Killing Time

Another week, no word on the job situation. Le sigh. So, I have been trying to find ways to kill time while I wait. Most days I have hung out in my room, sleeping late and reading. A strange lethargy has overcome me; perhaps it is the heat, which until today was gawdawful. I did do a few things interesting things during the week, however.

Monday afternoon I went over to Old Town Alexandria, which, as the name suggests, is the old section of Alexandria, Virginia, that is just across the Potomac from DC. It dates to colonial times, and boasts that it was the childhood home to one Robert E. Lee, of Confederate general fame. So there's that.

The town is as you might expect. A lot of old buildings that, architecturally, date to probably the 1700s or the early 1800s, obviously since refurbished and repurposed. But other than its oldness, it is pretty similar to a lot of cutesy, upscale small town main drags: several chain upscale boutique-like stores, such as Francesca's Collection, or Chico's. Mixed in with, of course, a lot of independent, small business boutique stores. And coffee shops. And independent cafes. And the obligatory Starbucks (or five). In all it is a pleasant enough town; I enjoyed it because (big surprise) of the old buildings and historical nature of the place.

I wandered around for a while, taking pictures. It was real, real warm. And humid. God I hate humidity. I stopped into a coffee shop/gelato place to get some water, and gelato due to said aforementioned heat. I had a very interesting kind of gelato, which was a "chili chocolate." As you might expect, the flavor was a standard chocolate flavor, with some kind of chili powder in it. It was good, but also a strange sensation of each spoonful being simultaneously cold and hot. The cold hit first, almost immediately followed by the heat at the back of the throat. I liked it, although they might have gone a bit heavy on the chili powder. Not because of the heat level, but because I could kind of taste a raw chili flavor, like one finds in, well, a bowl of chili. So it was kind of weird to taste that along with chocolate. But it was good. The place is called Killer E.S.P., and is located at 1012 King Street, Alexandria. If you are in town, it is worth a stop.

Pictures or it didn't happen:

View of King Street, the main drag through Old Town Alexandria

Alexandria's city hall. They don't really "do" subtle around here

Old colonial mansion, apparently repurposed as the home of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. Classy*.

The thing about DC and the immediate outlying areas, is that it is somewhat culturally deceptive. Yeah, it's the South. But you don't really hear people with a Southern drawl, or if there is one, it isn't that pronounced. And DC itself is fairly cosmopolitan. The whole area kind of has a typical, almost vaguely European feel. One can tend to forget that one is technically south of the Mason-Dixon line. You want to think, "yeah OK, but Virginia isn't *really* the South. It's a blue state, c'mon."

Aaaaand then something like this happens:

"The Marshall House stood upon this site, and within the building on the early morning of May 24, 1961, James W. Jackson was killed by Federal soldiers while defending his property and personal rights, stated in the verdict of the coroners jury. He was the first Martyr to the cause of Southern Independence. The Justice of history does not permit his name to be forgotten. Not in the excitement of battle, but cooly, and for a great principle, he laid down his life, an example to all, in defence of his home and the sacred soil of his native state, VIRGINIA. Erected by the sons and daughters of Confederate soldiers." So... that happened

Old Town Alexandria can be reached by public transportation on the Yellow Line of the DC Metro, at the King Street-Old Town stop.

The other thing of some interest that I did this week was go to the National Zoo, located in the Cleveland Park neighborhood. Run by the Smithsonian Institute, it is another attraction in the area that is my favorite price of free. I didn't get there until around 3:00PM in the afternoon, and my god was it hot and humid. I was like dying. And about 15 minutes after I arrived, I got trapped in the gift shop for 45 minutes while they shuffled everyone off of the main road through the zoo, and didn't let us leave our designated spot until a (very) large truck was finished transporting a new Asian elephant to the elephant enclosure (truck and elephant were complete with their own motorcade and police escort. Must have been one damn important elephant). I alas did not get to see said elephant, save for one part of its trunk that was sticking out of the back window. Anyway, below are some of the better pictures that I took for the day there, because if you know one thing about me, it's that I love animals.

Entrance to National Zoo from Connecticut Avenue

Some gazelle and other Savannah-based antelopish creatures

Zebras

Cheetahs hanging out in the shade. It's a hard-knock life...

ZOMG Panda!

IT'S SO FLUFFY I'M GUNNA DIE!

OMNOMNOM

I do like parrots. They are very pretty birds, so colorful

Who can? Toucan! ...K I'll stop now

Hooty-hoot!

Not, in fact, an ostrich, but rather an emu

Flamingos: inspiring tragic American lawn "art" since 1950

Something about this sign just struck me as patently ridiculous/absurd

This was kind of cool: from the plaque next to it, "Pennsylvania Station Eagle. Adolph A. Weinman, 'Knoxville Marble' Limestone, 1910. A gift from the Pennsylvania Railroad to the Smithsonian Institution for the National Zoological Park, 1965. For years, this eagle watched over New York commuters from the facade of Pennsylvania Station. When the old station was demolished in 1963 [a tragedy, IMO] for the construction of Madison Square Garden, there was much demand to preserve the sculptures and architectural features. Today, of the 22 original eagles, only 14 are known to exist." And apparently the Smithsonian got one, and it is chilling in the Zoo. Ah, New York. I miss New York

Some kind of stunted horse. It looked like a donkey, but apparently was not

Orangutan: out of f***s to give

Why alligators and related species are the most terrifying, ever. Those beady little eyes above the water, always still and watching

Kind of hard to see, but that is the head of a lion. That liked to roar. A lot.

Not going to lie, I am one of those people who thinks it would be totally badass to have wolf for a pet

The National Zoo is located at 3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW. It is accessible via either the Woodley Park-Zoo or Cleveland Park Metro stops, both on the red line. The grounds of the zoo are open 6:00AM-8:00PM, the special exhibit houses (for example, the ape house) are open 10:00AM-6:00PM. Cafes, gift shops, and the visitor center are all open 9:00AM-5:00PM. During the winter months (November-March), the grounds close at 6:00PM and the exhibit houses close at 4:30PM. All other hours are the same.

*It is probably actually a good thing that they research mesothelioma. It's just that every time I see "mesothelioma," I can't help but think of those sketchy TV lawyer commercials about hiring a personal injury lawyer for mesothelioma claims.

Dog Days of Chicago Summer

Well, today is Labor Day. Also known as, the last day of summer, since tomorrow school starts.

Even though I have been back in Chicago for almost a month, I really haven't been able to experience at least a part of summer in the city. Between OCI interviews and moving to the new apartment, I was pretty much really busy from the moment I got back. So I really didn't have time to enjoy what the city has to offer, unencumbered by obligations like homework.

So, today my boyfriend and I took advantage of the holiday, the nice weather, and the fact that we are finally really moved into the new place, to actually go out and *do* something.

First, we went to Best Buy, because my boyfriend has been bugging me for a year that our TV is too small (the current one is a 19" flat panel), so I finally caved as our birthdays are both coming up, and we got a new TV. Initially we were going to get a 32" flat panel, but my boyfriend was able to talk Best Buy into a good price for a floor model 39" flat panel. So there's that (I also really have to learn how to haggle. I don't know how he does it, but he is always able to talk people down prices. to me it just seems awkward. But what do I know. Are you even supposed to haggle for TV prices?). I admit it will make watching football more satisfying.

After we bought the TV, we went over to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Yes, you may notice a theme here: I like zoos and animals. And the Lincoln Park Zoo is the Chicago zoo, I had never been before, and it is my favorite price (particularly after this last month, which thanks to the move has been $$$$): FREE.

Again, rather than me natter on, I am just going to show you pictures of cute animals. Yay cute animals!

This I believe is a Lynx. From the Big Kitty house (not actually its name)

This was a jaguar. It, like all the other big cats, was pacing profusely. I am sure it was thinking, "If I get out of here, y'all are lunch"

Sleepy lioness. Probably tired because the male lions make the females do all the damn hunting :)

No, no I could not resist. IT WAS JUST SO PERFECT, OK?

Gorilla with his back to us

Some kind of Tamarin. I think. Or maybe a Gibbon?

I forget what it is called, but it is the monkey that looks like an old man. He he

Gorilla OMNOMNOM

Like the most zen chimp ever

More chimps. Not as zen

Kangaroo!

Vulture. These things are pretty much scary as shit, btw

Cheekeh Monkeh!

Some kind of very prim looking water foul

Giraffes are silly animals. They always look kind of confused...

So, a rhino doesn't *look* so scary from far away. Dunno if I would want to be in his way though

So, that was my day today. All in all, not a bad way to spent Labor Day. If you are interested in the Lincoln Park Zoo, more information can be found here. In September and October, the zoo is open from 10AM-5PM daily. November-March, the zoo is open 10AM to 4:30 PM. April-May the zoo is open from 10AM-5PM. Summer (Memorial Day-Labor Day) weekday hours are 10AM-5PM, weekends 10AM-6:30PM. Admission is free, although they do charge for parking if you bring a car.

Lastly, I have some photos I took when I first got back to the city, of the skyline at dusk. Was going to wait to post them until I posted pics of the new apartment, but that might take a while yet. Since is the last summer post, might as well post them now. Here's to Chicago.

And with that, another summer comes to a close, and a new school year begins. Now excuse me, but I actually have to go to homework.

It's the Beginning of the End

Today was my last day of my internship. Technically I am not done, because I need to finish a project (as it would be a shitty thing to just not finish something). But still, last official day of work. Turned in my security badge and all. Really kind of sad. I have enjoyed this summer, and have enjoyed being a "working girl." Much more fulfilling than being a student. In all, it was a great experience, and extremely eye-opening. I still can't believe some of the things I have seen, that people really act like the (we think--we would be wrong) exaggerated criminals we see on TV. I hope that one day this can be my life. Tiring, a lot of work, but fascinating. Particularly once you get into court, which happens a hell of a lot more often in the public sector than in private practice.

At any rate, I have to finish this project. I probably should have worked on it tonight, but I was just so tired from the week, and staying up late every night. Will work on it tomorrow, hopefully finish. Then I will have to decide what I want to do for the next few days, before I leave New York. Depending on the weather, I think I am going to try to hit Coney Island on Monday or Tuesday. I am a sucker for amusement parks, and it is a fairly big New York "thing" to do (incidentally, I went to Central Park over the weekend to go on the carnival rides, but upon closer look...they really are just kind of kiddie rides. I am more of a throw-em-up-spin-em-around kind of gal, so it didn't really cut it and I didn't go on. Rather disappointing). I may also try to hit up the Bronx Zoo and the Aquarium...but I am kind of terrified of the Bronx. Although, given what has been going on in Chicago lately (namely, violent "flash mobs" of ghetto kids beating up on people in the tourist areas), maybe the Bronx is safer. Except not really.

I got my On-campus interview schedule today. For those of you not in the legal field, OCI is an annual ritual that all rising 2Ls go through before the start of the year, to determine if they will be going to work at a "Biglaw" firm in the summer after their second year (and, assuming a job well done, an offer for permanent employment upon graduation and successful completion of the Bar exam). I exclusively applied to firms in New York and Washington, DC. Which lead to an interesting conversation with my boyfriend. Jesus this thing is basically Sorority Rush, except with suits and not cocktail dresses. As per NALP guidelines (don't ask), I don't think I can (and really shouldn't anyway) go into details at this stage; suffice it to say that there are several days of going to multiple 20-minute interviews with representatives of the different organizations. Which is also basically the definition of sorority rush, at least at Northwestern. Well, at least I have good practice.

Man, I can't believe it is only a few more days. Sad. I really like New York; I am sad to see it go. I am sad to see myself go. I will be updating the blog about my final days in the Big Apple. I will also blog (probably tomorrow) about what I did last weekend; was going to tonight, but too tired.

Anyway, in tribute to the fun (and sometimes challenging), and ultimately rewarding times this city has given me over the last couple months, here is a YouTube video of Empire State of Mind. I listened to this song when I found out I would be in NYC for the summer, so it seems fitting for the twilight of my time here. Enjoy.

I also need to locate a shipping box, packing tape, and some packing padding. I bought some stuff while I was here, but considering I was already maxed out on my weight limits flying out here, will need to send things ahead to Chicago. Plus, I am not sure I could physically fit anymore into what was already in my suitcases. Here's to hoping there is a UPS store or something.

And finally, some random thoughts I had today, that I thought were interesting enough to share:

First, some professor at U.C. Riverside is getting five million dollars to study ("scientifically") if there is life after death. Uh, pretty sure you can't really prove that one there, Skipper (in a factual sense, not talking faith here people). Unless this guy knows something we don't, we don't even have the technology it would take to cross whatever physical and temporal dimensions stand between our life and eternity, if such an eternity or afterlife even exists. Sylvia Brown's contentions aside, there is no real way for us to access the "other side" without croaking ourselves, at which point it would then be impossible to furnish physical (non-ghost-like, which doesn't last anyway) evidence of such an existence to the living. Aka, it's impossible. I am all for humanities getting funding (because it *all* goes towards like, pharma research), but couldn't it go towards something more realistically obtainable?

Second, (and this is real random-- thought of it while I was reading an article about STDs. Don't ask. And no, I don't have any) but have you ever noticed that a disproportionate number of creative geniuses (or "geniuses" in other, non-IQ type ways) back in the day had syphillis? I'm serious. There is a lot of scholarly research that while perhaps already gifted, people like Van Gogh and Beethoven reached the height of their genius while under the peak influence of syphillis' influence. Right before they descended into madness and death. If guaranteed to produce the next Ode to Joy as a side effect of the illness's brain-screwing, would someone willingly get syphillis? Despite people's probable initial reaction of "hell-to-the-damn-no," I don't think it is necessarily as obvious a "no" as people might first think. While somewhat extreme, what's the old saying, "it's not the years in your life, but the life in your years?" Not that I want to run out and get a nasty STD, but it does make you think. Creating a lasting piece of genius, or changing the world, is -- so far as we know anyway-- the only real way to achieve any kind of immortality. Making your mark lets an individual "live on" by having a place in the world's collective memory. Look at the ancient Egyptian pharaohs: they built those tombs now on display for all the world to see, and underwent elaborate burial practices so that they could forever live on after death in a new world. And through our knowledge and study of them through the elaborate and intentionally-preserved artificats they left behind, in a way, they have.

Independence Day Post of, "Awwwwwww"

Today is the Fourth of July, and I have been quite thoroughly enjoying my day off. I took advantage of the whole not having to get up for work "thing" today, and got quite the late start. It was wonderful. But because I got such a late start, I was looking for something I could do that would only take a couple hours. So, I decided to do something that has been on my NYC "bucket list," and went to the Central Park Zoo. It was absolutely amazing and adorable, so much so that I didn't mind the sweltering heat. There was a regular zoo, and a petting zoo. PS: Petting zoos are pretty much the best things, ever. It was a great was to have a relaxing holiday and day off.

But rather than have you all listen to me blabber on, I am going to let the cute critters speak for themselves, at least in pictures. Below are some photos of the cuties that I took while there. Some photos are better than others; the animals, it seems, were the smart ones, trying to stay out of the heat (unlike their human counterparts). Hope you enjoy!

Warning: Ridiculous cuteness ahead

A puffy Puffin! These lil dudes had the right idea: stay in the water

Poor polar bear. He was probably miserable in today's heat

Mongoose: The Animal that Kills Cobras. For such a BAMF animal, he cure is a cure lil critter

Turtle from the Southwestern United States

Lemur: Straight-up Chillin'. Like a Boss.

I don't know what kind of tropical bird this was, but he was very big, and very handsome

More Lemurs! Lemur Lemur!

This was at the petting zoo. I believe it is a bull. Dude was big

Sheep! On a hot day like today, it must suck to have a permanent wool coat...

I got to feed some hyperactive goats. They are bigger chow-hounds than the dogs I have owned. Jumping up, crawling all over each other to get treats from the tourists. I wonder if they get fat from all the snacks fed to them?

In conclusion: Zoos are awesome. I wish I had fluffy, furry animals in my life. Maybe not these animals, because they are, ya know, wild, but they turn me from kind of a grump, serious person, into a giddy 5-year-old. Not a bad way to spend the day at all.

If you are interested, the Central Park Zoo is located at:

64th Street and 5th Avenue, New York, New York. You can also access it from within Central Park. General Admission for adults is $12 (or $18 if you want the "4D" theatre pass), $7 (or $13 to add the 4D ticket) for children 3-12. General admission will get you into the Main Zoo and the Tisch Children's Zoo. Summer hours are 10:00a.m.-5:30p.m. daily, open 365 days/year. About 2- 2.5 hours should definitely be enough to see both the main zoo and the children's petting zoo.

I really like Central Park. It is just a very calm, nice area. As much I love NYC and big cities, it is nice to have a respite from the concrete jungle and the go-go-go it entails. It is nice to be able to see forest-type animals live in the ponds and lakes that have been created for them. And, it's just so pretty. All the old stone bridges and things, designed back in the day where people really took the time to make intricate sculptures, brick facades, all to make a very picturesque, tony atmosphere. It is very nice.

I also love the Upper East Side, at like Park/Madison/5th Aves and ~90s-50s street. It's so clean, and the buildings are all like old,stone or brick Empire or Victorian-style apartment houses. And for the buildings on 5th Ave, they have a great view of Central Park, being right across from it. I am sure, however, that those apartments and condos are tres cher. Like, I am thinking they pretty much cost this:

and a

Images by illuminator999 on Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons

Alas, I am afraid my tastes are too expensive for my own good. I will probably have to get some stressful-yet-high-paying job so I can keep up with myself.

So, that was about it for today. The sun is going down, and they just did the fireworks over the Hudson River, which I was able to see from my dorm window, so that was nice. I thought about going, but I didn't want to fight the crowds, plus from being out all day in the sun I am tired and a little dehydrated, so it was best for me to stay where it is air-conditioned. I should find dinner, but I ate kind of late today anyway. Will probably just stay in, maybe get takeout.

And finally, since it is Fourth of July, I thought ending this post with the following would be suitably appropriate, because it is a July 4 holiday classic, and just so epic, and so good:

President's Speech from Independence Day, copyright 20th Century Fox, 1996

Damn. Now I really want to watch that movie. Hulu? Anyway, I hope you all have had a happy and safe Fourth of July!