blurbs

I tend to do these update blurbs. Whoops! Will try to write more about more in depth topics.

I'm training for 1/2 marathon #2 on April 15th. I finished the Livestrong 1/2 in about 2:26 which was pretty good in comparison to my lack of training, knee issues, and killer hills from mile 10-13. With that said, I want to do better this time around! I'm hoping to run more around a 2:15. As part of that, I start my training (again) on Saturday with a nice easy 7 miler. During the weeks I'll be trying to work hills and speed a little.

I also took the plunge and signed up for a bootcamp. At 6 am. 2x a week. It's kind of like dying every Tuesday and Thursday, but I think it'll be good for me and my fitness goals. Today we did 50 squats, 50 above the head kettlebell lifts, 50 sumo squat kettlebells, 50 medicine ball side to sides, 50 butterfly crunches and then we got to do all of them again 30 times, and then again 10 times. Paaaaainn. I'm also semi-attempting a low-ish carb diet that begins in earnest tomorrow (I know that's what they all say).

Indy is doing well. We had a bit of a scare this weekend with some sickliness but he seems much better now. He lost quite a bit of weight, so I'm attempting to fatten him up. He loves it. On May 1st we start Agility League competition!

I got a 20,000 dollar a year scholarship at Vanderbilt on Monday, making it roughly the same price as UT. If I don't get in to Michigan, I will most likely be attending Vanderbilt Law next year. Yikes! I visit UT on March 25 and Vandy on April 8. I actually bought a pair of Sperry Top-siders today so that I can blend in on campus.

I had the joy of three awesome weekends in a row the past three weeks! Tyler came and visited for the weekend and got to see me stagger across the half marathon finish line. The next weekend was Disciple Now, an annual in-town church retreat that I have participated in (in various capacities) 9 times now! I was with the 7th and 8th grade house and it was cuh-razy. Not to brag, but the leaders did dominate on Murder in the Dark (best game ever). And then the NEXT weekend, Kirsten got to come visit! We pretty much ate a ton of food. We went to the kite festival, played with Indy, ate sno-cones and had a blast. Visits from friends have been so life-giving these past couple of weeks. I miss my social support system. More importantly, I just miss my friends!

.5 Marathon

Next Sunday I will be running my very first half-marathon. I'm excited because it has been a long-term dream of mine. (next, a full marathon?!) I'm also frozen with terror. 13.1 miles is FAR. I will run 7 miles (FAR!) and be only half way there (FAAAARRR!).

On Friday I ran my first 11-miler. I honestly should have prepped much better for this race, but I don't plan to set any speed records anyways. I would just like to finish with all my limbs intact. Plus, this whole "knee injury out of nowhere" thing has really throw me for a loop.

For those not "in the know," I somehow managed to give myself patellofemoral tendinitis. There were no warning signs. I went for an easy 5 mile jog and came home feeling fine. It was my first time running on the streets in awhile, but nothing felt odd and 5 miles was pretty short after a 9-miler earlier that week. I went to Randall's, got food, made dinner, and sat down to watch some Hulu. When I got up an hour later, intense pain commenced. It kind of feels like a dull knife on the top of my kneecap. I am, understandably, very anxious about pain around my kneecaps.

I went to the doctor and she confirmed the tendinitis. I was a little freaked. I had trained (relatively) hard for this half-marathon and it sucked to think about not being able to even TRY. She reassured me that I could keep running as long as the pain didn't radiate up my knee. I tried to run 4 miles after a weeks rest and it was pretty intense pain from mile 2-4. Unfortunately I was running Town Lake and the pain started right at the turnaround. Either way I had to run two more miles.

With all that said, the 11-miler (technically 11.3, thank you very much) yesterday was pretty much pain-free! I'm hurting a bit right now but I'm heating and rubbing it with Arnica gel and resting. I'm hoping to get in a few more short runs before next Sunday, but it is on!

Bring it on, Livestrong Austin 1/2 Marathon!

Vanderbilt

I thought some people might get a kick out of this story, so I'm posting it here.

Vanderbilt Law is one of my top choices for next year. Great campus, nice buildings, excellent career opportunities, relevant clinics (experiential learning opportunities), likely to give me a scholarship, cool city, nice climate, and dog friendly. (see? it's pretty perfect) Thus, I really really wanted to get in and a couple people with very similar numbers were getting waitlisted. Now, waitlisting is not the end of the world but it can mean the end of chances of receiving money. Without a scholarship, Vanderbilt is considerably more expensive than UT (in-state + scholarship) and I probably couldn't justify choosing it.

Vanderbilt sends acceptances in 4 lb boxes via Fedex, usually arriving within 2-3 days of getting "Decision Letter Sent" on the online status checker. Waitlists and rejections come via regular mail and take much longer.

My online 'law school friends' had reported this situation earlier in a comical exchange:

Student 1: Fedex says I have a package coming. Does this mean I'm in?

Student 2: How much does it weigh?

Student 1: They said 4 lbs. That's good right??

Student 2: Looks like they sent you the rejection brick!

I laughed for a really long time at that mental image. (Student 1 was accepted, in case you were concerned)

My status turned to Decision Letter Sent on 2/7 yesterday. Understandably, I freaked out. A couple people had had luck calling FedEx and checking to see if a package was headed their direction so I thought I would try my luck. At least I wouldn't be stressing for the next couple days!

Here's how it went:

Me: Hi, I was wondering if a package is coming to me?

Fedex: Do you have a tracking number?

Me: No, is it possible to just check my address? Here it is _______

Fedex: It looks like it should arrive around Wednesday at 4:30

Me: IT'S REALLY COMING?

Fedex: Yes....it left Nashville at 8:00 this morning. It looks like it's from Vanderbilt Law School

Me: I GOT INNNNNNN!

Fedex: *nervous laughter* ....that's great?

Me: Oh my gosh, oh my gosh thank you so so much!

Fedex: ....ok great...have a good day?

Me: iloveyou bye

Haha. So I'm 0 for 2 on proper phone reactions to good news. For UT I said "hooray." Maybe next time?

I'm a bad blogger...

Well, it's official...I'm a horrible blog writer. Sorry (all 7 of you readers!)

Here's a little life update: killed the December LSAT (+9 points), Indy is awesome and currently shaved naked, still doing Agility classes, and still really enjoying my job at Dirty Dog.

Now a little expansions:

Law school:

In short, retaking in December changed my life. 9 points is huge on the LSAT and made a big difference in the schools I'm looking at. To put things in perspective, I barely got in to Wake Forest last year...this year I've received almost a full ride from them. I've been accepted at UT, Wake Forest, George Washington, Washington & Lee and Ohio State so far and I'm still waiting on a bunch more. If you are really really interested, you can check this out: http://lawschoolnumbers.com/akili

I'm not really planning on posting a ton about it on Facebook, so it might be a good way to keep track. If you care. No biggy.

Indy:

He's a goober but I love him. He's doing very well in Agility and today my mom is coming to see him in class which I'm really excited about. He can be a little crazy in person, so it's fun to show off his smart, focused side too. We still go to the dog park as often as possible. He's getting better with waiting on his bed when someone comes to the door and not jumping. We still have lots to learn though. Indy is officially a year old as of a week ago. He's definitely all puppy still though. Indy has been a huge blessing in my life this year and I'm so grateful for him in my life!

Dirty Dog:

I really enjoy it a lot. It's a fun job and requires quite a bit more brain power than I was expecting. Plus, PUPPIES! Today I got to play with a recently adopted chihuahua (trust me, he was stinking cute), two basset hounds, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Oliver. Looove it.

Other things:

I'm helping out at Covenant with the 7th grade girls d-group (whom I love!) and it's been wonderful. It's cool discovering Covenant again now that I'm an "adult"

I have lots of fun travel plans for this spring/summer. Hooray! Enjoying my last bit of freedom to roam the world. (slash the U.S.)

Bob Loblaw's Law Blog

Whoops. I need to update this more often.

I got my LSAT (part 3) results back and FINALLY killed it. It's awesome and very overwhelming because now my list of schools has drastically changed. My reaches are now safeties.

Top choices? University of Virginia, Michigan, Cornell, Vanderbilt, University of Texas, University of Washington, and George Washington. Crazy. I have pretty good shots at all but UVA. Hopefully I'll start hearing back from some schools that I had already applied to (i.e. UT, UW and GWU) in the next couple weeks. Most Admitted Student Weekends are in March or April so I should know almost everything by then!

Life...moves really fast!

I'm working at Dirty Dog still and really enjoying it. It's a really great job and I'm learning some great skills. Plus, PUPPIES. I'm hopefully about to start a small internship with a local non-profit that works with at-risk or on probation teenage girls. Hopefully it'll work ok with my Dirty Dog schedule. I'm waiting to hear what will work out. I don't want to get too overloaded and I want to treasure this down time and all the time I have to spend with Indy.

Speaking of... We are now in Agility 2 and Indy continues to be a rockstar. He's been a huge blessing to me and I'm so grateful for him, even when he's a brat. He turns 1 in a couple weeks. I'm still going to call him a puppy though.

A story of honor and bravery.

I am done with the LSAT. Forever. No matter what. DANG that feels good. I'm halfway tempted to create a little (illegal) bonfire on my patio of all my books and practice tests. I stick to the letter of the law though (and it would be ironic to break the law while burning study materials for the Law School Admissions Test).

The last battle between LSAC (Law School Admissions Council) and my brave, noble, persevering self took place this Saturday. It was a pitched battle beginning in the wee hours of the morn. I arose, clothed myself in splendor (Akili shirt and sweatpants. What up) and journeyed to the unfamiliar territory of UT campus. I arrived almost an hour too early and motivated myself with epic music within my trusty steed, Delilah the Fit.

I was interrogated and fingerprinted upon my entry to the testing chamber. No full body scan, however. My fellow warriors settled in and the Emissary of the Dark LSAC read the rules of the conflict. No hoodies, water bottles, digital watches, things that beeped, cell phones, mechanical pencils, or any other such frivolity would be allowed in this sacred chamber. I solemnly sharpened my 10 #2 HB pencils (one can never be too safe), popped open the seal and began the fight that might define my future.

I faced Reading Comprehension first. A fair weather friend, it can either help me greatly or harm me severely on my quest. However, this time it accepted an uneasy truce and I fought through valiantly with time to spare. Next with Logic Games. A horrifying, demonic section usually, this one proved to be more like a kitten than a roaring dragon. I eyed it with suspicion. I feared, and knew (in my heart of hearts) that this must be the dastardly Experimental section that counts for nothing! It is only a farce to weary the valiant and delay their quests. Before I could rest or eat I had to face one more foe. Logical Reasoning. It fell to my sword easily. We were allowed 15 minutes to eat and use the facilities. I only wet my mouth, knowing that troubles still laid ahead.

After the break I opened the Tome of Destiny and gaped in horror. Not only was it Logic Games again, but there was no room to swing a sword (or diagram a hypothetical). Panic set in. I couldn't seem to draw a breath. The enemy closed in around me. I took a deep breath and plunged through. I did not escape unscathed. I fear I lost points, and lives, but I persevered and ultimately declare dominion over the problems. Lastly, I faced another Logical Reasoning foe. This warrior put up a far more challenging fight, but in the end he was defeated like his brethren.

I celebrated with my comrade and training partner Caroline and we feasted upon queso, spicy jalapeno ranch and pico de gallo. Once refreshed, I began the long trek home. Exhausted, mentally and physically drained, but victorious (hopefully).

Only time will tell the results of this quest, but the fight was fought with honor and bravery. My soul is at peace whatever the number may be.

(Seriously, I think it went alright. But this was way more fun to write. I find out at the end of the month. I already have been accepted at Wake Forest again, so a lot of the pressure has lifted. I could be very happy there, but I am hoping for UT!)

T-4 Days

I just took the most recent LSAT that is available (PT60: June 2010). I got a freaking 172 on it. I got a 175 on October 2009 earlier this week. Now why can't I do that on test day?? I know I'm capable of scoring well, and I will be so disappointed if I don't perform up to what I think is my potential on Saturday. This is my last chance. It's almost nauseating.

I'm not even looking for a 172 (thought that would be incredibly legit), I would be pretty darn ecstatic with a 165. Like crying with joy ecstatic. I saved that champagne from October, I really hope I get to use it with happiness. If not...I'll figure stuff out. If I can't improve, I'm probably going to maybe consider some other career paths. With the economy, job stuff is scary. I want to give myself the best shot possible.

I start work at Dirty Dog on Monday! I'm really excited, but a bit scared. I have so much to learn! I'm also thinking about volunteering ...somewhere. I haven't really figured that out yet. Maybe with a shelter for battered women? Or having to do with juvenile justice? I just don't know if I'll be able to find a better job, and this way I can have (to quote Hannah Montana) the best of both world. The BESSSSSSSSSST of both worlds!

Tonight is Indy's last agility class. It's been pretty awesome, to be honest. I'm going to ask the trainer tonight if she thinks Indy should take Agility 2 or Obedience 2. If we do Agility, well hooray! I'm kind of worried how that might work with law school next year though. If we do Obedience, Indy can get his Canine Good Citizen award and maybe start Therapy Dog training? I think he's got a bit of settling to do before that could be a reality. It will be interesting to hear what the trainer says.

Whoops-y-daisy

It's been almost a month. My bad.

Brief life update:

Got a job working at Dirty Dog Self Service Dog Wash. I have my training on Monday. I'm very excited. Pretty sure this blog will turn in to anecdotes of work soon. Indy is doing great. He is a veritable agility superstar. I retake the LSAT for the 3rd and final time next Saturday. It doesn't hurt me to retake it and it could sure help a ton. I've been doing really really well on my practice tests and working very hard so hopefully it pays off. I'll hear in early January what the verdict is. I'm training for a half-marathon in February. I'm still leading my awesome D-Group of 7th grade girls with my great friend Hannah. Texas Callie and I got to hang out and have an epic play date for Zippity and Indy. Pretty much the cutest thing ever.

I've started doing two things I swore I would never do, drinking tea every night and lighting candles. Who am I?

Devin's TV Recommendation: The Vampire Diaries.

I know, I know. The title has the word vampire in it. And yes there is a love triangle. Other than that, this series bears no relation to ...Twilight (I hate to type the name). The first few episodes are a little slow (of the 1st season) but it rapidly picks up steam. It's scary, extremely fast placed and the characters are genuinely interesting. The real reason I recommend it is the pacing and plot. It actually moves forward *gasp.* They aren't scared to kill off characters, often without warning. The 'villains' are excellent and full of twists and turns. Honestly, give this show a chance. Joe Muck even admitted it was good.

dreams. plans. happening now!

In case you haven't heard, the October LSAT did not exactly go as planned. I got the same exact score as the last time I took the test. This was extremely disappointing for me to hear. I found out on Friday evening and dealt with the sadness, denial and anger (mostly) on that night.

Saturday morning was spent trying to salvage plans and dreams that seemed out of my reach now. Yesterday I came to the realization that I need to beat this test. It's won two battles, but I have one more chance to dominate.

I have registered for the December LSAT. I'll take this stupid (insert a variety of curse words, including AVADA KEDAVRA) test for the last time on December 11th and should know my score after Christmas.

I have 40 days (including today) and I'm hitting the books HARD. I will be studying for about 4 hours a day (at least). There are 60 "PTs" (prep tests=real administered LSATs) available. I've taken about 15 or so in preparation for my other tests. Before the December LSAT, I want to take all of the remaining tests. That's about one a day. One PT takes about 4 hours to take, not including reviewing of answers. I need to get a strong average going. I'll also be practicing Reading Comprehension every morning right when I wake up because I tend to lose points if it's the first section on a test. I have the Logic Games Bible and will be working through that in it's entirety along with the rest of my practice problems/homework from my class. I also have a friend from class that will be studying with me.

I'm planning on using this blog to keep me accountable not only for LSAT-related things, but running, eating healthy, and being in control of my life. This will not be particularly exciting, but I think it needs to happen.

Tomorrow's Plan:

Take Indy to the dog park early AM

Give Indy a bath at Dirty Dog (yay clean puppy!)

Take a PT at Barnes and Noble ---review answers thoroughly

Groceries

Make lemon/parmesan broccoli pasta for dinner

Indy's Agility class from 7-8

Do the dishes!

To sleep early so I can run Wednesday morning

Adrift

Since graduating, 'adrift' best describes how I feel. I'm still glad I'm taking a year off between Whitworth and law school, but it feels just like a stop-gap effort. I'm living in an apartment...for a little while. I'm trying to find a job...but not a permanent one. I need a job I'll like (at least marginally) ...but can leave after 9 months. I took the LSAT...but I'm waiting for results that will directly change the course of my future (no pressure).

It's frustrating to feel so without purpose. Even on my "productive days," I get up early, run at Town Lake, take Indy to the dog park, give him a bath..........that's it. I've been watching loads of TV and reading a bunch, but I just feel so lost! I'm sure I'll miss all this free time the second I get a job, but it feels like it's smothering me right now.

I have a lot of good stuff to look forward to in the future though, so I'll focus on that. A week in Spokane (heaven!) with amazing amazing people, Indy's agility classes starting up, Indy getting old enough that I can take him running with me, going out more frequently, going on some dates with my online suitors (woohoo), and discovering more about Austin! There, I feel better already, cold aside.

it is finished.

LSAT conquered. dominated. subjugated to my will.

20 days til scores are released.

the Beast looms...

The LSAT is Saturday. The LSAT is SATURDAY. THE LSAT IS SATURDAY!

No lie, I am freaking out a little. However, I earned my best score ever (!!!) on Tuesday when I took my last practice test. Seriously, it was fabulous. I was planning to take one more today, but I didn't want to ruin my serious injection of good mojo.

So much depends on this silly little test. I'm trying not to think about it too hard, but it is reality. 3 points could drastically change my future! Yikes. Oh well, any improvement I make over last December will be well worth it.

As a well-deserved (in my opinion) reward for working my butt off on the LSAT, I get to visit Spokane on the 13th! I'm very excited! I kind of wanted to visit a little later to ration out the awesomeness, but with no viable employment offers currently, it made the most sense. I'm looking forward to almost a week of friends, fall, Greenbluff?, and chai! There are so many people I want to see. Friday frisbee? Running in gorgeous weather? Hanging out in the coffee shop or in the Loop. Ahhh...

LSAT studying is ramping up. I don't have that many days left before, the "big day." Gosh, I am quite a bit nervous. It's been going pretty well though. I have class 2x a week from 6:00-10:00 (pm!). So that's 8 hours a week right there. Plus, I'm hoping to take around 3-4 practice tests a week AND study around 2 hours a day additionally. It feels like a lot but that is the reason why I quit (well one of the reasons why I quit) my job.

Plus, it's not like I have a whole heck of a lot else to do. I've been struggling with loneliness and isolation pretty much since I left Spokane. Indy helps, but it's pretty darn lonely here. It's really mostly my fault though. Especially the last couple of weeks. I just don't want to do anything but sit on my couch and watch bad TV. It's frustrating. I know I should go be with people but something is holding me back. I don't know if it's fear or laziness or what. I miss Whitworth. I miss having so many awesome people around me at all time. Community was easy there.

Sorry this is such a complain-fest. I just don't like not understanding myself. I miss being happy.

another post about Indy

This is mostly for me, but I wanted to write down my training goals for Indy (especially now that he is pretty much a teenager!).

• Better manners at greeting people (no jumping!)
• Sits in his bed when people come in until released
• Walks better on a leash (this is really my fault, I've been taking him to off-leash dog parks so often that the dude hasn't really had a chance to learn)
• 100% at "leave it" "drop it" "come" (we are at 90% currently) and "down"
• At least 1 more awesome trick ala Avada Kedavra
• Longer sit-stays and down-stays, even if I run away
• Fetch (he kinda gets it...)
• He needs to figure out cats. He did try to be friendly this morning and licked one, but it was not a fan.

This is kind of all in preparation for our first Agility class on October 26th. Yes, this is a long time away. Yes, I'm freaking out because he's never been in a group class and I'm super worried he's just gonna go bananas. I want to be prepared and on top of things. I don't really know a ton about agility but it seems really fun and he's definitely smart/athletic enough for it!

Plus it gives something for me to worry on that isn't the LSAT. Yikes. October 9th guys.

Inspiration

What is it about sports that has the power to inspire us so much?

Having just watched the Blind Side and Invictus ( I had a migraine, ok?), I was wondering just this. Why are there some many movies about sports? It isn't just that they are fun to watch or that we are, by nature, competitive people. I'm sure that is part of it, but you could just watch the gazillion NFL games or college football games going on. There has to be something beyond just winning. It's not just the trophy that matters.

I think that sports are things that cannot be won without blood, sweat, and tears. There is something honest about the work required to succeed at sports and the power of a team. Even the most talented individual cannot win a football or rugby or soccer or basketball game by themselves. Maybe that's why individual sports don't really appeal to me as much. There is a dependence and trust upon your fellow players in team sports that can't be matched by golf or tennis (though I'm sure they have their appealing features as well).

Being forced to depend on each other breaks down barriers that might otherwise survive. How can personalities, race, or politics matter when you have to get the frisbee to the other end of the field. It may seem trivial to some, but in the moment the game is the most important thing. It allows us to transcend the things that appear more important in "real life."

This poem serves as the theme of Invictus. I think, in a way, it captures how I feel about sport and about perseverance.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The great stories are never without struggle. They have to walk the line between failure and success, and win. To quote Veronica Mars:

Veronica: "Come on. Ruined lives? Bloodshed? You really think relationships should be that hard?"

Logan: "No one writes songs about the ones that come easy."

Focus

The LSAT is less than a month away. The LSAT is LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY. THE LSAT IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY.

This is pretty much what is going round and round my head. In short, I'm freaking out a little. It's so crucial that I do well. A good score increase means a heckuva lot more opportunities for me. I want to go to a good school and hopefully not at full price. I'm feeling pretty good about my progress and my potential score. My class is taking another practice test tomorrow so that'll be interesting to see what the score is.

In other news, I quit my job. This goes along with the theme of focus. I'm aiming to be spending around 3-4 hours a day studying the LSAT. I talked with my dad about it and we went back to the whole 7 Habits of Highly Effective People thing, you have to put the big rocks in before you put the little ones. My "big rock" is the LSAT but it was getting squished by the "little rock" of work. I don't have to work right now. (for this month anyways) I have to do well on the LSAT. The end.

Cooking update. I made Indian food! The sauce was pre-made but I made the Basmati rice, grilled the chicken, and made Naan bread. It was really good! I added lemon juice, cilantro, and curry powder. I put butter in just about everything. I firmly believe that when in doubt, add butter.

Tomorrow I'm making good ole Manghetti for some friends. Vodka sauce, parmesan cheese, ground turkey, garlic bread and maybe a salad? I really like to cook, but it's hard to do it just for one person and I hate wasting food.

One last thing, I really like the show, Weeds. I just started season 2 and am SO glad they changed the theme song that plays during the credits. It used to annoy the crap of out of me. I hate the word "ticky-tacky" still.

I don't understand how it doesn't compute to people that playing music loudly at MIDNIGHT on a week night is really NOT OK.

Why would you think it was ok? Especially after I asked you very politely to turn it down.

Nostalgia

1 year ago, I was moving in to the Yellow house (let's be honest, we never called it the Yellow Submarine or the Magic Schoolbus) and getting a mattress home with a piece of twine with Calli. Laura made us delicious crockpot food (lentil chili, yum!) and we had wine around a squished dinner table. Arend and East dominated at Mock Rock and Yell-Off and I felt like I was home again.

2 years ago, I was a month in to BISP. Starting to get a bit tired, starting to understand the Tube. Already loving kebabs and Indian food. Learning how to be independent and brave. Figuring out (with limited success) how to meet guys in bars. Having "Mama Iris" get me all dressed up for going out and watching drunk Tyler S. getting chased down the street by Zach. There was pole-dancing and Joe, J-O-E, Joe.

3 years ago, I was starting my year as a RA in Arend. Probably one of the most important, hardest, full of laughter, BEST years ever. I was still so intimidated of most of the people on the team. I didn't know how I got the job. I still don't know. I was making a poster of a sad cat to keep people out until 10 am and Scott helped me put up streamers for hours. Emily had a squashed foot.

4 years ago, I was starting my time at Whitworth. I was scared, excited and frequently sweaty. A chance run-in with Scott and an invitation to watch the Office started an awesome friendship. Dani King knew everyone and danced like a fiend, so did Tyler Hamilton. I had a short-lived crush on Jesse and took my first sociology class with Raja. I loved learning the Yell-Off cheers and wooing, but wasn't big on Mock Rock. (I suck at choreography unless it's simple and repetitive).

4 years ago, I came home for the first time to a place called Whitworth. It's hard for me to summarize the way the past 4 years have changed me, but as they say in Wicked, "I have been changed for good." I miss feeling at home. Yes, I'm back in my hometown, but Whitworth was the first place I really felt accepted and loved for who I was. I wasn't just the dork that Stephanie Rosenfeld made fun of in 6th grade (ok, it was really scarring, alright?). I got to be who I wanted to be and people actually liked me.

It's not November yet, but consider this my thanksgiving post.

Indy has such a tough life...

I initially wanted this blog to be very picture-based, but unfortunately, I get self-conscious of having a camera around all the time. I'm not very bold in making photo-ops happen. Luckily, I'm not that shy about taking pictures of my dog (I don't know if you've noticed the plethora of photos of him on Facebook, that's just the tip of the iceberg folks).

Anyways, here are our adventures from today.

Indy was very excited to leave the apartment because of swarm of landscapers all over my apartment complex. They woke me up at 7. Not pleased.

Then we went to Town Lake and the Zilker Off-Leash area. It's my new favorite dog park because Indy runs around like a beserker (thanks Age of Empires) AND doesn't need a bath afterwards. Indy made friends with a couple of sadly shaven Pomeranians and ran around

After he got tuckered out, I added insult to injury and made him pose in front of the skyline.

He posed epically atop this cliff. And then jumped off it to chase a bird. It scared the living daylight out of me. I thought for sure he had broken a leg, but he was up and chasing the bird before I had even finished saying the curse word out loud.

This is the cliff he jumped off of. Freaking ridiculous. How did my scared little baby puppy turn in to...well... Indiana Jones?

Here he is in front of the cliff in question. That is a big jump for a little dog!

This picture proves I'm still alive and that these pictures/blog posts haven't been made by a robot. I actually really like this picture.

We drove home and Indy promptly drank a LOT of water and then passed out in his favorite spot in my apartment. On the tile in front of his own personal fan. He loves the cool air and will sit in front of it forever. I eventually have to turn it off because my apartment gets freezing!

a random collection of happenings

I'm currently trying Indy on this pre-made raw food for dogs to attempt to, ahem, firm up some bowel movements. It kind of looks like soup and actually smells pretty delicious. Plus all the ingredients are actual ingredients and not sick nasty chemicals. He is doing awesome on it! Right now it's just a couple of spoonfuls with his kibble but he is digging in with gusto and seems to (finally) be putting on some weight. He's actually currently licking his empty bowl.

He lost a pound as a result of diarrhea-gate 2010, which is a lot of weight for his size. The breeder thought he would hit 25 lbs, but at 7 months he is only 13 lbs. I'm guessing he will hit about 20 but won't actually grow that much bigger. He's a bit of a skinny-minny still.

On other Indy-related news, I'm planning on signing him up for a "pre-agility" class at this new facility within walking distance of my apartment. It's called the Zoom Room and is pretty competitively priced as well as insanely convenient. The pre-agility class is only $35 and would give me a taste of: A.) What Indy needs to know before legit agility classes, B.) If agility is actually something I want to try with him and C.) Whether he can handle a group class. I'm pretty excited about the potential of competing. I feel like it might be something really fun for me to do with him that would really challenge him mentally and physically AND make him a better trained dog.

LSAT class is going pretty well. It's kind of hard to sit in one spot for 4 hours and I hate driving downtown in the rush hour traffic, but the instructor is pretty great and I think I really have a chance to do very well on this retest. My diagnostic was a 167 after not looking at anything LSAT related for 8 months. A 167 surpasses where I was hoping to hit and makes me feel pretty good about getting in to some great schools with scholarships. Hopefully I can continue to improve.

My job stinks. I really really hate it. My boss is a nice guy, but not really the best boss. And by not really the best boss, I mean he sucks. I'm discovering I'm a pretty good salesperson and when I actually have things to do it's not that bad. The bad part is just standing...for hours...doing nothing. I get that maybe I should be grateful that I don't have much to do, but the time feels like it's stuck in molasses. I can't wait to get a better job after the LSAT. Currently I'm hoping for either something working with dogs (yeah, yeah I know) or something more related to my sociology degree. There was an advertisement in the paper for an adoption/foster placement position that sounded incredible and I'm actually qualified. We'll see.