Friday, November 25, 2011

This Doing Nothing is Making Me Tired

"This doing nothing is making me tired."





I'll give you one guess as to who said this: (tick, tick, tick...ding, ding, ding)


As a second-year law student with three kids, this clearly was not me. Rather, Scott, today on his second day off and realizing he still has two more days off says: "Wow...this doing nothing is making me tired". Love him.





I, on the other hand have been frantically outlining fourteen weeks of cases and notes in preparation for finals. I have two out of the three outlines completed; one more to go. My goal is to have it done by Monday. I will be very happy when this semester is over. I'm tired.





Thanksgiving



Our Thanksgiving was fabulous! Circumstances (i.e. my upcoming finals) lead to us staying in Columbus. I missed my extended family, but Scott and I and the kids had a really great day. We cooked (yes, WE. I made my holiday-famous green bean casserole) just the right amount of food which included: green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, collard greens, stuffing, rolls, and an amputated turkey. Yum.


Kids peeling potatoes



The Amputated Turkey

Scott bravely asked me to go the store on Tuesday to use his gift certificate his company gave him for a free turkey. I proudly, as the wannabe-stay-at-home-June-Cleaver-wife, accepted my responsibility. While at Kroger, I saw three bins of frozen turkeys. I glance, skim, and select. We proceed to the checkout where I successfully use the gift certificate for a free turkey. #success

Fast forward to Thanksgiving morning:

Me to Scott: "That turkey looks funny."

Scott: "Hmmm." Scott: "Um, honey you bought a turkey breast."

Me: "What does that mean?"

Scott: "No dark meat."

Me: "Is that ok?"

Scott: "Yeah, but I like the dark meat."

Me: "Oh...well...that's ok, right?."

In my mind: "OMG...I feel terrible. I am so lucky this man puts up with me!" #Fail!





Despite our turkey's legs being amputated, the turkey was delicious! Several hours later, Scott confessed that he was now over the fact that he wouldn't be eating a juicy turkey leg, thigh, or wing this Thanksgiving.

Me to Scott: "I feel really bad about that sorry."

Scott: "Yeah, that kinda sucked."

In my mind: "Oh, I thought we were past that."

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your day was filled with laughter, family, friends, love and an abundance of things to be thankful for, including dark meat on your turkey.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Feeling a little nostalgic

This week has been busy as usual. I keep thinking (hoping?) today is Friday, but quickly reminded that I have one more day to get through the week. I am looking forward to this weekend: My cousin, Rachel, is coming to visit! Yay! I've been outlining and reading like a mad law student lady to get ahead of my assignments so that I can enjoy the weekend. After this week, I have one more week of class...OMG!


I'm starting to feel a little (emphasize little) better about finals. My outlines are just about done (except for editing, but editing helps me learn). I don't know all of the rules and concepts yet, but I know in the next three weeks I will. One thing about my second year is that I am now confident that my brain can in fact absorb the astronomical amount of information that my professors shove into our minds. My brain will not only absorb it, but I can understand it and apply it.


I met with the Office of Professional Development yesterday. What a good meeting! The director seems to be very positive about my non-traditional approach to using a J.D. He gave me some great ideas and is going to give me some contacts of people who are doing what I want to do. The talk rejuvenated me and reminded me of why I am here in the first place. My personal career goals have been buried by contracts, torts, evidence, and my classmates' bulldozer approach to getting into the biggest and most well-known law firms. That's not me and after my talk with the director yesterday, I am reminded of that, who I am, and what I want to accomplish.

So to the nostalgic part (I got side tracked): I found old pictures on Scott's computer yesterday. We've had his computer for several years, so there were lots of pictures of Jackson and Aida as a baby. OMG...time has flown by! I miss those two being so young! So here are a few of the pictures I found:





Aida about 6 months


Aida about 12 months



Jackson (and us as a family of 3) about 18 months. Doesn't he look like Ivie?



Jackson around 18-20 months




Jack about 6 months with Nana.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Another Week

So it's Monday. I really dislike Mondays. I thoroughly enjoy my weekends with my family and Mondays represent another week of busyness. It is for these reasons I dislike Mondays.






This weekend, we did nothing! This whole semester, we have had just about every weekend planned (not complaining because the weekends have been spent with family and good friends). This weekend we slept in, roamed around a messy house, cleaned out the garage (in an attempt to get both cars in it), went to the candy store, watched football, and generally just relaxed. It was very nice.



We also celebrated Scott's birthday on Saturday. His birthday marks the end of the end-of-October/beginning-of-November string of birthdays and anniversaries. Again, we didn't do anything special, but he seemed to enjoy his day.









Friday, November 4, 2011

My Law School Mojo

"Where in the world is Megan's law school mojo?" (Sing to the tune of Carmen Santiago)



Seriously, where is it? It seems as though I've misplaced it. I keep expecting to find it in a jar or something, like in Peter Pan (marbles...). I was on a roll, then I gave myself 1.5 days away from my law school studies and I lost it; maybe it is in Pittsburgh. Wherever it may be hiding, I REALLY need to find it. I only have three more weeks of classes and then finals! Yes, finals! A friend from high school posted on FB yesterday (yes, FB, I know I ranted about it in my last post, but it is good for some things right?) how she missed the days of being able to study for one day prior to an exam. She also missed not worrying about finals until that day before. I responded, "Me too!!!". When I was a student at MU in my Atmospheric Science program, I was the worse student (I really was. It is amazing I was allowed to attend law school). I would not think about finals until the end of the semester, then I would spend the day or two before finals learning the material. I didn't have the best grades, but I made it. Now, fast forward to law school: Three weeks before classes have even ended and five weeks before my first final, I have almost reached full-blown panic mode. Insane if you ask me.


I have done all of my reading, I have my outlines caught up for the most part, but I am still insanely worried about my exams. I blame it on my lack of law school mojo and all of the other fun things going on in my life.



For example, Scott, the kids, and I drove up to Kent last weekend, then Scott and I went to Pittsburgh to witness two of my most favorite cousins get married (not to each other :-). We had such a good time. The kids had a good time. Not to mention it was my birthday, our anniversary, and Aida's birthday.



This weekend, my in-laws and the cousin who got married are coming to Columbus to hang out. Scott has to work all day Saturday, Jackson has his football banquet on Saturday, I have a baby shower to attend, and Aida's princess dance party is Sunday morning. All of this other stuff is way more fun than law school and distracts me...in a good way! I would much rather hang out with my family then decipher the meaning of the U.S. Constitution and figure out why Plaintiff X can or cannot bring suit in the Middle District of Tennessee. Not to mention trying to figure out whether to object to impeaching the credibility of a witness.




So after this weekend, I have promised myself I will buckle down and start officially studying for finals, whether I've found my mojo or not. But if you happen to see it, send it back my way. I could really use it.


My cousin (the bride) with her new husband and our grandparents.



Scott and I overlooking downtown Pittsburgh.


Jackson and I overlooking downtown Pittsburgh.