Bar exam results should arrive in tomorrow’s mail and I’ve been on edge for the last few days tryingââ�¬â��somewhat successfullyââ�¬â��not to think about it. It wasn’t too hard last week at work because I’ve been involved in a project that’s pretty absorbing and requires my full attention. Of course, I couldn’t completely escape it; everyone who sees me wants to ask about when I’m going to hear and then talk about all the great things that will happen when I pass because they all know I will and yadda yadda yadda. I know they’re all just trying to be nice, but I dread thinking back on every one of those conversations if the news is bad.

That aside, I was kind of worried about the weekend b/c it was looking like a big block of open time where I’d have nothing to do but think about what-ifs. Plus, it rained all weekend, lending an even drearier tinge to what promised to be an already dark weekend. The solution was to take on the project of installing that garage door opener I mentioned last week. It was the first such semi-large household project I’ve done since I moved out of my last house more than three years ago and boy, did it feel like it! Whatever my handyman skills might have been at one time, they’re definitely a lot rustier about now.

The garage door project took just about the entire weekend, but now�many hours, several false starts and missteps, and three trips to Lowes later�the door opens and closes at the push of a button and we no longer have to try to keep it closed with a pair of vice-grips. Best of all, the project completely occupied my time and mind; I barely thought of the impending bar exam once during the entire weekend. And to top it off I got to listen to lots of great music at a reasonable volume out in the garage (hence the title of this post, which is part of the chorus of one of the excellent songs I listened to over and over again, thanks to the generosity of the inimitable SuperD). In all, a great weekend.

Next up on the project list: Installing the garbage disposal. Here’s hoping by the time I take that one on I’ll be a real and true lawyer.

[tags]bar exam, domestic, music[/tags]

GW Law Student: “Man, people love that professor, yo. People be like ‘DID YOU SEE HIS TEXTBOOK, SON?! That shit is ILL.’ It’s ridiculous…” ââ�¡â��

Tip: Do not eat a large bacon-cheeseburger w/onion strings and fries for dinner if you plan to get up and go running in the morning. Just don’t. [tags]food, running[/tags]

“The FCC ordered its staff to destroy all copies of a draft study that suggested greater concentration of media ownership would hurt local TV news coverage, a former lawyer at the agency says.” ââ�¡â�� [via]

Working all day with people who are incarcerated�who have no freedom�makes me feel incredibly lucky to be able to come home every night and do whatever I want with my time.

“How dare you, Mr. President, after taking cynical advantage of the unanimity and love, and transmuting it into fraudulent war and needless death, after monstrously transforming it into fear and suspicion and turning that fear into the campaign slogan of three elections? How dare you — or those around you — ever “spin” 9/11?” ââ�¡â�� [via]

Skelly recently updated the look of his blog (nice) along with a short post about the proper attire for a public defender:

Every work day, I wear a tie (from my couturiers, Deseret Industries and Ross Dress for Less) with a white shirt, a blue shirt, or a gray shirt. I maybe suit up once or twice a week and go with a sportcoat the rest of the time. In my office, if you’re not going to court, t-shirts and flip-flops are okay, but shorts are verboten. I can’t pull off either look, so the tie stays on.

Sounds pretty much like what I’ve seen around the PD offices I’ve been in, although Montana is far more relaxed in the dress department than anywhere else I’ve seen. On my first day in court here I saw a defense lawyer conduct a hearing in court wearing (from head to toe): windblown, slightly mullet-esque hair; no tie; an open-collared, white, button-up, short-sleeved shirt; a wide, tooled-leather belt with a big shiny buckle; faded and worn wranglers; and scuffed cowboy boots. I was taken aback that someone would have the nerve to stand up and represent a client in open court in such attire, but the judge wasn’t even phased; it simply wasn’t an issue. Since then I have seen that this guy seems to be the exception; most men wear khakis, ties, and sportcoats, and their shoes are usually more or less dress shoes, although cowboy boots are not uncommonââ�¬â��especially for judges. I’ve since seen Mr. Casual Cowboy wearing at least a sportcoat with his outfit, and often he even has a tie. Less than half the male members of the defense bar seem to favor suits (khakis/sportcoat are the norm), but the prosecution seems to like the slightly dressier and traditional look of the matchy-match pants and coat.

On the subject of dress, JuvieJournal reminds us that defense attorneys make a statement with their clothes, whether they like it or not. I agree that it’s important to look professional, but a certain level of comfort is also a priority, don’t you think? [tags]style, fashion[/tags]

“The revised game called “Monopoly: Here and Now Edition” was unveiled Tuesday and features new properties in addition to new game pieces.” ââ�¡â��

“What I want to know is why we decided to give the state such authority over how we deal with our children.” ââ�¡â��

“this joke made me laugh. Conclusion: I’ve got a few good instincts, but on balance I’m a bad person.” ââ�¡â��