An Actual Conversation

This conversation took place this morning on my way up the elevator at work. It's just enough floors (7) that people try to make awkward conversation.

Me: Minding my own business, I smile and say hello when the usual delivery guy gets in on the 2nd floor. "Hello, how are you?"

Guy: "I'd be a lot better if Britney would disappear and they'd get Anna Nicole's body in the ground already. I'm gettin' a little tired of hearing about it constantly...it's become like a poison."

Me: I ponder a moment, evaluating the irony. "Do you find it at all ironic that you just brought it up and poisoned me with the very thing that you find so toxic?"

Guy: "Yeah, sorry..."

Me: "Ok then, I'll see you tomorrow...hang in there." Smile.

Oh Yes, He's Much More Than a Scientist...

The Boyfriend announced to me several months before Valentine's Day that he was making something for me for the occasion. With my birthday being the day AFTER Valentine's Day, he understands my deep seated hatred for the "multi-gift" (for example - one CD to cover both occasions, flowers with a card that says Happy B-day AND will you be my Valentine...to which I would reply an emphatic "no"). Don't get me wrong, I don't expect an elaborate display, but even a nice card and flowers for V-day, and then a gift for my birthday that anyone at any other time of year would receive.

Back to the project. I was curious and a little apprehensive about this creative endeavor - especially since it was being made of polymer clay - something he had never worked with before. I've always known he was creative, but I didn't have any tangible evidence.

I watched his process as he purchased a toaster oven, texturizing equipment, a pasta press, clay, dyes, etc. I also noticed bags from places such as Art Mart and Hobby Lobby making their way into the house. What WAS this crazy man of science doing in our basement?!?!

The outcome was amazing. I'm not sure why, but I cried when he gave it to me. Maybe because it was so beautiful, or maybe because it looks like something I would love - and he designed and created the entire thing.

Project Description: It's a book made of tablets of polymer clay that's been dyed to resemble jade. The book is bound with rope and can be added to in the future.

The first photo is the cover. First he bought a stamp of a Mulan poem. He stamped the clay (he says it took him sandwiching the clay with metal and standing on it), painted the tablet with red acrylic paint, then wiped off the extra, which left only the paint in the characters.

The second photo is of the inside. The left pictures The Boyfriend and his father washing his first dog in a garbage can, the right is me and my dad carving a pumpkin (wasn't my dad cute?). My mom and sister both knew about the gift because he had to contact my mom to get the picture. I thought it was strange that she called and asked for his phone number, but I didn't connect what he was making and my mom at the time.

The third photo is the back and is stamped with bamboo branches.

These pictures really don't do this project justice. It's so beautiful and I was very touched that he put that much work into it.

I felt a little inadequate giving him a duct tape wallet that I'd made (although to be fair to - he told me he wanted one, and he was really excited that it was hand made...but I did buy one from thinkgeek.com just in case my version didn't work out).

Ickiest.Injury.Ever

Not sure how many swimmers are out there (I know my mom and dad are among them). But you know how the bottom of the pool is rough? I was swimming yesterday and scraped my toenail on the bottom of the pool. I've scraped the top of my FOOT before (badly enough that it scabbed over and was pretty painful), but the toenail is a totally different beast.

I had no clue that the toenail is so thin. This scrape went all the through the nail and the skin under the toenail was bleeding.

This may not seem like a serious injury...but it's totally grossing me out. As long as I don't think about it I'm fine - but when I wiggle my toe and it throbs I get grossed out all over again.

I realize this topic is strange for a blog entry, but I can't get it off my mind. Every time I think of the scraped hole in my toenail, all my toes curl, and then my toe throbs and the vicious circle of me gasping "ewww, Ewww, EWWWWW!" begins once again.

Bob

My best friends dad passed away last week. It's really hard to wrap my mind around because I can't imagine what it would feel like to lose my father.

Anyway, M (my friend, pictured at right with her dad at her wedding in Jamaica last year) has been shuttling back and forth from Colorado to take care of Bob. She made sacrifices in her relationships, school, and her job to be a guest in someone elses home and be there if he needed her.

I realize this wasn't an easy thing to do, but I feel like it accomplished one of the most important things when talking about losing a loved one. When I spoke with her she said she had no regrets. That's probably the greatest outcome from this sad situation. She got to be there for him, say everything she needed, and he knew she was there.

Anyway, I felt fortunate to have met and hung out with Bob. He was intimidating at first (the whole rough biker thing), but as soon as he started talking he had this really gentle nature about him. He was comfortable to be around, extremely funny, and would do anything for anybody.

M says she's doing fine (this has been coming for 5 months), but she'll feel it later. Luckily she has a lot of people here who can be there for her when that happens.

More Good News

I didn't actually think this was possible, but I was accepted into the Summer Institute at Saint Louis University School of Law.

The Summer Institute is actually what I wanted to get into. It's a seven week session with two first year law classes. Twenty-five perspective students with rural/urban educations or learning disabilities are admitted. We have to pass both classes and then we're accepted into the Fall 2007 class. Why the Summer Institute? Well, some of us out here (me) have prior academic issues, such as:
1. ADD/ADHD (which caused 2)
2. Light at best undergrad attendance/studying (which led to 3)
3. Less than desirable GPA (3.2) (which had NOTHING to do with 4)
4. Lower LSAT score than is considered stellar (151)

I took a test prep class and tried really hard to do my best on the LSAT. I felt pretty deflated when I came back in the 49th percentile. I read about the Summer Institute and realized there is a chance I can go to law school (and SLU is no slouch when it comes to ranking...it went up a whole tier last year - it's now tier 2!). I wrote an essay explaining why they should let me into their school, why they would benefit, and why I deserve this chance.

This program is not completely for their advantage. I mean, yes, they get to see if I'm someone that would bring value to their program, but I also get to see if I even want to study law. I may start this course and realize it's not for me - and this way I won't be out a whole semesters tuition. I also think it's fabulous to allow intelligent people whose grades/test scores aren't indicative of their academic aptitude a chance to prove they're more than a standardized test score. I'm smart, but I need this opportunity to see if I can hack some really hard core studying. If I can't pass these two classes then I shouldn't be in law school.

Maybe if I'm feeling really saucy I'll post my essay.