Trying to rack up last-minute karma points...

Blogging has been hard work for me lately. And instead of writing something half-assed, I'd rather just not write anything at all. Stuff has been going on - I got my hair chopped off by a friend who works at a very hoity-toity salon (very cute, short, graduated bob, which has led my stylist friend's husband to call me "Bob"), decorated the apartment for Halloween (hooray!), and made some travel plans.

I think I've come to a conclusion about my job. If I get good news next week (yes, already next week - more on that later), I'm going to begin quietly looking for another job . Don't get me wrong - I really love working for my current employer, but given that it's a fairly enormous corporate gig, my ability to move up from current menial secretarial position to hot-shot attorney isn't exactly mindblowing. I mean, there are opportunities for upward movement, but I'm not sure I'd be able to be patient enough to wait out the process. So I think I'll start seriously looking at options after Christmas - I'm going to try and stick with my verbal year commitment - and hopefully find something perfect. Despite the fact that my job isn't very cerebral, I'm not in a huge rush to leave it willy-nilly. I have really great benefits, and it's paying my student loans...so why leave that stability for anything that isn't a good fit, you know?

Yes, so by next week this time, I should have my bar results. If the postal service is running well and the gods don't hate me. I REALLY don't know how I feel about getting results via the mail, where I'll have to hold an actual envelope and decide whether I want to tear into it or open it slowly with the aid of Vodka. And speaking of vodka, Husband & I just got a very big bottle of vodka and a very big bottle of top shelf rum this weekend. Hooray for liquor! I've been used to getting results in California, where you get your rejection in a more instantaneous fashion. At least I'll have serious confirmation so there'll be no doubts.

If any of you want details about WA bar results, email me & I'll let you know. And may all of us still waiting on results be blessed with lots of good karma...

Apparently you guys aren't joiners...

So either I've gotten really boring and nobody comes to visit anymore, or you're all a bunch of wallflowers.

I saw SARAH JESSICA PARKER!!! She was here promoting her perfume Lovely. I didn't buy the perfume, so I didn't actually get to tell her how much I love her, but I did go up & down the escalators to watch her. And man, is she ever gorgeous in reality! It was so cool!

Of all the people I've seen when I lived in LA, I think I got the most excited about her! So it was a great week!

Who's LOVELY?!?

Guess who I saw today?

No really, GUESS!!!

Here are some hints:

1. She's an actress with a very successful TV show behind her, and she's in films
2. She lives in NYC
3. She's LOVELY (no, not de-lovely, lovely)

What's been going on with me?!?

Dude. I don't know what's been going on with me. I have felt very absent when it comes to writing. Maybe my muse is a little caught up in the stress of waiting for bar results. Maybe I'm just in a lazy spell.

Work is going well. I'm not really challenged, but it is what it is. I do have some crazy co-workers that I will write about... eventually. I just haven't had the patience for sitting down and writing. I think it's more of a general feeling of restlessness. If I find out good news next month, will I be able to be patient & stay at my job until upward movement is possible? Or will I eschew the benefits/fun co-workers/cool corporate culture for an attorney position?

I have recently become totally addicted to Nip/Tuck. We didn't have cable until we moved here, so when Tivo decided to record a few episodes, I gladly watched. And WOW! do I love it! That and Project Runway have been my obsessions. Oh, um, and Rockstar. I can't help myself. A co-worker & I have bet a cup of coffee over who's going to win. I'll not spill yet who I want to win, but I'll let you know if I win the bet.

The cats are doing good. Cooper got snipped on Saturday and had a rough recovery. Now that he's back in full pouncey form, he & Jiminy are doing great. I think Jiminy had been feeling threatened by Cooper's manliness because Jiminy has been very affectionate and sweet since Cooper's surgery. So things are good on the fur front.

A few weekends ago at dinner, Husband and I allowed ourselves the true luxury of imagining what life will be like if I do pass. I'm trying not to waste energy on thinking about results, but sometimes I can't help it. And it certainly doesn't help when people at work ask me when results are coming out. Believe it or not, that STRESSES ME OUT!!!

OH - I almost forgot to share some very exciting news: we are currently enjoying a 2 week free trial of Netflix. And IT'S AWESOME. We got the first movie today - Fun With Dick and Jane. The movie was funny - I'd recommend it. One of the best parts was at the very end when they thanked all the defunct companies - that was a riot.

Anyways, kids, I'll try to keep up more with posting, but maybe my heads just a little too caught up in Sudoku?

Martha Stewart and her cookies shall be the death of me.

I made Martha Stewart's Double Chocolate Cookies tonight, with Dutch-process cocoa, that my in-laws brought me from the Netherlands. Yeah, 'cuz that's how I roll.

I got the itch for cookies after we'd gone out to RedHook brewery, come home, & gotten my arse beaten at Scrabble... as soon as I said "Double Chocolate Cookies," Husband was on the bandwagon. Nevermind the fact we had to go to the grocery store for more chocolate (in addition to the Dutch processed cocoa, the recipe called for 4 oz of finally beaten and 4 oz of finally chopped "good quality" baking cocoa - of which I decided to mix semisweet & bittersweet), he was on board.

And oh my gawd...we are both going to explode from the chocolatey gooey goodness. I said the cookies were the perfect post-nookie treat, and Husband said "POST?!???", so I guess you know what he thought of them...

The mixture of semisweet & bittersweet, in case you wanted to know, was like C-R-A-C-K. Holy cow! I shall not be leaving the house until Tuesday morning to go to work...

Lucky?

Yesterday, on the 1st of September (not to state the obvious...), I found FOUR pennies, all HEADS UP.

I feel this is going to be a good month - lots of people will find out they passed the bar!

Oh yeah, I still got it.

How do I know I still got it? I got hit on. After the Mariners game on Friday night (wherein they kicked some Boston Butt!) I was waiting for Husband & my cousin to use the restroom when this guy came up to me & said something (ok, so he was maybe a bit drunk...hush!). I didn't understand, so he said "my friends & I are going to this bar, wanna' come?" I said "oh, um, I'm waiting for my husband" and pointed to the bathroom. He then smacked his forehead with his hand and said "OH, OH MAN! I'M SUCH AN ASS!!! I can't believe I'm one of those guys...I just hit on a married chick! I'm so sorry!!!"

Of course I said "that's okay... no really, THAT'S OKAY!" Unsaid: "keep going...no really, tell me more..."

I had a great weekend with my cousin. We went whale watching (awesome - there was a super pod of Orcas!) and ate great foods and spent a day on Bainbridge Island (where I'm moving when I'm a millionaire). It was so nice to be with family!

The cats are now chums, I'm happy to report. That's not to say they don't still fight...they have nightly brawls at 3:30 am on the bed...on top of ME. But there's cuddling. And cuddling is good.

I know I've not been writing very much...and I do feel badly about that, but I've just not been in the mood. And yeah, I suppose I have to be in the mood to write.

Meet Cooper Rufus!

As you can see, Jiminy has taken to bathing Cooper. I'm not sure if Cooper should be offended or not, but he still enjoys it at this point!

Okay, now leave plenty of comments about Cooper's ridiculous cuteness. 

What a WEEK!!!

WELL.

Tuesday night, Miss Brilliant (that would be me) decided drinks after work with 2 co-workers would be a brilliant idea. Happy hour turned into all night. Seriously. I think I caught the last bus home, and somewhere between the bus stop and my apartment, I ate the sidewalk. No, I ATE THE SIDEWALK. Both of my knees are completely scraped up (very badly) my left hand and wrist are completely scraped up, and the SIDE OF MY FACE got scraped to hell. Wednesday I had the hangover. from. hell. I didn't think I was going to actually survive the day. And the rest of the week, people were asking me what the hell happened to my face.

Not one of my more shining moments of brilliance.

Yesterday I decided that since we're living in this great state, we need to go out and enjoy it. So, we went on a 6 mile hike UP A MOUNTAIN to this gorgeous lake - Snow Lake. The elevation gain for the first 1/2 of the hike was 1,300 feet. Yes, we climbed up 1,300 feet to the top of a mountain. Oy. I almost didn't make it up to the top, but I think that was equally due to the elevation bothering me as much as the fact that I've become a "cheese puff", as Husband so eloquently put it. No, he didn't call me a "cheese puff", as we were both huffing and puffing up these switchbacks on the mountain, he called both of us cheese puffs - just really out of shape, apparently. But once we got up to the top and saw Snow Lake, it was all worth it. It was so gorgeous! I'll try to post some pics this week.

Today we were coming back from going out to breakfast and decided to stop at a pet store because they were having a huge tent sale. We suddenly found ourselves at the back of the pet store standing in front of the only kitten for sale in the store. An adorable short hair orange tabby...with the cutest face EVER...and the most adorable feature: a tail that is only about 3 inches long (apparently he was born that way). I held him in the store, and he didn't stop purring and started doing that "making biscuits" thing on my chest - how could we say no????

He is 11 weeks old, and we've named him Cooper. He is adorable.

And how is the adjustment going with Jiminy, you ask? Well, they did a lot of playing today, so I think they'll get along perfectly and become the best of pals. However, Jiminy is more than just a little pissed at us. Seriously pissed.

It'll be interesting to know how this all turns out...

Any tips you'd like to share on making sure the transition goes smoothly would be muchly appreciated.

still alive....

No, I haven't been hijacked.

My computer is sick and has been at the doctor's since last week.

Husband lets me use his computer, but he's so territorial...and I prefer mine, anyways.

I got a haircut. When I say "haircut", I lost about 5-6 inches, and I have a completely new style. People at work couldn't stop raving about it! Which was nice...but then it made me feel like perhaps I looked like crap before?

I'll be back to more regular posting once my computer comes back...and until then, I'm going to keep feeding my newly found obsession with sudoku.

I admit it: I'm a pen thief.

I had a fantastic weekend with my friend...it was so awesome to have quality girl time.

I'm glad the bar is over & that I survived. We're not talking about the exam itself, though, deal? And believe it or not, but my hand is *still* sore.

Something really fun: I'll catch myself thinking/feeling that I have to go home & study/should be studying and then I'll remember that I don't have to!!! And I get excited! It's an awesome feeling.

I spent all weekend enduring serious mocking because the bar scrambled my brain and I couldn't talk appropriately.

OH, pizza's done...gotta' go indulge.

My new best friend is Epsom Salts

My hand is not happy.

Both last night and tonight I've soaked my writing hand in a bucket of water w/ epsom salts. It has helped.

I can't believe I have more tomorrow.

I will be so glad when this is over...it won't come a minute too soon.

The cat is not pleased with me having gone from being home all day to being gone again. In fact, he's made his feelings quite clear.

Okay, my hand is hurting from typing. I hope to be next updating when I'm D-R-U-N-K! Wish me luck tomorrow! And good luck to everyone else still going tomorrow...

Starting to feel a wee bit on the woozy side...

So I'm not going to stay at a hotel...I can't really justify the cost when I live so close to where the test is. I think with traffic it will only take about a half hour to get there. At least that's what it took when I did the test run last week.

I sort of feel like I should have a glass of wine, but I'm afraid it will just give me a headache...both tonight and tomorrow morning. And starting the exam with a headache would really blow.

I'm in that bad phase where I feel totally antsy but I can't relax. I know tomorrow morning will come way too fast...I'm going to try and go to bed in 2 hours...I SAID TRY. I'm absolutely taking a sleeping pill tonight. Only half of one, don't worry. Which is why I'm going to bed in 2 hours - I want to give myself plenty of opportunity to sleep if I can.

One of my bestest friends sent me a Good Luck Bar Box full of fun gossip magazines and fun lotion and a fun candle and CHOCOLATE. Oh, and one of the most fun things ever - a s'mores kit! I think I'll save that for celebratory purposes.

I can't believe the bar is already going to be tomorrow. How did the past few months go by so quick? Holy shit.

GOOD LUCK to all of you going through this with me this time!!! Let's go kick some ass!

Bar exam? What bar exam!?!

Screw this, I'm going swimming. And I might be taking a cooler full of cold, alcoholic beverages with me. But I'm not telling.


Saturday I went to Starbucks to escape the stifling heat, and I saw another girl there who was studying for the bar. My first clue with the foot-tall stack of flashcards. The second clue was the Bar/Bri essay book. Even before she pulled out study stuff, though, I had her pegged - I think it was probably that air of quiet desperation we're all emanating right now. Yes, quiet desperation. Although for some of us, perhaps not so quiet.

The crazy brigade is coming to get me.

It was so hot in my apartment yesterday that I thought I was going to die. D-I-E. When Husband got home from work he promptly declared it too hot to stay, so we went drinking at Red Hook brewery. When we got home it was still so hot I couldn't sleep. Every time I fell asleep I woke up 2 seconds later sweating. Did I mention how hot it was? We have no air conditioning, either. We have 2 fans that were going full speed and it still wasn't helping. At one point I was so overtired I started doing that laughing thing where you can't stop but you're not laughing at anything. And then I got Husband going. And then we got into a water fight IN the bed.

I think I maybe got 3 hours of good sleep last night.

This does not bode well for me being productive today. In fact, it doesn't bode well for me being anything other than a lump on the couch. Good thing there's good movies on TV today.

It's supposed to be hotter today. Goody. I think I just may take the entire bottle of sleeping pills tonight.

Things to look forward to...

While I'm looking everywhere for my Motivation (where did you go? why did you desert me NOW?), I now have something very exciting to look forward to: my friend who was in South Korea for a year and is now back is coming to see me the day the exam is done!!! In fact, I'm going to the airport after the test is over to pick her up. Crazy, I know - why am I going straight to the airport after the bar? Well, the ticket was such a phenomenal deal we couldn't pass it up. It's totally going to be worht it. I haven't seen her since a year ago April, so this will be a big, exciting weekend! We have lots of drinking to do...I predict it's going to be a very fuzzy weekend. Which is totally warranted after the bar.

That's all the news I have.

Oh, and tomorrow is my anniversary - I'll be married for 3 years. Crazy. We don't have any plans yet...maybe dinner. Which wouldn't be a problem for my study schedule..."study" schedule. Starting on Sunday I've been writing 9 essays every day (ok, I'll be honest - my hand wears out so I'm writing a few, outlining a few - issue spotting) but by the time it hits about 4:00 or 5:00 pm, I'm D-O-N-E for the night. And yes, I feel guilty about it. I mean, there are HOURS LEFT IN THE DAY...I MUST BE PRODUCTIVE. But I. just. can't. I really wanted to sit and look over my memorization sheets...but it's already just after 8:00 pm and the night might as well be over as far as my brain being worth anything. Tomorrow morning I'm planning to get up at 6:00 and start nice and early. The day is starting with a bag: 6 P.R. essays. Sooooooooo excited!

Not gone...just abducted...

So today started my simulated exam schedule. It's not fun. I supposed "fun" really isn't the goal here. I am hoping that by spending 5 days in a row writing 9 essays every day that next week the test will feel like a piece of cake. The only thing I am slightly concerned about is the fact that when I woke up this morning, my hand was sore from writing yesterday. It's only going to get more sore as this week progresses, so I'm thinking I'll have to start rehabilitating it by holding a cold beer every night. It's medicinal!

This week I have off of work (thank god), and I'm not sure how I've managed to work AND study for the last few months. It has totally sucked. And lo and behold, today I feel like I've actually made visible progress. Take for example how in the first set of 3 essays I wrote this morning, I encountered a commercial paper essay and, well, let's just say there wasn't any angel choirs singing my brilliance. However, the second set of 3 essays I got another commercial paper essay, and I did blow it out of the water. It felt good, too. I guess my memory is back to functioning. Hooray!

I don't really have anything else to say...just study, study, and more study. I'm so glad this will be over soon!

life is SHORT!!!

I was already at work when I read about the bombings in India.

I have a very good friend who was dropping off a co-worker in front of a train station where a bomb went off. She and the co-worker are fine.

I am so glad she is okay.

My thoughts are with all of those not as fortunate as my friend...

Since North Korea is going to nuke us, I don't have to study...right?

I am tired.

I feel good about my progress today, so that's something.

I'm not really looking forward to this week...although I just have to get through 5 more days of work and then it's bar time 100% of the time. Oh, yay.

Everything seems like it's coming together...or at least will cooperate and come together in the next 2 weeks.

Ok, I have 3 minutes to brush my teeth, take my sleeping pill, and go to bed. I know, I know - how anal can I be, right?!? The more stressed out I get, the more my life is married to a schedule. Hey - it helps me cope.

IT'S PANIC TIME!!!

Holy cow. I cannot believe I have to work the rest of this week and next week. Talk about performing under pressure...

I'm having a freak-out tonight. I sat down to re-visit Crim Pro and I apparently had it wiped completely out of my memory. Fantastic. This is not the time for this sort of thing to be happening. Although better now than in 2 weeks, I suppose. I really don't need anything extra unraveling my confidence right now, you know?

I'm trying valiantly to maintain a positive and focused attitude, but tonight it's not working. And the fireworks are NOT HELPING MY NERVES. I already feel like crying and shouting and impaling myself all at once, the last thing I need are explosives going off RIGHT OUTSIDE THE WINDOW.

ALONG WITH THAT SCREAMING INFANT IN THE APARTMENT BELOW ME. Argh!

At least I've got sleeping pills. Ha ha!