Sunday, December 23, 2007
Home for the Holidays
I have shifted from the relative tyranny of studying for for the LSATs to the lesser labor of applying to law schools. I have attempted to keep my essay writing to a minimum, yet have somehow would up revising more often than I had ever imagined. I have only two schools left on my primary list, although I may add a few more, you never know. Once my applications are sent in, I will begin the financial aid process, which of course will vary immensely from school to school. Joy.
To take my mind off all this paperwork, I took a little trip to the North last weekend (and to Chapel-Hill the prior weekend). My siblings and I traveled northwards to accompany my father who was awarded his DD, for surviving 25 years in his profession. We caught an early flight and then wandered around NYC before the ceremony. We visited Rockefeller Center, a Chinese restaurant, the NBA store and the MoMA. I am still unsure as to how I failed to go to the Wired store. The ceremony was ok, with one soporific and one funny speech, and many Rabbi jokes.
More important were all the families of my dad's colleagues, who we had not seen in Lawd-knows-how-long and it was good that we got to see them and hang out and catch up with what is going on in their lives. After all this, I went to Goldsmith to throw myself a little party and see some camp and Brandeis people who were good to humor me and travel the island to visit. I stayed out late, visited Barnard and Columbia, and saw and talked to a wide variety of folk. The Buech was my gracious host -Thanks!- (and almost my travel buddy). I woke up around 5:30 to catch my 7:00 am bus to Boston. Thankfully it was not cancelled as all the buses had been the previous day. There had been a minor wintry mix which forced the rest of my family to stay overnight. The bus ride was uneventful, I spent it drifting between sleep and Allende.
Boston was just surfacing from a half-foot of snow, so I was greeted by dirty snowbanks and large puddles of slush. I still like Boston better than NYC, but New York's grid is a such a blessing, particularly when compared to Boston's cockamamie system of pot-holed unlabeled twisty and river-laced streets. I did find my way to my hosts (4.75 stops past the Hidden Platform). The house sported six girls and two redone bathrooms, both pluses. I spent Friday shopping and dancing through the snow, then going to the Vilna shul (old but in the process of restoration). Shabbat morning we did the Cambridge minyan, where we found some familiar faces. The very short shabbat afternoon was taken up mostly by lunch and games, and after Shabbat we went to Ta'am China (and ran into some BOO boys) and then watched the best version of RH: Men in Tights. Sunday morning at about 3:00 am, the snow began to fall and stopped only to switch to sleet and then to rain and finally end at 5:00 pm. Consequently we did not leave the house on Sunday. Monday was project day. Our first was to ship all of Avi's things, the second was to visit Brandeis. Both were successes, but I can't help but think that I did not see everyone on my Brandeis list.
Tuesday I went home. Wednesday I set up my work and saw "I am Legend". They left a lot on the table and rabies-zombies are scary. Thursday the boys hit the pub for the NFLN game, which was not all that exciting. Friday/Shabbat consisted of shul and many board games (we used the new rotating board for Scrabble (Thanks Grandma). Last night we got together for the Panthers' game. If you want a rant, one will appear soon on my other blog. I am still angry.
Tomorrow is my first day at work.
To take my mind off all this paperwork, I took a little trip to the North last weekend (and to Chapel-Hill the prior weekend). My siblings and I traveled northwards to accompany my father who was awarded his DD, for surviving 25 years in his profession. We caught an early flight and then wandered around NYC before the ceremony. We visited Rockefeller Center, a Chinese restaurant, the NBA store and the MoMA. I am still unsure as to how I failed to go to the Wired store. The ceremony was ok, with one soporific and one funny speech, and many Rabbi jokes.
More important were all the families of my dad's colleagues, who we had not seen in Lawd-knows-how-long and it was good that we got to see them and hang out and catch up with what is going on in their lives. After all this, I went to Goldsmith to throw myself a little party and see some camp and Brandeis people who were good to humor me and travel the island to visit. I stayed out late, visited Barnard and Columbia, and saw and talked to a wide variety of folk. The Buech was my gracious host -Thanks!- (and almost my travel buddy). I woke up around 5:30 to catch my 7:00 am bus to Boston. Thankfully it was not cancelled as all the buses had been the previous day. There had been a minor wintry mix which forced the rest of my family to stay overnight. The bus ride was uneventful, I spent it drifting between sleep and Allende.
Boston was just surfacing from a half-foot of snow, so I was greeted by dirty snowbanks and large puddles of slush. I still like Boston better than NYC, but New York's grid is a such a blessing, particularly when compared to Boston's cockamamie system of pot-holed unlabeled twisty and river-laced streets. I did find my way to my hosts (4.75 stops past the Hidden Platform). The house sported six girls and two redone bathrooms, both pluses. I spent Friday shopping and dancing through the snow, then going to the Vilna shul (old but in the process of restoration). Shabbat morning we did the Cambridge minyan, where we found some familiar faces. The very short shabbat afternoon was taken up mostly by lunch and games, and after Shabbat we went to Ta'am China (and ran into some BOO boys) and then watched the best version of RH: Men in Tights. Sunday morning at about 3:00 am, the snow began to fall and stopped only to switch to sleet and then to rain and finally end at 5:00 pm. Consequently we did not leave the house on Sunday. Monday was project day. Our first was to ship all of Avi's things, the second was to visit Brandeis. Both were successes, but I can't help but think that I did not see everyone on my Brandeis list.
Tuesday I went home. Wednesday I set up my work and saw "I am Legend". They left a lot on the table and rabies-zombies are scary. Thursday the boys hit the pub for the NFLN game, which was not all that exciting. Friday/Shabbat consisted of shul and many board games (we used the new rotating board for Scrabble (Thanks Grandma). Last night we got together for the Panthers' game. If you want a rant, one will appear soon on my other blog. I am still angry.
Tomorrow is my first day at work.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
The Aftermath
The LSATs are over. Now all that stands between me and law school is sending in the applications (which are nearly done!). Naturally, the LSATs cannot be taken without some measure of fuss and inconvenience. Due to my religious principles, I had to take my LSATs on Monday. The LSAC (the ruling body) decided that unless you have to travel more than 100 miles to reach a test center, then you have to hit the road. Only if you live in nowheresville can you be considered for the creation of a new testing center. Therefore, I had to take a little trip down I-40 for about an hour and a half, just under the mileage limit. I drove down on Sunday, with the help of the GPS. Using it to map out my route from my host home I pre-drove to the testing center to see how it would all shake out. The testing center was just a tiny little place in a developing office park. "How developing?", you might ask. They were doing construction the entire time the we were taking the test. We was myself and seven girls, none of whom appeared to be of the Mosaic persuasion, but two of whom may have been Seventh Day Adventists. What the rest of them were doing testing on a Monday, I could not figure. The test was hard, as it was designed to be, but I felt prepared for it and my timing was good, so I don't think I could ask for anything more.
Now, if you will recall, I already got one Big Hanukkah Present, and the completion of the LSATs definitely qualifies as #2. Now, I have already started on my money-earning endeavors, as I am typing this from the front desk at my temp job. Today I am making my calls to see if I can lock down some serious (but oh so flexible) part-time work. Once that is established, I hope to plan trips to around and out of the country. I hope to go to UNC this weekend, because frankly, it's fun and home is not.
Now, if you will recall, I already got one Big Hanukkah Present, and the completion of the LSATs definitely qualifies as #2. Now, I have already started on my money-earning endeavors, as I am typing this from the front desk at my temp job. Today I am making my calls to see if I can lock down some serious (but oh so flexible) part-time work. Once that is established, I hope to plan trips to around and out of the country. I hope to go to UNC this weekend, because frankly, it's fun and home is not.
