Holiday Update

Things have been a bit hectic lately, so I haven't gotten around to updating for a while.

On Friday, the twelfth, I visited my friend Natasha, who had just finished her last exam.

That Sunday, Natasha came over to Malibu, and we hung out a bit before going over to a Chuck-E-Cheese, where we saw the twins. We came at about the same time as my aunt, uncle, and cousins did; my sister and her boyfriend Matt arrived a bit later. Looking after the twins can be tiring sometimes, but it's good to see them when I get the chance.

I went along with Chrissie, Matt, and a couple of Matt's friends to a midnight premiere of the Return of the King. I hadn't fully realized that we would have to wait in line, since the tickets had already purchased, but we ended up in line for at least an hour. This was a little problematic for me; although I had brought a sweater, I hadn't prepared myself to wait in the 'chilly' California weather. I finally made it back to my room at around 4 in the morning. Naturally, my schedule was completely messed up for the next few days.

Friday (Dec. 19th) was very busy. That morning, the family had to drive out to Redlands for my grandfather's funeral. Along with the other grandchildren, I was a pallbearer, and stood throughout the ceremony. Although I think that most of my emotions had already come out when he had died, the ceremony was naturally a bit emotionally difficult as well. After the funeral, we went to a wake at the nearby home of a relative. My sister and I had spent most of the time chatting with our cousins before leaving.

On Death and Dying

My grandfather passed away this Saturday afternoon, while my family was visiting him. It has been pretty difficult and heartwrenching for everyone, but I'm glad that the family was able to be there when he needed us. I can take some comfort in the fact that it was a 'good' death; he wasn't in pain when he died, and he was around people who cared about him.

Of course, it was a very challenging experience; I think that the grief is harder to rationalize when you're directly witnessing the death of a loved one. I was very distraught for the first few days, but I think I've more or less regained my composure by now. More than anything, I feel lucky that I was able to see him and lend whatever support I could give.

Winding Down

The last couple of weeks have been hectic, which is why I haven't written anything here for a while.

Thanksgiving was fun; mom, Chrissie, Laura, and I went to see my mom's parents, my aunt, my uncle, and the twins. We have a little tradition of going to the restaurant at Knott's for Thanksgiving, as nobody has to cook and we can walk around the craft fair later. After we had finished lunch and walked a bit, my aunt and uncle took the twins to the theme park while the rest of us headed back home.

I had my first exam (Administrative Law) the next Monday. After I had finished the exam, I met Chrissie in Laura in Westwood, where we had dinner before going to a jazz concert over at UCLA. My friend Natasha had a solo about halfway through the concert, and I went to see her soon after she had finished singing. Later, Chrissie, Laura, and I stopped and got ice cream. Since the premiere of The Last Samurai had finished while we were eating, we were able to people-watch a bit (Robert Downey Jr. apparently walked right past us, but I didn't really see him).

I had my next exam, in Corporations, on Thursday. On Friday evening, I met up with Tiffany; we went out to dinner and looked through photos of the UK trip. I drove home to Northridge after I had finished seeing her. The next morning, I went up north with the family for the day, so I didn't get back to my room until 9 or 10 that night.

On Sunday, I went to a review session for my Evidence class. My final was the next afternoon; it was the last exam, so the semester was officially over for me. I celebrated by meeting up with Chrissie and Matt to see The Station Agent in Santa Monica.

I haven't done much since then, though I was able to see Chrissie yesterday and was also able to get a large chunk of holiday shopping done. Even though I don't have any classes for a while, I still have a lot to do, so I'm hoping to stay on top of things over the break.

My Week (What an Original Title)

Classes are winding down, as there are only a few sessions left before exams.

On Wednesday, my Trial Practice class began earlier, as there were two full trials to cover over the course of the session. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the end.

I was finally able to choose my classes for the coming semester at 1:00 on Thursday. It was a really late time slot, but I was able to take the most important classes I was interested in. However, I did get a little frantic after I had gotten the first few classes and needed to round out my schedule. Fortunately, I was able to put together a workable schedule eventually. I think that next semester will be a bit more rigorous than this one, especially since one of my professors is known for giving out copious amounts of reading. I don't think that this is necessarily a bad thing; if I know that I absolutely <i>can't</I> slack, I tend to be more motivated to do my reading as quickly as possible without rationalizing or procrastinating.

On Friday, I visited Chrissie at the editing lab before going over to see Natasha. She worked on a musical arrangement for Chrissie's film, which I recorded on my computer and later put on a CD.

After a late start on Saturday, I drove out to Santa Monica and did a decent amount of reading becore meeting Chrissie and Laura. We had a bite to eat and wandered around the Promenade before going to a screening of <i>Love Actually</I>.

Today, I was able to drive over to Santa Monica and get some more reading done. All in all, this has been a pretty productive weekend, and I'm hoping to keep it up for the rest of the week.

A Visitor

Today's Corporations class was held in the cafeteria, which made the session slightly odd, since all the students were clustered around tables and the professor had to compete with the sounds of the air conditioning.

After class, I talked to my teacher and have more or less resolved a frustrating situation. Basically, my partners on a not-for-credit project were a bit unreliable; one, who was 'in charge', was flaky, and the other was overly concerned about picking a fight with her friend, so, even though partner #1 wouldn't respond to my emails and managed to avoid me, she didn't step in until rather late in the game. The professor said that it would be too late to get any work done on the project, so I sent an email to my teammates telling them this. At least I was able to explain that I did everything I could to work on the project, and I know that this isn't going to have an impact on my grade, but it's always frustrating when a partner isn't willing to follow through with the most basic responsibilities.

After class, I tried out for the trial team. Basically, I had to give five minutes of an opening statement. The time went by pretty quickly, and I felt fairly confident about the case itself, but I'll have to see how it goes.

Next, I went to the auditorium for a dedication at which Justice Scalia was present. Although Scalia isn't exactly my favorite justice, it's naturally exciting to have a member of the Supreme Court at the school. There were a few speeches during the dedication, including a speech by Scalia in which he gave some general advice to students and professors. I decided to opt out of a later speech he gave on behalf of a new "Center for Law, Ethics, and Religion", and spent much of my afternoon working on case summaries instead.

[Insert Witty Title Here]

I had my trial on Wednesday. I think it went well; I got a few compliments at the end, and I think that the powerpoint elements worked rather well. I'm glad that I got done with it early as well. Since I was in the first group, I don't have any work to do for the next few weeks' sessions in the class (aside from watching others' trials), and this will allow me to focus more on my other classes.

On Friday, I met with a professor to discuss my NAALJ paper; I will probably be discussing the paper with him more once I've made more progress and have my argument fully put together. I also took a look at the classes that were being offered next semester. I'm one of the last people who can sign up, so I'm just hoping that the classes I want won't fill up too quickly.

Later that day, I drove by to see Chrissie. I was only there for a short time, but I got to see the final version of her last movie as well as some other videos. Later, I visited Natasha; we went to the movies and drove around a bit before I headed back home.

Entertainment Law Tournaments, Presentations, and More

This weekend was the Entertainment Law Moot Court Tournament, which is hosted by our school; since I'm a member of the Moot Court Board, I was partially responsible for keeping the tournament running smoothly. I wasn't able to attend Friday's rounds because of my interview, but I was around for Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, my dad came over to judge one of the quarterfinal rounds, and we had ice cream after the round was over. The tournament went well, and everyone seemed to be happy with how it went.

Today, I met with my partner for Wednesday's trial. We didn't do much today, but we tested the projector (I will be including some powerpoint elements) and went over a few points. Hopefully, we'll be able to pull everything together tomorrow.

And It's Finally the Weekend...

I have been pretty busy this week.

On Monday, I went out to lunch with a couple of friends from school. We haven't gotten the chance to see each other very often, so it was good to have the chance to reminisce a bit. Later, I drove over to USC and saw some of the work that Chrissie had done on her latest movie.

My watch band broke on Tuesday; it's frustrating to not have a watch on, especially since I'm so used to wearing it all the time. Hopefully, I'll be able to fix the problem soon.

After my Thursday classes, I had a meeting with my student articles editor regarding my outline. I'm on the right track at this point, so the meeting was pretty quick and painless. Later, I drove to the nearest dealership to get a few repairs done on the car. I was also able to rent a car for Friday's interview. Once things had been taken care of, I went to Natasha's to prep her for her witness role. Unfortunately, there were some communication errors and she won't be able to make it to the class on time. I've made some efforts to recruit people, but I haven't found anyone who can go without changing their schedule.

I spent most of today in the car, as I made the trek to and from Indio for my follow-up interview. I think the interview went fairly well, but it's always hard to tell. The trip itself was an ordeal, partially because of misleading internet directions and partially because of the sheer length of the trip. My back was definitely in pain once I got back (at around 7:00).

Halloween Etc.

After my classes on Halloween, I spent part on the day working on case summaries. Later, I got a call from Natasha and met up with her.

We had planned on going to Knott's 'Scary' Farm, but we later decided against it due to rain and traffic problems. Because of the California fires, I was unable to drive back home to pick up my old costume, so I just put on my suit and went as a 'lawyer'. After I fought my way through the holiday traffic, I finally made it to Natasha's. We went out to eat before attempting to trick-or-treat (despite the fact that we're a bit old for trick-or-treating). We got back and watched Rear Window, which we had rented earlier. By the time the movie was over, it was pretty late, so I ended up staying over there for the night.

The weekend went pretty quickly; it was uneventful, although I have mostly done the outline for my journal article. I'm hoping to finish it up sometime tomorrow. Although I was intimidated for much of the weekend, I finally was able to put my mind to the task and make enough progress on the project.

Long Time, No Write

On Friday night, I went to the house in Northridge to help Chrisse with the filming of her next student production. It went pretty quickly, even though there were quite a few people involved and I was a little bit tired.

I was supposed to see Brother Bear at the El Capitan with the twins, but my tire was flat, so I couldn't make it. I had to wait around for the tow truck to fit the temporary tire on my car, drive down to the closest gas station, and rent a car for the weekend while a new tire was ordered. I was disappointed, and I know that the twins were sad that I couldn't come, but I'm going to try and meet with them later on.

On Sunday, I drove to USC and helped Chrissie's friend Laura with her student mockumentary. It was fun, and there was naturally a lot of improv from the cast members.

As I'm a Moot Court Board member, I've been looking at participants' briefs for the upcoming entertainment law competition. I was assigned to look at the citation form, which isn't the most engaging thing; however, extracurricular assignments like this and journal subchecks are good for helping me develop a 'sixth sense' about Bluebook form, and that should help me in the future.

Too Tired For Titles

I think my medicine is doing its job, as my ears no longer feel clogged. The medicine is making my throat feel dry, but I can live with that until I'm better.

On Wednesday, I had a lunchtime NAALJ meeting as well as a cross examination exercise for trial practice. The cross examination was actually a bit of an unpleasant experience. The guy I was up against used the somewhat underhanded technique of avoiding all my major issues when he direct examination, and then raising an objection if I tried to follow any line of questioning that he hadn't covered. I did the best I could to recover the bits of information that I could, but I couldn't really discuss my main points or conduct a complete cross examination. I felt pretty shaken by the end. I don't think it'll affect my performance in the class, since I did what I could with an unusual situation, but it was still frustrating.

This afternoon, I had the on-campus interview. I think it went well, though you never can tell. I found out that the 'insurance firm' was actually more focused on aviation law (including legal issues relating to plane crashes), so I would get opportunities to travel if I did accept an offer from them.

I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening working on a subcheck for the journal, though I was interrupted by a fire drill.

Weekly Highlights

I had my Corporations midterm on Wednesday. The stakes were low, as it only counts toward a student's final grade if it helps them; one person even left five minutes into the exam. I felt fairly confident about the test, as the professor made sure to review subjects ard prepare us. I also had to give a direct examination for Trial Practice; I thought it went well, and was happier with it than I was with either my opening or closing argument.

Classes were cancelled on Friday because of a school conference, so I had the day off. Later that evening, I went with Chrissie and her roommate Jenny to dinner before meeting another group for a screening of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which, while not exactly my kind of movie, was well done for what it was.

Today, I learned that I have another on-campus interview, this time for an insurance law firm. The interview is on Thursday, so I have to be sure to prepare my writing sample and get ready for the interview itself.

The following is a semi-amusing excerpt from my Admin. Law reading:
"Hoctor dealt in exotic cats, including three lions, two tigers, and seven ligers (a liger is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger), six cougars, and two snow leopards (but no tigons)."

I don't think I've ever heard about 'ligers' before, and it sounds like something from a children's story, so I went ahead and did a little research.

Whatever

About a week ago, I got a note from one of the London Program heads saying that I hadn't paid the fees for a doctor's appointment. Naturally, I contacted them as soon as I could; I told the secretary that I remembered paying and that I would try to look for the receipt when I was at my parents' house. Anyway, I got this email today:

Dear Miss Weatherup,
Thank you so much for your e-mail of 9th October.

We have checked our records again and found (to our horror) that you did pay on the day (27th June 2003) with a Visa card.

Obviously the person who took your payment neglected to mark it as paid.

I am so sorry that we troubled you with this matter, and apologise for our mistake.

I'm just glad that things got sorted out without my having to search around for a receipt, and that the problem was their fault rather than mine.

Today's Corporations class was interesting. It was a 'stockholder meeting' that functioned more or less as a review session for the upcoming midterm and gave the hammier students an opportunity to act out a bit.

After class, I got a call from Chrissie. I helped her out by getting a CD she needed for her latest student film and was able to see a mostly completed version of that film as well.

Busy...

I've been a bit busy lately, so I haven't gotten around to updating. I've still got a lot to do tomorrow, and the next week will be pretty work-intensive.

My sleep habits have generally gotten better this week, and I'm hoping to keep it up. I think it's helpful to have the extra time in the mornings. Of course, it's difficult because I'm typically most productive late at night, but I should be able to figure other efficient ways to study.

On Wednesday, Chrissie came over to show me some footage from her latest student film project. However, she coudn't stay long, as I had a class shortly after she came.

Friday's Corporations class was more laid-back than usual, as it was largely review; the teacher even brought Krispy Kreme doughnuts to class. After class, I met with my "witness" for next Wednesday's Trial Practice class, where I'm conducting a direct examination. Later, I picked up Natasha and went to a "cast screening" of Chrissie's Murphy Colfax movie, which also included screenings of movies by Matt and Jeremy (aka 'Murphy').

In other news, I recently learned that I will be having a follow-up interview for the Riverside DA on November 7th! I still have to schedule the interview itself, keeping the (2+ hour) travel time in mind. Hopefully it will go well, since it seems like it would be a good experience with some interesting hands-on work; if I remember correctly, students even get to handle a misdemeanor trial over the course of the summer.

Since I Last Posted (Yes, I Am Original)

I discovered that I have many more case summaries to do than I originally thought; due to a communications error (the prof. was sending emails to my deserted school email address, which I didn't know to check), I hadn't received the last few batches. Naturally, I did a couple batches as soon as I could so that I could start to catch up.

I also have an idea for the piece I'll eventually be writing for the NAALJ journal, which I approached my professor with. I've done a little preliminary research, just to make sure that there was some case law on the subject, and it looks like there's enough to make an interesting paper. I'm probably going to write about art in the administrative law context, and the issues that come up with NEA grants. I think that there's an interesting conflict, since art is inherently subjective and would seem difficult to regulate, and the topic brings up some issues that are unusual in the administrative law context, mainly First Amendment rights. I have to turn my topic in on Monday, so hopefully it will be well-received.

I had to give an opening statement for Trial Practice on Wednesday. I don't feel that great about it, though I don't feel absolutely horrible. I think I had a few problems because the person I was 'representing' was fairly reprehensible, even without considering the allegations.

Sunday Night

On Saturday, I got to see Robin, one of my roommates from last year. We met in Santa Monica; I was running late, but she was also late, so nobody was really inconvenienced. We spent the next couple of hours reminiscing and looking through the photo album of my UK trip. I also met her new boyfriend, who came a little bit later than she did.

I was able to do some cleaning up around the house. While such things are never fun, it needed to be done, and it's nice to have things in order, at least for a while. I finally organized all of my school papers in a single envelope, and I was able to borrow the vacuum from the RA.

E-Moot-Ing

I've been having the same round of classes, but the tournament also took up some of my time. I was a 'floater' on Thursday, so I had to dress up and be ready to fill a position should the need arise, but the need never arose. At least I got a free meal for my efforts, and I needed to get out early anyway.

The final day of the tournament was today, which (not so) coincidentally is also Parents' Day. The two finalists did a good job, even though the judges were fairly tough on them. Afterwards, the board and the two finalists took photos with the judges, and I met up with my dad, who had watched the round (he was particularly interested in the competition because the 'case' dealt with issues he had written a Law Review article about).

This Is The Subject Line

Monday night was the first night of the Armand Arabian Tournament; as I'm a Moot Court Board member, I had to set up a room and oversee a couple of rounds. Basically, my partner and I escorted the judges to the room before each round, handed the sheet to the volunteer baliff, and sat through the two rounds. The partisipants in the first round were OK, but the second round seemed to go more smoothly. Of course, one of the round 2 participants was a somewhat annoying right-wing talk radio wannabe, but he was somewhat reined in by the cases and facts. Unfortunately, the timekeeper was "crush boy", so I wasn't really able to enjoy the round as much as I might have.

Today was more or less uneventful, but I did drive over to USC, where I saw a nearly finished version of Chrissie's short film. I think it turned out really well, and I hope Chrissie is happy with it!

Saturday Stuff

After turning in the last of my British Pounds at the bank, I decided to try and do some studying done in Santa Monica. However, I later found out that it was a bad day for me to try and do anything in Santa Monica; the place was a zoo, and I would have had trouble parking if I tried. Once I returned, I got a call from my sister, so I drove over to USC to lend support while she worked on editing her 290 film. She ended up setting the 'Tab montage' to this tune, which actually ended up fitting the footage rather well. After the editing room had closed, I went with Chrissie and her friend Laura to the Grove, where we had dinner and went to a screening of Dirty Pretty Things, which was directed by Stephen Frears and featured Audrey Tatou.

Aventuras en la Escuela

I got called on in Tuesday's Evidence course. Because of the work I had done Chrissie's film, I didn't have much time to read and was a bit underprepared despite having done some reading the previous night. I was able to make my way through, at least. I think it appeared more like I was nervous or shy than underprepared, which I suppose is one of the few benefits of being introverted. Afterwards, I had Admin. Law; as the professor was at a conference, the class was taught by a guest speaker. He spoke on the subject of education and the disabled rather than giving a lecture on the curriculum, which was a good change of pace. Later, I had a Moot Court Board meeting, during which some of the members' duties were laid out.

I didn't get much sleep last night, so I was pretty groggy for a large portion of the day. I survived this morning's Corporations class and a mandatory Westlaw training session before getting some coffee and going to a lecture session of my Trial Practice class.

The Tab Variations

Late this morning, I left the school to help Chrissie with her movie. After picking up Natasha, who I had recruited for the film, I drove over to the University Village near USC. A few scenes were filmed during the next few hours, including ones in which Natasha and I blocked Jeremy while moving along an endless line of clothing racks (we changed our outfits between shots). Later, we had a 'cast lunch' over at Subway.

Chrissie still had some shots to do, but she had come up with the idea of doing some sort of instrumental version of the 80's Tab jingle (the commercial is a major plot point) in the closing credits. As Natasha is musically talented, she offered to do one, so we drove over to my place, got a copy of the jingle and my computer's recording equipment, and left for her house. After some practice, she was able to put together an improvised jazzy version, which I gave to Chrissie.

And now I have lots of work to do...

Murphy Colfax Takes on the World

Here are some of the things I created for Chrissie's film.

It's too Late to Think of a Good Title

As I was up late helping Chrissie out on Thursday, I was rather tired on Friday morning. After my class, I took a long nap before going to a Bluebook review session. After the session, I headed over to USC, where Chrissie was shooting her film. She wanted to use my car; in the movie, the protagonist attempts to drive to the post office but the car won't start. Anyhow, I parked outside Chrissie's apartment building and 'offered moral support' as the shoot went on. I also helped out with one shot where the main character's shirt gets caught in the car door. After shooting was done for the day, Chrissie, Matt, Jeremy (the actor, who is also a professional film actor), and I saw the 'dailies', which included the car scenes and early sequences of the character eating chips on the couch. After Jeremy and Matt left, I stayed at Chrissie's apartment while she filmed various shots of the room, which was made disgustingly messy for the movie. Finally, we had some pizza and cake with Jenny, Chrissie's roommate, before I headed back to my room.

I spent most of today doing relatively little. However, things picked up after I got a call from Natasha. She invited me over to listen to a band that was playing at the Roxy theatre on Sunset (she knew the mother of the base player from her volunteer work). Though we weren't there for a long time (a little less than an hour), we both had an enjoyable time, and even got copies of the band's CD. Since we were both a little hungry afterwards, we went over to Jerry's Deli for a late dinner afterwards. I think we both had a pretty good time, and I'm glad that I got to go.

The Ballad of the Thrift Store Umbrella

Yesterday, I had to give my first closing statement for my Trial Practice class; I did alright, though I shouldn't have been as nervous as I was. If nothing else, I think I knew what I was talking about, and my argment was well-structured. I also got a few compliments on my new suit, which was nice.

I'm getting a little bit nervous about interviews. It seems like they're at the front of people's minds, and I worry that I don't have enough prospects at the present time. Hopefully, I'll be able to edit my resume to reflect my NAALJ and research assistant credentials this weekend.

This afternoon, I turned in my subcheck for the NAALJ journal; basically, I had to edit two to three pages in addition to checking the cited sources. Of course, the internet died as I was doing my last-minute checking, so I went from my room to the school computer lab. Naturally, the internet problem was campus-wide. At least it got back up, giving me just enough time to finish the subcheck. My internet access is still erratic, but at least it's better than it was earlier.

Later in the evening, my sister came over so that we could work on a few props and items for her next short film. These included several faux news articles and a book cover (the short is a comedy, which explains the absurdist title). It was fun to do some work in Photoshop, and I think that a lot of the articles came out pretty well. I'll have to wait and see how much detail appears in the finished film.

Anyway, I think it's time for bed.

Specs, Suits, and Stuff

On Monday, I met with the professor I'm working as a research assistant for, and he likes what I've been doing with my case summaries thus far, which is naturally a good thing. Other than that, not much happened aside from the usual routine.

After class today, I drove over to Santa Monica in order to get some backup glasses; that way, I'm not so dependent on contact lenses all the time. While waiting for the glasses to be ready, I got some 'law clothing' to wear on interviews and at jobs. I think I'm in good shape, but I'd still like to get a pair of loafers or other flat shoes. The only nice shoes I have at the moment are boots, which wouldn't always work. Finally, I had dinner over on the Promenade before returning to my room.

I've been able to tidy up my room today, which is something I've needed to do for a while. Though, for obvious reasons, I try to keep common areas tidy, it's easy enough to neglect my own room when I have other things on my mind. Hopefully, I'll be able to borrow the RA's vacuum in a few days.

I also learned that I have an interview with the Riverside DA on the 29th.

I have spent much of the evening testing out the new glasses. They're a tiny bit more awkward than my contacts, but my eyes don't get as dry with them on.

Me with my glasses on:

Weekend and Birthday Wishes

I've been too busy and lazy lately to update lately. This weekend has been fairly hectic, so I haven't gotten as much done as I'd like, but that's not really anything new.

On Friday, I went home where I saw Chrissie, Matt, and the twins (who wanted to come over and swim since they weren't able to go swimming on Labor Day). After hanging out there for a while, and getting a little bit of a sunburn despite my attempts to protect myself with suntan lotion, I went to USC to see the first official screening of Speed Deal, a 13 minute graduate student film which she worked as PA on. Once the screening was finished, we (me, Chrissie, and her friend Laura) stuck around for part of the afterparty before going back to her room to partake of the ice cream birthday cake I had gotten for Chrissie. Since I was pretty exhausted by this point, I left Chrissie and drove home.

Tonight, I went to Chrissie's birthday dinner (her birthday is actually on Monday) at C&O in Venice. The group mostly consisted of USC students; there were ten guests including me. I think everyone had a fun time, though we were seated outside and got a bit chilled by the frigid California weather.

Anyway, happy 20th, Chrissie!

Random News Tidbits:
Simon and Garfunkel Poised for Concert Tour - Yay!
The Justices' Night at the Opera - Three Supreme Court justices take bit roles in a DC production of Die Fledermaus

Martes, Mardi, Dienstag, Martedì...

It seems like last night was a fluke, for the neighbors are back to their obnoxious ways. At least I think I've gotten desensitized enough that I can do a decent amount of reading despite the noise.

Not much happened today. I had the usual round of Tuesday classes as well as a meeting for the NAALJ journal. During the meeting, we went over the subcheck assignment, in which we checked part of an 'article' for various errors and deviations from the proper Bluebook style. I would have liked more samples to guide me before trying my hand at a subcheck assignment, but the editors are placing copies of the sample subcheck in our boxes, so I'll be able to use that as a resource in the future.

Labor Day

This afternoon, I drove home to celebrate Labor Day with several family members (as well as Matt and Chrissie's roommate Jenny). Most of the time was spent following the twins around, but I was also able to see Matt's finished zombie movie, which both Chrissie and I appeared in, for the first time.

In other news, the neighbors were actually quiet tonight! I'm hoping that they got the message and that this isn't just a stroke of luck.

My Stint as an Actress

I got to Chrissie's at around 9:30 last night. After a little dawdling, we picked up Matt, went to dinner, and saw a midnight showing of American Splendor. We dropped Matt off, got the camera equipment from one of Chrissie's classmates, and went to sleep.

Chrissie wanted to start out with a few morning shots, so we got up early. Because I had spent the night, there wasn't a problem with me getting there on time; however, there were a few problems because it made it that much harder for Chrissie to get the bedroom set up for the early shots. Finally, we took the first series of shots, in which I got out of bed and got ready to leave.

We later drove over to pick up Matt before heading to our second location: Balboa Park. These scenes were more complicated, and consisted of me jogging around and Matt following me. Blocking it was a bit difficult, especially since Chrissie had to keep the light levels in mind, but eventually things fell into place. We finished at around 2:00, and went out to a late lunch afterwards.

This was Chrissie's first movie for her class, and she wasn't allowed to use any sound or editing. I think the film turned out pretty well, though, and she did everything in her power to make it work. Congratulations, Chrissie!

I also got a bit of a sunburn from the time I spent in the park...

Visiting Friends

I went to my 9:10 class this morning, but it had been canceled, so I didn't have any school today.

After working on case summaries, I drove home to pick up a few things. I headed back to my room for a brief period before I got back in my car to visit my friend Natasha. We first went to dinner in Westwood, where we swapped photos of our summer trips (she went to Northern California). Later, we went to a club to hear some music; Natasha knew the base player from the featured group.

We spent the rest of the time basically hanging out. We went downstairs to go skating, with her trying out brand new skates and me using a pair that was slightly big for her feet but the right size for me. I hadn't skated in a long time (and I've never used in-line skates before), but I had a fun time. Natasha even gave me the skates to keep, so I may be able to go skating once I can buy the safety equipment. We also did a few random things like drawing and singing, plus we were able to reminisce a little (we even got out a few old junior high yearbooks).

I Need Sleep

I woke up today feeling tired and a bit under the weather, but I was able to get through the day despite that. I did take a 20 minute afternoon nap, which helped me a little bit. I had my first NAALJ (Admin. Law Journal) meeting later that afternoon; basically, it was a way for new members to meet the staff and get copies of the schedule and subcheck assignments.

The neighbors are still being annoying; this is the third day that they've been up late talking, and it's clear that they're habitually having friends over as well. I haven't the faintest clue as to how these people get any studying done, since their door is almost always open and they are constantly entertaining other people. I hate to do this, but I think I'm going to have to go to the RA and complain. The constant noise is seriously making it difficult for me to concentrate on my reading, which means I don't really get much done until they've quieted down late in the evening. When I have morning classes every day of the week, it's just not healthy for me to get to bed late and operate on little sleep.

Sleepy

After my first class of the morning, I met with my professor to further discuss what I would be doing as research assistant. After the meeting, I turned in some papers to the student accounts center so that I could get paid (at the rate of $10/hr) for my work.

Later, I met Amanda for lunch at a Malibu restaurant, where I shared my trip photos and where we chatted about how things had been lately.

I didn't really get down to work until early in the evening; instead, I ended up killing time. I'm thinking that it might help if I started taking afternoon naps, since I find it easier to concentrate at night, and I'm not motivated or energetic in the afternoons. It could be more efficient, since it'll allow me to have more rest and have energy during times when I'm ready to make use of it.

I eventually did get down to reading, though my studying was interrupted by the fairly loud conversation of my neighbors. This is the second day in a row that I've noticed the noise, and I'm hoping that the problem goes away once they feel the pressure of classes; it worries me that this may become a semi-permanent problem. The noise isn't really noticeable in my bedroom, but I prefer to study in the living room, as there aren't as many distractions (i.e. my computer). And, while I could always go to the library, it's a bit of a hassle, and I've never found the library to be a good study space.

Wireless Woes

Since Wednesday, my wireless and ethernet connections have been pretty scattered, and getting on the internet has become pretty tricky except when I'm using the library computers. And, since I generally don't use school computers unless I'm studying or checking email, I haven't been able to update much.

Things have been okay, though I am looking forward to the weekend and catching up on my sleep. Roommate #3 moved in Wednesday afternoon, and roommate #2 is moving to another part of campus so she can be with other students in the dispute resolution program. I've also had a few annoying surprises which have frustrated me a bit.

The internet thing has naturally been bothering me. I've done my best to fix the problem; I spent part of last night running a virus program (the Blaster virus has hit the campus). I also went down to the undergraduate campus to see what the problem was, but the internet connections are fine over there. I've finally been able to find a few classrooms where the connection is decent, so I can use my laptop there if a class isn't being held. Still, it's inconvenient when I'm used to having the internet in my room, and I hope that the problem is dealt with soon.

Classes Begin

Well, today is the first day of classes. I was able to wake up early and drive down for some coffee before my first class of the day, at 9:10. Immediately before the class, I added the Admin. Law journal and dropped another class so that I could add it. I briefly considered adding a 2 unit course (which would bring me up to a grand total of 16 units), but the course I liked had an exam time that conflicted with another course, and I already have a full plate, especially if I'm going to pursue legal work outside of class and the journal. I have a meeting for the journal at 4:30, but until then I'm free to do what I'd like. I'm hoping to clean up and get some reading done, though I will probably go at a more relaxed pace so I don't burn myself out early on.

Here is my schedule. The journal hasn't decided on a permanent meeting time, but I'm hoping for something other than a Monday or Friday.
Monday
9:10-10:10 - Corporations
Tuesday
8:00-9:30 - Evidence
10:20-11:50 - Admin. Law
Wednesday
9:10-10:10 - Corporations
1:30-4:30 - Trial Practice
Thursday
8:00-9:30 - Evidence
10:20-11:50 - Admin. Law
Friday
9:10-10:10 - Corporations

Moving In

At the moment, I am killing time while waiting for my laundry.

Classes start tomorrow, so I had to finish moving in today. I started out by going to the Coffee Bean with Chrissie, quickly going with her to her apartment, and getting some last-minute supplies at Office Depot.

I did most of my packing after lunch. After a few hours, I got everything put away and drove off to my apartment. When I finally got there, my key wasn't working, so I had to walk down the hill and up another hill (this campus is annoyingly pedestrian-unfriendly) to the housing center, where they 'fixed' my key. By the time I had trudged my way up the hill, my dad had come over to help me, and had already moved some of my stuff inside. However, my key still wasn't working, so I had to go back, this time in dad's car. The key problem was finally solved, but I was already pretty upset; moving tends to stress me out a little, and problems like that can become a focal point for that stress.

I also found one of my roommates' rooms empty; apparently she decided to live off campus instead, so her room will now go to someone on the wait list. Being somewhat stressed out and emotional from moving, I took it a little personally at first, though I didn't really see her for long enough to make a strong impression anyway. Later, I met with new roommate #2, who seemed friendly, and with my old roommate, who is also living with me this year.

There is still a lot of junk on the ground, since I haven't had the time and energy to put everything in order yet. I spent most of my time on the computer or watching TV (Turner Classic Movies had a Gene Kelly spotlight). I eventually did my grocery shopping for the next week or so, and also started on the aforementioned laundry.

Fiesta Time

Well, I just learned that I am on the administrative law journal, which is a relief, though I will have to make some last-minute adjustments to my schedule.

Today, my family hosted a large family get-together at the house. Most of the morning was spent doing last minute-organization: buying decorations, cleaning tables, pumping up pool toys and floats (which gave me blisters), and basically making sure that everything was in order. People gradually came in after noon, and the party eventually grew to around 20 people.

While I passed my vacation photos around for the rest of the family at the beginning of the party, I spent most of my time with Chrissie, her friend Jordana, and the twins. After lunch (consisting of barbecued burgers and homemade ice cream), I played with the twins and relaxed in the pool.

I will have to move in tomorrow, since classes begin on Monday. I just hope I have time to do everything I need to do, or at least enough so that I can survive for a week before getting everything in order.

[Too Tired to Think Up a Proper Title]

This morning, I had my annual eye appointment. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but these visits always take a long time; I was there for about two hours.

After leaving the eye doctor, I went over to my grandparents' house. My cousins were visiting (along with my aunt), and my sister and I played with them for a while. My sister had to leave for coaching, but I stuck around. It was good to see my cousins again, especially since it's been months since I last saw them. We played several games, particularly hide-and-seek and a bit of roleplay where they were "Chrissie" and "Jenny" (Thomas tried to claim my photo album since it was "Jenny's", and both of them pretended to leave for England). It was fun, if a little exhausting, and I think the twins had a good time.

After they left, I stayed with my grandparents for the rest of the day. Once the twins had left and things were quieter, I was able to share my photos from the trip with them. Later, we went to dinner and relaxed around the house a bit before I headed back home.

Una Libra Del Pavo

I started out my day by going dress shopping with Chrissie in Santa Monica. Although we looked in several stores, we didn't really find anything that we liked. In any case, we had a fun time.

After I left Chrissie, I went over to the El Cholo in Santa Monica, where I met up with Reena, who I've only seen once since I graduated from Marlborough back in 1998. We were able to catch up over lunch; I showed her my vacation photos, and she talked about New York and Juilliard. After lunch, we walked over to a local movie theater and got our tickets for Whale Rider. Since the movie wasn't starting for a while, we went to the nearby Coffee Bean and hung out there in the meantime. After chatting a bit, we walked back to the theater and saw the movie; it was a good movie, and I thought the girl playing the lead character did especially well. Once we got out of the movie, we spent some time on the Third Street Promenade (and went to yet another Coffee Bean) before going our separate ways.

Anyway, it was good to see Reena, and I hope that she had a good time as well!

I Haiku, Do You?

I got an email from the professor; at this point he is choosing between me and one other person for the research assistant position, so I'll have to keep my fingers crossed.

I couldn't resist playing with the Livejournal haiku generator that has been going around. Since it's been using text from my UK trip, there have been a few pretty neat ones. Here's my favorite so far:
crowds can get pretty
big i had gatsby to keep
up any sort of broad

Moving

Though I got a late start, I finally loaded up my car and drove over to my dorm room. I've unpacked a few of my larger things and gotten my laptop all set up (obviously). I've still got a few things to get out of the car, but I'll soon be ready to drive back home.

There's still a lot to clear out of my room between now and Sunday, but at least I've gotten the bulkiest things taken care of. It'll also be nice to have the extra space in my room; since I haven't been living at home for a long enough time to bother organizing, all my stuff from school has been taking up space on my floor and making it impossible for me to walk around.

The heat has tired me out, and I'm having trouble motivating myself to finish unloading and drive back. Hopefully it won't be too long before I'm ready to go.

Back to School

I've been around Pepperdine doing a lot of 'chores' this afternoon.

I drove over to Malibu and had something to eat (if Jack in the Box and a mocha can be considered 'food') before going over to the campus. First, I met with a professor who I might be a research assistant for; I think I have a halfway decent shot, especially since it was his previous assistant who pointed me in that direction. He also gave my name to the Administrative Law journal, which is very good since I have wanted to be on a journal but didn't get the time to enter the write-on competition while I was in London.

While I was at the school, I got my parking permit, books, and room key. I dropped my books off in my room (which is, incidentally, the same one I had last year), wrote a note for my roommates, and left. I should be able to move a few things in tomorrow, and I'm hoping to be completely ready to go before school starts on Monday. Of course, these things often take longer than expected...

My Weekend and Another Interview

I've now got less than a week before school starts up. I'm not dreading it too much; it's been fairly dull out here and it will be nice for me to start doing a few more constructive things. Plus, I think it's difficult to adjust to living at home during times when I'm not at school, since I and other family members have grown used to having our own space. It sort of reawakens the old 'high school' dynamic, which is naturally a bit odd.

I didn't do much on Friday, though I finally took myself to see Bend it Like Beckham in the evening. I had been wanting to see it for a while, and it was a fun, uplifting movie. The next day, I went on a family outing to LACMA, where we went through the Modigliani and Pushkin Museum exhibitions. On Sunday, my dad took me (my sister was busy coaching and couldn't join us) to a "50's return" fundraiser concert at the local church. A few groups from the 50's, including the Coasters, the Shirelles, and the Drifters, performed, along with the final surprise guest, "Elvis" (though personally I think it's kind of cheesy to have an Elvis impersonator share the stage with 'authentic' 50's performers).

Today, I picked up the last of my London packages from the post office before spending some of the afternoon in Santa Monica. I mostly browsed, though I was able to get an oil paint set at a discounted price of $20 (the outside of the box was a bit damaged, but the paints and brushes weren't, and that's what matters) and buy a few DVDs using a gift card I got for my birthday. I've also started reading Tom Jones.

An Interview from Reena

Interview courtesy of Reena:
1. If you were a professional cartoonist for a newspaper, what would your weekly strip be about?
If I wanted to do something right now, I'd probably do something vaguely autobiographical, since it's best to 'write what you know' and there aren't many comics about girls or women that aren't centered around the stereotypical boys, clothing, and diet themes. Of course, while I could use myself, I'd probably have to invent or combine the other characters so I could have enough flexibility without annoying real-life friends. I think the title 'Penny, the Graduate Student who Lives in Los Angeles Whilst Driving a Broken Down Car' is catchy, don't you?

Whatever

My plans for tonight fell through, so I've been feeling a bit restless for most of the day.

Yesterday, I went with Chrissie and a friend of hers to lunch and a screening of the Freaky Friday remake. After getting some coffee late that morning, we drove to the house where she would be coaching. Unfortunately, my cold was still lingering a little and there was an infant in the house, so I had to wait in the car for an hour to prevent her from catching it. It wasn't too bad, since I had Gatsby to keep me entertained. After she had finished, we drove over to Westwood and met the friend for a speedy lunch before watching the movie. The movie was pretty good (especially considering what it was), and Jamie Lee Curtis seemed to have fun in her role. Once the movie was over, we chatted in the parking lot before Chrissie and I went home.

Today has been fairly uninteresting, though I did drive around with Chrissie for lunch and coffee. I'm just hoping things will pick up next week, or at least once school starts on the 18th.

Interview etc.

An interview from Allison:
1) If you had to choose between your own death and the death of a very close friend/family member, which would you choose?
I think it would depend on who the close friend/family member was; I'd have to weigh the missed opportunities and losses on either side. If it were 50/50, I'd probably choose to live.

2) What's your favorite color?
I tend to like blues and aquas a lot, though I'm also fond of greens, and I'm starting to like dark reds as well. I usually prefer the cool colors.

3) If there was one song you had to listen to all your life, what would it be?
I'd probably choose something classical, since modern songs are shorter and more repetitive. I think II would go with either Mozart's 'Jupiter' Symphony or Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto no. 1 in B flat minor (see this entry for details).

4) Don't you wish you were at Allison's house right now?
Doesn't everyone?

5) Is there anything that you've done that you would go back in time to erase? (If it's that bad, saying what it is should be optional, so it is)
I would go back and try to improve my organizational skills (though I think laziness would still get in the way, so I don't know if that would change much). I don't have anything in particular that I can think to erase, though I'm sure there's something that I would like to change.

Extra Time

After my harrowing day at the airport, I went back to London and got accommodations.

Tuesday was pretty relaxed, since I was relatively content with what I had already seen in London. I started out by going to the Sherlock Holmes museum, which didn't have that much to look at but was fun nonetheless. Later, I walked through Regent's Park and to the London Zoo; I walked through the zoo for a while. I then headed closer to the center of London, and looked through the Courtauld Institute, home to a small but interesting collection (including Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergere). I finally headed over to the Picadilly area for dinner and a showing of the Reduced Shakespeare Company's Complete History of America, which I had gotten cheap and good student rush tickets for earlier that day.

Grr

Thanks to British Airways, I am still in London. I will try to make the best of it, but I am incredibly frustrated right now.

Last Day

Well, today was my last full day in England.

I started my morning by going to Madame Tussaud's, which was incredibly packed; one could barely maneuver around and get a decent look at the wax figures. I wasn't expecting much from the exhibit, but I was surprised that the staff allowed visitors to be packed in like that. After looking at the figures, some of which were more realistic than others, and pushing my way through, I took the tube over to Green Park. I walked past Buckingham Palace and towards Apsley House, the Duke of Wellington's residence. With my audioguide in hand, I walked through the rooms in the house, past the many works collected by the Duke, including a colossal fig-leafed statue of Napoleon.

I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping, and looked at tiny stands as well as London establishments such as Hamley's (the London equivalent of Toys 'R' Us) and Fortnum and Mason (which specializes in gourmet foods). After getting back to my room, I relaxed in my room, though I went out for a last dinner at a favorite restaurant.

Anyway, I should get packing. Goodnight!

Drawing to a Close

On Thursday, Tiffany returned from Denmark and Sweden for a day in London before flying back to the US. I knew that she wouldn't arrive until early afternoon, so I went to the Leicester Square area for theatre tickets before going back to the student housing. After we met up, we went to the school to check email and pick up her laptop (which I had offered to store in my locker while she was traveling). Unfortunately, my key wasn't working, but someone was able to let us in; since they couldn't fix the key, I just turned in my building and locker keys and took my laptop to my room (which means I have no wireless connection... though I have gotten net access in my room). With that sorted out, we went to the National Gallery, where I got to take a look at many of the paintings I missed, the bulk of which came from the 18th century (these included Hogarth's Marriage a la Mode series and a couple of Chardins which gave me a new appreciation for the artist [I've seen photocopies, but they didn't do justice to the originals]). After dinner in Leicester Square, we went to a Sainsbury's supermarket and got some cake and other treats for a 'belated birthday party', which was celebrated across the river from Big Ben.

The Complete Journal Entry (abridged)

I am back. For the curious, I went to a performance of the Reduced Shakespeare Company's Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).

I learned that, while it is possible to get from Exhibition Road to Picadilly Circus in twenty minutes, it is not a good idea for those of us who are not cross-training. Though I was nervous about not being able to make it, I was there just in time to get my seat. I've seen the play before (in Philadelphia), but it was good to see the London version, and 'reduced Shakespeare' is always good for laughs. After the production, I headed back to my 'neighborhood' and had dinner at a favorite restaurant.

So, well, that's it.

London Continued

I had a rude awakening this morning when the fire alarm went off at around 5:00. Semi-conscious, I stumbled down eight stories and out of the building; in a few minutes, the fire department had checked out the building and I was able to stumble back up and go to sleep. Unsurprisingly, I ended up sleeping in a little past my alarm because of this.

Despite the later than expected start, I was able to get a good deal done. I first went over to the Tate Gallery and looked at the many British pieces there. Naturally, it was an interesting collection, particularly for fans of British artists and schools like the Pre-Raphaelites, Turner, Blake, Aubrey Beardsley, and Hogarth.

Dia de los Museos

I started the morning by going to the Science Museum, but was over an hour too early, so I spent the time getting tickets to the opening night of the Proms (a London concert series) at Royal Albert Hall and hanging out in the (now mostly empty) school building. Finally, the museum opened, and I went through the temporary Titanic exhibit, which had several recent artifacts.

After leaving the museum, I went across the street to the Victoria and Albert Museum, where I looked around the permanent collection and had lunch before going to the Art Deco exhibition. The exhibition itself was interesting, especially since I'm interested in that particular style, but it was very crowded.

I walked back to my room and tried to regain my energy (the heat and humidity left me a bit exhausted) before going to the National Gallery, where I saw the "Private Passion" exhibition (with works from Harvard's Winthrop collection, encompassing 19th century works including many drawings and paintings by Ingres and Moreau's 'Salome,' which I found quite striking) and parts of the regular collection that I had glossed over before. I'd still like to go back to the museum, though.

After the museum closed, I had dinner near Leicester square before going to a performance of Hitchcock Blonde, a new play. I'm sort of mixed about the play itself; though the Hitchcock performance was very good and the play started well, it was a bit overwrought and, well, all too obviously written by a man. But, in any case, it's good to see new plays rather than just restrict oneself to 'museum pieces.'

More London Sightseeing

I got a fairly early start today, and headed over to the London Eye so I could beat the sometimes long lines. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the London Eye is a ferris wheel/observatory that takes visitors to the top in several capsules; it's also a recent landmark, as it was originally built (by corporate sponsor British Airways) to celebrate the millennium. Anyway, I got on pretty quickly and spent my time there running around the capsule, looking at the stunning city views, and taking plenty of snapshots.

After getting off, I went over to Westminster Abbey, where I looked at the church's many monuments. I particularly liked Poet's Corner (naturally) and the monument to Newton, which unsurprisingly had the tombs of other important scientists in the vicinity. I took a lunch break and headed across town, where I stopped by the British Library. Another new structure (from 1998), it has important manuscripts that were originally from the British Museum's collection, including the Lindisfarne Gospels (the subject of a special exhibition), Magna Carta, writings by Jane Austen, the original Alice in Wonderland, and music sheets from Handel, Mozart, Gilbert and Sullivan, and the Beatles.

I briefly went back to my room to drop off some stuff before going to Leicester Square to see Phantom of the Opera. Though I was familiar with some of the music, I hadn't seen it before. It was a good production, even if I had to crane my head around so my view wasn't blocked by the guy in fromt of me (which wasn't too bad, since I was in an aisle seat).

Anyway, I ought to get to bed if I want to be ready for tomorrow. Goodnight!

Yorkshire, Sussex, and More

Well, here are the details of the past week.

York
On Monday (the 7th), I took a morning train to York. After dropping off my backpack at the Bed and Breakfast, I went out to see the sights. I first visited the Castle Museum, which is more or less a 'museum of everyday life' with household objects, outfits, tools, furniture, and the like. It also had two reconstructions of market streets (one Victorian and the other Edwardian), complete with shops you could walk into. I then headed over to York Minster, the largest cathedral in northern Europe. After ambling through the main sections of the building, I went down into the undercroft, which showcased the remains of the Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norman buildings that existed before the cathedral. Finally, I was able to climb the 275 steps to the very top of the cathedral, which was pretty exhilarating. After getting back down to Earth, I left York Minster and went to the nearby Yorkshire museum, which had several artifacts from the city's Roman, Viking, Anglo-Saxon and Medieval history. At this point, my back was starting to hurt, so I headed back to the Bed and Breakfast, taking a route along the city wall. I relaxed and watched TV before going back for a 'ghost hunt' walking tour, which, while kind of hokey, was entertaining. I came back to my room and was so exhausted that I immediately conked out.

Happy Birthday to Me

I am now officially 23 years old.

In other news, I got back from Yorkshire today. I will give all the details later, but right now I need to leave my computer so I can go to the theatre.

Write-On

Not much has happened since I last wrote; I've basically been working on/procrastinating my law review 'write on' since I got settled in. I was able to call home for the fourth, and made the rounds speaking with family members (including my 3-year-old cousins, who implored me to come home). Other than that, I haven't done much of interest besides struggle with myself in an attempt to get this project done (which is especially hard when I am inclined to relax after exams and I know it's 'optional' in the back of my mind).

Today, I've holed myself up in the classrooms in an attempt to get the work done. I've pretty much taken over the rooms (even spreading out my wet laundry in the small classroom, as the dryer at the housing complex wasn't working), and fortunately haven't been disturbed by any of the undergrads here. I'm going to place my wireless card in my locker once I've finished with this entry so I can finish; hopefully, with the help of a liberal supply of coffee, I will be able to complete the paper and subcheck.

Tomorrow morning I leave for York, so I have a trip to reward me after this thing is over and done with.

Update: It's now about 3:15, and I'm about 1,200 words into the Case Note part of it (which has a limit of 3,300 words), but it's becoming increasingly apparent that I can't realistically get this and the subcheck finished in time, at least not if I want to do a decent job and get the footnotes right. If I had an extra day or two, I could pull it off, but I know I won't be able to mail it tomorrow (I need a July 7 postmark), even if I decided to forego the York trip. I guess I just had too much on my plate, and it was unrealistic for me to try and do an assignment 'designed to take no more than 2 weeks' in 3 days. I suppose I can always wait for next year, and even the attempt was a valuable experience. In any case, it's probably better for me to get a couple hours' worth of sleep before my early morning taxi than get no sleep in a vain attempt to finish this.

Free at Last

Well, exams are over, which, as always, is a relief. After my last exam (on Wednesday), I went over to the National Gallery with a couple of friends. After a quick look through the gallery (I will have to go back for more), we had dinner at Wagamama, a London noodle bar.

Today, I moved my stuff out of the student housing and into a different housing facility before going over to Leicester square with Tiffany. We had something to eat before heading back. I am currently at the school (I don't have to give up my key to the building or my locker yet), so I'll be able to come back here if I need to print something out or use the internet. Hopefully, I'll be too busy exploring to spend much of my remaining time here on the computer.

By the way, I'd like to wish everyone an early happy Fourth of July!

One Day Until Exams

Katharine Hepburn (Bryn Mawr, '28) died today. Even if it's not totally unexpected, it's sad to hear that one of Hollywood's greatest and most spirited actresses is gone.

In happier news, I have been feeling better and have almost completely gotten over my cold, which means I have that much more energy to study (oh joy!). I've got to consolidate and print my notes, which is a lot easier when I had my computer and printer in my room (right now, I keep my computer in a locker at school). I'm just glad that I've set some time aside to travel and explore after exams, because there's a lot of London that I have yet to see.

Almost Over

I ought to get back to my room, so I'll keep this quick.

This was my last week of classes; exams begin (naturally) next week, and I'll be moving out of my current housing on the 3rd. It really went quickly, especially in comparison to my fall and spring semesters.

I started getting a little sick on Monday, so I tried to get a little more rest than usual. On Monday, we had our last Music Copyright class, and the teacher singled me out in her 'summing up' speech, which was flattering though naturally a bit embarrassing. The last real Environmental Law class was on Tuesday (there was a 'field trip' to the International Maritime Organization on Thursday). Tuesday was also the day we took the class photos; naturally, I was in the front, despite having worn my uncomfortably high shoes.

Though there were technically no classes on Wednesday, the school organized a tea at the posh Milestone Hotel. However, I had to sign up for fall classes (luckily, I had an early slot and was able to get what I wanted) and was consequently a little late for the tea. After tea, I headed back to my room to relax a bit before going through the Victoria and Albert museum and watching Big Ben at dusk.

I had thought I'd seen the worst of my cold by Wednesday, but I woke up on Thursday in an awful state, and was hardly able to speak above a whisper. Needless to say, I sat out the IMO trip (I heard that I didn't miss much), but ended up going to my last Film Copyright class, though I left before the second half, since it was just review.

I'm feeling a bit better today, and was able to go to a local doctor, where I was given extra medicines. Hopefully, I'll be feeling well enough to do some serious studying on Saturday.

Faith and Begorrah or Something Like That

I've been busy this weekend, as I was able to get cheap tickets to Dublin a couple of weeks back. However, while the tickets were relatively easy to get, the hotel rooms were a bigger problem. Unbeknownst to me, Dublin was hosting the Special Olympics during the very weekend that I was to arrive; I only discovered that fact out after some maddening efforts to find rooms for my stay. Though it took a long time to find accommodations (giving me nightmares about arriving in a foreign city without a place to stay), I lucked out in the end and was able to book rooms, though I was staying in a different room for each night (because the first hotel that came through only had a room on Saturday, and I thought it would be easier to get another room on Friday than one for both nights). Both places were centrally located and fairly nice (though I liked the Saturday hotel better), but I was mostly glad that I found something.

Bath and Beyond

I've been busy since I last wrote. On Wednesday, I was able to go to the theatre, and saw Brand (featuring Ralph Fiennes). On Friday, I went on a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath; my friend and I ended up staying the night in Bath so we could see more of the city than the short bus tour allowed. Stonehenge was interesting, though for some reason it looked smaller than I imagined it. I think the underlying facts and logistics about how the monument was made, rather than just the monument itself, are what really make the site interesting.

Bath was also interesting to visit; I loved the Georgian buildings, and there were some interesting museums there. First, we went to the Roman baths, built by ancient Roman (no, really?) colonists on the site of the hot springs there. It was interesting to walk through the remains and see how Roman baths would be situated. After the museum, we went and tried some of the 'curative' spring water, which wasn't as bad as I had feared (though it's not something you'd want to drink often). In the evening, we went on a free Bath walk before getting a bite to eat and going to bed.

The next day, we went to the assembly rooms (where the upper classes in Bath used to get together... think Jane Austen) and the costume museum which was directly below it. Once we had finished with the museums, we had just enough time to walk down the river Avon (one of many 'Avons' in Britain, as Avon is just another word for river) and have lunch before getting on the tour bus (we had arranged to meet with the group for the next day's tour). After getting back, we headed over to Leicester square for dinner before doing some work at the school.

On Sunday (a.k.a. Father's Day), I visited some family (my mom's cousin, along with her husband and one of my second cousins) in Luton, which is about 30 minutes to the north of London. It was a warm day, so we were able to sit in the garden and chat for most of the afternoon, though we did go on a short drive through Woburn as well.

Hello Again

Not much has happened since I last wrote. Happily, I was able to go to the British Museum on Sunday; while I (predictably) didn't get to see the whole thing, I did get a look at the Greek, Near Eastern, and Egyptian sections, as well as parts of the Asian and African sections. A couple of the rooms were closed, but at least I did get to see the Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone.

Other than that, I've been busy with school (I'm taking classes in International Environmental Law and International Entertainment Law (Film and Music sections). The reading isn't as bad as it could be, but it is compressed (60 pages per night for the environmental class), and my last class ends late (9:30 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays), making it hard to put a workable study schedule together.

In other news, I think I'm recovering from my cold, so I should be feeling better in a few days.

European Trip III

Scotland Trip

Day 7 - May 20th
After getting up and having breakfast (I had ordered a more generic meal, but did end up trying the haggis that Tiffany had ordered - it really wasn't too bad), we went on a 'hop on, hop off' bus tour through Edinburgh, stopping to see Edinburgh castle on the way. The castle itself had a few displays, including a war museum and the Scottish crown jewels (which were not destroyed during the Cromwell period and are thus older than England's). After taking a break at our bed and breakfast, we headed over to Old Town for a 'literary pub crawl', which consisted of a tour by two actors who argued over the highbrow/lowbrow origins of Scottish literature. Technically, we shouldn't have been able to go, but the private school group didn't mind us (and two other Californians) tagging along. Afterwards, we got some pizza and borrowed the B&B's copy of Jurassic Park before going to bed.

European Trip II

Hello again! As I promised, here's the (not so) long-awaited update:

Paris Trip

Day 3 - May 16th
In the morning, we had breakfast at Angelina's, which is near the Tuileries gardens. Their specialty was very rich hot chocolate (it tastes like a liquid chocolate bar), and I had their hot chocolate plus a chocolate croissant. After eating, Tiffany and I headed over to the Louvre. We started on the paintings, since that was what we were most interested in (so we wanted to save our energy). We also saw some Egyptian and Greek sculptures. Unfortunately, they had closed the Etruscan and Italian sculpture wings (they have to close portions of the museum each day because they lack the resources to keep the whole thing open), so I didn't get to see Michelangelo's Slaves. However, I did get to see most of what I wanted, from the big-ticket works to ones that were of more personal interest (particular paintings and artists I had studied). After a lunch break, we went back and saw the special Leonardo daVinci exhibit, which was interesting (particularly since I'm something of a daVinci fan). After going back to the room, I was drained enough by walking through the Louvre and from the remaining jet lag that I ended up taking a two hour nap. Once I woke up, we headed over to a local restaurant (Cafe Hugo) before attempting to go on a night bus tour (we were given the wrong time). After having desserts at a nearby restaurant on the Seine, we decided to walk back to the hotel (from the Louvre/Tuileries area to Marais), seeing the Hotel de Ville on the way back.

Cheerio from London

No, I did not drop off the face of the Earth. Don't expect to hear from me much, though... I don't have net access in my room, so I can only write from the school or an internet cafe. I've been coping with net withdrawl pretty well, but, naturally, it's not too hard when you're busy visiting sights.

Day 1 - May 13th/14th
I went over to help Chrissie move out before going to the airport. Unfortunately, there were long delays and the flight didn't depart until around 10:00 (rather than the original time of 5:40). I was able to get some sleep before the plane's arrival on the afternoon of the 14th. Unfortunately, because of the delay, our storage place had closed before Tiffany and I could get there, so we took the tube (lugging our heavy suitcases and bags along the way) to Victoria Station and went to store things at the station. Unfortunately, it was incredibly expensive (£5 per item per day, with 4 items and 10 days), so we took the suitcases to the hotel we were staying at. Luckily, the owner of the hotel let us store our stuff there for a fraction of the cost even though there wasn't a huge amount of space. With that stress out of our minds, we went out for fish and chips and got to bed...

Day 2 - May 15th
...though we didn't get much sleep. We had to take a 1:00 bus to get to the Luton airport for a 6:00 AM flight to Paris (which was cheap and sounded like a good idea when we weren't actually there). We got to out hotel early, and went to a local cafe for coffee and a cheese platter before officially checking in. This also gave us a chance to do some planning. After checking in, we went to the Orsay museum, and saw the 19th century paintings and sculptures there. I hadn't been to the museum before, so I really enjoyed viewing some familiar works firsthand). We later went back and had dinner at a Chinese restaurant in our area (the Marais district, which is centrally located without being too touristy).

To be continued...

It's Over

This is my last post from my room; I'm almost completely packed up and am going to leave in a few minutes.

I had my last exam (Property) on Friday. After relaxing in my room a bit, I went over to the Malibu Inn, where there was an end-of-the-year celebration. However, since I was late, not many people were there and I left. I tried to watch <i>Vertigo</I>, but the DVD was so scratched up that I couldn't even watch the credits. I turned my rentals in and got an extra credit for another rental because of the <i>Vertigo</I> problem. I spent the rest of the evening on cleanup duty; each of us in the suite had to do a set of tasks to tidy up the apartment before leaving. I spent most of my time mopping up the floors, which took a lot of effort to even do decently.

Though the apartments are open until Sunday, just about everyone left today. I woke up late (because I was up late cleaning) and did some laundry before calling mom to help me take things back. After she left, I took a bit of a break and then continued to get my stuff together.

It's always a bit weird to clear one's dorm room. I think I'm still a bit in denial that the year has ended. However, I have enough to look forward to this summer that leaving the law school isn't too upsetting.

Lazy Sundays

A year ago I was relaxing on Merion Green, getting sunburned in my white May Day dress while snacking on funnel cake and ice cream. Now, I've been away for Bryn Mawr for nearly a year, and, instead of celebrating, I'm somewhat unsuccessfully trying to focus my thoughts on the vagaries of Civil Procedure. It's very difficult to study at home sometimes, since it's too easy to give into the temptation to check my email once more, flip through a book that's lying around, or do some artwork. I'm going to head over to the coffee shop in a minute; hopefully it won't be too crowded and I'll be able to study.

The Countdown Begins

I did a little bit of work today. I was able to print out copies of my notes for the remaining classes; in the process, I discovered that the school's library has a quota on printouts (which I had exceeded), so I had to go home to finish the job. I later tried to do some studying in a coffeeshop, but it was too crowded for me to make too much progress.

I was also able to do some work on a project.

Well, it's little more than a week before I blow this popsicle stand (or something). I'm still a bit in denial, but of course I am looking forward to the trip and will do my best to keep notes.

Yet Again

I had my Criminal Procedure exam today; I felt pretty good about it, but it's one of the classes I felt more confident about this semester, so that's not a surprise. Again, I don't want to hazard a guess, so I'll have to wait and see.

I went down to Santa Monica to get a few things and to relax a little bit. As I got onto the Pacific Coast Highway, my car stalled yet again. Fortunately, I was in the far right lane this time, and I didn't get hurt, though I did have to deal with the embarrassment of having a fleet of cars going around me, plus I had some trouble getting started again (since I was stuck behind another car and had to wait until someone was nice enough to let me through). Once I got back, I called up the guy from the dealership, who said that he could tweak things around a little bit to improve the car, but he really couldn't do much without taking the costly step of replacing the carburetor. I may go out for the repairs before I leave, but I'll have to mostly stay in the area until I finish exams. It's unfortunate, but there's not much I can do, at least in the next week or so.

When I got back, I took it easy, watching Crimes and Misdemeanors and more or less tried to relax. Hopefully I'll be able to focus on work tomorrow, as my two most feared exams (Civ. Pro. and Property) are coming up next week.

Thor's Day

It's time to get out the freedom fries/toast and American flags, for today is Loyalty Day!

Anyway, I went down to USC to see Chrissie's scene, but the actors got caught in traffic and she had to reschedule with the teacher (he's been pretty strict with other students who've had problems, so she was relieved that he was willing to reschedule rather than give her a 0). I went back without seeing it, since I needed time back here to study. And now, surprise surprise, I'm back here.

Tomorrow is my Criminal Procedure exam; I'm not too worried about it since I feel comfortable with the basic concepts, but I've still got some studying to do.

Curiouser and Curiouser

I took the car down to the dealership, but not much could be done unless I wanted to spend a ton of money replacing the carburetor; he replaced some fluids and took the car out for a drive, but nothing else could be done.

I was able to take a bit of a rest after the exam, looking up London-related things. I found the location of the school (only a few blocks away from Royal Albert Hall and the Victoria and Albert Museum) and my future living space (about a 15 minute walk to the school). It's interesting just to look at the map and figure out how everything fits together.

On the random side, I came across this page about a tacky 80's TV adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Does anyone else remember this? I know that I had a tape of the movie as a kid, but I only vaguely remember bits and pieces of it. It's somewhat weird to see scenes from something like this after all this time.

Down To Work

It's been 'fun' getting all worked up about my car situation, but I have to buckle down and do some heavy studying for a while. I'm going to print out all my notes in a minute. Hopefully, I'll also be able to attend a review session, get a practice exam or two off of TWEN, and ingrain the concepts in my head by listening to the lecture recordings I've been making this semester.

One last bit of car news: I will probably be able to take the car in again tomorrow (it's under warranty), so hopefully I won't have to face any more fun PCH stalling.

I Should Be In Bed By Now

I got my car back; they were able to repair the brakes and help solve the stalling problem, so the car is in better shape, even if it's still rusty and isn't fuel efficient. I also did some more studying, though it's annoying that I can't force myself to really get to work until it's late.

Over the past week or so, we've been looking into hotel bookings for the first week, and things are pretty much set.
Cherry Court Hotel - For the first day in London (the student houding won't be open until later); it's fairly close to the airport, so it'll be easier to make the early morning flight to Paris
Hôtel Sévigné - A Parisian hotel located in the Marais district
Priestville Guest House - A very cute-looking bed and breakfast in Edinburgh

Long Time No Write

It's been a while, hasn't it?

Anyway, Saturday was my cousins' third birthday party. It was low-key and fun, and Thomas and James were pretty well-behaved. I stayed at my parents' home that night; my sister, Matt, and I dyed eggs for the next morning's Easter egg hunt (which I haven't done since high school, since I've spent recent Easters back east). We ended up getting to bed pretty late. After the egg hunt on Easter morning, we headed over to my grandparents'. We had originally planned to take separate cars, but parking was bad over there and we ended up going together, which meant that I couldn't leave early to work. I was pretty tired at the end of it, since the twins were a bit more active and hard to keep up with.

My last class ended on Tuesday, and I went out to dinner with a few classmates in order to celebrate. It was fun; I haven't done that much lately, so it was good to get out. This afternoon, I took my car in to get the brakes and stalling problem looked at. Fortunately, I was able to get a rental car, so I didn't have to worry about getting back as much. It was nice being in a car that ran smoothly for once. After doing some reading, I returned to my room and got a message from the dealer... the brakes were pretty far gone and they alone are going to cost $980. I have no idea how much the stalling problem will cost, assuming that I can get that fixed at all.

I felt angry and frustrated for much of the evening, but I was able to cool down a little by playing around with Illustrator.

Miscellaneous Events

I've been starting to prepare for the upcoming trip with Tiffany (my roommate for the summer); since we're arriving a week or so early, we'll be able to do some sightseeing before getting saddled with classes. Fortunately, we seem interested in the same types of things, so we'll both be able to see plenty of what we want without having to spend time on something that only one person finds interesting. Bookings should be made on Monday, but we've got some tentative plans, and found some hotels at a good value (including a very cute-looking bed and breakfast in Scotland). I also got an International Student ID card at a travel agency today; that should allow me to get some deals once I'm abroad.

Though I technically have classes next week, most of the professors ended the semester early in order to give us study time. I still have Property (only on Monday) and Torts, but otherwise I ought to get some time to study and prepare. I'm just in denial that it's all going to be over in a couple of weeks.

Tonight I was notified that I got on the Moot Court board for next year. I wasn't sure what the outcome would be, since I came into the interview cold (though most people don't really have time to prepare at this time of the year) and am not naturally talkative enough to cover for it. But I guess all's well that ends well.

I need to get my car's brakes fixed soon; I've notice the wheels have been sort of grinding when I've had to stop or slow down. I just don't know when I'll manage to turn it in, and I don't want to be carless for a period of time again.

I Can't Think Of A Good Title For The Life Of Me

After class on Thursday, I went to a student-organized get-together for people going to London. Unfortunately, it was organized by a different section and was almost exclusively attended by that section. Since they basically already had a rapport with each other, and because I didn't really have that much in common with them, it was pretty awkward and it left me in a bit of a bad mood.

Today was sort of relaxed, so I got to draw a little more. I'm hoping to get down to work during this weekend, though.

I forgot to mention it earlier, but I got my passport recently. The London trip is fast approaching; I'm simultaneously looking forward to it and in denial that it's coming so quickly. It should be fun, but I'll have to get ready soon.

Stir Crazy

The car finally got repaird late this afternoon, but I wasn't able to coerce anyone into dropping me off (largely because nobody wanted to brave rush hour traffic), and it was late enough that I couldn't just take the bus and risk getting there after the shop closed.

The lack of mobility has been getting to me a bit, particularly since Malibu isn't exactly pedestrian-friendly and the university itself is a bit isolated (not to mention that the law school it at the very top of the hill, about as far from anything as you can get). I'd like to be able to move around a bit without the use of a car, but in this area being car-less is tantamount to being stranded. Being stuck in a small area is naturally frustrating; I think it's made me distracted and made it harder for me to concentrate on my reading. Of course, I'm exaggerating a bit, since it's only been a few days, but it's still annoying.

After realizing that I wouldn't be getting the car today, I got fed up with things and decided to get away from the campus, even if it meant I had to walk. I went to the nearest coffee shop and back, which ended up taking 40 minutes each way. In addition, it's not the easiest trip in the world; I have to go uphill several times, and I have to walk over dirt and brush for a large part of it (since the good people of Malibu don't see a need to install sidewalks). It's a lot of effort for a cup of coffee (or rather a blended mocha), but I was really tired of being confined to the apartments and law school, and I hate the feeling of being confined and not having the ability to go anywhere.

Fortunately, my grandfather should be able to take me to get the car tomorrow, so this insanity will end soon. Or maybe I should just move away from LA and go somewhere where they have real public transportation...

Miscellany

I turned in my performance test Monday morning, so I am officially through with my Legal Research and Writing class!

I called the shop this afternoon, and they're running into some unexpected difficulties with the car; it should be ready Tuesday afternoon, but the repairs are going to cost me over $400. This car is really frustrating me, since it seems like I could have gotten a decent used car with the money I've spent repairing it. But it's not really my choice since I don't have the money or the means of getting it. I considered getting a loan, but both my parents thought it was unwise.

I'm starting to get worried about my externships; though I think most of the places I contacted haven't really started thinking about clerkships for the fall, I really have a very limited amount of time to interview and otherwise work things out before going overseas. If one of these doesn't fall through and I can't get experience, I'm really going to be handicapped when I try to get a paid job later on. The whold process is getting to be pretty frustrating; I've already spent over $100 (mostly at Kinko's and the post office) just to get the opportunity to work for free, even though I really would like to have some money of my own.

Me Duelen Las Piernas

I checked my car into a repair place in Santa Monica on Friday; the only alternative in Malibu was a gas station, and I wanted to play it safe. However, nobody was able to pick me up, so I ended up walking and taking the bus back. It wasn't bad, since I don't mind taking a leisurely walk. If it weren't so inconvenient around here, I would definitely try it more often, since I find it easier to let my mind wander when I'm walking (rather than trying to control a deadly machine), and you can actually get reading or other work done when riding a bus or train, so transportation isn't as wasteful time-wise. Plus, it's nice to get exercise when you're doing something purposeful rather than forcing yourself to work out. The only unpleasant parts of the trip were the uphill walks (of all the locations, the law school has to be on the top of a hill). Once I got back, my legs were pretty sore, and I eventually had to take a nap, which threw me off a bit.

Today, I went to a symposium on asbestos litigation (our Torts professor had organized it, and thus offered our section a carrot in the form of a discretionary point). Some interesting points were made, but I think most students were distracted because of the performance test due on Monday. I was hoping to get the car after it was over (Chrissie was able to take me there this time), but there were delays and I won't be able to get it until Monday. At least I was able to draw a little bit.

Sturm und Drang

Classes ended earlier than usual today, as my Contracts professor had to cancel. Soon after my final class for the day had ended, I quickly drove down to get some coffee. My car was really acting up; whenever it was slow or stopped, it would shake furiously. Of course, I was worried, so I decided to stay close to home. I made some followup calls regarding fall judicial externships and watched Hannah and her Sisters before getting down to tomorrow's (light) reading assignment. After doing some reading, I drove down to the supermarket for some much-needed groceries (fortunately, the car seemed to do slightly better at night).

I'm going to have to take the car in tomorrow. It seems like such a waste to pour money into a 20-year-old pile of junk, but I'm unable to get a loan and can't really dedicate myself to a steady job right now (I need to focus on getting legal experience, which means that I have to work for free). I just worry that this car won't last much longer; especially since I'm in LA, where it's nigh impossible to get around using public transportation, having such an unreliable and even potentially dangerous car really frustrates me.

Insomnia Strikes Again

So much for getting extra sleep. Oh well; at least I'm in good shape as far as my reading is concerned. I just wish I hadn't been so tempted to procrastinate. I reaaly need to get a strict schedule together, especially if I don't want to get too sick.

Time management is something I'll really have to concentrate on in the coming weeks; after all, I will be finished with exams and be out of the country in less than two months' time. It's just too easy to dally and pretend that everything that needs to be done is in the distant future, particularly when television, computers, DVDs, and the like are so tempting.

In other news, I found the following article while surfing the net. I just wonder whether the Paris-themed hotel in Las Vegas is facing similar problems...

Disney's Epcot Center puts 'France,' 'Germany' on hiatus
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By Michael Clark

April 1, 2003 | ORLANDO (AP) -- It may be a small world after all, but it will soon be even smaller at Disney's Epcot Center theme park.

After careful deliberation, executives at the Orlando theme park have decided to temporarily close the World Showcase pavilions dedicated to France and Germany, citing growing animosity toward the countries' anti-war stance. Says Judson C. Green, President of Walt Disney Attractions, "Disney has always prided itself on reflecting the character and sentiments of middle America. When the country is so united in its support of the war in Iraq and so furious with the actions of France and Germany, it seemed insensitive for us to keep France and Germany open." Financial concerns also played a part in the decision. Not only has overall park attendance declined as wartime anxiety has increased, but sales of French and German products in the pavilions have also decreased dramatically as anti- French and German sentiment has grown.

However, while France and Germany will probably remain closed throughout the duration of the war, there are no current plans to permanently close or overhaul the pavilions. "Disney has put a great deal of effort into all of its World Showcase pavilions, taking meticulous care to evoke the spirit of the countries represented, including France and Germany. We are therefore very reluctant to eliminate any pavilion unless we feel it is absolutely necessary," says Green.

Epcot Center, which has been touted as "Disney's version of a World's Fair," opened its gates in 1982. This is the first time that a pavilion has been closed for a prolonged period of time or for non-technical reasons.

Fun Fun

I finally tried to personalize the style of my journal somewhat; the background now contains the same theme as my personal page rather than a simple color.

Kudos to Chrissie for taking some pictures before moot court.

Cheerio

I'm feeling better now, though I've still been too lazy for my own good.

I was able to get together with the girl I'm rooming with in London; we coordinated and got our plane tickets (I am leaving in mid-May and coming back in mid-to-late-July). I'm glad we got tickets when we did, since ticket prices have been rising a lot lately. I think it helps that she's enthusiastic about the trip, since it would be easy to put off planning otherwise.

Out of curiosity, do any visitors to or residents of the UK and Europe have any suggestions for places to go? I'm trying to brainstorm, but I figure that it would help to hear from people whe knew the area and could steer me away from the tourist spots.