Advice? Why yes, I'd love some.

This weekend was insane. We did a lot, and were pretty exhausted by the end of it, but in the course of the weekend shared some moments we may never forget. First, you have to know about my godparents. While my family is not Catholic, I earned myself some Catholic godparents at birth. My godfather is half-Spanish and half-Mexican. My godmother is white, but has adapted well to the lifestyle. Which, if you don't know, includes lots of alcohol. I have to prepare myself (and my poor gringo husband every time we go down there. They live in the same small town as my parents, and we've figured out a very nice arrangement to endure the hangovers and sleeping-til-noon necessity. My mom and dad take Abigail overnight, and we have much debauchery until the late afternoon the next day. But I digress.

My godparents have a daughter near my age, and as luck would have it her husband and I have a lot in common. The four of us get along great and always have (too much) fun together.

My parents kept the baby over night and we stayed up fairly late. One entire bottle of root beer schnapps later, we rolled into bed. The next morning we went for breakfast and then went to grab the baby.

My high school boyfriend passed away on Friday morning, after years fighting with a brain tumor. (Hence my desire to have a good time and distract myself the night before.) We headed up to my former best friend's house for a little get together in his honor. It was really hard for me. Around the same time John and I broke up my friends got pretty heavy into smoking pot (and the requisite lameness that goes with it) and I refused to participate. I lost my best friend (who then became best friends with my little sister, which subsequently severed the close bond we had as well). John hooked up with that friend, and they were together for several years. The get together was hard for me, because my other friend Erin and I had been close with John before this group materialized. Erin wasn't there, so it was the "new group" who was there and all the talk revolved around their time together. It was pretty largely "stupid things we did as kids" and weed related, so I didn't have much to contribute.

I ache to reminisce about the John I knew before all of this. Only Erin knows who that person was, and unfortunately she has had a hell of a month herself. Her husband's grandfather died and his sickly sister ended up on a ventilator shortly after. Then I had to call up Erin and tell her about John's passing, so all in all her month was shot. I hope she can come home soon so we can get together and have a good cry. He was my first broken heart. I'm supposed to think fondly of our time together and the lessons I learned, and imagine him "out there somewhere" with ten kids and a fat happy wife. He's not supposed to be dead at 30.

After the get together we headed up to my in-laws' for family dinner. One of our family friends was in town (he's a patent attorney) and he was ready to dispense advice about law school. He gave me his card (which has a fancy US gov't seal on it!) so I could reach him at work or at home. He had some really great tips about studying, which sound like they would work for me and my learning style. We're thinking we may go out there for vacation in July, as Brian and I both have always wanted to see Washington D.C.

Plane tickets out there are NOT CHEAP so we'll have to see how it goes. We're moving in a couple of weeks and that could sap up a fair amount of cash.

Anyway, busy busy, sorry to ramble so much!

Trivial Dilemma

I have been lucky to develop a handful of readers. Some lawyers, some about to be lawyers, and some mommy-lawyers. Love to you all!

The problem is, some read this blog and some read my personal blog. I thought it would be important to keep the two separate, to spare blawg-readers my mundane baby bragging and vice versa, keep my friends and family spared from any legal ranting.

Can it be done? Should I just combine them? Should I double post entries to each?

On another note, I received a packet from The U this week, containing a form to pay my orientation fee. It feels like highway robbery, but whatever. I completely panicked and rethought law school. I started asking everyone for advice who would listen, even though everyone knows this decision is mine alone. I really want to be a lawyer, it just sucks that all those wishy-washy overachievers out there are saturating the market. Oh and there's that whole recession thing.

I've decided I'm going to do it. Again. Crisis averted. Now I just have to shell out the cash.

I've refinished my vintage desk and put new hardware on, pics to come, I promise!

I'm going to have a lovely kid-free office to use for studying. YAY!

Not to Beat a Dead Horse

I got another admission letter today. I promptly tossed it, but it made me think I ought to check my financial aid status at Home State U. It showed I have been offered the full amount for federal loans. I did the math and tried to figure out if I can really avoid a PLUS loan. My mom called to tell me that the DoE sent a letter informing me I was approved for the PLUS loan.

I want to borrow as little as possible. If I can manage to only borrow enough for tuition and books that would be oh so much better in the long run. However, there is the issue of child care. And if my schedule does force me to have a 3/4 or full time babysitter that's a fair amount of money. The 20,050 max for Stafford should cover that. I was thinking I would borrow more than I need and just pay back what's left. Is that totally unrealistic? Will I just end up blowing it (I would like to think I'm better than that, but there could be unforeseen circumstances) and be stuck with more student loans at the end?

All of this again put doubts in my head. I sort of wish I had just done the last 33 credits of my degree so I would have a teaching degree. I could go back, but the expense at this point would be comparable to law school. Not to mention teachers in Home State don't make much, and I will have a hard time getting a job if I don't have a Master's. GRR.

Future Doctor/Lawyer/Astronaut/Pop Sensation

I'm an auntie!! Little Avery was born yesterday. I'm so excited, and she is beautiful!