The Hiatus

Blogging isn't quite as soothing when you spend every waking minute reading and writing and trying to avoid even the most stylistic use of the passive voice.  It also doesn't serve much of a purpose when the only funny stories you have either revolve around nerdy law school jokes or the fact that one of your professors wears a fanny pack and uses Lindsay Lohan in all of his hypotheticals on land grants and the law of estates.  I'd like to go back to giving it a try anyway.

It feels like the first time seeing an ex after a break-up, months later with an awkward amount of space to fill with small talk and half-interested nods.  I have't seen this "compose" page of my blog in so long that I almost wasn't sure I was in the right space.  But I'm back, and I guess that's all that matters.

So what small talk do I start with? I guess I could tell you what I've been doing for the past four months.

Read, study, writing assignments, repeat.

That actually sums up everything you need to know, at least about the law school part. 

What about my social life?

I spent last Saturday watching puppy shows on Animal Planet in
between frequent panic attacks about my moot court brief

I guess that picture works for that too.

Be on the lookout for more...

What Did You Learn Today?

When I was teaching, I used to make my kids share what they learned at our end of the day meeting. Maybe it was because my parents made me tell them what I learned in school at dinner every night, but mostly because it was a good measure of whether they were paying attention to me or to the cap eraser people game they all played in their desks. Now that I'm in law school, I feel like I should keep the tradition going by telling my roommates the legal subtleties I picked up on that day. For example:

• If I can prove negligence by slipping on a banana peel in a grocery store, I'd probably be able to pay for law school with the damages
• I cannot, in fact, rig a spring-loaded shotgun to protect my abandoned farmhouse down the road
• About 90% of disputed contracts occur at either (a) the company Christmas party after several rounds of egg nog or (b) the local pub over frothing pints of ale (according to my contracts professor)
• The difference between sans serif and serif fonts (I'm really not sure why that's necessary to become a lawyer, but oh well)

There you have it, Mom. One thing from each class. Isn't it just riveting?

Grade One to One L

Moving from first grade to first year law is quite the jump, but I have to say that the transition has been less rocky than I initially thought. The idea of being cold-called in class is scary, but less scary than being on call to a bunch of six-year-olds most of the day, every day. I can handle my odds with ease after two years of that. It's crazy how differently my first week of law school has gone in comparison to my first week of teaching. That was a wild display of chaos, inexperience, and completely false expectations. Not that I think law school will be a walk in the park... I'm sure the anxiety and insecurity will come in due time. I'm wondering whether it's easier to get the horrific out of the way early, or to know it's lurking somewhere in the future. I guess the jury's still out on that one (hah! Law jokes!).

I went to the gym for the first time today, overwhelmed because BU's gym is huge. I walked around aimlessly looking for day lockers and feeling like a freshman (how I've felt most of the week) when all of a sudden I heard some yelling echoing down one of the hallways next to the pool. I looked through the door and saw a short, young-ish man with one hand over his head.

"First grade! You have five seconds to get in a line behind me! Five... four..."

Six-year-olds with wet hair sopping the backs of their shirts pulled at their clothes uncomfortably. The countdown didn't stop them from whipping their towels in spirals on the ground, scuffing wet shoes on the floor, or looking in awe at their surroundings. One girl seemed more concerned about finding her friend Stella-

"Where is she?!" she proclaimed to the teacher's dismay.

-than getting in line.

Don't get me wrong. I miss my kids. I miss parts of teaching. But you could not pay me a million dollars to take first-graders on a field trip to the pool. I could only smile at the teacher and hold the door as the line straggled past.

*Side note: why doesn't this class have a door holder as a class job?! Rookie mistake.