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)