The catch-up game

Summer
I wrapped up my first summer of REAL work and am now back to school. Joy. Given the fact that my work experience does not extend farther than spraying perfume and greeting people at Abercrombie and being my dad's personal errand girl every summer since I got my drivers license, working 9-10.5 hour days FOR FREE took a toll on my body, life, and soul. I am exhausted. And it doesn't help that I went straight from Austin to mock trial practice then to school without taking a "break" from a summer of hard work. So here I am, sitting at my kitchen table, attempting to work on an appellate brief. But really I'm sick because I never took time to rest, I can't write because my head is congested, and I am wishing I had a carefree life like my puppy Cooper.

Cooper
A lot of things happened while I was in Austin: I got food poisoning, worked my tail off, gained 7 lbs, and got a precious half lab half golden pup appropriately named Chief Justice Cooper! He wsa a handful at first and I constantly questioned whether I could be responsible for another living being. After two weeks of being woken up by a crying up at 2am and researching training methods online and lots of prayer, I finally got the hang of the mom thing. He's so well behaved now and I could not be more proud of the progress he is making at Puppy Kindergarten. He is at the top of his class! At his first round of shots, he was a mere 18.5 lbs; now, 6 weeks later, he is a whopping 32.5 lbs!! They grow so fast! Jesse and I took him to the dog park for the first time this weekend and he absolutely loved it. He made so many friends and learned how to swim!! Jesse and I are so proud of our little boy!

Anniversary
I believe the last alphabet date Jesse and I had was "I" for Improv Comedy Club where we saw Robert Schimmel. He recently lost his life in a tragic car accident. He truly was one of the funniest men on earth. On a lighter note, Jesse and I could not think of a "J" date. We decided to be unoriginal for the sake of getting through the alphabet before our 10th anniversary and decided J would be "Jackie & Jesse Celebrate their 9th Anniversary!"

We went to Post Oak Grille where the food was delicious but the service was terrible. He got me a gorg Yurman bracelet and I got him A&M golf accessories and a TomTom. Jesse is traveling for the next 18 months for his job as a chemical engineer with Baker Hughes and as an opponent to cell phone use while driving, I got him a TomTom to provide him with directions rather than him rely on his phone to guide his way. He is currently in Midland and goes to Tulsa in October until December. We will forever be long distance.

Law School
I think this is my 4th week of school? I don't know? I am excited to be back and love catching up with Kate, Kaytlyn, and SaraBeth but HATE actually going to school. With that said, I have a lot of reading to do for tomorrow so I'll post pictures of Cooper later today.

No TV: Day 4

Since I haven't blogged in well over a month, I'll start with a re-cap of my life.

• I finished my internship at HCDCO and am now at SCOTX living with Allison!
• Jesse got a J-O-B with Baker Hughes!

I'm sure a lot of other noteworthy things have happened, but I can't remember because my life has come to a complete halt because Allison doesn't have TV access in her apartment. She has a television with a DVD player hooked up to it, but no TV channels! This archaic choice is not as bad as it sounds. I have found other things to do in my spare time like take 4 mile power walks, eat brownies, cook, take long baths, read, and work from home. Allison stays active and walks, plays racquetball and tennis, and does yoga. She leads a much more active lifestyle than I do. The only time I really do miss watching TV is at night when I have trouble sleeping. Now when I wake up in the middle of the night it's just me and my thoughts. Maybe I should start blogging then?

I'm really liking it here, although I am a bit homesick. Austin is a much prettier city than Houston and we're working on a 6 week bucket list which mostly involves eating - thank God for those 4 mile walks!

Want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans.

I had plans last week. Big plans. Plans to meet up with old Baylor friends for drinks, find a way to get in the sold out MGMT show, Free Press Summerfest...plans. Then my Grandma got very sick on Memorial Day and everything changed and I went into worry mode and missed work half of the week. My Grandma is fine now and resting at home and has a follow up appointment this week. I was able to witness firsthand the many miracles God worked in my Grandma's life and with the rest of our family. He showed each of us how precious life is and not to take our loved ones for granted. Turns out, God had bigger plans in store for me.

The start of a new chapter in my life...

Although I graduated a year ago, Jesse's graduation and move back to Houston signifies a new chapter in my life (well, both of ours actually) because we are finally going to be able to experience living in the same city again. After 5 years!

Zebra print? Yes.

A lot has happened since Jesse's graduation weekend/the start of my summer. Here are a few highlights:

• I found the PERFECT Kate Spade. It's sleek, black leather, and fits every intern essential from my mini perfume, legal agenda, to my comfy flats!
  
• Jesse was Confirmed in the Catholic Church on Pentecost Sunday! One of his closest friends and fraternity brother, John, was his sponsor. They're a handsome pair.

John and Jesse aka Saint Ferdinand.

Jesse and I were both confirmed by Bishop Fiorenza!

• I took advantage of my week long break between finals and starting my summer internships by napping multiple times and avoiding all things involving reading, which included Facebook and Blogger! Shocking!
• I went to Austin for orientation for my second half of summer internship; where I learned I have to know the Green Book by heart and that the Blue Book will never leave my hands. GREAT!
  
• I started my first half internship on Monday!

I am learning so much from my current internship. It's so great being able to step away from learning theory of law to actually applying it. However, I feel that the class I really learned the most useful things from is Legal Research and Writing. The skills I learned in that class are the only ones that I can honestly say I have applied this week. On my first day, I took a tour and basically just hung out and got settled into my office - yes, my own office! I'll post pictures soon! On day two, I wrote a resolution for proposed legislation to send to the state in January when session starts. For the time being, I am going to contact reps and try to get them on board with this excellent idea! I started "cross-training" within the court system yesterday, which is what all elected officials in the city and their directors have to do, to really understand the ins and outs of the court system and what every department does. I am on the civil side for a week and then I move on to criminal. There definitely is more to it than what we have learned and I cannot emphasize how much everyone does and how under-appreciated they are. I am so grateful for all of the people who have dedicated the majority of their lives to our court system. I start writing statutes next week - this is an aspiring lobbyists dream come true!!!

Along with spending my days at work (8am-5pm), I am also back on the fitness wagon! I started drinking sodas again late April and it has made my life miserable. It's really the only significant change to my diet and it significantly changed the way I look in my Joe's. So ladies, STAY AWAY FROM SODAS!

I am also trying to catch up on an entire season of Grey's Anatomy, blame that for my lack of updates!

BACK TO REALITY

It feels so good to wake up in the morning and not hate my life! I took my last final of my 1L year exactly a week ago and I could not feel more relieved and refreshed! I have spent each day lounging around, eating milk and Oreos, reading, and catching up on my shows. My life won't be mindless once I start my first summer internship next Monday, so I'm taking advantage of being able to bum around. One of the things I really want to get back in to is working out. I started working out hardcore around Christmas break but then got really sick with bronchitis in February and didn't feel better til mid-March, by that time I was knee deep in my appellate brief and trying to figure out how to study for finals. I turned in my appellate brief and got busy with finals studying and never had time to even walk around the trail in my Dad's neighborhood. Now, I don't have any excuses what so ever - just pure motivation to be the cutest intern at the Supreme Court of Texas come July.

As excited as I am to get away from school for a few months, I have to admit that I really miss hanging out with Kate and Kaytlyn in our study room on the 5th floor. Last summer, as I was mentally preparing for this new chapter of my life, I told myself a million times that this was the beginning of my career and I needed to view law school as my job. I tried to tell myself that this was not the time to make friends but to make connections and treat my schoolmates like co-workers. That didn't exactly work out. Although I felt like I had enough friends from undergrad, I still made space in my heart for a close group of people. The group may not be as big as it started off as, but I'm glad I'm left with people so caring and supportive. I can't imagine going through this past year of stress, ups and downs, disappointments, and Luby's without Kate and Kaytlyn. I can't believe I wanted to close myself off from everyone, if I would have stuck to my plan I would not have met some of the most amazing people I've ever had the privilege to call my friends.


I've been back in Houston for a year now and another chapter of my life has just begun this past weekend. Jesse graduated from Texas A&M on Friday and moved back to Houston the next day! We haven't lived in the same city since high school so I'm sure we're not going to know how to handle living near each other again. As much as I'm glad to finally having him back, I had gotten so used to our nightly phone calls and texting throughout the day. Now there isn't any need for that because we can see each other whenever we want (that is, until he starts his job and I start my internship).

Jesse moving out of the fraternity house.

Just a few weeks ago I blogged about hating life and fearing impending death from over studying and now I cannot help but feel blessed for all that God has given me. Everything is back to normal now!

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing...

NEWSFLASH: I SURVIVED CONLAW

Last night (Torts 2) almost finished me off though. Let's see if studying doesn't kill me by Monday - my last final! Then - a week off and a summer of 9-5's and weekend trips with the girls and SIX WEEKS IN AUSTIN!

Can't wait! Only 35 hours and 33 minutes til freedom!

Over studying

I never felt like I truly applied myself at Baylor. I went to class, took notes, hardly ever read, and still made A's. Now I'm in law school, spending 12 hours in the library everyday, carrying about 35 lbs on my back, and trying to control my jitters I've acquired from my dear friends NoDoze and Red Bull.

To prepare for my property exam yesterday, I spent a month merging my outline, class notes, and others outlines. Then I worked through the Primer twice (a property workbook that is supposed to dumb down life estates for us...yeah...don't ask) and worked through several supplements/interactive CD-ROMS that were recommended by 2Ls and 3Ls. I spent so much time studying just to end up feeling like a complete failure at the end of the three hour exam. Go me.

As I study for my constitutional law test that I have TOMORROW, I'm starting to wonder: how much can my body take? I've been sick several times this semester, don't get enough sleep, and don't care about my hair anymore. I'm sure it's all due to stress. I was worried about dying from a caffeine overdose but a site we found online said it would take 94 NoDoze pills to kill me...but can studying kill me? Studying too much seems to be the root of all my problems these days - my frizzy hair, my awkward teen-like breakouts on my chin, my acid reflux, my lack of sleep...AM I GOING TO DIE FROM THIS?

A few friends of mine found a post online about a guy who died from overstudying constitutional law and had a panic attack mid-test. Not gonna lie, I wanted to start crying yesterday while figuring out who had a valid future interest in Blackacre and Whiteacre during the exam, but I managed to stay strong. Click here to read the article about the horrific conlaw death.

All of this law school stress does have its perks though. My parents feel really bad for me and are taking me shopping for work clothes this summer. Every law clerk should look fabulous so I'm on the hunt for the perfect black leather Kate Spade shoulder bag and a tote to carry my computer and portfolio. I never thought I would be this excited to shop for grown up clothes, conservative heels, and working 9-5 and sitting in traffic afterward. This summer is going to be such a relief from school!

Back to studying. The 7 Rules of Justiciability are calling my name.

Fratmusic.com

If you listen to Pandora while you study/party/clean your house on a rainy Saturday afternoon, you'll definitely LOVE this! Not only does it come in handy when you're at a rager on 10th (those days are long gone for me) but also when you're about to sit down and hit the books for 14 hours straight. Unlike Pandora, you can browse through other's playlists by genre, schools, and even fraternities!

Go to fratmusic.com, go to genre, and browse through whatever you love to fist pump to the most. Finals start TOMORROW, so naturally, my genre of choice is "Study". Didn't know that was a genre...

Anyway, within "study", I found several playlists that have string quartet versions of some of my favorite songs; like "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Wonderwall". So browse around and enjoy this new way of sharing and discovering music!

In about 8 days, I will be jamming to the "Ma I Blew Out My Ears" playlist under the dance genre.

I'm taking a study break from conlaw and property so I decided to fill out a survey I found on my friend Kristen's blog. Tomorrow is the last day of school..my 1L year has almost come to an end. Now on to FINALS! They start next Monday and as you can see, I'm finding other, less-productive, things to do with my time.

A. AGE: 23

B. BED SIZE: queen
C. CHORE YOU HATE: cleaning my bathroom
D. DOG'S NAME: Cathy, Mikey, and Andy!
E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: REDBULL!
F. FAVORITE COLOR: pink
G. GOLD OR SILVER: gold
H. HEIGHT: 4'11 3/4"
I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: none
J. JOB: full time student, full time procrastinator
K. KIDS: I sometimes think that my nieces (Ashley and Caleigh) and my nephew (Sean) are like my kids! I love them so much!
L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: living with my Dad and missing the apartment at The Village w/ Liz
M. MOM'S NAME: Elizabeth
N. NICKNAME: JackAttack or Jax or Jack...depending on who you ask
O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: in high school from food poisoning after I ate bad oysters
P. PET PEEVE: when people drive in my blind spots!!!
Q. QUOTE: "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: righty
S. SIBLINGS: one brother, one sister
T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: 5:30 a.m.
U. UNDERWEAR: granny panties
V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: artichoke hearts
W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: I'm usually never late but sometimes straightening my hair takes a bit longer than expected.
X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: teeth at the dentist, and a few body ones in high school
Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: SANTE FE CHICKEN - the only thing I know how to make!
Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE: lions, tigers, and bears...oh my!

"I" IS FOR IMPROV!

On Saturday, after a day in the library studying my life away, Jesse and I had dinner at Cabo's and decided there to go see Robert Schimmel at the Improv. Jesse really likes him and I had no idea who he was. I must say, that he wasn't as funny as Jesse made him out to be. The opening acts were much funnier than he was. The first guy won "Funniest Guy in Houston" and is now competing to be the "Funniest Comic in Texas". The second opening act was HILARIOUS! He was probably one of the funniest guys I have EVER heard. I don't remember his name but I think he's a regular at the Improv because he opened for Damon Wayans (who was there a few days ago). I am going to buy tickets for Jamie Kennedy for Jesse's graduation...I'm sure he won't be disappointing! The reason why the Schimmel guy wasn't funny was because (1) he was on vicodin (2) all of his jokes were depressing because he and his wife are filing for divorce and his daughters sleep around and do drugs...that's all he talked about. It was really disturbing and many people left during the show. Way to bring the crowd down, Schimmel!

Being Catholic

(That will be me Friday with Bishop Fiorenza)

As many of you may already know, I am getting Confirmed this Friday. I have been going to Confirmation classes once a week since September. After school, I sit in rush hour traffic on my drive to St. Justin Martyr, the church Jesse has gone to all his life. After my parent's divorce, I didn't have a church to call my own. I would go to my dad's church (St. Anne's) on the weekends I was with him and loved it there so much. When I graduated from Baylor and moved back to Houston, I knew that one of the first steps I would have to take as an adult was to find a church to call my own. Jesse and I went to St. Anne's and it didn't feel right. Even though it's the place I've dreamt about getting married in since I was 4, it wasn't the place I could grow spiritually as an adult. We started going to Jesse's church and it couldn't be more perfect. It's in the middle of Alief, so it's very diverse. There are about 2,500 families registered there and the majority are Vietnamese or of African descent. Everyone is so warm and nurturing there, I knew that that is where I wanted to fulfill my last sacrament -Confirmation - as soon as I met Father Paul. (Well, my last sacrament before I get married..someday...)

Here's a short run down about Sacraments for those of you who are not Catholic and find it weird that we have to do so many things at different points in our lives to prove our faith:

1. Baptism: For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as infants or adults, Baptism is the Church's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God.
2. First Communion: Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God.
3. Reconciliation/Confession: The Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as the Sacrament of Penance, or Penance and Reconciliation) has three elements: conversion, confession and celebration. In it we find God's unconditional forgiveness, and as a result we are called to forgive others.
4. Confirmation: Confirmation is a Catholic sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a deepening of baptismal gifts. Like Baptism and Eucharist, it is a Sacrament of Initiation for Catholics and a Sacrament of faith in God's fidelity to us.
5. Marriage: For Catholics, the Sacrament of Marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a public sign that one gives oneself totally to this other person. It is also a public statement about God: the loving union of husband and wife speaks of family values and also God's values.
6. Holy Orders: In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, the priest being ordained vows to lead other Catholics by bringing them the sacraments (especially the Eucharist), by proclaiming the Gospel, and by providing other means to holiness.
7. Anointing of the Sick: The Catholic sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Last Rites or Extreme Unction, is a ritual of healing appropriate not only for physical but also for mental and spiritual sickness.

(taken from AmericanCatholic.org)

For Confirmation, I had to choose a sponsor and my patron saint to be named after. I chose my Godmother from Baptism (Bertha) to be my sponsor and to be named after St. Thomas More who is the patron saint for law and government. Maybe he'll help me with finals!

People usually get Confirmed in the Catholic Church when they are in high school. It is a sacrament where a young adult gets to proclaim themselves that they believe in Christ and will follow the teachings of the Church. I was very busy in high school, and so were parents, so my confirmation was not of utmost priority. The minute I moved back to Houston I started thinking morbid, yet eye opening thoughts like: if I were to die this very minute, I would not be able to have a Catholic ceremony because I was never fully initiated in the Church. At that point, I realized I wanted to learn about my faith and become closer to God. I prayed and prayed between June and September, trying to make sure that this is what I wanted to do. Getting initiated in to anything is a big deal, and forming a covenant with God is a HUGE DEAL, and I wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting in to. No backsies with J. Christ. Many people rush to fulfill their sacraments because they want to have a full mass at their wedding, but I did it because I was scared to not be buried as a Catholic if I died. Morbid, I tell ya. And that's where my spiritual journey with Christ and the 15 faithful in my adult confirmation class began last September. I have grown to love and respect the other adults getting confirmed with me and am looking forward to Friday when I am fully initiated into the Catholic Church and can proclaim my love for Christ in this very special way!

A Cautionary Tale

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING EVENTS MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE. WELL, THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE. NAMES MAY HAVE BEEN CHANGED. AS WELL AS ODORS. AND THE DAY THE EVENTS OCCURRED. BUT REALLY, THIS REALLLLLY HAPPENED.

Once upon a time there was a sweet Asian girl named Ann. Law student by day, ninja by night. Because she had vowed at the tender age of 4 to use her ninja skills only after sunset on Friday night until sunset Saturday night (when crime is at its highest), she was not able to use her skills to fend off library bums this past Sunday (that's right, on the holiest of days). By library bum, I'm talking about a real life bum who invades libraries, not myself. I know I can be easily confused for a bum during the school week, except for Wednesday's because no one should ever look bad on hump day.

Back to Ann, the law school ninja. Sunday. Lunch break. 15 minutes. She's gone from her tiny study room for 15 minutes. The study rooms are the size of a half bathroom, but can fit two people. They are dimly lit and have small florescent lights above the desks to light our many possessions, such as Property by Dukenminier and our coveted Puppy Helmet Outlines. Who is Puppy Helmet anyway? Ninja Ann approaches her study room, well rested from her lunch break and only half full like the Japanese recommend for dietary purposes. However, Ann is Vietnamese. She turns the door handle slightly and notices someone covering the small window on the door. "WTH", she thinks, "Must be Preston." She SLAMS the door open and out pops a LARGE HOMELESS OGRE reading books upside down and speaking gibberish. Will likes to refer to him as Homeless Pete. Homeless Pete is angered that she would barge in his literary hour. She explains to him that she was there first, a rule we all learned in kindergarten. A ninja never forgets such lessons. He proceeds to GET KRUNK on her and argues that there are TWO chairs in there and he has the right to take the 2nd chair. He failed to realize that no one, and I mean no one, messes with Ninja Ann 1L.

Ann grabs her stuff and runs down the hall to Kristin's room. She drops off her stuff there and frantically recants her story about the library bum. Kristin said that she had seen him the whole week on that very floor. She said she could smell him anywhere...he has a distinct smell, like bleach and urine. Ninja Ann BACK FLIPS (like Kim Possible) to the front lobby where a member of our police force stands guard at all hours. Guess he wasn't paying much attention if he let that shifty Homeless Pete in all week long.

Ninja Ann told her story to officials and found out his name. As resourceful as she has proven to be, she runs a background check to find that HE HAS A HISTORY OF DRUG MANUFACTURING AND DELIVERY. HE WENT TO JAIL FOR 4 YEARS FOR MANUFACTURING, POSSESSION, AND DISTRIBUTION OF ILLEGAL NARCOTICS. That explains the bleach smell. The urine is just him being Homeless Pete. While he was being escorted out, his only possessions fall out of his pockets - comb, toothbrush, and toothpaste, and a recorder.

Now Ninja Ann travels the world telling her story to all that will hear her tale of Homeless Pete.

Beware, if this happened to Ninja Ann IL, it can happen to you too. Actually, it WILL happen to you. Tomorrow.

Law School = Addictions.

I heard from a classmate that many law students leave in 3 years with a J.D. and an addiction of sorts. I think she said something about 2/3's and that alcohol was the most common addiction. I stumbled upon a group on Facebook after I Googled "Law School Addictions" with hopes to find truth in this addiction hearsay and, instead, I found a group called "Addictions I picked up in law school to help me cope" with this posted:

"My small section hit the bars after our first exam was done. One of my friends (who I hope doesn't mind my telling this story, if he's reading this) came along and he wasn't drinking. Can't, because of all the meds he's on to counteract the pummeling law school is giving his brain and body. The rest of us were merrily boozing it up. I told my friend that his meds are a coping mechanism-precedent, while booze, for the rest of us, is a coping mechanism-subsequent. Yes, we'd just finished our contracts exam."

1. I just said hearsay outside of legal writing. The appellate brief really got to me.
2. Yes, law students do speak like the quote above. It may sound snooty to you, but it's actually really funny in our world. Everything we learn (after we actually learn it and it makes sense) in ingrained in us to the point that we start using legal terms in normal conversations and think that they're actually funny. For example, me using hearsay and saying something like "I need to 1406 this place, there's too much Ed Hardy going on in here and it's making me feel uncomfortable." 28 USC 1406 governs when a party can change the venue (aka the court) when it is an improper venue and allows you to transfer to a proper venue or file a motion to dismiss. Notice that to a lay person it may not seem funny, but if I busted that out at Pub Fiction around my law school friends, not only would they be impressed that I remember something from Civil Procedure but they will also think that I'm very clever and witty. 1404 is also a transfer of venue but when a venue is PROPER...but let's face it, when is a bar that attracts guidos ever proper? So next time you're at a lame party, just say you have to 1406 it.
   

Back to addictions. I started thinking, am I addicted to anything?! I don't go out, so it can't be booze. I gave up chocolate for lent and haven't really eaten chocolate since lent has been over. Narcotics are out of the question and I haven't touched my bottle of NoDoze since last semester...so what can I be? I look up and it's staring me in the face. REDBULL. I drink AT LEAST two of these bad boys a day. When I first started drinking them I would buy the sugar-free kind in the small bottle; because let's face it, a girl's gotta keep her figure! But now, I DON'T CARE! I NEED TO STAY AWAKE. I NEED TO OUTLINE. I NEED TO BE ALERT AND PAY ATTENTION TO HOW MANY SPACES COME AFTER MY PERIOD AND BEFORE AND AFTER MY "Id."'s! And let's not leave out my frequent buyer card at Luby's - after 8 cups of coffee you get your 9th one free. Let's just say that I've been through my fair share of free coffees, I feel bad asking for another.

In conclusion, my name is Jackie and I am a caffeine addict.

Here's a laundry list of random things I have become addicted to that you might want to do yourself if you're bored. Actually, they're just things I do everyday when I don't want to study or am "taking a break".

1. Stumble.com - A random websites generator. Once, I found one about how to be a samurai warrior!
2. Gilt and Rue La La - nothing beats online shopping for designer items at discount pricing!
3. LOLcats - YES, THAT'S RIGHT. I have 3 dogs but LOVE LOVE crazy cat pictures with ebonic subtitles. I can haz a break frum da bookz plz?
   
4. Sexypeople-blog.com and awkwardfamilyphotos.com. Nothing is more uplifting than laughing at the expense of others awkward pictures from the late 80s early 90s.
5. Finding indie bands by searching my favorite indie bands on cdnow.com and going through the "more like this band" listings. MY CURRENT FAVORITE: THE DIRTY PROJECTORS. LOVE IT. NOW.
6. Planning my wedding and reading wedding blogs. Reminder: I'm not even engaged.
7. Planning a spring break that is never going to happen because we have to study during spring break.
   
8. Looking at bags I can't afford and searching for them on ebay with Kaytlyn.
9. Youtube.
   

Stress

I remember studying for accounting in undergrad and thinking that that was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Then the LSAT - gosh, was that difficult. Last semester, I felt that the entire month leading up to finals was the hardest I had ever worked in my life. (All to make mediocre grades, btw). And today I turned in what might be the most important paper of my life. I had classes as a political science member who were graded solely on a midterm and a essay. The essays weren't that bad and I was usually able to b/s my way through them. I just finished the mother of all essays...mostly because an appellate brief isn't an essay, it's a legal document. I started researching for it the day after we got the assignment; so like a month ago. I have been writing relentlessly and thinking about different angles and arguments to win my case everyday for the past month. Yes, turning it in to day takes a giant weight of my shoulders because now I can focus on outlining and studying for finals. But, having the appellate brief out of my life doesn't make my life honky dory. I still think that it is the biggest piece of crap I have ever written in my life and am dreading the day I get it back. On top of that, I'm getting sick again. I was deathly ill from February 22nd - mid-march with an upper resp infection, bronchitis, and a tummy virus. I woke up Saturday morning with a sore throat and it has no escalated to a itchy throat, earache, and a stuffy nose. I swear, if I get sick to the degree I was not too long ago, someone will get hurt. There's no way I can study for finals if I feel like death.

Anyway, enough with ranting. I just subscribed to a website that will send me a daily piece of LOVE. Now, I get a daily devotional in my inbox every morning and Jesus' love is enough to get me through the day but this site sends you all kinds of quotes. Here's their site's description from their home page:

"The Daily Love is a free daily e-multivitamin for your soul! We read and search for the best morsels of inspiration through all the greatest literature ever written; from ancient texts to modern day gurus we bring you well rounded wisdom from all walks of life! The Daily Love has changed so many peoples lives, sign up today to begin your journey one dose at a time!"

The Daily Love aims to make you happy and the best part about being happy is sharing that happiness with others. If you have any friends that you think should get The Daily Love, please feel free to forward this email to them or sign them up at www.TheDailyLove.com

I haven't gotten my first e-mail yet but I will be sure to let y'all know if it's good. Oh and about the diamond earring conundrum from the last post - I found them! =)

E, F, G

Here's my Alphabet Dating update! I was such a terrible blogger last year and have so much to update on. I hope I don't forget anything. We started off our ABC dates by taking turns picking the dates but last semester was so busy for the both of us so we picked our dates together because it was so difficult to find weekends we were both free.

E IS FOR EIGHT YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Jesse and I celebrated our eight years of love last September by going to Plano for my friend/sorority sister's wedding. The wedding was so beautiful and it was particularly touching because I had met her and her husband (Matt) my freshman year and watched them go through the awkward beginning of a relationship to where they are now. They are such a great couple and am so excited to see what the future holds for them.

Jesse and I went to Plano the day before the wedding and arrived just in time to get ready for dinner. We went to Macaroni Grill for a yummy italian feast. I had lost the diamond earings that my mom gave me for graduation and cried for days about it. I was shocked when Jesse gave me diamond earings for our anniversary. He also gave me a Coach wristlet that fits my essentials and can be thrown in my backpack for school. I have so much school related stuff to carry on a daily basis and have had to sacrifice carrying a purse to school! About those earings, I haven't worn them in a while because I am afraid to lose them but now I don't remember where they are. YIKES!

The next day we went shopping for Matt & Jess's gift...leave it to me to get a gift last minute. Then we went to the mall and I bought him Polo stuff and a new wallet. Boys are so hard to shop for so I decided I would let him pick his anniversary gear.

F IS FOR FINALLY, KINGS OF LEON!

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you know how THRILLED I was when I found out Kings of Leon were coming to Houston. I waited patiently for the tickets to go on sale in June and then bought them the minute they went on sale. The concert just happened to fall on Jesse's 23rd birthday - what a great way to celebrate! KOL is one of our favorite bands and we were counting the days to the concert all summer. October 6th came around and it was during the week. Jesse cut class and met me in downtown (I go to school 3 blocks away from the Toyota Center) and we went to McCormick and Schmick for dinner and then the show. We discovered that day that McCormick has an excellent happy hour. I highly recommend the $2.50 quarter pound cheeseburger with fries accompanied by a $3 order of calamari to share! Here are pictures from the show:

G IS FOR GAME DAY DOUBLE DATE!

Later that month, my best friend Jessica (not the one that got married in Plano) invited Jesse and me to go to the Rockets Home Opener and sit in her dad's suite. It was October 31st (Halloween!) and a lot of the fans wore silly costumes. Jessica and her boyfriend Marc rarely get to see each other because she is in med school and he works most weekends and we hardly ever get to see each other because of school. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend time with the two of them AND Jesse at the same time. I can't wait to be a successful attorney and have a suite at the Toyota Center - they really get the royal treatment there. Each person in the suits was given a home opener t-shirt and were paid a visit by the lovely Rockets dancers. Marc and Jesse took pictures with them while Jessica and I dove in to the dessert bar that stopped at our room!

HEY AGAIN!

I haven't blogged in months and I feel terrible about it. Law school doesn't allow me to do anything more than facebook and tweet but I will try to keep up with it from now on. Here are a few highlights since last summer:

• Jesse and I are still working on our alphabet dating. I will update soon about our dates since then.
• Law school has taken over my life. Everyone says it's hard but you really don't realize how much work/reading there is until you're there. If you want to go to law school: don't go unless you're ready to spend all of your days and nights studying and writing!
• My niece Caleigh is now 10 months and she is brilliant! She can already say "Jackie".
  
• I have made a lot of great friends in law school. Whoever said everyone was vicious and competitive was wrong.
• I got really into working out and then stopped because I had some weird illness last month that is now going away...I had it for about a month.
• I have a clerkship this summer! I don't suck at life!
  
• I still miss Baylor terribly! Speaking of...

TWO MAJOR THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST BAYLOR MONTHS THAT I WISH WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE I WAS A STUDENT, RATHER THAN AN ALUM:

#1 BAYLOR MENS AND WOMENS BASKETBALL ARE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND KICKING BUTT!

This is LaceDarius Dunn. I like to believe that we are best friends.

I have several brackets and I only picked Baylor going to the championship game in one of them. I'm sure we'll at least make it to the Elite Eight. I have tickets for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 - they're both here in Houston at Reliant Stadium. It will be weird to see Reliant set up as a basketball court rather than the Texans field or the rodeo dirt that was there the last couple of weeks. A lot of my friends from Baylor are driving in for the game(s) so I'm super excited to see them!

#2 Kappa Alpha Theta (my sorority) made Pigskin!!!

Every year Baylor greeks participate in the second largest off Broadway production in the country. It sounds a bit crazy when people hear that every fraternity and sorority practice everyday starting the first day of school in the Spring semester for 4 hours! Judges are flown in that are experts in dance/theater/vocals and judge the groups during each performance. The groups perform two weekends, Thursday - Saturday. The top 8 acts get to perform during Homecoming Weekend in the Fall in a short version of Sing called Pigskin.

Theta made it this year! (for the first time in 3 years!!!) Their theme was "Ring by Spring" and was a satirical view of a young freshman looking for love. So cute! I'm so proud of Theta! I can't wait to see what the girls stir up next Spring.



The next post will be an ABC dating update and a sequence of pictures from the months since I've been in law school.

SIC'EM BEARS!

Kate da Kat Lady

(Tommy sleeping on Kate's cases for her final memo, Fall 2009)

Tommy & Kate: A Haiku

Kate's cat is Tommy.
Tommy eats chicken at night;
Kate wakes up and yells.