And the Rain, Rain, Rain, Came Down, Down, Down...

The last week of vacation was a bit weird for me. I was pretty stressed, although I calmed down by the end of the week. However, I did get to do a few fun things over the course of the week. I saw my sister and a few of her friends from the summer's BADA program, I met one of my school friends for coffee, and I stayed over at another friend's house. I also had dinner with my family and an old friend of Chrissie's.

I'm sure that many of you have heard about (and experienced) the California storms. Since I'm near the coast, I've been more affected than many. The canyons which provide access to the San Fernando Valley have been closed, and even the open roads have been troublesome.

Unsurprisingly, school was cancelled on Monday due to the weather and road closures. A friend and I decided to take advantage of the day off by going to the movies and having dinner, which was a lot of fun.

I don't have any classes on Tuesday, so I haven't really started school yet. Hopefully I'll be able to get in the swing of things by tomorrow.

Is it 2005 Yet?

I find it hard to believe that this decade is nearly halfway over, but I suppose there's no avoiding the fact.

Christmas was fun. Chrissie and I both received our share of presents, and even got iPods as one of our two 'Santa gifts.' After the family finished opening presents, we hosted Christmas dinner for my mom's side of the family. I spent most of my time looking after my young cousins, so I was a bit tired at the end, but I had a good time. After everyone had left, my parents, Chrissie, and I stayed up to watch the broadcast of The Sound of Music.

I spent New Year's Eve at a party hosted by Reena and her parents. It was low-key, but fun; we basically hung out, ate, and chatted until midnight.

Aside from that, I haven't been doing all that much recently. I was able to tidy up my room and the rest of the apartment, which is boring but necessary. I've also uploaded some of my CD collection to my new iPod, so I can actually get some use out of it.

This afternoon, I went to a nearby state park in an attempt to get out a little, but that backfired when my car got stuck in the mud. I spent the entire time talking to a Triple A representative on a callbox with bad reception (my cell phone isn't working right now) and waiting for a tow truck to come. By the time that the problem was solved, it had started to rain, so I ended up going home immediately.

Vacation and Holidays

Yes, I am still around.

I have been on vacation since the 7th; I had my last exam (Income Tax) on the 6th. Unfortunately, I haven't been as productive as I would have liked, although I do have some time left. I would like to use some of my remaining vacation time to do some career research and keep up with my research assistant work.

It has been pretty peaceful in my apartment, as my roommates left for the holidays after they finished their exams. Although things have been quiet, I've kept myself a little busy. I have been able to meet with a few friends over the holidays, which has been nice. In addition, I've been trying to paint; although I enjoy drawing, I feel that I don't have very much experience with paints, so I'd like to change that. I've also been able to go to Disneyland with my sister and her longtime friend; as I hadn't seen the park set up for Christmas since I was little, the trip was fun despite the crowds. Right now, I am at home with my parents and sister, and will be celebrating Christmas with them as well.

Anyway, I hope that everyone has a good holiday season!

Still Around

Yes, I am still here. Classes ended on Wednesday, and my exams begin next week. Otherwise, things have been fairly ordinary.

Thanksgiving was fun; I went with my family for the now-traditional Thanksgiving meal at the Knott's Berry Farm chicken restaurant. I was joined by my parents, sister, aunt, uncle, and cousins (the twins), along with Chrissie's friend Laura and two newly-married friends of my aunt and uncle.

I've also signed up for next semester's classes. I am going to take my final required course (Wills and Trusts) plus three seminar courses; the seminars include a "Jurisprudence" class and two Constitutional Law seminars (one of which is taught by our "beloved" dean).

Late Night Posting

I can't believe that September is more than halfway over; the school year seems to be going by quickly.

My sister's 21st birthday was on the eighth, and, in order to celebrate, the family (plus Matt) went to Las Vegas for that weekend. We stayed at the Venetian and went to various attractions in the area, including the Liberace museum, the Stratosphere tower, the gondolas at the Venetian, and Madame Tussaud's. Additionally, we went to see a somewhat cheesy Rat Pack tribute show, which was fun.

Chrissie also had a birthday dinner with some of her friends on the 17th. Two of my friends were also able to come to the dinner, which made it enjoyable.

Yes, I've Been Busy

As of tomorrow, I will have completed my third week of classes; the idea that I am back in school is still a little unreal. My schedule for the semester is as follows:

Monday
Civil Rights (10:20-11:20)

Tuesday
Federal Income Tax (1:30-3:00)

Wednesday
Community Property (9:10-10:10)
Civil Rights (10:20-11:20)
Supreme Court Seminar (11:30-1:00)

Thursday
Supreme Court Seminar (11:30-1:00)
Federal Income Tax (1:30-3:00)
Ethical Lawyering (3:10-5:10)

Friday
Community Property (9:10-10:10)
Civil Rights (10:20-11:20)

Hello Again

I haven't been able to update lately; I've just been too busy.

My externship finishes this Friday, as I will be starting school on Monday. The externship has remained interesting. The Department of Justice arranged for all of the student interns to meet with California Attorney General Bill Lockyer and state Appellate Justice Mallano; both answered questions and gave general overviews of their work. I've also been keeping myself busy with research and writing assignments, and have been present at two administrative hearings.