The state of my horse ownership

Lately I have been distracted by showing at the Royal, Amanda showing at the Royal, a friend showing Diddy at the Royal, and planning my day around when I can make a trip to Tonganoxie to hang out at the barn. I have gone through periods where the horses weren't the first thing on my mind, but this isn't one of them. Unfortunate that this phase of the cycle should fall so near my final exams.

Diddy is banished to a pasture, where he and his buddy Sprite are enjoying free choice hay. Technically I am banished to my studies, which are pretty daunting, considering final exams are looming and I have yet to discover the secret code that decodes the tax code. (I'm aware that's an awful sentence. Mere reference to tax class muddles my brain.) Yet somehow I've still gone to the barn twice in the last week with plans to visit over the weekend.

It's hard to explain why I feel guilty about making time for something that makes me so happy. But I do feel guilty, the way I used to feel guilty about changing my undergraduate major to creative writing. Somewhere in elementary school I determined that fun things are not valuable things, and it's been a difficult notion to shake. According to this logic, tax dominates my life and is the fodder of constant waking nightmares; because it is miserably difficult, it must be of great value!

Today I drove through seamless rain to the barn, slogged through the mud to catch a very wet and very obese pinto mare named Sprite, and I was damp and shivering and smiling idiotically by the time we arrived back at the barn. Shame on you, Universe, for allowing me to enroll in Federal Income Taxation; but thank you, thank you, for horses.

Jessie

My little Westie died last week. One week ago tomorrow, my sister carried her into the veterinarian’s office, set her on the table, and held her head while she passed away very quietly a few seconds later.

I saw her over the weekend before, and spent Saturday night waking up every couple hours to make sure her saline drip was still administering a drop of fluid every four seconds and stroking her head. Pain or senility had eliminated her normal enthusiasm. When I came home over these several years since officially leaving the nest, she would greet me with a Westie grin, follow me everywhere, and whine quietly at the door when I left. Over the past few weeks, she was visibly declining. Her hearing disappeared entirely over the course of the last year, but until two weeks ago she was still eating with her usual vigor, demanding to be lifted onto the couch or chair to sit beside the family member of her choice, and greeting her best friend and contemporary Orange Cat when she was let outside.

I learned many things from a small white terrier. An early lesson was that a terrier will resist training that is inconsistent with her basic need to chase squirrels, follow scents, or nap on the sofa. Another was that charisma is far more important than coat color in being cast in such live theater productions as The Wizard of Oz. I learned that canine loyalty will lead your dog to continue sleeping outside your bedroom door for weeks after you leave for college, but that abandonment is not held against you in the least when you return to visit. I learned that a father can better combat loneliness when afforded a small white sidekick. And recently I learned that it is no tragedy at all to die at the end of a long, happy life with family members nearby.

I notice this week that other people I know have lost human friends and family members, which should probably make me feel ashamed of my own sadness. Instead I try to benefit from the reminder to appreciate everything and everyone I have the privilege of knowing and loving, and fondly recall a truly outstanding little dog named Jessie.

Interviewing, a play in three acts

Prologue: The way employment out of law school works in a ideal world/economy

Law school is not the traditional training program for lawyers. In fact, law schools are a fairly new invention; as few as two hundred years ago, there was no such thing. Prospective lawyers either studied independently or apprenticed for a lawyer until they were educated enough to pass the bar exam.

Part of that legacy is the modern manner that most law firms solicit new lawyers. While still in law school, you interview with employers who hope you will tentatively commit to becoming a part of their firm or office through summer employment. Summer associate or clerk positions are considered extended interviews, where you the student and "they" the firm can both decide whether you fit. The 1L summer is nonessential; the 2L summer is key. That isn't to say that some won't find great employment as 3Ls, but in an ideal economy, the 2L spends her summer at a law firm that plans to hire her after graduation.

Act I. The on-campus interview

At KU and many other law schools, the career services office invites employers to come to campus to conduct interviews. Employers choose a day; law students submit resumes, cover letters, transcripts, etc online; employers review the applicants' credentials and invite a certain number to sign up for interview slots. From those interviews, employers select students for call-back interviews.

Because of on-campus interviews, I spent about two weeks wearing one of my two suits to class every day. Since they're both gray, I imagine many people assumed I was wearing the same suit every day.

Also because of on-campus interviews, I received several invitations for call-back interviews.

Act II, The call-back interview

Employers call, inform the student they were happy to have met her, and hope that their colleagues could have the pleasure as well. Law firms invite her for a half-day of shuffling between offices and being taken to lunch; they present her with a generous check for travel expenses. DA's offices file her in, interrogate her, speed-walk her through the office and move on to the next interviewee. All of these interviews are fun and interesting. She becomes adept at walking fast in heels through all indoor terrain.

Act III, The call

From among the call-back interviews, a few will result in a call wherein the employer makes the student an offer for summer employment. Law firms pro-rate the starting salary of a first-year associate at the firm. DA's offices cough up slightly above minimum wage. All opportunities have their own appeal. Ultimately she chooses the law firm she enjoyed visiting most, though not the one offering to pay her the most. It is a happy day!

www.kmazlaw.com

Ultrametabolism

This is my second week on my whole foods diet, which has had some surprising results:

1. No noticeable weight loss. Since this was my main reason for going on the diet, I'm a little disappointed. But with the changes I've made, long-term weight loss seems inevitable, so I'm not too concerned.

2. No headaches. I usually have a little one every day (thanks, law school) and a big one every few days, but I have been doing well. Maybe it's the reduction in caffeine - not the elimination, mind you. The diet calls for that but it's the one thing I won't even kid myself about. I require caffeine to keep myself from passing out on top of whatever casebook happens to be in front of me.

3. Better skin. I don't know for sure, but I feel like my skin is continuing to improve, even though I haven't been outside. I credit the suntan and exercise for helping me out earlier this summer, but now that I am back to living a strictly sedentary and indoor life, I tend to think it's the diet change that's sustaining.

4. Money saved. At least, I think. My produce-heavy grocery shopping lists ain't cheap, but because I have to take my meals and snacks with me and I'm not spending a buck and a quarter on diet coke a few times a week, I think my overall food costs have gone down.

5. I have a serious whole food superiority complex already. True to form, I now can't keep my mouth shut when people comment on the contents/treatment of whatever serving of processed food they're about to eat. My friends are so patient with me.

Laura and Watson come to visit

Video from clinton lake dog park.

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I can make blog posts with my phone!

I am learning how to swype. I could get used to this very easily. Soon keyboards will be completely obsolete. Everyone must really want my amazing phone.

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Clinton Lake

If I've been "to the lake" before in the sense I was yesterday, I don't remember it. My lake memories involved less fun and more mud, likely because they took place along the banks of Buffalo rather than in the shiny center of Clinton.

Many moons ago, back when we had pub night (see previous posts), my friend Will bought a day at the lake on Professor Prater's boat for himself and five friends during the charity auction. I am apparently one of Will's favorite friends (or more likely one of his girlfriend Natalie's favorite friends, but oh well).

So, we followed Professor Prater - actually, he hates to be called that, so I'm compromising with "Prater" - out to the Clinton Lake Marina, where his boat, the Katie 3, is in permanent residence.




I may have been confused by this "going to the lake" hobby in the past, but I have come to understand its appeal. Especially when you have accessories like "the tube," shown below with Anthony and Joe aboard.



Yours truly, post-tubing, which is an activity best done in a one-piece. However, it's also very, very fun, and my arms today are very, very sore.


Here we all are - well, minus our photographer - anchored in a cove and enjoying the water.


For more pictures of this and other occasions, visit the blog of "AMK," from which these pictures were borrowed.

Back in Lawrence

It's good to be back. It's been good to be back for almost a week now, but I have been neglecting my blog, as usual.

I have not gotten my room organized yet. Maybe because I'm in denial about how much stuff actually Has To Go.

I have interviewed for one (1) highly competitive job, which I'm chalking up to Good Interviewing Practice if likely no callback interview.

I have not ridden Diddy, as I managed to leave all my boots and even my tennis shoes in Abilene.

I have heard reports that Diddy is the darling of his new barn. No surprise there.

I have not bought my books, but I calculated they will cost me $1000, roughly.

I have seen many of my many friends, several of whom are entrenched in Law Journal/Review work week but still have made time to say hi, which I appreciate.

I have not gotten my hair cut, even though that has been on my to-do list since July.

I have attended Dean's Fellow training, and my second-to-last evening of lessons at Woodson Hill, and 1/2 price martini night at the Eldridge.

Now that I've compiled a list of "I have nots," maybe I will get on top of some of those tasks today.

CKFF

Every year, Amanda and I turn out to support our wonderful Central Kansas Free Fair, and 2010 was no exception! In attendance were our four horses, whom many of you already know: Diva, Diddy, Tucker and Sprite.

Diva was slightly less of a diva than she was last year. There was minimal drama after the first night, which she spent desperately whinnying to her BFF Sprite. By the end of show day she was downright docile, and she was first in her class (of one), two-year-old mares.

Diddy is recovering nicely from his weeks of hunger in Lawrence but he still looks a little lean...that didn't stop him from getting first in his two-year-old geldings class, two and three-year-old western pleasure, and third in horsemanship!

Sprite was grand champion other breed! We are all very proud.

Tucker was robbed in halter...but did still get reserve paint gelding, and due to some unfortunate traffic in his western pleasure class, was lucky just to escape with his (and Amanda's) life! Amanda rallied and went on to win horsemanship.

Horse Camp!

New Place

Right now I'm sitting on the sofa in my new living room, Joey's head on my leg, reflecting on how much stuff fit into my tiny two-room apartment.

The problem with stuff is that I feel that I need it. There are piles of things in my new bedroom right now so irrelevant to my daily life I can't even remember most of what's there, even though I spent all day trucking said piles the ten-or-so blocks from the old place to the new one. Yet when I put my hands on this stuff, this nonessential clutter, I can't bring myself to just bag it up and pitch it.

I might need those handwritten notes from Torts I when I study for the bar. Without my T-Rex Cafe glass, how will I remember my delight in the anamatronic dinosaurs? (I literally had to go look at some of the piles in order to remember these two particularly pointless items were there.)

I can totally sympathize with hoarders.

On a more cheerful note, the house is beautiful, my new roommate is great and even lets Joey sit on the furniture, and nearly all of my stuff is out of the old apartment, which is good because the guy is coming to clean the carpets Wednesday morning at 8:00, and I promised him there wouldn't be any junk in his way.

How labor intensive is cleaning an oven? My property manager reminded me that I'm to clean the oven if I expect my full deposit to be reimbursed, so I need to budget my time wisely tomorrow.

Once I emerge from the black hole of moving, Amanda and mom should be crossing the state line. And then I must immediately go to Columbia with a student for a horse show, but I have been telling myself Amanda might just come along. We've always loved sitting around and critiquing strangers' horsemanship.

Defender Project

There have been questions, so here are some answers about the most exciting part of my summer, which has been my first Real Lawyering Experience - the Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies!

Naturally I can't get too detailed, because as with any Real Lawyer work, the specifics of the cases I'm working on are Strictly Confidential. (Apparently I'm in a random capitalization kind of mood.)

However, I can go through the general way the Project works. Like all in-house clinics at KU, the Project is partially staffed by law student interns supervised by Real Lawyers. I may be biased, but I think the Project has the best Real Lawyers. There are four total, one who works with us on our direct appeals, which are basically long papers arguing why a client's sentence deserves to be overturned, or their case remanded back to the trial court for another go.

The other three Real Lawyers are individually assigned to supervise us in our other cases. "Other cases" are the ones where we aren't arguing that the law was misapplied in the lower court, but that our clients have "new" causes of action that haven't been brought up yet, or they need help with issues that have come up since they went to prison.

If you didn't get it from the clinic's title, all of our clients have been convicted and as far as I know they are all incarcerated. Which means I've been to the Topeka Correctional Facility and Leavenworth, worn a visitor badge, and listened to the automated doors lock behind me as I pass through security. There's a very specific kind of claustrophobia that goes on inside a prison, but those visits were interesting, too.

My classroom experience of criminal law is still fresh in my mind. I loved studying criminal law and I hoped I would love applying criminal law to specific cases. The challenge is an interesting one. When I read cases in class, I didn't have to take sides; I could sit back, cross my arms, and let the advocates try to convince me. Let's be serious, I probably won't ever have that luxury in my career. Most lawyers aren't lucky and accomplished enough to be judges. As someone's representative, you have to do your best not to take their side necessarily, but to look at the law and see how it can help them. You have to believe that no matter what they did, everyone has a right to have the law applied to them fairly, even if you're not sure they deserve it. A system that works fairly and objectively is the best protection for everyone, and believing in that system is what criminal defense lawyers must do.

Bye bye BA

With Business Associations I behind me, I feel a little less suffocated by my schedule. I haven't been as focused as I should be the past week; I kind of let myself off the hook last Monday-Friday so that I could totally focus on preparing for my exam, which wouldn't have been necessary if I had my priorities in order earlier in the summer.

Pictures coming of my beautiful truck, which has been as problematic as it is pretty. More detail on that later; it deserves its own post.

Diddy is a wonderful source of stress relief for me, and I've even been messing with Tucker about every other visit. He is so much fun to ride even when he's in terrible shape. I can wear him out in around 15 minutes, but they both look pretty good, sunburned noses notwithstanding.

I am in the process of consolidating my lessons into Tuesday night groups, which I think will be fun for the kids and a much more efficient use of my time. The barn has grown so much in terms of students and boarders since I arrived on the scene a year ago. When I started as the instructor in addition to Abby, it was a struggle to accumulate more than a few students. Now, the barn is hiring a third instructor because Abby and I are both at maximum lesson-giving capacity! It is fun to be around so many kids and different kinds of horses. Every time I go to the barn I leave a little more cheerful than I showed up. Seeing people enjoying their animals always has that effect on me.

My blogging homework for the next few days is one truck post and one Defender project post, so hold me to it, fans!

Busy busy busy

Some people may thrive on chaos. I am not one of them. I thrive when my schedule affords me at least one evening in three I can spend on the couch with my dog, watching movies.

There have been no such evenings since my summer kicked into full gear.

These are the reasons why I'm too busy:

1. My students are wonderful riders and want to show off their skills at shows almost every weekend.

I can't really complain. I like watching them show, too, and coaching ain't free, so bills are getting paid.

2. My favorite professor asked me to be her research assistant.

Again, I can't complain, but 10-30 hours per week? Really, Rachel? You made that commitment?

3. Diddy is really fun to ride.

Even though I don't make it out there much, I am constantly lured by the availability of adorable Diddy who is such a pleasure to be around.

4. I miss my sister.

Because I am in serious Amanda withdrawal, I have to budget a couple hours per day for our 2-3 daily phone calls/voice message exchange.

5. The Defender Project. Enough said.

Luckily class is winding up this week, but the clinic portion of the Project goes all summer.

2L!

Friday I took my last exam, and today I am home in Abilene, watching President Obama announce his second appointment to the Supreme Court.

It's hard to believe that an entire academic year has passed. A year ago I could not have imagined how difficult law school would be, let alone that I would survive it! I've met so many people who I know will be my friends for the rest of my life, and I've begun to build a body of knowledge that I will use in my career. It's an exciting and sort of terrifying time. Every decision seems like a very, very big one.

In seven days, I have my first day of summer school, and ten days after that I meet my mentees, 20 1Ls just as terrified as I was about the years to come. The shoe is very much on the other foot, and I hope I can be helpful to them during the strange and challenging law school waters.

The Civil Procedure Dream

I took my "Civ Pro" exam Tuesday, and now I'm studying for Property, and last night I had a dream:

In the middle of the Civ Pro test, realizing I had no idea what the answer was and terrified of failure, I picked up my things and walked out of the room. Joey and I left town, changed out names, and began a new life while pursued by government employees who wanted to arrest us for debt evasion. One thing I remembered from Civil Procedure: the government can sue you in any forum. There's no getting away from them; if they catch you, they can sue you with transient tag jurisdiction.

I think I may have discovered a heroine for future literary works; this version of me is less able to contemplate failure/mediocrity and much more able to creatively change her hair color and wardrobe to render herself unrecognizable. The version of Joey who is her sidekick can pick locks, pockets, and intimidate enemies. It could be big, real big.

If none of this makes sense, blame it on my second cup of strong coffee and sleep deprivation!

Riding lesson students hit double digits!

As of last week, I now have 10 regular students. Seven on Saturdays and three on Thursdays. Hopefully over the summer that number will continue to climb, and I might not have to take out a personal loan after all!

My property manager has been showing my apartment, and though she assures me that everyone loves it, she has yet to find a tenant. Hopefully she not only finds someone, but that someone wants to move in early so that Joey and I can go ahead and move to our new digs, taking advantage of summer access to a backyard!

No other news. Back to studying for me.

Pub Night, Clinic at Work, Rogue Wave, Oral Arguments and Joey's Haircut

Pub Night:

Kentucky Derby themed; wore a hat (see above); donated some dollars to a transitional shelter for battered women

Clinic at Work:

Photos to come; seven participants; a few hundred dollars' earnings; mild sunburn

Rogue Wave:

vocals slightly offkey; company (Laura & Jennifer) amazing; preceded by sushi dinner

Oral Arguments:

forgot to say my name; earned a little praise and a lot of constructive (?) criticism; last assignment in lawyering!

Golf Lessons for Law Students

News: Golf is fun!

Mom sponsored my participation in Golf Lessons for Law Students, a KU tradition. Our first of five group lessons was yesterday. Despite spitting rain, mountains of work waiting for me at home, and general lack of hand eye coordination, I had a lot of fun.

I learned the ten-fingered, overlapping, and interlocked grips. I underwent slight improvement in depth perception over the course of the putting session. And it was fun to focus on something physical and outdoors after a long day of lectures and text books.

Little other news except that final exams continue to loom!

Bad Blogger

I can't blog with any consistency. It's not because I'm busy at every waking moment. I should probably be busy at every waking moment, but sometimes I instead roll Joey around on the floor, bake, or doodle while listening to NPR.

It's also not because I only have the internet at school and at school I am always busy. I probably should be always busy at school, but often I get distracted talking to my friends, drawing stars in my notebook margins, and taking long lunches.

It is certainly not because when I do have my computer out at school I am furiously taking notes or doing important research. Most certainly I should always be doing those things with my computer, but instead I frequently visit facebook, check my email, and play flash animation games like this one: http://gamescene.com/Something_Fishy.html

All that said, I do accomplish things from time to time. Because at the moment looking back stresses me out far less than looking forward, I will list the recent ones.

1. Thoroughly campaigned for Joey's Cutest Pet Contest victory with success.
2. Thoroughly campaigned for my traffic court victory without success.
3. Wrote a lawyering paper without drowning myself in Westlaw printouts.
4. Wrote a Law Review contest paper.
5. Taught Diddy to sidepass.
6. Acquired new students and continued my twice weekly voyages to Kansas City for lessons.
7. Started all my outlines.
8. Accepted to fall clinics.

Now that I feel a little more relaxed...Challenges to come:

1. Lawyering paper part two.
2. Lawyering oral arguments.
3. Complete all my outlines.
4. Hold an April Horse Show Camp with Abby. (WHAT was I thinking?!)
5. Take my final exams without doing too much damage to my GPA.

Ohhh February.

I'm tired (...) and excited (!) in advance for this month, which brings with it:

Amanda's visit (!)
My Summary Judgment Motion assignment (...)
Initial phase of the Law Review/Law Journal selection process (!)
Lots and Lots of research (...)
Horse shuffling (...)
Traffic Court (...)/(!)

Chicken tortilla soup is guaranteed to improve even the lousiest mood. View recipe at: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Tortilla-Soup-I/Detail.aspx ; feel free to nix the hominy and substitute a little dried cilantro for all the fresh. I did, and the results were still delicious.

I cooked a chicken, one of the big roosters that barely fit in the gallon freezer bags, and used some of the meat and stock for that recipe. The rest goes into split pea soup tonight - thanks mom for the necessary supplies. I'm also planning to eat many tuna sandwiches.

Abby and I are planning Horse Show Camp 2010 in KC in April. We are looking forward to it but I know I am going to have to start budgeting my time now for finals preparation in order to not need that weekend to study.

Classes are good. Here's what I was most surprised to learn in the following subjects:

Constitutional Law: No one actually knows what "due process" means; Congress can write a statute that will limit the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court (literally, write an unreviewable law); for legal purposes, Guantanamo Bay is considered US territory

Property: If you find something valuable, you have a legal duty to take reasonable measures to restore it to its original owner. Unless it's treasure. If you're hunting a fox or a deer and you wound it, but not fatally, it's fair game for a subsequent hunter who deals the fatal blow/shot/etc. I'm sure this is all highly relevant to contemporary life.

Lawyering: Never tell someone how much you want in settlement until they've told you how much they'll pay. I already learned this from selling horses.

Civil Procedure: 12(b)(6) tests 8(a)(2), unless heightened pleading is required by 9(b), but in all cases recall the requirements of 26(e)(1) or you will fall victim to 37(c)(1)

2nd First Day

Thursday I went to Civil Procedure, which was long and scary. Friday I went to Civil Procedure again, and it was less long and scary. Also I had lawyering, Lawyering II to be precise, and it sounds fun - oral arguments, writing a motion, writing a request for summary judgment. No, that does sound fun, I mean it.

Saturday I went to mom and Duane's anniversary party, which was wonderful. Their guest list is always good but naturally the best part was seeing the two of them. I brought a guest, Law School Friend Natalie, and we drove back this morning.

Then I did my property reading. Then I did my constitutional law reading (which included the entire constitution). Interesting stuff. Now I'm in a cafe with internet access.

Oh! Happily, my phone is charged and functional. I am therefore reconnected with my friends, family, and the rest of the universe in general.

Big Snow

Closed up in dad's house, snow drifting outside the windows and doors, Joey curled up in the chair and a half and wrapped in a blanket, I find myself quite content.

If I didn't have food, heat, or the pleasant murmur of cable television in the background, I might be less content. But I have those things, so content I am.

I wasn't supposed to be in Abilene this long, but I'm having too much fun spending
these chilly days with my mom to go back to Lawrence right now. Also, both my parents have internet access, which is a big plus to someone who likes to check KU's website to see if grades have been posted at least three times per day.

Tomorrow I'm making mom and Duane dinner; unwisely, the entree is one I've never made before, soooo. Hope that turns out okay.

Lesson Saturday in the Kansas City tundra, trip south on Sunday, visit from wonderful friend Laura Monday, and my law movie marathon Tuesday.

Oh yeah, then the first day of class. And purchase of 100 pounds of books and reading of first day assignments needs to fit in somewhere, too.

Winter break

I still have about ten days before the spring semester begins, but the most wonderful part of winter break is behind me. Generally, the part where I basked in the glow of having nothing to do and happily read plotty novels and polished off the box of wine Amanda and I bought at dad's over Thanksgiving. Now I'm starting to feel a little impatient. All this inaction is getting to me.

To remedy my lack of Stuff to Do, I tried to bring Diddy over to a Lawrence boarding facility. My plan was to pick up the trailer in Kansas City, drive to Abilene for the weekend, then pick Diddy up and take him to K-State for the boarding stable's mandatory Coggins test, wait for the results and head home. However, Saturday I got stuck in the snow just trying to drive down the gravel road at the barn leading to the trailer parking area. I had to dig myself out with a shovel. (Great exercise, by the way.)

The next day, the barn owner called to tell me she had pulled the trailer out with her tractor so that I would be able to hook up. It had snowed over night, but I still didn't think I would have any problems. This time I got hooked up all right, but had to dig out the TRAILER in order to get the rig to move.

Feeling proud of myself, I started out of Kansas City and, merging off the entrance ramp onto westbound Highway 152, I slid slowly across three lanes (empty of traffic, thank goodness) and into the median, where the Nitro came to rest on a pillow of snow. Nothing was damaged, but apparently the ten minute process of being winched out of a ditch by a Kansas City towing company costs one $200.

Unhappily, I drove on home on clear roads at 50 miles an hour, but there's no way I feel comfortable risking a similar experience with a horse in the trailer. So there will be none of that horse moving until the spring thaw, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm currently sitting in mom's kitchen, draped in blankets with my feet resting directly on the heating vent. I might wait out the worst of this week's cold in Abilene. I can't imagine even the toughest little riders being interested in lessons Thursday in the record-breaking cold, but I suppose I could be wrong!

I spent a little Christmas money on some black suede snow boots, complete with faux fur. I love them, despite the fact I've been told they make me look like a bear hunter. New shoes are the ultimate cure to the anxiety of grade anticipation.