February 28, 2011

Oh Gregory, the tiniest of gyms for one of the largest student bodies in the country.  I may be missing something (and please, tell me if I am), but I am always astounded how the gym gets by with fifteen treadmills, maybe thirty-five elliptical machines, and a dozen or so stationary bikes.  On top of the awkwardly small number of cardiovascular machines, it seems as if management had the heat on, despite accommodating three people per square foot of the gym.  I have gone to Gregory in the past when I am in a time crunch or when it is offensively cold outside, but today I went due to my ankle's refusal to function as necessary.  Thus, I had to get some endurance training in through the elliptical machines and bikes.   Needless to say, I think I've been spoiled by my solitary runs at the Greenbelt, which seem to have been less stiflingly warm than Gregory was this evening.

February 27, 2011

I was a bundle of boo-boos today.  I've been battling a sore ankle, which kept me from running again this morning, and I also woke up feeling as if someone had injected ice into my veins, coupled with aches and general lethargy.  Although the latter "boo-boo" had me asleep on the couch until mid-afternoon, it seems to be dissipating, thankfully.  The ankle, however, is standing resolute (no pun intended) in its intention to completely derail my training schedule. 

February 26, 2011

Regardless of where you stand on the issue of women's reproductive rights, I think this poster says quite a bit about the state of politics at the moment.  All of these talking heads, regardless of party affiliation, spew nonsense about a given issue because they've assumed a party line.  However, no mention is made of and no consideration given to how all of these issues interact; there is zero reconciliation of, for example, protecting the rights of an unborn child and rescinding those same rights once the child announces he or she is gay.  The absurdity of various aspects of the political system is absolutely infuriating: if you aren't angry about what is happening in each and every government in this country, you are simply not paying attention.  I am grateful there are everyday people who see these problems and use their now-protected right to speak out on any given issue, again, regardless of their party affiliation or where they stand.

February 25, 2011

(This photo is so cheesy, but it works: it incorporates time and the job aspect, as I'm wearing a watch and a suit.)  The time has come!  The UT Law Clerkship Program is now in full swing, which means clerkship interviews are (hopefully) around the corner, which is followed closely by graduation.  Clerkships are 1-2 year post-graduation job placements with judges from around the country.  A law clerk functions as the judge's briefing attorney and develops excellent legal research and writing skills.  These positions are highly competitive and highly coveted for this very reason.  Today we had our first clerkship workshop, which focused on Texas state courts.  As part of the program, a handful of students were chosen to have lunch with various state judges.  Happily for me, I was chosen to have lunch with the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson.  It was an amazing experience speaking with him about clerkships, the state of the legal field, and how the field has and will continue to change.

February 23, 2011

Since I've started running at the Greenbelt I've also started stopping at the half-way point in my run to take in the view and analyze any aches or pains. I noticed something strange at today's half-way point. To take this photo I had to stand in the middle of the river bed, looking upstream. However, although it had just rained and the water level had increased significantly further upstream, there remained no water just a few miles down the river. So, while I could have dove into the river at the beginning (and end) of my run, to do the same would have been a poor choice at the mid-point. Having explained this photo, I now realize how uninteresting it must be to anyone but myself.

February 23, 2011

A couple of things have all coincided to threaten the health of my bank account: (1) Longhorn Po'boy and Lava Java closed without warning; (2) mock trial practice and rounds; and (3) the exorbitant prices George's Cafe charges its customers.  George's, a cafe in the law school, offers coffee, tacos, mac 'n cheese, bagels, fruit, guacamole, and more.  George's also charges $4 for said guacamole.  So how does (1) and (2) fit in?  Due to mock trial, I haven't had an opportunity to go grocery shopping and, because Longhorn Po'boy and Lava Java have closed, my only quick snack attack option is George's.  Four dollars for guacamole consisting of maybe one avocado and a mere sprinkling of tomato and onion?  Really, Goerge's?  Oh, I forgot about the cilantro.  There's where the price skyrockets.

February 22, 2011

Whenever I visit a city, I always tend to be amazed how life goes on in some other place in the world besides my own city.  I wonder what it must be like to live in so dynamic a city, but alas, only have a few days to kick around the town.  With this in mind, I also wonder what visitors to Austin must think.  As I was running Town Lake this evening, I got a bit of insight as I saw this amazing view of the skyline across the lake.  I lived here for three years and rarely took advantage of all Austin has to offer.  Since I've moved back, I suppose I've resolved to live more like a visitor in awe of the city, constantly reminding myself to stop starring at my shuffling feet all day, everyday.  It has been a successful endeavor!

February 21, 2011

Some days I wish I could take a photo of a conversation, an emotion, or the essence of a moment, from the weather to the song playing in the background.  Today was one of those days: the temperature was perfectly warm, with a slight breeze through my open car windows, an early night ahead of me, with the new Radiohead album playing in the background.  I love recognizing these moments and trying to memorize and internalize every single aspect of it all.  In some strange way, this is the closest I could get to capturing this moment today, although I'm not sure why.  This photo also has me seriously looking forward to a sweet Texas summer with an unsweetened iced tea, driving down any given Texas highway with George Strait crooning in my ear.

February 20, 2011

For the past few weeks I've been working with my teammates to develop case theories, trial strategies, and curve balls to test the competing AAJ team prior to their competition.  We, as the scout team, get to have all of the fun.  We get to deliberately break the competition rules, (mildly) disregard the Rules of Evidence, and openly flout (some) rules of courtroom decorum, all to make sure the competing team is prepared.  If the competing team's varied changes of trial strategies, opening statements, and evidentiary offerings is any indication of our success, we should be extremely proud of ourselves. 

February 19, 2011

Over the past few years I have used my federal tax refund for a variety of "investments," such as last year's trip to Coachella.  For this year's investment, I decided to turn my refund over to my sister-in-law, along with carte blanche to find me new clothes and the like.  I am notorious for finding a piece of clothing I absolutely love and buying every version of it I can find, which is not conducive to a varied and exciting wardrobe.  Brittany, on the other hand, is a master of seeing the potential of every article of clothing in the store and instantaneously knowing whether and how it will work for a given person.  I walked away with blouses (rather than t-shirts), unique cover-ups (rather than plain cardigans), and a number of adorable dresses (rather than jeans, although I did buy a fair number of jeans also).  Thank you, Uncle Sam!

February 18, 2011

"[Olga] Mukhina's modern myth of sex, drugs and celebrity in post-Soviet Russia has acquired its own life and reality right here in Austin." -Graham Schmidt, director of "Flying." I heard about this play a week ago and, recognizing the playwright and subject matter as (severely) Russian, resolved to see it. The play follows a group of twenty-something "golden youth" of Russia, who are invested solely in their own superficiality, mixed with an attempt to escape their own ugly realities and demons. Caught up in the mix is a young, impressionable Siberian girl, who becomes irreversibly intertwined with this romanticized reality, all the while making her own illuminating impression on the golden youths around her. The play was unsettling, exasperating, and difficult to follow at times, but it was also stimulating and unique, which makes for a great evening. 

February 17, 2011

Today was my first experience with genuine trail running. My brother and I met at the Greenbelt to run six miles this afternoon, as we're both training for some upcoming races. Since I had yet to run an actual trail, I was pretty nervous: Kyle has a faster pace than I, he has more experience running trails, and he knows this trail particularly well. Despite the unexpectedly challenging nature of the run, I was also caught off guard by my consistent pace and how fairly adroit I was in handling the varied terrain. Further, while obviously being physically challenging, it was also mentally stimulating as it required me to make pointed decisions immediately, and just as immediately move on to the next one. Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe I've found my new hobby.

February 16, 2011

The Tavern did their Championship Round of trivia tonight, so we went to B.D. Riley's. While The Tavern's Pub Trivia mostly covers pop-culture topics, B.D. Riley's covers everything from obscure history to current events, without a hint of pandering to the less informed (ahem!). Compounding the challenge is the fact that quite a few of the participants are trivia night veterans. In fact, one such veteran in attendance this evening won Who Wants to Be A Super Millionaire and helped develop Watson, the IBM Super Computer recently featured on Jeopardy. Needless to say, we did not represent well in the final standings.

February 15, 2011

This sort of thing is why I love Austin: quirky, random, and perfectly suitable to the city's vibe.  For the most part, graffiti is not frowned upon in Austin, unless it is graffiti defacing more highly valued graffiti.  For example, the city was rightfully up in arms when an unknown graffiti artist defaced Daniel Johnston's iconic "Hi, How Are You?" graffiti on the Drag.  There is quite a bit of this street art around Town Lake as well, offering hikers, bikers, runners, and walkers a nice artistic treat.  This little guy hangs out where I park my car, making sure I'm running as enthusiastically at the end of my run as I was when I started.  He mocked me for thinking it was so warm today.

February 14, 2011

Little is known about the Saint Valentine of Valentine's Day. In fact, a few martyred saints went by the name Valentine in ancient Rome, leading some scholars to question whether February 14 celebrates one such martyr, or all of them. Further, the first connection made between St. Valentine's Day and the celebration of love was in Geoffrey Chaucer's "Parlement of Foules" and thus, it is unclear whether St. Valentine's Day was ever intended to be such a celebration. Whatever its original purpose, Valentine's Day is a holiday force to be reckoned with, which I don't necessarily mind, especially when I find a gorgeous bouquet of roses on my doorstep! 

February 13, 2011

It's always so amusing when I realize the phrase "a free Sunday," to me at least, refers to a whole day free for studying and other productive tasks.  I originally went to Epoch to get some work done, but it was closed to the public as a movie scene was being filmed.  I hung out on the set for a little while, saw Harry Connick, Jr., but didn't think it would be appropriate to take a photo.  Not wanting to get in the way, and also having an exceedingly long to-do list to attend to, I left Epoch for JP's, which was an excellent choice.  The garage-style doors were open, which provided me with a perfectly breezy study space, and I could see the bright blue sky from my sunlit spot inside.  It's not often one can combine the need to study with the beauty of a day like today.

February 12, 2011

Here, all is good.  Here, all is convivial.  Here, all feels at home.  I've been living in Austin for about six and a half months and I think I'm just starting to accept I am home again.  Tonight helped the feeling along as only one of those true-blue Austin nights can do: great company, in a unique atmosphere, accompanied by a deluge of laughter.  A handful of us law folk, plus a few engineering students to even it out, spent some time at Lustre Pearl, taking advantage of the ping pong and foose ball tables.  I keep reminding myself I live here again.  It really feels so good to be home.  

February 11, 2011

Today was supposed to be as full of meetings, journal and school commitments, and study as the rest of the week has been, but I decided I needed to see my family.  I had to remove myself from the force of this week and simply relax.  I am so glad I did because there is absolutely nothing more uplifting than seeing my angel of a niece, Campbell, grinning from ear to ear while she shrieks "Meek!" when she sees me walking towards her.  Last night she entertained us all with her singing (Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star), new phrases ("More cheese!"), and simply bubbly and absolutely charming personality.  I just wonder if she realizes how important she is to me.

February 10, 2011

On my way to Montana to see my grammy about a year ago, I met her best friend, Camie, in Salt Lake City. She told me she had met Sarah Weddington, the woman who successfully argued Roe v. Wade in front of the United States Supreme Court, on her flight from Austin. Nine months later, I happened to meet Ms. Weddington at a talk given by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. In introducing myself, I mentioned my friendship with Camie, who she remembered, and we agreed to get together over coffee or lunch one day. Today was that day. The three of us sat in a sunny corner at Z'Tejas downtown and talked about everything from energy policy to Texas politics to women's rights. I expected to be the one piquing her brain with inane questions about Supreme Court arguments and whatnot, but was not expecting her to pique mine with such genuine interest. Her immense and unqualified respect for the people around her is truly inspiring.

February 9, 2011

Space Phone tells me this picture was taken around 7 a.m. today; context clues tells me this picture was taken at a familiar taco establishment. I somewhat remember taking this picture, but I am really unconvinced I took it this morning because this morning seems as if it happened a decade ago, at least. My brain has been functioning like one of those irritating, flickering light bulbs today-off, on, buzz, off, still off, on, buzz-so it is not entirely surprising I barely remember eating these tasty tacos. In fact, I'm struggling to remember how most of the day progressed. Watch out law, exhaustion is also a jealous mistress.

February 8, 2011

This mug has been with me for pretty much my entire law school career and I hope it sticks around.  Its message brings the whole intensity of this chapter of my life into perspective, reminding me it is a mere blip on the radar, albeit an extremely important one.  So, when things get to be a bit much, I read my mug.  Today was the first "6:30 a.m. to who-knows-when with only four hours of anxious sleep to keep me going" kind of day I've had this semester.  I may enjoy being busy and having a ton of deadlines, but I am absolutely useless without sleep.  Thankfully, my uplifting mug 'o tea saved the day, keeping me entertained and awake without a problem.

February 7, 2011

At 6:30 a.m. today, I was entirely convinced one sandwich and three clementines was an adequate lunch and snack for today. At 12:30 p.m. today, I was very irritated with myself. Thankfully, though, TILJ maintains an incredible snack closet full of chips, cookies, fruit snacks, and the like, and I was able to grab a bag of Sun Chips to tide me over until dinner. I have to say, however, today wasn't my worst foray into early morning lunch packing: multiple times last year I packed a granola bar and only a granola bar for an entire day, again, entirely convinced it was sufficient. At least I can say I've learned some sort of lesson from those depressing lunch experiences. 

February 6, 2011

I had quite a bit riding on Super Bowl XLV: had the Packers lost, I would have been responsible for providing two meals at a local burger establishment. However, since the Packers won, I am now looking forward to a dinner at Uchi and some delicious tacos. Needless to say, I am one happy camper. Besides the spoils of victory, I have to comment on the viewing experience: Alice and Dustin had everyone over for a potluck, had an indoor and outdoor TV set-up, a fantastic backyard fire, and no shortage of delicious food. I'm not sure I can watch the Super Bowl any other way in the future. New tradition anyone?

February 5, 2011

I love the sounds of a good game of pool and the feel of a perfectly planned, and executed, shot. I've been playing the game with various people since high school, but my favorite person to play pool with is Nicole. We played tonight to celebrate her extremely exciting news from Chicago, for which I am so immensely proud of her. Four rounds of pool and complete control of the jukebox makes for one fantastic NiKim evening. I hope for more fantastic news from Chicago at the end of this week so we can celebrate with more pool and tunes!

February 4, 2011

So I caved: I bought a pair of minimalist running shoes. I've sustained continual and persistent injuries with my supportive and high profile shoes, so I decided to try the opposite. [Brief intermission to take a timely call from my brother, who called to give me just a few more tips and instructions about learning how to run in minimalist shoes.]. These shoes are truly minimalist: very little fabric, very thin soles, and extremely lightweight. They will also allow me to start trail running, which is supposed to strengthen my knees and help me improve my pace. But really, I'm most looking forward to running for the enjoyment of running again, rather than feeling obligated to run as part of training.

February 3, 2011

Texas has been hit by an extremely frigid arctic chill. The amusing aspect of it all is Texans, myself included, are astounded cold weather has actually manifested itself during the winter season; we've been spoiled by the sixty degree winter we've had thus far. I was astounded when I found this cup of water frozen solid in my car this morning, as if the freezing point doesn't function properly in Texas. I'm holding the cup upside down with the aid of a straw, also frozen solid in the water. For the sake of Texas, let's all hope this madness ends soon.

February 2, 2011

The Tavern hosts Pub Trivia every Wednesday at 8 p.m. with categories including movie quotations, television and movie songs, "nerd topics," and the like.  Tonight, we were "The Rolling Blackouts: You never know when we're going to hit!"  And tonight, The Rolling Blackouts hit fifth place out of, at least, fifteen teams.  We had some pretty clutch plays: Nicole pulled through on a Descartes reference, Kevin was our go-to scientist, Kate was key with Little House on the Prairie, and I was creepy knowing the Silence of the Lambs song reference.  Unfortunately, this blackout did not roll its way into qualifying for the championship rounds.  Maybe next time! 

February 1, 2011

Behold, the triumphant return of Taco Tuesday! The Texas International Law Journal sponsors a Taco Tuesday and a Bagel Wednesday for its staff and editorial board every week during the semester. Personally, I prefer Taco Tuesday to its more modest and reserved older sibling, Bagel Wednesday. My technique is to combine a frijoles y queso taco with a huevo y papas taco, then smother the result with doña salsa, which consists solely of jalapeños, garlic, salt, and vegetable oil. I am incredibly surprised I was able to snap a photo before this taco became a mere memory.