Rip my skin off!

Today, I broke out in hives all over my body and I don't know why. It might be stress, or it might be an allergy I never knew I had.

Now I'm dosing myself with Benadryl and using hydrocortisone cream in hopes of controlling the outbreak.

I have a four hour exam on Monday, and I'd rather not be scratching my way through the whole thing.

Why now????!!!

I heart Passover

I always liked Passover because of matzo. Josh doesn't understand why I like matzo because he thinks they're bland and cause constipation. I like to put tomato sauce on them and sprink mozzarella cheese on top.

Voilà! Instant pizza!

Yesterday, I realized that the benefits of Passover are not limited to matzo. Yes, Passover eliminates some annoying people from my life temporarily. A few students skipped Property yesterday to observe the holiday, and I can tell you that I've never had a more pleasurable experience in class. The professor got to teach without stupid questions interrupting him left and right (asked for the sole purpose of the sake of asking questions to get attention). The most notable of dumb Property questions was: "What happens if the town records hall burns down?"

Honestly, kiss ass on your own time and stop wasting the whole section's class time on your moronic self-promotion.

Italian afternoon

After class, Josh and I went out for lunch at Lombardi's. Josh ranked it as his second best pizzaria. Surprisingly, there was no wait and we had a great meatball and mushroom pie. I had read reviews that the pizza was doughy and salty, but it was nothing like it. It was nice and crispy, just the way I like it. Maybe that bad review was left by a disgruntled tourist.

We followed up with dessert at Ferrara's. I'm spoiled because I was just there on Saturday night with Joe. I still haven't found a better cup of hot chocolate (don't confuse this with something called drinking chocolate, which is like drinking a cup of melted chocolate bar). I'm obsessed with the petit fours there as well. The petit fours are also sold in huge boxes of 36. I couldn't stop thinking about it the whole time and Josh said that he'd buy them for me.

So he did... and now he has immunity for as long as those petit fours last. It's probably not in his best interest to eat any of them. I'll probably inhale a bunch of them the night before my Contracts final exam.

Springing about

It was so beautiful outside today that I couldn't resist taking a walk before studying. I'm glad that the 80 degree weather went away after that one blip this week. I was wondering what happened to Spring and when was Summer allowed to start in April?? I wish the weather was like this all year 'round (except until it got cloudy in the afternoon).

Josh and I walked around in Chinatown for a while. He saw that I didn't have any straws to make stars and I'm so close to finishing my current bottle, so he was nice and suggested Chinatown even though he doesn't like it. I got to buy my straws and a few grocery items. Since it's getting warm, I want to make Almond Dofu again, served with evaporated milk and fruit cocktail (yum!). We also got to watch a dragon dance outside of a restaurant's grand opening.

Today, for the first time, I made risotto from scratch. It wasn't very difficult, just time consuming, because I couldn't leave it alone for very long (unless I wanted burnt rice). The risotto was flavored with dried porcini mushrooms, garlic, and onion. It was very nearly not-flavored with garlic and onion because Josh poured them into the wrong pot, but I picked out as much as I could.

Well, 10 days until my first final exam.

It's only Tuesday?

I've finished all of my timekeeper/bailiff obligations for moot court arguments. After viewing two arguments from Josh's class, for once, I am thankful for being in my class. I thought my argument was tough enough, but at least I got to say most of what I planned. The judges in Josh's class were asking questions at a rapid-fire pace.

The good news is, Josh was hired for the summer yesterday at a securities litigation firm downtown yesterday. It seems like we've had a packed week so far, what with the interview, moot court, and our property presentation tomorrow. Let's hope Josh does his fair share!

At least I'm done with class on Thursday :)

Ten Things

I got this from J's blog:

TEN (maybe not so random) Random Things about Me:
10. I’m really a dog person even though I love my two cats.
09. I don’t know anything about golf even though I worked at a golf club for two years.
08. I didn’t like reading books for fun until the fourth grade.
07. I like wearing heels more than sneakers/flats.
06. I hate SUVs.
05. I’m not a whining, ultra neat freak.
04. I’m a compulsive e-mail checker of my four e-mail accounts.
03. Rachael Ray annoys me.
02. I love gyros.
01. I can’t stand two-faced people.

NINE Places I've Visited/I want to Visit:
09. Hong Kong (visited)
08. Hawaii (want to visit)
07. Bermuda (visited)
06. Jamaica (visited)
05. Bahamas (visited)
04. Cayman Islands (visited/want to visit again)
03. Mexico (visited)
02. San Francisco (visited/want to visit again)
01. England (want to visit)

EIGHT Things I want to do before I die:
08. Tap dance
07. Adopt more cat(s)
06. Get a Shiba-inu
05. Have a dream kitchen
04. Swim with dolphins
03. Go on a cruise with friends that does not involve a rickety Mexican boat.
02. Learn how to frost cakes
01. Pass my law school exams

SEVEN Ways to win my heart:
07. Be supportive
06. Have a sense of humor
05. Be a foodie
04. Like dogs and cats
03. Accept my flaws
02. Realize that birthdays and anniversaries are not the only days to be romantic
01. I am nowhere as serious and mature as I seem to be, so accept the silliness

SIX Things I believe in:
06. Poetic justice
05. Inherent evil in mankind
04. Chocolate
03. Murphy’s Law
02. Pragmatism
01. Love

FIVE Things I'm afraid of:
05. Having to go back to live with my parents
04. Swimming in the ocean
03. Losing loved ones
02. Making a cake of myself
01. Failing out of law school

FOUR of my Favorite Items in my bedroom:
04. Ginger peach candles from Pier One
03. My modal jersey sheets
02. My current book
01. Air conditioner

THREE Things I do everyday:
03. Use an elevator
02. Have doubts about something
01. Walk behind someone who’s walking too slow for me

TWO Things I am trying NOT to do right now:
02. Nag Josh
01. Fall asleep

ONE Person I want to see right now:
01. The dean of my law school, telling me that I’ll get straight As and don’t have to take exams ever again.

Obstruction of professor's official functions

I was bailiff/timekeeper for P's moot court this afternoon. I joked with him and his teammate that I'd distract their professor for them so he wouldn't notice any mistake.

Some potential lines:
"Oh, Professor, I heard you used to be a wrestler in college. You must've looked great in your tight little outfit! I love wrestling. Let's see who can pin who first!"
"Oh, Professor, you look wonderful in those judge's robes. They suit you so well!"
"Oh, Professor - may I call you John? I think you'd make a great judge... Chief Justice John Napoleon*!"

It was interesting watching a moot court since I'd finished mine already. I kept my head down most of the time and stared at my watch because I didn't want to smile at a weird time or giggle.

Now Josh is preparing for his moot court. I'll be nice and show him what it's really like to be supportive, rather than doing favors begrudgingly and whining about how I shouldn't have to do anything to help.

*Not his real name

How YOU doin'?

Ever since moving to New York, I've been hit on by all sorts of guys (noticeably not by Asian or white guys). Here is a selection of lines that they've used.

1. Heeey!
2. Neee ho ma? [This line has been used most memorably by the creepy guy on the corner of Fulton and Broadway who hands out flyers for a strip club and some nasty looking guy who drove the ugliest car I've ever seen, an orange Scion box-on-wheels)].
3. The two black guys who always hang out on the corner by the guy who sells cheap cell phone accessories: Yo this be mah nephew [points to the guy next to him]
4. You're looking beautiful today.
   
5. Hey gorgeous! [shouted from a delivery truck, but I didn't mind because I'd just come from the interview that got me my summer job]

Yay!

I'm done with Oral Advocacy! My heartrate can finally return to normal after two days of anxiety.

I woke up early this morning to practice all over again. I didn't sleep well and kept waking up throughout the night. It was nice, even though my alarm clock was going off, to see Eli sitting on my chest as soon as I opened my eyes.

I was careful about what I ate for breakfast because I'd heard stories about people throwing up right before their moot court. I figured if I had two egg whites early, I probably wouldn't get sick.

My argument went as well as I expected. I didn't really forget anything. I think I missed a part of what I planned to say because a judge asked me a question that forced me onto the next point in my argument. Of course, I was nervous when the judge asked me questions. I was scared from the beginning that they were going to ask me a question that I wouldn't be able to answer and therefore look like a moron.

The thing that annoyed me today was a classmate who had their moot court immediately before mine. When I walked into my next class, happy and relieved, he asked me how I did and of course I answered that I did well. He asked me if I won on my issue and I said that the judges ruled that I lost. I knew that the judges would rule that way because the problem was worked out in such a way that of the two issues, each side had one that swayed in their favor. As the appellee, I was on the weaker side for the physical injury issue.

MR. KNOW-IT-ALL
Really, you lost?
[See what I mean about people who ask questions not to be nice, but to gage you as competition, and silently smirk at how he thinks you're inferior to him?]

DORA
Well, yeah. After all, it's kind of pre-determined who'll win which issue.

MR. KNOW-IT-ALL
I don't think so. I won on physical injury.

DORA
Weren't you on the appellant's side? The physical injury issue is swayed in your favor.

MR. KNOW-IT-ALL
[his teammate points out that this is true]
Yeah, I was on the appellant's side.

For the rest of today, I am on vacation except for the laundry that I have been putting off for the past four days. I plan to rot my brains with Apprentice and the episode of Grey's Anatomy that I missed this weekend.

Thanks for all your support while I was whining about moot court: Annette, Stacey, Jasmine, and P.

Still practicing

Please stop talking to me about physical injury

I think the cats are tired of hearing my argument over and over in its various, mutilated incarnations.

I'm surprised that I remember as much as I do, but know that when I'm at the podium, I'll get flustered and forget really important stuff.

All I have to do is remember to breathe and I think I'll be okay.

Talking to myself

Uno Morty burrito por favor, hold the cojones

Just think: On Thursday at this time, I'll be done with Written and Oral Advocacy forever.

However, until that time, I have to practice my oral argument by talking to a wall (I can't practice in front of a mirror because I think it's weird). I don't think I'm as nervous as I was this weekend, but I've reached the mindset where I just want it to be over with and wished that our group had picked the 10:30 a.m. timeslot for today.

On the upside, the weather has taken a turn for the San Franciscan. It's nice and cool, perfect to walk around the city, but I can't do that until after Thursday. The only way I get to enjoy the weather is by studying on the roof, and I've started bringing the cats up there too since Josh and I bought leashes and harnesses for them. They get scared and start shivering, hence the picture of a kitty burrito above.

Right, so it's time to start practicing for this moot court thing so I don't make a cake of myself again. I've started looking at it like a gynecologist appointment. It makes you anxious and uncomfortable before and during, but once it's over, you're relieved and won't have to do it again for a very long time.

Actually, I think I'd take a gyno appointment over this moot court thing. I'll take a scary pair of salad tongs any day over three scary judges.

Butterflies

Did I ever mention that I am afraid of butterflies? I'm afraid of all kinds of butterflies: alive, dead, metaphorical, etc. Yes, I know they're harmless and they're pretty, but they're creepy and make my skin crawl.

I remember one night before a first-day-of-school during elementary school, I had a nightmare where I was walking down a street lined with huge trees. I walked up to one that looked funny and when I was closer, I realized the tree looked funny because it was covered with monarch butterflies. Of course, I started to run away and they started flying after me. It took me a while to get back to sleep that night.

Today, the butterflies I'm dealing with are in my stomach. My moot court argument is this Thursday at noon. I just read my opponent's reply brief (replying to my team's brief - duh), and I realize my issue sucks a LOT MORE than I thought it already did (Cindy, good job. Your brief has me shaking in my heels-that-I-wear-only-when-I-wear-my-suit).

I realize that our professor created a scenario with two issues, each one swaying towards a particular side. I also knew that I picked the weaker issue out of the two for my team, so I shouldn't be surprised now. Thank goodness my grade is based on my performance during our moot court, and not whether I win on my issue. However, my performance will probably be dented a bit because I argue after my opponent, so I'll hear all that stuff that'll make me feel as though my argument sucks.

Maybe I should wear earplugs.

Book smarts?

During my Oral Advocacy class, we did ungraded practice arguments in preparation for our moot court arguments next week. I took some notes before class for my two-minute argument. One of my classmates asked me if I was ready for my speech. That question pissed me off because some people will ask you questions because they want to make conversation, but others will ask you questions because they're checking to see if you'll be any competition against them.

"No, I'm not prepared. Ask me if I care."

After making a cake of myself with my underprepared argument, I wanted to escape the school. There's a freight elevator right outside my classroom. I noticed before class that there was a green sign taped over the button that stated the elevator was out of service. When I walked out of the classroom, there were three men who may have been students (I have trouble telling because sometimes students wear suits) waiting by the elevator. The sign was still taped over the button.

I asked them, "Isn't the elevator out of service?"
"Yeah, it is," one of the guys said, "but we're going to give it a shot anyway."

I took the stairs.

At least it's downhill from here

I don't know what happened, but it seems that around late Wednesday, I become really depressed about school. Normally, when my classes end, I don't feel this desperate need to escape the building and not come back again until it's absolutely necessary. Today I was supposed to be in school from 9:00 to 12:40. I didn't finally leave school until 5:00. My head was pounding by then.

I had a craving for a McFlurry, so I stopped by the McDonald's on Broadway close to my school. When the girl was making the Flurry, she didn't put a cover on, so all the Oreo bits didn't even stay in the cup. At this point, I started to have a bad feeling. She handed the cup to me after putting the top on. I asked, "Isn't it supposed to be blended?" She responded, "You want it blended?" Umm... isn't that the essence of the Flurry? Well, I guess she didn't know what she was doing because she messed it up and the machine got the better of her, while barely mixing the Flurry up. She handed it back to me and said, "You'll have to get a napkin," since the cup was covered in bits of ice cream and Oreo. I stirred it up and the bottom half of the Flurry didn't have any Oreo at all.

Worst. Flurry. Ever.

Somewhere out there

Out of curiosity to my regular readers:

Who are you?
Where are you from?
How did you get here (if I didn't provide you with the link)?

You can leave an answer in my comments if you like. Maybe if there are more readers than I thought, I'll have more incentive to post.

Breakfast of champions

This morning, the phone woke me up when it rang at 8:20. I ran to get it, swearing that if it was AOL for the FOURTH time in two weeks, I would definitely be mean.

Apparently, the doorman said that I had an order of tamales coming upstairs.

"What?!" He gave the phone to the delivery guy.

"You called for tamales," the guy said.

"Sorry, I didn't make the order," I told him.

Who the heck would order tamales at 8 a.m.???

Then I looked at Morty and Eli, who were whining for breakfast. Maybe they did it.