I decided to take the light rail this morning, so instead of walking five blocks, I walked a block and a half. My blistered feet appreciated it. I also folded down the back of my loafers to make my shoes backless for the day. I ended up bruising the bottom of my heel due to stepping on the back of my shoes, but that hurt way less than rubbing the blisters would have. (I'm totally wearing my flip-flops tomorrow. I would rather stand barefoot on the airport floor in all its unsanitary glory during security screening than wear those loafers for another nanosecond.)
We were told to arrive at 7 this morning, and I arrived at 7:05. I went through security and headed to my seat to engage in another hour and a half of staring at the walls, finding patterns in the ceiling tiles, daydreaming, calculating that I've spent 11 days of my life taking the bar exam (I was too demoralized by that to even think about calculating how much time I've spent studying for it), daydreaming some more, and wondering if there's a time-warp in the exam room that makes time move more slowly while waiting for the exam to start but more quickly once the exam is in session.
At 8:30, instructions began. The head proctor delivering the instructions looked and sounded just like my criminal procedure professor. Sadly, he didn't hand out candy to the examinees like my prof would have.
The test began at 9. Today was fill in the bubble day. My mind wandered a bit halfway through because I got bored. I quickly got back on track and finished with time to spare. Then I got some lunch. I found a cafe nearby that serves soup, so I had a real lunch today.
After I ate, I wandered back to the convention center. I ran into some of the other test takers, and we talked for a bit. Then we went back inside for the afternoon session.
The afternoon session was less boring than the morning session, and I finished about an hour early. I turned in my test and left. I took the light rail back to my hotel, stopped at a taqueria to pick up some dinner, and then ate.
I'm glad it's over. The end of the exam was a little bit anticlimactic. In California, the last day of the exam is a performance test, and since it's administered on a laptop, everyone has to stay until the bitter end. So everyone leaves as a group and there's this cheer because we're all celebrating together. But since Arizona's last day is multiple choice, I got to leave when I finished. I walked out alone with nobody to celebrate with. I did run into another test taker while waiting for the light rail, and we chatted a bit, but it's not the same.
I'm flying home tomorrow. I'll find out my results in May. I'm glad it's over.
And if the Arizona bar wants to use this helpful marketing slogan I've devised, they're welcome to. "Only 67% as miserable as the California bar!"
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Bar Exam Diaries - Arizona Edition - Day 1
I set my alarm for 5:25 in the morning, and when it went off, I was annoyed. Now I understand why toddlers scream and throw temper tantrums when they're tired. As I was up and moving around in my exhaustion, it was actually physically painful. My body insisted that it wasn't quite 4:30 in the morning, and it wanted to be asleep.
When I booked my hotel, the website said that it was 5 blocks from the convention center. Well, just in case you ever need to know, 5 blocks is way longer in Phoenix than it is in any city in the Bay Area. Where I come from, a 5 block walk will take 3-5 minutes, maybe as long as 7 if all of the lights are red. Yeah...my hotel is a 20 minute walk from the convention center. Oops.
When I booked my hotel, the website said that it was 5 blocks from the convention center. Well, just in case you ever need to know, 5 blocks is way longer in Phoenix than it is in any city in the Bay Area. Where I come from, a 5 block walk will take 3-5 minutes, maybe as long as 7 if all of the lights are red. Yeah...my hotel is a 20 minute walk from the convention center. Oops.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Bar Exam Diaries - Arizona Edition - Day 0
I feel like I've been stuck in the movie Groundhog Day, but instead of reliving February 2 repeatedly, I'm living the bar exam over and over. Tomorrow is the first day of the exam, so here I go again. May this time be my last.
I spent the night at my parents' house, and my mom took me to the airport this morning. I flew out of San Jose. They've really fixed it up, and it's a nice airport now. It had been 10 years since I had flown out of it; it used to be the old rundown airport in the area. I got through security in 5 minutes, and I wasn't subject to the usual indignities.
The flight to Phoenix was uneventful and took about an hour and 15 minutes. After landing, I took the airport shuttle to the light rail station, and then I took the train downtown. It was a quick two block walk to my hotel.
I got settled in and ordered a pizza for dinner. Then I watched some TV. I'm going to bed early tonight because I have to be at the convention center at 6:15 tomorrow morning. (For those of you keeping score at home, that's 5:15 California time. Why couldn't the test be two weeks later, when CA and AZ are in the same time zone?)
I'm feeling pretty good about it this time. Here goes!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Something wrong with the universe
"If there's nothing wrong with me, maybe there's something wrong with the universe!"When things go wrong, I tend to spend a great deal of time thinking about what I did to cause the problem. If I did something to cause the problem, then the world is a controllable place. Controllable places are safe. If things are controllable, then bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people.
Dr. Beverly Crusher (Star Trek: The Next Generation - Episode 4x05 "Remember Me")
But sometimes things happen that aren't controllable. Like the bar exam.
Here's the state of affairs:
1. I attended a good law school.
2. I did well in law school and graduated.
3. The only motion I've written that has gone before a court has won.
4. That motion was part of a team effort that ultimately resulted in the overturning of a wrongful conviction.
5. I'm excellent at standardized tests.
6. I have an IQ of 164, the same IQ that Albert Einstein was reported to have.
Given all of this, the bar exam should have been a breeze. But no. I've failed the [expletive deleted] test three times!
The first two times I failed, I tried to figure out if I should have studied harder or something. But now I'm convinced that the problem isn't me. I'm smart, I'm well educated, and I'm good at the law. So, clearly, since there's nothing wrong with me, there's something wrong with the
And now I have to figure out where to go from here.
Friday, September 21, 2012
The Final Frontier
One of my earliest childhood memories is sitting on the couch with my mom watching the news coverage of the Challenger explosion. I was too young to fully grasp what was going on (I was a few weeks short of my 4th birthday at the time), but I was fascinated by the prospect of a spaceship.
I got a star chart for my birthday when I was 5. When I looked up into the night sky, I decided that one day I would go there. When my classmates would make fun of me and say that being an astronaut was only for boys, I pointed to my childhood hero, Sally Ride, to prove to them that girls could be astronauts, too.
When Discovery launched in 1988, my mom let me stay home from school to see the launch on TV. Throughout the rest of my childhood and early adulthood, I would watch every shuttle launch. I learned everything I could about outer space. I loved going to planetariums, and I loved looking through my dad's telescope.
When it became clear that I was too short to be an astronaut, I decided I would be an astronomer instead. By the time college rolled around, I had changed my mind and decided to become a lawyer, but I was still fascinated by space. I worked in the astronomy lab on campus and was a teaching assistant in the introductory astronomy class.
While I was a TA, my class was following the experiments onboard the shuttle Columbia. I remember waking up on the day it was supposed to land, turning on the radio, and hearing the tragic news that the shuttle had burned up on reentry. The mood in class that week was somber as we considered the sacrifices that people have made for the advancement of human knowledge.
Around this time, civilian space flight was starting to look like a viable possibility for more than just a few super rich people who could afford to pay the Russians millions of dollars. I decided that one day, when the price gets lower, I would still live my dream of going to the stars.
When the space shuttle fleet was retired last year, it felt like the end of an era. Then this summer, Sally Ride and Neil Armstrong both passed away. Today was the final flight of the final space shuttle, Endeavour, before it goes to its resting place in a museum. The shuttle did a flyover of the SF Bay Area, so I walked outside to say goodbye to such a huge piece of my childhood.
I took a few pictures:
I hope that even though there will be no more space shuttle flights, that we will still continue to reach for the heavens, so that the sacrifices of the crews of Challenger and Columbia will not have been in vain.
Ad astra!
I got a star chart for my birthday when I was 5. When I looked up into the night sky, I decided that one day I would go there. When my classmates would make fun of me and say that being an astronaut was only for boys, I pointed to my childhood hero, Sally Ride, to prove to them that girls could be astronauts, too.
When Discovery launched in 1988, my mom let me stay home from school to see the launch on TV. Throughout the rest of my childhood and early adulthood, I would watch every shuttle launch. I learned everything I could about outer space. I loved going to planetariums, and I loved looking through my dad's telescope.
When it became clear that I was too short to be an astronaut, I decided I would be an astronomer instead. By the time college rolled around, I had changed my mind and decided to become a lawyer, but I was still fascinated by space. I worked in the astronomy lab on campus and was a teaching assistant in the introductory astronomy class.
While I was a TA, my class was following the experiments onboard the shuttle Columbia. I remember waking up on the day it was supposed to land, turning on the radio, and hearing the tragic news that the shuttle had burned up on reentry. The mood in class that week was somber as we considered the sacrifices that people have made for the advancement of human knowledge.
Around this time, civilian space flight was starting to look like a viable possibility for more than just a few super rich people who could afford to pay the Russians millions of dollars. I decided that one day, when the price gets lower, I would still live my dream of going to the stars.
When the space shuttle fleet was retired last year, it felt like the end of an era. Then this summer, Sally Ride and Neil Armstrong both passed away. Today was the final flight of the final space shuttle, Endeavour, before it goes to its resting place in a museum. The shuttle did a flyover of the SF Bay Area, so I walked outside to say goodbye to such a huge piece of my childhood.
I took a few pictures:
 |
| Endeavour over Mountain View, CA |
 |
| Endeavour over Mountain View, CA |
I hope that even though there will be no more space shuttle flights, that we will still continue to reach for the heavens, so that the sacrifices of the crews of Challenger and Columbia will not have been in vain.
Ad astra!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Wanderlust
I'm feeling restless.
I'm torn in two directions. On the one hand, I've never stayed in one place for very long. On the other hand, I yearn for permanence.
When I was a kid, I moved around a lot. By the time I was in 5th grade, I had gone to 5 different elementary schools. It was pretty miserable always being the new kid. As an adult, I've moved every year or two. I've always stayed in the Bay Area, but I've lived in multiple cities.
The Bay Area is my home, but I'm starting to feel like there's no real reason for me to stay here anymore. When it comes right down to it, the only reason I'm still here is because my job is here. I'm in a job that pays the bills (barely) but doesn't make full use of my skills. It's not a terrible job, by any means. It's a pretty inoffensive way to earn some money, but it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life.
I'm not responsible for anyone but myself, so I have the freedom to go anywhere without having to consult anyone else. It's so tempting to pack all of my belongings into my car and head out into the great unknown to start a new life.
Maybe I've spent so much time moving around that I don't know how to stay in one place. Or maybe I just haven't found the right place yet. Or maybe I'm really looking for a metaphysical place, not a physical place. Maybe if I had a fulfilling job I wouldn't spend so much time daydreaming about the green grass on the other side of the fence.
If I get a job teaching at a law school, the chances are pretty good that I'll end up moving. But that's at least a year or two away. I'm not sure what to do until then.
I'm torn in two directions. On the one hand, I've never stayed in one place for very long. On the other hand, I yearn for permanence.
When I was a kid, I moved around a lot. By the time I was in 5th grade, I had gone to 5 different elementary schools. It was pretty miserable always being the new kid. As an adult, I've moved every year or two. I've always stayed in the Bay Area, but I've lived in multiple cities.
The Bay Area is my home, but I'm starting to feel like there's no real reason for me to stay here anymore. When it comes right down to it, the only reason I'm still here is because my job is here. I'm in a job that pays the bills (barely) but doesn't make full use of my skills. It's not a terrible job, by any means. It's a pretty inoffensive way to earn some money, but it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life.
I'm not responsible for anyone but myself, so I have the freedom to go anywhere without having to consult anyone else. It's so tempting to pack all of my belongings into my car and head out into the great unknown to start a new life.
Maybe I've spent so much time moving around that I don't know how to stay in one place. Or maybe I just haven't found the right place yet. Or maybe I'm really looking for a metaphysical place, not a physical place. Maybe if I had a fulfilling job I wouldn't spend so much time daydreaming about the green grass on the other side of the fence.
If I get a job teaching at a law school, the chances are pretty good that I'll end up moving. But that's at least a year or two away. I'm not sure what to do until then.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Bar Exam Diaries - Third Time's a Charm Edition - Day 1
I got a good night's sleep. My alarm went off at 6:30, and I got out of bed about 6:45. (I'm a bit of a snooze button addict.) I checked my email. One of my friends texted me at 7:15 to let me know that she was awake and didn't need a 7:30 wakeup call. I showered and got ready for the day. After my shower, I decided to eat breakfast. I opened up a container of yogurt and tried to eat it, but the smell was so off-putting that I couldn't do it. It made me sick to my stomach. I'm on an antibiotic because of the burn on my hand, so I'm guessing I'm in for another round of antibiotic induced nausea. Fun.
I ended up eating some of the snacks I had brought instead. So I started the day off with Pringles, Oreos, and wasabi rice crackers. Breakfast of champions. After breakfast, I headed downstairs for the test. The test center was much more organized this time around. I didn't see any chaos. I had a different proctor this time, which relieved me. I like the proctor I had the last two times, but I think I would have been embarrassed to have to face him again. (He remembered me in February. I guess there aren't too many redheads taking the bar in Oakland.) My proctor this time is a grandfatherly old man with a cheery disposition. When he was checking my ID, he said, "Looks just like you." I responded "I hope not!" and then we both laughed.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Bar Exam Diaries - Third Time's a Charm Edition - Day 0
Here we go again. I had always heard stories of people who take the bar exam multiple times, but it was never supposed to be me. That's supposed to be something that happens to other people. People have tried to cheer me up by saying, "You're smart. You'll pass this time." I appreciate the sentiment, but clearly there's more to passing the bar than being smart. (Plus, I'm reasonably sure my intelligence has remained unchanged between last July and now.)
It seems like my body decides to get ill or injured right before every bar exam. Last July I had an eye infection, and the antibiotics I had to take to treat it caused nausea. In February, I was in a car accident the week before the test. Not to be outdone this time, I burned my hand rather severly last week. I only just regained the ability to hold a pencil this morning.
I wasn't able to get much time off work, but my employer is pretty good about flex time and work/life balance. So I worked from home today and took a long lunch that consisted of traveling to Oakland to settle in to the hotel I'm staying at. I signed off of my email at 5:30 and put up an out of office auto-reply for the next three days. (I'll still have to log on every night and catch up on the day's messages, though.)
After I checked in to the hotel, I went to the grocery store to get food for the week. It's cheaper and faster than eating out. I really wish I could go swimming, but my hand hasn't healed enough for that yet, so I'll have to find something else to do.
I'm feeling pretty good about the test this time. I'm in a good place emotionally. The first time I took the bar, I was freaked out. The second time, I was so fed up that I just didn't care. This time, I'm prepared and calm. I'm ok with the outcome, whatever it is. If I pass, great. If I don't pass, it's not a big deal. I don't really need bar membership to be a professor. But I think I'll pass. Third time's a charm.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Still alive over here
Just a quick update to let you know that I haven't fallen completely off the face of the earth. The bar exam is in a week and a half, and I'll come back to life then. Ciao!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Raising the Bar
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So, if I want to pass the bar exam in July, I need to do something different.
I rocked the multiple choice section both times I took the bar, so obviously I know the law. (The multiple choice section is widely believed to be the harder portion, though I found it to be the easier portion.) So, I need to work on my essays. I'm a good writer, but the bar exam doesn't reward good writing. It rewards what I like to call "Mad-libs for Lawyers". My remedial college English students can write better essays than the so-called "model answers" that the state bar holds up as paragons of legal writing. That means I need to do a ton of practice essays so that I can spew back awful writing in my sleep.
I also need a change of venue. I have trouble studying at home because there are so many distractions. The TV, the computer, the laundry, and the cats are all way more interesting than the Rule Against Perpetuities. I also need to accept the limitations of my endocrine system and realize that my malfunctioning adrenals mean that I'm more productive in the morning than in the evening.
So, instead of studying by trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to read books in the evening after work, I'm going to study by writing essays in the morning before work. There's a coffee shop next door, so I'm going to go there at the beginning of the day and write one practice essay each morning before heading into the office. I guess hot cocoa and pastries will need to become another line item in my budget.
I'm going to take the light rail to work so that I can use my commute time to practice multiple choice questions and brush up on areas of law I'm less sure about. Since the light rail station is about 4 blocks from work, that gives me a mile round-trip of walking each day. That way I'll have exercise automatically worked into my schedule, too.
This will lengthen my day considerably. I'll leave home around 7 in the morning and get home around 7 at night. But, once I'm home, I can take the rest of the evening off. I can play with my cats, do chores, go out with friends, watch TV, or go to bed early with no guilt. This time I'm going for quality over quantity.
I rocked the multiple choice section both times I took the bar, so obviously I know the law. (The multiple choice section is widely believed to be the harder portion, though I found it to be the easier portion.) So, I need to work on my essays. I'm a good writer, but the bar exam doesn't reward good writing. It rewards what I like to call "Mad-libs for Lawyers". My remedial college English students can write better essays than the so-called "model answers" that the state bar holds up as paragons of legal writing. That means I need to do a ton of practice essays so that I can spew back awful writing in my sleep.
I also need a change of venue. I have trouble studying at home because there are so many distractions. The TV, the computer, the laundry, and the cats are all way more interesting than the Rule Against Perpetuities. I also need to accept the limitations of my endocrine system and realize that my malfunctioning adrenals mean that I'm more productive in the morning than in the evening.
So, instead of studying by trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to read books in the evening after work, I'm going to study by writing essays in the morning before work. There's a coffee shop next door, so I'm going to go there at the beginning of the day and write one practice essay each morning before heading into the office. I guess hot cocoa and pastries will need to become another line item in my budget.
I'm going to take the light rail to work so that I can use my commute time to practice multiple choice questions and brush up on areas of law I'm less sure about. Since the light rail station is about 4 blocks from work, that gives me a mile round-trip of walking each day. That way I'll have exercise automatically worked into my schedule, too.
This will lengthen my day considerably. I'll leave home around 7 in the morning and get home around 7 at night. But, once I'm home, I can take the rest of the evening off. I can play with my cats, do chores, go out with friends, watch TV, or go to bed early with no guilt. This time I'm going for quality over quantity.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Meep, Meep
I've always liked political cartoons. A picture is worth a thousand words. So, in grand political cartoon style, here's what's going on in my life right now:
Last night, as I eagerly awaited catching the dinner I've been pursuing for 7 1/2 years, my meal turned around, stuck its tongue out at me, defiantly said "Meep, meep!", and sped off.
So I get to go chase it again. Sigh.
Last night, as I eagerly awaited catching the dinner I've been pursuing for 7 1/2 years, my meal turned around, stuck its tongue out at me, defiantly said "Meep, meep!", and sped off.
So I get to go chase it again. Sigh.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Travel Challenge
Elisabeth wrote a post about a travel challenge. I shamelessly stole the idea and decided to use it for my own blog post. It's a list of 100 places. I've bolded the places I've gone to. I've managed to make it to 15 of them. (I've never been to Napa or Yosemite, despite living only a few hours away for most of my life.) I guess I'm not as well-traveled as I thought. (Though I have set foot on 3 continents.)
Travel Challenge
1. Alamo-San Antonio, Texas (I was in San Antonio a few years ago, but I didn't have time to do anything touristy.)
2. Alhambra-Granada, Spain
3. Andros Island-Bahamas
4. Angel Falls-Venezuela
5. Angkor Wat-Angkor, Cambodia
6. Atlantic City Boardwald-Atlantic City, New Jersey
7. Ayers Rock-Australia
8. Big Ben-London, England
9. Bora Bora-Polynesia
10. British Museum-London, England
11. Canals of Amsterdam-Amsterdam, Netherlands
12. Cathedral of Seville-Seville, Spain
13. Cave of Crystals-Mexico
14. Christ the Redeemer-Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
15. Cinque Terre National Park-Italy
16. Colosseum-Rome, Italy
17. Crater Lake National Park-Oregon
18. Dead Sea-Israel/Jordan (Only on the Israel side. My visa wouldn’t let me go to Jordan.)
1. Alamo-San Antonio, Texas (I was in San Antonio a few years ago, but I didn't have time to do anything touristy.)
2. Alhambra-Granada, Spain
3. Andros Island-Bahamas
4. Angel Falls-Venezuela
5. Angkor Wat-Angkor, Cambodia
6. Atlantic City Boardwald-Atlantic City, New Jersey
7. Ayers Rock-Australia
8. Big Ben-London, England
9. Bora Bora-Polynesia
10. British Museum-London, England
11. Canals of Amsterdam-Amsterdam, Netherlands
12. Cathedral of Seville-Seville, Spain
13. Cave of Crystals-Mexico
14. Christ the Redeemer-Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
15. Cinque Terre National Park-Italy
16. Colosseum-Rome, Italy
17. Crater Lake National Park-Oregon
18. Dead Sea-Israel/Jordan (Only on the Israel side. My visa wouldn’t let me go to Jordan.)
19. Death
Valley-California
20. Devil's Tower-Wyoming
21. Dome of the Rock-Jerusalem, Israel
20. Devil's Tower-Wyoming
21. Dome of the Rock-Jerusalem, Israel
22. Easter Island-Polynesia
23. Edinburgh Castle-Edinburgh, Scotland
24. Eiffel Tower-Paris, France
25. Empire State Building-New York City, New York
26. Forbidden City-Beijing, China
27. French Quarter-New Orleans, Louisiana
23. Edinburgh Castle-Edinburgh, Scotland
24. Eiffel Tower-Paris, France
25. Empire State Building-New York City, New York
26. Forbidden City-Beijing, China
27. French Quarter-New Orleans, Louisiana
28. Galapagos Islands-Ecuador (but I have been able to
pet a Galapagos turtle!)
29. Gateway Arch-St. Louis, Missouri
30. Gettysburg Battlefield-Gettysburg, Pennsylania
31. Glacier Bay Basin-Alaska
32. Glacier National Park-Montana
33. Glowworm Cave-New Zealand
34. Golden Gate Bridge-San Francisco, California
35. Grand Canal-Venice, Italy
36. Grand Canyon-Arizona
37. Grand Mosque in Mecca-Saudi Arabia
38. Great Barrier Reef-Queensland, Australia
39. Great Mosque of Cordoba-Cordoba, Spain
40. Great Wall of China-China
41. Hagia Sophia-Istanbul, Turkey
42. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park-Hawaii
43. Hollywood Boulevard-Hollywood, California
44. Iguazu Falls-Argentina/Brazil
45. Kiyomizu-dera-Kyoto, Japan
46. Kremlin-Moscow, Russia
47. Lake Titicaca-Peru
48. Las Ramblas-Barcelona, Spain
49. Las Vegas Strip-Las Vegas, Nevada
50. Leaning Tower of Pisa-Pisa, Italy
51. Louvre Museum-Paris, France
52. Macchu Picchu-Peru
53. Matterhorn-Switzerland
54. Chichen Itza-Mexico
55. Metropolitan Museum of Art-New York City
56. Mount Everest-Nepal
57. Mount Fuji-Japan
58. Mount Kilimanjaro-Tanzania
59. Mount Rushmore-South Dakota
60. Napa Valley-California
61. Ngorongoro Crater-Tanzania
62. Niagara Falls-New York
63. Notre Dame Cathedral-Paris, France
64. Pacific Rim National Park-British Columbia
65. Pebble beaches of Nice-Nice, France
66. Petra-Jordan
67. Petronas Towers-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
68. Portland Head Lighthouse-Maine
69. Puerta del Sol-Madrid, Spain
70. Pyramids of Giza-Egypt
71. Redwood National Park-California
72. Rock of Gibraltar-Gibraltar
73. Rocky Mountain National Park-Colorado
74. Ruins of Athens-Athens, Greece
75. Ruins of Pompeii-Italy
76. Sagrada Familia-Barcelona, Spain
77. Sears Tower-Chicago, Illinois
78. Sedlec Ossuary-Czech Republic
79. Sistine Chapel-Vatican City
80. Smithsonian Institute-Washington, D.C.
81. Space Needle-Seattle, Washington
82. St. Peter's Basilica-Vatican City
83. Statue of Liberty-New York City (I’ve been to the one in Paris, and I’ve seen the one in NYC from the Newark airport.)
84. Stonehenge-England
85. Sydney Opera House-Sydney, Australia
86. Taj Mahal-Agra, India
87. Temple of the Golden Pavilion-Kyoto, Japan
88. Teotihuacan-Mexico
89. Tian Tan Buddha-Hong Kong
90. Times Square-New York
91. Varanasi-Uttar Pradesh, India
92. Victoria Falls-Zimbabwe
93. Wailing Wall-Jerusalem, Israel
94. Walt Disney World Resort-Orlando, Florida
95. Washington Monument-Washington, D.C.
96. White Cliffs of Dover-Dover, England
97. White House-Washington, D.C.
98. Winchester Cathedral-Hampshire, England
99. Yosemite National Park-California
100. Zion National Park-Utah
29. Gateway Arch-St. Louis, Missouri
30. Gettysburg Battlefield-Gettysburg, Pennsylania
31. Glacier Bay Basin-Alaska
32. Glacier National Park-Montana
33. Glowworm Cave-New Zealand
34. Golden Gate Bridge-San Francisco, California
35. Grand Canal-Venice, Italy
36. Grand Canyon-Arizona
37. Grand Mosque in Mecca-Saudi Arabia
38. Great Barrier Reef-Queensland, Australia
39. Great Mosque of Cordoba-Cordoba, Spain
40. Great Wall of China-China
41. Hagia Sophia-Istanbul, Turkey
42. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park-Hawaii
43. Hollywood Boulevard-Hollywood, California
44. Iguazu Falls-Argentina/Brazil
45. Kiyomizu-dera-Kyoto, Japan
46. Kremlin-Moscow, Russia
47. Lake Titicaca-Peru
48. Las Ramblas-Barcelona, Spain
49. Las Vegas Strip-Las Vegas, Nevada
50. Leaning Tower of Pisa-Pisa, Italy
51. Louvre Museum-Paris, France
52. Macchu Picchu-Peru
53. Matterhorn-Switzerland
54. Chichen Itza-Mexico
55. Metropolitan Museum of Art-New York City
56. Mount Everest-Nepal
57. Mount Fuji-Japan
58. Mount Kilimanjaro-Tanzania
59. Mount Rushmore-South Dakota
60. Napa Valley-California
61. Ngorongoro Crater-Tanzania
62. Niagara Falls-New York
63. Notre Dame Cathedral-Paris, France
64. Pacific Rim National Park-British Columbia
65. Pebble beaches of Nice-Nice, France
66. Petra-Jordan
67. Petronas Towers-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
68. Portland Head Lighthouse-Maine
69. Puerta del Sol-Madrid, Spain
70. Pyramids of Giza-Egypt
71. Redwood National Park-California
72. Rock of Gibraltar-Gibraltar
73. Rocky Mountain National Park-Colorado
74. Ruins of Athens-Athens, Greece
75. Ruins of Pompeii-Italy
76. Sagrada Familia-Barcelona, Spain
77. Sears Tower-Chicago, Illinois
78. Sedlec Ossuary-Czech Republic
79. Sistine Chapel-Vatican City
80. Smithsonian Institute-Washington, D.C.
81. Space Needle-Seattle, Washington
82. St. Peter's Basilica-Vatican City
83. Statue of Liberty-New York City (I’ve been to the one in Paris, and I’ve seen the one in NYC from the Newark airport.)
84. Stonehenge-England
85. Sydney Opera House-Sydney, Australia
86. Taj Mahal-Agra, India
87. Temple of the Golden Pavilion-Kyoto, Japan
88. Teotihuacan-Mexico
89. Tian Tan Buddha-Hong Kong
90. Times Square-New York
91. Varanasi-Uttar Pradesh, India
92. Victoria Falls-Zimbabwe
93. Wailing Wall-Jerusalem, Israel
94. Walt Disney World Resort-Orlando, Florida
95. Washington Monument-Washington, D.C.
96. White Cliffs of Dover-Dover, England
97. White House-Washington, D.C.
98. Winchester Cathedral-Hampshire, England
99. Yosemite National Park-California
100. Zion National Park-Utah
Monday, April 30, 2012
Bad Car-ma
Last month I wrote about my new (to me, anyway) car and how much I liked it. Well, two days after I wrote that post, my transmission dropped. I had always thought that the description of a transmission dropping was metaphorical. Nope. There was actual dropping involved. My car was in the shop for two weeks.
When I got my car back, I was relieved. I figured that I would be done with all of the automotive nonsense. I drove it around for a few days, and then my car started to have trouble accelerating. I figured that it was the fuel filter, because switching a car that has been running on regular diesel to biodiesel causes a one-time clog in the fuel filter while the diesel is washed out of the tank. So I went to the auto parts store to buy a fuel filter. I checked online to see how to change it, and I decided it was too complex for me to handle by myself.
I called Jiffy Lube, and the guy there said I should take it to a regular mechanic. Since I was on my way to my friend's house, I decided I would take care of it in the morning. On my way to my friend's house, my check engine light came on, and my car wouldn't go over 25 mph even when I floored it. I pulled off to the side of the road and read the engine code. (I bought a check engine light code reader when I got the car. It's come in handy a few times.) The engine code said that there was a problem in the clutch solenoid.
I called my friend and she came to pick me up while we waited for the tow truck. I had it towed back to the same mechanic who did my transmission because the engine code indicated that it was another transmission problem.
That was over three weeks ago. It turns out that the solenoids are fine. The transmission is fine. The computer is fine. The fuel filter is pristine. But there's some faulty wire somewhere that's sending a bad code to the computer, and the computer has locked the transmission into first gear. The mechanic is still looking for the wire that's causing the problem. He said that he's going to send it to Volkswagen because he's completely baffled by it.
So, here's the scorecard on my car: I bought it in February, and it was in the shop for 3 weeks. Then I drove it for a week. Then it was in the shop for 2 weeks. Then I drove it for half a week. It has now been in the shop for 3 1/2 weeks and counting. Total time of car ownership: 10 weeks. Total time in the shop: 8 1/2 weeks, or 85% of the time I have owned the car. What a nightmare! (I can't even sell it because the check engine light is on, which is an automatic smog failure, and cars sold in CA have to pass smog.)
When I get this car back, it had better be worth it.
When I got my car back, I was relieved. I figured that I would be done with all of the automotive nonsense. I drove it around for a few days, and then my car started to have trouble accelerating. I figured that it was the fuel filter, because switching a car that has been running on regular diesel to biodiesel causes a one-time clog in the fuel filter while the diesel is washed out of the tank. So I went to the auto parts store to buy a fuel filter. I checked online to see how to change it, and I decided it was too complex for me to handle by myself.
I called Jiffy Lube, and the guy there said I should take it to a regular mechanic. Since I was on my way to my friend's house, I decided I would take care of it in the morning. On my way to my friend's house, my check engine light came on, and my car wouldn't go over 25 mph even when I floored it. I pulled off to the side of the road and read the engine code. (I bought a check engine light code reader when I got the car. It's come in handy a few times.) The engine code said that there was a problem in the clutch solenoid.
I called my friend and she came to pick me up while we waited for the tow truck. I had it towed back to the same mechanic who did my transmission because the engine code indicated that it was another transmission problem.
That was over three weeks ago. It turns out that the solenoids are fine. The transmission is fine. The computer is fine. The fuel filter is pristine. But there's some faulty wire somewhere that's sending a bad code to the computer, and the computer has locked the transmission into first gear. The mechanic is still looking for the wire that's causing the problem. He said that he's going to send it to Volkswagen because he's completely baffled by it.
So, here's the scorecard on my car: I bought it in February, and it was in the shop for 3 weeks. Then I drove it for a week. Then it was in the shop for 2 weeks. Then I drove it for half a week. It has now been in the shop for 3 1/2 weeks and counting. Total time of car ownership: 10 weeks. Total time in the shop: 8 1/2 weeks, or 85% of the time I have owned the car. What a nightmare! (I can't even sell it because the check engine light is on, which is an automatic smog failure, and cars sold in CA have to pass smog.)
When I get this car back, it had better be worth it.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Found
I either went out and did the best thing for myself or the stupidest thing in the history of stupidity. Time will tell.
I quit my job this morning. (Technically, I tendered my resignation, effective May 11.) My boss tried to offer me more money to stay. (Oh, so now she thinks I'm worth more, when I'm ready to walk out the door.) I told her it wasn't about the money. She pried, so I told her my ethical concerns with the product. She didn't believe me. She thought I was using that as a cover for something else.
It was really scary to quit without another job lined up. It goes against all business advice. But I feel as if an enormous weight has been lifted off of me. I wasn't really able to interview for jobs while working because I couldn't get out of the office. So now I have time to find something ethical and interesting.
I have 3 weeks left in my current job, and I have 2 weeks of vacation pay saved up. So, that gives me 5 weeks to find a new job before I even feel a pinch in the wallet. Totally doable. The longest it's ever taken me to find a new job when I actually put effort into looking is 2 weeks. (I don't know my secret; it's been serendipity every time.) I'll temp until I find something, so I don't have to worry about money. I'm still teaching at San Quentin, so I won't have a resume gap.
Logically, I should feel terrified about this change, but I don't. I feel free. I'm going to get a good night's sleep tonight for the first time in months, and I'm going to be able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning. It's a new day!
I quit my job this morning. (Technically, I tendered my resignation, effective May 11.) My boss tried to offer me more money to stay. (Oh, so now she thinks I'm worth more, when I'm ready to walk out the door.) I told her it wasn't about the money. She pried, so I told her my ethical concerns with the product. She didn't believe me. She thought I was using that as a cover for something else.
It was really scary to quit without another job lined up. It goes against all business advice. But I feel as if an enormous weight has been lifted off of me. I wasn't really able to interview for jobs while working because I couldn't get out of the office. So now I have time to find something ethical and interesting.
I have 3 weeks left in my current job, and I have 2 weeks of vacation pay saved up. So, that gives me 5 weeks to find a new job before I even feel a pinch in the wallet. Totally doable. The longest it's ever taken me to find a new job when I actually put effort into looking is 2 weeks. (I don't know my secret; it's been serendipity every time.) I'll temp until I find something, so I don't have to worry about money. I'm still teaching at San Quentin, so I won't have a resume gap.
Logically, I should feel terrified about this change, but I don't. I feel free. I'm going to get a good night's sleep tonight for the first time in months, and I'm going to be able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning. It's a new day!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Lost
I've been a bit absent over here because of some stuff in my personal life. I've been keeping it to myself, but what's a blog for if I can't spew my personal thoughts on the internet for anyone to read?
So, here goes.
I'm feeling a bit lost right now. I'm unsatisfied in my job. At first it was just the standard overworked/underpaid thing. I like my co-workers, and until last week, I had the best boss ever. She just retired. I applied for her position, and I didn't get it because my company never promotes internally. (Terrible business practice if you ask me - it ensures that the best talent will leave.) My new boss is a bit of a micromanager, and if there's one thing I can't stand, it's being micromanaged.
Plus, I've been doing some serious soul-searching, and I'm not really comfortable with the product the company produces. While the product itself has innocuous uses, it also enables very bad people to do very bad things. (And the company actively markets the product to those very bad people, though it doesn't officially condone the very bad things they do with the product.) For a while, I told myself that since I'm not the one writing the code, I'm not responsible. But the thing is, I am. I help find the engineers who write the code, and I support them and try to make their job easier. So I share some of the blame, and it's stuff I don't want on my conscience.
When I first got the job, I didn't know what the product did. I didn't need to; I just answered the phone and made photocopies. I continued that ignorance when I was promoted into human resources. Once again, I didn't really need to know about the product to answer employee questions about medical leave or health insurance. Then, a year or so later, we got bought by Big Defense Contractor. (It's a name you would recognize.) I wondered what Big Defense Contractor would want with a Silicon Valley software company, so I started asking questions. It's true, what they say. Ignorance really is bliss.
I figured I would get out after the bar exam. Then I failed the bar. In January, I decided, bar or no bar, I needed to find another job. I've been looking since then, and I haven't even had a single interview. Over the past few weeks, it's gotten so that I can barely sleep at night. I find myself dreading Monday mornings. And I'm powerless to do anything about it. I can't quit because I have no savings and I'm living paycheck to paycheck. I'm still 4 weeks away from getting my bar exam results. If I pass, it's tempting to just take my chances starting my own law firm. But what if I don't pass the bar?
It's so bad that I'm seriously considering going back to the home health care agency I used to work at. The work was emotionally draining, and the pay was terrible, but at least it was ethical. I'm also considering going back to my old temp agency and answering phones at various places. But that's how I got into this mess in the first place.
I know eventually I want to become a professor, but that's still at least 2-3 years out. I have to find something to do until then. Any ideas?
So, here goes.
I'm feeling a bit lost right now. I'm unsatisfied in my job. At first it was just the standard overworked/underpaid thing. I like my co-workers, and until last week, I had the best boss ever. She just retired. I applied for her position, and I didn't get it because my company never promotes internally. (Terrible business practice if you ask me - it ensures that the best talent will leave.) My new boss is a bit of a micromanager, and if there's one thing I can't stand, it's being micromanaged.
Plus, I've been doing some serious soul-searching, and I'm not really comfortable with the product the company produces. While the product itself has innocuous uses, it also enables very bad people to do very bad things. (And the company actively markets the product to those very bad people, though it doesn't officially condone the very bad things they do with the product.) For a while, I told myself that since I'm not the one writing the code, I'm not responsible. But the thing is, I am. I help find the engineers who write the code, and I support them and try to make their job easier. So I share some of the blame, and it's stuff I don't want on my conscience.
When I first got the job, I didn't know what the product did. I didn't need to; I just answered the phone and made photocopies. I continued that ignorance when I was promoted into human resources. Once again, I didn't really need to know about the product to answer employee questions about medical leave or health insurance. Then, a year or so later, we got bought by Big Defense Contractor. (It's a name you would recognize.) I wondered what Big Defense Contractor would want with a Silicon Valley software company, so I started asking questions. It's true, what they say. Ignorance really is bliss.
I figured I would get out after the bar exam. Then I failed the bar. In January, I decided, bar or no bar, I needed to find another job. I've been looking since then, and I haven't even had a single interview. Over the past few weeks, it's gotten so that I can barely sleep at night. I find myself dreading Monday mornings. And I'm powerless to do anything about it. I can't quit because I have no savings and I'm living paycheck to paycheck. I'm still 4 weeks away from getting my bar exam results. If I pass, it's tempting to just take my chances starting my own law firm. But what if I don't pass the bar?
It's so bad that I'm seriously considering going back to the home health care agency I used to work at. The work was emotionally draining, and the pay was terrible, but at least it was ethical. I'm also considering going back to my old temp agency and answering phones at various places. But that's how I got into this mess in the first place.
I know eventually I want to become a professor, but that's still at least 2-3 years out. I have to find something to do until then. Any ideas?
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