Minneapolis had a heat wave this week. Temperatures climbed to the low 50’s. Roadways and sidewalks became visible. It didn’t hurt to be outside anymore – in short, it was gorgeous.
And then we got a President’s Day blizzard.
Minneapolis had a heat wave this week. Temperatures climbed to the low 50’s. Roadways and sidewalks became visible. It didn’t hurt to be outside anymore – in short, it was gorgeous.
And then we got a President’s Day blizzard.
The snow is melting but I still have all these unedited snow-caked pictures! Excuse me while I toss them on the page for the record…
What a bizarre two weeks.
I had my normal schedule of work, class, lake trips, Jeset Bar dance-offs, and adventures around the metro:
The morning dog walk was a disaster.
I load the dogs into the car and the radio informs me that the air temperate is -10 with a -25 wind chill.
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.
It’s 8:40pm. I am in a classroom full of accountants and professional tax preparers. An IRS agent is two seats down.
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!
