Kids These Days.

My brother and I have had it out a couple times since I moved back in. You would think it would be one of us fighting with our parents, but he has been extremely inconsiderate so there has been much yelling despite us generally being friends.

I moved in Saturday, he was working a wedding and called here numerous times after 10:00 p.m. (which my Dad told him was the latest he is allowed to call like 3 days before this) to ask stupid questions-I'm not really sure what transpired since the Baby and I were tired. Generally he calls to let them know he is too messed up to drive home, I think he should start using better time management skills and get messed up earlier if he needs to call home before 10. So he gets home on Saturday at 2:02 a.m.¹, proceeds to enter the master suite (where my parents are sleeping) and go take a shower. Despite there being 2 other showers in the house, one of which is in the basement bathroom where nobody would have even heard. Cut to the end of his 15 minute shower when he starts:

1. Telling my parents he is going out.
2. Telling my parents he is going to go hot-tubing with 2 chicks he and his friend met at the wedding they were working.
3. Telling my parents the girls parents invited them over and saying they were allowed to stay the night.
4. Asking if he can take a case of beer since it's too late to buy it, as if he is old enough to buy it.
5. Justifying being allowed to take the beer since he was going to be staying the night with the skanks he met whose drunk parents apparently invited he and his friend over.

Seriously. Then at 10:30 a.m. when I was talking to the puppy he started FREAKING OUT yelling at me that I was waking him up. It was around this time when I gave him an explanation regarding appropriate times to talk and be active around the house and how 2 a.m. was not one of those times.

So then last night he went out and came home at 4 a.m., at which point he again woke the dog up. So I took it out to potty, and of course it didn't have to go. Awesome.

¹At which point I woke up, and went to grab a glass of water without taking the puppy out since he appeared to still be sleeping. I was wrong and the puppy peed on the carpet. Clearly this had me a bit mad since he would have just kept sleeping and been fine had he not been woken up.

MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

Sometimes, all is right in the world. I finally get an adorable puppy¹ and Paris Hilton loses her inheritance. Sure she still has tons of money from being famous for doing nothing outside of being a Stupid Spoiled Whore, but at least she earns² that money.

¹More pictures to come when I'm not too lazy to upload my pictures.
²On her back.

"It's My Party, and I'll Cry if I Want To."

I have to crate the Baby today. We practiced yesterday when we all went over to the neighbors for a birthday party, there was a lot of crying on his part. I had to ignore it, since apparently he cannot learn that he gets whatever he wants when he cries, which seems a bit hypocritical.

Anyway, I made it an hour before I couldn't take it anymore and came home to let him out, today I have to work and won't be able to come save him. I wonder who will be more sad, Mom or the Baby?

"Have You Met Ted?"

I bring to you Theodore the 7 month old Apricot/Cream Toy Poodle I adopted...

Here he is playing with his favorite nylabone, he ended up eating over 1/2 of yesterday, which apparently I am a bad mother for allowing him to do.

Here he is being lazy in his day bed (he's a bit spoiled and gets to sleep with me at night).

The pictures are crappy since I yesterday I didn't have my cord for my camera (since it was at my old place) and today I was moving/dealing with a puppy/cleaning/crate training/dealing with a puppy so I just used my phone.

He is a total chick dog, when my brother had to take him out today he refused to walk him around the neighborhood and just walked him around the yard multiple times until he went to the bathroom. But, he is a non-shedding dog (which for someone with allergies is a major plus), he has had obedience training, he is 90% potty trained (he rings a bell when he needs to go out), and he is really sweet.

On that note we are going out for the final potty of night and then going to bed.

Survival Guide

I promised a Guide to Surviving the Bar Exam once I had detoxed from all of it a bit, so here we go.

1. Find a friend who has previously taken the bar. E-Mail them daily venting. People who have not been through this have no idea what it's like and while they really try and be supportive a lot of times they just have no clue and do not understand that "pep talks" are really not helpful.
2. You will probably want to tell your mom to "f*ck-off" at least once. Mine happened when one week before exam I was mildly freaking out she told me I was just going to "buckle down" and "learn it" since I'd "always been able to before"...I didn't actually cuss at her, but I did goan in disgust and demand to talk to my dad who isn't the "pep-talk" type.
   
3. Realize that your friends who are taking the bar might not be the best support system since either they will make you feel that you are not studying enough or they are neurotic freaks, or both.
   
4. Stop talking to friends who are not supportive, like the ones who tell you that you're "moody" when they call you drunk at 1 a.m. in July. You can talk to them after this is all over if you choose. I have one friend that was such a jerk during all this I highly doubt I will talk to him ever again.
5. Make your own plan. Stick to it. The BarBri study plan is insane and it's unlikely that you will be able to keep up with it and keep your sanity, particularly if you are doing PMBR problems.
6. If you think you are not studying enough you probably are studying the right amount.
7. If you know you are not studying enough you probably are not.
8. The week before the exam start figuring out how long it takes your coffee or other morning caffeinated beverage to go through you.
9. Make lists. What you're going to pack, what you're going to take into the exam, what you need to buy still. There is just so much going on in your brain that sitting down and taking 2 minutes saves you 20 in the store as you wander around thinking about what else you needed. The one day I forgot my list at the grocery store was a disaster.
10. Study the subjects which are not often tested. Everyone knows the big areas (and I guarantee you do too), but when I got to the essay question on Partnerships and later to the one on Bailments was extremely happy I'd read back through my notes for those.
11. Use your words. If people are pissing you off, tell them. If you do not want your family to tell you about deaths that occur one week before the exam, tell them.
    
12. If you're fussy, and it's possible, go get your caffeinated beverage the day before since I really doubt you are going to want to run to Starbucks right after you get out of bed at 6 a.m.-I ran and picked up like Quad-Venti-Non-Fat-Iced-Latte the night before, but I asked the Barrista to hold the ice so I could take it back and put it in the fridge.
13. Pack your Gallon Sized Plastic bag (if your state allows you to take things in) the day before the exam.
14. Take basically everything they say you can into the exam. Even if you do not have a runny nose, take in tissues. You might want to throw them at the crazy girl crying across from you.
15. Have a good breakfast the day of the exam. I had leftover pizza the first day. It was perfect, it soaked up the coffee, kinda stuck to me, and gave me carb energy. The second day I had Special K and I was starving around 10:30.
    
16. If you're a smoker throw a pack with 1-2 cigarettes into your pocket with a lighter. Worst case you lose a couple smokes and a lighter-which in reality is a typical night at the bar. Best case, you are smoking on your way to the car to get your lunch while everyone else is wishing they were.
    
17. Take an Aleve each morning before the exam. It won't make you drowsy and it'll help prevent headaches.
    
18. There is no possible way to prepare for how much your hand is going to hurt during the essay day. You are aware that it hurts while it's going on, but then when you try to put your pencil down and your hand looks like some sort of weird deformed claw you have to force open it becomes clear just how badly it really hurts.
19. Don't be the person who takes out their inhaler after reading the first question on the essay day.
20. Scope out the bathroom scene in case you have to go. I didn't need to or have time during the essay day, but during the MBE during the morning I needed to and during the afternoon I just needed to get my head together. I was flustered since I hadn't paid attention or asked what the procedure was (which was admittedly easier than many states).
    
21. Calm down during the exam. For all my freaking out beforehand I was remarkably calm during the exam. I knew I'd done everything I could and that knew this stuff.
22. Pack your lunch. I've heard about schools offering lunches, I suppose that would be ok. My site opened the concession stand, but trust me there is nothing you are going to be able to eat there if you have a nervous stomach.
    
23. Drink something caffeinated on the lunch break. If you're like me you'd been consuming about 9-12 shots of espresso per day leading up to the bar so just having one in the morning will probably cause a pretty bad afternoon crash.
    
24. If you can, take in something like chocolate covered espresso beans. It's a good way to get a much needed energy boost in the afternoon of the MBE.
25. Do not talk to many people during the break the day of the MBE. First off, not everyone has the same questions in the morning, so you might be giving away answers. Second, it will most likely freak you out.
    

In terms of surviving the whole process I would like to thank: my Parents, my Brother, my friends who had previously taken the bar, my Roommate, Caribou Coffee, Potbellies Sandwiches, and the Makers of: 5-Hour Energy Drink, Adderall, Aleve, Airborne Nighttime, and Marlboro Lights.

Now, if I only knew how to put this all out of my head until November 22nd (seriously that is when they told us they would be released) I would be all set. Until then I am going to read some non-law related materials for the first time in a really long time and work on adopting a dog.

It's Over.

Everyone said when I was done I would have this overwhelming sense of relief. That might have been the case if today hadn't gone as it did. The morning went really well, I knew most of the answers, my timing was excellent (not too fast, not too slow), and generally I didn't think the problems were that hard. Then lunch happened.

People were gossiping, as they tend to. And everyone was going on and on and on about how hard it was and how it was so much harder than the PMBR questions they'd been doing and blah blah blah. My friend and I who hadn't thought it was that bad looked at each other when we overheard this with a sense of impending terror. All sorts of things were rushing through our minds. Were we making sloppy errors? Did we miss a lot of stuff? Were we letting them trick us. I just kept to myself and went back inside and avoided the discussion to the best of my ability.

Then the afternoon started. Around question 25 questions into the 100 question afternoon session I was exhausted and having trouble focusing. The problems had clearly gotten a lot harder and while I was able to eliminate 2 choices on almost every problem once I got to that point I had no clue. I started just applying the PMBR techniques; picking an "if" answer choice over a "because" answer choice, picking the most "Horn-Book" sounding answer, and largely just going with my gut since "it's attached to [my] head" as the ever so dreamy PMBR guy says. With every successive page turn I really kept hoping it would let up, that the fact patterns would get shorter, that my answer choices would stop making weird patterns on my answer sheet.

Around question 135 I realized if I didn't get it together I was going to fail. I tried to stretch, which basically did nothing for me. I decided my timing was alright and that I really needed to get up, walk, go to the bathroom (even though I didn't have to go) and clear my head. So I took a brisk walk to the bathroom (which was very close and actually not a super huge hassle to use), blotted my face with damp paper towel and pulled my act together.

I sat my down and finished. I won't say things got better, since they didn't, but I did manage to compose myself and that was all that really mattered.

I had been told that leaving the bar exam is the greatest relief you'll ever feel in your life. Like a 1000 pound weight has been lifted off your chest. I literally felt so awful I thought I was going to puke in the parking lot. Of course I didn't talk to anyone afterwards, since that would be against the rules, but lets just say I do feel a bit better now.

Being that I'm not doing anything the next couple days I plan to write a post of all the little tips. Sure it won't do anyone any good right now, but at least I'll do it when it's fresh in my memory so I can link back to it in February or next July if this place is still around.

The real question is, why have I not had a glass of wine yet?

Exciting News!

I am looking at dogs to adopt, I'm going to meet one on Friday. If he isn't a spaz and his neuter goes well I could adopt him as early as Saturday.

Yes, this is what I was doing last night rather then reading through notes, flashcards or doing practice problems.

Seriously?!

How is Blowhan even going to go and get arrested a 2nd time for Possession of Cocaine and D.U.I. in the middle of when I'm taking the bar exam?

In other news the essay portion went fine. Sure there were things I didn't know, but the stuff I didn't know was the same stuff nobody else knew so it should be alright.

"I'm Perfectly Calm, Man"

There is no discernible reason for me to be up this early, outside of the fact that I needed to drink my coffee 2 hours before I the exam so I wouldn't have to get up to pee. I seriously went to Starbucks last night, bought my Iced-Quad-Venti-Non-Fat-Latte without ice, and put it in the fridge so I could drink it as soon as I got up.

When I started this whole process I figured I would be a total freak the day(s) of the exam. When I was in college I had panic attacks regularly my senior year and I was waiting for them to start again to an extent and then I realized, back then the issue was that I was not able to control my own life, I've been fine since the bar exam is all about control and structure. I follow the same routine on a daily basis, I keep track of everything I've done so I know what I need to do more of, and I have been able to plan everything out-right down to when to drink my coffee so peeing isn't an issue.

Now, if I could only figure out if I am allowed to take cigarettes and a lighter inside so I don't have to go all the way back to my car for my nicotine fix I'd be just fine.

Calm Before the Storm.

I've had a sense of calm come over me. To an extent it's going to come down to if I studied the right things, but I that is the case for everyone outside of the few freaks with photographic memory. I keep reminding myself for every essay I didn't do well on there were also topics where my response looked like the model answer. So I'll just hope for 15 essays on the Elective Share of a Surviving Spouse and State/Federal Practice and call it a day.

Good luck to everyone out there taking the bar these next few days. And remember what our Wills/Trusts/Personal Property/Equity BarBri lecturer said about the Rule Against Perpetuities, "if you get a really hard RAP problem, just mark 'A'. Either you guess and get it right, or you haven't wasted the time and everyone gets it wrong, then the Bar Examiners will throw out question and it won't matter."

Sigh.

I really just want to give up on Secured Trans and Commercial Paper. At this point the plan is to ramble something off about Bona Fide Purchaser for Value Without Notice, Order Paper, Bearer Paper, Order Paper becoming Bearer Paper and move onto the next essay since there is really no chance of me remembering any thing else.

Also, the Domestic Relations I tried to do earlier were less than stellar. How the hell was I supposed to know I should mention the parties capacity to enter into a marriage before I discuss it? This justifies my hatred/fear of the entire institution of marriage and all that comes along with it.

I'm really tempted to throw my books up against a wall and call it a day, but then at 7:00 when I go over and pick them up it will be degrading and humiliating, even if nobody witnesses it.

Bar Exam Preparation by the Numbers

Average number of cigarettes smoked per day before May: 0

Average number of cigarettes smoked per day in May-June: 3

Average number of cigarettes smoked per day in July: 10

Average number of Triple-Non-Fat-Sugar-Free-Lattes per day before May: 1

Average number of Triple-Non-Fat-Sugar-Free-Lattes per day May-June: 1.5

Average number of Triple-Non-Fat-Sugar-Free-Lattes per day July 1-7: 2

Average number of Triple-Non-Fat-Sugar-Free-Lattes per day July 8-22: 3.25

Average number of 5-Hour Energy Drinks per day in May: 0

Average number of 5-Hour Energy Drinks per day in June: 1

Average number of 5-Hour Energy Drinks per day in July: 1

Average number of total calories consumed per day in May: 1800

Average number of total calories consumed per day in June: 1600

Average number of total calories consumed per day in July: 1200

Average number of hours spent studying per day in May: 7

Average number of hours spent studying per day in June: 9

Average number of hours spent studying per day in July: 13

Average milligrams of Adderall consumed per day before studying began: 0

Average milligrams of Adderall consumed per day since 6-Day PMBR began: 20

Average number of hours slept per night in May: 7.5

Average number of hours slept per night in June: 6

Average number of times I spoke to my Dad per week before May: 2

Average number of times I spoke to my Dad per week May-June: 3

Average number of times I spoke to my Dad per week in July: 7

Number of times I told my Dad not to tell me if a family member dies between last Friday and next Wednesday: 2

Total number of hours slept between July 8th and 19th: 40

Average number of hours slept per night since July 19th: 7

Pounds Lost since May, 28th: 23

Number of birthdays celebrated: 1

Number of years old I am since said birthday: 24

Number of years old I admit to being: 23

Number of times my residence changed: 1

Number of times I was too sick to get out of bed: 2

Number of Manicures since May: 2

Number of Pedicures since May: 1

Number of times cried since studying began: 2 (when I found out I was going to have to move I cried for basically an entire evening, and once I made myself cry watching sad movies since I could feel it coming on)

Number of days in the last week I had a "Carb Breakdown" and ate an entire bag of Cheddar Chex Mix: 2

Number of times I regretted it afterwards: 2

Number of watches purchased at Target yesterday: 3 (1 was due to irrational fear that my battery in my Kenneth Cole Watch will die during the bar exam, the other 2 were because they were cute)

Number of times I have thrown highlighters or other writing instruments: 7

Number of times I have thrown a book: 2

Number of times Secured Transactions of Commercial paper was involved: 2

Number of times per day I have to remind myself to calm down due to irrational anger: 10-15

Number of times I have told people to stop giving me the "Pep Talk" since they haven't been through this and have no idea what it's like: at least 10

Number times it was my I told my Mother to stop: 7

Average number of times per day I realize my hands are shaking: 3

Number of times I walked out of a BarBri lecture since it wasn't helpful and I had too much to do and would rather not waste my time: 1

Number of times I walked out of a BarBri lecture since I would rather have stuck flaming hot pokers in my eye than be there: 1

Number of BarBri lectures late to because of inability to get out of bed due to exhaustion: 1

Number of PMBR lectures late to because of inability to get out of bed due to exhaustion: 1

Number of BarBri or PMBR lectures missed for other reasons: 0

Number of gifts received in the last week as "Good Luck" presents before the bar: 3

Number that were from my Mother: 1

Number of times I told my Mother I didn't want to hear some story about a Patient who threw his books up against the wall and stopped studying 3 day before the Bar exam: 3

Number of times per day I remind myself that ASSociate passed on his first attempt: 5

Number of times in the last week I wished I had more time: 1

Number of times in the last week I wished it was just over: too numerous to count

Number of times My Roommate packed me a snack in the last week and left a cutely decorated note about it on the counter with directions to where it is in the fridge:

Number of days spent at Caribou in the last week: 7

Minimum Number hours spent per trip: 8.5

Number of times My Roommate has come up to Caribou to see how I am doing in the last week: 2

Number of times My Roommate and local Caribou Coffee Employees have gone out of their way in the last week to be nice to me by bringing me food or caffeine when it's clear I need it in the last week: 10

"Hurry hurry hurry before I go insane, I can't control my fingers I can't control my brain."

Current Anthem: I Wanna Be Sedated by The Ramones.

In other news, I got a series of e-mails from the Dean of Students office today, which showed just how important the bar exam is to the law school.

E-Mail #1:

Please be advised that all Pendaflex folders will be cleaned out on Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 in preparation for the upcoming school year. All contents will be discarded at this time. Thank You.

(A Pendaflex is one of those hanging file folders, basically it's a ghetto version of a mailbox. All the law students have one with their name on it, and largely before this year their contents consisted of advertisements for Patent Bar Review Courses. It was also a good way to exchange things of relatively low value with people that you didn't see frequently. Then we started finally having laptop exams and flash drives were returned in them).

E-Mail #2:

As a follow-up to the previous e-mail, only paper will be discarded. Flash drives, when they are placed in your Pendaflex folders, will not be discarded.

E-Mail #3:

In light of the concerns of several graduate students who are taking the bar exam on Tuesday, July 23rd & Wednesday, July 24th, [sic] we will postpone the cleaning-out of the Pendaflex folders until Friday, August 3rd. Only paper will be discarded. Anything of value will be held in your name in the Dean of Students Office. Flash drives will remain in the Pendaflex folders. Thank you for your cooperation.

I'm sorry, do you not have "BAR EXAM" written on your calendar? You're the friggin Law School! WHAT THE HELL! You work in the Dean of Students Office no less. You would think that you might give a crap about what we're doing after graduation, but clearly if it doesn't relate to us telling you that we have jobs, so you can try to drag the Law Schools' rank out of the 4th Tier, you don't care about us once we graduate. Not like you cared about us when we were students. This is why I am refusing to ever acknowledge that I am employed to you (if I ever am), since I refuse to assist in the trapping recruiting of more innocents.

P.S.-Good job with the dates in the 3rd e-mail.

Tortious Interference.

I get that I am irrationally angry right now and extremely on edge but I seriously wanted to cut the guy who came and sat at the table next to be at Caribou while I was clearly reading Corporations while frantically transcribing and started up numerous cell phone conversations, which based on his vagueness and the subject matter discussed, led me to believe he was running an escort service. Seriously.

So, being that I was trying to be rational, as soon as a tabled opened up I moved across the coffee shop. Which, due to how much shit I brought, took 3 trips. You'd think that a decent human being after the first trip would have said "ohh don't move, I am about to leave"...Not this guy, he let me move everything and them packed up.

Yes, I am being cranky and bitchy and expecting things from total strangers. And yes, I am in a public place. But damn, a little human decency would go a long way. As much as I wanted to rush to open the passenger side door of my car this morning before the old lady who pulled in after me started to open her door I didn't.

UPDATE: the power went out for awhile. Are. You. Even. Kidding. Me. During the Black-Out of 2003 (which I have decided will end up being one of those things Mid-Westerners rant to their Grandchildren about in 50 years) I was studying for the LSAT (which was a lot further off and not nearly as important) with a friend who was studying for the MCAT, that was bad enough, this is enough to put me into a full on nervous breakdown if it continues.

PMBR 3-Day Recap

Much has been made about if PMBR is helpful or not. Let me put this to rest, yes it is. The timing of ours sucked since it was so late, but in reality that was the fault of BarBri to an extent so I can't fault PMBR for it.

I definitely got a bit weirded out when the guy said he reads blawgs in his hotel rooms at night to see what people are saying about the course. Yes, I know that is totally irrational, in that I (hope) I will never see him again and I certainly was not the only blonde in the room. I was, however, sitting rather close to the front and did have a bit of a crush on him since a cute guy who can explain the Continuing Trespass Doctrine in under 2 minutes is all it takes to make me swoon right now. Not to mention he was very prompt in his reply to my email so that was also kick ass.

I Might Want to Start Working on Essays Soonly.

The whole being strung out on Non-Fat Lattes, 5-Hour Energy Drinks, Nicotine, and A.D.H.D. medication is getting a little old. I haven't fallen asleep once in the last week before 2 a.m. and my classes/study schedule require me to get up at 6:30 or so (outside of the weekends when I sleep until about 8). Plus I have lost the ability to nap outside of closing my eyes for like 5 minutes as I attempt to read State and Federal Practice.

In other news I might be the only bar taker I know not living on Hot and Ready Pizza's thanks to my slave roommate bringing me healthy snacks like Rice Cakes with a bit of Low-Fat Yogurt and artfully arranged fresh Raspberries that we pick from the yard. I also have new found cooking skills which include marinating and using a gas grill to cook chicken (without drying it out).

I think I just decided not to bother sleeping tonight since getting up at 6 would be impossible anyway so I might as well get a jump on the day now and then take a nap later. I know this sounds like a screwy way to get back onto a normal sleep schedule, but I really can't think of any other way to make myself tired enough to fall asleep at a normal hour and it has worked for me before.

[On Smoke Break during PMBR Morning Session]

Friend: I didn't even know there was such a thing as a Catch-All Hearsay Exception.
Elle Woods: Ohh, yeah I got that question right even though I'd heard somewhere it is usually a wrong answer.
Friend: Apparently I was absent the day law was taught in law school.

Dear PMBR,

Your exam was just cruel. Seriously. I know I have no right to complain since I'm above the 75th percentile, but a question on Equitable Servitudes relating to Party Walls? You have got to be kidding me.

Also, I might feel a little bit better about your ability to instruct me if maybe, just maybe, you could have spelled "won't" correctly on the cover page to the answer guide. Exhibit A:

In case my demonstrative exhibit is lacking [do not worry, I can properly authenticate it if it comes that...(OMG did I really just try to make an authentication joke? Kill. Me. Now.)] I would like to clarify that in the book it has been spelled "wonit" with an accent mark over the "i" (seriously). I won't even go into the typos in the actual exam, which I know I am a freak for noticing, but I do. I can't wait to see you tomorrow.

Hugs and Kisses,
Elle Woods, J.D.

P.S.-Save the comments about how many typos I make, I don't get paid any (let alone a bunch) of money for this and I certainly do not have a proofreader. Plus that spelling error clearly would have been picked up by simply running spell check so really there is no excuse outside of being too lazy to look for the red lines under the words.

I have a new boyfriend.

He's the type that many girls are drawn to. He's not quite enough to fulfill you but he'll do for the time being. He's the typical bad boy who with promises of fun nights out in May and June followed by undivided personal attention in July. You're hopeful that he is not who you end up with longterm and that he is just a summer fling, and the possibility of it dragging on long term terrifies you. He's not like the nice guy who pays attention to each and every of your needs, he is the strong silent type who is always good for quickie when you need it.

Sure the relationship is not healthy and sometimes feels like it borders on abusive the amount of time he demends you spend on him and only him, but after the boredom that the nice guys put you through there is something about his brevity and jealousy that draw you to him. Things are pretty serious, we hang out all day while I attend to every detail he has to offer. I think I'll even let him into my bed tonight.

His name is Conviser Mini Review.

10 Areas of Law I Could Live Without Right Now.

1. Character/Impeachment. I mean, the witnesses are testifying under oath. Why have all these messy rules regarding when Opinion/Reputation/Specific Acts are admissible and what they are admissible for?
2. Hearsay. Again, the testimony is under oath, shouldn't that be enough to show it's reliable? No? Criminals lie? Shhhh.
3. First Amendment Protections. Namely the Freedoms of Religion and Speech. I know it might have some negative effects on democracy, but I'm getting really sick of trying to remember time/place/manner restrictions and the Lemon test so I say get rid of all of it.
4. Recording Acts. Seriously, enough said.
5. The entire U.C.C., my life would be blissful right now were it not for sale of goods, secured transactions and commercial paper.
6. The Statute of Frauds. I don't really have a problem with this one per se, but it is so closely tied in my mind to #7 that is was included.
   
7. The Parol Evidence Rule. 4 Corners? What? Modification?
8. Fraud in the Inducement v. Fraud in the Factum. Can't we just agree that consent obtained through lying is bad regardless of whether it created a wrongful belief about the nature of the act or the reason for the act.
9. Criminal Negligence Involuntary Manslaughter v. Depraved Heart Murder. Honestly I know in theory it shouldn't be so bad to tell the 2 apart (shooting a gun off in an open field v. shooting a gun off in a crowded theatre is the common example), but the questions are so much more of a fine line distinction than that that I almost always get them wrong.
10. One of the Privileges and Immunities Clauses. I don't care which one, just so long as I only have to remember one I am good with it.
    

Half Assed Retraction

Apparently this concept is a part of Secured Transactions, which I learned today during our BarBri lecture for the first time since I avoided all businessy courses like the plague (with the exception of Tax and I am not even going to go into how well that worked out for me).

I suppose I can calm down a little now knowing that some of the issues I'm having with essays might be because the subjects that aren't "tested" exclusively are tested within other areas and we hadn't had those lectures yet. While that doesn't make me feel much better, it does make me feel slightly better, which during the whole neurotic bar exam study experience goes a long way.

That doesn't change the fact that BarBri kinda pissed me off by including that question in with the Real Property questions to begin with rather than Secured Transactions.

14 Days.

Luckily, Homeland Security has created this lovely chart based on favorite characters from American Movie Classics to assist in the classification of anxiety levels.


I think my anxiety levels are officially in "Alvy Singer" territory and could be moving to "Rain Man" in a matter of hours.

Like I Needed This Uplifting Talk.

I met 2 of my neighbors this evening when I decided I need to see light that wasn't artificial and ventured into the front yard of the new place. Said neighbors were sisters, ages 4 and 6.

4 Year Old: Are you a grown up lady?
Elle Woods: Yes.
4 Year Old: Do you have little kids?
Elle Woods: Nope.
4 Year Old: Do you have a husband?
Elle Woods: Nope.
4 Year Old: Then how are you a grown up lady?
Elle Woods: I ask myself that all the time.
4 Year Old: (puzzled look).
Elle Woods: What do you guys want to be when you grow up?
6 Year Old: A nurse, my mom's a nurse.
4 Year Old: A teacher.
Elle Woods: I see.

"Too Much of Something is bad enough, But something's coming over me to make me wonder, Too Much of nothing is just as tough"*

So I am trying to do essays today. It's kinda laughable. Seriously. It's hard enough for me to remember that all the holders of subsequent mortgages have to named in the foreclosure action as defendants (Huh? How does THAT work? Seriously? Defendants? Whatever.); but to know that any construction lien tacks onto the date that work first began regardless of if that first party was paid or not, so if the mortgage was recorded one day after work began than all subsequent construction liens are superior to the mortgage is JUST TOO MUCH. Sure, I'm certain that rule is now cemented in my brain because I wrote some stupid blog post about it, but the reality is I just do not have the time to write stupid blog posts about every. little. detail. of law that I can't imagine I'll be able to learn.

*Yes, I did use a Spice Girls lyrics as a title, I'm sure it's not the first time either.

Sicko.

I think I'm getting sick. I thought it was just allergies but now it feels like I'm swallowing razor blades and my tonsils are visibly swollen (as in you can see them when you look at my neck). Not only do I not even want to deal with the doctor's office, I also do not have health insurance. Which, in the grand scheme of health care I have to pay for, I suppose tonsillitis is pretty far from the worst case scenario.

The question is, I am doing the responsible thing and calling the doctor? Of course not. I decided I needed a day (and by that I mean an afternoon) off, so I called my hair salon and begged them to work me in for a highlight and cut today.

As for seeing the doctor, my parents are having a party tomorrow which I am required to put in some face time at, I presume there will be a couple doctors there so hopefully one of them will be willing to call in a prescription for me.

Breaking.

I think I'm starting to crack a bit. Yesterday, as I was doing problems I caught myself on more than one occasion staring at a problem and debating between 3 answers for over 5 minutes. It's getting to where I have so much in my head I can rationalize any answer. This cannot be good.

Worried.

I am kinda wondering if as a result of living in a tense state for the 2 1/2 months I'll become one of those people who has to have something to worry about. Like my mother. She is constantly worrying, when I say something to the effect of "why are you worrying about that, it's not within your control" her immediate response is "it's what I do, I have to worry." She is also prone to waking up around 1 am and staying up all night worrying. Since that is healthy. I wish she'd take a damn xanax and chill out.

Anyway, having watched her self induced panic my whole life has made me realize there are people out there who need to create situations; be it drama, sadness, stress or something else it seems they cannot function without it. And now that I've lived over 2 months of my life under this type of stress, which I am sure will carry on until November to an extent, I'm just hoping I haven't grown accustomed to it and started to thrive on it (since I am handling the stress part a lot better than expected). Anyway, I'm late (this is the first time I've been late, don't get all judgmental about how rude I am) to BarBri (which is an all day class today-awesome) so I guess I'll take up the matter at a later date, or not, since this is roughly how I feel about posting these days.

In other exciting news I moved in right next to the Caribou I used to stop at on my way to work everyday, I hope they remember me since it was the first time I was a regular at a place other than a bar.