Here's to the New Year!

I don't think I could be more glad that 2009 is over with. I have to say it wasn't the easiest year for me, but I'm glad that I went through the struggles I did, to really appreciate where I am now.

I've focused a lot of my blog on failing the bar, the first time around. While I don't think it says anything about me, the whole process (the denial, acceptance, perseverance, and finally succeeding) means something to me. I pushed through something that others would have given up on, and I did so with flying colors. I don't think my adventure is all that exciting or interesting for some people, I do think at some point in my life, I'd like to help other students that have been in the same position I was. I think it could be very beneficial. I know I could have used someone to talk to, when I failed, that had been through the same thing.

I truly believe 2010 will be an awesome year. I'm a licensed attorney, with a job. I can only foresee things getting better from here on out. While I've always said it may take me longer to get there, I'll get there. I will succeed and I'll do it with pride!

I'll leave this blog with some words of wisdom: be happy in what you do. Be good or be good at it. Don't just go through life making the motions, enjoy your life and laugh.

FINALLY!!

Ok, so I feel like I unintentionally abandoned my blog, so I'm here to reclaim it! Here goes: finally, after all the hard work, sweat and tears, I passed the bar! I don't think I could have been more elated and emotional about it. I actually happened a few weeks ago, but I just haven't had the time to sit down and write about it.

It was Wednesday, October 28th and I was driving back from an afternoon in Manchester. I got a text from Sue, stating that she saw on a website that Mass bar results were out. I immediately panicked and had to pull the car over. I had been waiting weeks for this day, but I was suddenly so unprepared for it. I had already been to the mailbox once that day, and with living in a small town, the mail only comes once a day. Either way, it was close to five o'clock so I knew I had to at least try to get there before 5pm to check the mail again.

I ran in and went straight to our P.O. Box. I open it and staring at me is a letter. I freaked. I picked up and of course, it was junk mail. It was such a tease! I get back home and I'm a mess. I'm all freaked out about the results. I was pacing, couldn't sit still and generally a nervous wreck. We discussed a plan for the morning.

Generally the mail isn't out until 10am. Therefore, the plan was for Pete and I (I couldn't do it alone) to head to the mail box at 10 am. I could hardly sleep that night. I woke up at 9 am on Thursday and tried to force myself to stay in bed longer. I didn't want to rush to the mailbox and not have it be there. Finally, I couldn't contain myself any longer. I got up and rushed around throwing clothes on. Tim yelled to me because he couldn't understand what I was doing. I finally just said, I have to go, now! I can't wait. Even if its not there, I can't wait any longer.

Tim asked if he could join me, and I told him yes as long as he was dressed to leave immediately. We jumped into his car and sped off to the post office, maybe a 2 mile drive away. So we get there. I throw my seat belt off and am rushing to get out of the car. Tim decided to come with me. We go to the box, and for a brief moment, I tried to stop and remember this day, because I knew it would be good. Finally, I opened the box, and there it was. The letter I had been waiting for. I screamed, "Its here, its right on top." I couldn't contain the excitement.

We grabbed the letter, but I couldn't leave without first getting Pete and Beth's mail too. I thought that would only be appropriate. We get to the car, and we're both unsure of what to do next. So I gave Tim the letter, he held it, and then he had the dog kiss it for good luck. He handed it back to me, but I couldn't open it right away. I was just trying to soak it all in, and say my last minute prayers. But before I opened it, I flipped it over, and right through the paper, I could clearly see "Congratulations!" I went a little crazy. I must have yelled something like "I passed," but Tim couldn't understand what was going on. I ripped open the letter and started reading it. I dawned on him what i was trying to tell him. We were yelling, hugging and I was crying. It was so emotional.

We left the post office and I immediately called my mom. She answered the phone and while I am still crying, I just blurted out "I passed!" Of course, she starts crying on the phone too.

It was such an emotional day. I cried, I celebrated and I felt at ease, for the first time in a long time. I am being sworn in on Tuesday, and I can't wait for this part of the journey to be over. Its still hard to believe that on Tuesday I will be a licensed attorney!

In other news, I also have a job interview lined up next week. After all the cover letters, writing samples and resumes I've sent out, I've finally started to see results. Even if this job doesn't come to fruition, its a start. No matter what happens, things are looking up and I have a lot of people to thank for that!

Epiphany

A few days ago, I finally had this amazing epiphany about my life and what I've been going through. When I first failed the bar, I was devastated and in complete denial. I went through this period where I thought the bar was going to send me this letter and let me know there was a mix-up, that I really had passed the bar. I was so deep in denial that I had failed.

When I really started studying in Kentucky, I was able to move past the denial and get down to work. Clearly being a lawyer is something I have always wanted to be, and I'm not going to give it up.

I was in the kitchen a few days ago with the Petes, and Big Pete turned to me and said, "I think you're here for a reason right now." I didn't have to stop and think because I completely agreed with him. I think everything that I've gone through in the past year was for a reason. I think I failed the bar because I needed to realize my life wasn't going in a good direction. I also think I failed the bar because it forced me to leave a relationship, that already wasn't working.

I think it all happened for a reason. It gave me a wonderful summer with my parents and Freddie, which I probably would have never had but for failing the bar. It gave me re-direction on my life and determination to reach my goals. It also reminded me that NH is home. Coming here after a summer in Kentucky, I now know I want to be in NH; this is my home and always will be. Finally, I am ok and I am at peace with the fact that I failed the bar.

I feel like as horrible as it was when I failed the bar and how devastated I was, its ok now. I am going to be a lawyer, I am going to get a job and I am going to achieve my goals.

Tribute to Freddie

Freddie, our dear golden retriever, unfortunately passed away today. He's been sick for quite some time and the vet finally told my parents today that it was cancer, they just couldn't locate it in his body. Because he's been losing so much weight and inability to control his body, the vet said it was really time for him. My parents were with him when he was put to sleep and they're both crushed from his loss.

Freddie was a very loyal dog, and enjoyed most of his days with my dad, at work. He went every day until this summer. Since I was home all day, my dad would leave him with me while I studied because all he did was sleep anyway. He did enjoy our study breaks for a snack and quick walk to the mailbox. He even enjoyed laying out by the pool. As long as someone was close by, Freddie was happy.

Freddie came to us from a rescue shelter in Alabama. When he was found, they believed he was likely about 8 years old and had been on the street for sometime. Although we only had Freddie for 6 years, he was a great addition to our family and will surely be missed.

Below are some of my favorite pictures of Freddie from this summer.



Freddie looks kinda unhappy in this last picture. I think that's because it was the day I left Kentucky and the last time I got to see him.

Working hard for the money....

I've been in NH about 4 weeks now, and I've been working pretty hard ever since. I've enjoyed working since I haven't done it in months. However, I have to admit its been hard. Its not easy to go from studying all day 7 days a week to working 9-10 hour days.

During late August and Early September, I worked usually 9 am to about 9/10pm. I would get up, walk Bailey (the family dog and my new BFF), shower, then head to the boats. Since the boats were still running during the week, they needed to be cleaned daily also. I would spend a few hours cleaning both boats, then I would start my shift for the daily tour on the MV Sunapee. Mostly I sold tickets, chatted with passengers, and tied/untied the boat at docking and launching.

After my shift there, I would either head back to the restaurant to work the dinner shift, or move to the MV Kearsarge to get ready for the dinner cruise boat. I really enjoy working the boats, because you get to know people. Most people are generally polite and interested to talk to you. However, there's always that mischievous/rude few that get the galley up in a roar.

A few weeks ago, we got hit by Hurricane Danny. For the most part it was really only rain, except for the wind and rain on the lake. When you work on boats, weather can be issue, even though we do sail rain or shine. Unfortunately yesterday though, the rain was so strong that it took 2 of us to pull in one of the boats in order to dock it properly. In the process of doing that, one of the poles we were supposed to tie up to, broke off the dock and sank, proving to make the process 100 times harder. The pole was fixed but it was quite the adventure that day.

Other than that, I've started focusing more on job searching. For a while I really wasn't sure where I wanted to be and what I was going to do. Now, I've narrowed it down a little and I'm really considering permanently settling in NH. I've even applied for a few positions here. The only downfall to all this: I would have to take the NH bar in February. Some people think I am gluten for punishment. Three bars in a row?? But really, I've always loved NH and while I enjoyed my time in Boston, I don't want to settle down there. However, I would consider the north shore and/or south shore, if I found the right job for me.

For a while now, I've even allowed myself to forget about the bar and the pending results. But I'm really starting to get anxious now. I know many people are pulling for me, as I am pulling for my self, but I'm just ready to know already.

I'm also back to babysitting. This weekend, I am with Walker (3.5) and Barrett (1.5), while their parents are away at a wedding in Maine. Over the 4th of July, I also spent the weekend with Walker and Bear while their parents were at a wedding in Denver. They're great little boys and a lot of fun. However, at the end of the weekend, I'm pretty exhausted from chasing after them.

On a sadder note, our dear golden Freddie is not doing so well these days. The vet is pretty sure he has some sort of internal infection, yet they haven't figured out just what yet. I know he's old, but that doesn't make it easy.

Below is a favorite picture of Freddie and our time together, this summer in Kentucky.

No one said this was going to be easy....

I've officially arrived and begun settling in, in Bradford. The road trip left a little to be desired though. On Saturday, I realized my phone was broken and wouldn't charge, so I couldn't call everyone I know anymore to keep my entertained, rather than talking to myself I also got extremely lost in the DC area and ended up at Fort Myers. I tried explaining to the guard that I just needed to make a u-turn, but alas I had to go to the "search the vehicle" tent. I did manage to avoid getting searched since I kept insisting I was only needing to turn around. Because the directions were unclear off the exit, I spent an extra 75 minutes or so in the car, trying to find Sue and Lokesh's house. Boy was I happy and relieved to have a reprieve from the car for a few hours.

Saturday night, we stayed in and Hamad (a good friend from Law School) came over to join us for a Wii bowling tournament. Although I'd never played any Wii activity before, I won 2 out of the 3 bowling sets.

On Sunday morning, Sue, Lokesh and I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast buffet at the nearby Marriott. I hit the road around noon and of course, immediately got lost trying to get out of the city. It took me a good hour plus to get in the right direction and an ok route to travel. I spent the rest of the day traveling the roads less traveled and mostly in the dark, in and around Upstate New York and Vermont.

Traveling through Vermont was by far the worst, though. The directions I got sent me through the back roads of Vermont. While I'm sure it would have been a very nice scenic trip through Vermont during the daytime, at night time in the rain, not so much. It just seemed like I was never going to get on a road that was remotely familiar or even not so scary.

Eventually at 10:30ish on Sunday night, I finally arrived in the beautiful Bradford, NH. While most people probably would not understand my love and appreciation of Bradford, if you live in the city long enough, you would appreciate Bradford for all it has to offer. Of course I'm extremely happy to be somewhere I refer to as "home," I haven't felt as settled and comfortable as I would like. I know that will come with time, as most things do in my life, but seriously, I'm so anxious to get this chapter of my life over with.

"No one said this was going to be easy, but no one said it would be this hard. "The past year has been so amiss of anything satisfying. Sometimes, I really feel like things should be a little easier than they are. However, I know that when it does finally come to me, I will be extremely appreciative and satisfied that all my hard work has finally paid off. Someday, I will practice law and I will understand struggles that many others have not had the pains of dealing with. My hope is that one day I can share that with other law students, who also understand these struggles, and help them to overcome these issues.

So now that I'm in NH, what is a girl to do with herself? Well, work at the restaurant/boats starts tomorrow, for me, and I'll be working a lot. I need it though; not working can be a complete drain, since I crave being busy and feeling like I am actually doing something with my time rather than sitting around doing nothing.


"History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats."-- Bertie C. Forbes

My time is coming to an end....

I can't believe I've been living in Kentucky for just about 3 months. I have to say when I first made the decision to come to Kentucky, it was a decision that I was really forced to make and it wasn't an easy to decision to make. While I was apprehensive at first, Kentucky has really treated me well this summer. Its given me a chance at a new beginning on making a life for myself, one that I know will be exactly what I want and how I want it!

Surprisingly, Kentucky has been really peaceful and relaxing. There's not much to stress about here, and being around the animals has been pretty awesome too. I've also managed to lose a little more than 10 pounds.

For the first time in a long time, I can say I'm truly happy. It almost brings me to tears to say that. It sounds like such a cliche, but with everything that happened, I was forced to move on with a life that was not working for me and find a way to make things work. Its taken a long time to realize it but the relationship wasn't working and I needed out. Its easier to see these things from the outside looking in, than the inside looking out.

Sadly and also happily, I'll be leaving to head to NH on Saturday. I feel like its time to move on with my life; I'm ready to make another big move and finally establish myself in the world. I know I'll miss my family, but being up north feels like home to me, it always has. Even now, when I don't really have a "home", but am just staying with friends until I get settled, the Appleseed (which is where I'll be staying) feels more like home than anything else right now.

To my loyal blog followers, even though I wouldn't be getting lucky in Kentucky anymore, I'll still continue to write. I don't think this journey that I'm on is quite over yet and there will be plenty more moments to share with you all.

P.S.: when and if any of you ever get the chance to visit Kentucky, I strongly recommend it; I even know of a small little farm in a place called Elizabethtown that always welcomes guests.

Alabama Slamah!

I just got back to Kentucky from an insane weekend in Alabama. My good friend, Jenn, from Quinnipiac, works at Auburn University in Alabama. I figured since it was only 7 hours from my parents' house and since I'd probably never get back to Alabama, this would be a once in lifetime trip, and that it was.

I left Kentucky Friday morning and spent the day making the 470 mile drive to Jenn's place. I stopped a few times on the way down, since I had extra time to make the trip. When Jenn got home from work, we were able to catch up for a bit, before heading out. We went to dinner and had some amazing food, including corn nuggets. They were fried deliciousness - bits of creamed corn fried and then dipped in honey mustard. Heavenly!

After that, we headed to a bar in downtown Auburn, Bodega. We sat for a while catching up and generally having a good time. Jenn's friend, Keven, met up with us for some good times. Keven just took the bar last week too, so he was looking to do a bit of celebrating as well, and we did just that.

Around midnight we headed to a bar called The Supper Club. The Supper Club is known for good cover bands and they stay open until 5am. In the back of the bar, there's a broken down bus that you get on just for shots. We did a round of shots on the bus and then moved inside to listen to the cover band, Rumor Mill. They did a lot of stuff from the 80s and 90s and were pretty good. Fun to dance to and fun to listen to.

I met some random guys, from some unknown location, whose names I definitely don't remember, that just started buying us drinks and so we let them. I think we stayed at the bar until maybe 4am, however, I'm not really sure since I was beyond drunk.

We got up around 10:30 the next morning, and I knew before I could even move it was going to be a rough day. A few minutes after we woke up, I realized my purse was MIA. We couldn't find it anywhere in Jenn's apartment. We even drove back to the Supper Club, but of course it wasn't there either. I barely made it through lunch with Jenn and her friends, before I had to get back to Jenn's apartment to hunt down my purse. Fortunately, I found it under her bed; I'm sure I placed it there for safe keeping, during my drunkenness.

I spent the rest of the day dying on Jenn's couch, to be cured from my horrendous hangover at about 7pm. We spent the rest of the evening watching old episodes of "How I Met Your Mother." I liked the show and I even think I am going to go out and get Season 1 on dvd this week.

This morning, Jenn and I grabbed some grease-tastic breakfast at IHOP and reminisced about the insanity of this weekend. We did a quick tour of Auburn University, too. Jenn managed to give me lots of Auburn swag to come home with too.

Sadly, I had to leave the wonderful place of Auburn to come home today. The drive was much faster this time and I got home around 8:30 pm.

It's Over!

I've been home a little more than 24 hours and all I want to do is sleep. The good news, though, is that the bar is over, for better or for worse. It was a pretty good trip, except for the lack of sleep.

Monday, I left my parents at 5:45am to get to the airport for my day of flying. Interestingly enough, I spent a lot of time in LaGuardia, where I was just a few weeks ago. The only bad part of flying from NY to Providence was the tin can they flew us on. I got to stare at the perpeller out my window for 60 minutes of hell. I've never been motion sick before and I felt horrible after that flight. After that I just kinda relaxed the remainder of the day. I had a great homemade dinner with Sam and Dave, and some much needed wine.

Tuesday, I had a great meeting with Janda, just recapping the essays and some suggestions for Thursday. I also had an amazing lunch with Ilene. I am so glad to have her in my life, because she's been an amazing mentor and supporter through this entire process. After that, I treated myself to a viewing of "The Hangover." The movie was hilarious! I couldn't stop laughing. I spent the rest of the night trying to relax and not think about the next day.

Wednesday and Thursday felt like disasters. I was a little more anxious that I would have liked, but maybe that's a good thing, especially since last time around I think I was a little too cocky about the whole thing. The best thing that could have happened though, was the examinee next to me. When I approached my sit, I knew the girl looked familiar; it just so happens that we were acquaintances in law school, sat next to each other at graduation and had bar prep classes together; being near someone familiar was so relaxing.

Anyways, I survived, no matter the outcome. Thursday night, I drove to Rhode Island and stayed with Sue's mom. She was so nice to have me, and even provided me with my favorite beer and pizza for dinner. I passed right out that night, and had no problem sleeping, especially compared to the rest of the week. The only downfall was that we had to be up at 4am to get to the airport.

I didn't sleep through either of my flights, as I would have liked. I got back to my parents yesterday around 3 pm and happily slept until 10am this morning. I've spent the day being super lazy, although I did get to ride for the first time this morning. My parents and I are going out to dinner tonight to celebrate my birthday and being done with the bar. I'm glad that I actually get to start enjoying the summer now.

The Dogs

Between my family and our friends, there is a little cast of character in dogs here in Kentucky.

Well all know the first and most important dog in my life, Fred. Since I've been in Kentucky, Fred doesn't go to work with my Dad, as much; he enjoys spending the day with me, even though all I do is study. Fred's just happy being around people and having someone to pet him. Here's a few classic pictures of Fred...


Fred has a not-so secret admirer, Dory. She's a very demanding little Westie and kinda dirty most of the time too.


These are the neighbor's dogs, Sam aka Moo the Bull Mastiff and Monkey, the mutt. They're good dogs, although Sam, who weighs approximately 240 pounds is scared of anything and everything. That is unless you are on his property, then he goes wild.


Monkey is about 6 months old and he's pretty dam smart. He's a cute little dog and just wants constant companionship.
Sam will sit at any sink until you turn it on for him. He prefers his water out of a sink or toilet, rather than the standard dog bowl.


Look forward to a future post focusing solely on the numerous cats on the farm.

See ya soon!!

I'm already back in Kentucky from my weekend in Boston. I arrived on Thursday evening, and was happily picked up by Sue and Lokesh. We proceeded to the Barking Crab, for some seafood and good laughs. I was so happy to see both Sue and Lokesh as I haven't seen them since they left Boston in April. We had a great time and I was very thankful for some fresh seafood. While Kentucky does have fast food seafood and Red Lobster, I much prefer the fresh stuff and wouldn't anything else. Say no to Captain D's!!

I spent the remainder of the weekend, with two incredible little boys: Walker, 3, and Barrett, 18 months. We had a lot of great play time and enjoy the 4th of July festivities in Needham. The only downfall to the weekend is Barrett's inability to be consoled in the middle of the night. His two year molars were coming in and he had no desire to be in his bed at 1 am. Hence, the party in my bed, and the little amount of sleep I got. Although it was a lot of work, it was a lot of fun and it was a great study break!

I returned home Monday night, and have been on the go since, just studying and ready to get this test behind me! I'll be back in Boston in 3 weeks for the big test and hopefully soon after that, to find a new place to live, a job and a fresh start on life.

Here's Walker enjoying some time on his balance bike. He's 3 and can already ride without training wheels. He's also really photogenic.

Here's Barrett tending to the grass in the driveway; he loves to use his mower and doesn't care that there aren't in bubbles in it.

Leaving home. I love Boston and the people there. While I can't wait to get back, I am enjoying the relaxation and non-stress Kentucky has to offer.

Almost home..

Its true, I'm almost home. In a few days, I'll be headed back to Boston for a long 4th of July weekend. While I'm excited about being back, I wouldn't have had this opportunity, if I hadn't decided to nanny for the weekend. Although it will be a lot of work, I am so excited for it. I think it'll be a great, much needed break from studying.

I land in Boston around 6pm on Thursday. Sue has already agreed to pick me up from the airport, so we can spend some quality time catching up. I can't wait. Since Sue left for DC in April, I haven't seen her and there's truly been something missing in my life since. She's an incredible friend and confidant!

After a scrumptious meal, Sue will drop me off in Needham for three days of uninterrupted fun with Walker, 3 and Barrett, 18 months. I'll surely be tired when Sam and Dave arrive home on Sunday evening, but I think I'm going to enjoy it.

I have grand plans of making it to the Capozzi BBQ on Saturday afternoon. Unless some major crisis occurs, I have full intentions of dragging the kids out, so I can get in a few minutes with friends.

On Monday, I depart back to Kentucky for a few jam packed weeks of studying and stressing. If you're planning on heading to Mike's party on Saturday, I hope to see you there!

I fought the law and I won!

During the trip to Kentucky, I was stopped by Kentucky's finest. The officer claimed I was going 78 in a 65 mph zone. I believe I was the victim of profiling because I had Massachusetts license plates. The officer was kind enough to give me a ticket, which would have cost me $170. Since I was given the option, I figured I'd drive to Traffic Court for the hearing and take my chance with the judge.

So on Monday, I drove the 85 miles to court for my hearing. As I entered the court, outcomes a small child wearing nothing but a shirt and a diaper running around in the courthouse. I knew right away this would be a different experience than the Boston courts. I got through security and went up to the courtroom. Everyone else appeared to be standing in line, so I followed their lead.

When I got to the front of the line, I gave the clerk my last name. She looked up the information and simply asked, "were you speeding?" In a comical fashion, I answered "no." She looked at me, as if recognizing that she's not as stupid as I thought she was. Her response to me, "Ok, I'll dismiss it with a warning." I was almost dumbfounded. Could it really be this easy?

It could be. I was in the courthouse for maybe a maximum of 8 minutes, before I left to drive the 85 miles back home. On my way home, I decided to treat myself, after my great victory. I drove straight to the liquor store.

In Elizabethtown, where my parents live, its a dry county, so you have to drive at least 25 to 30 minutes to the closest liquor store. So having seeing the opportunity of a liquor store, I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity. At the particular liquor store I went, I'm sure they knew I wasn't from around there. Every other customer that came to the store while I was there used the drive through. Yes, a drive through liquor store!

Besides my recent victory over the speeding ticket, I really have not been up to much else. In exciting news, I will be in Boston for the 4th of July weekend, during which I may make a special appearance at the Capozzi BBQ.

Happy 70th Birthday Dad!

My mom and I really pulled one over on my Dad. Friday, we told him that we would be going out on Saturday night for dinner for his birthday, and he was pretty excited about it. He'd been talking about going back to the Japanese Steakhouse for a while.

When he went in for his shower last night, to get readyto go to dinner, my mom and I set up everything - the food, decorations, etc. When my Dad emerged from the bathroom, he was speechless when he saw everyone in the house. The first thing out of his mouth was: "So weren't not going out to dinner?" Obviously not!

It was a great success and a really fun night for my dad. There's was tons of food, alcohol and laughs - what more can a guy ask for? Of course, plenty of thrilling gag gifts were all provided to him.

Below is a few pictures of my Dad's cake, and his most prized birthday gifts.


My Dad is still a die hard Red Sox fan, even after they moved to Kentucky. They order a special baseball package every summer so he can watch the games.


He's in his glory, with his best dog by his side!



His most favorite gifts. The Jingle Jugs we got at Spencer's. It sings "Beers and Tits" all the while the jugs are jingling. And of course, an old fart obviously needs an bedside urinal.

Nothing new

Well I thought I'd post a little update on the happenings in Kentucky. There hasn't been a whole lot going on, not too much happens in Kentucky.

Last night, I survived my first Tornado warning. The tornadoes passed to the south of us and we only had a small thunderstorm. As much as we complain about New England weather, it storms every other day here and we're constantly losing power.

I've been putting in a lot of time studying, and really that's about all. Since I have never lived here (before now), I don't know anyone, so there's not really anyone to go out with. I have yet to go out and do anything social with anyone in Kentucky. While I know I made a really good decision about coming to study here, its hard at times because there is no one to hang out with. I know this is a good thing because I can get a lot of studying in, but I could use a much needed mental break at times.

The one thing I hope this summer gives me is a chance to let go. Its been hard to let go of my relationship with Matt, even though its already gone. I think the letting go has been more or less about being alone and not having someone to share things with.

I also really need to let go of my anger over the bar; nothing else can be done at this point. Ever since I found out I failed, I've been angry about it. I just have a tendency to get angry over the fact that I have to be studying again, when there are plenty of others who probably didn't put in half the effort I did, and they passed.

One thing that has given me joy this summer is being here for my Dad's 70th birthday. Tomorrow, we'll be having his surprise 70th Birthday party for him, and I'm so glad I'll actually be around for it. While he's not my biological Dad, there's no difference to me. He's always been an amazing Dad to me, much better than my biological father. I'm just very happy I can be here for such a big birthday.

I hope everyone in Boston is doing well and I hope you all know you're amazing friends and that I miss you dearly!

Kentucky Oddities...

Below is a list of a few odd things about the people and places in Kentucky.

1. When I grew up, we have ice cream trucks that came around to the neighborhoods. Emphasis on "trucks." In Kentucky, they have ice cream vans. Like the vans often equipped with handicapped lifts. Now ice creams vans scream out "Alert pedophile!" Anybody else?

2. When it rains not only do you lose electricity and cable, you also lose radio stations.

3. While watching TV, I saw a commercial for Universal Technical Institute. However instead of referring to it by name, they kept calling it UTI. To me and probably a lot of other people, UTI means urinary tract infection. Poor choice for an acronym!

4. A lot of people refer to Kentucky and Indiana as Kentuckiana. Funny, I thought these were two different states.

I'll have more oddities to come, but this is just the start of what I think will be a very long list!

Animals on the Farm

Since my parents moved to Kentucky, their household,which once contained one dog and one cat, has dramatically expanded to include a what could be moderate sized petting zoo! Below are pictures and a little bit about each animal or group of them.

First and foremost, is Fred. Fred is our golden retriever that we rescued from Alabama about 5 years ago. Fred is a big character. He spends most of his day sleeping, even when he goes to work everyday with my dad. He's treated very well and his favorite part of the day is eating off my dad's fork, at the dinner table, every night. Fred is also well known for his babysitting capabilities, pictured below.

Here's Fred babysitting the kittens, who we've been fostering since two weeks before their birth. They're intrigued by him - he could care less about them. To him its one more damn cat in this house that deprives him of our attention (this is how we think Freddy thinks).

This is the kittens' mother. We call her "Momma Cat." She's only temporarily staying on the farm. Once the babies are old enough, she and the babies will all go to new homes.

The Savage Beast. Maisy was once my cat, but she didn't like Boston that much, since she couldn't get out of the house. Now, she only comes in to eat; she normally sleeps in the barn.


This is Molly. Molly was a rescue. One of my Dad's tenants abandoned her in their apartment, so my Dad brought her home. She's incredibly skittish, but has taken up the hobby of beating up Maisy whenever they're around each other.




This is Lilly. She was also a rescue. She spends every night sitting on my Dad's lap while he watches tv. Lilly also enjoys spending her nights in the hay loft.

Jazz (left) and Murphy (right) spend their days grazing on the farm. Both are extremely friendly horses. As soon as you approach the fence, possibly with a treat or not, they come running. They don't miss any meals!

Here's one of the ten or so ducks on the farm. They're my Dad's prized children. My parents' first summer in Kentucky, the neighbor's dog came over and killed a few of their ducks. My Dad was so upset that he researched that it would be legal for him to shoot the dog if he caught the dog killing one of his ducks again. And yes, in Kentucky, if an animal is killing your livestock, you can kill them legally.

Here's Fred checking on the baby ducks. Unfortunately, something snuck onto the farm last night and ate all the babies.

Here are some of the duck babies. Three were born on the farm and three were born in captivity, in a hatchery. Every spring, my parents enjoy the hatching of several new ducks. Unfortunately, every spring the ducks suffer natural selection as wild animals sneak onto the farm at night and eat some of them.

My parents also have a pond, that is full of fish. Pictured is a large carp and a small cat fish to the right. The carp have recently started coming up at night, when we throw fish food into the pond.

We've arrived!

20 hours of driving, 1050 miles and no sleep means we have arrived in Kentucky. We left Manchester, NH at 5:45 pm on Wednesday. We drove straight, except stopping for gas and snacks until 4:15 am when we both really needed a nap. At that point, we had driven 630 miles. So we pulled into a 24-hour gas station in West Virginia and snuggled up for an hour nap. The gas station was a little sketchy but the nap was much needed; afterward, we were refreshed for finishing the trip.

We drove most of the trip and following morning without incident. About 100 miles into Kentucky and 100 miles from my parents, I got pulled over. The cop claims I was going 78 in a 65, but so wasn't everyone else. He just figured he'd pick out the MA plate. So after about 15 minutes on the side of the road, he gives me a form informing me that I am "violator." I have no idea what this means. There is no fine to pay; you have to call the "violator's office." After that we got off the highway and went straight to the liquor store, because I was a little pissed. I remained angry for the rest of the trip, especially since I have only ever had one speeding ticket and that was 4 years ago in the MA pike tunnel in MA.

We finally arrived at my parents house at 1 pm on Thursday. We went straight to the pool, upon arriving and began 3 days of complete relaxation.

During the trip, we played a lot of word games and crosswords, listened to Dane Cook, laughed a lot and discussed all life's current quandaries.

Lois spent a few days enjoying the Kentucky life and laying by the pool for hours on end. She left this morning to fly back home. I am immensely grateful to her for driving with me to Kentucky; without her, it would have taken much longer for me to get here. Below are some pictures from the road trip, including a lot of signs of odd names from West Virginia cities.

Here's Lois driving through the horrible NY traffic at about 9 pm on Wednesday.

This is Big Otter, West Virginia. I just thought it was an odd name.


And we've arrived in Kentucky!

Leaving in a Gold Hyundai...

Tonight, I packed up my car, beside some last minute items I'll put in tomorrow morning. I don't think much else will fit in it beside me and Lo; I've packed it to the max.

Tomorrow, I have class until 4 pm and then I'll head to NH to pick up Lois. At about 6 pm tomorrow evening, the trip officially begins!

First Blog Ever

Ok so I'm very new at blogging, so bear with me. My life has recently been turned up side down and after emailing a good friend my life update, she suggested a blog, so why not!

Here goes: its May 15, 2009. I am packing up my life's precious treasures to put in storage for a few months. I am moving out of the apartment that I have shared with my boyfriend, of about 4 years, to go live with my parents in Kentucky, not to mention we've also recently broken up. What prompted such a drastic move you should ask? I failed the bar.

Back in February, after studying my ass off for weeks, I took the MA bar exam. A two-day exam that is physically and mentally taxing on your body. I wasn't sure I aced it but with all the support from my friends, I knew I must have done well. I did well enough that I was 3 points from passing. I've been a little mad at the world since I found out I was only 3 points off.

Once I got the results, I knew I had to do something different. After I got over the initial shock of the bar failure, I got to work on making a plan for myself. I spent a lot of time talking with friends, family, and a few select others. In order to be successful on this bar, I needed to be somewhere that I would be completely supported by others (because I wasn't the first time around), where I had nothing to worry about but myself and studying for this bar. My parents were really pushing me to come stay with them, so I made the best decision I could: I was moving to Kentucky.

On a side not, but a rather important one: Prior to my bar results, I became aware that my relationship with Matt wasn't headed in a good direction. So I broke up with him. Its not as easy as I'm writing it to be but the short version is that I broke up with him because we just weren't a match for each other.

So in a few short days, I'll be packing up some clothes and books in my car, driving to pick up Lois (my best friend in life), and making the 1,000 mile drive to the Blue Grass state. I'll return to Massachusetts when I find a place to live and a job. I'll continue to make updates on the happenings in Kentucky, as this will certainly be a life experience.