into Computer Science, I majored in Astrophysics and I still have a passion for reading about it).
AND ... last, but not least, today is 2-for-1 Starbucks day at the hospital, and I got my venti vanilla latte for $2.00. YAY! Makes Fridays so much more bearable!
PS. I HATE using the blogger quotes feature. It always effs up my formatting. AURGH. May have to write their support. Puts in DIV tags all over the rest of my text. GERRR.
I finished reading the 13th Stephanie Plum novel, Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich. Must say, I was sorely disappointed. Seems like Janet Evanovich had to crank this book out in a hurry, because there were no real plot developments beyond a formulaic adventure like all the other Plum novels. Too bad, I really like this series ... hopefully the next one will be better, since I'm not so turned off that I won't read that one too.
I would love to pick up a copy of Chambermaid: A Novel by Saira Rao, which I saw featured on the Precedent site. Seems that Rao clerked for a Judge down in the US, and this novel is "loosely" based on that experience. LOVE it. Can't wait to read it. This will probably be a Saskatoon read for the fall.
Also, my B-Day was this week, and I must say that I was rather spoiled. Thank you to all of my family and friends for making me feel SPESH on my day, when I've been feeling rather blue about having to move to Saskatoon (AGAIN, not that it'll be terrible, it's just that I miss being home with my family and friends ... ya know, and I'm finally at an age where b-days seem to be depressing ... the big 3 - 0 seems a little too close for my comfort now ... AND ... I find moving really stressful in general).
The folk fest is going on right now, here in Calgary, and my sisters both got to check it out last night. I'm a little jealous, I must admit.
Found this article, and found a new appreciation for Queen. Looks like Queen guitarist, Brian May, is finishing up his Ph.D. in Astrophysics. Must look up more on this guy. Looks like he co-wrote a book: Bang! The Complete History of the Universe, will have to look into it (before I switched into Computer Science, I majored in Astrophysics and I still have a passion for reading about it).
AND ... last, but not least, today is 2-for-1 Starbucks day at the hospital, and I got my venti vanilla latte for $2.00. YAY! Makes Fridays so much more bearable!
PS. I HATE using the blogger quotes feature. It always effs up my formatting. AURGH. May have to write their support. Puts in DIV tags all over the rest of my text. GERRR.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Ahh HTML, We Meet Again
I've been creating a wedding website for a friend of mine, and I'm really excited about it. I'm doing some of it in Flash (I'm still learning about Flash, so it's pretty basic), some in plain ol' HTML ... but I ran into some problems. The page was displaying just fine in Mozilla's Firefox, but in Internet Explorer (version 6.0 in particular, it seemed), the frames were all hooped.
I scratched my head forever on this one, and couldn't figure it out. I was even looking through techie forums to try and figure out why this could be. I tried re-publishing my Flash source files and reloading them to my webserver, all to no avail.
Finally, last night I decided to go through my HTML code line by line, since I was DETERMINED to make this work. What did I find? I was missing an ">" character at the end of a line in one of my files. Yeah. Wow, hey? I had flashbacks to being in school during my undergrad, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.
So ... now it should be fixed, and I'm so happy. Now I can concentrate on getting the content up on it, since it should work for everyone.
If you want to check it out, it's right here:
http://www.WADEandCARRIE.com
EXCITING!!
PS. Lisa W - if you're reading this, I officially volunteer to do one for you too! Think about what you want, and we'll get going this fall (if you want, no pressure).
I scratched my head forever on this one, and couldn't figure it out. I was even looking through techie forums to try and figure out why this could be. I tried re-publishing my Flash source files and reloading them to my webserver, all to no avail.
Finally, last night I decided to go through my HTML code line by line, since I was DETERMINED to make this work. What did I find? I was missing an ">" character at the end of a line in one of my files. Yeah. Wow, hey? I had flashbacks to being in school during my undergrad, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.
So ... now it should be fixed, and I'm so happy. Now I can concentrate on getting the content up on it, since it should work for everyone.
If you want to check it out, it's right here:
http://www.WADEandCARRIE.com
EXCITING!!
PS. Lisa W - if you're reading this, I officially volunteer to do one for you too! Think about what you want, and we'll get going this fall (if you want, no pressure).
Irregardless
I always think about this word ... "irregardless". I sometimes hear it being used, I remember one high school physics teacher in particular that always used it, and it's always bothered me.
I read wikipedia's article on it today, and I still can't get it out of my head.
Be careful ... it's like the song that doesn't end if you're not careful ... the more you say it, the more it seems wrong ... irregardless ... irregardless ... irregardless.
I read wikipedia's article on it today, and I still can't get it out of my head.
Be careful ... it's like the song that doesn't end if you're not careful ... the more you say it, the more it seems wrong ... irregardless ... irregardless ... irregardless.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Wow ... And ... I'm Ready For a Post
So ... I had a pretty good weekend, got to have dinner with friends in various B-Day celebrations, read Harry Potter, which my Mom pre-ordered for me and had delivered to my house early Saturday morning, and got to spend some QT with the fambily.
And ... now the chaos ensues.
We've begun to get ready for the move to Saskatoon, and my stress levels are already rising.
We've looked into some accommodation possibilities, I've made trips to the bank, and I'm trying to secure some moving boxes so that we can start packing up this entire house. I'm dreading all of it.
Also, I want to make sure that I'm able to spend some time with all my friends that I'll be (more or less) leaving behind for 2 years.
So much to do, so little time.
I'm going to have to make a list. I have clothes that I want tailored, shoes I need fixed, stuff I need recycled/given away/thrown out, a moving truck to book (which is hard to do without knowing where we'll be living, so this is causing me some stress).
AND ... I skipped soccer tonight because I'm feeling drained. I know. Soccer would make me feel better, I hear all of you, but I'm just drained. I'm going to have to call and offer some apologies tomorrow.
I got to go to the spa on Friday with my Mom, had a facial and a massage, and the facial has given me a friggin rash on my face. I'm still a little too upset to write about it.
I've been trying to figure out the balloting process, as well. I've picked all my classes, but there are some finer details regarding the balloting process that I need to have clarified for me by the College of Law. Hopefully tomorrow at work won't be quite so busy, and I'll be able to place the call to SK (actually, I don't even know if I'm allowed to make long distance calls - I'll have to ask about that one).
I also want to get my resume ready for the October summer job postings that will inevitably come up far too fast once school starts.
Sigh.
Been doing a lot of sighing lately. I can't wait for September when the sighing can take a break.
And ... now the chaos ensues.
We've begun to get ready for the move to Saskatoon, and my stress levels are already rising.
We've looked into some accommodation possibilities, I've made trips to the bank, and I'm trying to secure some moving boxes so that we can start packing up this entire house. I'm dreading all of it.
Also, I want to make sure that I'm able to spend some time with all my friends that I'll be (more or less) leaving behind for 2 years.
So much to do, so little time.
I'm going to have to make a list. I have clothes that I want tailored, shoes I need fixed, stuff I need recycled/given away/thrown out, a moving truck to book (which is hard to do without knowing where we'll be living, so this is causing me some stress).
AND ... I skipped soccer tonight because I'm feeling drained. I know. Soccer would make me feel better, I hear all of you, but I'm just drained. I'm going to have to call and offer some apologies tomorrow.
I got to go to the spa on Friday with my Mom, had a facial and a massage, and the facial has given me a friggin rash on my face. I'm still a little too upset to write about it.
I've been trying to figure out the balloting process, as well. I've picked all my classes, but there are some finer details regarding the balloting process that I need to have clarified for me by the College of Law. Hopefully tomorrow at work won't be quite so busy, and I'll be able to place the call to SK (actually, I don't even know if I'm allowed to make long distance calls - I'll have to ask about that one).
I also want to get my resume ready for the October summer job postings that will inevitably come up far too fast once school starts.
Sigh.
Been doing a lot of sighing lately. I can't wait for September when the sighing can take a break.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Transfer Watch 2007 Has Ended
Lisa and Jason are moving to Saskatoon.
Yup ... did NOT get the transfer to the U of C. I'm not as upset as I thought I would be. I'm definitely disappointed, since I really love my home, I have truly valued being close to my family over the summer, since they are such a huge support system for me, and we have strong financial and community ties here ... but ... what can you do?
My decision to apply to transfer had nothing to do with U of S as a school or institution, so I am excited to return in the fall to a school that I love. Having Jason there with me should make for an easier time over the next few years, and we're looking at it as a two year adventure.
Especially appealing is the prospect of getting to enjoy the renovated version of the U of S law school that should be ready for the fall. I can't wait to get into the new building that I didn't know I'd get to see.
The thought of leaving Calgary for two years is the part I'm struggling with. Last year, I knew I was temporarily in Saskatoon, and I had a lot of weekend trips home. With a two year commitment to be in SK, I'm going to need a period of adjustment.
And now ... to organize a move. Double groan. How traumatic is moving? At least last year I only had to pack up one bedroomsworth (yes, it's a word, because I said so) of stuff. Now ... I have a whole entire house to pack up. Yuck!
Ah well. Such is life. Even though I'm not upset (which trust me, I wasn't expecting), I still feel like I may need some cheering up. Well ... not exactly cheering up ... more ... encouragement. Yeah ... I need people to encourage me that living in Saskatoon for 2 years will be fun, fabulous and exciting.
One thing that is for sure is that I can try and live a bit more of a normal life while I'm there, this time around. I had so many of my weekends occupied with trips home that my weekdays were beyond hectic. For the next two years I should be able to spread out some of the work I was doing during the week, and even sign up for a sports team or two (something I REALLY missed last year). I'm thinking curling ... or indoor soccer. AND ... yoga. I'd love to joining a yoga studio again, and actually get my moneysworth out of the membership fee.
Yup ... did NOT get the transfer to the U of C. I'm not as upset as I thought I would be. I'm definitely disappointed, since I really love my home, I have truly valued being close to my family over the summer, since they are such a huge support system for me, and we have strong financial and community ties here ... but ... what can you do?
My decision to apply to transfer had nothing to do with U of S as a school or institution, so I am excited to return in the fall to a school that I love. Having Jason there with me should make for an easier time over the next few years, and we're looking at it as a two year adventure.
Especially appealing is the prospect of getting to enjoy the renovated version of the U of S law school that should be ready for the fall. I can't wait to get into the new building that I didn't know I'd get to see.
The thought of leaving Calgary for two years is the part I'm struggling with. Last year, I knew I was temporarily in Saskatoon, and I had a lot of weekend trips home. With a two year commitment to be in SK, I'm going to need a period of adjustment.
And now ... to organize a move. Double groan. How traumatic is moving? At least last year I only had to pack up one bedroomsworth (yes, it's a word, because I said so) of stuff. Now ... I have a whole entire house to pack up. Yuck!
Ah well. Such is life. Even though I'm not upset (which trust me, I wasn't expecting), I still feel like I may need some cheering up. Well ... not exactly cheering up ... more ... encouragement. Yeah ... I need people to encourage me that living in Saskatoon for 2 years will be fun, fabulous and exciting.
One thing that is for sure is that I can try and live a bit more of a normal life while I'm there, this time around. I had so many of my weekends occupied with trips home that my weekdays were beyond hectic. For the next two years I should be able to spread out some of the work I was doing during the week, and even sign up for a sports team or two (something I REALLY missed last year). I'm thinking curling ... or indoor soccer. AND ... yoga. I'd love to joining a yoga studio again, and actually get my moneysworth out of the membership fee.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Another Interesting Read
I stumbled across this article from the Globe and Mail while reading the Precedent today.
Fear not, I have no inclination to be a super-mom either ... although I don't know about the night nurse route ... it is interesting to see our generation of women doing what they have to do to make their lives work for them - and doing it guilt free!
Fear not, I have no inclination to be a super-mom either ... although I don't know about the night nurse route ... it is interesting to see our generation of women doing what they have to do to make their lives work for them - and doing it guilt free!
Saw This, Had to Share
Was just reading the The Nibble (see sidebar), and saw this:
Amazon.com:
How hilarious/awesome is that? Joey - I'm so getting you one when you move out!
Amazon.com:
How hilarious/awesome is that? Joey - I'm so getting you one when you move out!
Am I an Emotional Wreck?
Sometimes, I suppose, but as a law student in Somewhere, USA, I would much more likely be an emotional wreck.
The Wall Street Journal Online's Law Blog from June 8, 2007 (by Peter Lattman) is below:
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/06/08/are-law-students-emotional-wrecks/
I read through a few of the comments, and they seem to cover a broad spectrum of perspectives ... some of them overlapping with my own. Interesting!
This is the study that spurned the Wall Street blog topic:
http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/33/6/883
Gotta say, I like this Wall Street Journal's Law Blog. I scanned through it a little bit and found this article too, made me laugh out loud:
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/07/16/judge-dissents-without-reading-majority-opinion/
Found these blogs today, gonna take a spin through them and see if they're lucky enough to deserve spots on my illustrious sidebar:
http://www.gahtan.com/techlawblog/
http://ualbertalaw.typepad.com/
Still no news. Still waiting patiently (heh heh heh), and ... really mad at Julie for going to Harry Potter without me. Mad.
Also, worried that I won't remember anything next fall. I feel like everything I've learned is slipping through my fingers. Yikes.
Tied our soccer game last night. It was crazy playing in the wicked humidity. While it didn't feel HOT HOT HOT out, it felt absolutely oppressive. We all sweat through our shirts, and then some. I don't mind humidity, but I must admit that I don't know how to cope with the copious sweating.
Did I mention that I love Dilly Bars?
The Wall Street Journal Online's Law Blog from June 8, 2007 (by Peter Lattman) is below:
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/06/08/are-law-students-emotional-wrecks/
I read through a few of the comments, and they seem to cover a broad spectrum of perspectives ... some of them overlapping with my own. Interesting!
This is the study that spurned the Wall Street blog topic:
http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/33/6/883
Gotta say, I like this Wall Street Journal's Law Blog. I scanned through it a little bit and found this article too, made me laugh out loud:
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/07/16/judge-dissents-without-reading-majority-opinion/
Found these blogs today, gonna take a spin through them and see if they're lucky enough to deserve spots on my illustrious sidebar:
http://www.gahtan.com/techlawblog/
http://ualbertalaw.typepad.com/
Still no news. Still waiting patiently (heh heh heh), and ... really mad at Julie for going to Harry Potter without me. Mad.
Also, worried that I won't remember anything next fall. I feel like everything I've learned is slipping through my fingers. Yikes.
Tied our soccer game last night. It was crazy playing in the wicked humidity. While it didn't feel HOT HOT HOT out, it felt absolutely oppressive. We all sweat through our shirts, and then some. I don't mind humidity, but I must admit that I don't know how to cope with the copious sweating.
Did I mention that I love Dilly Bars?
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Still Waiting for News
Transfer Watch 2007 is still in effect. Still haven't heard what my fate will be; Calgary (home) or Saskatoon (pack up and move). Sigh.
The weather in Calgary has been hot and humid, which is quite different for this area. I don't LOVE it (due to the uncontrollable sheen of sweat that seems to coat your body, and the unruly and misbehaving hair that results), but it's kind of neat stepping outside at night and feeling (almost) like you're in Cuba ... or at least near an ocean (as per my Lil' Sis).
Had a great weekend. Jason's brother and his girlfriend came up and hit the Stampede, and we got to meet up with them on the patio of the Ship & Anchor. Brought back memories of sitting there with a friend of ours who has since moved back to Newfoundland. Awww .... memories.
Also, I can't believe how much I
the Calgary Public Library. Last night Julie and I dropped in to drop off some almost overdue books, pickup some of my holds, AND ... I grabbed this:
The Food Lover's Trail Guide to Alberta Volume 2
I've only had time to do some casual flipping so far, but there are all sorts of neat places in here that I can't wait to try. Makes me want to pick up Volume 1 as well.
Also, I'm starting to get Harry Potter fever. Bad. I get all breathless when I see ads etc. for the book. 4 more days. My B-Day is shortly after the release date, and I'm hoping that I'm lucky enough to receive the BOOK OF THE FREAKIN' YEAR!!!! I can't wait. The chest pain. The anticipation. I can't explain. I can't take it. You'll notice that there are no hyperlinks that are Harry related - I can't do any Harry googling, because I can't chance coming across a spoiler ... I really can't. It's far too meaningful, too personal ... it must remain pure and unknown. Sigh.
Last night I watched the first Harry Potter movie with Julie, Joe, and Jason. Just to get in the mood. I told friends that I'd wait a few weeks and go see the new Harry Potter movie with them then ... but I don't know if I can wait.
Also ... did you catch the Victoria Beckham Coming to America Special? Ahahahaha. Loved it. You can watch it all online if you missed it. I don't know why I love it SOOO much ... but I do. Maybe it's because we have a special U of S bond (as I posted about last December). Also - I want her hair. So bad. I covet it. Not so much her heels ... but her hair. MAJOR.
Why do I have to love Dairy Queen so much? It seems to be my Achilles' heel.
The weather in Calgary has been hot and humid, which is quite different for this area. I don't LOVE it (due to the uncontrollable sheen of sweat that seems to coat your body, and the unruly and misbehaving hair that results), but it's kind of neat stepping outside at night and feeling (almost) like you're in Cuba ... or at least near an ocean (as per my Lil' Sis).
Had a great weekend. Jason's brother and his girlfriend came up and hit the Stampede, and we got to meet up with them on the patio of the Ship & Anchor. Brought back memories of sitting there with a friend of ours who has since moved back to Newfoundland. Awww .... memories.
Also, I can't believe how much I
the Calgary Public Library. Last night Julie and I dropped in to drop off some almost overdue books, pickup some of my holds, AND ... I grabbed this:I've only had time to do some casual flipping so far, but there are all sorts of neat places in here that I can't wait to try. Makes me want to pick up Volume 1 as well.Also, I'm starting to get Harry Potter fever. Bad. I get all breathless when I see ads etc. for the book. 4 more days. My B-Day is shortly after the release date, and I'm hoping that I'm lucky enough to receive the BOOK OF THE FREAKIN' YEAR!!!! I can't wait. The chest pain. The anticipation. I can't explain. I can't take it. You'll notice that there are no hyperlinks that are Harry related - I can't do any Harry googling, because I can't chance coming across a spoiler ... I really can't. It's far too meaningful, too personal ... it must remain pure and unknown. Sigh.
Last night I watched the first Harry Potter movie with Julie, Joe, and Jason. Just to get in the mood. I told friends that I'd wait a few weeks and go see the new Harry Potter movie with them then ... but I don't know if I can wait.
Also ... did you catch the Victoria Beckham Coming to America Special? Ahahahaha. Loved it. You can watch it all online if you missed it. I don't know why I love it SOOO much ... but I do. Maybe it's because we have a special U of S bond (as I posted about last December). Also - I want her hair. So bad. I covet it. Not so much her heels ... but her hair. MAJOR.
Why do I have to love Dairy Queen so much? It seems to be my Achilles' heel.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Dear Out-Of-Town Drivers
I see you driving around Calgary, with either your exotic license plates or with your freshly washed rental cars, and I know why you're here ... Stampede is a pretty cool time of year with a lot going on. I'm happy that you're visiting my fair city, in fact, I welcome you.
BUT ...
... when you notice the locals slowing down to the speed limit at what seems to be a random time on a long stretch of road, trust us that it's for a reason.
There are known spots where the Police will do radar, or where by-law officers will park their photo-radar vans, and we know where they are.
Over the last week, I've seen TONS of out-of-towners get busted for speeding, and it just doesn't have to be that way.
I don't have anything against speeding, but speed smart! Watch the locals ... and do as the Romans do. Trust us. It'll save you money, time, effort, and grief!!
Today, on Memorial Drive heading West, across from the river, I saw about 3 people get caught by a photo-radar van that I knew had to be there and had slowed down for. When the obvious out-of-towners whipped around me at about 70 km/h (I had slowed to the speed limit of 50 km/h), it pained me ... it hurt, especially when I saw the photo-radar van parked exactly where I knew it would be.
So visitors to Calgary, enjoy the Stampede, party it up, see what we have to offer, but PLAY SMART for goodness sakes ... help us ... help you.
BUT ...
... when you notice the locals slowing down to the speed limit at what seems to be a random time on a long stretch of road, trust us that it's for a reason.
There are known spots where the Police will do radar, or where by-law officers will park their photo-radar vans, and we know where they are.
Over the last week, I've seen TONS of out-of-towners get busted for speeding, and it just doesn't have to be that way.
I don't have anything against speeding, but speed smart! Watch the locals ... and do as the Romans do. Trust us. It'll save you money, time, effort, and grief!!
Today, on Memorial Drive heading West, across from the river, I saw about 3 people get caught by a photo-radar van that I knew had to be there and had slowed down for. When the obvious out-of-towners whipped around me at about 70 km/h (I had slowed to the speed limit of 50 km/h), it pained me ... it hurt, especially when I saw the photo-radar van parked exactly where I knew it would be.
So visitors to Calgary, enjoy the Stampede, party it up, see what we have to offer, but PLAY SMART for goodness sakes ... help us ... help you.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Is Today Your Birthday?
If so, then head down to Krispy Kreme donuts for your free box of a dozen glazed hot ones, in celebration of their 70th Birthday today.
WOW and My Sore and Tired Arms
I've mentioned on this blog before that I play WOW (I know, it is a little computer nerdy ... but hey ... it is SOOOOOOOO fun, and I am a bit of a computer nerd). Well, this morning, my WOW world and my law school world collided in a spicy and delicious way.
In my inbox this morning was the Addendum (newsletter from the CBA). Among other interesting articles was this one:
Contracts in the MMO world by Chris Bennett and Andreas Lober
HOW FREAKIN' AWESOME WAS THIS READ?
If I go back to Saskatchewan, one of the requirements for the law degree is that a minor paper and a major paper have to be completed. This article opened my eyes to the fact that my papers could be on a creative and interesting topics (on a personal level). Now ... I'm on the lookout for ideas that I could write my papers on!!!
As for the sore arms ... played beach volleyball last night, and I loved it. My arms are so sore, since I'm such a rookie that I only hit it correctly 1/8 times or so, but it was so much fun. Very party-ish kind of atmosphere, and all the teams that were playing had great attitudes, highly recommend this one!
Played ultimate Frisbee on Wednesday ... pretty exciting. The game was a LOT more running than I was expecting (more than soccer even, in my opinion), so I'm excited about the prospect at upping my endurance. I'm really excited about the team that we've put together, too. I think we'll have a lot of fun over the next few months ... but as newbies, I'm afraid that we may have some problems with winning games (we were trounced ... 0-8 in both of our games on Wednesday). Oh well, I think if we practice our Frisbee tossing a bit then we'll at least be able to put some points on the board next time.
In my inbox this morning was the Addendum (newsletter from the CBA). Among other interesting articles was this one:
Contracts in the MMO world by Chris Bennett and Andreas Lober
HOW FREAKIN' AWESOME WAS THIS READ?
If I go back to Saskatchewan, one of the requirements for the law degree is that a minor paper and a major paper have to be completed. This article opened my eyes to the fact that my papers could be on a creative and interesting topics (on a personal level). Now ... I'm on the lookout for ideas that I could write my papers on!!!
As for the sore arms ... played beach volleyball last night, and I loved it. My arms are so sore, since I'm such a rookie that I only hit it correctly 1/8 times or so, but it was so much fun. Very party-ish kind of atmosphere, and all the teams that were playing had great attitudes, highly recommend this one!
Played ultimate Frisbee on Wednesday ... pretty exciting. The game was a LOT more running than I was expecting (more than soccer even, in my opinion), so I'm excited about the prospect at upping my endurance. I'm really excited about the team that we've put together, too. I think we'll have a lot of fun over the next few months ... but as newbies, I'm afraid that we may have some problems with winning games (we were trounced ... 0-8 in both of our games on Wednesday). Oh well, I think if we practice our Frisbee tossing a bit then we'll at least be able to put some points on the board next time.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
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