NaBloPoMo (the belated edition)

I meant to write something yesterday and never did. Probably because I was too busy creating To-Do lists with things like "watch 1 episode of Mad Men" and "print out Human Rights reading for tomorrow" (note: not "READ Human Rights reading for tomorrow"). In any case, I remembered about NaBloPoMo last night/this morning at around 2 a.m. when I couldn't fall asleep and was obsessively playing Texas Hold 'Em on my Blackberry while holding it under the covers so the light wouldn't keep T up. I decided to write this post in the AM and write a second NaBloPoMo in the afternoon/evening. I'm looking forward to today because my bro-bro gets into town for a visit! It's only the second time he's been to the Big City, but the first time he came was right before the start of Spring semester of my first year of school. I was not exactly the best hostess, on account of I was extremely sulky over having to go back to being scared to death. Ha! Memories...

Anyway, until this afternoon!

Night to myself

I was at the law library until 1 a.m. yesterday.

*Cue Pinnochio voice*

"I'm a real, live law student!"

That's how I felt, and exhilerated and satisfied, as I rode the $10 cab ride back to our little firetrap in the middle of the night. I told my best friend this morning over g-chat about it. The conversation went something like this:

JE: Sorry I didn't listen to your voice mail yet. I was at the library until 1 a.m. working on a paper last night.
JE: I was the last person leaving to leave the building.
BFF: Aww... you're such a good student!
BFF: Or... If I know you as well as I think I do...
BFF: You just procrastinated.

Leave it to the best friend to keep it real. Ha!

Anyway, having put out that mini-fire, I recieved a text from T this afternoon: "I completely forgot I have a game tonight." Meaning, he is going to an NBA game, because he and Best Man and another Dude Friend bought a 6-pack of tickets a while back, well before they realized "their team" was hopeless. At least, that's the impression I get. I really hate non-NCAA March Madness basketball. Bo-oring!

I'm chipper because T's game nights mean JE's quiet evenings at home. It dawned on me that if I had been keeping up with the assigned reading in my Immigration Law class, I would be on course to finish the entire 1500-page book by the end of the semester. Seeing as how I gave up trying to read a long time ago (around the time I realized his lectures were a verbatim recitation of each assignment, with no expectation in student participation) I am starting to panic about how I can possibly prepare for his exam.

With that in mind, here is a list of the things I'll probably do tonight while T is at the stadium bar stadium(!):

* Eat an avocado. There's one sitting on the microwave oven begging to be peeled and consumed.
* Watch old episodes of the Office or 30 Rock.
* Read the syllabus for my two classes tomorrow.
* Think a lot about starting to reading for my two classes tomorrow.
* Check the sales on Gilt.com obsessively.
* Try to earn some quick change on Mechanical Turks
* Nap
* Check my friends' status updates on Facebook.
* Read the first case for Corporations right around the time T is getting back from the game.

Ahhh... so restful.

Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip...

Hooray for healthcare reform! I will be watching how this affects things in real life, cautiously, since one of my best friends from high school has a daughter on Medicaid. This friend is right now petrified that her daughter will lose the coverage that has enabled her to receive life-saving treatments, therapy and other interventions. It's easy to be excited (and I am!!), but I am at a place in my life at the moment where my personal stakes aren't so high. I understand why many people are skeptical still.

With that little colloquy, and a reminder to anyone who can't get enough Lost to check out this hilarious blog, I am off to read for Crimes & Immigration.

i have a small flower, and a tiny little butterfly on my...thigh

So I've been reading The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by that awesome Dominican author Junot Diaz, who also wrote Drown. Among its many other wonderful qualities, the narrator's charming Spanglish has me hooked.

And today, I discover this awesome blog. Among its many awesome features, the blog appears to be doing a weekly recap of Modern Family, which is verging on becoming my new favorite HILARIOUS show. I like Guanabee's recap because they focus on Colombian trophy wife & her son Manny, which no other reviewers seem to do, and have something to say about nearly every joke assigned to those two characters. It's great!

seredipitous

I got home today and realized that I had left my two biggest case books at school today. Which means I can't study tonight for those classes. I happen to be caught up in my other classes. And class is canceled tomorrow. Which means... FREE NIGHT!!

Woohoo!

I've been good most of the week. Going to sleep before midnight. Working out 30 minutes of dumb cardio. Not drinking soda or eating fast food. Actually reading. I've also been bad. I skipped two classes. But for the most part, good. I am happy to say that I have no plans for tonight except to have some drinks, watch the season premiere of It's Always Sunny (!!!!!!!!) and, well, that's it.

Boo ya. (Yeah, I said it.)

Who lies? You lie!

You know what? As amusing and obnoxious as it was that Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouted out at the President in the middle of his reassurance that (don't worry!!!) illegal immigrants will NOT receive health care under his plan....

As amusing and obnoxious as it was, and as tempting as it is to get my blood all boiled up, the fact is that I respect his right to do that. I remember it was really not that very long ago that I longed to be inside any given crowded, silent room with President Dubya, just so I could shout at him that he is a 'f@#*ing idiot'!! (Confession: I wouldn't have actually yelled at him, but I always was relieved when somebody was able to sneak in and shame him on my behalf. I got close enough a couple of times that I actually panicked and had to think about what I would do.)

So. Fine. Shout away.

I disagree with Ol' Fuss 'n' Feathers Wilson on his P.O.V. It's a stupid battle he's chosen. Obviously as long as there are rules that say you have to have a certain number and a certain ID to get certain benefits, there will be certain people creating, selling and using fake IDs and fake numbers in order to gain the benefit for themselves. It's inevitable that "illegals" are going to find a way to game the system if they really, really want to. And as long as there is rampant inequality and ginormous injustice in the way we do trade and the expectations and accountability we place on corporations, there are going to be unqualified people who really, really want to game the system to get a job here. Most aren't going to try their luck by using our health insurance. None that I know would even dare. Hell, they hardly have the trust in our system to call the cops when a guy holds a gun to their head and takes all their money and their son's bike.

God forbid an illegal immigrant get hit by a car, or choke on a hot dog, or sustain life-threatening damage to their lungs from working around pesticides, and they actually want care! Shit.

But I digress.

I totally, 100% support Joe Wilson's right to shout out. Yes, even at the President. I wouldn't make a habit out of it. I'd expect more from a U.S. Congressman. I agree it's irresponsible and sets a bad example. Anyway, if it were me, I'd find a way to get one of my prized interns to do the shouting for me. But, whatever. We live in 'Merica, folks. This is also part of our character, like it or not. I feel like I need a shower.

getting dizzy

just watched the most recent episode of Lost. i'm not sure which makes my head spin faster: Lost or following a class discussion on Marbury v. Madison. i definitely take more pleasure from Lost. omg.

today i did no homework at all. instead i went to the bar and had some beers with friends after class, went to the dog park, ate some green beans, went on a date to the diner and watched Lost in streaming HD while wearing pajamas in bed. now, i am going to sleep.

it's awfully early in the semester to be blowing off work. oh well.