That is true.  I did it!  Thanks to all of my friends and family who have helped me, tolerated me and suffered along side me for the past three years.  It will be worth it when I get you out of jail some day!

Me, of course!

That is part of the reasons things are quiet here.  I had finals, then graduation and finally a trip to Disneyland with the little sister.  Now I will spend the next 5 days packing up for the big move.  Finally, I will drive cross-country until I land in Tennessee.  I will keep you posted, but internet access will be limited throughout this journey.

I cannot describe the gamut of emotions that I have been through this week.  Stress from finals, relief and exhilaration that finals are over, and anticipation of what is around the corner.  Then there is the excitement of my family visiting and walking for graduation.  Sadness that this will be the last time I will see some of my fellow students who have laughed and cried with me these past three years.  The end of this chapter of my life is near and a new one will start again in East Tennessee with a new home, a new law firm, new friends and family around.

We all experience change in our lives.  Some embrace it and some push back in retaliation, happy to remain where they are.  Whomever you are, I hope that your next chapter is exciting, enlightening and blessed.

I thought I would share the good news. We got our scores back today and I passed. Yeah!

And while we are having this little chat… the wedding went super swell. Not too much drama, just the obvious tension coming from his side of the family. Ignorant children (with children of their own) think that our side is out get all of his goods. Which would be the ‘family farm.’ And I put that in quotes because they are actually his step children and did not grow-up on this farm (who are we kidding, it doesn’t seem like they have grown-up at all). They just want to make sure they get their paws on it when he dies. Side note: one (out of 5) of the step-daughters was very friendly, so she is categorically excluded from parts of the above statement.
OK kids, here is today’s lesson: If you own a lot of stuff (or have a lot of money) get rid of it while your alive. Give it to charity, retire early, see the world, SPEND! If they were too lazy to work in your lifetime and make their own little fortune and all they want is a big ol’ piece of the pie, sitting around like vultures waiting for you to croak… then they don’t deserve it!

*Disclaimer: I am not an attorney (yet) and the above should not be deemed in any way as legal advice. Just a very good way to get rid of all those greedy tweets who await anxiously for your demise.*

Thursday starts the official first day back to school here at UC Hastings. That means time to start reading for those first classes. I don’t remember having to read before school actually began in undergrad, so this is one of the many changes you get when you step up your level of education. Most of my reading is for my Mediation Clinic and my Wills & Trusts class. The Mediation clinic reading has been something I have known about all summer, I just haven’t finished it. Yes, I procrastinate.

My other reading today comes in the form of news. I find myself reading more and more news now that I have canceled my expanded cable with DVR. The cancellation was in an attempt to focus on law school and to begin being more financially responsible. During my drive cross country from Tennessee back to California, I listened to a lot of Dave Ramsey on XM Radio. He has me convinced that I am doing something wrong financially (and The Husband would agree). So now I have a weekly allowance and no more expanded cable with DVR.

Anyways, I was talking about the news. Now some of this is standard news (MSNBC) and other is non-standard (personal blogs). I figured that the more interesting items should be publicized here to be shared with my readers. Some of this you may of heard before and some of this might be new to you. Read it, comment on it, pass it on!

• Mattel’s Toy Recall: You would think that a company would be monitoring the production of their toys in overseas factories (China). Mattel didn’t and now there are toys out there with lead paint. I understand that maybe there is a toy defect that doesn’t get caught until a kid does something crazy with a toy to expose it, so the magnets are a little bit more understandable. But how do you not know they are using lead-based paint? It this a problem with Mattel or a problem with outsourcing to foreign countries?
• Obesity Tax: An Indiana company is charging individuals who have a high BMI, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, high blood pressure and/or who smoke. They say these people cost them more when it comes to health insurance. OK, pass the extra premium along to them. Fine, right? Most companies already make you take drug tests upon a job offer. Or is it discrimination? Does it make a difference that smoking and being obese (besides for medical reasons) is a choice? Should they have to disclose that they are obese because of a medical condition or is that an invasion of privacy? What happens if they don’t stop there and expand the tax to anything that can increase the cost of health insurance?
• HFCS in Diet Goods: On to ‘lighter’ news, food companies are putting high fructose corn syrup in to foods marketed to dieters. Talk about an oxymoron! This is why you always, always, always read the label. I am not going on a diet any time soon, but I have made the decision to eliminate HFCS from my food intake. I just think it is not good for you (it isn’t) so I shouldn’t eat it! You have been warned!
• What The World Eats: This is just a super-cool pictorial that shows families from around the world with the foods they eat in a week. How does your family compare?
• $20 at the Farmer’s Market: You might have heard of the movement to eat close to home. You have a better chance of getting good, fresher produce. If nothing else, you get to know who is growing your food and what is added, or not added, by ways of chemicals and pesticides (there are usually more organic options at the Farmer’s Market). This article compiles some responses as to what $20 would buy at your Farmer’s Market. Think about how much junk food that same $20 would buy and make the change!

Hope you have learned something new today! I know I did.

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