terra nullius

Earlier this week, a news story aired on local stations and was posted on their websites. I will use the story from News Channel 8 as my example.

Basically there was a man who was killed here in Iowa and his body was found by some hunters. He was wearing something VERY similar to this ring, which investigators referred to as having unusual engravings on it that may mean something to someone and possibly lead to the i.d. of the victim. The funny thing is that the unusual engravings that couldn’t be read by any of the investigators or maybe the news crew that reported the story is ELVISH. Elvish, yes. Had the head detective taken it home to his fifteen-year-old son, perhaps they would have broken the case without having taken it to the media. My thought is that a cameraman at the newsroom HAD to have seen it and kept his mouth shut because it amused him. Not that I’m saying all photojournalists are LOTR geeks, but come ON.

They further described the guy, stating he was around 20 and either white or Hispanic. They described his clothing as well, but identification is apparently difficult and they couldn’t even give an actual height of the individual, listing him as approximately 5′3″ to 5′6″.

My reaction to the height is: It’s approximate? Don’t they have the body? Can’t they measure it?

Libby’s reaction to the height is far better. Last night at dinner we were talking about it.

Libby: I was like, “Five-three…Elvish ring…Is it…Frodo? Maybe he didn’t make it to Mordor after all.”

Me: *snort*

And the LOTR references flowed for a bit before we stopped ourselves. Because really, we could have gone on all night.

Not that I’ve really been watching this season…and not that I expect much since they are probably just in the business to make money…but do you ever get the feeling that this is rigged?

David versus David? Seriously?

Last night I headed out to the Val Air Ballroom to see Colbie Caillat with my friend Patrick.

We had a lot of fun, mainly because our sense of humor and tendencies toward misanthropy are so similar. We chatted a bit outside while we waited for the doors to open and then some more when we got inside. As we stood there for what felt like forever waiting for the show to start, we couldn’t help but notice that the house music was alternating between John Mayer and Norah Jones. That’s it. Over and over, the cycle continued. I could never hate Norah Jones and still found myself humming along even though I was slightly annoyed. But now? I pretty much want to stab my ears with a sharp object when I hear John Mayer’s voice.

The opening act was a guy named Trevor Hall. He was…unique. For the most part, it was just him and a guy sitting on a box who used various items for percussion instruments. There was a good beat, but the guy did weird things with his voice that grated on me a bit.

Then it was time for more Norah Jones and John Mayer for awhile while they got the stage reset. I thought it was a little odd that they were putting down carpets, but that was explained later when the whole band kicked off their shoes and played the show barefoot!

While we were waiting these twelve-year-old girls decided that they were going to crowd up to the are where Patrick and I were standing. I’d left a little bit of space between me and the guy in front of me because he was about a head and a half taller than me, and standing right behind him wasn’t exactly conducive to seeing the stage. The girls wanted to stand in front of us in that space (which wasn’t big enough for them) because “they couldn’t see.” Hello? I’m 5′6″ and the guy that they suddenly wanted to get cozy with is at least 6″. I told them no, that they wouldn’t be able to see there, either. Then they’d be moving around, straining to see, and I wouldn’t be able to see either. Forget it.

Finally, Colbie came out on the stage and started her show.

Her voice is absolutely lovely, and I adore her music. She’s a very laid back performer. She didn’t lack energy, but the feel of her music is a little off for a standing audience. I think her style is more suited to relaxing at a table and just taking in her music.

She even busted out a ukelele.

And here’s the barefootedness!

After awhile, I felt too warm so we headed to the back and I got some water. Much better. We could actually breathe, and we could still see the stage all right.

It was a good show. I’m glad I didn’t spend a ton of money for the tickets because of the aforementioned discrepancy between the feel of the show and the style of the concert itself. Overall we had a good time, though!

*lyric from Tailor Made by Colbie Caillat

Sorry for my unexpected absence yesterday, but tell it to my monster headache and body aches. I just did not feel well at all, so it was no work and no internets for me.

Which is too bad, really. Because I have a shiny new toy to play with!

No obligatory Dude! I got a Dell! jokes, please.

I needed a laptop for law school, and I was lucky enough to finance it through gifts from my graduation. The pattern is called Chill…maybe it will serve as a reminder to me to just relax a little when I’m stressed out. Or maybe not.

I’ve also enjoyed learning how to use OneNote. On Sunday I stole a bunch of Mom’s recipes and put them in my personal notebook. I am hoping to use it to take notes instead of Word, but I need to learn it inside and out first. It doesn’t make sense to be learning how to use my laptop while trying to learn in law school. 

So, so funny.

Go there, laugh much!

Do you know someone who constantly uses idioms, cliches, and expressions incorrectly? I do. And it drives me absolutely crazy. The Receptionist is always trying to use these phrases, and either uses them in the wrong context or doesn’t say them right to begin with.

Today’s example: “I usually just hunt and peck.”

She said this in relation to searching through a stack of paper. Not typing on a keyboard. Maybe I’m too bothered by the situation, but it makes me want to buy her a dictionary or provide a link to a list of idioms complete with their definition and proper usage.

Over the weekend we headed Up North to visit family. On Saturday, we spent time with Ryan’s grandparents and then went to a benefit for a friend of the family who suffers from ALS. It was fun–there was a dinner, a live auction, a silent auction, and door prizes/raffles. It really was amazing to see everyone come together to help her.

We spent most of the time playing with little ones to keep them busy. Mikayla ran around, Aiden chilled in whomevers arms he was in, and Johnny (our newest nephew) slept most of the time.

One thing is clear, Aiden (who is 9 months) and Johnny (who is 2 months) will be fast friends. I can’t wait to see them grow up and get into trouble together!

Mikayla celebrated her birthday on Sunday (although she won’t officially be four until the 12th). One word describes her right now: ATTITUDE. She is so funny and honest and excited about EVERYTHING (the camper got bigger! omg!) and serious and opinionated and imaginative and amazing, and we joked with her parents that she is in the extended edition of the terrible twos. She’s seriously four going on thirty-four.

And she has some rockin’ pink boots that I so wanna steal. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of her! (full set.)

So happy happy birthday, little miss Mikayla.

Here’s to many more.

I just received Legal Writing in Plain English by Bryan A Garner and Reading Like a Lawyer by Ruth Ann McKinney from Amazon.

And I’m positively thrilled!

1. I’m getting sick. Head congestion, sore throat from drainage, fatigue. Oh, boy.

2. Our neighbor isn’t going to buy our house, so things aren’t nearly as simple as we hoped they might be. I should have remembered that when something seems too good to be true it is. Now we have to decide if we’re selling it on our own or if we’re going to list it with a realtor. Drama.

3. I just found out that I am not going to be getting the public service scholarship I’ve been hoping for. Apparently this year’s class is chock full of people who have exemplary records of public service and mine isn’t good enough, despite the fact that I know my commitment level to public service in my future is astronomical. I know, I still have almost 2/3 tuition in merit scholarships. But it still bums me out.

Dear Receptionist,

I realize that you are thoroughly enamored of your grandchildren and that they are God’s Gift to the World. But scoring in the 99th percentile on the Iowa Test of Educational Development does not mean that he is a genius. Stop making plans for him to be a research physicist when he is sixteen. It is not going to happen. Plenty of talented and gifted youth go on to lead perfectly normal lives. It doesn’t mean as much as you think.

I was in the 99th percentile on those tests, and I’m not a freaking NASA scientist. Those things do not measure intelligence. They measure one’s ability to take standardized tests. Period. I’m not saying I’m stupid, nor am I saying your grandson is stupid.

I’m saying you need to chill the eff out before you put too much pressure on his little ten-year-old shoulders.

Sincerely,

The Girl Who’s Been in His Shoes