The law school graduate-level electives outside of the law school. I’m enrolled in Weimar Cinema.
The law school graduate-level electives outside of the law school. I’m enrolled in Weimar Cinema.
The day started at the park with the dogs. I didn’t have time to walk them around Lake Calhoun, so Fair Oaks Park had to do.
I then skipped to The Purple Onion Café in Dinkytown. This was my view for three hours:
I was at the Purple Onion to write a response paper for my German Cinema class.
I left the café just as the girl behind me started a full-blown rant about how going to college is equivalent to military service. Her friend then said that he would rather be shot at than complete his economics homework. I resisted the temptation to glare.
I didn’t appreciate most of my time at the University of Miami, so I can’t fault the bratty undergrad. He has no idea how privileged he is.
I then took one of the smaller bridges on campus back to the law school.
My ears froze on that bridge. I was convinced that I had frost bite but I knew it was not THAT cold because the river is no longer completely frozen over:
It still hurt to be outside.
I got comfort food, settled into the tax clinic, and started drafting letters and calling new clients.
Whatever, my diet is uncompromised.
After a few hours at the tax clinic it was time to go back across the river for German Cinema. I was SHOCKED that it was bright at 5pm because I am used to pitch blackness at 4:30pm. Does this mean I can stop taking Vitamin D pills?
My landlord probably posted a new ad on Craigslist because this morning my phone gets bombarded with calls from hoodtastic prospective tenants.
Some of the callers hang up on me when I tell them the building income requirement. Others hang up upon learning that their felony record and two month old unlawful detainer is a problem.
I am in Dinkytown when my phone rings for the 5th time. I am en route to buy a $30 xeroxed reading packet for my Weimar Cinema class. It’s my elective, and my only other class besides the tax clinic.
I put in a lot of commuting miles this week.
My mornings usually begin at 8 a.m. in a St. Paul courthouse because I clerk at the St. Paul Public Defender’s office. I spend my time observing clerks and attorneys interview clients and prepare for bail hearings because my student certification has not gone through yet.
I only had one question for the IRS:
I call the IRS’ practitioner priority line. Hold for about 30 minutes. Get transferred.
I hold for 10 more minutes. Get transferred again.
Reach a third person who gives me a number.
I work full-time at the office, clerk at the public defender’s office, volunteer at a tax non-profit, and regularly skip over to the law school for the tax law clinic.
I do 60-hours of work in three different counties, but life is so much easier and less stressful than having the regular law school schedule.
This semester I have 6 credits: the tax law clinic and a foreign-language movie class that meets 1 day a week. No law school classes or finals. BUMP!
It’s about 10pm and Halvers and I are 50 feet onto the lake.
The dogs slide on the snow around us. We both have our blackberries out, googling “is the ice on Lake of the Isles safe to walk on?”
Google has nothing for us.
And another year begins.
Break is fairly busy because I work full time, volunteer, and occasionally throw some attention at the dogs, boyfriend, and music production.
But I made time to be social on New Year’s Eve. Actually, I felt crabby and wanted to go to bed early, but Halvers threatened encouraged me to go out with the Calhoun Shore crew.
I’m glad he did, because it was a lot of fun.
The night started at Kristin’s house and then we skipped to Lush.
The celebration was somewhat subdued because the hostess did the midnight countdown 5 minutes early. Apparently the clock on the DJ’s computer is fast. We had a private countdown at the appropriate time.
We skipped to Jetset Bar shortly after midnight because we got sick of the nondescript house music at Lush. Most gay men have a high tolerance for nondescript house music, but it just got excessive, so to Jetset we went…
Jetset was amazing. The small bar was so packed that steam came out of the front door.
We danced to everything from “Hit Me Baby One More Time” to “Whip My Hair.” Hilarium.
We came across a totem pole during the dog walk.
The bucktoothed one is my favorite, if you couldn’t tell.
I’m spoiled when it comes to malls.
We had massive malls back in Florida, and the Twin Cities are home to Mall of America, one of the largest malls in the country.
And it sure is big:
We hit the classafrass drag show with style as the cast of Calhoun Shore – Minnesota’s take on Jersey Shore.
Left to right: Krookie, Nay-Woww, The Dilemma, and Sweedo. Picture by Mrs. Pederson.
And it was a fabulous show, featuring:
