Bar Results!

I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!!

I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!!

I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!!

Feeling Better

I've appeared to come out of my FUNK! Which is super exciting because feeling low is no bueno. Working for my parents is going well. It gives me an opportunity to spend some QT with the rents and learn what they do on a whole different level. I came to Grundy this weekend to visit Justin and go to his formal with him. I know this sounds crazy but I really love Grundy. It's been raining here and Justin and I have been cleaning his apartment and cooking all afternoon. Ah! Sleeping in and cooking.......what a fab day!
Last night when I arrived I was greeted with a dozen roses, my favorite candy (chocolate and skittles). I am such a lucky girl.

Back to nesting for now.

Some Pic's POST Bar Exam!

Justin, Katy, Miranda, Brandon & I at Fat Tuesdays!

Aimee Cole's Wedding! The whole ASL gang! Gosh, I miss these guys!

Justin and I at Aimee's Wedding!

Bristol Race

Scotty & Christie's Wedding in Wrightsville Beach

Figuring it OUT!

It's the craziest thing, I'm the absolute most happy I've ever been and yet the saddest at the same time. Is this possible? I've been doing a LOT of praying and self reflection and I think I know why I'm in this fit of mini depression.

1. Justin is 4 hours away from me and that just makes my heart hurt thinking about it. While I see him every weekend, it just isn't enough! I can't wait for the day that I get to wake up to his silly sleepy eyes every morning!

2. The bar results are looming in the distance and it's like my life is in limbo..... Will I find a job? Will I be able to make my student loan payment come January? Will I pass the bar? The unsureness of it all is killing me. I've always been the type of girl who has a plan, who's organized, who knows what's around every corner and is prepared to take anything head on. But this feeling is SO different. I feel so unsure about myself and my career path. I pray that God has a plan for me and I just need to let go and listen.

3. My life is in transit. I'm living with my parent's again, which is a huge change considering I haven't ever really lived at home since I was 18 years old. I love being home! Don't get me wrong- I LOVE IT! But on the same note...it's not MINE anymore. There's no place for my bedroom suite, my dishes, my linens, etc. and I am just so ready to settle down into a place with my own lil space in the world.

So, in a nut shell - I'm a big ole' ball of confusion.....and it's all gonna be A-Okay!

Oh! Marta passed the bar! Yay! That's wonderful and I'm super happy for my crazy lil pint of Ben and Jerrys!

Enough for tonight....

-Ames-

Reflection

Wowzers! It's been almost 2 months since I've taken the bar and life has been....well NUTS to say the least.

First, let's talk about the bar exam. It's over! Thank God! It was the absolute hardest 3 days of my life but......it's over. All the preparation, all the hard work, all the sweat and tears and ........it's over. It's the weirdest experience, one that I have never felt. The 2 days of essay questions were brutal but I forged through, prayed to God for clarity and made the best of 24 hours of test taking. The MBE section really got me though.....it was like nothing I had ever seen before and inside I panicked a lil but the upside to the madness is that everyone else had the same feeling. I think that the MBE test givers are pissed with BARBRI and PMBR and decided to throw the biggest curve ball ever.........AH!!!!!!! Again, it's over and yet I can't quit dwelling on it. I guess it doesn't help that I have dreams every other night that I screwed up. Oh well, it's over! Letting go is half the battle and one of which I haven't conquored quite yet.

After the bar exam, Justin and I went to Myrtle and met my family for a great week of fun, sun and relaxing. It was just what my very very tired body needed. I think I slept till 2pm for 3 days straight. I was just completely zonked!

After Myrtle we came back to Thomasville for a couple days to gather my thoughts and get a lil organized before heading to Knoxville to meet J's family. They were fantastic, YAY! You never know when you walk into a new family but they were super sweet and I was so grateful to feel comfy with all of them. I should have known that anyone that could raise such an amazing man would be equally as great.

After Knoxville, we headed to Grundy and got Justin moved into his new apartment and got him all settled in to start his last year of law school! I see him every weekend but it's just not enough and I miss him terribly! 8 more months of lawyer school and LIFE BEGINS!

I've been working for my parents and sending out resumes while I wait to hear back from the SC bar exam results. The wait is KILLING me! NC's came back 2 weeks ago and it made my stomache flutter with nervousness. My most favoritest people in the world passed and I am super happy for all of them! YaY! Congrats Janet, Bobby, Ashley, Bridgette, Michaela and Derek!! So happy for you guys!

I've been saying a lil prayer for all of us that are still waiting! I pray that we all do well!

Well, the blogging is done for the night.............

More to come in the craziness that I call life............

GROUNDHOG'S DAY

Bill Murray's Got NOTHING on US! Every day is the same. Wake up: eat, coffee, brush teeth, take adderall & excedrine/alieve, study for hrs, more coffee, eat a piece of fruit, study some more, maybe eat dinner, study some more, more coffee, attempt to drink water to hydrate, study again, contemplate silently either a) killing myself out of complete fear and stress (joke) or b)get in car and drive....continuously in 1 direction w/o looking back. The good news---- this craziness ends in 10 days. In 10 days life will get semi-normal again. I'm getting anxious, nervous, there's fit of crying at least once a night but it's ALMOST over and Kristie and I have done the work, studied the material and haven't let up for a second. It's all up to God now, and that's just fine with us.

-A-

Running Low on Steam

The past two weeks have been super hard on me. I've been staying up all hours of the night, waking up bright and early- and trying to get this stuff down to a T. I've been condensing the 35pg outlines, that Kristie had already pared down from 300pgs, to 2-3 pagers. Going back over the material, scrutinizing the big stuff, trying to memorize lists, factors, elements and then doing MBE questions to boot. I'm tired. Simply Tired but I'm forging ahead. Thursday Kristie and I took a practice MBE test and I scored 137 out of 200 questions. Which is pretty good considering the MBE graders give you a 20-25 pt curve on top of your raw score. And all I need is a 120 in SC. So, I'm feeling okay about that stuff. Trying to go over 1 MBE subj a night though to keep refreshed.

Today I decided that after not leaving my apartment for, oh let's see 8 days- with the only exception of walking across the street to Publix, I needed a change of scenery. Today I'm studying at B&N trying to condense my Civ Pro outline to 3 pages. YUCK. It's coming along though. I'm just ready for this whole process to be over. I need to sleep for at least 3 days straight and get my life back on a normal schedule - one not consisting of coffee, adderall, bennadryl, 20 hr work days and 3.5 hours of sleep. I'm ready to start life, real life. I miss my family and Justin so much it hurts. A combination of all of it is just too much....but the beauty of it all....It's almost over. I'm surviving.

8 1/2 days and the big test begins. I will be ready. I will do well.

Say a prayer and cross your fingers because I can use all the help I can get.

Amy

Feeling the Burn

Today, I threw out all the food in our apartment that wasn't healthy. I've felt like crap for the last 2 weeks and I decided it was because I was clepto-eating everything NOT GOOD for me! Chocolate, Chips, Cookies, Candy, Cokes --- ALL GONE! ha! the 5 C's were bringing me down. I went to the grocery store and picked up tons of fresh veggies and fruits to keep us healthy for the next 2 weeks.

Today was Sales and I feel really good about the subject. I took the afternoon and went over Contracts as well and did some practice MBE ?s and was hitting about 75% which is pretty good. Tim came by and we traded some outlines and charts and while he was here he showed me a video and it was just what I needed to feel - well - crappy. A headache and no sleep has had me down a little today. Here's the video. Watch and enjoy!! I think it will bring a smile to your face. This is LAWYER SCHOOL all wrapped up in a song!



Tonight I'm going to narrow down my Remedies outline and hand write the Sales outline. Lots to do!!!! Kristie and I were discussing earlier -- if only the bar were based on all the "case law" we've learned from watching EVERY Law & Order ever made?! I would be sure to pass with flying colors.

It's almost over......

Thank God.

-Amy-

Oh My!

17 Days Until the Bar Exam!!!

AH!!!!!!!

It's crunch time and I'm feeling it.............

but heck..........

it's the pressure that makes the diamond right :)

Selfish ?

July 4th went off without a hitch....kinda. I went to Myrtle and met my brother and parents for a weekend of sleep, food and studying. I slept in on Friday morning, kinda if you count 9:30am sleeping in, and laid out in the sun all day with my Mom by the pool. I had my outlines in hand and achieved my goals for the day- a tan and a lil knowledge to boot. Saturday morning I go up early and got my hair done....and it's looking super cute. I spent my 2 hours in the hair chair doing notecards and studying wills, trusts and estates. Quite a spectacle in my she-she salon! I attempted to come back early on Sunday morning only to be met with traffic on hwy501 as far as the eye could see and after an hour and 45 mins in traffic - I turned around. I ended up staying at the beach house until 8:00pm studying like a maniac. Everyone had left and I got a lot accomplished! I love productivity!

So for the past week I've been rolling around in my head the concept of selfishness. I have always been a giver in life, priding myself on never keeping a thing for Amy. I was listening to the radio after a quick run to Starbucks and I heard a woman asking herself for forgiveness for not putting herself 1st, for running herself ragged for the entire world and not giving herself what she so desperately needed in life. Well, I thought....THAT'S ME! In the past week I set some rules for myself and it started with the word NO. Can you do this? NO. (Politely of course) Could you buy that? NO. Could you fix this? NO. I'm exhausted! Studying for the bar has given me the excuse, and the balls for that matter, to say no to people. And to be quite honest....it feels pretty darn good. Sometimes in life, you do so much that people just expect it....it's not a treat or an act of kindness anymore and it's just what you do. Well, this girl is saying no to things. I'm pooped! Studying for the bar makes me realize just how important I AM! And it makes you prioritize real quick. God has absolutely blessed me with a huge heart, and that heart has finally opened up to not just the world.....but it sees me as a priority. Now that is an accomplishment all by itself.

The past couple of days has been a bit nuts. We've been studying like crazy girls. I finished up handwriting my corporations outline...trying to seal in the specifics to memory and doing MBE practice questions. Criminal Law is just not clicking for me, so tomorrow I am going to spend a good 3 hours going over ?s and why they are right and wrong. Pray I start to "get" it. Panic has started to set i just a little and I'm overwhelmed.

But the good news is - I am blessed, God is good and I have a lot of people that love me...including myself :)

-A-

A Better Attitude and a New Outlook

As most of you can tell - I've been a lil in the dumps the last couple of blogs. All of the physical stuff has just got me a lil depressed and well for lack of a better word ... FEELING LIKE POOH! But after some much needed mom and dad attention and a lil affection from Justin~ I woke up this morning with a new sense of self. I'm physically feeling a ton better. No headache today, no dizziness, no nausea and I just felt refreshed and rested from the weekend and a great nights sleep.

Today was all about Corporations and it went pretty smoothly. I spent my afternoon handwriting the Insurance outline, doing MBE questions and organizing outlines.

I talked to Brandy last night and Andy tonight and it was so great to hear their voices!! Brandy says all is well in GA and I think she may be the most upbeat person I know. God bless her! Andy is doing well but the VA bar has him down just a lil. I think the theme of our convo was "Who could possibly learn/know ALL of this material adequately?" I miss him and Matt! I forget how much they mean to me. I think a trip to Richmond is in order after this ole bar exam.

Justin is in town for a couple days visiting me and giving me all the affection and love I can stand - what a lucky girl I am. He gets me, enough said.

Well, it's 1am and I am tired and it's time for bed. I feel like I've had a great day filled with productivity.

Thank you God for blessing me with great friends that genuinely care and love me. I am truly grateful for each and everyone of them.


-A-

Ah!

So, after 2 hours at the eye doctor I now can pinpoint what and why I'm getting these dizzy and nausious spells! My eyes! I have an astigmatism and it's causing my eyes to strain- thus causing the dizziness and fits of nausia. Yea- new glasses for this girl. I also don't blink enough and it's causing my eyes to dry out and a film to accumulate on my eyeballs. YUCK! Ok, so the up side to all of this is - I AM NOT JUST GOING CRAZY! Thank you Jesus!

Today was all about Partnerships and the material was not bad at all. I did really well in Prof. Murray's class (A-) and all of those silly business classes in undergrad are paying off! Today I'm studying Remedies some more - trying to get down the details and then doing some more Crim Law and Evidence MBE questions.

Oh! Carol called from ASL today and informed me that out of all the diplomas mine was the only one messed up - well of course it was. Amy's (Murphy's) Law hits again. No worries though because a replacement has been ordered. I told her that in the big picture - so not a big deal and to quit worrying about it- if she wanted to worry about something, worry about me tackling the SC bar.

Ok, back to Remedies m'dears........Thanks for all the love and prayers......They are greatly appreciated!!

-Amy-

Falling to Pieces...

So I think this whole "bar thing" has my body going to hell in a hand basket (did I say that right?) I was plucking my eyebrows last night - it was a must--- and I realized my hair is falling out again!! I went through a period of 6 months when I was 19 years old when this happened. It's a little frightening. The doctor called me in some high powered prenatal vitamins for the hair today, hopefully it will counter act whatever stress my body is going through. He also put me on some medicine for the migraines as well. My lil body just is in a tizzy and I'm not feeling so hot. I got really dizzy tonight while I was at Wal-mart searching for yet another printer cartridge. (I've been through 3 since I've been here) Please say a lil prayer for me!!

Today we went over Insurance Law and I actually really liked the material. I've decided that Insurance law is the bastard child of Contracts and Remedies. 7 hours of class was a little much but not too bad.

Tomorrow is Corporations but more importantly Kristie's Birthday! Happy 28th Sweet Girl!!

Off to bed--------

Amy

Are We All Just a Lil Disheartened?

Today I got on facebook for a quick looksie and I read everyone's updated status- they read a lil something like this "I hate studying" "Will I ever pass the bar" or my favorite is cute ole Mike Jackson's that read "Mike Jackson is apparently studying for the February bar exam." Mine went something like this, "Amy is super duper tired- because she stayed up all night running the SC probate scheme through her head" I talked to Minga on google mail and even he sounded a lil down about this whole bar thing. Well we've officially been studying for almost 2 months like crazy animals and it's definitely starting to take it's tole on us. My eyebrows are bushy, my roots are dark, my bangs are hanging in my eyes, my toe nails are in need of a polishing, my nails are bitten to the quick, I've put on at least 5lbs and I'm exhausted. I think we are all in need of a some maintenance, a moment to breath and a good nights sleep. Guys, if you're reading this - I feel your pain and I'm thinking about all of you and praying for all of you!

Yesterday I spent 14 hours deciphering through South Carolina's Probate scheme. YUCK! BOO! ICK! Only to be told today that - "Yea, probate isn't really a big deal on the SC bar exam." Um yea, that little bit of information would have been super duper helpful last night around 1am when I was PULLING MY HAIR OUT! Well, I can tell you this - if there's anything on that bad boy about Probate - I am you're girl.

I went after class for a massage and it was the absolute best I've ever had. Since I've been getting these migraines and with all this hunching over books or my laptop - I thought I needed a little R&R. At least 1 hour of it anyways. I did a little research and there is a lady in Lexington (about 10 mins away) who specializes in neuromuscular cranial massage and boy oh boy it was amazing. I finally got rubbed and massaged the way my lil head needs it!! Thank you Jesus!

Now off to read more insurance law ---

-A-

Bar Exam Studying = Migraine

This weekend was exhausting. Friday was a 7 hour long mock/practice MBE and it took everything out of me. Then we spent 8 hours on Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday going over the questions individually. It was uber beneficial to know why I got the ones wrong that I did. But 24 hours in 3 days of sitting in hard stadium seats, head bent over, neck all cocked funny, eyes straining and hands cramping -- Yea, I got the absolutely worst migraine on Sunday during the last 20 minutes of the day. It left me throwing up, shivering and just HURTING! This whole bar thing, has my lil body thrown in a tizzy. Lots of Excedrin, 2 hours of sleeping and Justin's smiling face seemed to make me feel much better!


Today was all about WILLS and I actually feel quite good about the material!! It's coming quite easily for me, I think it's because Professor Shinn made us learn SO MUCH material that only having to know 1 jurisdiction is so NICE!!!! Ah, I'm surviving and that's the name of the game these days.

Justin came in last night and is staying through tomorrow and there's nothing that makes this stress and hard work a lil more bearable like his presence.

Back to life, back to studying ...........

God is Good.

Another Day

Yea, so exhaustion has set in! I'm overwhelmed and to be quite honest - a little disheartened. I've been doing these MBE questions for weeks now and I can't seem to get more than 14 out of 17 right. I know that is about 82% but I can't seem to get over that HUMP and it's driving me crazy. The past 2 BARBRI classes have been SC specific Payment Systems.......SHOOT ME NOW! I actually visualized throwing myself onto my ink pen or paper cutting my wrist today. The professor was live and he was just no bueno. He kept going in circles, never really answering his own questions- only to return to previous material in the outline. I'm guessing the look of sheer panic on my face translated quite well to my pal Kristie because she patted me on the hand and said..."Don't worry, I'll figure it out!" BLESS HER HEART! Because I truly was scared at the thought that I would never recover from this jumbled mess he called an outline.

Justin got back from Portugal on Thursday night around 12:30am after a hellish plane ride, a missed flight in Newark and lost luggage in Nashville. The dear child, drove straight to Columbia to see me....he arrived at 8:45am on Friday morning smiling with exhaustion but with Mickey D's breakfast in tow. What a little angel! How did I manage to find such a good and kind person who loves me to boot? He slept all day on Friday while Kristie and I studied. Later that night, when he finally woke up-- we decided to head to the beach for a night of peacefulness. We didn't get down to Myrtle until 11:30pm but it was a much needed rest for both of us. We spent all day Saturday on the beach- drinking beer, reading and enjoying just being with each other. Insert picture of Saturday's fun here.
We slept in on Sunday and headed back to Columbia around lunch. Back to studying and the war with the bar on Sunday night (BOO!)

OH! We have spiders and bugs in our apartment which is where I'm guessing the bites and hives came from last week- so our building came and sprayed. Yea, now they are EVERYWHERE! I was laying in bed tonight doing Payment Systems note cards and got BIT the fire out of by some random big black bug! AH! GROW-DEE!!

Well back to work - another set of MBE questions before bed.
Please pray for Kristie and I - we need all the help and prayer we can stand. I don't think I ever really wrapped my mind around how much work, pressure and stress went into this monstrosity we call the bar exam- but we definitely know now.

-Amy-

Tuesday = Exhaustion

Tonight I decided to run up to CVS to pick up some blank 4x6 note cards and when I got there I was disappointed because it closed at 6pm. I promptly put into my handy dandy GPS to find the nearest Dollar General. Of which I was taken into the ghetto and to my surprise it closed at 6pm. At this point I'm getting a lil wary because 1) I'm in the ghetto but 2) There's a bad storm brewing and heading right towards me. As I pulled out of the DG and headed toward the Target -- THE ENTIRE BOTTOM DROPPED OUT OF THE SKY! It was possibly the worst storm I've ever experienced, the rain caused a flash flood, the lightning was striking everywhere and the thunder was so loud and constant my mom couldn't hear me on my cell. NUTS! Well, I got to the Target- the Target that was NO MORE! So in the middle of the mess I found a Staples, I took the ole Jeep and pulled her on the sidewalk underneath the Staples overhang and safely stayed inside until the whole thing blew over- an hour later! I did completely score Microsoft Office 2007 for $100 and I found my notecards!!

Well that was enough babbling! Today was all about Criminal Law in BARBRI class and I felt really good about the information. I did quite well in that subject and it all seemed to wash back over me today. Today in class I looked up and low and behold Davis Whitfield-Cargile has joined us in BARBRI! I think he panicked just a lil when he realized what a big undertaking studying for the bar is. It's good to have him as a part of the team. Kristie and I came home after class and have worked like lil maniacs. We've outlined, notecarded and done MBE questions and we feel pretty dang good about our progress!

Oh! So last night around 2am, in a fit of delirium, I looked down and realized I had hives all over my legs and face. WTF? Can stress manifest itself into HIVES? I'm hoping it was some kind of reaction and not my body responding to too much coffee, too little sleep, too much stress and too much time hunched over this darn computer. PLEASE dear God let it be a reaction.

I talked to Justin today online for about 5 mins, the reception was horrible but I got to see his lil face on our webcams!!! I miss him and I'm ready for him to come home!! He's having a great time and winning some money and I'm excited for him and a tiny bit jealous I'm not a part of the festivities.

Well time for bed, another day of studying is under my belt, I'm just a little bit smarter adn my brain is actually thinking again. AMEN

Amy

Done!

Con Law Outline D-O-N-E!! Finally! Criminal Law and Procedure start tomorrow. I'm OVER IT and it's only June 9th!

Hot as Hell!

In the land of cement and non-wind AKA: COLUMBIA, SC --- It's a 103 degrees today and I'm refusing to make an appearance in the cement jungle I seem to be living in!!

Damn you Chemerinsky!!! And the Horse You Rode In On!!!

Constitutional Law Expert: Professor Erwin Chemerinsky!

So, after spending the last 7 hours trying to go through good ole Constitutional Law (god) Chemerinsky's outline for the MBE I'm left feeling officially suicidal :) 50 pages of dry, 1/2 explained nonsense!

Why can't Stewie Harris teach the BARBRI course? I seemed to get his gist of the subject just fine!? I'm wading through this mess of stuff but I know I will conquer it --- er---eventually! I've decided to call it a night and hit the sack. Sitting up until 3am is doing me absolutely NO good. My goal is to wake up around 6:30am and go for a walk. I think I need to clear my head before BARBRI in the mornings and a lil exercise never hurt anyone. I think if I start getting to bed earlier, I won't feel as BLAH all day and require so much coffee.

Tomorrow's goal: Finish the Con Law Outline, Unpack, Eat Healthy, Exercise a lil, do 50 MBE questions and get in bed before 12midnight. I think this is completely attainable.

It's funny, as I read through this Con Law stuff - while I might not know the technical word for why the right answer is right --- at the end of it - they're RIGHT! I feel confident in what good ole Stewie taught me 2nd year and I'm praying it all starts coming back to me!

Oh, I heard from Justin tonight- he's in Portugal and having a fantabulous time!! I'm so excited for him! He said that the internet wasn't free and it was super expensive so he would contact me in about 2 days through email with details of the fun that's ensuing! Yay for making a memory!

Good night m'dears!

AMY

Another Weekend of Weddings!

Tonight was Keagan and John's wedding and it was BEAUTIFUL! It was held at "Childress Winery" in Lexington, NC and it was absolutely gorgeous! Yes, it was a tiny bit hot (99 degrees) but it was so worth the sweaty thighs to see 2 cute people (whom I set up) get married and find something that's worth celebrating. It was beyond words GREAT to see all of my best friends, the kids I've grown up with, the people and families that appreciate and love us. Seeing Hekhuis, Chris, Todd, Keagan, Brittany, Tyler and all of their families was the biggest treat. Growing up with this amazing group of people has lef my memory jogged of all the fun and hijinx, a smile wide across my face and my heart warm -- because I have people that love me in spite of myself! They support and revere all that I do in life and hug and hold me when I need it the most.

This summer - while crazy ridden with studying like a maniac - has also taught me how much I love my family and friends. I have 2 parents and 2 siblings that love and support me through every whim in life. I have friends that pick me up when I fall and brush my knees when I've made mistakes and I have a man that loves me just for me. Now that is a life worth living. And most of all! God has granted me the wisdom and insight to recognize just how much love I have in my life. I know countless people that wonder or stumble through their day to day existence and seem hopeless - and yet they don't see the people around them that care and love them the most. I, m'dears am the most luckiest, blessed girl in the world because I recognize, appreciate and thank God everyday for those people in my life.

I met a kid I've heard a lot about in the past couple of years........and I have a feeling we will be great friends! A love of literature........yep good friends.

Justin is in Portugal this week and I'm missing him to pieces. I know he is making great memories and I am beyond excited for him.

Here are some pics from Keag and John's wedding........

The Winery!

Me, Katy, Hekhuis, Brandon, Todd and Chris

John and Keagan!

Chris and I

This is my 2nd and last weekend of home.........
Back to the books in the morning............
The bar exam is calling my name and it's in need of a lil butt kicking

-Amy-

exhausted.

Last night was a long one. I didn't go to bed until 4am. I stayed up late trying to catch up on work that got brushed aside for a weekend of fun. I got the Contracts outline/notecards finished -Thank you GOD- and a couple sets of MBE questions under my belt. I finally crawled into bed around 3:45am and my head wouldn't quit going through UCC exceptions! UGH! Then up this morning at 7:45 am and class until 1pm then I ran a couple errands and then went back to contracts with more questions. Kristie and I broke for an hour and went and had SUSHI at Camon in downtown and it was uber great. It was a much needed break for food, a glass of plum wine and conversation that doesn't revolve around "the modern trend."

I'm super duper tired and running on fumes but all is well in bar study land. We are trudging away, keeping our nose the grind and our minds in position to kill this bad boy. One more skill set of question and then off to bed.........

Will I ever sleep well again?
Will I ever wake up without a crick in my neck again?
Will I ever calm my mind enough to actually think about something other than the rules of Evidence?

AUGUST 1st! I love a goal!

-a-

A Great Weekend!

Justin and I went to the James Taylor concert on Thursday night in Charlotte and it was FANTASTIC! It may have been the best concert I've ever been to! This was my graduation present from Justin and it was the best gift ever. We had great seats, the weather was perfect and the music was groovin'. Such a GREAT time! Here are some pics of the night!

After the concert we headed to my good ole hometown of Thomasville. Justin got the full T-ville experience, complete with a visit to Safari. Friday night we went to Salisbury for Keagan and John's pre-wedding party/shower. It was so nice to see everyone and spend a lil time with Katy, Keagan and Brittany. After the party we headed to Liberty for drinks and live music with Brandon, Katy and Daniel. FUN! It was so great to hang out with my brother. It had been too long and a lil QT was in order.

Brittany, Keagan, Me, Katy and Lyndsay

Saturday me, Justin, Mom and Dad headed back to Charlotte for Kaitlin's Wedding and it was FANTABULOUS! The wedding was held at this great lil church in downtown and the reception was at the Westin. We had such a great time! Kaitlin was breathtakingly beautiful, the food and drinks were to die for and the company was impeccables! Dad and John got the LOVE TRAIN going and it was a HOOT!

Here's one of Dad and John!

Mom and I (I think we may look a tiny bit alike! Don't ya think?)

Justin and I

We ended up staying the night at the Westin and heading back to Columbia on Sunday afternoon. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

The fun ended on Sunday when I got back. Studying commenced upon arrival and today was class from 9am-12noon and then Contracts studying and typing outlines and notecards. Ah, Back to the GRIND! My break was short but much needed. It's almost 3 am and it's been a long day. Thank you God for blessing me with family and friends that love and support me in all my endeavors. I'm blessed beyond words and I am grateful.

-a-

It's the Weekend!

I'm exhausted! Kristie and I stayed up til 2am working on Evidence and Torts, memorizing outlines/notecards and doing questions last night! I didn't wake up until 8:40am and rushed around and was 5mins late to class. The work is paying off though. Our numbers are looking better and now we are averaging between 70-75% which is really good. I came home after class, reviewed Contracts. Now I'm cleaning up and patiently awaiting Justin's arrival! Tonight is the James Taylor concert and I'm the happiest girl in the world, not just because I'm going to a great concert but because I have finally found a man that is fantastic, kind and I love him. Life is good and I feel blessed.

Much to do before I leave for the weekend!

I'll post some pics when I get back from NC!

-Ames-

All Hail Kinsler - The Jedi!

So it's 1am and I'm finally done for the day! Thank God! I'm pooped! I laid in bed tossing and turning until 4:30am and then finally dozed off only to abruptly awoken to the blasting of my annoying alarm at 7:30am. BOO! Justin and I have been coming up with ways to make money, because I don't know if you all got the memo but LAW SCHOOL and BAR EXAMS make for very POOR KIDS! I'm BRIZOKE! I've spent every last penny on PMBR, BARBI, Apartments, Utilities, Books, Paper, Pens, Printers, Lamps, Egg Crates, Food and to top it all off GAS! Damn you Exxon! One of the things I admire most about Justin is his drive and ambition and he's lit a fire in me that has been running very dimly for the past couple of years. As Justin would say, "I'm Hungry!" We've been developing strategies and ideas on how to make some money this summer and putting them into motion this week. More to come on that end in the near future.

We went over K (contracts for you lay people) today in BARBRI and I was reminded of how forever grateful I am to Prof. Jeff Kinsler for his devotion to ASL's bar passage rate and his extensive knowledge and his generosity in sharing it. Contracts is coming easy for me but it's only day 1 of K, so we shall see. Today, Kristie and I did 8 sets of 18 questions on Evidence and Torts and we are averaging about 66% on them which is a good start. Our goal is to get Evidence, Contracts and Torts memorized by next week so we will be ahead of the game. I finished up the Evidence notecards and Kristie is working on the K outline. We are rockin' and rollin'. Davis Whitfield-Cargile stopped by this evening to visit and borrow my PMBR book and he is as crazy as ever. He's decided not to take BARBRI and just get the state specific books online and study on his own. And the great thing is....HE WILL KILL THE BAR EXAM! I wish I was naturally that smart. Law school humbled my brainy ass! It was my moment where I looked around and I wasn't the smartest kid anymore....we are all the smartest kid from our respective school. lol. Yea, my ego got busted --- it was bound to happen sooner or later :)

Justin gave me the best graduation present ever!!! Tickets to the James Taylor Concert in Charlotte Thursday night!! I am so excited. JT is one of my favorites of all time and I am super duper happy and excited to be spending a night with the boy, grooving to great acoustic music from the king of hippies. Yay! Friday we have an engagement/pre-wedding party for Keagan and John and Saturday is Kaitlin's wedding! I am stoked to see the Bloxsom family, it's been too long and they are some of my favorite people in the entire world. Then back here on Sunday morning to work hard and study. I'm glad I'm getting all of the festivities out of my system in the beginning of the bar stuff and I'm working extra hard to be ahead of the game so I will not fall behind.

Exhaustion is setting in m'dears and I'm off to bed..........

Pray I make the right decisions and at the very least I get a good nights rest!

-A-

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend I have been a lil slack on the bar studying. I guess I was just exhausted! We went straight from exams on Thursday to a huge formal party the next night, then graduation was on Saturday morning, then PMBR started bright and early Monday morning and went on for a week, then I had to pack up everything and head home. Where I spent hours organizing and unpacking, of which I had to turn around and repack for Columbia. I ended up with about a 3 day break at the beach before I had to be here for BARBRI to begin. I think my body was just zapped and needed a lil R&R. I did however finish outlining Evidence and putting them to notecards and I did do a couple sets of questions, so I guess I haven't been too, too bad.

Justin came in this weekend and we've had the best time together. I adore that we can just sit and laugh and entertain ourselves with nothing more than a couch, tv and a laptop. We drove Saturday to Charlotte and met my parents for dinner and to exchange cars. My Jeep is finally fixed and looking quite fantastic! Yipee! We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and my oh my, that whole diet was out the window this weekend! And it was worth EVERY BITE! :) I realized just how much I miss the fam and home. I need a lil Momma, Daddy, B and Katy time....ASAP! Justin and I explored downtown Columbia, visited a place called Nonnah's and had the very best apple pie I've ever encountered, we drank beer and watched a great band at Wild Wing Cafe, and ate shrimp and grits at the Blue Marlin. Overall, a great long weekend of eating, drinking, being merry and a couple hours of studying Evidence.

Oh, let me just say this. I want to KILL Professor Kunich! (Insert shaking of Fist) I feel like I got nothing out of our Evidence class 2nd year. The fact that he spent 2 days on Hearsay and 3/4 of a semester on Relevance may have something to do with my lack of knowledge and abundance of anger. I do consider myself lucky though, because the USC kids weren't required to take Evidence or any of the UCC classes. Well in the land of the SC bar that's pretty CRAZY! The SC Bar is broken down into these categories:
MBE: Evidence, Contracts, Property, Constitutional Law, Torts, Criminal Law and Procedure.
Essays: Business Law, Civil Procedure, Commercial Law, Domestic Relations, Equity, Insurance, Wills, Trusts & Estates.

The good news is- I've had all of these classes with the exception of Insurance but I did the research on what the bar examiners ask for this essay and have good books and outlines to begin from. I will say this: Yes, ASL may suck when it comes to some things but I can honestly say that I feel completely and adequately prepared for the bar exam and for that I am beyond grateful!!

Well, I need to do some Evidence questions and look back over my notes.

I hope this finds you all well, feeling rested from the long weekend! Love y'all!

The Lil Things in Life/Bar Land

Kristie and I are taking a hard-core approach to the bar and I think it is already paying off. We've been putting in the hours and it appears that it's working! Yesterday's schedule went something like this;

7:15am: Up and at em
8:15am: Starbucks for a lil pep in our step
8:30am: USC Law School for BARBRI, staking out our front row seat and laying claim to it! Reading over the outline one more time.
9:00am-1:15pm: Torts lectures
1:30pm: Lunch
2:00pm-3:00pm: Work Out (relieve stress or more importantly down size the big ass that I received compliments of the gourmet cuisine in Grundy)
3:00pm-7:00pm: Studying Torts Outlines, Doing Notecards, Memorization
7:00pm-7:30pm: Dinner (For me: Nutrisystem, For Kristie: Spaghetti Os)
7:20pm-8:00pm: Quick run to Wal-mart for 3 Egg Cartons for my bed
8:00pm-12:00am: More notecards, then practice ?'s in Drill set 1
12:00am-1:00am: Talk to Mom and get the latest gossip, news and love
1:00am-1:15am: Talk to Justin
1:30am: Fall ASLEEP!

Okay, so last night before bed I was wondering if we were doing too much for the very beginning...BUT today in class the kids around us (from USC) asked us how many we were hitting out of the drill questions and we responded 14 of 17, 14 of 18. To which we were informed was super high that none of them were getting more than 10 out of 17/18! So, with the feeling of a tiny victory, we feel like we're doing something right!

Today was/is another long day but now we are working on Evidence! And let me tell you!!! I am super duper excited!!! Bobby (God's lil gift to me and the world) taught me how to make notecards on my printer/laptop!!! I've been handwriting notecards for the past 3 years and this new discovery has me beyond HAPPY! Yes, the bar exam makes the lil things in life worth getting GIDDY about. I'm inserting a picture of my handy dandy notecards!!!!!







IN LOVE WITH THIS APPROACH! I can outline and not have to rewrite all of it! Hip! Hip! Hooray!

So it's 1am, I'm exhausted and Kristie is too! This is us, still up and still studying (with an break to blog of course)







I'm too cute to look this bad already! But give me a break...I've been hunched over a computer and books for 12 hours today.

Oh, so the 3 egg carton bed thingys and my feather mattress has done the trick- I've finally had a good nights sleep! Thank you Lil Baby Jesus! Justin is coming to visit for the weekend and Kristie is leaving to go home. I'm excited to see him and lucky that he understands that I have to study 1/2 days on the weekend.

Back to Evidence........

Puttin' on the face paint, the camo and fatigues and I'm ready for war!!

-A-

Pictures!

My Work Zone!

This is the mountain of books and outlines I must squeeze into my tiny head!

1st Day of BARBRI- Look what Law School has done to my Posture!

My Tiny, Tiny Bedroom! This bed is an OLD SCHOOL bunk bed with no box spring! I think I'm going to have to see the Chiropractor when this whole experience is over!

Day 1 of Barbri CLASS

Today went well, we went over Torts and I felt pretty good about the material. Kristie and I arrived super early to stake out a desk at the front and as I was sitting there I was reminded of my 1L year. Wow, what a year. I don't think I've ever been so terrified of failure in my life. I remember sitting in the library, day in and day out studying. Reading case after case with the fear of being called on and not quite having the correct answer. So I would sit and read (and more than often ...look over to my friends in the carol beside me and say "I'M SO OVER THIS!") and read some more. School always came easy for me so law school was my wake up call. How to study was my biggest worry. Am I doing this right? And then came my saving grace, in the form of a 4 foot 9 inch tiny blonde with a bigger mouth than I had.....enter Kristie McAuley. I remember studying beside her and looking at her and saying "I just don't get this whole "proximate cause" thing!" Now, to you lawyer kids you understand what a big deal that is but to you lay people: That's like a butcher not knowing a cut of Filet or a CPA not knowing the standard deductions for a single taxpayer or to be quite frank it's like a prostitute not knowing how to give a proper BJ. I was so SCREWED and I just didn't grasp the subject! Kristie looked at me and laughed and we've been together studying, playing and laughing ever since. So the idea of studying for this mamouth of an exam without her would feel....well....just wrong. I'm so glad to be going through this experience with her. We just get each other and I feel super blessed to have walked away from law school with a best friend like her.

So we rented this 1 bedroom apartment here in Columbia, I put my bed in the Carolina room, aka: the tiny lil area off the side of the den and we've posted up a desk and work center in the dining room. I love the area we are in...Vista Commons is right near the USC Law School where we have BARBRI and it's in a super safe location with gates and double locks. This is crucial in Columbia because of high crime. So I'm gonna post a couple pics of our apartment....my tiny space of a bedroom but most of all take notice of all the books...WOWZERS! Between the BARBRI, PMBR, EMANUALS, Examples & Explanations and Gilbert's, I'm left with a dizzy head and an anxious mind!

Off to do more Torts!

Missing Everyone and Sending My Love!!

-A-

Bar Review Orientation

The past week has been blissful! I got to spend time with my fantastic family and wonderful boyfriend at the beach! We went down and just relaxed, laid around, ate and enjoyed each other's company. It was exactly what I needed to recharge my "battery" for the upcoming craziness that is the Bar. What I find more confusing than the Rule of Perpetuities is this whole nonsense of calling the hardest exam of you life the Bar!? Explain that one? I mean, a "Bar" in my eyes is a fun, it's laughing, partying, playing and hanging out. I personally believe that calling this personal hell of mine a bar is just SAC RELIGIOUS!

Yesterday I had my own mini-breakdown that consisted of a few tears and some frown lines in my forehead that I'm sure -I will never recover from. I guess I was freaked out because.....I've never done this! I've never taken a bar exam and I just don't know where to begin, how to plan for it and what to do! Failure is not an option and the very idea that I do not have everything organized in a neat lil outline, a precise list all highlighted in the perfect colorfully coordinated bow to wrap it all up in ---- just kills me. I am an organization freak and when I don't have a list, I feel out of control.

Today was all about how to study for the bar. A schedule, a list...AH! My AH! moment! Thank you Jesus. I feel much more at ease and that is quite a feat, considering I was handed 7 very, very, very large and heavy books filled with outlines, question and information that must be crammed into my tiny blonde head by July 28. I can do it! No doubt about it.

This morning when I woke up, I started to think about all my ASL friends and how they were waking up with the same anxieties and the same fears and I said a lil prayer that all of their minds would be at peace and that they would begin this journey with a sense of purpose and confidence.

Studying now begins for TORTS tomorrow....

The Journey Begins.........