North Maple Rag

So I went. I attended the pre-party, the full dance, and even got in a bit of post-party pizza. I'm glad I did. Unlike last year, I avoided the wine table and stuck to sipping beer, which rarely gets me drunk. Drunk law students are hi-larious, especially when you're sober. So, it was a long night but I'm currently hangover-free and ready for a break from the city.

Anyway, law prom, if nothing else, is a reminder of why I like my classmates. Who else would think of mixing a handle of gin with fresca and serving shots of it out of turkey basters?

Tonight, the law school is hosting one of it's semi-annual parties, or what I like to affectionately think of as Fall Ball. I attended last year and all I really remember is a completely awful hangover the next morning followed by the most uncomforatable (due, of course, to the hangover) flight I've ever been on (to Ft. Myers, FL).

This year, I am once again headed out of town following the FB (same friend, different state, different campaign). And, since I'm more than a little behind schedule on my note, I think I'll be limiting myself to a FB pre-party and possibly, a post-party. I know this plan may hurt my fun quotient, but sometimes scholars, like myself, have to make sacrfices for our scholarship. Either that, or I'm totally lazy and I need these extra four hours as a last-ditch attempt at making my deadline. Um, yeah, that one sounds right.

I did, however, take a trip to Neighborhoodies yesterday to make a t-shirt that could be part of a costume. I've been wanting a Neighborhoodies shirt for a while and making it was soooo much fun. Check out the website and plan your own way to represent.

completely engrossed by the conference report for the 2002 Farm Bill. It's nights like tonight, when it's rainy and cold and I'm happily ensconced in the law library piecing together legislative history, that I remember just how much of a dork I am. Also, I've been pretty nonchalant about school so far this semester and it's good to be excited about something again. It is, in fact, a relief to find that I'm still academically curious at heart.

I spent a lot fo my time this evening trying to sort out some complicated Congression funding mechanisms for a USDA conservation program. If there's one thing I learned from my time on the Hill, it's that it's always easier to ask someone those kinds of questions than it is to sort it out by myself. So, I emailed one of my old bosses. She's still employed on the Hill and was working late. Almost immediately, she shot back a thoughtful email complete with a helpful CRS report and an offer to take a lot at the authorizing language herself. She's great and what's most amazing is that most of the people I used to work with were great in the same ways. They were smart, dedicated, and generous. I miss them.

For a while now, I've been pushing on others that "networking" (I hate that word) should be focused on quality, not quantity. Tonight was just one of many examples of why I think I'm right on this one. I could have a million Congressional business cards, but none of them would garner me the kind of personal attention I get from and am willing to return to people like my former co-workers. I guess all of this is just my roundabout way of saying that I'd rather spend the bulk of my "networking" time cultivating the relationships I already have rather than indiscriminately making new, fleeting contacts. Besides, real networks are born from shared experiences, teamwork, and trust; all things that are rarely present at events that boast "networking" opportunities.

Well, this post has landed pretty far afield from where it started. That's okay. I'm not posting as often as I used to, so it's probably good that I cover more ground when I do.

My acceptance of that sad fact means that I very rarely sing near, let alone in front of, other people. Unfortnately, I love singing along with my favorite songs. In fact, one of the things I miss most about my car is its provision of a safe space for my obnoxious vocals.

This weekend, however, my roommate is out of town which means my apartment has been transformed into just such a safe space. On top of that, I'm forcing myself to stay up until I have a significant chunck of the first draft of my note written. Oh, and I've been drinking Diet Dr. Pepper straight from the 1.5 liter bottle, so I'm more than a little caffeinated. Needless to say, the vocal stylings at my place tonight are nothing short of spectacular (me + Lucinda Williams = dynamic duo).

In related news, my new favorite first line of a song is this:

I’m going down the highway
with a suitcase full of all my bad ideas,
going to check them out, see what
I have been missing all these years*

Doesn't it just make you want to hit the road?


* From "Bad Ideas" by the bluegrass band, Nathan.

My favorite people from home (and possibly my favorite people full stop) are the ones who's affection for South Dakota is matched only by their fascination with the rest of the world. I've been lucky; not only do virtually all of my college friends fit into this category, I've also been able to find quite a few mildly homesick but adventurous South Dakotans out in the "world."

Last night, I went out for sushi with just such a group. As with any gathering of SD ex-patriots, there were several layers of connections between us. One of the women I'd met in high school, become friends with in college, and often run into at political and legal gatherings. One of her high school friends, who was a college classmate of mine, is in New York for the semester as part of her graduate program. The last dinner companion also went to high school with them and while I'd never met her before, she worked in my old office shortly before I did.

The meal was fun and we laughed uproariously when the table of undergrads behind us started discussing all the states they'd never been into. SD was high on each of their lists (natch) and they exclaimed things like, "South Dakota! Is there even anything there?"

Anyway, it was a good night all around. And, as I'm trying to make my final law firm decision (a decision that will, at this point, inevitably take me even farther from SD) it was a nice reminder that you while can take the girls out of SD, but you really, really, really can't take the SD out of the girls.

I think I must have been flying high from this weekend's beautiful, crisp, fall weather; I agreed to run approximately 18 miles of a 200 mile relay next summer. It's not really the 18 miles that scares me, it's the fact that the other runners are far more . . . runnerly than me. Hans Brix, who convinced me to join her team has been very encouraging (imagine her saying "You'll be fine." over and over again).

The good news is that the race should be fun. We'll be journeying from the top of Mount Hood to the Oregon Coast (hence the race's name, Hood to the Coast). Also, I've been needed some extra motivation to get to the gym more frequently and this should do the trick. Nothing motivates me better than my fear of humiliation. Those of you who talk to me frequently should prepare yourselves for some hearty whining while I try to get back into running more than three miles at a time.

Anyway, like I said, this past weekend was gorgeous. Autumn's always been my favorite season and days like yesterday make me want to rake something. I'm hopeful that the weather will stay like this for a good long while -- the leaves have just started to change here in NYC, so that's a good sign.

Hans Brix just directed me toward this awesome site, Kitten War. I didn't just laugh out loud, I snorted. Check out the "Losingest Kittens." The one named "Chicken" will be haunting my dreams.

I awoke early this morning to the sound of fat raindrops hitting my windows. I went back to sleep hopeful that the rain would subside by the time I need to leave for class. Alas, by the time I stepped outside, the rain had turned into a downpour and the wind had picked up. My jacket and umbrella protected the upper half of my body, but I arrived at class with soaked jeans and shoes that made that icky squelchy noise every time I took a step.

That, however, was the least of my problems. I took out my laptop and discovered that my beloved North Face bookbag is not waterproof. My laptop wouldn't turn on. I stayed in class for an hour, feebly inspecting my computer as if I would suddenly discover a magic button that would allow me to access my corporations notes. After class, I headed to the computer store where they told me to let the computer dry for a few more hours before bringing it in for repairs. They also warned me that if I did bring it in, they wouldn't be able to look at it for two weeks. Thanks customer service!

Thankfully, my computer is now dry and running. In retrospect, I think it might be a bad sign that I was more worried about the possibility of losing my itunes collection than I was about losing class notes.

I love, love, love the West Village. I live about five blocks east of where I lived last year which has made my West Village trips less frequent (yup, I'm that lazy). Today, I sadly discovered that one of my favorite bakeries has closed. Luckily, I also found a great coffeeshop, Jack's. It's almost, if not as good as last year's best coffee discovery, Joe.

It's been rainy and grey, so I've spent most of the day in my room, reading and lounging. I'm writing a note for my journal this semester and I managed to get through a pile of rules from the Code of Federal Regulation without clawing my eyes out, so I'm calling the afternoon a success.

Now, I'm reading through the handful of law review articles and notes that have been published on my chosen topic. I just discovered that one of the more helpful looking notes was written by a woman who was in my class at college. In fact, we took the same LSAT prep course. I guess she went straight into law school. Anyway, I'm a little bit sad because her writing is awful. I can't believe anyone let her publish the note in this form. It's messy and awkward and less than gramatically correct. I'm disappointed because I know that our college taught us to write better than what she has produced. I'm also frustrated because a lot of the research I've found on my topic is from the journal that published her note and I think I'm going to have a tough time trusting them. Oh well, maybe I'm just snotty.

In other news, I got another callback offer yesterday. Yup, they waited more than six weeks to call me. The message the recruiter left said something like, "hey, sorry we didn't call sooner, but we'd really like to bring you in for more interviews." Bullshit. I'm pretty sure that message means, "hey, we liked you six weeks ago, but we didn't love you, so we've interviewed a bunch of other people and they're not taking our offers so hopefully you're desperate and will come in for more interviews." Hmm, tempting, but no thank you. Again, maybe I'm just snotty.

riparian: relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse (as a river) or sometimes of a lake or a tidewater

I was reminded of this passage from Me Talk Pretty One Day a few weeks ago. I was enjoying the view while taking a cab into the city from LaGuardia and thought to myself that David Sedaris's description of the Manhattan skyline was spot on. Anyway, the new banner over at Neo Tokyo Times reminded me of it again today. Here it is:

". . . and then eventually, the New York skyline would appear on the horizon and we'd all stop talking. If you happen to live there, it's always refreshing to view Manhattan from afar. Up close the city constitutes an oppressive series of staircases, but from a distance it inspires fantasies of wealth and power so profound that even our communists are temporarily rendered speechless."

I've been listening to the same small handful of songs over and over for the past few weeks. I downloaded a bunch of new stuff this weekend, but nothing's taken hold yet. So, I'm going back to my regulars (Top 3: Long Ride Home by Patty Griffin, With Arms Outstretched by Rilo Kiley, and Doubting Thomas by Nickel Creek).

The only books in my room are ones I've already read (and law books, natch). Re-reading them is always nice, but I think some new ideas might be healthy.

I haven't rented or gone to a movie in weeks. I'm excited for Elizabethtown (Cameron Crowe! Roadtrips!), but not much else.

So, please email or post some recommendations. I trust you.

Two of my friends from college were in town this weekend. They're both a year younger than me and I hadn't see either of them since their college graduation a couple of years ago. It was fun to see them and to hear about their lives and plans. I got to know both women when I was in charge of my college's student activities board and seeing them brought back a lot of memories.

Mostly though, seeing them made me think about how little I now resemble the college senior version of myself. Little things, like my appearance and musical tastes, have changed, but I'm really alarmed by the big things that have changed. My career ambitions, personal goals, and religious convictions have evolved and morphed in ways I wouldn't have expected at the age of 22. It's only been three years, but the changes have been significant. The scariest part is that I'm making decisions that will probably affect the shape of my life for the next five to ten years. I hope the 28-year-old version of me has more confidence in me than I currently have in my 22-year-old self.

Okay, that was a silly sentence. What I'm trying to say is that, in a lot of ways, I was clueless in college and I'm not particularly pleased about the prospect about looking back on law school with the same feeling.

The callbacks are done! Woo! I finished my last one Thursday evening with a great dinner at Zola in DC. Since then, I've been enjoying the luxury of unstructured time. Thursday night, I went out to dinner with a former co-worker and then out for drinks with some friends. Yesterday, I actually did some research for the note I'm writing, I washed almost all of my laundry and I spent the night in Jersey City at a friend's house. Today, I'm meeting up with some friends I haven't seen since college to show them around SoHo and the West Village and tonight, I may take an impromptu trip to Boston.

Golly, it's good to have a life again.