so... um... maybe time's come to say something

It's been almost a whole week since I got my acceptance letter to New York Law. Barring acceptance from Cardozo, I'm going to accept the acceptance. I was pretty damn thrilled to get the letter and didn't sleep for almost 2 days. The day after it came, I spent at Harlem Academy, where everyone's first comment to me was, "You look so tired."

And I was. My head was racing so bad that I couldn't sleep. John and I spent some time in initial discussions about going to NY Law and a lot of decisions have to be made. I'm trying to fill out my FAFSA forms, only to be stonewalled by lack of income tax paperwork. Telling Pie was tough: he really wants none of this law school business.

I thought as he got older it would get easier, for both of us. But he is so great to be around, he makes me laugh and I love just chatting with him. I don't know how either of us is going to cope come August.

I keep hoping for Cardozo, not just because I am in love with the place, but because the first year would be part-time and would make the transition easier for all of us. I worry about John having to drop Pie to school in the morning. Pickup is easier, but he sleeps a good hour extra in the morning when I take Pie. I feel terrible taking that away from him. Not to mention him having to get the kid breakfast and pack his lunch, which I supposed I can do the night before, but it's still a task to get mornings going.

Every so often, just because I can, I let Pie get away with murder in the morning. I get up a little earlier sometimes to make him a breakfast that doesn't involve cereal. Sometimes, I cook after he's gone to school and then drop off a hot lunch for him at noon. Sometimes, I go have lunch with him and we have an identical meal. He gets such a kick out of it. I cannot describe how much I am going to miss all of that.

I've also spent much of this academic year living at Harlem Academy. I volunteer for a lot of things because I know I won't be able to do much once school starts. Hell, even before school starts. I didn't realize I'd love it so much or that they would start giving me stuff to do. I told them about law school and getting accepted but it's going to be tough letting go of the greatest school on the planet.

But I am excited about starting. I'm dying to go laptop shopping with the husband. I am going the PC route and there's a cute Toshiba model I have my eye on, but I am keeping my Mac for as long as it lasts.

I'm dying to go to Staples and make my name with stationery. I'd like to go to the school and sit in a class. Kaplan also offers a 1L mock session, so I will be going to one of those. I'm making lists and taking names. I can't wait and I'm terrified as all hell!

sherlock holmes

One week, a few weeks ago, I had no new library books to read. I always have my quota of 10 books lined up in "Holds" but nothing new had come up. Rare.

I've read most everything I own several times, so I started to troll through some of John's books. He has a complete Sherlock Holmes so I thought I'd read them over. I read the introduction first, by a fella who is really into his Holmesian mythology. I was intrigued by some of the detail he pointed out so I went a-hunting for some info.

In my search, I discovered that there were several authors who picked up where Conan Doyle left off. I had already read Michael Chabon's "The Final Solution" and found to to be my favorite of the five books of his I read in a frenzy last year.

But there were so many more! Heady stuff.

I read Michael Dibdin's "The Last Case of Sherlock Holmes", which was a yawn. I really expected it to be more exciting as it dealt with Holmes investigating Jack the Ripper. Ripper winds up being Moriarty and he and Holmes do take that tumble off the Reichenbach Falls but it's his death with no resurrection. I thought that taking a great criminal mind and turning him into a butcher (with the excuse being that Moriarty needed to take this next step basically because he was bored) was dulling. I was hoping it would be Watson unmasked as the Ripper. Dibdin should ask for a do-over.

The re-mythology is far more interesting. Arthur Conan Doyle is a friend of Watson and, after much pleading, gets the doctor to persuade Holmes into letting ACD (how he is referred to in the book) publish one of his exploits using Watson's written recollections. All the "embellishments" that Holmes criticized Watson for in the actual stories is now laid at ACD's feet. It was pretty funny.

And, although Holmes dies at the end, it's ACD who "resurrects" him using cases from before his death. Watson mourns his friend until his own death many years' later. This story is only "uncovered" in the 1970 because Watson left instructions that it be opened 70 years after his death.

The novel promised far more than it delivered. I really wanted it to be Watson.

Then I moved on to Laurie King. What a difference. Technically, her series of books involving Holmes is "young adult fiction" and here's why.

In 1918, a retired and now beekeeper Holmes, literally stumbles over a 15-year-old Mary Russell. He has one conversation with her and discovers her gift for observation are as keen as his and he takes her under his wing. The obvious adventurous hi-jinks follow.

But it is a great read. I've read the first of the series, "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" and could not put it down. King also employs a wonderful device in which she, the author, writes in the introduction that she has received a huge package, sender unknown, containing many mysterious bits, bobs and trinkets, as well as pages and pages of some kind of manuscript. She has no idea why she was sent these items but realized the pages are recounts of exploits by Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. She does some cosmetic rewriting, puts sequences into chapters and sends it off to her publisher. Eight books follow.

I went into Barnes and Noble and had a looky at the nine books. To say I am intrigued is an understatement. Russell has her own backstory: she winds up Holmes' neck of Suffolk to recover from surgeries sustained from a car accident in which her parents and younger brother were killed. She believes she caused the accident and has nightmares about it. I discovered that more is revealed about her past in later books and I had to leave B&N because I couldn't buy them and I might have sat right there and read them all. Thank goodness of the New York Public Library!

And I also have Paul Gilbert's "The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes". He tries hard to copy Conan Doyle's style and, so far, brings nothing new to the table. Jeffery Deaver included a case in his "More Twisted" short story collection, told from the criminal's perspective. It is my favorite one so far.

I've also read that people wrote books where Holmes meets Dracula, Dr Jekyll and Mary Poppins. I think I'll be giving those a miss.

me and the movies

There are some movies I feel obligated to watch when they are on. If I am flipping through channels and one of them comes up, I stay on it and watch it through. I can't help it, even though I can quote the dialogue along with the characters.

Shattered Glass
The Departed
Gone with the Wind
The Princess Bride
Sex and the City
A Christmas Story
Bride and Prejudice
Atonement
X-Files: I Want to Believe (Derek gets particularly pissed at this one for some reason!)
An American in Paris
Sense and Sensibility
Howard's End

It's insane how many times I've seen all these movies. They are all so different that I can't explain the appeal in just a few words. Some remind me of my father, some remind me of good times, some just drew me in.

I can't explain "The Departed" other than it satisfies some bloodthirst that must reside in me. "Shattered Glass" is just great story-telling and acting. "Howard's End" and "Atonement" are just beautiful movies to watch. "Bride and Prejudice" reminds me of home and cracks me up big time.

"The Princess Bride" is just downright wonderful and deserves its own paragraph. I saw that in high school (actually IN high school: some class showed it to raise funds for something or other) and thought it was a great romance. Only when I left school and saw it again did I realize its genius. Last year, I read the book and almost died laughing.

"Sex and the City" scares even me. I was watching it again yesterday and realized I was saying the lines out loud. It's one of those movies I keep on in the background when I am doing something else. So is "Sense and Sensibility" (even though I own the DVD, it's always like the first time when I see that movie) and "X-Files: I Want to Believe".

I guess I also find comfort in familiar things. Like some books I read over and over. Or repeating funnny things Derek said when he was a baby or John wrote to me when we were apart. It's just nice to go back to something I really love.

law school applications chronicles - applications

So I'm almost done with sending my applications. Actually, I just have one school to complete as soon as I get in touch with their Admissions office to answer some questions.

My 2nd recommender never sent his recommendation. It would have been process by now. I gave up the same day I wrote that last post and asked someone else. She took 1 weekend and it took just a couple of days for LSAC to process it. I sent all my applications on Thanksgiving Day and one school already got back to me that my paperwork has been received.

Now I just wait for April when the "watching the mailbox" really begins.

law school application chronicles - recommendations

You know how every book you read about applying to law school and every advisor you speak to about applying to law school and every blog you read chronicling applying to law school talk about that slow 2nd recommendation and you think, "Pshaw! That isn't going to happen to me," as you send that 14th reminder email to that 2nd recommender to please get his ass in gear and send the damn thing?

It happened to me.

I really thought I was above that. I'm not in school and haven't been for 15 years. I'm in regular touch with the 2 people I asked for recommendations and never thought I'd have a problem. The first one came in great time and was processed quickly by the LSDAS and sat in my account just waiting to be assigned to a school.

The 2nd one was my ace in the hole. I expected this one to be the one that kicked all other LoRs in the butt. Especially since I have a stinky LSAT score, I needed my written material to be extra-glowing. The first one was marvellous and I couldn't have asked for more, but I knew the 2nd one was going to go Matsui on it.

After much hounding and unanswered emails to the recommender, I finally get a response that it was sent. It takes 7-10 days for the LSDAS to process it and when I called, 2 weeks after I was told it was sent, they couldn't even tell me if it was received.

Sigh.

So I ask the recommender to tell me when and how he sent it so I can try to track it down. Turns out he was NY and mailed it from his hotel. He gave it to reception and they assured him it would be sent out. So I ring the hotel to find out if they have any unsent mail from that date. The mailroom manager informs me of the procedure for letters and tells me that if it didn't have a return address on the envelope, it doesn't get mailed, even though they submit it to the post office. It is now considered "lost".

Sigh.

I can't blame the recommender, because he didn't know about that and the hotel should have told him, since they sold him the stamp. But I am irked no end because I have been waiting far too long for the letter and I gave him months and a deadline. He repeatedly ignored my emails and I was so frustrated. I didn't want to be angry with him or even let on that I was angry at all because I didn't need him to be pissed off that he was doing me a favor and then be even slower.

I only have myself to blame. I worked with this man for years and knew what was going to happen, but I really felt, and still do, that his recommendation would be amazing. He sent me a draft and I wasn't disappointed. I love the guy and can't wait to see him again, but this is my life here.

He offered to FedEx it, but I had to first mail him a signed attachment. I have no idea why, but LSAC requires the applicant sign a form stating that you agree that the LoR be sent to the revelant law schools and you waive your right to see the finished LoR. I can understand when schools did interviews why the applicant not see the LoR, but no one interviews any more. What a waste of paper and time.

So I put the damn form in the snail mail and pray he gets it by Monday. In the meantime, I called the Internship Coordinator at the publishing company I interned at and pleaded with her to write me a letter and send it poste haste. She was wonderful and agreed. I sent her a form and reminded her she had written me a great LoR last year and she could just tweak that for law school. She still had it and promised to send it out on Monday.

Now, I am only in a tizzic about it because the school I want to go to requires 2 LoRs. It is small and recently became a Tier 1 school, so 2010's applicants are going to be the best. The competition will be stiff and I am very worried.

I've managed to send out 2 completed applications to schools that only needed 1 letter. The other 4 require 2 letters and I am only waiting for the 1. I would have liked to sent them all already. The books, advisors and podcasts all say by Thanksgiving is a good early time to have sent your application in, but everyone is going to do that. I already have the sucky LSAT score to deal with.

V

Both John and I had read that the "V" pilot was the best ever, on E!, I think. Or a site that quoted E!. Anyhoo, we were looking forward to seeing it last night.

We were lucky enough to see the original miniseries on Sunday. We taped "V: The Final Battle" because we wanted to watch the game. We made Pie put himself to bed last night so we wouldn't miss anything. Priorities, right?

I don't know about "best pilot ever". "FlashForward" had a better time at creating suspense, tension and there was a kangaroo. Despite the seriousness of the events, there was still humor. The original "V" was pretty campy, but really stood out in bits. Some of the characters were pretty one-dimensional, and that was tough to take. But we did enjoy it hugely.

*SPOILERS*

I thought, since the new "V" was to be a series, they would spend a little more time creating the illusion the Vs (Visitors) are Earth's friends. It seemed pretty sped up that a rebellion started up within weeks, Vs peace ambassadors were introduced and the brainwashing has begun, traitors on both sides were revealed. It felt more movie-of-the-week than the establishment of a series here to stay.

The always-lovely Morena Baccarin, leader of the Vs, managed to look menacing and you did want to be devoted to her. The FBI agent, Elizabeth Mitchell, is falling into one-dimensional category. Alan Tudyk, cute on "Firefly", revels as the baddie, much as he did on "Dollhouse". Weakest is Logan Huffman who plays Mitchell's son, eager to believe the V's "peace always" message. David Packer played Huffman's role in the original miniseries. His backstory as Daniel Bernstein, the son who couldn't hold a job and was such a disappointmen to his father, was much more believable than Huffman's. Huffman's Tyler is just a brat who needs a slap.

The original miniseries also had Daniel's grandfather as the grounding element against the Visitors. Abraham lived through WWII and watched his wife being led to the gas chamber as he tried to escape with Daniel's father. So far, there's nothing in the new tv series to connect the audience with the threat the Vs represent.

V in the miniseries also stood for victory. Here, in the pilot, it is just a shortened form of Visitors. I understand the symbolism, but it feels cheapened by the fact that a rebellion is established so quickly. There was also no reason given as to why the rebellion started. Where did the first clues come from? The miniseries established that questions arose after the Visitors arrived and scientists had begun to discover anomalies about the creatures themselves.

It all felt a bit rushed for a pilot. Like we were supposed to read something beforehand that would establish why the reporter feels stymied in his job, why Tyler is giving his mother agita, why are Morris Chestnut's teeth so distractingly white and why does Lourdes Benedicto keep getting roles when she cannot act.

when it rains

The Hwangs felt it this weekend. Crawling internet access, poor LSAT score, sicknesses, pet passing.

The only good thing was that Pie's EBT results came in the mail and he scored in the 99th percentile. At least I know my smarts went somewhere other than my foot.

I woke up Saturday morning to take a Pie for his first round of H1N1 vaccination. I checked my email and saw my LSAT score. I stared at it and walked back into the bedroom, woke John, told him and began to bawl. Pie ran downstairs to see what was wrong with Mummy.

I got it together fast for him and sent him back upstairs. I cried quietly in John's arms and then we decided to go ahead with the application processes and hope the strength of my essays will wow the crowd. But I was, and still am, crushed. I've never done so poorly in anything academic since Spanish in high school. And even that didn't disappoint me this way.

John spent the weekend being miserable from the cold. But he and Pie did go to see "Where the Wild Things Are" and he said James Gandolfini pretty much ran away with the show. Pie got a crown from his gymnastics class and he looked pretty cool wearing it. He wore it for a about 2 minutes when the movie started and then told his daddy it was making his head sweat, so he took it off.

Most of Friday and Saturday had me swearing and jonesing for the internets. We called Time Warner Cable and they did whatever and eventually John agreed to an appointment for Thursday! Thursday! I have to fill out forms online. Fuck Thursday.

But then John thought the cable itself might be bad and changed it. So far, so good. We're going to wait a couple of days and see how it goes before we cancel the appointment.

But last night was the worst. I went to bed early. I felt that John was snapping at me and I wanted to snap at him and my head was pounding and he was sick and the Pie was making too much noise and it did me in. I fell asleep in minutes. It felt like was only asleep for minutes when I heard, "Petal. Petal. Felix is dead."

There was much what-ing and Felix-is-dead-ing until it sunk in. John sounded like he was in shock. He couldn't even break it to me gently, he just had to say it. For a while, everything he said sounded like it came from outside of him. Felix is my... was my favorite pet but nothing I was going through was compared to John, who had him from a baby.

We put him in a box and woke Valentine. She clambered into the box and sniffed him a bit and then curled up next to him. That's when I lost it. Both Jackson and Mollie came downstairs and having all 4 pets in the same square foot made my allergies rise up something fierce. John's hands were already itching as he is slightly allergic to Felix. He was slightly allergic to Felix.

Felix. Past tense now.

We decided against telling Pie last night. I tried going back to bed twice but my right eye was itching so bad, I wanted to dig it right out. I'm pretty sure I scratched my cornea. We had no non-drowsy med so I had to wait it out. It hurt when I blinked. I washed my hands and face and stayed up with John for a bit while he was on the phone with the internet people. When he changed the cable, we played around online and then I went to bed.

I woke up to see Valentine still curled up next to her little brother. I'm not sure she closed her eyes all the way last night. It hurts to even think about her.

I told Pie and he was so unhappy. We'd already told him that we'd have to put down Valentimes (what he calls her) but Felix was a surprise. He didn't want to see Felix and I wasn't terribly unhappy about that. I didn't want his last memory of him to be all stiff in a box.

John's awake and we're going to call the vet to see about cremation and disposal. We also decided we might have to move up Valentine's trip to the beyond. We were so distressed at the thought of having to go through this another 3 times. I'm so glad I made callalloo yesterday. I need all the comfort food I can get.