New Look ...

OK, admit it ... the lovely blocks of primary colors formerly decorating this page looked soooo 1L. So, I decided to make a few changes to recognize my advanced 2L status. But the old blog had nice lines and brighter colors and borders to keep the pictures from flying away. This one feels a little floaty and uninhibited and uncontrolled ...

Worth A Thousand Words ...

For the first time in the history of being me, I am not at all ready for the new school year. I know, I know, I am a nerd through and through, but even I cannot be excited for four months of reading cases after a really lengthy last week of work (in which we did not leave until the computer literally locked us out) and two cross-country plane rides with a mere three days at the beach in between followed by a strange job interview and a law review orientation that completely abused the word "unique." So, instead of more ranting from me, I give you the last few weeks in pictures ...

The hallway outside my former office. Please note the the green walls, pink columns and purple mouldings. And the checkered floor. Really, the building used to house the war department, not a fun house. Difficult to tell by the decor, I know ...

A few weeks ago I got the urge to go camping. That has also never happened to me before, so I had clearly been in cement land for too long and I definitely needed a trip to the beach. And to Great Falls when I got back to Virginia. (And, C. FINALLY came back. Hooray!) And, as the last picture shows, the leaves have already started changing. I suppose that means I really do have to go to back to school ...

Flowers In Iraq ...

A quote I read today, by an Iraqi man named Yousif Mohammed, who sells flowers in Baghdad:

"Everyone should love real flowers. If you have just enough money to buy bread, you should spend half of it on bread and the other half on flowers."

Makes me think of the flower stand outside the Metro. Last semester, I loved seeing boys from class buy a bouquet. Every time I witnessed this scenario (and it happened more than once) I would spend my train ride home wondering about the girl on the receiving end, and pondering the possible reasons for the purchase, and secretly hoping the boy had no reason at all ...

America The Beautiful ...

I think the tone of my last few posts shows that my sarcasm level rises along with the humidity. It also rises when I have no roommate to regale (cough cough) with my views on well, everything. (I am living the solitary life for a few weeks. And I will admit, it makes me want a cat.) But today I took a nice long, long walk with my pal M. and I used up all my lame comments. (Yes, M. deserves a prize for such heroic listening. And for buying me an ice cream cone. Thanks, M.) So instead of a rant or a twisted attempt at humor (sorry about those, folks) I am just posting a lovely picture of the Capitol, and telling all y'all that I went there today, and I sat on the House floor (well, in a chair on the House floor) and I listened to the speeches about energy and I agree and yes Utah, I can attest that Congressman Bishop did return to the floor of the House, and yes, we all stood and sang "America the Beautiful" at the end of the day ... really, we did, and you know what, really, it is ...

Happy Birthday ...

So, not only does my stylish little sister share a birthday with the epitome of all classiness (Laura Bush, obviously), but today I learned that my brother almost shares a birthday with the epitome of all verbosity (Barack Obama, even more obviously). Somehow I doubt, however, that Obama shares my now-25-year-old brother's aptitude for being completely accurate when making seemingly ridiculous statements. (For those so unfortunate as to not be related to us, now might be the first time you learn that the best type of mozzarella cheese is evidently made with water buffalo milk. How my brother knew this more than a decade ago remains a mystery.) What this convoluted post is really trying to do is simply to wish my brother a happy birthday ... a day late (relax all, I did call him yesterday). But as a bonus, take that, Barack: I am purposely abstaining from wishing you a happy birthday even though it is your actual birthday and not a day late AND I am insulting your credibility at the same time. And as an extra bonus, while on the topic of birthdays, I will remind my faithful readers that it is never too early to start planning for January 11 ...

The Irony Of It All ...

Today I vacuumed a Relief Society room. In stiletto heels. And a pantsuit. And I cannot decide if this violates the Callie Code of Conduct or exemplifies the virtues of said code ...

Explanation: We had a mock interview event at the church, and after my two delightful interviews I decided to escape the inevitable life-plan conversation for a few minutes and clean up the breakfast instead. And that required some vacuuming. And for the record, interviews, even fake ones, make me feel like I am on a really awkward first date. Same questions about me, same answers from me, and very few of them actually telling anyone anything that really matters ...