Chili's

"Of all God's creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat." - Mark Twain

Today is Abram's birthday. He turns 23. He is spending it in Ft. Worth. I gave him a call in the morning to wish him a happy birthday. It usually falls on memorial day weekend, but this time it didn't. I hope he had a good day.

I didn't get to talk to Abram long about it, but he told me they were offering him a manager position at Chili's. I have to hand it to the kid, he has really worked his way up there in the over 5 years he has been there. He started off as a bus boy, then after hard work moved up to "togos", then finally got to become a waiter, then he moved on to bartender and now hopefully manager. That is work ethic for you. I don't think I could do that. I think about the jobs people in my family have had, and it seems we pick a job and stay there forever. I remember once my younger sister saying she couldn't leave her job out of loyalty, and that is cause she knew her boss had no loyalty to her. But that topic of how she should give up her hard earned money and position to go to school is for another day.

On Tuesday I went over to my cousin Rino's house to hang out. We watched a movie, caught up and had dinner. He has a nice one bedroom apartment. He also has two dogs. I have always wanted a dog, but I don't think I could ever get used to how dogs smell. Cat smell I'm completely used to and don't really mind, but then again they are very clean animals. Hopefully we will get to hang out more. He is currently working four jobs. I don't think I could ever be that productive. I want one job I am happy with and I feel I have waited long enough for it.


I have been trying to make a doctor's appointment. It is impossible to get someone to see me before July. It is important I see a doctor soon so that I can get some medicine I need. I finally got an appointment and they said they stop taking my insurance so it will be $400 out of pocket for me. My insurance should repay me 80% later, but I will take what I can get.


I'll never understand the bar exam and barbri I was told. Never understand how hard this is. When people would tell me that condescension it would really irk me. Of course I can't understand it exactly not having gone through it. And now that I am here, yeah it sucks, yeah it is hard, but I really didn't expect anything else. All I know is that it is going to get much worse. The hardest part for me is two fold, one putting in the hours needed and two trying to combat the part of me that is completely freaked out and just wants to curl up and do nothing. So much material, so many new topics. I'm also trying to use this time to really get my life in order. If I'm going to study like a madman why not try to eat better, run more, and do better at things I need to be doing better at. I have to be careful I don't let it hurt my study plan. I really really want to just have to go through this once. I wish I had a study partner or some to really talk to about this.

I was watching CNN today. TB is in the news again. I guess it is one of those things you really don't want to catch. The guy knew he had it before flying to Europe, but it was his wedding. You can't fault a person for taking a calculated risk when trying to attend one of the most important events of his life. I guess he didn't know he had the bad TB and in that case it only makes sense that he probably does regret going.

Rick came into town for a CLE conference. We met up at the Hula Hut for dinner. I arrived at the same time as Hector and started to talk to him on the walk over. Rick, some co-workers, Hector and Claudia were there. We had to wait for hours to get a table and mainly spent it shooting the shit. I also took the time to get to know Hector. He and Claudia are both in my barbri class and went to law school at UT. They are both really cool people and were really nice to me. After dinner, Rick, his friend Rollie and I went to a bar where we met up with this girl we knew from high school. She was on a debate team we went up against back in high school. Needless to say it had been years since I had seen her. I think she went to girls state with a girl I had dated back in high school. She was a cool enough girl. We had some beers and talked but it got late fast. I finally felt like I was more at home at Austin on this night than I had on any other night. I ended up getting home really late and had class in the morning.

So as I have mentioned many times, I think Pooch Cafe is a great comic strip. I haven't enjoyed a strip like this since Far Side. I hear Calvin and Hobbes is good. I went online to see if there was a new Pooch book out, but there wasn't. I noticed the last one came out over 2 years ago, so at the rate they had come out, there should of been a 3rd out in April. I devoured the first two. So I decided to email the author/artist and ask him when his next book was coming out. I tried to keep my email extremely short because I don't like to bother people who are probably bothered a lot. I let him know I was a fan and was looking forward to the next comic strip book. Well the guy is so awesome he emailed me back the very next day. Here is an excerpt of his email. "As for books, I believe we’re going to be putting together a few more books from a publish to order company sometime soon. I’m planning on starting a Pooch Café blog, also sometime soon..." How great is that? I'm a huge fan of blogs too.

mistakes

Memorial

"The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." - Allan K. Chalmers

Thursday I had a double helping of Barbri. Class from 9-4 was hard. I don't feel I was doing as well listening for that second 3 hours. Once class was done I rushed home to pack. The traffic was terrible since everyone was leaving for memorial day weekend.


I turned in my rental car and was at the airport with time to spare. I was not happy I had to fly to Houston to get to Harlingen. My flight ended up getting delayed in both Austin and Houston and I arrived at around midnight. Ana and Rick picked me up and I went to go and visit my grandmother. I always make it a point to see her whenever I am down.


I met my father on Saturday for a late lunch and picked up my truck from him. I then visited with Eliza and later Ana. At night I went to Cynthia's college graduation party. I had a good time and it was nice getting to see her before she leaves for Arkansas.


At one point I went over to a girl's house I had dated to talk about some things that needed to be said. It was like talking to a different person. Some people will never fail to let you down, but it is important that we got to say goodbye. I really need to work on my expectations. Distractions are not good for me right now, and what I thought would be simple turned out to be more complicated. There is a reason the past should be left in the past.

Today would be my sister Veronica's birthday. I don't keep track on how old she would be, but she will always be 29 to me. I'm getting close to that age and I still feel like I don't get it yet. When I think about Vero, it makes me think I need to value the time I spend with my family more. I wonder what she would be doing now, where our collective lives would be. I was hoping to see my nieces while I was home since it was their weekend to visit. Unfortunately their father can be an ass and chose not to let them come and visit because he was having a pissy fit. You want to get pissed and make an issue of it, but escalating things only makes things worse. So instead of going to the police to enforce the court order, we chose to let him cool off and forgive him and hope it doesn't happen again. I do feel it was the right thing even though I wasn't able to see Bekkah and Jamie this trip. Sometimes people don't have control over what is going on in their lives and they try to exert control where they feel they have control and I think that is what he is doing. The girls deserve so much better, but you can't pick who your father is. I don't doubt he loves them, but I do know he would put his own interests above theirs.

My mom noticed that I had this yellow clinque cream I used for dry skin due to the dry air during the winter. She gave me a huge bottle of it. It is funny how a small sample I was given ended up leading to having a huge bottle. Too bad I don't really use it too much now because there is no heater that sucks that water out of the air.

I am working on fighting the feeling of not feeling at home. It is hard to explain, but I don't feel like there is a place where I feel at home. DC felt temporary, Austin feels more temporary, Edinburg doesn't feel right either. I need to pick a place and settle in. I hope to have a home base one day and then go live in other places for a few months, but that is years and years away. I don't mind being mobile, but I'd really like a place to call my own.

On Sunday I wanted to get back to Austin as soon as I could. I had lunch with my sisters and mother and then packed up my truck and drove back. It was raining and there were times my truck did fishtail a bit, but I arrived safely. It feels good to have my truck back. Seeing Koki and Mia made me feel better and I continued my habit of going to bed early and waking up early.

even fateful moments sometimes just mean nothing

The Schedule

"Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in." - Amy Lowell

I'm attending my barbri classes. I try to sit near the front to pay attention better. It has been a long time since I have gone to class without a laptop, and man it really helps not to have the distraction. One of my problems is that my handwriting is terrible and my hand hurts after writing for more than 30 seconds. So handwriting in the blanks is good pratice for my hands. I have to admit though, it is just the first week, but I am rocking listening right now. An interesting thing is that the parking lot is so big, I choose park in the spot closest to the street so that I can be towards the exit when the cluster fuck of 200 people trying to leave happens after class. It does mean a long walk to the building. This morning the security guard offered and gave me a ride on his golf cart. I was a bit embarassed since it made me look really lazy, but it was nice of him.



My cats are adjusting well. I think they enjoy the stairs and it is good exercise for them. They still don't trust I won't be moving them again, but they are right since in 2 months they are going on another trip.



I'm working on my schedule and trying to figure out how many hours a day I'm going to put in. Right now I'm looking at 8. I think that should hold me, I just hope I have it in me to work for 8 hours consistently. There are moments when I get scared and just shut down. I need to push past those moments.


What am I? I don't know what to say to people. I'm a law school graduate, but not yet a lawyer. Instead of worrying about sillyiness like that maybe I should focus my mind on becoming a lawyer.


My cousin Rino lives in Austin. I hope to hang out with him soon. I haven't seen him in a while. Hopefully being back in Texas will give me more of a chance to sell my extended family more often.



Friday I fly down to the Valley to pick up my truck. I am really looking forward to the trip. It will be nice to see my family and Cynthia is having a graduation party.



I'm a big fan of the season finale of Lost. I was totally thrown when it wasn't a flashback. I can't wait until next season. January 2008 is too far away. I'm glad all my shows are done this summer.


I got a letter saying my bar app is not complete and they need my St. Thomas application. They told me they faxed it in March, so I called to have them do it again. I hope to confirm it next week. I really want to be able to take this test. I have faith it will all be ok.



I hope people miss me. It feels good to be missed. I'm not a fan of missing people. Seems like you take things for granted when people are close to you. That is something I don't want to do.

maybe it is just me

Barbri

"Ahhh. A man with a sharp wit. Someone ought to take it away from him before he cuts himself." - Peter da Silva

On Monday morning I called my father and brother to check in on their progress. I then drove over to the crockett center to register and pick up my barbri books. I was not in the system, but I told them to try fliping my name and they found me. The 8 books were heavy. That wasn't too hard for a first day.

I then wanted some food. It was time for Whataburger. I couldn't find one, so I ended up driving about 8 miles out of the way and then found a place. It was a good meal, though I didn't like that I had to eat alone.

Then I dropped by Wal-mart. Oh how I have missed that supercenter that drives small businesses into the ground and doesn't give benefits. They pass a small part of that savings on to me I hear. I made a lot of comfort purchases. Toothpaste, detergent, water and such. I spent way too much money.

I came home, and started to set up and unpack. I put my clothes away and made myself at home. I still need a lot of things, but the room is coming together. I'm trying to set up a nice study area as well. I watched a missed sopranos episode on Oscar's housemate's Danny's TV. HDTV is so nice.

For dinner I had jack in the box. I need to figure something out for dinner cause I can't be eating out everyday. I was really worried about class and I think the stress really showed on how I treated people. I need to not worry and just work. I have this fortune cookie in my wallet that was given to me as a motivational tool years ago. I hope I follow its directions. Maybe it will give me the luck I need for this summer.

I feel like I am in an alternate universe. The world is so different and I don't know my place in it. I need to get deeper into that job search. I have no clue what the texture of the next year is going to be. That is scary for a person that likes to plan and likes to have control. That is actually a problem I'm working on, control. I want to control things in the sense I think there is a way thing should be and when they are not it bothers me. I think things should be fair, I think when you do good things, people should recipricate. But that isn't how life works, sometimes you do your best, but you can't control how things will turn out or other people's actions. No matter how justified I feel, I need to just understand that it is unfair and what you put in isn't always what you get out...speaking of, I don't think I notice when what I get is so much more than what I put in, I'm not complaining then.

Tuesday was my first day of Barbri. I woke up early and timed my trip through Austin's traffic. Since I start in Buda and go to north Austin, I get all of the traffic, all of it. Since class is at 9am, that makes things worse too. I get to class 20 mins early, pick out a good seat and am nervous for how the lecture is going to go. Then I get a call from my Dad. The trailer he was driving with my stuff broke down north of Waco. I leave the class before it starts and spend the next hour and a half on the phone with Uhaul trying to get him help. His phone was running out of battery, so that made things even worse and increased my stress like no other. Finally I get a guy to agree to come help him out and my dad calls and tells me he fixed the flat on his own and didn't need a new wheel and was going to keep on going. So I cancel with the guy and go and listen to the end of class. I would tell you how I feel about barbri, but right now my mind is still on the uhaul.

So my dad's phone is off so I can't call him and check his status. I have no clue where he is. I go to walmart and get him a charger and then home to wait for him. I felt like a parent waiting for their child to get home. As each hour passes the scenerio in my mind gets worse and worse. I'm worried about him and also cats. Oh by the way, Abram tells me that in the morning the cats were animals and crazy about not wanting to go. They hissed, stratch, hid and ran. Mia got into Abram's box frame and he had to shake her out. At one point they were trying to get Koki into the cage with a stick. I felt so terrible for my father and brother (both were scratched) and also for my cats who are not enjoying this tramatic move.

My dad never arrives it seems as the hours pass. He finally arrives with a story about fixing a flat tire then having to get a whole new tire he bought for 20 bucks. How he was able to do all this with two cats in tow I'll never know. We unpacked and I moved a bunch of my stuff into my new summer home. The rest of the night was just unpacking and talking. My dad plans to leave early in the morning.

Don't be afraid of opposition; remember a kite rises against the wind

Austin

“A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.”- Robert Frost

I slept on Saturday night in the living room on Mark’s couch. I felt like a friend staying over at Mark’s place for the night, unlike before where I always felt like it was my place. Mark was one of the greatest roommates I could of ever had. Despite how much I respect him as a person, he is a person you can talk to about a multitude of topics and in the end learn something new everytime. That and we both had a poker addiction, so it was cool having someone to share my new blind stealing lesson I had or the best way to approach a rebuy tournament. I’m going to miss living with him. I also didn't mind that when he would spend weekends with his girlfriend Dawn I got the whole apartment to myself. I do regret not being the best role model for him as far as law students go and my procrastination probably fed his as well. There were times we would miss throwing out the trash for weeks. It was a great place to live and I’m going to miss it.

Abram and my father drove and made it to Tennessee before stopping for the night. So far my cats seem to be doing well I hear. I don’t think I could do it hearing them meow in sadness, which is part of the reason I didn’t fly with them as well. I still can’t believe they got everything to fit. I worry for them a bit, but hopefully they are having a good time.

After waking up, I showered, shook out the soreness in my legs and back and finished packing my leftover clothes I was taking on the flight. I did leave behind a lot of my medications, but a lot of them were expired. Mark and I walked up to Subway to have lunch. I had driven up that hill many times, this was the first time I ever walked it. I like driving better. After lunch we said our goodbyes.

The taxi picked me up and 45 dollars later we were at Dulles airport. The trip was quiet and as the wind blew hard in the open windows I reflected on all that I was leaving and what is in store for me. It still has not set in. I was so happy to hear that I could check 3 bags instead of the 2 I thought, so I was able to check one that I was going to carry on. I was able to make it to my flight on time. I flew southwest, so since I had checked in online early, I had an A boarding pass. I was there early and there were people in line for A. I used to be those people. Instead now, I just sit down and wait until A boards and board last or close to last because the last A, better than just the 1st B can always get the type of seat I want (in this case window). I don’t care much about the front or back of plane, but I still seem to find a place in the front. The flight was short. I had a layover in Chicago. There was a time change as I moved to Central time and I looked at my watch. Usually I don’t bother to change my watch because I know my stay will be short and I’ll be changing it back soon. This time, it hit me, I’m a Texan now, this is my time.

I boarded my flight for Austin. It didn't feel too long, especially considering that at the same time my father and brother are driving all that way. When we landed, I picked up my bags, got my rental car, paid extra for the gps and made my way to Oscar's house. When I got there it was late, Oscar showed me my room and the lay of the land. I look forward to staying here. I unpacked a bit and went to bed.

I'm a Texan

Graduation

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." -Leo Tolstoy

I picked Abram up from the airport on Wednesday. We drove to Manassas to visit my aunt Sarah. We had lunch at her house and some wonderful conversation. Her and Abram were able to catch up. We later had dinner with Bob, Angie and Mark at Carpool. I wanted my friends to get to know my brother and roommate. I also wanted to say goodbye. Interestingly, Mark will be working for/with Bob this summer. We then went to a Carribean bar and finally back to my place.

On Thursday, my parents arrived. First Abram and I went to Uhaul to pick up my trailer that Abram and my Dad are going to pull to Texas for me. I picked them up at DCA and we went to eat at IHOP. My aunt Sarah came over to my house and picked up my mom so that she could stay with her in Manassas. Thursday was the season finale of Greys. So my brother and father were in my room and I said, "I have to watch that "anatomy show" tonight. Abram quickly picked up and started to make fun of me and told me I was too embarassed to tell my father that I watch a "novela." It was the season finale I argued, but no one cared...they did watch it with me though.

On Friday, we decided to go sightseeing in DC. I dropped by my school and gave my brother and father a tour of where I went to law school. I filled out some paper work for a research postion for the summer. We then took the metro into DC. I didn't want to walk the monuments, so Abram and my Dad went and I went to the Natural History museum. It was like a zoo with stuffed animals. I sent pictures of the dinosaurs to Erika so that I could share my touristy sightseeing. We met up after and hit the Air and Space museum. Then we went to see Spiderman 3, which wasn't too great...too much for the kids and really corney. Maybe I expect too much now. We ordered pizza at night and kicked back.

Saturday was a long, but rewarding day...the day of my graduation. I dressed up in my gown, very different from my undergrad gown. My dad, Abram and Mark drove to George Mason main campus and it was my first time on the main campus. They dropped me off and my mother and aunt and uncle met up with them there. I was nervous and excited. I called my grandmother, sisters and dear friends before the graduation so that I could feel like they were with me. One thing I thought a lot about was my sister Veronica. I wish she could have been there with me for my graduation. I know she would have been so proud of me. I remember how proud and happy she was for me at my college graduation. I wanted to make sure I kept her in my thoughts. I was 2nd in line and was a bit nervous. The graduation went well I think. It feels great to be a law school graduate. I kept trying to enjoy the moment and not think about the bar exam.

After we went to eat at Red Lobster. If you know me, you know I really enjoy Red Lobster. It made me feel more at home. We then parted ways with my aunt, uncle and mother and came home. We started to pack what is all my possessions that I have accumlated. It was an all day affair. My dad, Abram and Mark worked so hard putting all my junk into the truck and uhaul trailer. We finished at midnight and since there was no bed, Abram and my Dad took Koki and Mia (my cats) and took off for their long road trip to Texas. I will be flying to Austin to stay with my friend Oscar for the summer. It means so much to me that they were there to help me.

It feels weird to say it, but I miss Koki and Mia, along with Abram and my Dad. I sat at home, wrote here for a bit and had a beer to celebrate. I just keep thinking about them and their trip.

So I'm off to Austin for Barbri. I should be using a rental car for the first week and then going down to the valley to get my truck.

goodbye dc

Feeling Good

"If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong." -Charles Kettering

On Sunday I was out driving and I saw this young couple. They were walking up to a small house that had a for sale sign. It was clear that they were house shopping and were probably newly weds. It was a bright sunny day and they looked very happy. The house was very small, which made me think they were more excited about having a house than the house of their dreams. Too bad that small home probably cost $500,000 plus. How do people afford homes here? I hope to get a house in the next few years, a nice starter house, I figure I'll upgrade if I am getting married or move up in my career. It would be nice to own my own place I think.

I created a large to do list to make sure I took care of things before I left. So far things are coming along. I wasn't sure if I should forward my mail to my house in Edinburg or place I'm staying in Austin. Of all the things I need to do, saying goodbye isn't on this list. I'm not much for saying goodbye since I hope to see people again in the future. I hope it doesn't make me seem rude. I did do my best though.

I am learning a lot of things about myself. The more you study psychology the more you learn about things you do that you may do or think that are not in your best interests. They seem like small things, but they add up.

On a different note, one of the hard things to accept that isn't really mentally related is how addicted to caffinee and sugar I am. I wonder if I could ever give either up. In theory there is no need to give it up completely, just decrease how much I have of it. No caffinee just seems unrealistic. Maybe I need to find a drink that I really enjoy that isn't caffinated. I drink water all day, but you don't want to have water when you are having dinner.

On Monday I had a late lunch with Mark's friends and then we drank all night in Clarendon. Among them was the guy who is moving into my room. We had a good time, played pool, darts and I even met a man who was a union president. I drank too much which made Tuesday a lot harder.

I keep saying How I met your mother is one of the greatest shows out there. So if you don't watch it, do it, catch up it is great. I just saw the season finale and it was well done. They might can the show, but the rumor is it is getting a season 3. There was a moment when Marshall was told his wife was throwing up in the trash can, I thought it was a great way to end things. (only makes sense if you see it.)

My family arrives tomorrow. Well Abram gets in and then Thursday my parents get in. We are going to have lunch with my aunt and then hopefully have dinner with some friends.

was robin really not the one?

Extravaganza

"We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations." - Anais Nin

Thursday night I drank alone. It was my mini graduation celebration I guess. I had half a bottle of Johnny Walker Black and hell if I didn't deserve it. It is never a good sign to drink alone, but I think this made for a good exception. I got drunk and watched my tv shows. It was not as uplifting and celebratory as one would think. The morning did not feel good.

Friday night I met up with Bob and Angie for Marty Extravagnaza. Mark finished finals today also, so he is now a 2L. We pretty much went out to Georgetown, drank and hung out. They are such great people. I am really going to miss them. When I think of people I consider good friends, they are on that short list. Bob and Angie both told me that they wished I would stay, and though I feel that way too...I just know I need to go somewhere to start over. Somewhere without memories that I can't shake, somewhere I can set down roots in. Maybe that is just how I deal with things, by running away/running towards things, but a fresh start always makes you feel like there are all kinds of opportunties.

You learn a lot of things from your parents. You learn about faith, that no matter what life brings, faith is the most important thing and everything will be ok. You learn that you should think, that thinking and doing what you feel is right is more important than getting what you want. Not everything you learn is right, but it is sometimes such a part of you, separating it from how you think isn't easy. I am lucky for the lessons I have learned as I try to sort the ones I should keep and the ones I should dispell.

You know what is fun to do, well relatively fun, going back and reading entries I wrote years ago. There are so many I usually just randomly come upon them, today one that had Notebook quotes, mind you before I knew how manly liking that movie made me. Some of my entries were funny and made me laugh. My first thought was, man I haven't matured much in the last few years. Maybe one day I should read all my entries starting from the beginning, that would be an undertaking. The only problem with looking back is by reading, somehow it brings me to that place emotionally as well, it is hard to explain.

I was reading a friend's blog today and I found out that a good friend of mine from college is getting married very soon. I'm so happy for Karyna, but sad that I lost touch with her and have no clue what is going on in her life. I wonder what path she took, and how things turned out. I've come to accept that I can't keep in touch with everyone, but it doesn't mean I can't work harder at keeping up to date generally. There is a lot I can say about Karyna, as a friend she taught me lessons that I probably still don't utilize today, but what I'll never forget is that the way a person seems on the outside isn't always how they are in the inside. You may not understand the person on the inside, but that is because everyone, though so similar, are still so very different.

a better way

The Break

"I thought when love for you died, I should die.It's dead. Alone, most strangely, I live on." -Rupert Brooke

I am now officially done with law school. I turned in my final paper today and now have nothing left to do school wise. It feels great, but also doesn't feel as great as I thought it would feel. Maybe it is like chasing the horizon. You just have this idea of being done and celebrating with your friends or someone you care about. Instead, I really don't have anyone to celebrate with, and though I know a lot of people are happy for me, maybe there isn't gold at the end of the rainbow. I'm glad, but not excited.

My harddrive on my computer failed. It was the second harddrive, so I just lost the files on it and not my operating system, but it still sucks. I figure once I get to Austin I'll try to save what I can and get a new one, but for now it sucks because I can't record TV. Backup your files my friends.

extravaganza

Out of My Hands Now

"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew." -Abraham Lincoln

My final final is done. It was a late exam, which I am not too fond of, but it is over now so none of that matters anymore. I have a 10 page paper left and then I am done with law school. Luckily, I wrote the paper a while back, so all I need to do is edit it so that it seems somewhat understandable and turn it in so that I can feel the finality of the situation. I plan to get it in on Tuesday, just because I have a trip to campus.

On Tuesday night I went to play poker with Mark and Andrew at Andrew's friend's place. I hadn't played in about two weeks due to finals. It was a good break. It was a $20 buyin and there were 7 players. I ended the night with $116. It was a good night of poker. The interesting thing was that winning made me feel good, but not great. It didn't solve all my problems like I thought it would. It was a good night though and I was proud of my play.

Wednesday was a day of studying, so I won't talk too much about that. Thursday was more studying and then the exam. After I felt loopy and talked to my mom on the phone for a long time.

Now I trying to de-stress and maybe just maybe enjoy myself before I start to worry about the changes to come. Or think about the 40 pounds of books that are waiting for me in Austin. I have a lot of things to take care of before I leave including a lot more packing.

faith