Habitat

At the end of the long day, I surveyed myself.  My jeans were covered in sawdust and mud.  My arms boasted a chalky pink-red hue.  My right hand sported several burgeoning blisters.  And, my hair was molded into what could only be described as hard hat hair.  As my appearance confirmed, my first time volunteering with Habitat for Humanity had been quite productive.

On Friday, I went up to Daly City to work on the construction of a four-story building that will provide condominiums for 36 families.  Monica invited me to tag along as her guest to volunteer with JusticeCorps members for César Chávez Day.  It was fitting to spend the day laboring as a construction worker, contemplating workers' rights.  After learning more about how Habitat works, as well as safety protocols, we divided up into smaller groups to accomplish various tasks.

Along with ten other volunteers, Monica and I spent the day nailing up OSB to studs to form interior walls and rough door framing.  I didn't have much knowledge about carpentry, so it was exciting to get a little technical with things like nail schedules and measurements.  And, I had never used a chalk line tool--so cool!  At the beginning of the day, it was taking me a long time to hammer in each nail, but I was much better by the afternoon, swinging my hammer in long, forceful arcs that hit the head almost every time.

I had always wanted to do Habitat, and I was glad to have this opportunity.  While I enjoyed the day, I'm not sure it was my favorite type of volunteering.  Reflecting on the experience, I think I thrive the most through community service where I am actually able to interact with the person receiving the benefit of my labor.  Here, I could see that there were walls where there had been none, but it was not quite the same as seeing the face of a person I had impacted directly.  Perhaps my experience would be different if I did one of the international week-long builds, where I could see the community being affected.  That being said, I think I would do Habitat again, because doing construction felt pretty hardcore, I felt like I learned some practical skills, and the organization has a very good structure.

Cue Rocky Theme Song

Thanks to a very excellent Groupon, my friend Morgan and I signed up for 30 exercise classes for only $20 at a variety of locations throughout the Bay Area.  Last night, we attended our first class, a boxing/self-defense class at Cissero Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a tiny studio in San Jose.  Having never tried boxing before, I was a bit nervous about keeping up with the class.  But, as it turned out, Morgan and I were the only two students to show up for the class, which was awesome!  We had the undivided attention of the teacher, who goes by the nickname Tarzan, and even received some pointers from Mr. Cissero himself.  We were repeatedly reminded that this was no mere cardio kickboxing or karate class--this was the real deal.  I must admit, and forgive my language, it felt pretty badass.

We spent the first half of the class working on the form of our jab and cross, moving forward and backward across the mat in short spurts.  Once we seemed to have the hang of the punches, we wrapped our hands and put on boxing gloves, and did some one-on-one practice with the teachers, getting used to punching with the gloves on.

The toughest part of the class was the drills.  For a good 20 minutes, we repeated the following 30-second drills: jab-cross, receive jab-cross, jumping jacks, bobbing and weaving, push ups with one arm in an elbow plank, and crunches.  It was exhausting!  We weren't told how long we'd be doing the drills, so it was a serious test of endurance.  I know I wouldn't have had the self-discipline to push myself to complete those drills on my own, which is why it was so great to have a teacher to hold me accountable.

Morgan and I were tired, yet exhilarated, after the class.  Not only was it an awesome workout (both cardio and upper body strength), but also it felt practical, learning some self-defense.  I definitely want to continue with boxing classes, and cannot wait to see my progress!

Post-Bar, the Sequel

It's wonderful to find myself in a post-bar exam world again.  The exam went well enough.  It's impossible to tell how I did, of course, but I found myself feeling very calm in the days leading up to it.  I think it helped that I had no jitters about the unknown, having taken it before.  The three-day exam took place at the Oakland Convention Center, so I stayed at the Washington Inn across the street.  It was nice to have such an easy "commute."  There were no surprises during the exam, in contrast to the fire alarm that went off during the July administration.  After the exam, I went out for celebratory drinks and dinner with some Berkeley friends who live/work in the area--what catharsis!

The following week, I used some of my frequent flyer miles to take a lovely trip to D.C.  I stayed with my old roommate Jess at her new apartment, crashing on my old couch.  It was splendid to see some of my dearest D.C. friends, many of whom were able to take off time from work to hang out with me!  Having spent several years in D.C., there was no pressure to see the quintessential D.C. sights--the point was to spend time with friends.  However, we did take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to walk the Tidal Basin, visit the zoo, fly kites, see the Arboretum, and tour my favorite historical site, Mount Vernon.  It is always delightful to see old friends and pick right up from where we left off.

Since returning to California, I've been spending time with my family, catching up on a backlog of emails and blog subscriptions, and beginning some post-bar projects.  I've started using my Spanish software again, which was one of my New Year's Resolutions.  I've also been cooking more, reading for pleasure, and working on my embroidery.  In fact, yesterday was my dad's birthday, and I gave him this cross-stitched version of the famous Blue Marble photograph of the Earth from Apollo 17, because he loves rocketry and the space program:

Other post-bar endeavors include volunteering more, donating blood, using the yoga classes I bought on Groupon, and getting back into jogging.  I discovered a free iPhone app called C25K Free (Couch to 5k) that provides an eight-week schedule of audio-guided interval training, which has been very helpful in keeping me motivated.

I also plan to spend a significant amount of time helping my parents downsize and clear out the garage, as they are hoping to buy their first home this summer.  All of these things should keep me busy while waiting for bar results and employment!  Although, it's funny...  Just as I came to terms emotionally with the fact that I was still unemployed and taking the bar exam a second time, I got two interviews in a week.  Mysterious.  We'll see what happens, but for now, I'm trusting in God and trying to celebrate the time I have been given.

Deserting Desserts

Lent is my favorite liturgical season.  It is a very effective impetus for changing day-to-day habits in a way that brings me closer to God.  I've been pondering many different Lenten disciplines...  Over the past few years, I've given up meat, coffee, and even elevators, I've prayed the Rosary daily, I've read Scripture daily, I've fasted weekly, and I've tried focusing on a different virtue for each day of the week.  The past few years have been more abstract, but I think this Lent, I'd like to return to the classic Lenten practice abhorred by children everywhere: giving up desserts.

Alibi will help me by guarding the fridge.

Living on my own, desserts haven't been a major issue.  It's simple: if you don't buy them, then you don't eat them.  But, now that I'm living with my family, there is constant temptation!  Chocolates, ice cream, cakes, cookies, pastries...  There is always something sweet in our kitchen, and I have not been employing much self-control.  So, I will be using this Lent to reign in that lack of discipline, and focus instead on the sweetness of prayer.  What better dessert for a meal than prayer?  To complement giving up desserts, I plan on praying the Rosary each evening this Lent.

A couple of caveats on giving up desserts.  First, I will not be practicing this discipline on Sundays.  Traditionally, Sundays "don't count" as a part of Lent, because one does not fast when the bridegroom is present.  So, desserts are allowed on Sundays, but not to excess.  Second, birthday cake on a family member's birthday is allowed.  My dad and my brother both have birthdays during Lent this year, and I want to be able to celebrate with them.  But otherwise, no desserts!

I'll be using some discretion as to what counts as a dessert. Sweet breakfast foods are strangely ambiguous.  I think a good demarcation is icing/frosting.  So, no donuts, but some muffins; no filled croissants, but plain ones; no coffee cakes, but some breakfast breads...  Basically, if I would feel guilty about it, I won't eat it.

What are you giving up for Lent this year?

Daffodils

It's two weeks until the bar exam, and I'm feeling a lot more at peace with it than I was at this point over the summer.  I've been very focused on practice exams for the MBE (the multiple choice section), which was where I fell short in July.  I have plenty more studying to do before the real deal, but I think my attitude is making a difference this time around.  I've been letting myself take breaks, setting realistic study schedules, and don't have to deal with the fear of the unknown (since I've taken it before).

My dear Georgetown Law friend Maya sent me a wonderful book of Daily Reflections for Bar Exam Study, which I've been reading each morning.  It has contained a lot of helpful reminders, including that the exam is not a measure of me as a person, that worrying is not productive, that it's okay to take breaks, and that I have many blessings in my life.  It's been nice to set the tone for my day with those reflections, and I will definitely be passing this book along to friends taking the exam in future years.

I haven't blogged about dating before, but with Valentine's Day around the corner, I wanted to share that I've been trying out online dating.  For a while, I've had negative views of online dating.  I felt like meeting someone online would be akin to giving up on "real" dating.  But, after watching several friends try out OkCupid and other sites, I began to realize that online dating doesn't mean you aren't still meeting people through more traditional channels.  Rather, it gives you the opportunity to meet people you might not otherwise encounter--and, that's good!

So, I set up a profile, answered a ton of questions about myself, and started receiving (and sending) messages!  So far, I've been on a couple dates with one guy who was very sweet, intelligent, and entertaining, but I didn't feel a romantic attraction, so we decided to just be friends.  I've been messaging some other interesting guys, and am excited to go on more dates.  Now that I'm back in the Bay Area, I finally feel like I don't have school or an impending cross-country move to stop me from pursuing a long-term relationship.  We'll see what happens!

Speaking of being back in California, I am really enjoying our spring weather in February.  This morning, I spotted some wild daffodils growing in our side yard, so I dug up the bulbs and potted them.  The yellow flowers add a refreshing splash of color to my desk!  Here's Alibi, being a good kitten who doesn't dig up plants (we'll see how long that lasts...):

For My Money

Being unemployed, it is a fun little form of escapism to think about how I want to spend money when I have some.  I'm not all that wrapped up in consumerism, but I do have some desires.  Here are a few big-ticket items on my wish list, in no particular order:

• A car.  As I was just discussing with Shauna, as long as I remain in suburbia, I think this has to be my next big purchase.  It doesn't have to be big, or fast, or even all that pretty.  Decent fuel efficiency would be nice.  It cannot be red.
• A DSLR.  I have a lot of fun with my little Canon PowerShot SD1300IS, and even with my iPhone in a pinch, but I know my photography will never reach its full potential until I have a better camera.
• A KitchenAid stand mixer.  My mom has one, and it makes baking magical.  Perhaps some day she'll upgrade to the larger model, and I will inherit her old cobalt blue one?  If not, majestic yellow and boysenberry are happy colors.
• A kitty condo.  The kittens quickly outgrew their 2-foot tall scratching post/hammock.  I cannot wait to have the room for a 6-foot tall tower for them to climb (hopefully in lieu of my bookcases).
• An iMac and an iPad.  These will be my next major technology purchases.  I think I'd like to transition from a laptop to a desktop computer, because the big screen is so fantastic, and I don't need to lug a laptop all over the place now that I'm done with school.  Plus, by supplementing it with an iPad, I would still have the option of mobility for basic computing needs.

Actually, now that I look at this list, I realize that I forgot to mention travel.  Perhaps I'll do a different post about the places I want to visit.  In addition, here are some smaller splurges that I would enjoy on occasion:

• Things I don't need from Etsy.  Oh, there are so many things.  Stationery, art, decorations, jewelry, cat collars, bags...
• Cultural enrichment.  I miss D.C.'s free museums and $10 tickets to the National Symphony Orchestra a lot.  Alas, the San Francisco Symphony is far more expensive.  I'd also like to attend more plays, musicals, and museums.
• Random ingredients.  I would love to have a fully stocked pantry of obscure spices.  There are dozens of new recipes that I want to try.
• Throwing dinner parties.  I really enjoy having friends over for a home-cooked meal, some good wine, and hilarious conversations.
• Books for my Kindle.  There is so much reading that I want to do.

I also like to think about where my charitable contributions will go when I have an income.  My heart always sinks when I am not able to give very much to:

• The Paulist Fathers.  Newman Hall at Berkeley was a place of profound formation for me as a Catholic.  I would love to do more to support their ministries.
• The Leadership Award.  I received this scholarship from the Cal Alumni Association three times, and it was a huge help.  I have donated time by grading application essays and interviewing applicants, but I want to help out financially as well.
• The Alzheimer's Association.  My grandmother passed away last year after suffering from Alzheimer's for years.  I intend to fight this disease by supporting the research and programs of the Alzheimer's Association.
• The Equal Justice Foundation.  EJF funded all of my summer internships while at Georgetown Law.  I want to support the next generation of public interest law students.
• All of the non-profits where I've worked/volunteered.  It will be great to give back to HomeBase, the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, and the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies.

What is on your wish list?  Which charities do you like to support?

SOPA

Hey, who turned out the lights?