Lukeland

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The last few weeks have been a whirlwind.  We spent a weekend down at my parents’, I had my heart surgery (which was, I’m told, a success), I’ve begun work full-time, and I’ve had two gigs (one of which was a pretty big deal).  I’ll post a photo wrap-up next.

But the thing we’re most excited about is our new house.  It’s a beautiful old home with lots of character.  Here are some pics:

Work:  I’m enjoying being back in the swing of things.  My caseload is not unmanageable, and things are pretty relaxed.  I have a trial next week, but I’m not too worried yet.  I have started having those nightmares where you’re before the court, and the judge calls your case for trial, and you had no idea that you had a trial that day.

Love:  OMG, she is the love of my life.  Every day is better than the last.  Every night is like  slumber party with your best friend.

Music:  We’re playing Reaney park again this Thursday, and then on Friday we’re playing the National Lentil Festival in Pullman.  Both are outside shows, so I get to mic my kit, which I quite enjoy.  I’ll try to get some good pics.

Zoo

For some post-bar stress relief we went to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.  It was so much fun.  Here are some highlights.  For the album, go here.

Misc

Miscellaneous pictures from our trip out west.  For the album, go here.

Kamiak Butte Hike

To celebrate post-bar freedom, we hiked to the top of Kamiak Butte.  For the album, go here.

Wow!  I can honestly say those were the three most difficult days of my life.  The material is challenging, but what is most difficult are the conditions.  It’s very formal and impersonal.  There are over 1,000 test-takers, and you’re just a number.  The head proctor is terrifying.  You’re testing from 8:00 in the morning to 4:15 in the afternoon.  And worst of all, your entire future — everything you’ve worked so hard for, from the LSAT through graduating law school — depends on your passing this exam.  So, yeah, that’s a lot of pressure.

Everyone has been asking me (and I’m sure will continue to ask me until October) how I think I did.  The truth is, I have no idea.  Obviously, it’s a defense mechanism to assume you didn’t pass so that the let-down isn’t as crushing if you get the bad news.  But I really don’t know.  I felt like I had halfway-intelligent things to say about every question, and I definitely answered them to the best of my abilities under the conditions.  I don’t feel like I was unprepared for any question, but there were questions that were more difficult than others.

My main source of anxiety is my method of preparing for the exam.  Barbri insisted that the only way to prepare was to write lots and lots of essays.  I didn’t feel like that would help me memorize the law, so I used my time making and memorizing flash cards.  I did write some essays, and I took the simulated exam.  I also read through quite a few previous years’ questions.  But was I wrong to disobey barbri?  I guess only time will tell.

The worst part of the ordeal are the people who enjoy making other people feel bad in order to make themselves feel better.  I sat next to a cocky frat boy who loved to talk about how easy this was (”like riding a bike”) between exams.  It made me feel horrible, because it certainly wasn’t like riding a bike for me.  But then I felt a lot better when I heard him talking about how stupid one question was (a business entities question), when it was obvious to me that he completely misunderstood the issue.

What would I have done without Diane!?  What a blessing she is.  She’s so independent and smart and adventurous.  By the end of the first day she had already explored Bellevue, had been to Seattle, and knew how to get everywhere we needed to go for dining, shopping, etc.  It was so nice to not have to think about getting around in the city when I had so many other things to think about.  And her emotional support — wow.  She always had an encouraging word to say, and gave very good real-word advice that made me feel loads better.  Not to mention the little notes of support she left in my lunch bag each day.  She is the definition of true love and partnership.

So, now I get to wait until October 13 to find out my fate.  Originally, I was terrified of failing because of my pride.  Now, I don’t even care about that.  I’m just terrified of failing because I don’t ever want to have to go through that again.  But, if I have to, I have to.

Meanwhile, I’m going to continue to enjoy life and love, and thank God that I have been blessed enough to even sit in the bar exam seat at all.

Looks like the house deal might go through after all.  Crossing fingers/praying/hoping it’s the right decision.

I scored a sweet deal on an old Schwinn Le Tour II last weekend.  $20 and it looks like it’s been stored inside for over 30 years.  A couple nicks in the paint, but very sharp overall.  I spent about 5 minutes tuning it, and it rides like a dream.  Unfortunately it doesn’t have the original road handlbars, so I’m on the lookout for a set.  I took the rack off to put on my commuter.  That’s worth over $20 right there!

In other news, Diane and I made an offer on a house we absolutely loved.  The owners countered, but then withdrew before we could sign the acceptance papers.  Bummer!  There’s a small chance they’ll reconsider.  It’s a beautiful house: huge, victorian, parlor, sun room, etc.  Oh well.

Only 4 more days until the bar.  I think I’m on track, but I guess I won’t know until it all happens.  This is horrible.

The worst part about studying for the bar is the worry that you’re spinning your wheels and that your study is ineffectual.  Barbri insists that the only way to prepare is to write LOTS and LOTS of essays.  Doing that makes me feel like I’m not spending enough time memorizing the substantive law, so my method is to go through LOTS and LOTS of notecards/flashcards.  Ugh.

So today, for a change of scenery, I joined my wifey on the lawn whilst I cycled through a ridiculous amount of notecards.  It seems to be working…I think.

I just found out that free accounts through Flickr now only allow you three photo sets!  That’s ridiculous.  So now I’ll have to look for a better free photo hosting service.

My wifey surprised me with a picnic and trip to Steptoe Butte this weekend. It was a great way to escape the stress of bar-prep.

I received two things over the weekend which allowed me to exhale and relax a little bit: 1) a letter from the bar association saying that my application has been approved, and 2) my degree. I had been too nervous to check my grades (as always), so there was that nagging fear in the back of my mind that I didn’t actually graduate due to some exam error, or that my dream of being enrolled for a class that I never attended came true.

I think now I’ll go check my grades to see how I did.

PS: Never take a bar exam if you can help it.

A beautiful bride, my ma and pa, and Maddie.