... so it's New Year's Eve and tomorrow is 2007. Scary. That means this time next year will be the start of the year when i start my training contract. Yikes.
In any case Christmas was good apart from the hysterics with the family car.
It hasn't been starting very well apparently. For about three weeks. But men are stubborn (wide generalisation I know but it is required). My dad is a man, and he is particularly stubborn. Thus he hasn't taken the car to the garage because it's "kinda" been starting.
However the other day, as we were about to set off for a trip to my two aunts' about an hour's drive away and the car wouldn't start at all. Usually it would start if you gave it a while but now it was making weird hissing sounds and just plainly refusing to budge. So it had to be pushed a bit to be started up at which point any sensible person would decide to either go home or go to a garage.
Not my dad. After a rather animated shouting match, he made the executive decision that we would carry on to my aunts', and my protests about the fact that we would not be able to get the car moving at Aunt No. 1's as there is no hill, fell to deaf ears. So off we went and as predicted the garage had to be called to tug the car along at my aunt's before we could move anywhere.
The car is now going to a garage. Thank god. Saga over. But I have been getting the bus for the first time in four years at home and thats been quite exciting!
Happy New Year everyone!!
S.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Holidays are coming...
Oh yes you all know it, nearly Christmas!
Screw political correctness and screw Jesus, I love Christmas even with all its commercialised trimmings! I don't love it BECAUSE of the commercial trimmings, but in spite of them. So why do I?
For a start I'm at my parents'. And there is a never-ending supply of food in the house. It is perfectly acceptable to eat dinner three times a day and an oft-spoken phrase that passes between me and my mum is "what shall we eat next?". *
There is no reason whatsoever to leave the house, and if you do it's nice and quiet everywhere and no people and stuff for when we decide to take little walks and stuff. I also like to see my parents liking the presents I got them (hopefully). And we make puzzles. Everyone is merry and we sit at the table and eat dinner and my dad makes conversation (ok, so that's probably because we have guests) and doesn't get up until we've all finished. And the three of us all watch films together and stuff. There are lots of benign films on TV and me and mum can watch Disney films and Crime Dramas. While eating of course. Generally just nice family time.
Everywhere has pretty lights and plays Christmas music.
The Coca-Cola ad is on tv. Holidays are coming etc. With the big truck with pretty lights. Although they've changed it this year and I want to make an official complaint. But I saw the proper ad today and jumped up and down and my mum laughed at me.
*next week - New Year's resolution is to join the gym... although I don't make resolutions, but if I did!
Screw political correctness and screw Jesus, I love Christmas even with all its commercialised trimmings! I don't love it BECAUSE of the commercial trimmings, but in spite of them. So why do I?
For a start I'm at my parents'. And there is a never-ending supply of food in the house. It is perfectly acceptable to eat dinner three times a day and an oft-spoken phrase that passes between me and my mum is "what shall we eat next?". *
There is no reason whatsoever to leave the house, and if you do it's nice and quiet everywhere and no people and stuff for when we decide to take little walks and stuff. I also like to see my parents liking the presents I got them (hopefully). And we make puzzles. Everyone is merry and we sit at the table and eat dinner and my dad makes conversation (ok, so that's probably because we have guests) and doesn't get up until we've all finished. And the three of us all watch films together and stuff. There are lots of benign films on TV and me and mum can watch Disney films and Crime Dramas. While eating of course. Generally just nice family time.
Everywhere has pretty lights and plays Christmas music.
The Coca-Cola ad is on tv. Holidays are coming etc. With the big truck with pretty lights. Although they've changed it this year and I want to make an official complaint. But I saw the proper ad today and jumped up and down and my mum laughed at me.
*next week - New Year's resolution is to join the gym... although I don't make resolutions, but if I did!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Friends and family... and more law stuff
I'm going home to Mum and Dad Law School this weekend. For three whole weeks.
I'm very excited - I love going home and hanging out with the parents, and it will also be Christmas which I love too. I guess I enjoy going home so much because I can revert straight back to being a teenager when life was but a daydream and there were no serious things such as careers and paying rent to worry about. But it will be Christmas and I'm going home so I'm mega-excited. Yes some more of the well known Susie Law School enthusiasm has been saved up for the holidays.
On another note - Law School Friends. I get on with people in my class, no problem. However I wonder how many of them hate me. It's already been well established that I work hard. It's already been well established that I 99% of the time know the answer. It's also been established that if I know the answer and nobody else is volunteering it, I will speak up. But I do wonder if they think I'm an annoying know-it-all. I occasionally find myself feeling guilty that I do always know the answer (not TOO guilty, after all I still want a distinction) and perhaps slightly resented by my fellow classmates. And it worries me a bit as after all, people potentially bitching about you isn't the nicest.
It doesn't worry me too much, after all I have my friends who I know like me and I like them, and I wouldn't change them for the world. But the whole thing made me think that possibly Law School friendships are a bit like those you have with your colleagues at work. Everyone gets on perfectly fine on a social level, but only very few spend time together outside of work. At work however, everyone is looking out for themselves and nobody likes other people to do well. It's a dog eat dog world.
Or Law Student eat Law Student.
On another note, I had a dream last night that I had my first moot and hadn't prepared at all and lost. Not good.
I'm very excited - I love going home and hanging out with the parents, and it will also be Christmas which I love too. I guess I enjoy going home so much because I can revert straight back to being a teenager when life was but a daydream and there were no serious things such as careers and paying rent to worry about. But it will be Christmas and I'm going home so I'm mega-excited. Yes some more of the well known Susie Law School enthusiasm has been saved up for the holidays.
On another note - Law School Friends. I get on with people in my class, no problem. However I wonder how many of them hate me. It's already been well established that I work hard. It's already been well established that I 99% of the time know the answer. It's also been established that if I know the answer and nobody else is volunteering it, I will speak up. But I do wonder if they think I'm an annoying know-it-all. I occasionally find myself feeling guilty that I do always know the answer (not TOO guilty, after all I still want a distinction) and perhaps slightly resented by my fellow classmates. And it worries me a bit as after all, people potentially bitching about you isn't the nicest.
It doesn't worry me too much, after all I have my friends who I know like me and I like them, and I wouldn't change them for the world. But the whole thing made me think that possibly Law School friendships are a bit like those you have with your colleagues at work. Everyone gets on perfectly fine on a social level, but only very few spend time together outside of work. At work however, everyone is looking out for themselves and nobody likes other people to do well. It's a dog eat dog world.
Or Law Student eat Law Student.
On another note, I had a dream last night that I had my first moot and hadn't prepared at all and lost. Not good.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Why go to Law School...
... if you don't like the law?
Now, my regular readers I am sure (all two of you... hi mum!) have noticed that I am a geek. This is a particularly geeky post.
I love studying, and more importantly I love studying law. So far I'm enjoying Law School more than pretty much anything else I've ever studied (bar parts of my masters which are about equal to it). I love going to class, there are some bits I find less interesting than others. Surprisingly Criminal is one of those, although I have studied it before and enjoyed it then, now I'm not finding it as exciting, but still interesting of course. Luckily, I love trust law and contract, the two I'm most likely to need in practice so that's handy!
Anyway, the point of this post is not how much I love Law School but how little other people do. I have encountered so many people who find it dull and can't be bothered etc and I can't help but wonder - why bother?
Money, career prospects... I can see the appeal, but why do something you really aren't that passionate about? I mean, forty years of your life, going to work every day, at least pick a job you LIKE! I find it all very odd but I suppose everyone has their reasons...
Personally - it's like reading a really good book. I can't wait to get to the end and be a lawyer, but I don't want Law School to finish either.
Oh joy!
Now, my regular readers I am sure (all two of you... hi mum!) have noticed that I am a geek. This is a particularly geeky post.
I love studying, and more importantly I love studying law. So far I'm enjoying Law School more than pretty much anything else I've ever studied (bar parts of my masters which are about equal to it). I love going to class, there are some bits I find less interesting than others. Surprisingly Criminal is one of those, although I have studied it before and enjoyed it then, now I'm not finding it as exciting, but still interesting of course. Luckily, I love trust law and contract, the two I'm most likely to need in practice so that's handy!
Anyway, the point of this post is not how much I love Law School but how little other people do. I have encountered so many people who find it dull and can't be bothered etc and I can't help but wonder - why bother?
Money, career prospects... I can see the appeal, but why do something you really aren't that passionate about? I mean, forty years of your life, going to work every day, at least pick a job you LIKE! I find it all very odd but I suppose everyone has their reasons...
Personally - it's like reading a really good book. I can't wait to get to the end and be a lawyer, but I don't want Law School to finish either.
Oh joy!
Friday, December 01, 2006
A particular law student...
... in continuation to this post, today I want to tell you about another type of law student.
This is "the annoying loser everybody hates".
Now you might think this is in response to a particular occurrence and you might be right, but obviously as a disclaimer and to avoid being sued, I must state that this is all pure conjecture and none of this really happened... ahem...
So it's the hypothetical guy (or girl, in these times of political correctness) who knows everything and feels that what he has to say is more important than what the lecturer has to say. He will interrupt with an entirely unrelated comment only to hear the sound of his own voice and refer to his previous career at another specialist field to undermine the lecturer, comment on his pronounciation of medic... I mean specialist field terms, and tell what he believes to be funny anecdotes that are received by other students with groans and laughter.
This person is not hugely popular, as you can imagine. Even with the lecturers. They have to actually tell him to stop talking. In a nice diplomatic way of course, but they must say they will only take questions at the end and continue the lecture. And then take questions from other people.
Hypothetically of course. This person doesn't really exist.
This is "the annoying loser everybody hates".
Now you might think this is in response to a particular occurrence and you might be right, but obviously as a disclaimer and to avoid being sued, I must state that this is all pure conjecture and none of this really happened... ahem...
So it's the hypothetical guy (or girl, in these times of political correctness) who knows everything and feels that what he has to say is more important than what the lecturer has to say. He will interrupt with an entirely unrelated comment only to hear the sound of his own voice and refer to his previous career at another specialist field to undermine the lecturer, comment on his pronounciation of medic... I mean specialist field terms, and tell what he believes to be funny anecdotes that are received by other students with groans and laughter.
This person is not hugely popular, as you can imagine. Even with the lecturers. They have to actually tell him to stop talking. In a nice diplomatic way of course, but they must say they will only take questions at the end and continue the lecture. And then take questions from other people.
Hypothetically of course. This person doesn't really exist.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Round-up of developments...
On that note, I'm off to make a cup of tea and watch CSI!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
The Road to Distinction...
... is paved with challenges.
Someone really has got it in for me and currently I am seriously thinking that getting a distinction (which is the only acceptable grade for me because I am a horrendous geek and perfectionist) is just not going to happen.
Ok, so first it was two weeks off with the infernal wisdom teeth, one of those weeks being reading week when I was supposed to catch up on all my reading.
Then, this weekend I was fully intending to do lots of work but got a visitor for the whole weekend so did nothing, and was so tired yesterday morning that I missed my first two lectures.
Today when I was fully intending on spending all day in the library - guess what happened?
Well I went in for one of the lectures I missed yesterday feeling a bit sniffly. This got progressively worse throughout the lecture and the two hours in the library that ensued. To the point that I have now had to leave the library in search of drugs and tea. This means I have to go home. This means I won't get as much work done as I should and yet another day is wasted by matters beyond my control!
Yesterday I found out about 4-5% of people get distinctions (i.e. average over 70%). Most people get Commendations which is the next grade down (Average 60-70%). 4% of 800 students - that's 32 students. THIRTY-TWO STUDENTS!!! THAT IS INSANE!!!!
I have no idea what the percentage was at University but THIRTY-TWO STUDENTS!!!
I want to be one of them, I must get to be one of them, but the way I'm going I'll be lucky if I pass... now I'm going to get drugs and hope it all goes away and the universe leaves me alone.
Someone really has got it in for me and currently I am seriously thinking that getting a distinction (which is the only acceptable grade for me because I am a horrendous geek and perfectionist) is just not going to happen.
Ok, so first it was two weeks off with the infernal wisdom teeth, one of those weeks being reading week when I was supposed to catch up on all my reading.
Then, this weekend I was fully intending to do lots of work but got a visitor for the whole weekend so did nothing, and was so tired yesterday morning that I missed my first two lectures.
Today when I was fully intending on spending all day in the library - guess what happened?
Well I went in for one of the lectures I missed yesterday feeling a bit sniffly. This got progressively worse throughout the lecture and the two hours in the library that ensued. To the point that I have now had to leave the library in search of drugs and tea. This means I have to go home. This means I won't get as much work done as I should and yet another day is wasted by matters beyond my control!
Yesterday I found out about 4-5% of people get distinctions (i.e. average over 70%). Most people get Commendations which is the next grade down (Average 60-70%). 4% of 800 students - that's 32 students. THIRTY-TWO STUDENTS!!! THAT IS INSANE!!!!
I have no idea what the percentage was at University but THIRTY-TWO STUDENTS!!!
I want to be one of them, I must get to be one of them, but the way I'm going I'll be lucky if I pass... now I'm going to get drugs and hope it all goes away and the universe leaves me alone.
Friday, November 24, 2006
I've been tagged...
...by Rachel-Catherine...
I never say never but here goes, slightly modifiedly. 10 things I'm 99.9% sure I will not ever be likely to do. I imagine these should be in order of least likely as number one, but mine are just going to be random.
I won't tag people because I don't know who would do this, but if you read my blog and do it, please link to me too!
Happy weekend!!
xx
I never say never but here goes, slightly modifiedly. 10 things I'm 99.9% sure I will not ever be likely to do. I imagine these should be in order of least likely as number one, but mine are just going to be random.
I won't tag people because I don't know who would do this, but if you read my blog and do it, please link to me too!
Happy weekend!!
xx
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Mooooooooooooooooot!
So, today I went to the first meeting of the Mooting Society and thus signed up for the mooting competition.
For those who can't be bothered to look at the link, mooting is basically a pretend law suit where both sides get the same problem and then argue its legal merits, one as the appellant and one as the respondent. You go off and research the law and then make a submission to the other side about your arguments, and then you argue in front of a fake judge. But if you get to the final, you'll argue in front of a real judge which is really exciting!
So I joined. Now I'm worried. What if I'm not any good at it? You get put into teams and the first round of the competition is before Xmas. So not much time to prepare. My friend, who got to the final of his law school mooting competition, has offered to train me up thankfully, which is nice. It's not the public speaking part that worries me, I'm good at that. It's actually knowing what on earth I'm talking about!
But the good thing is, now I have something else on top of my Law School work to do so I will have to get on with it and hopefully I will be much more productive. Hurrah!
Distinction, here I come!
For those who can't be bothered to look at the link, mooting is basically a pretend law suit where both sides get the same problem and then argue its legal merits, one as the appellant and one as the respondent. You go off and research the law and then make a submission to the other side about your arguments, and then you argue in front of a fake judge. But if you get to the final, you'll argue in front of a real judge which is really exciting!
So I joined. Now I'm worried. What if I'm not any good at it? You get put into teams and the first round of the competition is before Xmas. So not much time to prepare. My friend, who got to the final of his law school mooting competition, has offered to train me up thankfully, which is nice. It's not the public speaking part that worries me, I'm good at that. It's actually knowing what on earth I'm talking about!
But the good thing is, now I have something else on top of my Law School work to do so I will have to get on with it and hopefully I will be much more productive. Hurrah!
Distinction, here I come!
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Something about Susie...
This weekend I'm visiting Miss S at her house up North (ok, it's not really that far up but it's North of London therefore it counts as up North) and I'm being cooked for which is very nice. So to entertain myself, I've been looking at blogs and I found this and thought I would give it a go to give you some insight into Susie Law School.
150 things to do in your life - I don't know what it's for, maybe things you should do, things someone has done... but it looked like fun... oh and what I have done is in bold...
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards) - obviously since I'm typing this
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper -eugh no!!!
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight -eugh no!!!
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb - I've held a piglet, does that count?
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run - by accident, mind you...
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day - not an entire day but a night out!
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states - no but I've visited 10 and will be visiting another 3 next summer with for a non-US person is quite good!
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe -eugh no!!! Me backpack? Are you crazy???
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Gone for a midnight walk on the beach - well on the way home from a night out, yes!
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken - I broke theirs instead!
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight - what the hell is D&D??? Dungeons and Dragons? No... Final Fantasy YES!!!
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days - why would anyone voluntarily do this??? Would you even have survived to blog about it??
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo - no but this would be a great way to tell my mum if I had!
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas - next summer I will have!
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge - again, next summer...
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol - air gun count?
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon - how many times... NEXT SUMMER!!!
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states - ironically the same number!
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office - does University count?
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream - right now I am! I'm gonna be a lawyer, woo hoo!!!
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Ok some of these are pretty lame... and I wouldn't do them in any case, but about 60 out of 150 ain't bad. Now I've bored you enough and will be off to have dinner... yum yum...
Toodles!
150 things to do in your life - I don't know what it's for, maybe things you should do, things someone has done... but it looked like fun... oh and what I have done is in bold...
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards) - obviously since I'm typing this
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper -eugh no!!!
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight -eugh no!!!
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb - I've held a piglet, does that count?
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run - by accident, mind you...
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day - not an entire day but a night out!
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states - no but I've visited 10 and will be visiting another 3 next summer with for a non-US person is quite good!
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe -eugh no!!! Me backpack? Are you crazy???
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Gone for a midnight walk on the beach - well on the way home from a night out, yes!
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken - I broke theirs instead!
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight - what the hell is D&D??? Dungeons and Dragons? No... Final Fantasy YES!!!
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days - why would anyone voluntarily do this??? Would you even have survived to blog about it??
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo - no but this would be a great way to tell my mum if I had!
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas - next summer I will have!
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge - again, next summer...
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol - air gun count?
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon - how many times... NEXT SUMMER!!!
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states - ironically the same number!
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office - does University count?
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream - right now I am! I'm gonna be a lawyer, woo hoo!!!
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Ok some of these are pretty lame... and I wouldn't do them in any case, but about 60 out of 150 ain't bad. Now I've bored you enough and will be off to have dinner... yum yum...
Toodles!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Old guys it's ok to fancy, Part 2
Yes, I'm still ill and not doing any work and depressed, so as a cheer-up tactic: second in my series of old guys its ok to fancy. Jason Isaacs. Need I say more?
And those of you who have no idea who he is - Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter. There's something about that hair!
Friday, November 10, 2006
Maybe I could be an air hostess...
... if I fail Law School.
It's reading week and I've been doing everything but, well reading. Now before you pigeonhole me as Procrastinator of the Year, it's not my fault. I was very much looking forward to Reading Week. I made a colour coded list of all my reading and lecture notes etc to get through during the week, and I couldn't wait to get stuck in on Monday.
Unfortunately it hasn't really worked out that way. Monday afternoon work had to be abandoned due to rising temperature. Not in the house. In me. Yes it's called a fever, kids. And it persisted all the way until Wednesday. Nothing else wrong with me, no cold, cough, headache or other accompanying ailments, just a fever.
So on Thursday I was slightly (to put it mildly) panicking about the fact that I had done no work yet, and although I had watched about 15 episodes of CSI:Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: Miami, I hadn't done anything productive legally. You can understand where the Horatio Caine thing came from now, can't you...? It all started very promisingly and I finished the lecture notes I had started on Monday before I got ill, and was thus up to date with all my lectures, but I still hadn't touched the reading or the (thankfully optional) assignment due on Monday. So I cracked on, found it hard to collect my thoughts to say the least, but punched in a good 900 words of the random thoughts in my head, thinking to return to them later in the weekend.
Now the next bit I put down to the remnants of the fever still. When I decided to stop writing to have lunch and clicked to shut down Word I, for some COMPLETELY UNKNOWN REASON, selected "no" when the PC asked if I wanted to save my work. I mean WHO DOES THAT!?!?!
(Don't answer that!)
So I got in a bad mood and went out to buy more CSI instead. I don't smoke or take drugs, CSI is my release. Deal with it.
Today I studied quite a bit but it still doesn't seem to have even made a miniscule dent to the reading material I wanted to cover this week. I worked out that I will need another 7 full days to get through it all. That would be nice if there was another reading week straight away but there isn't. So I'm officially behind. A lot. Well ok, most people would say I'm not because they don't bother to even DO the reading ever, but I am a geek and proud of it. And I will get a distinction and they won't. Ha. Although not at this rate because I'm probably going to FAIL because I've done no work.
A very dedicated student most of the time though.
So dedicated in fact that I saved getting ill until the week we don't have any scheduled classes. Go figure.
It's reading week and I've been doing everything but, well reading. Now before you pigeonhole me as Procrastinator of the Year, it's not my fault. I was very much looking forward to Reading Week. I made a colour coded list of all my reading and lecture notes etc to get through during the week, and I couldn't wait to get stuck in on Monday.
Unfortunately it hasn't really worked out that way. Monday afternoon work had to be abandoned due to rising temperature. Not in the house. In me. Yes it's called a fever, kids. And it persisted all the way until Wednesday. Nothing else wrong with me, no cold, cough, headache or other accompanying ailments, just a fever.
So on Thursday I was slightly (to put it mildly) panicking about the fact that I had done no work yet, and although I had watched about 15 episodes of CSI:Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: Miami, I hadn't done anything productive legally. You can understand where the Horatio Caine thing came from now, can't you...? It all started very promisingly and I finished the lecture notes I had started on Monday before I got ill, and was thus up to date with all my lectures, but I still hadn't touched the reading or the (thankfully optional) assignment due on Monday. So I cracked on, found it hard to collect my thoughts to say the least, but punched in a good 900 words of the random thoughts in my head, thinking to return to them later in the weekend.
Now the next bit I put down to the remnants of the fever still. When I decided to stop writing to have lunch and clicked to shut down Word I, for some COMPLETELY UNKNOWN REASON, selected "no" when the PC asked if I wanted to save my work. I mean WHO DOES THAT!?!?!
(Don't answer that!)
So I got in a bad mood and went out to buy more CSI instead. I don't smoke or take drugs, CSI is my release. Deal with it.
Today I studied quite a bit but it still doesn't seem to have even made a miniscule dent to the reading material I wanted to cover this week. I worked out that I will need another 7 full days to get through it all. That would be nice if there was another reading week straight away but there isn't. So I'm officially behind. A lot. Well ok, most people would say I'm not because they don't bother to even DO the reading ever, but I am a geek and proud of it. And I will get a distinction and they won't. Ha. Although not at this rate because I'm probably going to FAIL because I've done no work.
A very dedicated student most of the time though.
So dedicated in fact that I saved getting ill until the week we don't have any scheduled classes. Go figure.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Old guys it's ok to fancy, Part 1
To begin this new series of posts is my number one favourite old-guy-to-fancy, Horatio Caine. He's so lovely... I think it's all in the voice! *
*Please note I don't really fancy David Caruso as such, just the character. There's something about him and those sunglasses!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
New York New York
Stop press - Susie Law School has fallen in love. Oh yes, I have fallen in love with the gorgeous, exciting, beautiful, exhilarating and fabulous city that is New York. The Big Apple, the city that never sleeps. I am a City girl at heart, as those who know me will testify to. I love London, now I love New York.
So what's so good about it, and what's the difference? First of all, everything in NYC is high. Outside of the City and Canary Wharf, a few random buildings aside, London is essentially no more than six stories high. New York, in it's essence, is sixty. Less of Manhattan than of London seems old. I love little old houses in London, random mews cottages and Victorian townhouses, whereas Manhattan is more about the size, height and opulence. Condos replace townhouses, high-rise apartment buildings replace the cottages.
I like people. Lots of them. I like where I live because there are always people around. London has a lot of people, but they seem more concentrated to particular places. In New York, we didn't go anywhere that was even close to the exhilarating or suffocating (depending on your point of view and how much time you have to maneuvre through them) crowds of Covent Garden on a Friday night. People are everywhere but they are more evenly spaced out. In London you can turn a corner and find a completely deserted road right next to a busy area - in New York, everywhere you go there are people.
Central Park - the only thing that comes even close to this in London is Hampstead Heath and even that is forced to cough up the dust left behind by Central Park. It's like a nature reserve in the city. It has hills, little nooks and crannies, water, so many different beautiful places to see and you can truly get lost in it. Hyde Park is nice, it has pretty features and fountains and stuff but you can still essentially tell you are in the City because it is flat and there aren't that many trees. In Central Park you could just as well be in the forest miles from civilisation. The trees rise up to dizzying heights, hiding the surrounding buildings and keeping noise far away. Despite this the most spectacular views were those from the Jackie Onassis Reservoir and the meadows where park meets architecture, and the trees complement the rising Central Park Towers and Midtown skyscrapers. Gorgeous.
One thing we did miss in NYC though, were the men. I am forced to resign myself to the realisation that Americans do indeed work too hard - we did not see a single gorgeous Wall Street trader or high-flying lawyer so they must all be at work 24-7! Nor did we see any handsome specimen representing any other professions for that matter. This was a huge disappointment. London wins hands-down on this count. Ok, perhaps we just didn't know where to look but just walking down the street in London chances are you will bump into at least a few attractive males without really having to look. It's not hard work. In NYC specifically and USA generally, the talent was poor.
The Shopping!!! Shopping in New York is out of this world. Ok, so I didn't really get started until near the end, couldn't really find anything early on in the week (ok, read that as "couldn't find anything I could afford" as I found plenty of gorgeous things outside my budget) while the other two were racking up phenomenal withdrawals on their bank accounts. Even so, I stayed within budget but am still missing a few crucial items from my autumn wardrobe. However I did purchase Bruiser, a hangbag that is a chihuahua - yes I know, the Legally Blonde connection was too good to resist. In addition I bought a hat, boots, a pair of jeans, four pairs of trousers (oops, but I needed them and they fit so nicely!), a pair of trainers, three skirts, two jumpers, a cardigan, two belts, underwear, a top and two handbags. Wow is that all? The problem is though that in spite of all these trousers and skirts I still don't have tops to wear them with, or a winter coat. Which is kinda crucial. Oh dear... And what else did we do? I will not bore you to tears with a day-to-day description of what we did, if you want one of those you can ask me. Here are the main facts:
So... in no particular order my ten best USA moments:
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Types of Law Student II
A while back I spotted in a US Blawg (I forget which, sorry) some "types" of law student that can be frequently encountered in American Law Schools. A month or so back I introduced to you a few types of the Pro Bono lady on my first day of lectures. Having now been a law student for a month, I have been able to observe my fellow students and describe types according to Susie Law School. This list isn't exhaustive but these are the most obvious ones. I realise generalisation and stereotyping isn't very open-minded, but it's fun so get over it. If you don't like it, don't read my blog.
Type 1 - The Mature Student
The Mature Student is not specific to Law School. He or she can also be found at any undergraduate university. The Mature Student is keen and driven in a very different way to the young 'uns. This is because they've been around the block once or twice and now they are settling into doing something completely new and different for the first time in a good few years. The Mature Student has two significant characteristics. Firstly, he or she always asks questions. At the end of every lecture, every tutorial. She is here to learn, and learn she will. Having been out of education for a long time, getting back into academic study can be a challenge and as a result the Mature Student may find that things need explaining a lot more than other students do. They will ask until they are satisfied. Instead of some of the younger students who cannot wait to get out of lectures to head off for the pub and thus ask no questions, the Mature Student is the polar opposite. This brings us to the second characteristic - the Mature Student is not sociable. He is friendly and makes the effort to chat and is very nice and liked. However he has not come to Law School to make friends and also probably has children and a spouse who take precedence. Thus the Mature Student does not partake in pub outings.
Type 2 - The Activist
The Activist is pretty much the same as the Idealist from the Pro Bono class. He abhors all that corporations and City lawyers represent and wants to see them suffer. He has come to Law School to take on the world and change it. He is essentially slightly grungy. Some Activists wear clothes made from hemp or other similar materials and washing or combing their hair is something they may do sparingly to save water. Don't get me wrong, the Activist is not necessarily unhygienic or gross or anything, but much more "student-like" than other types and dresses the part. His favourite subjects are Human Rights, Criminal Law or something else that he can use to defend the oppressed. He will get heavily involved in Pro Bono and qualify to earn little money doing Legal Aid work out of his little office at the back of Tesco, but he is doing it for The Cause. Everything is worth it for The Cause and he will probably help a lot of people in his career. He might even become famous and rich but that isn't what being a lawyer is about for the Activist. His mortal enemy? The Eton Boy.
Type 3 - The Eton Boy
The Eton Boy went to Oxford, or at the very least Cambridge. He is a upper-middle class tosser whose so-called intelligence is highly questionable and in any case unnecessary thanks to a little something called Daddy's Money. The Eton Boy isn't stupid, obviously, since he has a degree from a world-renowned University and presumably quite a few acceptable A-level grades from Eton, Harrow or other similar all-boys private school. Neither is he a geek - money buys plenty of pink cashmere jumpers, tan leather shoes and designer jeans. What he is, however, is arrogant. He speaks with a finely-tuned "posh" accent, has perfected his laugh to be as engaging as it can be patronising, along with practising the flick of his floppy Tory-boy haircut to have maximum effect. He probably played some kind of sport at University. Nothing as vulgar as football, but probably hockey or lacrosse. Maybe even Rugby. Or the quintessential favourite - rowing. He probably has a training contract at a Magic Circle firm - he is not concerned about quality of work, only money and lots of it. Oh and of course status. Only the best will do - therefore only the top firms with other Oxfordites as partners will be deemed acceptable to him as a future place of employment where his by now second nature "old boys club" mentality will be reciprocated by fellow Eton Boys. If you are a nice normal girl, beware the Eton Boy. He will believe himself to be truly irresistable and his confidence and flashiness may fool an innocent little law student. Not so much after you spend your first date with him competing for his attention... with himself!*
Type 4 - The Desperate Housewife
The Desperate Housewife often comes hand in hand (literally) with the Eton Boy. She is the ultimate in suburban chic - fairly attractive, well brought-up, intelligent and well-spoken. She has also probably attended a good red-brick university, has good grades in something arty like Philosophy or English and has come to Law School determined to find one thing... a husband! The Desperate Housewife if not concerned with money or status. She is not becoming a lawyer for the career prospects but for the eligible bachelors. Her plan is to get trained up, work a few years in a nice little City firm until she hits the jackpot and finds a young man firmly on the partner track, to marry her. Then she will stop working with no regrets and transform into the perfect little wife, complete with a detached house in a leafy part of Surrey or Berkshire, volunteer work and two or three little angels running around, their place in Eton confirmed at birth. Of course if you have been paying attention you have probably already realised that the Desperate Housewife can easily find her match at Law School. That's right - it's the Eton Boy. For the Eton Boy not just any little lady will do, he wants one willing to be submissive and act in an appropriate manner for a corporate lawyer's wife. The Desperate Housewife is also not concerned with such minimal matters as "love" and "personality". All she wants is a husband to provide for her, pay for her fine wardrobe, take her to parties and the more time he sends in the office the better. Perfect match.
*Please note this is not from any bitter personal experience. I would not date an Eton Boy!
Type 1 - The Mature Student
The Mature Student is not specific to Law School. He or she can also be found at any undergraduate university. The Mature Student is keen and driven in a very different way to the young 'uns. This is because they've been around the block once or twice and now they are settling into doing something completely new and different for the first time in a good few years. The Mature Student has two significant characteristics. Firstly, he or she always asks questions. At the end of every lecture, every tutorial. She is here to learn, and learn she will. Having been out of education for a long time, getting back into academic study can be a challenge and as a result the Mature Student may find that things need explaining a lot more than other students do. They will ask until they are satisfied. Instead of some of the younger students who cannot wait to get out of lectures to head off for the pub and thus ask no questions, the Mature Student is the polar opposite. This brings us to the second characteristic - the Mature Student is not sociable. He is friendly and makes the effort to chat and is very nice and liked. However he has not come to Law School to make friends and also probably has children and a spouse who take precedence. Thus the Mature Student does not partake in pub outings.
Type 2 - The Activist
The Activist is pretty much the same as the Idealist from the Pro Bono class. He abhors all that corporations and City lawyers represent and wants to see them suffer. He has come to Law School to take on the world and change it. He is essentially slightly grungy. Some Activists wear clothes made from hemp or other similar materials and washing or combing their hair is something they may do sparingly to save water. Don't get me wrong, the Activist is not necessarily unhygienic or gross or anything, but much more "student-like" than other types and dresses the part. His favourite subjects are Human Rights, Criminal Law or something else that he can use to defend the oppressed. He will get heavily involved in Pro Bono and qualify to earn little money doing Legal Aid work out of his little office at the back of Tesco, but he is doing it for The Cause. Everything is worth it for The Cause and he will probably help a lot of people in his career. He might even become famous and rich but that isn't what being a lawyer is about for the Activist. His mortal enemy? The Eton Boy.
Type 3 - The Eton Boy
The Eton Boy went to Oxford, or at the very least Cambridge. He is a upper-middle class tosser whose so-called intelligence is highly questionable and in any case unnecessary thanks to a little something called Daddy's Money. The Eton Boy isn't stupid, obviously, since he has a degree from a world-renowned University and presumably quite a few acceptable A-level grades from Eton, Harrow or other similar all-boys private school. Neither is he a geek - money buys plenty of pink cashmere jumpers, tan leather shoes and designer jeans. What he is, however, is arrogant. He speaks with a finely-tuned "posh" accent, has perfected his laugh to be as engaging as it can be patronising, along with practising the flick of his floppy Tory-boy haircut to have maximum effect. He probably played some kind of sport at University. Nothing as vulgar as football, but probably hockey or lacrosse. Maybe even Rugby. Or the quintessential favourite - rowing. He probably has a training contract at a Magic Circle firm - he is not concerned about quality of work, only money and lots of it. Oh and of course status. Only the best will do - therefore only the top firms with other Oxfordites as partners will be deemed acceptable to him as a future place of employment where his by now second nature "old boys club" mentality will be reciprocated by fellow Eton Boys. If you are a nice normal girl, beware the Eton Boy. He will believe himself to be truly irresistable and his confidence and flashiness may fool an innocent little law student. Not so much after you spend your first date with him competing for his attention... with himself!*
Type 4 - The Desperate Housewife
The Desperate Housewife often comes hand in hand (literally) with the Eton Boy. She is the ultimate in suburban chic - fairly attractive, well brought-up, intelligent and well-spoken. She has also probably attended a good red-brick university, has good grades in something arty like Philosophy or English and has come to Law School determined to find one thing... a husband! The Desperate Housewife if not concerned with money or status. She is not becoming a lawyer for the career prospects but for the eligible bachelors. Her plan is to get trained up, work a few years in a nice little City firm until she hits the jackpot and finds a young man firmly on the partner track, to marry her. Then she will stop working with no regrets and transform into the perfect little wife, complete with a detached house in a leafy part of Surrey or Berkshire, volunteer work and two or three little angels running around, their place in Eton confirmed at birth. Of course if you have been paying attention you have probably already realised that the Desperate Housewife can easily find her match at Law School. That's right - it's the Eton Boy. For the Eton Boy not just any little lady will do, he wants one willing to be submissive and act in an appropriate manner for a corporate lawyer's wife. The Desperate Housewife is also not concerned with such minimal matters as "love" and "personality". All she wants is a husband to provide for her, pay for her fine wardrobe, take her to parties and the more time he sends in the office the better. Perfect match.
*Please note this is not from any bitter personal experience. I would not date an Eton Boy!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Washington D.C.
Finally - I've returned to my holiday updates. I realise all of you have by now forgotten about the fact that I went on holiday, let alone that I never finished posting about it, but not to worry. I haven't forgotten and I'm finally organised enough to return to telling you about my adventures.
So. The Smoky Mountains trip is where I last left you. Thus we arrived in D.C. After Leesburg, and lunch at TGI Friday's. Would you believe our waiter was called Randy! What are the odds! I daresay he failed to appreciate my amusement at his name... we drove off in the rain towards the capital, and actually managed to find our hotel without any mishaps. We heard that D.C. is notoriously difficult to navigate but we had no problems!
We stayed at the M Street Hotel, predictably not on M Street, but on New Hampshire. Still, it was very nice and lovely, although the concierge wasn't quite as in Charleston. There really was no question about what we would spend the remainder of the day doing, once we dropped off Randy (we had some trouble finding the car rental drop off but it was all due to BAD SIGNAGE!!!!). So yes, you got it, we went SHOPPING!!! We headed off to Pentagon City which is clearly near the Pentagon. Now I always thought the Pentagon is out in the sticks but it actually has a suburb all its own. And a Mall! A big huge giant mall! It's so pretty!
We spent the first hour and a half in Benetton where Miss S knew all the staff and they kept dressing her up like a little doll. $700 later we moved away from the green and on to other shops. Please note I bought a hat for $20, I felt slightly inadequate. But we had much fun looking around the shops and eating pretzels and McDonald's. Now for the record, I never eat McDonald's. I saw Supersize Me, it put me off for life. The only time I ever have it, is after a drunken night when it's the only place open. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that McDonald's in the US is actually much nicer!
The next day we were up nice and early, ready to investigate the city. Miss S is a seasoned capital-goer so she knew all the places to go. We had planned to walk up the Mall, then head to the Smithsonian - American History Museum, but found it to be closed. That was disappointing.
We started off at the Lincoln Memorial, it was all rather strange to be walking around places I have seen so many times on films and TV. Now for those who don't know I am a HUGE West Wing fan. So D.C. has a very special place in my heart and I was very excited about the day. And all the stuff we learned on the Charleston trip helped too! So we walked along from the Lincoln Memorial to the War Memorials with its fountains and a pillar for each state, and the Washington Monument, which was rather weird as there really is nothing else around for miles. Everything in D.C. is pretty flat, there are rules about building heights etc, and this really could be seen when standing around the Washington Monument.
It was here we espied our first glance of the White House. And yes, you got it, the WEST WING!!! We decided to take a stroll up there but were rudely interrupted by POTUS who was having a press conference in the Rose Garden so the back of the White House was closed. Now personally I think this was just very inconsiderate of him - how dare he schedule a press conference for the only day we were in DC! But we went to the front anyway and took some pictures. We were highly amused by the man with cardboard cut outs of Bush and Clinton, who would take a picture of you with them for the not-very-reasonable price of $8, $5 if it was your own camera. Really really bad photos too.
So we trooped on up to Capitol Hill. The whole White House Capitol thing was so surreal for me. Especially with the whole West Wing thing... so up we went, took lots of photos, and even had one taken of us by some kind German tourists.
The failure to attend the Smithsonian threw our day a bit out of whack but since by this point we were getting hungry, we decided to regather the troops and have some lunch. We headed to Union Station and had proper food for the first time in ages. No junk food, nothing fried, nothing in crispy greasy paper but real gorgeous pasta. As we had the afternoon to do more sightseeing, we decided to take the trolley tour around the capital.
The trolley tour was great fun, although we had already seen the Mall, we got to see so much more on the tour! The trolley took us around the Jefferson and FDR memorials, Arlington Cemetery (our fourth visit, we liked it so much and DC really is THAT SMALL!), the FBI and the theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shot. It's still there, how exciting! We swapped onto the other trolley route which took us up to the Cathedral and to Georgetown.
Georgetown is gorgeous. It's like Hampstead but better. All the houses are lovely, and very narrow, since they did use to have frontage tax. Unlike Charleston, as some may remember if you've actually paid attention to what I've been writing. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get out and have a wander but it truly was lovely. But the law states that the houses can't be destroyed or defaced in any way, only painted, so everything is very cute. And expensive. Real estate gets pricier the higher up the hill you go!
In true Susie Law School geek-style here are some interesting facts:
The White House wasn't built white, it used to be brown but got painted to cover up all the bulletholes.
The Museum of the American Indian has no corners because the Indians believe eagles lurk behind them.
There used to be a direct line of sight from the Capitol to the White House but Jackson (Possibly...?) built the Treasury to block it because he didn't like the government.
Mr. Smithson of the Smithsonian never set foot on American soil but is buried there.
The Jefferson statue in the memorial looks into the Oval Office.
There are 61 Starbucks in D.C. One for each square mile.
That will do for now, there are plenty more I'm sure but I don't want to bore you.
The evening was a Friday, and one of our few going out nights. We had dinner on K Street at McCormick's and Schmicks Steakhouse. Lovely lovely lovely. I had lovely salmon and although a bit pricey it was truly gorgeous. Miss S got chatted up by an old man at the bar but managed to escape. We carried on at a random bar on M Street, fully intending to just have a few drinks but it started getting busier and we stayed to chat to some random men. Somehow Miss S got a bit drunken so although we did do some dancing and stuff we headed home reasonably early. Probably a good thing since we had the Greyhound to catch the next morning! And NEW YORK BABY!!!
I seriously loved D.C. I could live there. It is gorgeous, full of history and a much more exciting place than some give credit for. I've heard that its dirty and boring and stuff but we really enjoyed ourselves. Obviously it was summertime so it was pretty empty everywhere but I would love to go back when Congress and Senate are in session!
I promise I will finish the story soon with New York! Be patient little ones!
So. The Smoky Mountains trip is where I last left you. Thus we arrived in D.C. After Leesburg, and lunch at TGI Friday's. Would you believe our waiter was called Randy! What are the odds! I daresay he failed to appreciate my amusement at his name... we drove off in the rain towards the capital, and actually managed to find our hotel without any mishaps. We heard that D.C. is notoriously difficult to navigate but we had no problems!
We stayed at the M Street Hotel, predictably not on M Street, but on New Hampshire. Still, it was very nice and lovely, although the concierge wasn't quite as in Charleston. There really was no question about what we would spend the remainder of the day doing, once we dropped off Randy (we had some trouble finding the car rental drop off but it was all due to BAD SIGNAGE!!!!). So yes, you got it, we went SHOPPING!!! We headed off to Pentagon City which is clearly near the Pentagon. Now I always thought the Pentagon is out in the sticks but it actually has a suburb all its own. And a Mall! A big huge giant mall! It's so pretty!
We spent the first hour and a half in Benetton where Miss S knew all the staff and they kept dressing her up like a little doll. $700 later we moved away from the green and on to other shops. Please note I bought a hat for $20, I felt slightly inadequate. But we had much fun looking around the shops and eating pretzels and McDonald's. Now for the record, I never eat McDonald's. I saw Supersize Me, it put me off for life. The only time I ever have it, is after a drunken night when it's the only place open. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that McDonald's in the US is actually much nicer!
The next day we were up nice and early, ready to investigate the city. Miss S is a seasoned capital-goer so she knew all the places to go. We had planned to walk up the Mall, then head to the Smithsonian - American History Museum, but found it to be closed. That was disappointing.
We started off at the Lincoln Memorial, it was all rather strange to be walking around places I have seen so many times on films and TV. Now for those who don't know I am a HUGE West Wing fan. So D.C. has a very special place in my heart and I was very excited about the day. And all the stuff we learned on the Charleston trip helped too! So we walked along from the Lincoln Memorial to the War Memorials with its fountains and a pillar for each state, and the Washington Monument, which was rather weird as there really is nothing else around for miles. Everything in D.C. is pretty flat, there are rules about building heights etc, and this really could be seen when standing around the Washington Monument.
It was here we espied our first glance of the White House. And yes, you got it, the WEST WING!!! We decided to take a stroll up there but were rudely interrupted by POTUS who was having a press conference in the Rose Garden so the back of the White House was closed. Now personally I think this was just very inconsiderate of him - how dare he schedule a press conference for the only day we were in DC! But we went to the front anyway and took some pictures. We were highly amused by the man with cardboard cut outs of Bush and Clinton, who would take a picture of you with them for the not-very-reasonable price of $8, $5 if it was your own camera. Really really bad photos too.
So we trooped on up to Capitol Hill. The whole White House Capitol thing was so surreal for me. Especially with the whole West Wing thing... so up we went, took lots of photos, and even had one taken of us by some kind German tourists.
The failure to attend the Smithsonian threw our day a bit out of whack but since by this point we were getting hungry, we decided to regather the troops and have some lunch. We headed to Union Station and had proper food for the first time in ages. No junk food, nothing fried, nothing in crispy greasy paper but real gorgeous pasta. As we had the afternoon to do more sightseeing, we decided to take the trolley tour around the capital.
The trolley tour was great fun, although we had already seen the Mall, we got to see so much more on the tour! The trolley took us around the Jefferson and FDR memorials, Arlington Cemetery (our fourth visit, we liked it so much and DC really is THAT SMALL!), the FBI and the theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shot. It's still there, how exciting! We swapped onto the other trolley route which took us up to the Cathedral and to Georgetown.
Georgetown is gorgeous. It's like Hampstead but better. All the houses are lovely, and very narrow, since they did use to have frontage tax. Unlike Charleston, as some may remember if you've actually paid attention to what I've been writing. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get out and have a wander but it truly was lovely. But the law states that the houses can't be destroyed or defaced in any way, only painted, so everything is very cute. And expensive. Real estate gets pricier the higher up the hill you go!
In true Susie Law School geek-style here are some interesting facts:
That will do for now, there are plenty more I'm sure but I don't want to bore you.
The evening was a Friday, and one of our few going out nights. We had dinner on K Street at McCormick's and Schmicks Steakhouse. Lovely lovely lovely. I had lovely salmon and although a bit pricey it was truly gorgeous. Miss S got chatted up by an old man at the bar but managed to escape. We carried on at a random bar on M Street, fully intending to just have a few drinks but it started getting busier and we stayed to chat to some random men. Somehow Miss S got a bit drunken so although we did do some dancing and stuff we headed home reasonably early. Probably a good thing since we had the Greyhound to catch the next morning! And NEW YORK BABY!!!
I seriously loved D.C. I could live there. It is gorgeous, full of history and a much more exciting place than some give credit for. I've heard that its dirty and boring and stuff but we really enjoyed ourselves. Obviously it was summertime so it was pretty empty everywhere but I would love to go back when Congress and Senate are in session!
I promise I will finish the story soon with New York! Be patient little ones!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The downfall of every good law student...
Yes, you got it. Land Law.
Next year, my Law Firm has told me, one of my electives must be Commercial Property. Thus to make life easier both next year and during my training contract (when I will undoubtedly be stuck on a property seat for six months) it is in my interest to do well in Land Law.
This has inspired me to consider Land Law in great detail and I have now solved the conundrum of why law students generally do not like Land Law. Why do students find it such a chore to get through it? I have heard the comment "Land Law is dull but when it evolves into Property Law, it gets better... " Why do you think that is?
I know the answer. It came to me today.
Land law isn't boring as such. It's also not hugely complicated. When you get through all the unnecessary complexities of language and monotony of lecturers the actual principles are pretty straightforward.
But there seems to be some kind of unwritten rule that by definition, land law must be made boring. Law students thus dislike Land Law not because it IS boring and complicated, but because Land Law lecturers are on a secret mission to MAKE it boring and complicated.
As an example, the seminar I had today had an interesting starting point - answering people's property-related questions - but the will to live was sucked out of the whole group by the approximately 190-year-old tutor who was unable to answer a single question posed to him without launching into a five-minute tangent about something that "isn't really relevant yet and you'll learn about this later but i'll just quickly explain..." At the end of his answer we were still none the wiser about whether he had actually understood the question and how the answer was supposed to relate to the question exactly.
The course outline text we have been given for Land Law is another example. It is written in English so complex and old-fashioned that Chaucer would be proud. The textbooks are boring and drab, and again written in a most complex manner. Why, oh why can the authors not follow the principles of other course leaders whose texts are in fact pretty straightforward and written in plain English? No. Land Law lecturers have a death wish. Not for themselves but a sadistic one for their poor students. Thus it will take you two hours to do work for Land Law that would take an hour to do for any other subject. This is because the first hour is spent translating the text you're working on to English, then the next hour actually doing the work. Going to lectures and tutorials may well be futile as it can confuse you more than help you, in which case you might not bother and just teach yourself. It is possible.
Land Law lecturers are nothing but sadistic. They are inherently boring and are out to get you, to make things as complicated as possible. I don't exactly know WHY yet, but at least I have solved the problem of why students hate Land Law.
No need to thank me. Just live happily in the knowledge that Land Law is not difficult, as long as allow more time for it than your other subjects. Problem solved.
Next year, my Law Firm has told me, one of my electives must be Commercial Property. Thus to make life easier both next year and during my training contract (when I will undoubtedly be stuck on a property seat for six months) it is in my interest to do well in Land Law.
This has inspired me to consider Land Law in great detail and I have now solved the conundrum of why law students generally do not like Land Law. Why do students find it such a chore to get through it? I have heard the comment "Land Law is dull but when it evolves into Property Law, it gets better... " Why do you think that is?
I know the answer. It came to me today.
Land law isn't boring as such. It's also not hugely complicated. When you get through all the unnecessary complexities of language and monotony of lecturers the actual principles are pretty straightforward.
But there seems to be some kind of unwritten rule that by definition, land law must be made boring. Law students thus dislike Land Law not because it IS boring and complicated, but because Land Law lecturers are on a secret mission to MAKE it boring and complicated.
As an example, the seminar I had today had an interesting starting point - answering people's property-related questions - but the will to live was sucked out of the whole group by the approximately 190-year-old tutor who was unable to answer a single question posed to him without launching into a five-minute tangent about something that "isn't really relevant yet and you'll learn about this later but i'll just quickly explain..." At the end of his answer we were still none the wiser about whether he had actually understood the question and how the answer was supposed to relate to the question exactly.
The course outline text we have been given for Land Law is another example. It is written in English so complex and old-fashioned that Chaucer would be proud. The textbooks are boring and drab, and again written in a most complex manner. Why, oh why can the authors not follow the principles of other course leaders whose texts are in fact pretty straightforward and written in plain English? No. Land Law lecturers have a death wish. Not for themselves but a sadistic one for their poor students. Thus it will take you two hours to do work for Land Law that would take an hour to do for any other subject. This is because the first hour is spent translating the text you're working on to English, then the next hour actually doing the work. Going to lectures and tutorials may well be futile as it can confuse you more than help you, in which case you might not bother and just teach yourself. It is possible.
Land Law lecturers are nothing but sadistic. They are inherently boring and are out to get you, to make things as complicated as possible. I don't exactly know WHY yet, but at least I have solved the problem of why students hate Land Law.
No need to thank me. Just live happily in the knowledge that Land Law is not difficult, as long as allow more time for it than your other subjects. Problem solved.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Law School Week 2
So week two is over, the induction is over and as of Monday fully-fledged lectures and seminars will commence. This means the real work will commence.
Yesterday was "The Test"- the multiple choice fun and games on the English Legal System that must be passed in order to continue on the course. It wasn't hard although there were a couple of questions I was kicking myself about because I should have known the answer but hadn't bothered to revise. Instead I relied on my Law A-level and Masters stuff and read through the notes a few times. I'm a perfectionist, I can't help it! I definitely got at least 40 right out of 50, another 6 I think I pretty much got right, the rest I have no idea. Results at the end of the month so a while yet!
As it turns out, drinking heavily is a part of student life I am getting a bit too old for. I did not feel well this morning. Admittedly starting at 4.30pm is probably where we went wrong in the first place...
That aside, I'm very excited about all the studying. So far we've had two lectures in all seven subjects and the seminars start this week. That's the stuff I'll actually have to do work for. Tomorrow I will start. I'm so excited.
Monday is a pretty heavy day on the timetable, three lectures and two seminars, but I LOVE IT!!! Watch this space for the lowdown!
Yesterday was "The Test"- the multiple choice fun and games on the English Legal System that must be passed in order to continue on the course. It wasn't hard although there were a couple of questions I was kicking myself about because I should have known the answer but hadn't bothered to revise. Instead I relied on my Law A-level and Masters stuff and read through the notes a few times. I'm a perfectionist, I can't help it! I definitely got at least 40 right out of 50, another 6 I think I pretty much got right, the rest I have no idea. Results at the end of the month so a while yet!
As it turns out, drinking heavily is a part of student life I am getting a bit too old for. I did not feel well this morning. Admittedly starting at 4.30pm is probably where we went wrong in the first place...
That aside, I'm very excited about all the studying. So far we've had two lectures in all seven subjects and the seminars start this week. That's the stuff I'll actually have to do work for. Tomorrow I will start. I'm so excited.
Monday is a pretty heavy day on the timetable, three lectures and two seminars, but I LOVE IT!!! Watch this space for the lowdown!
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The art of outlining
DISCLAIMER: This post is in no way supposed to cause offence, I'm just really really curious!!!
Ok, so I read quite a few US blawgs and the ubiquituous outlining has come to my attention more than once.
I was intrigued. What is this "outlining" that everyone seems to know about? All the blawgs talk about it and people are constantly posting about doing their outlines and suchlike, so I decided to look deeper into it.
Buffalodawg was kind enough to tell me what it is. It's exactly what it says on the tin, an outline of all the course material. This disappointed me somewhat, I was convinced there was some secret study skill the US Law Students were privy to, that I am missing out on. So I delved deeper and found this. Basically it means making notes of all the material in one place. Lecture notes, case book notes, textbook notes, statutes etc.
This struck me as odd, this is what I would always do, take all my reading and stuff when i come to do revision and combine it all in one place. But it seems to be a unique method known only to law students, but surely not? Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all up for the study skills but as graduate students, having been in education for a good few years by the time you start law school, have you not been doing this for years already?
There's got to be more to it, right? Like some kind of special method or something, it can't just mean "revision notes"? So, dear American colleagues, please please tell me what's the deal with the outlining, why is it such a big deal and is there some technique to it? Do you fail if you don't do it? I feel like it's possibly something I should be doing to do well in law school and would like to know what I'm missing out on :-(
Thanks muchly.
Ok, so I read quite a few US blawgs and the ubiquituous outlining has come to my attention more than once.
I was intrigued. What is this "outlining" that everyone seems to know about? All the blawgs talk about it and people are constantly posting about doing their outlines and suchlike, so I decided to look deeper into it.
Buffalodawg was kind enough to tell me what it is. It's exactly what it says on the tin, an outline of all the course material. This disappointed me somewhat, I was convinced there was some secret study skill the US Law Students were privy to, that I am missing out on. So I delved deeper and found this. Basically it means making notes of all the material in one place. Lecture notes, case book notes, textbook notes, statutes etc.
This struck me as odd, this is what I would always do, take all my reading and stuff when i come to do revision and combine it all in one place. But it seems to be a unique method known only to law students, but surely not? Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all up for the study skills but as graduate students, having been in education for a good few years by the time you start law school, have you not been doing this for years already?
There's got to be more to it, right? Like some kind of special method or something, it can't just mean "revision notes"? So, dear American colleagues, please please tell me what's the deal with the outlining, why is it such a big deal and is there some technique to it? Do you fail if you don't do it? I feel like it's possibly something I should be doing to do well in law school and would like to know what I'm missing out on :-(
Thanks muchly.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Law School Week 1
So, my first week of law school is behind me and I'm still very excited about it all.
I have collected about 30 textbooks, and read parts of a few of them. I've had two full days of lectures and one day of a tutorial and some more lectures, and some basic information sessions, computer registration and suchlike. Workload is heavy still, but I love it.
The thing is though, I'm not a procrastinator by any means. I am not one of those people by nature who will think of any possible excuse to not study. However I have not got as much done this weekend as I had hoped and this must be remedied to ensure the year is as productive as my times at University. I propose to you that there are two, concurrent solutions that I must thus adapt:
1) Start going to the library. The library was my haven during undergrad and postgrad. I went there with the express intention to work, and work I did. I had my little spot I would sit at for a few hours at a time (or 10 hours a day when it was exam time, lunchbreaks permitting) and get on with my work. I'm not really distracted at home as such, but I don't really want to mix business with pleasure so to speak, so tomorrow I will be off to the library like a good little law student.
2) Engage in a hectic extra-curricular life. Start going to dance classes regularly again. Examine societies, committees etc at Law School. Arrange to meet people I haven't seen in a while. This will all contribute to the hectic schedule I know and love and as a result will make me work all the more hard to keep my grades up. Hurrah! (And yes, I am one of those annoying people who is capable of still spending a whole afternoon in the pub doing nothing and getting all her work done.)
Once I get my proper timetable I'm sure it will all help me get my time organised, currently too much stuff going on to get a proper routine going. Very exciting though, all the law stuff....
I have collected about 30 textbooks, and read parts of a few of them. I've had two full days of lectures and one day of a tutorial and some more lectures, and some basic information sessions, computer registration and suchlike. Workload is heavy still, but I love it.
The thing is though, I'm not a procrastinator by any means. I am not one of those people by nature who will think of any possible excuse to not study. However I have not got as much done this weekend as I had hoped and this must be remedied to ensure the year is as productive as my times at University. I propose to you that there are two, concurrent solutions that I must thus adapt:
1) Start going to the library. The library was my haven during undergrad and postgrad. I went there with the express intention to work, and work I did. I had my little spot I would sit at for a few hours at a time (or 10 hours a day when it was exam time, lunchbreaks permitting) and get on with my work. I'm not really distracted at home as such, but I don't really want to mix business with pleasure so to speak, so tomorrow I will be off to the library like a good little law student.
2) Engage in a hectic extra-curricular life. Start going to dance classes regularly again. Examine societies, committees etc at Law School. Arrange to meet people I haven't seen in a while. This will all contribute to the hectic schedule I know and love and as a result will make me work all the more hard to keep my grades up. Hurrah! (And yes, I am one of those annoying people who is capable of still spending a whole afternoon in the pub doing nothing and getting all her work done.)
Once I get my proper timetable I'm sure it will all help me get my time organised, currently too much stuff going on to get a proper routine going. Very exciting though, all the law stuff....
Monday, October 02, 2006
Types of Law Student
Today I learned about Equity and Trusts law and received some refresher information about, statutory interpretation, judicial precedent, mens rea and suchlike. 700 students in one room is a tough crowd, especially when they've been there for seven hours of lectures already. However, the final speaker, a pro bono lady, had this to contribute and it amused me.
There are three types of law student:
1. The Idealist
Those who come to law school to change the world, make the world a better place and assist those less fortunate than themselves. They have a "cause" they are passionate about, something that gets them going (you may be surprised that "sex" does not qualify, an answer that had been given by a guy the previous year). They are keen, excited and ready to go to save the puppies, reduce poverty or make the government feed hungry orphans. This is why they are becoming lawyers and this is why they do pro bono.
2. The Corporate Fat Cat
The students heading for the City firms, ready to jump into action on cross-border transactions and sign on the dotted line for their Porsches. They're competitive, hard-working overachievers. They do pro bono to make themselves feel better and to make themselves look good. They work for law firms that do pro bono to make the firm look good. Or they like puppies.
3. The Slacker
They came to Law School because they didn't really know what they would want to do with their life, and it seemed like a good way to kill two years without having to get a real job. They're not interested in any particular area of law and they do pro bono because they can't think of anything else to do.
I have in my two days' experiences so far found some other law school stereotypes that are a whole different categorisation altogether. In the meantime, can you guess which of these categories I belong to? Yeah thought so, pretty easy.
Meaow!
There are three types of law student:
1. The Idealist
Those who come to law school to change the world, make the world a better place and assist those less fortunate than themselves. They have a "cause" they are passionate about, something that gets them going (you may be surprised that "sex" does not qualify, an answer that had been given by a guy the previous year). They are keen, excited and ready to go to save the puppies, reduce poverty or make the government feed hungry orphans. This is why they are becoming lawyers and this is why they do pro bono.
2. The Corporate Fat Cat
The students heading for the City firms, ready to jump into action on cross-border transactions and sign on the dotted line for their Porsches. They're competitive, hard-working overachievers. They do pro bono to make themselves feel better and to make themselves look good. They work for law firms that do pro bono to make the firm look good. Or they like puppies.
3. The Slacker
They came to Law School because they didn't really know what they would want to do with their life, and it seemed like a good way to kill two years without having to get a real job. They're not interested in any particular area of law and they do pro bono because they can't think of anything else to do.
I have in my two days' experiences so far found some other law school stereotypes that are a whole different categorisation altogether. In the meantime, can you guess which of these categories I belong to? Yeah thought so, pretty easy.
Meaow!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Law student 1.0
First day of law school was quite fun. Short and sweet, involved some administrative exercises, collecting 7000 textbooks and going to the pub with some of new group.
The lectures start tomorrow with a whole day's worth. The volume of reading is unbelievable but I'm quite excited. Quite glad I have a training contract already and thus don't have to get a part-time job as I seriously don't know how I would do it with the amount of time I will spend in the library.
A legal friend of mine suggested that there really is no need for me to study as all I need to do is pass since I already have a job guaranteed. I laughed and asked "Do you know me?!" I am highly competitive when it comes to academics and would never be happy with "just a pass". I want a distinction. I want to come top of my class and get the best possible grades because I can. That's just the kind of girl I am. So I'm actually quite excited about all this work, although realistically I wouldn't need to do much for criminal law, I hopefully won't ever need it and would only need a pass. But I'm still about to pick up the book and read the first chapter in preparation for Lecture number 1.
Hurrah - I'm a proper law student now!
The lectures start tomorrow with a whole day's worth. The volume of reading is unbelievable but I'm quite excited. Quite glad I have a training contract already and thus don't have to get a part-time job as I seriously don't know how I would do it with the amount of time I will spend in the library.
A legal friend of mine suggested that there really is no need for me to study as all I need to do is pass since I already have a job guaranteed. I laughed and asked "Do you know me?!" I am highly competitive when it comes to academics and would never be happy with "just a pass". I want a distinction. I want to come top of my class and get the best possible grades because I can. That's just the kind of girl I am. So I'm actually quite excited about all this work, although realistically I wouldn't need to do much for criminal law, I hopefully won't ever need it and would only need a pass. But I'm still about to pick up the book and read the first chapter in preparation for Lecture number 1.
Hurrah - I'm a proper law student now!
Thursday, September 28, 2006
A Non-holiday Post
... to break up the holiday stuff. The holiday stuff is for me as much as you guys and for people whose inboxes I don't wish to overload with huge emails. This is easier. Many are not regular readers so do not fret.
Tomorrow is first day of Law School. I think I know what I'm going to wear. Shockingly, it's not pink. But I am going to wear my new shoes that I purchased today. I'm not really nervous but it will be weird to go somewhere this significant and not know anyone. I haven't done that since I started University six years ago. My passport photos look awful. I'm not sure if my little suitcase will hold all my books. I also don't think I'm taking the right handbag but I will just have to make my peace with it as I didn't buy a better one.
Tomorrow is enrolment, getting books, student IDs, meeting tutors, getting timetables etc. I don't want there to be any hot men in my group. In my lectures, fine but not in my seminars. That would be distracting. If there is a choice between hot men in my seminars and no hot men at all, I would rather have no hot men at all. I'm going to learn about the law and get distinctions in all my assessments. Anything else is secondary.
I've done my nails, now I'm making a piece of toast and then going to bed. Tomorrow's gonna be weird!
Tomorrow is first day of Law School. I think I know what I'm going to wear. Shockingly, it's not pink. But I am going to wear my new shoes that I purchased today. I'm not really nervous but it will be weird to go somewhere this significant and not know anyone. I haven't done that since I started University six years ago. My passport photos look awful. I'm not sure if my little suitcase will hold all my books. I also don't think I'm taking the right handbag but I will just have to make my peace with it as I didn't buy a better one.
Tomorrow is enrolment, getting books, student IDs, meeting tutors, getting timetables etc. I don't want there to be any hot men in my group. In my lectures, fine but not in my seminars. That would be distracting. If there is a choice between hot men in my seminars and no hot men at all, I would rather have no hot men at all. I'm going to learn about the law and get distinctions in all my assessments. Anything else is secondary.
I've done my nails, now I'm making a piece of toast and then going to bed. Tomorrow's gonna be weird!
The Great Smoky Mountains... and the beginning of the shopping!
Ok we didn't see much of the mountains. We headed off from Richmond in the morning, the first cloudy day since we arrived decided to take place just then. We drove up to the mountains, hoping to drive across Skyline Drive and see some spectacular views, but encountered some fog. And not just a little fog. A lot of thick, white, unpenetratable fog. To the extent that we couldn't actually see more than about two feet in front of the car. So we drove down again.
We instead had lunch at a small cafe in Staunton (pronounced Stanton), some quiche and a cookie. Very cute, frequented by some students from James Madison University which is apparently nearby. The town was tiny and very all-american small town-like. Although we didn't get to see the mountains this was a nice experience.
In the evening we were due at Winchester, VA to spend the night. A whole lot of quiet in this place and we couldn't even find the obligatory junk food chains to eat in. We had chicken and biscuit (now this is no ordinary biscuit, its like a salty sponge cake that tastes kinda buttery) at Popeye's. And strawberry Fanta. OH MY GOD. I've never encountered this before, and E-numbers and sugar content aside, its so LOVELY!!! I'm not a big fizzy drinks fan, I would never buy any for the house, only have coke in pubs if I'm not drinking, but this I would buy. Yum. Can't get it here. Damn.
This day was pretty quiet, but the next day was our last day on the road!!! We were due to return Randy at Union Station in D.C. at 4pm the following day. So we headed off, driving through the mountains a little bit. This was one of the best drives we had - little winding roads and some great views (no huge drops but cute countryside and stuff). Randy did us proud, even though we couldn't take the roof down because it wasn't sunny. Boo hiss. We managed, with a little detour, to go into West Virginia for a bit, adding to our state count.
The first shopping stop was at Leesburg, where a large outlet park resides. It was very quiet as it was the middle of the day and a Thursday so we could shop in peace. This trip was the trigger for my love of Guess. Miss S is a big fan already and has brought back numerous items from her travels, now I got to go to a shop myself. Now there is one in London but I haven't even bothered to go in there as it's extortionately expensive. But this one wasn't, so we started the carnage on our bank accounts. Such lovely stuff. I'm still dreaming about a handbag I didn't buy and wish I hadn't... so cute!!! I made up for this later on though I'm sure.
We instead had lunch at a small cafe in Staunton (pronounced Stanton), some quiche and a cookie. Very cute, frequented by some students from James Madison University which is apparently nearby. The town was tiny and very all-american small town-like. Although we didn't get to see the mountains this was a nice experience.
In the evening we were due at Winchester, VA to spend the night. A whole lot of quiet in this place and we couldn't even find the obligatory junk food chains to eat in. We had chicken and biscuit (now this is no ordinary biscuit, its like a salty sponge cake that tastes kinda buttery) at Popeye's. And strawberry Fanta. OH MY GOD. I've never encountered this before, and E-numbers and sugar content aside, its so LOVELY!!! I'm not a big fizzy drinks fan, I would never buy any for the house, only have coke in pubs if I'm not drinking, but this I would buy. Yum. Can't get it here. Damn.
This day was pretty quiet, but the next day was our last day on the road!!! We were due to return Randy at Union Station in D.C. at 4pm the following day. So we headed off, driving through the mountains a little bit. This was one of the best drives we had - little winding roads and some great views (no huge drops but cute countryside and stuff). Randy did us proud, even though we couldn't take the roof down because it wasn't sunny. Boo hiss. We managed, with a little detour, to go into West Virginia for a bit, adding to our state count.
The first shopping stop was at Leesburg, where a large outlet park resides. It was very quiet as it was the middle of the day and a Thursday so we could shop in peace. This trip was the trigger for my love of Guess. Miss S is a big fan already and has brought back numerous items from her travels, now I got to go to a shop myself. Now there is one in London but I haven't even bothered to go in there as it's extortionately expensive. But this one wasn't, so we started the carnage on our bank accounts. Such lovely stuff. I'm still dreaming about a handbag I didn't buy and wish I hadn't... so cute!!! I made up for this later on though I'm sure.
I wonder if our ancestors were hot...
... I doubt it somehow though.
We spent the next day at Jamestown Settlement finding out lots of stuff about the founding of America. I wish we had had the time to go to Colonial Williamsburg, but alas we didn't. So this was the next best thing. Mind you we arrived at about 3pm so only had two hours to look around and it was enough. It's pretty small.
We saw a musket being fired (although it didn't work so well the second time, oops), went on board some boats and met lots of people dressed in period costume, telling us lots about the life of the colonists. I won't bore you with any more historical facts, but here are a couple of things that came up and we wondered about.
1. The people pretending to be settlers should have all had English accents. In 1607 the people who came over on the boats were English. To preserve true authenticity, the staff should have spoken the King's English, not have varying levels of Southern, Midwestern and Bostonian accents. This was disappointing.
2. The original settlement was a bunch of men. There were no women for obvious reasons (in 1607 going to found a new country was considered inherently too dangerous and too exciting for women to partake in). Women arrived a couple of years later to perform their duty as wives to the settlers. Now it makes me wonder, if you were a young lady of high moral standard (apparently they had to be in order to qualify) and you decided to head off to the New World to meet a husband and you arrived and they were all mingers, what would you do!?! I mean obviously being a woman among 20 horn-ridden men who hadn't seen a female in years you wouldn't be short of offers, but how cheated would you feel if none of them were hot!? Ok I am clearly making the assumption that 17th century women cared about this stuff, I imagine there were other criteria they considered more important for a husband, but I wouldn't be too happy if it were me. Although saying that, if you can't find a husband in England and had to be sent off to marry a lone ranger across the pond, perhaps you were past the point of caring much about what your husband was like as long as you got one.
After our outing to Jamestown we drove up to Richmond, VA, where we failed to find the town centre (the only time we got lost during the holiday and that was only because we didn't have a map of Richmond) and just had a quiet evening in the hotel in the suburbs.
We spent the next day at Jamestown Settlement finding out lots of stuff about the founding of America. I wish we had had the time to go to Colonial Williamsburg, but alas we didn't. So this was the next best thing. Mind you we arrived at about 3pm so only had two hours to look around and it was enough. It's pretty small.
We saw a musket being fired (although it didn't work so well the second time, oops), went on board some boats and met lots of people dressed in period costume, telling us lots about the life of the colonists. I won't bore you with any more historical facts, but here are a couple of things that came up and we wondered about.
1. The people pretending to be settlers should have all had English accents. In 1607 the people who came over on the boats were English. To preserve true authenticity, the staff should have spoken the King's English, not have varying levels of Southern, Midwestern and Bostonian accents. This was disappointing.
2. The original settlement was a bunch of men. There were no women for obvious reasons (in 1607 going to found a new country was considered inherently too dangerous and too exciting for women to partake in). Women arrived a couple of years later to perform their duty as wives to the settlers. Now it makes me wonder, if you were a young lady of high moral standard (apparently they had to be in order to qualify) and you decided to head off to the New World to meet a husband and you arrived and they were all mingers, what would you do!?! I mean obviously being a woman among 20 horn-ridden men who hadn't seen a female in years you wouldn't be short of offers, but how cheated would you feel if none of them were hot!? Ok I am clearly making the assumption that 17th century women cared about this stuff, I imagine there were other criteria they considered more important for a husband, but I wouldn't be too happy if it were me. Although saying that, if you can't find a husband in England and had to be sent off to marry a lone ranger across the pond, perhaps you were past the point of caring much about what your husband was like as long as you got one.
After our outing to Jamestown we drove up to Richmond, VA, where we failed to find the town centre (the only time we got lost during the holiday and that was only because we didn't have a map of Richmond) and just had a quiet evening in the hotel in the suburbs.
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