Merry Jesus-Baby Nativity Day

(That's how Cara put it, anyway). It's been a good Christmas. Particularly in terms of timing: it was pushed back from our usual stockings at 8ish (during college--earlier it was stockings at 6:30) with breakfast thereafter--Eggs Benedict, sausage, bacon, EMD (early morning drinks--Reymus Fizzes in particular), juice, hot chocolate--then the tree by the time noon rolled around. This year, Mom allowed as how Dad would be the arbiter of timing. So I was rousted out of bed at the young hour of 10:45 (having been up until 3:45ish with wrapping and hanging out with Strump and suchwhat), for stockings.

Best. Stocking stuffer. Ever: Nun Bowling. Oh dear god so hilarious. Also, lots of chocolate. This is a good thing.

Other loot included frying pans for my apartment and books and the settlers expansion. And CTA token cufflinks, because that's just kinda awesome. Baron (Strump's dog, for those who don't know, a small rat terrier/manchester terrier mix who is a black hole of spaz) got a Greenie in wrapping paper. He neglected to unwrap it before chowing down on it.

Last night was Christmas Eve (I mean this in terms of the event rather than the date, which ought be obvious to anyone with a calendar or a pair of eyes and a couple brain cells to rub together for sparks), and Captain Erickson and Ben and Taylor came over for dinner (Black tie, business for those under 40--I wore Dad's 'Bah Humbug' tie, which is the lovely old thin burgundy tie with the eponymous words in small cream script repeated all across the tie). Pate and cheeses during the cocktail portion of the evening. For dinner--Crabcakes, Beef Wellington (and mashed potatoes--ironically, the dish I am closest to being responsible for that isn't dessert--and pearled onions), and dessert (homemade bouche de noel, chocolate pecan pie, 'pinecones' (dacquoise meringues stacked with chocolate ganache between and around, and some dressed up in almond slices--hence the name), and chocolate brioche bread pudding). So very very tasty. I hadn't seen the Ericksons more than a couple times (like twice) since Emily's funeral (my godmother, Capt. Erickson's wife, and one of the reasosn I left Sidley) in February, so it was good to see them again in less unhappy circumstances. Fritz (their pouffy white-haired dog, Baron's best friend in the world) came, too, and they hung out while the humans did the same.

We have leftovers for weeks. The garage is cold enough to act as a walk in fridge, which is a damn good thing.

Other than the holiday events, and wrapping (and spending five hours on or about a ladder lighting the upside-down tree that is the centerpiece of Christmas Eve dinner/Christmas breakfast. 1700 lights on that sucker), I've had two days of outings: one to hang out with the lovely Miss Liz Marquez, involving chatting and dinner and watching Love Actually, which is the only modern sappy movie my parents seem to enjoy around Christmas (rather than things involving Bing and Fred and possibly Rosemary Clooney). The other involved going out to the Leesburg outlets with Dad, to lounch (mmm... Sushi. And the Beatles on loop in the background), and then downtown to get the White House Christmas Ornament for Mom (this year's is pretty damn good). Then I went off to my coffee shop in Dupont for a couple hours to work (hah) on story (38.5k words now, but kinda don't know what to do with this section), and eventually off to dancing with Grace and various others. Five hours of dancing so happy (add to that two and a half miles walked with a 20-lb bag on my back, and you might understand how I got home at 3:30 and promptly crashed for as long as they'd let me).

That's pretty much the highlights of break so far.

Merry Christmas to y'all.

No legal quote, because it's break, dammit.

DC and the possibility of a White Christmas

I have survived! Exams are done and I think I may even have done well. But there will be no caring or concerning myself or even thinking about it until grades come out... so... not now, in other words. I have survived, my brains have melted out my ears, I have been excommunicated twice (and twice conquered Christianity in order to be recommunicated--once as France, once as the Holy Roman Empire, which it must be noted as other have is not holy, is not roman, and is no longer an Empire [but in Medieval II: Total War as I'm currently playing it, it stretches from lisbon to bulgar]). There was movie watching and playing through Gears of War II on Bergy's television of grave significance (by which I mean it's fucking gargantuan) and parties and the discovery that various of my friends have cats--which means I might be able to arrange feline playdates next term, because cats are excellent. And on the plane home I ended up talking history and philosophy and stories with a kid of indeterminate age (but pre-undergrad, as he was returning from just having interviewed for admittance to Cambridge--the English one, mind) who was vastly amusing for two hours and change.

And now, I in my harlequin-argyle sweater am sitting in my parents' house in DC doing laundry--rather, waiting for it to be done--so I have clothes for tomorrow, and chatting to people on google and allowing a somewhat heavy grey cat to lie on my lap and arm and purr as I type. I have a bed in what was my old room in which to sleep (it is no longer my room, as there is a new inhabitant who is not currently here but at her parents' house, and it is not my bed, as that is in Chicago), and life is generally lovely. Dad came to pick me up at the airport, and I will likely be seeing Miss Liz Marquez tomorrow for... something, and saturday Grace and I will be going to Remington's for more dancing with gay cowboys (because that's one of the various and sundry things I do).

I leave you, before my battery runs out, witha quote from today's crim exam, for your amusement: 'Wayne gets his kicks by setting off dynamite (assume he is not legally insane).'

Other things that amuse me

http://www.queerty.com/secret-cause-of-global-collapse-found-its-the-gays-20081202/

Also, the webcomic Least I Could Do. I just lost what could have been a fairly productive evening to that.

For your amusement:

It came from Westlaw, so it must actually have been in court:

http://kevinunderhill.typepad.com/Documents/Mayo_v_Satan.pdf

Right...

So, about that whole catching up thing. I guess I failed at it. Clearly, as I'm nearly a month behind. I think I will post my notes for the past few weeks, so you can demand such elaboration as you wish, and then elaborate on a point or two of my own. The following is a transcription, which should give you some ideas as to my mindset/m.o. Parentheticals added later (that is, now) for your clarity.

‘You’re special in your own way, but it’s not clear [that you’re legally unique in your services].’ Professor Nzelibe, concerning the legal uniqueness (which differs from absolute uniqueness, and is thus subject to degrees) and the specific performance of contracts.

Monday (11/3): Contracts Midterm--group affair. getting to Josh's place. Forgetting shit. Meeting Mama Pasquesi. Getting credentials.
Tuesday: pollwatching. Up at 3:25. Partnered with at tax attorney from Mayer Brown. Saving people's votes. Lots of food. Got home in time to hear Obama'd won. Crashed.
Wednesday: date scheduled, GING! (she reappeared), CA fucking up, Bergy w/ beer and rantiness (it was hilarious).
Thursday: DREAM committee meeting (organizing events surrounding MLK Day. I think I'm the sole white law student on the committee--joint NUSL/Med School).
Saturday: practice exam thing. DATE (Bourgeois Pig, wandering about, chatting)!!! Dancing (at Charlie's, the local gay cowboy bar).
Sunday: Meeting Andrew Drummer for [breakfast], pirate show of wtf? (seriously. It was surreal. It was for children, and yet involved a pirate chair dance) Rehearsal (Habeas). Reading, and a failure to outline.
Monday: more rehearsal. Otherwise, not much of significance.
Tuesday: clean house. Classes. Make-up of Redish.
Wednesday: Classes. Mock Interview (with wrong firm researched [unclear whose fault. Went well anyway, and was informative as well as kinda fun]). DATE! (wandering around for a bit, then pasta-cookery and A Fish Called Wanda here in the Eyrie)
Thursday: classes. Guh. Nothing worth mentioning.
Friday: skip CLR cuz useless. Accepted invitation to Thanksgiving at Chez Pasquesi, which Josh thought odd but rather funny (he was to be, and was, in Omaha with his girlfriend). Homesick and general badness and Bourgeois Pig for recuperation. (not the best of weekends, clearly. Lots of angst, as well as a distinct lack of clarity on a few points).
Weekend: Lunch with Ben (Egerman), Prop 8 rally until knees hurt. General suckitude for the rest.
Monday: LOTS of classes--make-up and exam redux. Career Center meeting. Got exam back, more talking to Adam (boy of dates). Whee.
Tuesday: Talk with Kate T over lunch, figured out about Thanksgiving and her visiting.
Wednesday: third date arranged, CLR meeting, DREAM committee meeting, Civ Pro study session for the midterm that wasn't really a midterm.
Thursday: Memo during CLR, Civ Pro 'midterm', working on memo during career night, working out Thanksgiving details. Pechous arriving, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, talking until stupid o'clock in the morning.
Friday: no time for breakfast. Alexis food ftw. Lunch with Pechous, Ellen (cousin) at Puck's in MoCA. Work on memo. Quantum of Solace with Kathy/Craiggers, Josh, Tim, Verity.
Saturday: DATE! (Museuming, walk, sushi at Niu, talk of quasi-solidified). Margaret's b-day affair, whereat I forced Michelle (and persuaded others) to dance.
Sunday: memo turn-in, shopping, reading The Man Who Was Thursday (all of it).
Monday: cooking dinner adventure (ask if you're curious--the story's worthwhile, but not being told here. It was an adventure, but mostly a comedy of errors on my part). Also, the sweet potato chili is a good option for those who like chili but not potatoes.
Tuesday: scheduling date. Cleaning apartment. Swearing at lightbulbs.
Wednesday: Kate no-show. Pechous/Teagle show (at 12:30ish). Fisher King. Again, staying up until stupid o'clock.
Thursday: Buses and trains and vans, oh my! (Thanksgiving Chez Pasquesi, which will be a post of its own at some point soonly).
Friday: tortellini and interrogation by famille Pasquesi, DATE! (Thai food, Blackadder in the Eyrie).
Saturday: non-day. The Name of the Rose
Sunday (today): similar, but with property reading.

So, yes. There is what happened in November, in a better outline form than I have for any of my classes (fortunately, I have others' outlines, and am boiling them down to checklists, because while I am bad at this, I'm not completely stupid). I am greatly indebted to Mr. Pechous for keeping me in reading material, and Miss Julia for keeping me only as insane as I am naturally wont to be. Similarly, the mail had better arrive with what I was told was sent me, so I can in turn send it on with a Thank-you note (despite the wine having already been drunk at Thanksgiving). Soon starts exams--Wednesday is the last day of classes, and the 6th is my contracts exam. That ends the 18th, at which point I fly home and sleep for a day or two, I suspect. So I may continue to fail at blogging (but hey--I'm doing loads better than I had on LJ, so you can't all complain. And if you're ever curious what I'm up to, you can always call or e-mail me. It is, in fact, encouraged regardless)

And since I don't have any entertaining case quotes for you, I'll instead throw one out from The Name of the Rose, lent me by Messr. Peshew: "The magic of mirrors is such that even when you know they are mirrors they still upset you."

Non-Chronological

Squee. That is all.

So Far Behind...

In life as in my blog. Another Redish quote to start with (concerning slavery, and the only amendment to the constitution to limit private, rather than state entities): 'Why did they fight the civil war? It was in all the papers...'

Anyway, I'm WAY behind on this, to the point where details have gotten a bit sketchy here and there. So (fortunately, you're probably all thinking), I'll be somewhat less long-winded than usual.

So, Saturday (not this past one, but the week before's) didn't contain much of interest, as I spent the greater part of the day working on my memo. That evening, I met up with Verity, Josh, Kathy and her boyfriend (from out of town) Craig after they got back from going to an NU football game. I got there at the time they had said we'd meet--they didn't arrive for another half-hour ish, so I wandered around and talked to Blair for a while. The bar was fun, a whole bunch of Kathy's friends showed up at some point. We took the El back down, and walked back from the station.

Sunday involved finishing up my memo and studying with Matt. McClurg--despite the minor heat wave we had going on--had turned its AC to heat, so my apartment was ridiculously hot with no way to cool it down. As a result, Sunday night I got two and a half hours of sleep (this including the hour I got for skipping Contracts (and Property, too, as I wasn't about to get called on with so little sleep). On the upside, I figured out how to work my story's title into the story itself.

Monday, I went to the habeas rehearsal, and it was good. Got to Civ Pro, opened up my laptop, and watched the broken LCD screen go Jackson Pollock on me... and then the upper half of the screen reduplicate itself on the lower half all twitchy like . Fortunately, I managed to e-mail my files to myself before the laptop completely fucked itself. It really wasn't a good day. I got out of class, headed straight out to call and see what could be done (my sainted sister volunteered, despite our being in the argument equivalent of a small cold war, to send me hers). Fortunately, Matt picked up my iPod and made damn sure it got returned to me, because that might have been precisely the end of the world. I wandered around until the panel on Trans Rights (it was OUTLaw week), and got some food there, and laughed when people asked me how I was. That night I spent an hour and a half unsuccessfully on the phone with HP, who evidently thought that--due to the newness of my laptop, and something they never told me--I was trying to scam them in some capacity, but they weren't telling me, just saying that my warranty didn't exist.

Tuesday was law school the old fashioned way--pen and legal pad (courtesy of Sidley). It was an interesting experience, but not one that I'm necessarily excited to repeat. I probably took more and better notes for not having the distractions available to me by using a laptop, but... those notes are now somewhere in the morass that is my apartment. After classes, Kathy loaned me her laptop for use until Strump's arrived. There was also an OUTLaw panel, whose topic I cannot immediately recall. Various of my band of lovable idiots got together in the library that evening to go over stuff for property. I got more shit hung on my walls (this could be a never ending process.

Classes. Whee. Used Kathy's laptop. Returned it that evening because Strump's arrived in the mail (I have mentioned that my sister is a saint, right?) That evening, there was the debate in the atrium, which featured excellent food (fortunately I was in the part of the line that got some) and incredible chocolate. I ignored the debate and alternated between studying property and hanging out with Michelle and Dave Van der Laan. After the debate, Matt and Bev and I all headed over to O'Toole's for a while.

Thursday. Classes (I know, right?). There was some minor fun in getting strump's laptop hooked up to the internet at school, but that was accomplished at the cost of being five minutes late to CLR. That was the beginning of the process of my getting screwed for a partner for the open memo in CLR (in the end, a good thing, but galling nevertheless). In the evening, there was the sponsor's meeting for OUTLaw week, which was cool, after which a whole crowd of us went to the Soup Box to eat dinner quickly before heading up to Bar Review (my second), which was at Spin. Michelle and I ducked out around 11, intending to quickly return home for the purpose of work and/or sleep, and we would have done it too (if not for those meddling kids), except that we both of us were focusing more on my eye candy on the bus than on where we were, so we ended up at 400S (rather than 600N, so a mile and a quarter off from our mark). Fortunately there was an El stop right there so we took the El back. We got home at quarter to one-ish.

Friday. Midterm hell. Crim was cake, and I even did well despite thinking it so (of course... it was a group affair, but as secretary I was kinda in charge, and it also wasn't graded). Then there was CLR (which I skipped to do my citation exercises), then the Gender Blender (which was hilarious, including an M1 drag queen performing and a panel that effectively tested people's gaydar--I was 5/7). Then there was the property midterm, which was one of the less pleasant mental experiences of my life. I went home and crashed after that. That week went a good way toward killing me.

Saturday was spent largely lying in bed recovering from the week. I started reading Hal Duncan's Ink, which I'm about halfway through now (having only read bits of it since), and which is as interesting and better written--if still consciously pleased with itself and its writing style--than the prior book, Vellum. I need to read Prometheus Bound at some point, because of these books. Sunday was housecleaning and reading. I have no recollections currently of the monday. Clearly nothing important happened. Tuesday I got my computer sent off to HP to get them to unfuck it.

Wednesday I voted during lunch--it was cool. I walked about 15 minutes west on Chicago and found the building and wandered around inside until I found signage directing me to the polling place. Voted (for all the right people), got my 'DO NOT REPORT TO THE POLLS ON NOV. 4' receipt, and went to Civ Pro afterward. After class the dean held her Conversations with Sue thing, which was entertaining. Chilled with her for a while, then went to the Libe to accomplish the quasi-bullshit research project. We finished that, and it was good.

I have no recollection of Thursday and Friday, so therefore nothing except the research presentations happened. Whee. No. Friday afternoon I took my camera out for a spin after discovering the black and white mode. I had some fun with that (eventually there will be a pic post), and got a good walk in.

Saturday was memo research, and then four hours of dancing. I wasn't /quite/ steaming by the time the El came, but close. Got waltzed by an exceedingly cute guy, and had some excellent swing dances with two of the few women in the place (one of whom teaches classes there). I was multiply encouraged to go to a class on mondays, just to go dancing. I think I'm going to have to at some point. Because dancing is fun. Got home late (early).

Sunday was research and reading of cases. And for classes. And at 12:30 AM monday morning (earlier than their initial estimate of when the drive-by would occurr--3 or 4), my mother and Strump appeared outside McClurg in the van, dropped off my halloween costume, my snake lamp (now known as the Bastard Snake Lamp), as mentioned in my prior non-chronological post.

Monday was more classes, and for whatever reason I was antsy and restless--or upset about something--but whatever it was, I can't recall. So I took a walk. I think I covered about seven miles in a bit less than and hour and a half. It was very nice, and relaxing, and frigid. I managed somehow to keep my hands warm by alternating which held the iPod and which was in my pocket. Michelle and I had agreed that I would call her at a certain point in order to meet up with her for the Diwali Dinner that a couple of groups were holding in the med school. It was fun, and the Indian food was quite damn good, enough that Michelle and I tolerated having our seats stolen by a group of unrepentantly obnoxious med students. Went home afterward, read, slept.

Tuesday, I was fortunate in that I had read thoroughly for property, as I found myself on call for the entire period, excepting one question to Matt, after which he switched back to me. It was a rather hardcore experience, even though it was probably easier for me than it has been for many of my classmates, insofar as the questions directed at me were not based on the cases but rather on abstract theory-type notions (philosophy finally pays off!). There were also about five minutes of questions on amenities in apartments, and twenty minutes of 'Art Day' during which time Cameron had fun drawing all sorts of things. So it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it wasn't roses and rainbows, either.

Wednesday I went during lunch on a failed attempt to secure portions of my costume (wig, which ended up never happening, and fake beards both for me and for Josh, which I ended up getting and then not using myself), but failed because I misunderstood Josh as far as where the costume store was located). I also made some damn good taco gunk that night for dinner (that's a Kidney family term of art, if you didn't know). That evening, I made a trek down LaSalle to find the actual location of a costume shop, and got the beards that were needed.

Of Thursday, I have no recollection--nothing must have happened. Friday, though, was Halloween. I went to the circus almost immediately after class, down in Daly Plaza. Before I did, however, I made the final purchases necessary for my costume: a cross. I went to a cathedral, and found that due to their renovations, the store was closed and would be open on saturdays. Not helpful. They directed me to the Moody Bible Institute, to which I went and found myself in a quietly fundy-type store with all sorts of very nice, quietly judgmental Christian ladies who looked askance at me in general (iPod and not enough clothing for the cold, they thought). I walked, reveling in the irony of the whole situation, up to the counter and politely asked to see their cheapest cross. I ended up with a nice silver-metal deal, with fleur-de-lys ends and inset red glass in each leg. It looked good and just gaudy enough to work for the costume.

Then I went to the circus. The fountain had orange food coloring in it and was all kinds of special. The Midnight Circus was giving free performances, and the audience was filled with kids. It was a minorly acrobatic, minorly comedic affair--like a poor man's Cirque without fire or water and only limited musical innovation (the DJ was kinda cute, though, as were various of the performers). It was a good time. Then I went back to my apartment and dithered around for a bit (reading, in other words), and got dressed to go up to Adair's Halloween party/belated birthday party for Sue.

The walk to the El was an interesting sociological experience: I was in red robes, a black heavy cape, with a cross around my neck and iPod headphones in my ears. Pretending not to see people's odd looks was entertaining, because there were lots of them. On the El up, I had to repeatedly explain to people who Richelieu was, which was not quite unexpected, but still somewhat disheartening (and proof of how much of a dork I am). It was about a mile from the El to Adair's, and I built in far more time than I needed in terms of getting lost and stuff, so after many children missing the cross and exclaiming 'Wizard!' in my wake (and a few 'bless me father, for I have sinned')--and seeing such costumes as one decent Joker and an incredible Carmen SanDiego. I helped Adair and her friend finish the cake and wait for people to arrive. The party was great fun, and there were pictures taken and cake eaten and my costume proved highly entertaining. Eventually Sue decided we should all go to a dyke bar, and so we proceeded to T's, and passed the remainder of the night there.

Saturday and Sunday, except for a brief dinner and lamp assembly visit by my mother and sister on their way back through Chicago to Dc, were devoted uninterestingly to my CLR open memo. Whee. Now, being only a week behind, I'm going to put this one up and start another post so you all don't drown in words.

"The issue is, what is chicken?" 190 F.Supp. 116 (S.D.N.Y. 1960)