Team Dragon Elite

This weekend I finished write-on while also attending a wedding! (I have 46 footnotes on a seven page paper. The words supra, id, passim, and "emphasis added" are scattered throughout, which indicates to me that it is clearly a very scholarly and knowledgeable paper.) That made me the unfun person for most of the weekend, see, e.g., my inability to go out in the evenings and my self-imposed early morning wake-ups. (as a side note, it's important to use e.g. when you are referencing only some of the things that support your main proposition but when the support of the proposition is so evident that you do not need to cite additional evidence)

But enough about things that I disliked doing, I want to remember the weekend for the beautiful wedding of Will and Julia and for all of the friends both old and new with whom I got the chance to celebrate.

Since we were in Baltimore, we of course had to go to the inner harbor for dinner one night. We originally tried to find a seafood place and, being brilliant and able to use the internet, I found a great one. It was closed, of course, but I'm sure it would have been great. No one asked me to check when it was open.

After that initial failure we went to the Bubba Gump seafood restaurant, learned that it was going to be an hour wait, and left the Bubba Gump seafood restaurant. We ended up at a sushi place sitting at an outdoor table with a great view of the harbor and of a guy doing fire tricks below. (I was going to say "magic tricks" but he specifically said at one point in the performance that what he was doing wasn't magic. Then he set a rope on fire and played jumprope while standing on an exercise ball. So... yes, not magic.) The sushi was great and, as is usual, I "encouraged" Kelsey to try new food. If it is possible, I think she liked octopus even less than she liked softshell crab. I admire her for always trying, though.

Our meal completed, we scanned the harbor for our next activity. There was not really a question of what we were going to do, though, because there were people in dragon-shaped paddle-boats and of course dragonboats were going to win.

Dragonboat

Me, Kylie, Jane, and Kelsey onboard our dragonboat.

We dubbed ourselves Team Dragon Elite and made others jealous that they were not with us. 

The next day was the wedding, which was outside at Will's parents' place. It wasn't too warm and the service was very well done. Will and Julia make a beautiful couple- they're always so nice and fun to be around whenever I get the chance to see them. We did the traditional drinking and dancing (not too much of the latter and less than I would have liked of the former since I had to continue writing after the wedding) and had an excellent time.

Also, at some point during the weekend I started getting texts and facebook messages from all sorts of Woodberry people telling me that, the night before Woodberry graduation, the Dozen had performed an arrangement of "Stacy's Mom" that I had written while I was a student. I think it was the second piece I ever actually arranged for any purpose (I remember that it was the piece in which I learned it was possible to write notes that SOUND correct yet are still WRITTEN incorrectly). Anyway, I was honored and it filled me with lots of Woodberry a capella group nostalgia.

This week I think I'm going to try to rest more than anything else. In spite of my internship being full time, it feels like a vacation compared to last week.

Two Empty Drawers and a Porch

Who has two thumbs and a bed to sleep in at night? 

*points to self with thumbs* 

This guy.

David and I officially moved into our place in Foggy Bottom after my last post and we have been busy getting it set up. The couple we are subleasing from are terribly nice and have an amazing apartment but seem to have taken almost nothing with them on their three month trip to Europe. As we explored our new abode we came across two small drawers with post-it notes marked "empty." Every other conceivable storage space is bursting with either clothes or books. They have a lot of books. And pictures of themselves. Almost every inch of wall space is devoted to pictures of them. Which is nice in some ways and creepy in others. 

They left some food that they told us to finish off. That was very nice. 

I made pasta. Everyone is shocked, I'm sure.

David and I haven't had much fun as roommates yet. Our constant witty banter has only increased since the last time we lived together, of course, but we've both been so busy with work that we haven't been able to watch even one episode of Boston Legal yet. I'm sure after I'm finished with Write-On and he is settled in to his firm we will have more time.

I have continued to enjoy my internship. The commute is a bit long, but I can read on the way and I look forward to what I'm doing every day. I had a meeting with our executive director today about possible cases to use for the Summer Institute. He asked if I had taken Criminal Procedure and I said I had (though we call it Criminal Justice). He then said "oh, okay, I was wondering whether you had a course or whether you just new all this stuff because you were smart." 

Lesson learned. From here on out when asked if I've taken a course the answer will be "no, but I know everything about that topic because I am smart."

This Sunday is Will and Julia's wedding. Should be fun. Until then I'll be in Baltimore but working on this Write-On thing. Less fun.

Temporary Housing

Thursday, the 17th. Second to last evening in Gewirz. I send out the call that I will be cooking all of my food. The usual crowd comes over. We eat everything and I clean. Sort of.

Noah even brought his Pink Himalayan Salt.

The next day the ever wonderful Emily Goo helps me drive my things to my new apartment, where they sit, waiting for the day that I will arrive and reclaim them. Steph W lets Davia borrow her car and I take the rest of my things to store for the Fall to Davia and Sara's new apartment. Friday evening we have a reasonably laid back party as GGSS parties go. I spend most of the evening refilling pez dispensers because those things are great.

On Saturday morning, after several hours of frantic cleaning, I walk out of Gewirz for the last time as a resident. Goo is there, as is only appropriate, and she drives me to Union Station where I meet Josh and we get on a megabus for Philly. 

Josh and Brian and I find a custard place that has rocking BOOTHS. Not just the chairs rock, the whole booth rocks. It was great. Until I dropped half of my cone on the ground. Then it was sad.

We all went to see Kayface in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. It was awesome, because Kay is a real actor and gets really paid to be in real shows. She was easily the best of the courtesans. The entire show was a lot of fun. Afterwards we went to the cast party, where Brian, Josh, and I all ate lots of food while awkwardly talking to people we didn't know.

Brian and Kay's new place (well, new to me) is the best and Josh and I had a great time. 

The next morning the four of us went to brunch and then drove 40 minutes away to Jeff's house in Pennsylvania because he just happened to be there with our other friends.

Funny how that worked out.

I think Emily wants to go live with Jeff's parents.

We dined on a feast of outdoor foods, swam in the pool, and made S'mores. It was a magical place- Jeff and his parents are amazing hosts and entertainers. 

Goo and Josh and I drove back to Arlington. I stayed with Josh on Sunday and with Goo on Monday evening. Don't want to wear out my welcome in any one place. A massive thanks to everyone who sheltered me when I was without a home. Right after I finish this post I'm going to go move in to my new place with David Husband in Foggy Bottom. 

Internship has continued to go well- I'm getting a lot of work done and I really like all my coworkers. I've even gotten to joke around with Charlotte about how she fired me before she hired me. The write-on competition this week, and that is.... not enjoyable. But it will be over soon. Maybe. By Friday. Because I have a wedding to go to this weekend and I will NOT be writing case comments at the wedding. 

They Threw a Parade for Me

After my first day of internship, I got off the metro and...

Bagpipers!

Hundreds of them!

Marching down my street and playing all the songs I know!

I took it as a good sign. I have officially been plunged into work for the summer- I have a LOT of things to write over the next few weeks and quite a few cases to become an absolute no-question-unanswerable expert about.  With that in mind, if anyone has any questions AT ALL about:

• Federalism and Federal preemption doctrine (specifically as applied to Arizona's S.B. 1070 and the recent argument in front of the Supreme Court on the four provisions from that law at issue)
• The Fourth Amendment and technology (specifically as applied to GPS transmitters on cars)
• The Eighth Amendment and minors (specifically life sentences without parole)
• Healthcare (ALL the healthcare argument. I'm sure dumbing down the history of the Commerce Clause is going to be a hilariously fun challenge)
• The Fourth Amendment and strip searches (in prisons)
• The First Amendment and lying about having a Medal of Honor 
• Issues relating to either double jeopardy or expert witnesses.

... then please ask those questions. Really. I need to know this stuff so well that I can theoretically tell a high school teacher how to phrase things so that a tenth grader will understand it.  I'll only be "teaching" three of them, but I'll be helping to prep for all of them.  It's going to be a very difficult but very rewarding summer, I think.  

Instructions for Monday

So... that's it?  1L is finished?  I checked the first post on my blog- I wrote it exactly one year ago.  In some ways it feels like a day.  In others it feels like an eternity... I could obviously write many pages of posts about how I can't fathom ever not having known the people I know now, but that's how these things always go.

The final exams went as well as they could have, I think.  It's very difficult to tell.  I tried my hardest, though, and for good reason.  You have to try your hardest when you're trying to earn a Steaklunch.  I'm not sure that I earned it, but we had one anyway.

Steak Lunch 3: The Finale of the Epic Trilogy

(Guest Starring Shortcake by Liadan)

Since it was the final Steaklunch, Ben and I each got our own steaks.  We also, for the first time, didn't consult any resources when making Steaklunch.  No recipes.  No internet.  Just sheer memory, willpower, and awesome innate cooking ability.  We've done this enough so it turned out well and neither of us got food poisoning.  And then I took the picture of Ben that I always take, because deep down I think I always knew that Steaklunch would be a tradition and that I could use it to mark time.  I present to you now: 

Steaklunch

A Year in Review

STEAKLUNCH THE FIRST

October 6, 2011

Ben is delighted at our recent invention of Steaklunch and politely holds his knife and fork in preparation.  

 STEAKLUNCH THE SECOND

February 6, 2012

We have upgraded our menu to include sides to fill the portion of the plate that the half steak will not.  Ben holds his knife and fork with a clear intent to kill.

 STEAKLUNCH: THE THRILLING CONCLUSION

May 11, 2012

Forget the sides, we'll just get a whole steak for each plate and fill it that way.  Ben's fearsome glare and giant knife blazing through the haze of pure steak-cooking-steam tells the rest of the story.

This week Ben and I will part ways as roommates, but we have promised to get together next year for additional Steaklunches.  I'm sure I will blog about them.  Thank you, Ben, for being an awesome roommate all year.  

IN OTHER NEWS

I didn't post earlier because I was busy trekking down to Williamsburg with the always good company Kelly to go see this one graduate.

Master Kelsey! I am now educationally outranked.

As an interesting footnote, Kelsey was actually up in DC on Friday night to see a concert with her sister.  I was able to go meet them briefly.  Just wanted to highlight the general difference in my appearance from Friday (shortly after the very end of exams) and Sunday (above), after I had a couple of days to reintegrate myself into society.

Exams are not good for anyone's health.  

After WM graduation (featuring an especially good speech by WM Chancellor Robert Gates) it was back to DC for a very important discussion about the various wedding dresses that Goo had tried on that day.  We swiftly divided into pro-tiara and anti-tiara camps.  All the guys were pro-tiara.  

You get a sense of the heated debate from this picture.  

Not pictured: Davia and Sara, disagreeing with us.

Oh yes, and one last thing- it turns out I start my internship tomorrow.  I had expected to start the week after this one, but I got an email asking if I could come in earlier and... technically, yes, I can.  I'm very excited to get started- in fact, I already have my instructions for tomorrow.  

Alright 1L Summer, let's get cracking on some Supreme Court cases... 

Our Last Night as 1Ls

Ben pointed out that this was technically our last night as 1Ls.  This is true.  The year has gone by very quickly.  I wish I had time to actually post an update, but I need to get to sleep before my exam in the morning.  Failure is not an option.  Realistically speaking, though, great success is probably also off the table.  I'm looking at mediocrity.  Mediocrity is a pretty good option right now.

The good news is that I think everyone is feeling this way at this point in the exam process.  You can only do so much studying before you just lose the ability to study.  Like when you look at a word so long it stops having any meaning whatsoever.

Here, have cat pictures.

Adorable Baxter

Silly Baxter

Alert Baxter

Skeptical Baxter

I'm in excellent spirits, I just can't... process any information... outside of regulatory law right now.  This situation will be entirely remedied by around noon tomorrow.  But I'm not going to be posting then, because Ben and I are having a final roommate Steaklunch.  And then I'm having fun of some sort.  I haven't decided yet.  

Change of Scenery

The eight hour exam in Property went about as well as could be expected.  I have no idea how I did, but I don't think I failed.  Near the end I looked over my work and realized that:

1.  I do not know the person who wrote these answers, 

and

2.  The person who wrote these answers doesn't seem to be completely making things up, and in light of that fact I'm alright with some of the more troubling psychological ramifications of 1.  

 

As always, I established a command center.  Many thanks to my roommate for sharing his excellent charts.  You can never have too many charts.

Yesterday I moved locations and I am now in Tyler Brown's apartment watching over Baxter the cat while Tyler and Bitsy are in Paris. 

 

My command center has changed in some ways, yet remains comfortingly familiar.

The new and isolated environment did wonders for my Criminal Justice outline, and I am feeling not entirely terrible about that exam tomorrow.  I'm sure that should be a warning sign.