Cost-Benefit Analysis

Well, it’s official—I have survived my first month of law school! Four weeks down, only…  well, let’s not go there. I think it’s pretty safe to say it’s been one of the longest months of my life! I’d meant to maintain a blog about law school once I’d moved, but, then again, I’d also intended to sleep occasionally. Both somewhat unsuccessful feats, in the same family as keeping a social life and taking the time to care about my appearance.

All in all, I can best describe law school life as a “cost-benefit analysis.” However, I no longer measure value in dollars … Now, it’s all about TIME. A few examples…

Hmmm… I could put on make-up today… but that’s 5 minutes that I could use reviewing Torts… oooooh! If I don’t fix my hair, that saves thirty minutes! (Not going to lie, I had to force myself to brush my teeth the other morning, and remind myself that fresh breath WAS actually more important than remembering the second point of the third section of the second restatement.)

Eating, sleeping, relaxing—all parts of life I used to feel were on par with breathing and thinking—have become somewhat optional, and can be replaced at later times with snacking, napping, and… well, I have yet to find a substitute for “relaxing.” Maybe that’s grouped in with “napping.” Cost-benefit analysis says that losing two hours of sleep or skipping a meal doesn’t begin to compare with the humiliation that could follow not completing your reading.

Also, I actually heard this statement before class the other day… “My wife asked me to run home and let the dog out. HOME. That’s five minutes there, five minutes back, plus ten minutes for the dog to take a crap. Can you BELIEVE that? I mean, HELLO, I don’t have twenty minutes! Do it yourself!” The most horrifying part* was that the three of us listening to the complainant were actually aghast at the possibility of losing an unexpected twenty minutes, too.

* Actually, now the most horrifying part is that I just referred to my friend John as “the complainant.” Hmmm… well, at least I didn’t refer to his wife as the Appellant…

So. Life is a cost benefit analysis of time. On this scale, making new friends is trumped by talking on the phone to old ones. Which is trumped by cleaning house. Which is trumped by working out. Which is trumped by eating. Which is trumped, ultimately, as everything is, by READING. Endless,  incomprehensible, occasionally torturous, reading. I read an about… oh, forty pages per class… so, about 120 pages a night. And this isn’t exactly Harry Potter we;re talking about.

So, all in all… I LOVE IT. I know, I know, all I’ve done is gripe, and with good cause! My life is beyond hectic; I’m next to broke; I haven’t been for a jog in weeks; I officially feel less intelligent than I ever have in my entire life. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. The challenge is amazing. Knowing the answer in class after I hear the prof call “Miss Bridges?” is the most satisfying feeling ever—next to not wetting my pants out of fear.  Talking with fellow classmates after lecture about legal theories and cases (dorky as it sounds) makes me feel like there might actually be a purpose to it all.

I am eternally grateful for the people in my life who have gotten me here—because believe me, it wasn’t ANY act of yours truly that did it! My sister’s constant encouragement (even though I know she’d rather have me at home) has kept me sane. My mom’s never-ending confidence in me is the reason I’ve always felt that I could do anything—and hell, even if I screwed up, I was still the “prettiest girl up there!” I never would’ve even thought to apply for law school if it weren’t for the encouragement of my amazing stepdad, Lewis. (He calls his encouragement “meddling,” but he’s mistaken.) My boss at my previous job was the only reason I even applied at SMU… I didn’t think I had a chance, but I did it for him, because he’d done so much for me, and… well, here I am!

I’m not sure how the semester will go… actually, I’m not even sure when I will sleep, or WHAT part of cost-benefit analysis said that ten minutes to write a blog was an acceptable use of time! But I DO know that I’m right where I am meant to be, and honestly, I’m pretty tickled about it.

Dear Tweety Bird Lady--

Dear Tweety Bird Lady,

First, allow me to apologise for calling you "Tweety Bird Lady." You see, a certain amount of time has passed since I realized you worked on the same floor of the building as me, and I feel it rude to finally ask your name. Actually, I feel if I were to ask, you'd be suspicious of why I wanted it in the first place, as we never speak. Actually, I really just don't want to know-- "Tweety Bird Lady" is much more entertaining.

You may be curious as to why I'm writing this. And you may be curious as to why I'm calling you Tweety Bird Lady in the first place-- but I sincerely hope not. You see, the oversized, pajama-like t-shirts you wear have caught my attention. You know, the ones with Tweety Bird, or the Tazmanian Devil, or Bugs Bunny on them, with little word bubbles coming from their mouths, all spraying some sort of stereotypical cartoon character lingo.

I suppose those types of t-shirts are not all that uncommon. I mean, I recognize the style, if that word is even appropriate. I have seen it before-- both on 2-year-olds and on racks at Value Village. However... I'm rather curious as to where one finds these shirts in such an extreme size? You see, it's not only that the shirts adequately cover your large frame, but they do so in such a way that if I were to pants you on the elevator, your employer-- God bless him-- would never know. I do shop at Wal Mart regularly; however, they even seem to have their standards, limiting the calf-length t-shirts to Disney characters.

I'm also curious as to what prompts you to wear these shirts to your place of employment...? Perhaps they provide exceptional warmth during your many Virginia Slim smoke breaks downstairs. Or perhaps your boss is a cartoon afficianado, and you believe your witty wardrobe will earn you a raise. Whatever your reasoning, I will say this: your fashion choices have afforded me many laughs these past few years, and while I don't support grown women dressing like toddlers raised in the 1980's, I do appreciate your uncanny ability to lift my mood.

However... A time has come when I must ask you to stop. You may have noticed I already act strangely when I see you. Just so you understand, when I use a public bathroom, I do not typically walk in a stall while someone is washing their hands, see the toilet water still swirling, indicating recent use, and choose another stall. Also, I do not typically hold my breath on the nine-story flight up our common elevator. Your Virginia Slim-soaked clothing has caused some special actions on my part. However, these little quips in my behavior pale in comparison to what must happen if I again see you wearing the nightgown T you donned last week.

In no way does the precious Tinkerbell ever deserve to be blown up to that size. Ever. And in no way should a woman in her 50's ever write the word "Fiesty" across her torpedo-like chest, right above precious Tinkerbell's likeness.

Please, never wear this shirt again, even if you feel it crucial to express how "fiesty" you truly are. If you have a fireplace, or a grill, or a bucket and some matches, burn this shirt. Do not donate it to Goodwill-- even bums have their standards. Do not throw it away-- it may be found by an innocent, unsuspecting dumpster diver. This shirt needs to be removed, immediately, from human circulation.

If I am to see this shirt again, please excuse my inability to stand up properly, and please excuse the fact that I neglected to cover my protien shake with a lid. This monstrosity of cheap cotton needs to go, and if it must come to it, I will sacrifice my morning breakfast to make sure that happens.

Yours truly,
Sarah

Not Dreams of A White Christmas-- NIGHTMARES!

For those of you who don't live in Wichita Falls... we finally had a white Christmas here! Not just a friendly sprinkling of snow though... there were places with over a foot, and we were offically in a blizzard warning! No, really people, a blizzard. It started snowing Christmas Eve and snowed most of Christmas Day. While the snow was beautiful and sooo fun to play in, it really wrecked a lot of plans. Frank's brother and sister-in-law were stranded on US 287 literally overnight, along with hundreds of other travelers. Ryan would have been, too, if it hadn't been for his awesome truck. Ryan actually played guardian angel to dozens of tranded motorists, pulling them out of the snow with his Tacoma. Here are a few pictures of the snow... taken from the safety of my house :)

We spent Christmas Eve with Ryan's family-- good company and great munchies! I don't know if you've ever had or even heard of a "Kay Kay Cheese Ball," but I think I may have eaten enough this weekend to get California's economy back on track! We also hung out with Ryan's family on Christmas Day and night, and again on the night after Christmas. Here are a few of the pictures I got...

Jeanie's pretty tree

Us being silly

Kara, Joey, Ryan, me

In front of Kara's super-fun tree!!

Aren't they good-looking siblings?

On the day after Christmas, Ryan drove me to my parents' house in Archer City for the afternoon. It was really nice to finally see them! I still have not gotten to see any of my aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandmas, but hopefully we will squeeze that in soon. We had a lot to cram in to our time at Archer, so I didn't take many pictures, but here are a couple....

The snow out at Mom and Lew's gorgeous home

:)

It was a great Christmas! Hoping for more snow tomorrow-- that way I can miss a day of work instead of a day of fun! Then again, I'm still waiting on a few presents from UPS, and I'd like to give them out, so maybe I don't want more snow. Happy New Year everyone!

No News is Good News!

At least in my case it is! After the colossal Saturday I had a few weeks ago, my life has finally slowed down. I have reclaimed my free time, workouts, and lunch breaks. Woo! But that leaves the good ole' blogosphere rather lacking, so here's a quick update...

I've signed up for a second half marathon! I'm actually training for this one, and I have the help of two great friends, Leslie and Angie, who will be running in their first race ever! Go girls! The race is the inagural Rock and Roll half marathon in Dallas, Texas. These races are the greatest because at every mile marker, instead of having a dinky little sign saying "Mile 1," "Mile 2," etc., they have a ROCK BAND jamming out! YAY! (On a side note, I don't really mean to belittle those signs... I can't even tell you how happy you feel when you see Miles 12 and 13!!) If you want to see some info on the race, you can go here.

Also, roomie and I are going to a tacky Christmas sweater party this week! If you're unfamiliar with this concept, just think back to your first grade teacher, the one who smelled kind of funny, and always ate weird things at lunch, and talked about her cats a little too much.... Now, think of what she'd wear at Christmas time, and you've got the picture! We're going to decorate our own-- oddly enough Wichita seems to have a shortage of ugly sweaters-- but I won't give away our theme until I have some pics up.
Oh, and speaking of roomie, she blogs too! Check her out when you have time!  http://rheaganleigh.blogspot.com/

Happy Wednesday everyone! I'll write more when I have something interesting to say :)

Looks can be deceiving!!

Doesn't this look like a super-sweet, loving Mom & Daughter pair??

Look closer!! Watch out Tink!! She's got a knife! :)

Are you looking at my BUM??

Well, it's no secret that Ra-ra is not Ivey's favorite person right now! I know, I know, "It's a phase...", "He's just playing!!", "He'll love you SOMEday!!". Ivey's favorite thing to do is tell me, "NO, Ra-Ra!!" And give me his mean stare. Which, I have to admit, is pretty funny.

Anyhow, here's what happens when the not-favorite-aunt tries to take pictures of this otherwise camera happy child...

Ivey: "Boo B'ooon! Boo B'ooon!" ("Blue Balloon")

Autn Ra-Ra: "Do you want this blue balloon?" Handing him a blue balloon

Ivey: "NO, RA-RA!!!!" Climbing under chair to avoid camera

Scene: Ivey, standing and smiling towards Ra-Ra

Ra-Ra: "Ivey! Let me take your picture!"

Ivey: See picture.

Again, Ivey sitting, smiling by cousin Thomas...

Ra-Ra: "Ivey! Smile with Thomas!"

Ivey: See picture.

Aunt Ra-Ra: Hmmm... maybe if someone is HOLDING him, he can't face his bum towards me! "Hey guys! Lemme take a family picture!"

Ivey: See picture.

Today, I am thankful...

Ok, I'll admit, this is somewhat inspired by Facebook... (Is it bad that I have a Facebook, MySpace, AND a Blog??) One of my friends decided to list something every day that they are thankful for until Thanksgiving, saying that they think it will get harder with time... I'm not sure about it getting harder, but I'll give it a whirl... I'm feeling pretty thankful this week, so forgive me if I'm excessive in posts...

Day One
Today, I am thankful not only for God's lessons, but especially for His gentle lessons. I had lunch with a friend the other day, and her brother has fallen into some hard times. Actually, it's probably more appropriate to say he dug himself into some hard times-- very hard, the kind he may never recover from. I look back at how careless (idiotic? crazy? stupid??) I was when I was younger, and I am grateful that although God brought me to my knees so He could lift me up again, He never let me fall flat on my face. There are many, many times I deserved to learn lessons the hard way, and I am so grateful for the grace I received!

I'm also grateful for Midol :) Hahahaha

Day Two
Today, I am thankful that when we drew names for our office Christmas party, I did NOT draw my boss! Yippeeeee!! (Don't take this wrong-- our gifts are no-price-limit, and my boss has everything.) :)

Day Three
Today, I am thankful for my AWESOME SISTER who just had a birthday! We are basically one person who somehow manages to walk around in two separate bodies... We think the same things at the same times, show up at the same places with the same outfits on, and had even planned to get each other the same things for Christmas (Harry Potter books)!! :) I am so glad to have someone who knows me inside out and can understand every little weird part of me-- because she's just the same. I love you sister!

Days Four & Five
This weekend, I am thankful for my family's holiday traditions. One of my favorite days of the year is when all the girls get together, put up the tree, have strawberry daquiris or white russians, and spend thee day laughing. It is the perfect way to start out the holidays. Also, new this year, we're starting a progressive dinner this year, which will be a fun new tradition, but wih something different-- this will be one of the first holidays where my generation of the family will be doing part of the entertaining! The first and last course of the meal are at my sister's house and my house. Hopefully the "kiddos" pull it off ok!

Day Six
Today, I am very, very, very thankful for COFFEE and for Rick, who always gets to work first and makes the strongest coffee ever! Seriously, you could stand up a spoon int this stuff.

Day Seven
Today, and everyday, I am thankful that my boyfriend is a handyman! This morning, I woke up to sit on a non-wobbly, non-leaky potty (sorry, TMI), turned on the shower with a fully-functional knob, and closed off the new blinds in the living room. He is my light-bulb changer, my hole-driller, and my lifter-of-heavy-things. And I LOVE it!

P.S. Honey... when are you coming back... some belt thing fell off my dishwasher :)

Day Eight
Today, I am thankful for time OFF WORK!! I love my job, and the people at it, but getting of at noon is AWESOME!! As is a 4 1/2 day weekend.

I am thankful I have a place to go for Thanksgiving. In fact, I am thankful that this year I have two places to fit in! It's not a hassle, like some people pretend... it's just more food, fun, & family-- how could that be a hassle? And I'm thankful for my stepdad, who always picks up two airmen from the base who couldn't get home and shows them a really fun time. I am thankful for my mom, who does SO much of Thanksgiving all alone, and never complains.

I am TOTALLY thankful for broccoli rice casserole & mashed potatos! (Yes, fitness instructors DO eat like that sometimes!)

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! In the work, and the hustle, and the stress caused by a house full of people, don't forget to be thankful :)