Déjà vu: We Hate Finals

Hello World,

It’s finals season! You know what that means in a nutshell: malnourishment, caffeine, and exhaustion L. Nothing kills a spirit quite like law school exams. I’m chillin in the library right now taking a “study break.” I really don’t have much to say and I’m still working on that 25 page paper, but thankfully, I’m at the end *fist pump*. I cannot wait for this much needed break. I haven’t been home in six months and I can’t wait to touchdown in SFO. And run to In-N-Out and see my family of course. That’s all for now.

Happy StuDYING,

Halllloooweeeeen! Etcetera

Hello World,

Halloween fell on a Monday this year but that didn't stop us from partying. We went to Bar 7 and had a great time. We ran into Minnie Mouse, The Joker, Princess Jasmine, and Harry Potter to say the least. In other news, I set my alarm while I was out last night. I woke up at 8:50AM so that I could register on Bisonweb at 9:00AM. I proceeded to type in my alternate pin and like clockwork, the page took forever and ever and ever to load. I hopped on gchat and twitter and learned that I was not alone; Bisonweb was down of course. I don't know why I trick myself every single semester and think that this system will work efficiently. Anyways, these comments from my peers made me chuckle:

• Bisonweb is a hopeless place. - @kyrasims
• I'm not even tripping about bison web, but where the f*ck is my remote control! -@nickey287 (Nicole clearly was not phased)
• #occupybisonweb #occupybisonweb #occupybisonweb #occupybisonweb #occupybisonweb #occupybisonweb#occupybisonweb #occupybisonweb - @SonthatsJeef

In the end, I got to register for my last semester of law school 2 hours later (PRAISE THE LORD)!!! Oh and I STILL have this 25 page draft due tomorrow for good ole critical race theory. I am thankful that I chose to write on The Wire..the research part is great because I love that show… but I'm really lacking the motivation to write! I hope that this Wale Ambition album will fuel my writing process.

Happy November,

UBU

Sooo About That 3L Swag...

So I'm thinking of firing my fellow bloggers and taking over this blog by my lonesome! Anyways, this semester has been filled with a ridiculous amount of work and I just don't appreciate it! I feel hoodwinked and bamboozled because I'm feeling like a 1L all over again. And as a friend of mine posted on Facebook oh so eloquently: "It's not that law school gets easier after 1L, it's just that you don't give a f*ck anymore." That is the perfect sentiment.

First of all, this school + work thing is not easy. I go to class, haul ass to work, and go back to school again on some days. I'm sick of the metro taking all my cash...I basically pay to go to work almost every single day. Second, my professors should know that the 3Ls just DGAF. I need them to stop with the cold-calling...it's so 2009. Also, these ridiculous papers are piling up. I have a 25 page draft due Tuesday but #MightNotMakeIt. Oh and on top of that, the MPRE is next week!

On a more upbeat note, I've had some good times the past couples weekends at least. Had a great time with a friend of mine a couple weeks back and I got to engage in hoodrat things on U Street and went sight-seeing. Homecoming was last weekend and it was great. I had a good time on the yard as Knee-Cole, Pika and myself enjoyed some peach Ciroc. And I had happy times at happy hour at Park where we all saw Pusha-T from Clipse. Knee-Cole was going to ask him why he still had cornrows, but she decided against it. And last Saturday, we went to Barcode for birthday festivities. Had a great time there but I must say that DC is way too small. You will run into people that you just don't want to see. I had fun with my HUSL folks and made my exit..heard it got real ratchet after we left. I can only imagine...we tend to get quite loose. All I know is that I cannot wait for this school thing to be OVER. I realize that work makes you miss school and school makes you miss work...but i'm over it.

Sad Because It Feels Like Finals,

UBU

Seasons.

I’ve been quite pensive lately which has led to several emo-rages (just ask Pikachu Sims). Recall: “Emo-rage [ee-moh rayje]: The new “bitchassness” which predominately affects males ages 18-27; the cause is unknown but it has much to do with a combination of Kid Cudi on heavy rotation and symptoms may be exacerbated when alcohol is consumed.” My own unique symptoms = no bitchassness…more of just over analyzing particular situations with a combo of Adele, Kid Cudi & Coldplay on steady rotation. These emo-rages had me thinking about seasons.

“They say people in your life are seasons, and everything that happen(s) is for a reason…” I’ve heard that when people come into your life for a season, it’s because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. These seasonal people are said to bring the feeling of peace or make you laugh, and they may even expose you to something you’ve never experienced. With this is comes an unbelievable amount of joy. It’s all real, but only for a season. Why? This is when it gets tricky…I think that discovering the purpose of fleeting friendships or relationships is the hardest part. Sometimes you have to go through a subsequent experience to have it all click and see what that person truly meant in your life. It’s like figuring out a huge jigsaw puzzle. All the people we encounter fit into our lives somewhere. Some are easy to place, but then there are those other pieces that seem like they don’t belong at all. Or sometimes you think you know exactly where they belong because it all looks so right, and then you realize that a slight defect cancels out a particular spot. But when they are finally situated in their rightful place (yes, they all have a place), the puzzle is complete, thus fulfilling your journey.

I’ve had my issues with seasonal people because it was hard for me to value anyone that seemed so fleeting and fickle. It seems like seasonal folk are usually going through changes or they can’t seem to cope with certain situations that make them uncomfortable. They find their way into our hearts and shape who we are, then slip, scramble, or vanish from our lives. As I’ve matured, I have tried to honor the fact that these people have their own minds to follow and that it’s not my place to push my personal agenda on their lives. You have to humble yourself and to resist the temptation to insist on getting your way, and allow people to just be. You can never EVER change anyone else; you can only work on changing and bettering yourself.

I’m thankful to say that I’ve only had a few puzzle pieces that have been rather hard to place. I’ve been blessed with those “life-timers”…those people that remain CONSTANT. I cherish these people in my life and as I grow older, I see that they are the ones that truly matter. Of course this isn’t a movie and I can’t fast forward to see which main characters will last until the very end…maybe some people in my “life timer” category could end up being seasonal *kanye shrug*...only time will tell. As for the seasonal people: when your time with them has expired, you have to let them go (whether it’s your choice or not). It’s best to do this with grace and gratitude; acknowledge that for a time they added to your life. You have to understand that seasons change. Take it for what it is and realize that the beauty is simply that it was.

Happy Autumn,

UBU

"Poppin'....3L Swag, Hurricane Irene 2011"

So as if an earthquake wasn’t enough, Hurricane Irene stopped by to say hello. I really didn’t take the hurricane seriously at first until I finally sat down and watched the news. I was still skeptical since the media LOVES to employ fear to get everyone acting crazy (let’s not forget Y2K). Anyways, Pikachu Sims got me the most scared when she suggested that we both evacuate. She proposed that we should drive 8 hours to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Knee-Cole got me even more scared because she didn’t say that driving to Michigan to escape Irene was a ridiculous idea.

Anyways, the video above was taken on Friday (the day after we chose not to evacuate). We we’re nervous but we decided to take our chances with Irene. TT, the PLB, and my cousin all camped out in our apartment. We stocked up on some wine and snacks and we had flashlights & candles handy. We felt the brunt of the storm on Saturday. All in all, we went without power twice, but we survived. Ironically, Sunday was the most beautiful day that I’ve witnessed in a while. In the end, we are very thankful that it wasn’t worse for us and we feel for the families of those who lost their lives in this hurricane.

Til Next Time,

UBU

Earthquakes & The 3L Shuffle.

We’re on the stage for one last encore. We’re back and this is it! Time has flown by my goodness…just direct your eyes to the right-hand side of this blog. Those blog-posts with summaries of events (and then some) feel like they happened yesterday. I’ve been struck quite hard by reality and she is telling me that I will be thrown into the real world come May 2012. For now, I wish I could just sit back and enjoy the ride, but alas, I cannot. Don’t get me wrong, I will be taking 3L year by storm. I have plans to make it the most memorable year thus far. 1L year was CLASSIC, hands down. Looking back, 2L year was sort of a snooze. And 3L year is a mystery thus far, but I’m gonna make it a great one folks!

So this year will be the typical hybrid of work and play. For now, the bulk of my work is coming from job hunting. It’s about time I face the inevitable truth that I will be required to work for the rest of my life. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve held several jobs before, and I have a resume that’s been fussed over and pruned to semi perfection to prove it. It’s just that these jobs have been TEMPORARY, i.e: summer judicial intern, summer law clerk, 2007-2008 school year etc.) I’ve spent the majority of my life as a student, and as this phase is finally coming to an end, I’m realizing that the working world is ready to take another victim. And it doesn’t help that the job market STILL sucks. So as if working forever isn’t bad enough, I have to bust my ass to land the job that will kick-off working forever. So much for 3L year boring one to death. Le Sigh.

In other news, the District was shook (literally) as the earth got to do a little dance [see above pic for my own signs of the quake devastation]. The residents were not enthused. Pikachu Sims and I were driving to our apartment from the gym when I logged onto twitter and saw that #dcquake was trending. I was surprised to learn that it measured a 5.8 on the Richter scale. Although I did not feel the earth quake, I’m pretty sure I would’ve been alright. I’m a true Californian and I have earthquake drills imprinted on my brain. So yea, I’m not gonna lie, it was interesting to see people’s reactions. I apologize if I offended anyone by my insensitivity to the DC quake, but it was funny. The quake was quite a way to start off the school year, and a bit symbolic of life as a 3L. It’s going to take us by surprise and some of us may end up quite shook, but in the end, we’re gonna survive. So here’s to 3L year.

Cheers,

UBU

DC Is Small & Marvin's Room Is F**king Crowded!

Okay, I know you're wondering what these topics have to do with each other. In fact you're maybe even wondering what these topics even are. Relax, relax I will break it all down for you.

One, the District of Columbia and surrounding suburbs are small. Freakishly small. Can not tell a lie small. Why can you not tell a lie when you live in DC? Because chances are whomever you tell that lie about how you don't feel like going here or there with them, will actually see your ass in the streets wherever you do end up going. Matter of fact even if they don't see you, someone else you both know will see you. Or God forbid you make the mistake and tweet about it and before you know it that person is subtweeting the hell out of you as if they care but not enough to just mention you or even just call you about it.

So theres that, just don't lie. Learn how to say no without having to explain yourself. Be a Grown Up!

Now on to my larger point. DC is too small to have so many people trapped in Marvin's Room. Okay I get it Drake made a song that a lot of people feel they can relate to. But is that a good thing? Hell no. And there are real life people out here stuck in Marvin's Room thinking that they are the shit. Excited to be in Marvin Gaye's famous studio with their freshest J's, but they can't step up to the fucking mic!!!!!

If the girl or guy can do better, then you really should have been better. What's up with all this after the fact emotional shit? Everyone makes mistakes. Chalk that up to the game. Blame yourself and move the hell on. Don't drunk text. Don't drunk dial. Don't make a song about it if you know damn well you can't sing. Deal with your own feelings as they happen, and don't save them all up for a moment of weakness. Weakness isn't real. Weakness is weak and pathetic.

I hear boys talking about Marvin, but is anyone really listening? Yea he sang his feelings and was unapologetic, but he wasn't weak and pathetic.

This one way love is just a fantasy...

There is nothing weak about that. He puts it all out on the line, without all the bullshit. He does not make it about him, he makes it about his heart. Marvin was honest about himself in his music. Out here in these streets people are running around tweeting, texting, acting all emotional, and looking like a bunch of fools.

This is especially troubling in DC, a small ass city where every college educated person legitimately and falsely believes that they are the shit. This city is too small to be a card carrying member of Marvin's Room. I mean I have literally met Marvin's Room Ninjas on the street and find myself being nice to them just because we have mutual friends even though I know there in the booth. You can't be in Marvin's Room at night and perpetrate like you own these streets in the day. Shit doesn't work like that. This city is small. We fucking see you.

Bottom line

Just keep it real. Keep the cards up. Have emotions. Don't use those emotions to get you shit. If you have something to say and you are in Marvin's Room, step up to the mic because this city is small enough for us all to hear you.

Nic

Leave a comment if you hate it or love it

Staycation, All I Ever Wanted.

Hello World!

I had a lovely 4th of July weekend with Pikachu Sims and Afia aka my PLB! This was probably the happiest 4th of July weekend that I’ve experienced over the past couple years and I can definitely attribute this to my friends. On another note, I appreciate the fact that my UCR folk and HUSL folk have meshed well together :)

Once again, something unexpected came about in my life: I became a dog-sitter. So crazy since I DO NOT have an affinity for the canine species. Dogs make me nervous and lots of them smell...and some even bite. I mean, I didn't talk to my former roommate for a whole quarter because she got a dog without telling anybody LOL. So I find it quite ironic that I of all people ended up dog-sitting a huge husky by the name of Seeko. It went surprisingly well, minus a little poop mishap...and a destroyed pillow case, brush and bra...but it all turned out well in the end. Anyways, dog-sitting Seeko gave us all a chance to have a staycation in Virginia.

The girls met up with me on Friday after they braved the humidity in good ole Celly and made their way to Arlington. We stocked up on food and a little booze and the fun began. We chilled and I FINALLY got my hands on The Michael Jackson Experience. I'm proud to say that I am the undefeated champ. And of course we red-boxed! The girls watched Just Go With It and I knocked out in 15 minutes. Literally. On Saturday, we made our way to the District, but not before we realized that Pikachu's car got towed! Rude. We had to haul ass to some busted lot, but not before our directions led us astray and we ended up smack dab in a sea of tourists in DC. After that mishap, we went to Ozios to enjoy their day party where we saw Ni-Cole for about 5 minutes (literally). They were charging $10 to stand on a roof and so of course, we did not pay. Even though Ozios was a bust this week, Kyra got to enjoy Pinkberry! She was juiced since she thought it was another selfish California-only franchise. That night we watched The Roommate. I lasted about 1 hour and five minutes and then I knocked out. I guess that Kyra's narcolepsy has rubbed off on me.

On Sunday, we enjoyed some B&J wine coolers and Skinny Girl Margaritas at the pool and read trashy magazines. Then, we went to Shirlington, VA and got stuffed to capacity at Guapos. The food was delish. We topped the night off with a viewing of Love and Other Drugs, and I am proud to say that I made it through the entire film without sleeping. Clap clap, bravo. On the last day, we went to the pool again (after watching hours of Bravo TV of course). We then made some delicious burgers and hotdogs and the girls took naps. We heard some illegal fireworks and saw the legit ones on the 395 when we were heading back to DC. Mind you, there was bumper to bumper traffic so we literally saw the entire fireworks show. I guess it was the perfect way to close out our staycation on the 4th :)

Happy Summer Folks,

UBU

Summer 2k11

Well summer 2k11 is in full swing and so far its been pretty damn great. This summer has been a great mix of work and play. Well actually I have a love hate relationship with work but I won't dwell on that now. But with working 40 hours a week, this summer has truly been about the weekends, and each one has been excellent.

The key to my success this summer has been the beauty of free time. I don't really make plans, at least not detailed plans, so I truly allow myself to live in the moment and do what feels organic. By no means have I figured out the meaning of life this summer, don't get me wrong. I think I've just reached a place where I'm okay with uncertainty. I'm just living in the here and now, and I'm loving it. None of this would have been possible without the help of my friends I must say. Especially my bff J who went with me on a spontaneous trip to Mexico.

I must say the one thing I haven't done a lot this summer is partied. I don't if I'm getting old and I'm over it or if the full time work thing just takes too much out of me, but I just haven't felt like drinking excessively or dealing with the club world. I have been to about 3 day parties which is a chill way to spend a sat afternoon with the right company. I say this because one saturday I ended up in what seemed like the freaking law school section of the rooftop with several black law students all eager to meet other black law students and talk law school. Thats a bunch of bullshit. Well at least to me it is. I networked with the incredibly pretentious bunch but reaffirmed my vow to never flaunt my profession, school choice, or potentially stupid life decision to go to law school, like I've just found the cure for cancer. Shit just doesn't make sense. Not at all.

Nic

DC Chillin???

Hello World,

It's been a minute! Since we left off, I enjoyed my little tryst in Miami and I had a wonderful time in my beloved Cali-forn-ia. If someone would have told me two weeks ago that I'd be in the District for the summer, I would have laughed in their face. My life has been jumbled for the past couple weeks which I guess is normal for this stage in my life. Anyway, as they say...if you want to make God laugh..tell Him about your plans. Opportunity came knocking in DC so I had to leave my golden state.

I've been having a lovely time out here so far. I didn't really doubt that I would...I already enjoyed a memorable summer in DC back in '08 so I know what this city has to offer. The extra bonus is that I'm reunited with my fellow Real HUSLers and my PLB :). Plus, a piece of home, aka my cousin, is also in the District and we have resolved to have as much family bonding as possible...which will include seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II next month (yes, I am counting down).

In other news, I've been frequenting the 'V' of the DMV. Who would've known that VA actually had some good stuff to offer??? And a great person explore it with ;) Anyway...all I want for this summer is to save some money...do well at my job and have as much fun as possible! I'm laying the groundwork..definitely went out on Sunday night and had a bomb time. I'm living for the weekends (and some weekdays) so I'm ready to enjoy myself.

Happy Summer,

UBU

For My Hometown (I Do It)

It's been a long time. Miraculously, all 3 of us are in the DC area for the rest of the summer, although neither Udeme nor I had planned on it. Luckily, I was able to spend about a month and a half at home in Ann Arbor and get the relaxation I so desperately needed after a hellish second year. So, this post is dedicated to my hometown. A list of the things I got to do, and the things I wish I could've done before returning to the District.

-Things I Did:
1. Celebrate my birthday in true Pikachu style--getting blackout. I had a fabulous time celebrating my birthday in downtown Ann Arbor. Our first stop of the night was the Hiedelberg, that has extremely large "boots" of beer. Our table of about 8 people split 2, just to give you an idea of how big these things are. We then moved on to a bar called Babs, which I have little recollection of. I do remember being confused by the presence of an interracial wedding party and wondering why the bride and groom were at the bar? I also received happy birthday texts from Nicole and Udeme that got some real emo-rage responses. We ended the night at Pizza House, which I did last year as well. I don't know what happened there but I'm sure it was fun.

2. Spend time doing nonsense with my mother. This has to make the list because this is what I spent the majority of my time doing. Nonsense activities included: buying 50+ bags of mulch on numerous occasions for our yard, talking for hours about Pander, going to malls far away for no good reason, etc.

3. Celebrated Flag Day. I have some super patriotic friends. This day included red, white, and blue shots, watching a movie called American Poop, grilling burgers and hot dogs, and a slip-n-slide. American all the way.

4. Joining a Bowling League (2 actually). My lover and 2 of our friends assembled a bowling team. It was awesome. Sadly, I am unable to finish this commitment because I have to work now. Boo.

5. Hang with my family. This probably should've been number 1 on the list. I didn't realized how much I missed them until I got home and had to leave again. Some of my favorite times at home were spent chillin with my siblings and nephews and niece. Oh, and Pander (duh).

6. Build a Kiddie Pool in my Lover's Driveway for Memorial Day. (building a kiddie pool is much more difficult then they make it appear on the box).

7. Got my First Weave!!!!! This was and still is very exciting for me. Sadly, it had to come after a horrendous haircut but better late than never.

-Things I Didn't Get to Do

1. Go to Cedar Point. This amusement park is in Ohio (b00) but still usually a summer staple for me. Sadly, didn't make it this year.

2. Go to Rolling Hills (water park)

3. Have a Picnic in the Arb. Great place to jog, get high, and witness hippies. All at the same time if you want!

4. Go to Afternoon Delight. One of my favorite breakfast spots in Ann Arbor. Anyone who knows me knows that brunch is my favorite activity. Breakfast + alcohol is an unbeatable combination.

5. Go Up north for 4th of July.

There are many things that are missing from both of these lists. But, I've been feeling a bit nostalgic since I left home with very little notice to start my summer job in D.C. Even though I love the DMV, there's no place like home. However, there's still a lot of summer left and I'm sure plenty of shenanigans with my crew with ensue in due time.

1L Blues Reloaded: Swoll Like Tookie

{The "Reloaded" series features blog posts that were heavy on our minds, but that did not make it to "press" until the school year ended; this can be blamed on a lack of time, laziness etc.}

[on left Pikachu not knowing her own strength, breaks the arm of a law library chair. *swoll* LOL]

Hello World,

Since we left off, I’m still happy and ready to go on a much needed vacay. Before I skip town, I simply had to blog about my gym journey here in the District with Pikachu (Kyra) Sims.

Besides law school, the gym got a lot of our time and sometimes it trumped studying #justsayin.

I’ve been called “bag lady” by my so called friends whom I love dearly and I’m pretty sure that I’ve been called “bag lady” in the minds of HUSL folks that I have never spoken to. On a typical day at school, I had my backpack (stuffed to capacity) along with a book in hand (ridiculous, I know) and my trusty gym bag in tow. I’m sure many wondered why and all I can say is that the gym has been one of the best stress relievers, and because of the fact that the pounds can pack on quick in law school. We refused to let our quest for a JD result in the demise of our girly figures. In undergrad, it’s the “Freshmen Fifteen” and in law school it’s the “1L Twenty Five” and then some. We joined Gold’s Gym during 1L year to combat this. We resolved to work out every day (minus weekends usually) and work on our fitness; we’ve been consistent and we’ve actually yielded good results. 2L year was definitely when we got EXTRA serious about it…maybe a little too serious.

So first semester, we went a little overboard with our regimen. We were kind of calorie deficient and so we were sleepy, lethargic and all that bad stuff. Man cannot live on protein bars alone. Or greek yogurt, or even turkey tostadas. Especially, since we were burning 600+ calories in spinning class or doing some major weightlifting in Body Pump class.

By second semester, we got in the groove. We found a healthy balance and got even more creative with our meals. We hit up Whole Foods and Safeway and tried to make some smart choices. And we never bought food from the school cafeteria; I think it helped save us a lot of money. Gold’s was our second home…so much so that one of the trainers stopped us on one occasion and asked about our plans & goals and offered us a maybe free (?) personal training session. We’ll never know what would have come from this session because this trainer was always booked up =/; maybe next school year we’ll see what he has to offer. We still went to spinning (loved the Britney Spears tribute sessions), went to Abs Class (and wanted to cry), kept up with body pump (and limped through campus on the subsequent days) and most interestingly, we shook our asses and dropped it low in Zumba class. All in all, we lost a collective 30 lbs (woop woop).

The real test will be whether we can keep the pounds off during the summer. I shall miss my resident gym buddy over the next couple months! If we find ourselves back sliding, we can play this so serious that it's funny gym jam. Hopefully, we'll stay on our regimen and get swoll like Tookie wit it:

Happy Summer People,

UBU