Adventures of SeattleLawGirl

2007-07-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Goodbye January

2006-01-25T22:36:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how quickly this month has gone! My last entry was consumed with the excitement I felt knowing I'd passed the bar exam. Since then, a lot has happened! Life without a job *can* still be exciting, you know!

December 31, my friend Jenny got married, and Woodroe & I attended her wedding. It was a simple but beautiful ceremony and a really fun reception! The food was great, the video Jenny's brother made was entertaining, and the music (before we left) was perfect. I am so happy for Jenny and wish her and Michael the happiest of marriages!

January was a busy month for Woodroe, and for me as well. We've not seen each other quite as often, but I am still enjoying getting to know him better and just having fun together. Part of that included attending a couple of wrestling matches, which I've never done before. I can't say that I find it as exciting as football, but those boys are tough - it *looks* painful and hard! Wood coached one of his wrestlers to a division championship, which made him very happy!

January 12, I was sworn in by King County Superior Court Judge Mary Yu. Present at the ceremony were my parents, my sister, brother-in-law, nephew, niece, Paul & Susan Ferguson, Marshall & Sarah Ferguson, Sally, Helen, and Judge Yu's bailiff (and my former classmate) Justin. Judge Yu made the ceremony, brief though it was, very meaningful by giving me the chance to express my gratitude to my family & friends for their part in bringing me to that moment in my life. Truly, there is no way I could have accomplished graduating from law school and passing the bar exam without the support of my circle of love, as I like to call it! We went out to the Spaghetti Factory afterwards to celebrate, and even 7 month-old Tara had some ice cream with us!

Throughout the month, I've been searching for a job and also taking advantage of my lack of work by getting together with friends at every opportunity. I had coffee with a dear friend from college, Maggie, and I can't wait to see her again - I was reminded very quickly why I love her so much! Over an hour flew by, and none of that time was spent trying to get over awkwardness at not having seen each other in a couple of years. Maggs - I can't wait to do that again!

Last weekend I hosted a Girls' Night on Friday and had an awesome bunch of ladies over. We had games available but spent the bulk of the evening just talking about life, love, and the SEAHAWKS!!! Who, in case you've had your head buried in the sand, are going to the Super Bowl in Detroit. As we all knew, the Hawks can't get no love on the East Coast, and so the Number 6 seed, the Steelers, are favored to win with a spread of 4 points. Look out Detroit, here we come to DEMAND some respect! Can you tell I'm excited? I've got a $22 bet on the Seahawks in Vegas, so I can't wait to collect those winnings...

I was reminded by an e-mail today of how thankful I am just to be alive with a roof over my head, food in my belly, and a car to drive (and complain about!). I am also blessed to have such an amazing "circle of love" - my friends and family are truly the best.

Until next time!

I PASSED!!!!!

2005-12-30T16:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, I finally got the good news I had been hoping and praying for! Just before leaving for Michigan for Christmas, I received notice that my appeal was successful and I have passed the Washington State Bar Exam on the first try! Yippee! I will be figuring out the process for getting sworn in and everything in the next week or so. So exciting!

The trip was a great success. My grandmother was totally floored by her surprise party, and despite some hearing damage from the LOUD Lebanese music, we all had a great time. Woodroe joined me in Detroit for the first four days of the trip. He had fun! I think my family and the situations (200 people at the party, 60 people at the house for Christmas!) might have been a bit overwhelming, but everyone liked him and so that is a blessing.

My grandfather ended up in the hospital for three days for an angioplasty & to get a pacemaker. Thankfully he is home and healthy after getting through that this past week.

Tomorrow my good friend Jenny is tying the knot, so I'll be ringing in the New Year at her wedding with Wood. Can't wait for that!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you all!

Once a week, did I say that?!?

2005-12-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

I meant once a MONTH! lol It's pure coincidence that I am posting one month to the day since my last update. However, this day is significant for me, as it's my three-month anniversary with Woodroe! It snuck up on me, so I didn't really plan anything special, but I think I might give him one of his Christmas presents early for an anniversary present...shhh, don't tell on me!

Things with Woodroe are going great - he's a wonderful guy and I am having so much fun getting to know him better. His daughter, Kristina, is also great. They both spent the entire weekend on Lopez with my family for Thanksgiving, and it was cool to have them there! We at entirely too much turkey (if you heard the rumors, they are true - 4 turkeys cooked in TWO days!) and other good food and also had good family time. It was a good weekend - by the time Sunday rolled around, I was ready to leave and get back to normal life, but wasn't ready to off anyone yet, so that's a great balance!

I *finally* completed a big part of the work I'm doing for my uncle, which involved choosing and having printed 300 invitations he is sending out for a surprise party for my grandmother. She turns 75 this December! Seriously...YOU try getting 5 Lebanese people to agree on ANYthing! But the invitations are absolutely beautiful and they went out last week, so now I'm on to the project of keeping track of the RSVPs.

The results of my bar appeal will be coming sometime before Christmas, I hope, so that is something that I'm trying not to think about too much. I will, of course, post those results as soon as I get them! Unless I'm already in Michigan, in which case I'll do it next year!

Oh, and I am flying back from Michigan early to attend the wedding of a great friend, Jenny Egan! I can't wait to meet her fiance/husband and I'm also happy that I get to spend New Years' Eve with my honey.

That's all, folks!

Election Day

2005-11-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

It's election day - be sure to VOTE everyone! As our recent gubernatorial election demonstrated, each vote DOES make a difference!

On to other things. I've been scolded by several friends to get back to posting on a regular basis, so I'm going to try for once a week from now on. Plenty of news to report since my last update!

This past weekend, I finally met the bulk of Woodroe's family. We left Seattle Friday evening to spend the weekend down in Dodi, where he grew up. Dodi is a small town southeast of Olympia, near Pe Ell. During the course of the weekend, I met Wood's dad (Bill), his mom (Cassie), his sister Nancy & her husband Jansen and two of their kids, his sister-in-law Shannon and her five kids (his brother Jared I've already met - he was out of town), his grandpa Kiser, and his grandma on his mom's side. Everyone was super friendly and reminded me a lot of my family - everyone around a lot, chaos, lots of kids, etc.

Part of the reason we went this weekend is that the elk season was open and Woodroe wanted to go hunting. So we got up at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday and headed out for a day of hunting! Since it was a modern rifle season, we all had to be wearing bright orange, so I donned Wood's hunting coat (bright orange) and a felt had to keep off the rain (also bright orange). My friend Kerri giggled for 10 minutes when I described my getup, which also included jeans, thermal underwear, a sweater, wool socks, and hiking boots.

Wood's dad has worked for Weyerheauser for about 40 years, so he knows the logging roads near Dodi like the back of his hand. We drove around in three separate trucks (Wood & I in one; Bill & grandpa in another; two friends of Bill's in the third) for about 10 or 11 hours. At times it was just raining, but there were moments of serious wind and also snow when we got up to the higher elevations. I didn't see any elk (dangit!) but towards the end of the day when Bill took us to see a lovely waterfall, we saw a doe and a buck - beautiful! The bonus to an already fun day was that the two of us spent 11 hours in a truck together and didn't want to kill each other by the end of the day!

That evening after cleaning up, we went over to grandma's place to visit with her and Cassie. About 7pm, the power went out due to a little windstorm. I don't know if the power's even back on now! Turns out by the next morning there were trees and limbs down everywhere, and both the power lines and phone lines were affected. It took me back to my childhood on Lopez, where we'd have outages pretty much every winter. Thank God for Coleman lanterns, woodstoves, and generators! We didn't return to Seattle until late Sunday evening, and the weekend was a success. And a relief, as I was pretty nervous!

I also have news on the job front - I am now working for my uncle from home, helping plan a couple of events that he is putting on in December and February. I'll be doing that at least through the holidays, which is when I will hear back about the status of my bar appeal. So prayers for that, and for finding a lawyer job when the time comes, would be greatly appreciated!

My niece Tara is now almost 5 months old - I can't believe it! She is the most active baby I've ever been around and I love being her aunt. My nephew Brendan got his first taste of middle school football when we went to a game that Woodroe was coaching a couple of weeks ago - I think Brendan might turn out for football when he has the opportunity! He knows a lot about the game and taught me a few things I didn't know.

I think that's all for now - I'll try to be more consistent about keeping this area updated! And I might even get the ambition to do Christmas cards this year, so if I don't have your current address, please e-mail it to me! Love to all of my friends & family...

Like a Yo-Yo

2005-10-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well, this last couple of weeks has been a bit like a roller-coaster ride, or a yo-yo! I found out two weeks ago that I had not passed the bar exam my first time around. My results didn't actually come in the mail as they were supposed to do, so all I knew was that my name was not on the WSBA pass list online. After an hour or so of feeling sorry for myself, I ended up moving past the disappointment and had a lovely weekend with Woodroe and his daughter. I eventually told my mom that, although I certainly was not glad that I'd failed, I really appreciated the love and support I received from all of my friends and family. It *almost* made it worth it!

Fast forward a week; I got my actual results, and found out that I had only missed passing by ONE POINT! Which created a combination of feelings within me, including frustration that I had missed that dang point and relief that I had not bombed the exam after all! I also found out that everyone within 2.5 points of passing was allowed to challenge their results by submitting an appeal - so I requested a review of my score on the full number of questions (6) allowable. I won't hear about the result of my appeal until the end of December, but at least that is done...

I am still job-hunting, though now I'm much more flexible about *what* I apply for. Internships are again a possibility, though I've had no joy in that area either. In the meantime, my family (immediate and extended) is helping me make ends meet. I also may be flying to Florida for a week or two in November to do some work for my uncle...what a hardship...not! :)

Things continue to go well with my boyfriend Woodroe and I am so thankful to have him in my life. My family is doing well, thank God. And Marshall & Sarah's wedding last weekend was a beautiful hit! So that's the news from my neck of the woods today...bye for now!

Frost & Sweaters

2005-10-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Fall has truly arrived! Though a part of me misses the warmth and sunshine of summer, I also love autumn - when you see frost on the ground in the mornings, see your breath hanging in the air at night, and when you get to drag out an entirely different wardrobe! So far this fall has been mostly beautiful, though it's gone by quickly.

My big news remains the same - my relationship with Woodroe (who I mentioned in my last post) continues to grow deeper and better every day. He's a wonderful man and I can't wait for my friends and family to meet him, and he them!

Aside from that, I also have an interview at Preston Gates tomorrow afternoon, so prayers for that would be greatly appreciated!

Finally, I may be headed to Michigan for a week to help my uncle out with a project and visit with family. I'll be back in time to get my bar results and attend Marshall & Sarah's wedding. Oh, yeah, the bar results come soon. Eek!

Fall News

2005-09-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it's officially fall - where in the world is the time going? I don't have much new to report since my last post. I'm still in the thick of the job search, and my bar results will come in about 3 weeks. Prayers, please!

The one news item I have to share is that I'm seeing someone, and he's wonderful! We met through eHarmony and have been in contact since May! (Needless to say he's a patient man...) We finally met in person a couple of weeks ago and it's been amazing getting to know him and realizing how much we have in common. He'll be joining me at Marshall & Sarah's wedding October 15th, so a lot of you will get the chance to meet him then...be NICE! lol

That's all for now - I'll be sure to post again as soon as anything in life changes.

Is it September Already???

2005-09-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

How'd that happen? The time seems to be whizzing by at warp speed...and now I am officially sounding old! lol

Well, since I last posted a lot has happened, but nothing too newsworthy. I spent the month of August hanging out with friends and family, which was awesome. I started my job hunt midway through the month, but so far I've not had any interviews - prayers for that would be great! I just got back this past week from a short trip to Arizona for my cousin's memorial service - so sad, but also the most touching service I've ever been to before, which was beautiful for her family.

Now I seem to be back in Seattle for the duration, so I'm using my time to do a lot of job hunting, as well as to catch up with friends that I haven't spent time with in far too long.

Also I want to mention that my heart and prayers go out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. I can't imagine what the devastation must be like. I hope all Americans (and people from around the world) will pitch in however they can, by donating time, money, used clothing, and by praying for the victims and those working in the relief effort.

August Update

2005-08-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been forever since I posted. First of all, since I know many of you are on tenterhooks, I completed the Washington State Bar Exam on Thursday, July 28th. I went out with friends that evening to the beer pub where my brother works and celebrated with a beer and pizza. It is a HUGE load off of my mind to be done with the test. Now, I just have to wait for the results, which come in October! Talk about suspense...but I've decided to put it out of my mind for the most part and just focus on other things.

August 6th, my parents hosted a HUGE party for me in celebration of my graduation and completion of the bar exam. Family and friends came to Lopez from Seattle, Gig Harbor, California, Florida, and Michigan to name a few locations. For the first time in the 19 years we've lived here, my mom's entire immediate family was all together on Lopez - definitely a Kodak moment! I received lovely gifts from everyone, but the biggest gift of all was just being surrounded by so many of my loved ones. The night before the party, about 30 of us were at the house for dinner and we had a champage toast (with the Dom Perignon & Veuve Cliquot my dad bought me for graduation!). Totally unplanned, everyone in the house said a few words for me which brought me to tears more than once. What a GREAT way to celebrate the end of one chapter of my life and the beginning of another!

Since that time, I've been back and forth between Lopez (most of the time) and Seattle. I've spent time with my grandparents and my aunt Venus. I've celebrated my brother's 25th birthday in Seattle with a dinner on Alki one night, and every person in the bar singing him happy birthday at the stroke of midnight on the eve of his birthday. I've held my niece, had great conversations with my mom, made plans to attend a friend's wedding in Cali (I love you Heather and wish I could be there after all!), and yes, I've even managed to fit in a job search now and then.

That's the next big thing for me. I'm looking for a job somewhere in Western Washington, though for a phenomenal opportunity I would go to D.C. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers, and let me know if you hear of any great jobs popping up! In the meantime, I'll be hoping to catch up with you all in person, by phone, or at least by e-mail. And for those who didn't hear me say it on Lopez - thank you! I could not have made it through law school with my sanity if not for the love, prayers, and support of all of my friends and family. You rock!

Pray for me...

2005-07-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I haven't written in forever, but I have a good excuse. I'm starting the bar exam on Tuesday of this week - please keep me in your thoughts and prayers!

Gas Tax Initiative will be on November's Ballot!

2005-07-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Great news today!!! Volunteers opposing the $.09 gas tax hike ($.03 of which was phased in last Friday on top of our already high $.28 gas tax) turned in nearly double the signatures required to get the issue before the voters as an initiative this November. This sends a clear message to Olympia that a tax emergency clause shouldn't be distorted to fit the spending whims of the tax-happy legislature. Also, this is historic in that this initiative drive was completed with 100% volunteer signature gatherers! Furthermore, these signatures were gathered in just one month. Perhaps the Governor should have kept her campaign promise to not raise taxes... this one's for you, Christine!

Crazy life...

2005-07-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hello again - yes, it's been over two weeks since I've updated my blog. Life has been crazy busy! You all know of course about my adorable new niece - she's so precious! Add to that a five-day trip to Lopez Island for the 4th of July celebration and the fact that the bar exam starts in less than three weeks...well, you can imagine I'm pretty swamped!

I have a job interview tonight in Tacoma and then I'm going to head home to Lopez to be a study hermit for the next three weeks. My friend Helen has graciously said that I can stay with her in Bellevue while taking the bar exam, so I won't have to pay for a hotel - yippee! And I promise that after the end of the exam, I'll have much more time to spend with my friends that I've neglected for so long!

Oh, and for those that are interested, my bar party on Lopez is on August 6th - try to come!

It's Official! I'm NOT bad luck!

2005-06-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got home from the M's game which was a total BLAST! It started out as a pitcher's duel between Moyer and Zito, and the M's were down 3-1 in the 8th inning. They tied it up in the 9th and eventually won it in the 12th! We did have a little help from the A's, who had an error in the 12th, but I think the Mariner's are getting their Mojo back!

Thank you so much, Tim and Carole, for the wonderful gift! Going to the game tonight, sitting in awesome seats, and eating GREAT game food (um, ice cream anyone???) was a fabulous graduation gift! I love having you two in my life and your prayers for me are priceless.

Off to bed so I can get to class semi-human in the morning...

Am I Now Bad Luck for the Mariner's???

2005-06-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is freaking me out. From the time when I first started going to M's games regularly - about 7 years ago? - they almost always win when I'm at the games. But this season, they have lost more than they've won when I attend! I don't really believe in luck or superstitious stuff, but it's enough to make a woman wonder! lol I'm going again tonight, so we'll see how this plays out...

Oh, and I just found out that I get to take my nephew to the Lyle Lovett concert on Sunday - cool! Busting out the rarely used cowboy hat...fun times.

Annoying evening...

2005-06-17T01:12:00.000-07:00

It is 1:15 a.m. I just spent the last 15 minutes standing outside in the rain while a fire alarm went off in my apartment building. I had just dropped off to sleep when it sounded. I knew it was probably a false alarm (dang that guy who left the noodles on too long!), but it is still annoying. And also interesting what you think of. Do I take my wallet? Cell phone? Photo albums? Jewelry? lol Yawn. Back to bed for me...

Welcome to the family, Tara Alana!

2005-06-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well - the update is here! At 10:50 this morning, Natalie gave birth to Tara Alana. She weighed in at 6 lbs 1.3 oz, and measures 20 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing very well - they even got the hang of nursing the first time around, even though Natalie's milk hasn't come in yet. Tara seems to be enjoying the colostrum and is already good at doing the sucking motions!

I just got home and I have my nephew Brendan for the night. I slept about 2 hours last night, so I'm going to fall into bed pretty quick here and sleep as much as I can! I'm skipping class for one more day (eek!) to help at Natalie's house before they come home from the hospital. Tara arrived 22 days early, so not much is set up but we'll have it in tip-top shape in no time. Thankfully my parents were still here, staying with Natalie & Nathan, so it's a HUGE blessing to have them around!

Okay, off to bed for me - thanks for the prayers and I'll keep you posted!

Prayers, please!

2005-06-13T02:32:00.000-07:00

Drumroll, please....my sister is in labor! She called a few minutes ago, around 2:20 a.m., and she and her husband are at Swedish waiting to welcome their new baby into the world. By the grace of God, my parents are in town and staying with them, so my dad is home with Brendan (my 9-year-old nephew) until the morning, while mom is at the hospital with Natalie & Nathan.

Please keep mom and baby in your prayers for a safe and healthy labor and delivery! We were joking earlier today that Natalie was going to work so hard, she'd bring on labor! We've spent every spare minute these last few weeks (well, *they* have, and I've helped a tiny bit when not studying) getting their house and yard whipped into shape. Dad was joking today that she was just like his mom, who had all 11 of her children at home and lived to be 96. God-willing, Natalie's labor will "take after" that of my Sitoo Wadad!

Okay, I'm rambling - must be the middle of the night! Again, please pray for Natalie, Nathan, and my new baby niece (or nephew, there's a 5% chance after all!). I'll keep you all posted as I can.

Thank you, friends!

Back to Class...

2005-06-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right - I'm back in school! Makes graduating seem a little anti-climactic, doesn't it??? lol Nah, I'm still excited about having graduated, but I *am* back to school five days a week now. I'm taking a prep course to study for the bar exam, and let me tell ya - I've learned more in the past four days than I did in an entire year of studying property as a first-year law student! It's going to be a lot of hard work but it'll be well worth it...
Aside from that, this past weekend was busy busy busy - Natalie & Nathan moved into their new house AND we had a baby shower for Natalie. I am SO excited for them I can hardly stand it. Even today when I popped in at their place for an hour, I was just thinking how surreal it is that they actually own their own home. I'm so happy for them...and, truth be told, I can't wait for my turn, either!
I'm heading to Brendan's little league playoff games tomorrow and then I'll pop in on my WW S&B friends at the Yak II at Michelle's! I was supposed to work and would have missed all of that, so I'm glad to have the day off. Then it's back to the books for the remainder of the weekend, unless I can talk someone into going to the Mariner's game with me on Sunday. Anyone??? lol
That's all she wrote, folks...

Lopez Island - paradise!

2005-05-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last several days on Lopez Island in the San Juans, where I grew up. I'm happy to say that I've rarely, if ever, taken it for granted that I grew up in one of the most beautiful spots on the planet! I had such a wonderful time and I can't wait to go back again. I hadn't been in a few months because of wrapping things up with school and working. I don't ever want to let that much time pass between visits again!
My dad just had surgery last week on his shoulder and so he's going stir-crazy with cabin fever at home. So I spent lots of time letting him boss me around so he was distracted! He's such a trooper and never complains about the pain. He *is* a little loopy from the meds, though, which is funny! Sorry, daddy...
Tayta (my grandmother) is on Lopez for a couple of weeks - she flew in for my graduation and is staying through Memorial Day, at least. We're trying to keep her a bit longer! She and I spent lots of time outside planting flowers, which I love to do! I can't wait to have a house and a yard where I can do that for myself...
I also put together our new patio furniture set AND shaved my dad's head! Yes, that's right - Bob is now truly and COMPLETELY bald!! It looks great, dad!
Today is my last day of work and I'm wrapping up a project this afternoon that I've been working on for a week. I like working here and plan to apply for a "real" job - will keep everyone posted on the outcome of that.
Tonight I get to hand out with Rebecca and Whitney - yippee! Can't wait to see you girls and catch up over some grub and a beer!

I'm gradumacated!

2005-05-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hi, friends,
I can hardly believe that I'm typing this and am no longer a law student! My graduation ceremony took place this past Saturday, and if all goes well, I should receive my grades and diploma within the next 6 weeks. I feel pretty good about my finals, and I actually graduated with honors - can you believe it? I didn't even know that was the case until the dean read off my name and then said, "cum laude." What a great feeling!
Thanks to the many friends and family members who've prayed, called, written, and e-mailed to congratulate me and wish me good luck. Your love and support has been a major part of why I've made it this far! Keep the good stuff comin' - I still have to take and pass the bar exam in July! Thanks also for all of the wonderful gifts...thank you cards will be in the mail shortly!
For those who can make it, we are having a BIG party on Lopez August 6 to celebrate my completion of the bar exam in July. I'd love to have any and all of you there! In the meantime, my life will finally settle down a tiny bit and so I look forward to spending time with many of you that I've hardly seen since starting law school.
Thanks and I love you all!

Drumroll, please!

2005-05-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Yep, you guessed it - I'm done! Yippee yahoo and yodeladehoo! lol I just finished typing a FOUR HOUR exam for my last law school final ever. I hope. lol I think I did fairly well and all that matters now is that I'm done! Tayta (my grandma) is flying in in a couple of hours, otherwise I'd crash and sleep for 24! But having her here is WAY more fun than sleeping - I can't wait to see her! Okay, gotta go... Yay for me! Oh, wait, my nephew got on the phone with me this morning to wish me luck and he said, "Is this my aunt lawyer?" SO CUTE!!! Love that little rugrat to death. Can't wait to meet his new brother or sister in July. Okay, I'm going now. Really! Bye....

Two Down...

2005-05-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

...One to go! I am finished with my horrible torture experience today, otherwise known as my Individual Income Tax exam. Yippee! Only one more left. Business Entities. ARG! lol I'm soooo close yet so far away. Glad to be done with this one, though! Keep them prayers comin'!!

Big News!

2005-05-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

My sister and brother-in-law bought a house! They made an offer just over the asking price for a house that was listed on Saturday. Maybe Friday. Anyhow, they just got the call from their agent today that they got the house! Yippee!! I'm so excited for them! Please say prayers that all goes through as planned and there are no bumps in the road. If the closing happens according to schedule, they should take possession Memorial Day weekend. Woo-hoo! Okay, back to the books...

New 9.5 cent Gas Tax

2005-05-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that I sometimes talk a good game when it comes to politics. But you may also know that I don't often get very involved outside of voting. But the recent passage of the 9.5 cent gas tax has forced me to get involved. I urge you to get informed and get involved, too. Please visit this link and sign up to help and/or donate to get this iniative rolling. Time if of the essence... we have only 60 days to gather the signatures.

http://www.nonewgastax.com/

Here are 10 reasons why I'm getting involved in this initiative:

1. This gas tax (which is ~35% increase) will give us the highest gas tax in the nation. When you take this and our extremely high sales tax, we have one of the highest tax burdens per capita in the US. Are you getting your money's worth? I'm certainly not.

2. This comes at a time when we need to spur economic growth, not hinder it by raising taxes

3. This gas tax will not only increase the cost of driving, but will also increase the cost of all goods we purchase due to the increased transportation costs for delivery and so on. Effectively, we'll be "taxed" several times over for this gas tax increase.

4. The people who will be most harmed by the gas tax are the middle class and working poor of our community... those who are not wealthy enough to live in Seattle... those who must live in outlying, rural areas to afford housing while commuting in 20-30 miles each day to their jobs in Seattle... those who had hoped to lower their living expenses by living outside the city. But now these are the people who be most affected by the increase in gas taxes.

5. Our state legislature entered this session with a budget deficit, and rather than trying to be economically responsible by cutting programs, they've increased programs and spending by hundreds of millions in this year alone.

6. The legislature further disregarded the will of the people by overriding I-600, which was passed years ago by the citizens to require a 2/3rds majority to increase taxes. They got around this restriction by invoking an "emergency" clause to address the economic "emergencies" of our state. They overrode I-600 to increase taxes, rather than trying to be fiscally responsible. And now we have a 9.5 cent gas tax thanks to their political maneuvering.

7. When the legislature passed the "Nickle Gas Tax" two years ago, they promised us that it would go toward several road improvement projects. Two years later, most of these road projects have not even been started, and none of them have been completed yet. And they dare ask for more of our money in the form of even higher gas taxes?

8. Most of the revenue from the gas tax will go to projects in Seattle... namely, the Hwy 99 viaduct. There is virtually no money allocated for those who have to suffer the horrors of I-405 and Hwy 167 on the eastside.

9. The legislature is allocating $2 billion of the gas tax revenues to the viaduct project. But shockingly, they've already allocated this money to contractors before reviewing any proposals for construction and renovation of the viaduct. It is an almost certainty that this project will cost way more than $2 billion... so guess what? We can expect higher gas taxes soon to cover the construction expenses they didn't account for!

10. We need to send a message to our legislature that they cannot be so cavalier and arrogant with our money. There are no guarantees that this tax money will be enough to solve the road problems they say it will. Plus, they have very little accountability to us... there are no performance audits required on these projects.

Please consider getting involved. Thanks!

Pray for Me

2005-05-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Just a quick study break to ask any who read this to pray for me during my final tonight! It's from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. and I've been studying non-stop since 10:00 a.m. I'm not too worried about this one, but my exams next week (one Monday morning, another Wednesday morning) are going to be brutal! Thanks!

My Mom Rocks!

2005-05-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

Of course, I already knew that! And I'm sure most of you did, too - those that have met her. I just have to toot her horn. I took yesterday off from studying (eek!) and I drove up to Burlington to meet my mom and hang out for a few hours. I ended up arriving back home at 10pm! We spent the whole day shopping for graduation stuff, AND she took me shopping to get a couple of outfits to wear at graduation and baccalaureate! We also planned out the baby shower invitations for my sister's shower. It was just such a fun day, and it's been so long since we've done anything like that. I had a blast! If you read this, Mom, thanks and I LOVE YOU!
Okay, off to study now...

No More Classes!!

2005-04-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

Whew, what a week! I can't believe I haven't posted before now, but the days are getting away from me. TGIF, as always!
Wednesday was my last day of classes and I'm so excited to have reached that milestone! As it turned out, I showed up for my 7:30 p.m. class and my professor had to cancel it because she had a fever of 104! Craziness... So, I went home, listening to the M's on the radio on the way. Just before I got home I decided to head to Alki for a walk since the weather has been so nice. My friend Kerri met me there and we walked for quite a while and then sat on a bench and chatted while the sun set. It was so nice and I needed that time of relaxation and fresh air and movement! The weather was amazing...
Today I'm at work all day and then tomorrow begins the round of studying until my last exam is over on May 11th. Did I mention that I'm done with classes? Oh, and I'm graduating on May 14th??? Just wanted to make sure that's on the record! I am so tempted to go home to Lopez this weekend and play in the garden with my mom and just enjoy some down time. But I know that I need to buckle down and just work through these next 12 days, and then I can relax as much as I want!
I also just found out that my friend Kathy, who has been living in BFE, otherwise known as East Texas, for the last few years is moving home! Kathy, if you read this - I'm so excited you're coming back! And I can't wait to see you and get caught up.
That's all for now - hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Trial is Over!!

2005-04-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Hey, y'all,
I just had to post and say YIPPEE and WAHOO! My mock trial took place on Saturday and I am now DONE with that class! I do have a debriefing session on Thursday evening, but that will just be dinner and chatting so I'm not worried about that. It feels so good to have that done!
In other news, I'm sending out my application for the bar exam today...it's getting closer!
Oh, and I went to a Mariner's game yesterday, and aside from the sunburn it was AWESOME! I had to buy a baseball cap to keep from getting totally fried, but I really like it so that's not so bad. And I had a BLAST with my nephew and my friends so it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

One down, four to go...

2005-04-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

First of all, TGIF!
Second, last night was my last class for Appellate Advocacy. My oral argument a few weeks ago was my "final" for that class, so I'm one down!
Tomorrow is my mock trial for my Trial Advocacy class, so that will be two down! Technically, I'll still have work to do in these two classes...extra credit for Appellate Ad and a debriefing session next week for Trial Ad. But the hard work for them is almost over!
After that, I'll have three in-class exams to study for and take during the first two weeks of May. May 11 is my last exam - then it will be time to par-tay!
I had a *great* job interview yesterday with a firm located on Capitol Hill. They got resumes from 40 students interested in applying! The first round of interviews was yesterday with about 10 candidates; I should know by the end of next week if I'll make it to the second round. Prayers for this and for my studies would be greatly appreciated!
Well, that's all I have time for. 19 days until my last exam...and counting!

Pope Benedict XVI

2005-04-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

I have been reading some of the news coverage, both American and international, on the new pontiff. Formerly known as Cardinal Ratzinger, he is the first German to be named pope since the 11th century. Nicknamed "God's Rottweiler" and "The Enforcer," Benedict is a traditionalist and a guardian of the orthodox teachings of the Catholic Church. Of course, he has not been a popular choice in the United States - his teachings on abortion, the role of women in the church, and homosexuality go against the grain of the prevailing winds in America.
I can understand that people disagree with his "conservative" religious orthodoxy. What I don't understand, however, is that he is being called the "Nazi Pope" in prominent American newspapers, including the New York Times. Even the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham H. Foxman, has rejected that rhetoric, saying that he welcomed Ratzinger's election. "Cardinal Ratzinger has great sensitivity to Jewish history and the Holocaust. He has shown this sensitivity countless times."
So why the label of "Nazi Pope?" It's true that Ratzinger, as a boy, was a member of the Hitler Youth. What the media fail to mention, however, is that membership in this paramilitary organization was mandatory for boys in Germany after 1941. Additionally, Ratzinger managed to drop out of the organization by stating that membership was incompatible with his life in a pre-seminary. Additionally, Ratzinger's brother recounts that Nazism was considered an evil in the home in which the boys grew up.
I think calling Benedict a Nazi is a smokescreen for what people really want to say. The real issue Americans have with this Pope is not what he did under duress in the 1940s - it's what he stands for now. This Pope will not be swayed by what is popular and what is trendy. He will stand firm on the traditional, orthodox teachings and tenets of the Catholic Church, regardless of the fact that it is unlikely to endear him to American Catholics. I, for one, am thankful for that clarity of vision and commitment. And to the American Catholics who dislike such essential teachings of the Catholic Church as the sanctity of life...maybe you should consider finding another church that is more easily swayed by the winds of change.

**Some of the quotes and information in this article were obtained from the World Peace Herald and Yahoo! News.

Where'd it go?!?!

2005-04-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, of course, I'm talking about the weekend. I don't know where it goes all the time? At least this weekend I got a lot done for my trial and even managed to spend a bit of time with a couple of friends.
My new friend Jennifer, aka Cinnamon, introduced me to an AMAZING Italian restaurant in West Seattle on Saturday. It was so good I went back with my friend Fina on Sunday! That was my entire discretionary spending for this two-week pay period, but it was well worth it. The restaurant is a small, hard-to-spot place on Beach Drive in West Seattle. The atmosphere is cozy - you might have to stand on tip-toe to maneuver around tables and other diners in order to reach your table. And I am sure they have a restroom but I have no idea where they'd fit it.
Anyhow, the bread is delicious; I may be able to get the recipe if Jennifer's sister pulls through! The bruschetta is yummy, and each entree I tasted was too scrumptious. I had grilled halibt cooked with lemon, pepper, and garlic. It was served with pasta in a tomato sauce and grilled veggies. Jen had the salmon, served similarly. For those of you who know my picky eating, the salmon was great! And Fina had the spaghetti bolognese, of which there was not a drop left by the time we were done with our meal! The restaurant is called La Rustica and I highly recommend it.
It's getting down the wire on EVERYTHING. I had to go to the bookstore and shell out another $80 (after spending nearly $600 at the beginning of the semester) for a supplement for one of my classes. I lived without it all semester long but my prof just told us that she is going to test us on some of the info in there, so I had to bit the bullet. I only have 6 more days of class left after today. I have so much to do before graduation on May 14th that I am alternating between being giddy with excitement that I am so close and paralyzed with anxiety about all I have to get done IN ORDER to graduate. All prayers, study vibes, and other means of support are greatly appreciated!
Oh, and of course after all that...I'm also still trying to find a job for after the bar exam! If anyone knows of anyone hiring an attorney...let me know!

A Weekend Wedding

2005-04-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well, Mike & Sarah are probably married now, if the ceremony is over! Two of my dearest friends are getting married in Michigan this weekend and I'm not able to be there because of school. I can't wait until this whole thing is over and I can have a LIFE again! Mike & Sarah, if you ever read this, know that I am thinking of you and I have been all weekend long. I hope your wedding is/was fabulous and of course that your MARRIAGE will be even more so. Wish I could be there...
It's a busy weekend yet again. I keep reminding myself that I can endure anything for four more weeks. I had dinner with my brother last night, which was fun. He bought me a nifty new cell phone for my birthday! How sweet is that??
Today I've alternated between sleeping in (until 10:30) studying, walking on the treadmill, studying, showering, and studying some more! I'm going to wrap up pretty soon here and have dinner with a friend which will be nice. Tomorrow it's more of the same - studying! Only I'm going to do it on campus so I'll be less distracted with other things.
That's all, folks!

Weekend's already over?!?!

2005-04-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

Where'd it go? Wha' happened?!?! lol
The weekends always fly by so quickly, but even more so now that I'm getting down to the wire. To all of my lovely friends - I am going to be a terrible friend who is hardly on the radar screen for the next five weeks! But after that, I can't wait to get together with you all and catch up. I can't believe I'm this close to being done. It's amazing and scary at the same time.
I have to send in my bar exam application - I was going to bring it to work to make copies today and I forgot. D'oh! I have to remember tomorrow...
I had a VERY productive weekend, thankfully. I actually took a break on Saturday and went to watch my nephew Brendan play in a little league baseball game which was SO FUN! I love doing that. He has games pretty much every Saturday from here on out so I'll be trying to do that a lot. Sunday I was on campus most of the day and I was VERY productive. Had a study group, figured out a game plan for our trial work, and then I also wrote a short paper I'd been putting off. I also (gulp) signed up to do some extra credit for a class that I'm struggling with, which is both great (that the prof will let me do it) and crazy!!! Everybody pray for me and send me good study vibes.
Work is going well - I am really liking what I'm doing. I also am pursuing a great lead for a job after the bar exam, courtesy of my friend Sally who networks like it's nobody's business! So that's exciting...
Oh, and I am making tentative plans to visit my buddy in England! Hi, Bella! Hope to see you in August!
That's all for today...off to the races. :)

Friday is the best day ever...

2005-04-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

...well, Sundays are great, too. I'm just so glad that it's Friday! In five weeks from tomorrow, I will graduate! Less than three weeks of classes to go! Yippee!! I'm getting too excited about being done, becuase I have so much to do before I get there. But I can't help myself - I am so close!
I plan to do a lot of homework over the weekend - not necessarily fun but a means to an end. The more prep work we do now for our mock trial on the 23rd, the less stressed we will be in the days leading up to the trial. We are still in need of a volunteer to act as a bailiff - anyone interested??? I'm interviewing witnesses this weekend and I am also going to start working on my closing argument. I also have a short paper to write for another class and reading to do, as usual.
I'm going to try to get to the movies, too - there's a new movie out that looks cute and it's about baseball! Perfect timing, since the baseball season just started. Anyhow, nothing else exciting planned - just keeping my head down for the next five weeks and then I can have a life! Well, sort of - then I'll be studying for the bar exam! Yikes.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
JPII, RIP.

Keep away from the CRUD!

2005-04-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

Hey, all,
Well it's Tuesday and I'm still walking around sounding like I've got a rattle stuck in my lungs. lol Try not to get this head cold crud that's going around, will you??
For my fellow Mariner's fans - WAY TO GO M'S!!!! I am so excited about it being baseball season, and it was just a great way to kick it all off the way the M's won yesterday. I think this season is going to be FAR better than last...not that it'll take much! lol I had to give up my Opening Day ticket to a friend since I was still sick, but it was a good decision even though I was going through withdrawals! lol
School is staying as busy as ever, even more so with this mock trial approaching. But I did my "final" oral argument for my appellate advocacy class last week so that feels GREAT to be done with! After the trial is over, I'm going to bury myself in my books and catch up on all the reading for my other three classes, which I've totally neglected since the semester started getting busier last month!
Okay, that's all - just wanted to check in! Hope y'all have a great week.
GO MARINERS!!!

The Pope has died

2005-04-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

I know many of you are not Catholic, but I wanted to post something in honor of the passing of Pope John Paul II. On one of his many trips to the United States, a large crowd of young people began chanting "John Paul two, we love you!" He smiled and chanted back that he loved them to. This Pope was a man of God AND a man of the people, and he had a special love for young people around the world. He was a great man and his moral and religious leadership will be greatly missed. RIP

Friday rocks!

2005-04-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

Hey, y'all,
I'm at work taking a break so I will keep this short. I am SO glad it's Friday! This has been one of the longest weeks ever and it's not over yet! I'm at work a full day today if I can make it - I'm sick and feeling very crappy so I may cut out early. I'm meeting Cathy for lunch in Tacoma - that should be fun! I am craving some hot soup...must be the sick, I'm not a soup person normally!
I am planning to do lots of homework and take it easy this weekend. I do have a bridal shower to attend tomorrow with my mom and sis, and that should be fun as long as I'm feeling better. Otherwise, it's work work work, and rest rest rest!
Hope you are all doing great. Be sure to leave a comment or e-mail me about my blog if you feel like it!

Crazy weekend...

2005-03-28T16:00:00.000-08:00

OMG What a CRAZY weekend! I ended up staying home rather than visiting my folks for Easter - that's a first for me. I just had so much homework that I couldn't justify the trip to Lopez. Well, my computer wasn't on-board with that plan, as it decided to just QUIT working on Saturday evening! So I had to miss work today to get the machine fixed, and the IT guys are saying it's a cracked motherboard. Now, I'm no computer whiz but that does NOT sound good! LOL Oh, my...
Well, another exciting thing this weekend was that my sister and brother-in-law MIGHT buy a house! We went to check it out on Saturday and it's a GREAT house in a good location on a nice big lots. The bids had to be to the bank by 9am this morning so I'm not sure what happened with that...will have to call sis soon.
Had a "revelation" yesterday that I shared with my friends on the Seattle & Beyond thread on the weightwatchers.com website. WW and losing weight is simply NOT my #1 priority right now. First comes graduating from law school. Second is passing the bar exam on the first go round. Third is finding a JOB for after that. So rather than going around feeling like a failure for the order of my priorities, I'm going to focus on doing what I can each day to be healthy and stay active. And once I'm done with the bar and back to work, THEN I can focus on WW again. Feels good to quit beating myself up about this.
It's supposed to be rainy today and instead it's bright sunshine! Windy and cold though. As much as we need the rain (we are something like 8 inches behind since January - yikes!), I love days like this so much.
Well, off to work on some of that homework I couldn't do this weekend b/c of the computer issues!

Schiavo

2005-03-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the situation in Florida with Terri Schiavo, I just want to remind everyone to keep her and her family (both husband AND parents, siblings, etc.) in our thoughts and prayers. It's so easy to get up in the arguments on both sides of the issue but the reality is that a sad situation is taking place and real human being are involved, feeling hurt and pain and loss no matter who they are or what they want to take place. My heart goes out to them and I pray that they all find peace no matter what the outcome.

Frustration!

2005-03-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

Ooh, I'm so frustrated! We had several assignments due in class last night, and they took longer than I'd anticipated to complete. So I skipped class AND left work early, only to go to class and have the professor grant an extension because half of the class didn't know it was due. Grrrr!!! Oh, well...at least I'm done now and can move on to the next thing.
I am going to start cutting back my hours at work a little to maybe 15 hours/week. I would like to work more and my bank account would like it, too, but I've only got less than 8 weeks left until graduation and I really need to hit it hard at school. I've got my mock trial coming up on April 23rd, an oral argument (HUGE part of my grade) on March 31, and lots of stuff to get done before then. Not to mention my bar application, graduation announcements, and fitting in a load of laundry now and then. Don't want to stink to high heaven!
I need to get some shopping in soon so I can pick up a few business suits. Fingers crossed that I'll get some interviews to wear them on! :) In the meantime, I am working hard at work to impress and also because I like it.
I won't be heading home for Easter this year, for the first time in my life. It's okay, though - I am trying to keep my priorities straight and school is it right now. I'll go to church here in Seattle and maybe spend some time at a friend's house (Cinnamon, you know who you are!), but mostly I'll be studying to prep for my mock trial. It's amazing how much work goes into these things! If anyone is interested in watching the trial let me know and I'll give you the details.
Well, that's all for now - off to be productive!

Back to Class...

2005-03-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

Hey, everyone, I am posting from class right now! Yes, I know - not very focused of me. But at least I'm IN class! LOL The effort it takes to stay focused on school is increasing the closer I get to graduation! And this is a busy week - I have a paper due tomorrow (thankfully only a revision of an earlier project) and I'm working a lot of hours this week due to a busy week at work. But I like that part - and the "getting a paycheck" part!
Saturday night was SO fun! Thanks to everyone who made it out to celebrate my birthday with me! It was a totally laid-back night at the pub. We munched on goodies and drank good beer (and mead and wine and other things) and had great conversation. I missed all of you who couldn't be there ... maybe next time!
My cousin Louie was there unexpectedly which was a great treat! Thanks for coming, Lou!
Hope you all have a great week. I'm off to pay attention in class. Or at least try! ;)

My birthday MONTH!

2005-03-20T00:42:00.000-08:00

I just got home from my night out with friends to celebrate my birthday. Thank you all so much for celebrating with me! I'm pooped and my throat hurts from a night of GREAT conversation with friends. What a wonderful way to end my Spring Break.
Off to bed with this chick.

TGIF!!

2005-03-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

Yay for Friday! I'm so glad it's the end of the week. I know I've been on Spring Break, but there is still something about Friday. Especially when you are working!
I came in to work a bit late today and will stay until probably 5:00 to make sure I get everything done. I'm really loving my job and I get to do lots of interesting things. Some boring ones, too. I'm on my lunch break now so this won't be too long.
I made an appointment for tomorrow to get a deep conditioning treatment at the Gene Juarez Advanced Training Academy. $25 to do something that would have cost me $65 at the GJ salon! Great deal...I can't wait! It will be a treat. I think I'm going to try to get a pedicure at one of the cheapie salons, too.
I heard from Todd yesterday, he moved on Minnesota last week for a job and has basically been working the entire time since he arrived. He hasn't even found a place to live yet! It was good to talk to him and hear about his job and what he's doing. It's COLD there - up to 30s during the day and around zero at night - YIKES!
Tomorrow a bunch of people are going out with me to celebrate my b-day! We are starting out at the pub where my brother works and then heading downtown for dancing if the spirit moves us. Should be fun.
That's all, folks!

Welcome to my blog!

2005-03-17T13:56:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone, & welcome to my blog!
Thank you first of all to my friend Heather B. for introducing me to this website. It was so much fun reading HER new blog that I had to have one for myself! Now, we'll just see if I can be as interesting as she can! :)
This will be an interesting experiment in keeping friends & family updated on my life. I'm a busy bee as you all know - I am graduating in less than 2 months!!! Wahoo! I can't believe it and I am so excited. You know that I will be busier than ever after graduation, though, as I'll be studying for the bar exam. All the more reason for me to have something like this for when I can't be in touch with every one of you individually.
I also hope this becomes a great place for us all to discuss bigger issues like politics, as well. I am in the minority in Seattle in that I'm fairly conservative, but I love a good debate, so as long as we keep it clean and above the belt (respect, respect, respect!) that could be lots of fun.
Okay, I'm off - I set this up during a break from work and I'd best get back to work! I love my job, by the way!
Cheers,
Valerie

2005-03-17T13:52:00.000-08:00

This is me during the holidays this past season.