ready, set,....

this week has the makings of a long one. I'm in the middle of family birthday week (where my dad, my mom and my sister all have their birthdays in an 7 day stretch).

HAPPYBIRTHDAY DAD, MOM, ANNA

My final for pretrial advocacy is on Thursday (both the argument and all the papers for the class i finished over the weekend) so i have to go argue at the king county courthouse. We have this big work thing on Wed and then an early morning meeting on Friday. Effecively killing my carpool this week. blah blah.

anyways, its just a hectic run. I had a good chat wtih a close friend this afternoon about the pressures of trying to work, go to school and maintain a relationship all at the same time. Compound that with really wanting to suceed at all of it at once and it basically makes you a big headcase. Anyways, we talked about the fact that everyone is on their own path and that the rate or speed at which you have to accomplish degree, job and family or some combo of those differs for everyone. I was trying to convince him that other people putting standards and pressures on any of us is really bullshit. All you can do is your best--and if you get close to the breaking point, you don't get to throw in the towel. You get to put down one class or one day a week of work and keep pushing. I guess that's why they call it the "grind" right---because essentially you are grinding your way through painfully and slowly. long and short of it is that i am hella proud of him and that its not failure if he takes three classes instead of four or finds a different calculus professor because this one  isn't clicking--and its not failure if he changes his mind about being a doctor, lawyer, or space cadet.

I trick myself with this line of logic constantly. Just keep moving, ****/self, don't stop...because if you do its a lot harder to get going again than if you have momentum behind you. Lord knows, me going to the gym is case in point.

zoom. zoom. zoom.

the mountain passes

As some of you know, Seattle is picturesquely beautiful with mountains both to the west and east. I've always thought it was most beautiful on sunny days with the snow covered Olympics and Cascades hugging either side of the swath of land Seattle lies on. Yesterday, when I was driving into work, i noticed that the mountains were snowcovered---super lovely.

Late last night, we had a big storm roll through, dumping a ton of snow through the passes. They are requiring chains on vehicles going across and our usual ski area is COVERED!
Here's a few pictures of Steven's Pass from this morning:

We've been plotting a mini-road trip, and I'm still hoping we are going to be able to go, through the North Cascades Highway this coming weekend. They usually close it once it starts snowing and right now current conditions are "packed snow". I will have just finished my final for one class and it seemed like a good pre-Thanksgiving weekend adventue. Obviously, if you look at the pics, the snow means we are taking the Jeep and not the Tiburon---if they don't close it in the next few days. FINGERS CROSSED. Barring that, maybe its a good time for a trip to Leavenworth for sleighriding.

Ideas, suggestions, smartass remarks from the southern peanut gallery?

upcoming basketball season

My sister Anna has changed her gchat status to GTHCGTH. I'll tell you what it stands for in a minute, but the point being that it signals the arrival of what is always a turbulent time of year for our family....the onslaught of basketball season. We are from Carolina you see...land of the greatest rivalry in the country. A rivalry which managed to root itself firmly in our house since the mid-1980s when Anna decided she was going to Duke. Her status means go to hell carolina go to hell. BOOOO HISSSSS.
In retaliation, this photo is the last known one in existance of my sister in UNC gear.

Tragically, i have remained the sole UNC supporter in our family, bearing the brunt of constant torment. I suffer people--seriously those Blue Devil fans are MEAN. Mind you, i did work for Duke for a few years, which i realize was a bit of a conflict of interest...but i have held true to my Tarheel roots--they are the superior team anyways.

And, as if this wasn't enough in the land of basketball---the oldest of us graduated from NC State. So, really its a three way battle for about 6 months a year.  Point is my sister has signaled the start of our yearly war. Does anyone out there feel my pain??

and i shall name me Eoyere

5pm Update: it got sunny again, and then when i least expected it a flash of light...like a camera...but WHAM THUNDER!!! One of those deep cracks that sends the windows trembling. It happened twice last night but i was sure it was fluke. And now the hail is back, too, pinging off my bedroom window in the way only little evil balls of ice can! do you sense my excitement?? the anticipation?? the thought of how the hell am i going to get from this inside the theater to see "men who stare at goats?"

LOVE this storm!!!!

It's blustery....last night it hailed three times...and i am pretty sure its not going to let up any time soon. I was deceived briefly this morning by some sunbreaks, but the wall 'o' rain was lurking just across the sound. As it stands right now there is a strange sliver of blue sky over downtown--weirdness.

Luckily, i'm a shut in working from home today because the processional for the police officer's funeral effectively severed my routes to work. YAY lap top, pjs, red leaved trees and coffee.

Rough week in the 'Hood

This week has been a little rough in Seattle. Over the weekend a cop was shot about 15 blocks from my house--it appears to be cold blooded as they just rolled up on the police car (where the driver was talking to a trainee about an earlier stop) and opened fire. The trainee barely escaped with her life---her mentor not so lucky. A few days before, we had an extended debate in my criminal procedure investigation class about the balance between police safety and protection and your privacy and constitutional rights. It's a hard compromise, but no doubt the all too real scenario that played out in one here over the weekend reinforced the inherent danger faced by law enforcement.

Then last night my roommate's car got assaulted by a crowbar in the middle of the night. they seem to have wacked it 7 times before giving up. Either they are the weakest or dumbest criminals ever---but either way--no good. :(

While roomie's car was battling for its intactness, i had a dream about my car and he-who-shall-not-be-named. This time Adam was in it too--which is interesting since i haven't had a dream of Adam before. In the dream, "HWSNBN" had bought me my car. Since we were no longer together, he was effectively repossessing the car. We had agreed to meet in a parking lot (the one i park in for work every day). He arrived a little hostile with his girlfriend and new born child. Adam, throughout the whole dream sat very still--watching and almost meditating--as if somehow his stillness was (like jasper in twilight) calming the situation. i held the child for a moment, smiled on its perfect little face, and gave it back. the girlfriend left and the demeanor of the dream changed. There was calm and no anger--the trade was made, old accounts (seriously, receipts and stuff) settled and HWSNBN gave me a chaste kiss goodbye.

Ah, closure. How i love thee!

In another note--they've been getting some torrential rain in Haifa Israel where my folks live....this video was taken on Nov. 2nd. AMAZING  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz7Xt3IHvAU !!! its three minutes and totally worth it.

sometimes pictures are better than words

Goodwill is an amazing place. A place where you can buy a hat for Halloween that says "Wives are like angels, they are always up in the air, harping about something".

unexpected mini-heartbreak

facebook just did something bad.
you know how it sometimes tells you who you should reconnect with? well the lovely fb just popped up someone who had the most radiant smile. it reminded me, in its totally not knowing better kinda way, that that i should connect with paige. paige--who left us last year, taking her laughter with her and for a split second my heart curled up and sighed slowly.

so for anyone who knew paige cameron, or anyone who can imagine what its like to lose someone way too young take a second, close your eyes, say a little prayer for an amazing woman, or leave a post.