Dream Come True

Dream Come True

Today was my first day as a Capitol Hill intern and I have to say it was pretty great. All the people in my office are wonderful and the Congressman is incredibly warm and friendly. I already have exciting legislative assignments and tomorrow I will be going to my first committee meeting. In other words, I'm in hog heaven!

Remember Me?

Remember Me?

So I did it. I actually completed my first year of law school and now I can blog, read, watch TV, just plain old exist without thinking "I should be reading" "I should be studying" "I should be OUTLINING!" It's pretty amazing. It feels like it's been a million years and five minutes all at the same time. I'm proud of myself for sticking it out because it is the most academically challenging thing I've ever done.

Here is what I've learned:
1. You SHOULD NOT go to law school unless you really want to. If you're thinking "Maybe I'll go to law school" or "I'll just go to law school." You are making huge mistake. Only go if you can't do what you really want to do without it.

2. In stressful situations, people regress and act like middle-schoolers. Of course, when you take the bus to school, eat in the cafeteria, and have lockers you really don't have any other choice.

3. I'm actually pretty smart and not just getting by on red hair and cleavage ;)

4. My husband is the most supportive wonderful patient man in the world.

5. Lots of awesome legalese like: fee simple subject to condition subsequent, joinder, impleading, Palsgraf, and Learned Hand...oh and lots and lots of Latin.

6. I will never never think like a normal person again. (Case in point: I was listening to a great song by the legendary Loretta Lynn called "Women's Prison" about this woman sitting on death row b/c she killed her husband when she caught him cheating on her. And I thought "No way she'd go to death row b/c that's definitely adequate provocation and she'd only be charged with voluntary manslaughter." SAD!)

So anyway, I'm hoping to blog a lot over the next few months as well as do a lot of reading for pleasure! I start work for the Honorable Representative Ben Chandler for the 6th District of Kentucky on May 23rd. But I'm only working there till July 1 and then I'll be tracking around the country to catch up with all the people I haven't' spoken to in the past several months!

Mmmmm...minty.

Mint Julep
Originally uploaded by The Smooze.

Though there was no hope of a Derby Party yesterday - what with Sarah studying and us far away from the Bluegrass, but I was undeterred, crafting a mighty fine mint julep.

The recipe:

1 julep cup or "old fashioned" type glass (we own a julep cup, but it's off limits since it was a wedding gift from our college President)
1 tablespoon hot water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 oz. good Kentucky Bourbon
5 fresh mint sprigs
bunch of crushed ice

Place four of the mint sprigs in the bottom of a separate cup and pour the tablespoon of hot water over them. Add sugar to the mixture and allow to steep until the water cools, making sure the sugar dissolves. Then muddle the leaves in the water with a muddler (or the back of a wooden spoon, like I did). Strain the mint leaves out of the water and then squeeze them over the glass so as to get all the delicious mintiness out of them. Discard mint leaves. Add bourbon and stir. Fill julep cup to overflowing with crushed or shaved ice, preferably making a rounded top like a snowcone. Pour bourbon/syrup mixture over ice. Add straw and place last mint sprig so you get a big whiff of mint when you sip from straw. Enjoy responsibly.

There are all sorts of recipes out there to make massive amounts of mint julep mix, but I've found this one to make a pretty good one serving version. Also, I did not think Giacomo would win yesterday, though I did go on record saying I didn't think any of the favorites would win. Unfortunately, I placed no bets.