Sanity Hearing

World's Sexiest Man?

Just kidding...

Just getting your attention to let you know that I have updated the "about" section of the 'ol S.H.   It still said that Matt had a cat, which is not true, due primarily to the work of Giovanna reporting us to the land lord several months ago.  Apparently she wanted a cat, but was denied the opportunity.  This however, did not deter Giovanna from purchasing a marmot (?) or some other variety of ungainly squash sized rodent to live in her apartment.  I know this because one afternoon her (much better looking than her) roommate knocked on my door to tell me that her roommate's marmot (or whatever it was) was loose and that if I saw it could I please tell her.  I replied I would and then promptly left for the weekend.

Later Matt and I were returning to our apartment a week or so later from getting a drink on a saturday night when we saw a small Sam Adams box with various animal toys by the door.  It was about 15 degrees outside and snowing at the time.  "I think the rat is dead."  Matt remarked. 

Belt Update: Brush With Fame

Although I may have already told many of you about this or you read it on your own, I want to post an update of from the "Belt" post.  This comment was posted on tuesday:

For the record, J.P's skiier motif is still in the running for winner, but it has some tough competition with the 'morning after' belt and 'beer goggles'.

And I am adding 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' to our CK Bradley office Library.  Good inspiration over here....
CKB

And yes, I recieved an email verifying it wasn't my mom trying to make me feel better about myself or Fonz playing an elaborate practical joke on me.  Anyways- I am super excited just to have heard back from the people at CK Bradley.  I actually really like their belts and also I must admit I feel slightly famous (I promise I'll still talk to all you little people when I'm at the top).

Anyways, whether I win or not, I want to take the chance to make my first endorsement.  I really like CK Bradley  betls, and if you are interested in getting any of their stuff- go right ahead.  I can not offer you a discount, you cheap bastards, but If I win some free belts maybe I will give you one and in the meantime- check out their site.

Vacation In Review

I considered writing a "Year in Review" post, but that seems too broad.  Thus I am writing a more concise "Vacation in Review" post that will focus primarily on my vacation.

As exams finally came to a close I immediately left Providence and headed home to Connecticut.  My initial night home involved a night out with the illustrious Derek as well as bumping into his brother and collection of ladies and other Hartford ex patriates returning home for the holiday. 

In a break from family tradition we spent the actual holiday in Connecticut as the result of some extended family health problem type things (which we need not rehash here).  Things went well and we then headed up to Vermont where I spent most of the rest of the time off save for a night or two in Boston near the end. 

I read a phenomenal book, Sophie's Choice, which I started essentially by accident- I was too cheap to buy a book so I took one of the ones my brother read in high school that I had not.  It was a great book, which I cannot do justice to at the moment, but I recommend it to anyone.

Nothing exciting really happened for New Year's Eve because among other things I could not find a place to stay in Boston, but also I feel N.Y.E. is just amateur night and I was not all that motivated to leave the tranquility of Vermont just to stand in a bar with drunken idiots or sleep in my car, etc.

17 days off is actually the longest vacation I have had in probably a year, although it feels odd to think that.  My most important realizations over vacation were essentially the re- realization of some thoughts about life I have had before, but had lost sight at some high water mark of the last semester/year.  Most importantly, as arrogant as it may sound, that I will be fine regardless of my performance in school or abstract "career."  This sense of security does not really derive from any independant source of wealth, connections, or an oil well I found in our backyard, but rather a realization that I am a simple person who does not require a tremendous amount to attain happiness- which after all seems the only reasonable goal to shoot for in this life time.  I am not sure of an exact list of requirements, but a roof over my head, friends, family, health, and the activities I love like skiing, going to the beach, etc. 

As I headed back to school today someone was asking me whether I was anxious to get back and I replied that truthfully I was not anxious nor was I dreading it.  The truth of the matter is that I would likely be quite bored if I was facing some sort of challenge in my life.  At the same time, what I think seperates me and the students like me, from those students consumed by law school- is that I have no desire for it to consume me.  Certainly it is a significant part of my life, but I honestly as equally interested in history, art, food, relationships, culture,...the list goes on. 

So- for the time being, back to school.  I plan to write more about specific moments of the vacation soon so stay tuned.

A Zen Moment

I woke up today and the apartment was cloaked in the familiar grayness that accompanies a snow storm.  There is something about the color of snowy days combined with the eerie quiet that does not accompany rainstorms that is very unique.  Snow storms are intriguing to me in that they are such a massive and powerful force of nature that often act with almost complete silence. 

After making myself breakfast (bagel of course) I realized that we had run out of milk so coffee would be out of the question for the time being.  Eventually as I starred blankly at my computer screen and made a very half-hearted attempt at outlining for Evidence...I finally decided I needed to venture out of the house.

I air was bracing as I walked through the backyard to my car, which was covered in snow and ice and I had to force the key into the passenger side door and break ice the around the keyhole as I turned the lock in order to get into the car.  Cleaning off the car was a poor effort as I had somehow managed to lose every pair of gloves I placed in the car during the fall in anticipation of a day like this. 

I started up the poorly scraped off car and headed towards Thayer St., but parking was scarce and I headed for Wayland Square.  I found a spot and headed into the Starbucks.  I ordered a coffee and for the next 3 hours I quietly outlined, taking notes on a pad from my Examples and Explanations while christmas carols that were pleasantly festive, but not sappy played in the background.  People came in out of the Starbux bundled up, many of them students do much the same as me.  I looked out the window at the snow covered street and the people trying to get to warm cars or offices. 

Obviously I am not looking forward to more exams.  But I have to admit that it is not that bad to keep studying.  I am tired and spaced out, and a little bored of law school...but then who isn't and quitting or giving up is not a reasonable option.  It seems sometimes in the moments when things are not quite as you would like them to be, but not as awful as you think, you can find pleasure in the simple pleasures of living life- a warm table by the window during a snowy afternoon, good hot coffee, pleasant music, and something to keep you busy.

Crazy Dreams

Everyone has crazy dreams, or so I am told.  However, I rarely remember my dreams after I head to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth and begin thinking about the drive to school or begin concocting an elaborate blackmail scheme against one of my professors.

Recently though, I have been having some really insane dreams, and for once I have a very vivid recollection of them.

The Parasites:

For some reason I think maybe this had something to do with the fact I had recently seen the movie Bladerunner after my Crim Law professor talked about it in class.  The first part of the dream I remember I walk into the lobby of this seemingly very important building.  For some reason I know it is a corporate lobby.  There is a very elaborate electronic sign on the wall that is maroon colored and keeps changing its display.  The lobby is gray granite and there is a bank of six or so elevators.  Next, very suddenly (I don't recall how this change happened) there are a lot of people in the lobby, and we are all talking to Alan Shawn Feinstein (don't ask me how I knew it was him-- but I knew it) who is this well known Rhode Island philanthrapist, who was somehow connected to this corporation.  All the people are vying for Feinstein's attention, including me.  At some point Feinstein falls on the floor by accident and I see this light green diamond shaped thing fall out from his skin and start wriggling around on the ground.  I crush the thing with my foot but I see that more of them are crawling on Feinstein's back and under his skin.  I try to warn him that I can see the parasites crawling around beneath his skin, but Feinstein ignores me and heads off, blissfully ignorant to the elevators.  Then I notice that there are parasites under the skin of my own hand.  I tear violently at them, trying to tear off my own skin, but as I chase them back to my elbow I see literally a pack of them crawling under my skin, up towards my head.  I freak out thinking I am going to die.  I wake up to banging my elbow against the wall next to my bed.

The library

In this dream I am at the library really late, although it looks like no library I have ever been in.  There are all these people from class, although the only one I remember is this indian chick who I think is hot who sits in front of me in Con Law.  There is this kid there who I get to talking with and it turns out that actually, his last name is the same as mine, and believe it or not, he is also from the same town as me!  Unbelievable, but I chalk it up as having gone to private school.  It turns out his family runs a terrantula farm where they raise giant spiders.  Apparently there is a big market for them because they keep away pests on farms where they grow fruit.  Amazing.  I vow I will give him a call next time I am home, when the library closes.  As I am heading home (in broad daylight for some reason) I pass a house on main street in my home town where my ex-girlfriend's family is having some sort of birthday party.  They invite me in, but I tell them that I am sorry, but I am too busy.  Then they are like, "But we have a pony!!!" I insist that I am too busy and keep walking.  Strangely enough at this point I spot my car and get in and begin driving home, speeding of course.  As I am speeding behind me a UPS truck pulls up behind me and turns out to be an undercover police car (somehow) and begins chasing me, at which point a high speed chase unsues, but I finally elude the truck as I pull into my drive way and watch as the truck speeds by and keeps going.

Final Dream

In this dream I am back in the factory that I worked in over the summers in college.  The owner of the factory, this little guy (who no offense) is this nerdy gray haired guy who looks like an absent minded professor is out on the floor of the factory and he is walking around wearing one of those weird train engineer hats and overalls.  He has one of those old fashioned oil cans and is walking around oiling various machines as he talks to me and he seems ridiculously short for some reason.  Finally, he announces that as a special reward for the employees today they are giving away free oysters.  In some sort of random lottery I am chosen to open the first oyster.  I open the shell, but accidentally drop the oyster on the ground and someone else picks it up before I have a chance to get it.  Before I know it, all the oysters are gone and there are none left for me (ala Stapler guy from Office Space with the b'day cake scene).  I am really pissed about this, but wake up as the alarm goes off.