Take your jollies where you can find them

It's all about getting your happy points where you can find them.

On my last post I mentioned just how much I love my calender, it is not a fancy printed one, it is an A4 piece of paper with numbers on it. It makes me happy.

My Nan sent me some cash for my impending birthday. I feel guilty that she sends me money, as a pensioner money is tight, especally with 6 grand kids and 6 great grand kinds. I am almost 24 (31st Oct) But that is niether here nor there.

For the last few weeks people have been asking ' what would you like for your birthday?' and my answer has been 'a cork or white board'. Nobody takes this seriously. So thanks Nan!

I am a bit bummed out about by birthday this year, it is the day before a massive exam. The week before and the day of will be consumed with torts and crim study, so no socailizing for me :-( BUT NOW I HAVE A CORK BOARD!!! So it's not so bad.

Getting em, where I can - Obiter

p.s see the book prop? best $15 ever spent.

Eye of the storm

No hand in assessment left, only 4 tutes to go before there are no classes.

For the most part each week I do all the work needed for the tute on that subject, sometimes I outline, sometimes I don't. Now I am feeling a little overwhelmed.

When I think about what I need to know for each subject (running through the topics taught each week) I start to freak myself out, partly because I can't remember the topics for each subject, partly when I realise the topics I do know, what I understand if them is mostly surface stuff. Not enough to put a coherent answer on an exam. I am probably a bad law student.

looking back this semester has not been the total shit fight that first semester was, is this because the learning curve has evened out, better time management or a year of all law subjects has left me empty and unable to care as much? Probably a combination of all these factors.

Today I found out one of my Other Degree friends has moved into Law, I am so excited for her! I recall the day I received my letter and was over the moon, I got into all the blogs and did as much pre-reading before the semester began. I would sit in the law library and be in a type of awe over the law students, it was a club I wanted to be in. That is still there to a point but it is fading rapidly I was all excited about the prospect of 'being one of them'. For me moving into law was a very scary thing, as I am sure it will be for her, I had nobody who was ahead of me to give help and advice, to listen to, who understood what I was going through, most importantly to share notes with! I am going to do my best to be the person she can lean on when it feels like it is all coming down around her (as it seems to do).

Over my desk area (right next to the kitchen in the living room - this is cruel thing to do to a chef, should any inkling of the need to procrastinate arise I am in the kitchen because it is just so close!) I have an A4 piece of paper with about four months worth of days colour coded for each week (rent and non rent) with tiny notes of the important things for that day, such as when assessment is due, on a post it note tacked onto the paper is a daily to do list. I am only allowed to cross off each day when the 'do to list' has been completed. Working with instead of against my quirks (I will write 'write to do list' on the list, just to cross it off) is probably the only way I have managed to survive this year.

I am off to pickle my yoke in wine, then knock out an outline answer for pure economic loss caused by builders - Yay for me - Obiter

Maybe I just need some sleep...

My default attitude is happy and optimistic, right now, not so much.

I am only in year 2 of 5.5 so I have a while to go before I get to honestly stress out about where my career will take me. However I have goals, I hate not reaching goals.

The reason I am in law school is because ultimately it is a skill that people will pay for. As a salesman I would often work very, very hard for a client and have it all blow up in my face "oh, sorry XYZ firm had a better product, I am not ready to go any further right now, I just want to think about it" all common objections that I would often be able to work around. I am not a 'gun' sales person, however I have great at building rapport and relationships. Still you can put hours and hours into a deal only for it to go nowhere. With legal skills they pay you for a knowledge they don't have/abilities they don't have the training for. Early in my working life I discovered a deep seated dislike of working for others, hard work to make some other person wealthy. I hated it.

Being realistic, I understand I will have to put some time in to working for a firm before starting my own. Its that small period that gives me the shivers. I am not a brilliant,top achieving student. I am a credit student, and I hear stories about the 6.7 GPA (.3 from the very top) not getting jobs, or the 5.5 student still working in the place they were when at uni. It scares me. If I am not a brilliant student should I really be considering opening my own? All these questions I am so uncertain about.

'Your going to spend 5.5 years of your life for nothing' is going through my head a lot recently. I am sure it will pass. Over the summer I have an unpaid clerkship lined up, more than most of my cohort I guess. Next year I go back to 50% law 50% other degree, that will be good for my mental health.

Taking a nap in the hope of waking up with a better attitude - Obiter

Umbrella's messed up my day, in a big way

Tall people + short people with umbrella's = DANGER, DANGER.

When I looked out the window the sun shining, puppies frolicking and kittens playing. I thought it would be safe to go to uni in sandals (the city is a slippery hazard in sandals when wet). I stepped off the bus and the heavens opened up and the umbrellas came out. I am not freaky tall at 6'3 but tall enough for my eyes to be in real danger of low hanging umbrella's.

Half way to uni some little lady decided to swing her umbrella in my direction, to avoid my eye being stuck out I tried to duck. In the rain, in my sandals. I went ass over head, with my laptop in by backpack. Its all broken *really, really sad face*.

At least I got a high distinction to even out my day.

Have a nice scotch now, goon was just not going to cut it after today - Obiter

Down hill dip - before the upswing

It's almost over, only two pieces of assessment left before exams (then the crazy will re-commence).

This week as has been an epic pain in the ass, two massive pieces of assessment and full time work on top of the usual study load, I think I was sick at some point but mind over matter. The only outward sign of illness was losing half my body weight in snot (pretty image yes?). Now a weekend at the beach for Mr. Ovums birthday, alternating between swimming and clobbering myself with the criminal code.

Criminal Advocacy:
On the facts provided my 'client' was screwed, no amount of clicking his heels saying 'there is no place like home' should have kept him out of mental health court. He was a nut case. However I manged to find some obscure case that might help, even the law librarian was stumped as to how to find it, after about half an hour and a few phone calls we got it. A saving grace, while my 'client' would probably have gone to the funny farm court to be on the safe side I think I did a darn good job of the advocacy. One of the judges from the moot court last month complemented me on it (best part of that day). Very pleased with myself right now.

Torts Memo:
The study group split in half became our group for the assessment, we all pulled our weight and worked well together. One of the first positive group work experiences I have had at uni so far.

The 'I want it, I want it, I want it, job':
Survive law school website published an opening for a unique law firm calling for a summer clerk. The catch was the application had to be in creative form. As I like to punish myself I set myself a deadline of a week before applications close because otherwise I would spend the next two weeks doing it, time I have so little of. Part of the application was a hard cover notebook covered in macaroni called the 'mac'book, at the post office the counter lady took bubble wrapping to a whole new form of art, I hope it makes it down in one piece.

Like when you buy a lotto ticket I can now fantasise about the 'dream job' until I hear otherwise (or a massive amount of time lapses without hearing anything). I included this blog as part of the application. I feel good about it one moment and really bad about it the next, not sure if it will work for or against me (see epic inability to proof read before pressing the 'publish' button). Only time will tell.

I want to be like a shark and have the ability to sleep with one half of my brain at a time - Obiter

Law Ball

The Advocacy is due in 5 days, I have not started it yet. I am in the death grip of procrastination.

I am not usually a procrastinator, often things are done at least a few days before they are due to allow for polishing ect, but this time I am bunt out. Alarm was set for 7:00am to get a start on it before leaving for work, but I woke up at 11:00am so that wont be happening..maybe tonight?

About the law ball.

What I read on the invite: Mad hatters party, get dressed up and spend a fortune on a costume.

What it actually said: Mad hatters ball, not fancy dress (but if you really want to you can).

I saw my mistake the morning before the ball, too late. A friends little sister is a artist/make up artist so I commissioned a hat and make up, this coast about 1.5 x the cost of the ticket. There was no way I was not going dressed up.

When I arrived to my relief their was an Alice and a Queen of Hearts and a few top hats floating around, so I was not totally out of place. Unfortunately all the people I know who said they were going did not show up, after wondering around drinking for an hour or so it hit me 'people are going to notice the 'Mad Hatter' has no friends...LONER'. It was about this time I discovered the 'power of the hat' I randomly chose some guys that were in my crim class last semester, Preppy Douche Bag and Co. I know I am a shameless hypocrite - Like I care. It ended up being a blast, the bar tab did not dry up and the after party was a riot. I discovered I make an awesome 'wing man' to be fair it was mostly the power of the hat. However before my eyesight went to crap did make a few observations.

Cigars: There was a group of about 5 guys smoking cigars, rolling them in their mouths and generally being pretentious... really...later in the evening I think I may have mentioned to them that was a pretty 'toolific' thing to do. Yes I have no tact - Like I care.

State schools: The conversation eventually got to 'what school did you go to?' the general reply was "grammar, all boys X, all girls X, or some other pretentious school' when the question was directed to me my initial response was (this is a total defence mechanism) 'lets not talk about that, what does it matter anyway?) after more grilling I divulged the dingy state school where nobody can get expelled as it was the last school that would take anyone. I actually got met with disapproving looks... twats, I managed to twist some humor into it but seriously what a twatty thing to do.

Girls got trashy: Like wow, trashy. When I got sick of the 'do you have a girl friend?, so whats the name of your girl friend?' crap I let out I was gay and have had a partner for three years (*gay math 1o1: three years in our world is a big deal, about 6 year equivalent for straight couples). That was met with such acceptance that it made my heart fill with hope for the future.

Gay conversation: I tend not to let on about that aspect of my personal life mostly because it does not define me AND when I do, the conversation tends to center around it for quite some time or comes back to it often, and I hate that. I would very much like to have a phamplett that reads 'So you have met a real live gay person, things you would like to know'. The other part of that is once is gets around I get questions like "Oooh I have always wanted a gay friend, will you be our friend?' I shit you not, people ask this. We are not collectors items, get lost. When I am in the right mood the response could be to the effect of "and I always wanted a skanky bimbo, lets go shopping!'

Did I really just do that?: the moot court judges from a few weeks ago were students, who were there. At the after party I took it upon myself to grill one of them...yep no shame(probably the state school in me comming out), I think I got away with it because of the hat.

All in all it was a ... ball... yep I just took the low road to humor. - Obiter

What is stress and pressure?

Stress and pressure is:

1 x Client File
1 x Research log
2 x Client Memo
1 x Advocasy
1 x Criminal back up

All due in the next two weeks. I would be on edge as it is with all that due, but to top it off, Mr. Ovum wants to go away for three days for his birthday. I have had to shuffle my working days to get the weekend off, this means on the week most of the stuff is due I am working full time. Last semester I took time off and it finacially screwed me, unlike most of my fellow students, I am not getting a cent of help from the government (who recognise gay couples only so far as to not entitle us to help if we are de'facto - thanks..) so I have to support myself 100%. I have family commitments thown in there as well. I am on the verge of a melt down..

On the other hand I went to the law ball... I promise to blog ALL ABOUT THAT later (some twats were honest to god smoking cigars and gwaffling)

Feel like I have been micowaved - Obiter