This Is The End...

In just 3 full days, I'm leaving Virginia. The thought has given me a lot of doubt. I'm afraid that moving won't be as good as I hoped. I'm afraid that my Alabama friends won't really be my friends anymore. I'm afraid that my plan to get healthy in 2008 will be a bust.

But there are good thoughts as well. I really look forward to being closer to my Mom. I look forward to not feeling afraid when I go to bed. I look forward to closing this law chapter behind me, so I can begin my life. Not that I don't want a legal career, I just think that in 2008 I can get past the legal crap and get towards a job and really being able to exercise all I've learned. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone else, but it does to me.

Happy New Year to all!! I love my friends and family.

It's Moving Time!

It occurred to me this morning that I'm moving in 11 days. It's so soon! I have a million things to do to get ready. I'm hoping there will be less chaos this time around.

My landlady is coming up for an initial move-out assessment on the 27th. I think that's Thursday. Man, I better start cleaning like my life depends on it! (Or, more accurately, my security deposit.)

I never turn down help, so if you're in the area, I've got boxes with your name on them.

A Good Friend

Right now, I'm worried that my friend D. is upset with me. She is allergic to cats, yet, she and her husband told me a story about taking care of a neighbor's cat. In the interim, I asked her and her husband to help me move in to my new apartment.

So, I have to be sure that my cat doesn't set them off. (Her husband is also allergic.)

Regardless, I love her.

I found that B. doesn't agree with me when it comes to the death penalty. I respect her beliefs. I think I'm just really glad that we can talk about our thoughts and beliefs without being mad at each other.

I'm really grateful for these friends.

New Jersey

I love my friend B., and she is linked to my blog (although not as high as a week ago, which I will fix, I promise). I disagree with her when it comes to the death penalty. It used to be, years ago, that death was swift and horrific. That doesn't make that penalty OK. It just means, to me, that as a society we get a superiority complex about other people.

I guess my point is, we (meaning me) feel bad when a male tiger kills the offspring that are not his. Yet, somehow, we think it's OK to kill another person.

I am a HUGE, BIG fan of life without parole. But state-sanctioned murder is not OK with me.

And I hope I never have to be in the situation of a family member whose loved one was murdered.

HEY!

Hey, you seven states which haven't made animal cruelty a felony yet...I'm talking to you!

The list is:

Mississippi
Arkansas
North Dakota
South Dakota
Idaho
Utah
Alaska

Get it together, and join the other 43! There is absolutely no reason to condone cruelty. None. These crimes are horrific and systemic.

I Think...

That my cat is going blind, if he's not blind already.

That moving home is going to be harder than I imagine. I think it'll be better, too.

That becoming a lawyer isn't my passion, but that I'll be good at it and it'll pay the bills.

That getting older is a blessing, and maybe I'll find my passion along the way.

That my family is a bunch of maniacs who are all waiting to be screwed by each other. I wish it weren't true, though, and I will try to make it better.

That expecting someone to know what I want and need is dumb. But sometimes, it's even dumber when I have to tell my own truth.

That having a fireplace is a gift.

That I'm grateful for my friends and family.

That it will get better, and if it's not better, it's not over.

Random

Tomorrow I better get my act together and get to the District so I can return my Bar/Bri books and get the refund. I'm sorely low on cash right now and it's kinda scary.

My cat just barfed on the kitchen floor. At least it was on linoleum and not on the carpet.

I need sun! It's been grey and overcast here for 3-ish days and it's getting to me. Reminds me of Cleveland.

My brother-in-law asked me to send him a wish list for Christmas. He gets a fab discount, but still, I was a good girl.

If the weird dreams don't stop, I'm going to start to get concerned.

I Am A Liberal

Just a bit ago, I was checking my email. I then checked the headlines on Yahoo News, and saw an article about NBC choosing not to air an ad from a conservative group. Of course I had to check it out.

All this paragraph comes from the story. Apparently a group called "Freedom's Watch" wanted to have NBC air a commercial in support of the troups. I read the article, then clicked on the group's website. According to the article, the group wants everyone to say a "Thank You" to those Americans who are in the military.

Now, this response comes from what little I know. I have not seen the ad. But, as a liberal, I wonder when supporting the troops became a conservative issue. Is our country that divided?

I don't support the war. But for Pete's sake, why not support our troups?

I'd like information about care packages for our soldiers. They are ours, every one of them, who risk their lives each day. So, my hope is this. Get past your damn politics and think about the people, the individuals, involved in these wars.

So, if you can give me REAL information about the help and support I can send, please tell me. Because the individuals matter more than the groupthink.

Revenge: Best Served Snowy

A couple of days ago, the weather folks said it was going to snow here in DC. Being the snow-experienced smart cookie that I am, I quickly figured it would be chaos around here, so I got my boots on and went grocery shopping during normal working folks business hours. (At some point I will explain the apocalyptic hilarity of snow and southerners.)



Anyway, yesterday I needed to venture out again and so I headed to my little car. She was covered in about 3 inches of snow. I pulled my trusty snow-broom out my trunk (a souvenir from Cleveland) and began to sweep. 3 inches of snow all over the car takes a while to remove, as you might imagine.

So I'm working on the driver's side of the roof, and a red minivan pulls into the parking spot next to me. The driver maneuvered a really bad parking job, enough to make me jump a little, and she went into the building. I didn't think too much of it, because there was still ice and snow on the sides of the parking spaces. She returned a few minutes later with a walkable small child and an un-walkable small child.

I'm still on the driver's side. We exchange pleasantries, and then I realize she's just standing there. I look behind me to note that she has opened the minivan passenger door and is now waiting for me to move away so her precious cargo can be inserted. I grudgingly move, thinking that she could have walked around the minivan and saved me the duck-walk I do on snow, especially since that side was dry. But no.

I am now done, and I open my driver's side door to pop the trunk and return the shovel. I head back, open the trunk, and bang said shovel on the ground to remove snow, in the time-honored tradition. This is when I realize that my door is blocking the sideview mirror on her car, rendering her helpless. She can't move the van without hitting my car. Needless to say, banging the broom took longer than usual that day. And as I returned to my car and got in, I smiled sweetly at the lady and mouthed, "Sorry".

Iran

I haven't been closely watching the news lately, which is why I'm concerned. I've seen some blips about Iran. All I can think is, are we going to war again? Why is so much of the news about this country?

I'm not a fan of the current Preaident, but I don't think he's evil. Naive and stupid perhaps, but not evil. Is there a chance that the US will go to war?

We can't!! Not without massive drafts, and this time, seriously, a really good reason. I would like to think that there are enough Congresspeople to get this right.

Any real news? I really want to be proven wrong.

My Brother-in-Law

Check out the video to see my brother-in-law, the safety expert with more than 20 years' experience!

People killed by Vending Machines?

Posted Oct 16, 2007

Think twice before kicking that machine.

Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits

It's now December. Did everyone remember to say the above phrase first thing on the 1st for luck? I did! Let's hope it works this time.

Despite my better judgment, I now have a MySpace page. It's not too interesting yet, as I haven't yet figured out what to do with it or even how to control it. But, if you're bored:

Christine's MySpace

I watched a THS about hazing this morning. It was sad and sensational, and as much as the parents and friends were very sympathetic, I couldn't decide if all the incidents reported were hazing. Some just sounded like stupid college kid judgment. Parents say, "Oh, my kid would never do that!" Bad news - yes, they will. And you did too. I'm not trying to be mean, and there were some legitimate claims, but the kids who thought, after drinking all night, it'd be fun to swim across a lake were really just being dumb college kids.

I think I'm turning into my mother. As I reread the last paragraph, I realize that I sound exactly like her.