Let me set the scene

It was Saturday night two weeks ago. I was lying in bed well before midnight since I had decided that seven hours of reading comprehension was enough for any one day, and at that, a Saturday. My mom walked in and handed me the telephone. It was her youngest sister, my chief counsel of large IT firm turned prosecutor aunt. I had not spoken with her in a few months.

She started asking me about how I was doing, how things between my boyfriend and I were, and how the job was going. I told her that I was well, my boyfriend and I had broken up and that the job was a job. We discussed each of these topics a bit more before I started telling her how miserable the LSAT and the idea of law school was making me.

Then, it happened. For the first time in my tween life, an adult, a successful ambitious level headed adult, told me that it is okay to not attend graduate school until I felt good and ready, until I was sure, really really sure. That is basically how this "plan" started to unravel. I consulted two of my committee members and after revealing my thoughts about the entire matter, they conceded that law school was probably not for me.

I have to say, in the past two weeks, I have found myself more and more ridiculously happy. Although its not entirely due to my recent acceptance of the fact that I really have little desire to become an attorney, I am reveling in my happier disposition and new found abundance of free time. In this short time, I have baked a cheesecake, caught three sunsets, visited a museum exhibit, started two new books and watched a live college football game. Not going to law school is great. ;)

Please do not worry about me. I do have a plan. And thankfully, I still have my handful of committee members who are quietly anticipating the perfect moment to unleash their blow torch lighters right underneath my ass.

A rant about lifestyle choices

My whole stance on “heated discussions over lifestyle choices” is that I rather not have them. In fact, I would like it better if in the next year no one over the age of 40 would ask me about my career path or love life. This is because I think there is an overemphasis of these two things in the minds of old people. How come no one ever asks me about the development of my hobbies? Or which books I am currently reading? Or about how I feel about the current state of the economy? All they ever want to know is what I am going to do when I grow up and how things are going between my boyfriend and I. And whatever my response, the result is always the same: unsolicited personally biased advice.

Hugging us closer

Five years in the making (part two)

Cheesecake was my big undertaking this past Thursday. It turned out well, not one for the records, but still good. It took me about four hours of actual hands-on preparation and a grand total of eight hours considering the insanely long bake time. I chose a low fat recipe authored by the people at America's Test Kitchen. The recipe does a good job of not sacrificing taste or texture, but it is quite labor intensive. For this reason, I think it may be another five years before I bake this particular dessert again. As my mom put it, "Honey, maybe you should just go buy a cheesecake next time."

The odd thing about this whole undertaking is that I am not particularly a big fan of this dessert. Over five years ago, I became fascinated with the process after sharing a slice of Carnegie Deli's famous cheesecake while vacationing in New York. It was super rich and super delicious. I enjoyed it so much I thought about having some shipped out to California when I had a craving a few months later. I decided against it since the cost was a bit outrageous. So, a friend of mine gave me a top of the line springform pan and Carnegie Deli's cheesecake recipe for my 21st birthday. Five years later, with a lower fat recipe in hand, I finally closed the book on this one.

Five years in the making

Over five years ago, I decided I wanted to make the perfect chocolate cake. I researched online for what might be THE recipe of all chocolate cake recipes. I then solicited the advice and assistance of my ex-chef friend and went to town. What resulted really was perfection. You can ask any of the people that were there that night. That cake was the stuff of legends. So much so, I have yet to replicate the results.

I am a baking elitist.

Every few months, I become obsessed with the idea of baking a certain item. Last Christmas, it was molasses cookies. This particular recipe necessitated so much prep work that by the end of it all, I was in need of a massage to remove the kink that had formed in my back. The results were worth it.

There are few things I research more diligently than recipes. I comb through reviews. I watch videos of preparation. I basically become obsessed until I reach some sort of self-prescribed near perfection.

Tomorrow night, I embark on one of my baking extravaganzas. I will not say what exactly I am making, only that it is something I have put on the back burner for the past five years. So, come 8 pm anyone within a fork's reach is welcome to sample my latest creation.

I am also accepting suggestions for the subject of my next baked goods adventure. :)

What would the neighbors think?

While writing in my journal about two months ago, I suddenly stopped mid sentence. I realized what I was about to record may strongly offend many whom I love. The possibility was so slight that any of these people would ever read my remarks, yet I decided to censor myself. I was shocked and disheartened by my continued preoccupation with what others might think.

Oh how much growing up Chinese has shaped my thinking.

Lighters on Loan

At least ten different people in the last five days have asked me how my LSAT preparation has been going. Unfortunately, it has not been. The responses I get from hearing this news are incredible. One particular friend who just started law school offered me a lighter to fire up my ass. I nearly inquired as to whether the proposal included the option to have someone chase after me with it in hand.

The LSAT is exactly 30 days away. I am having much difficulty with concentrating. My practice exam scores are not what I want them to be. BUT, as a dear friend once reminded me, "Do or do not. There is no try."

30 days. No blog entries. No cell phone. It is just me and my lucky pencil LSATing 35 minutes at a time.

Ordinary

I have purposely spoken very little about the presidential race that is going on, but I can't hold my tongue any longer.

Every morning since Saturday, I have awoken thinking that maybe today is the day where McCain comes out and says "just kidding, Mitt Romney is really who I have picked."

Sarah Palin? Huh? Wife of a steelworker union member? Former beauty pageant queen? 44 year old mother of five, soon to be grandmother of one? I would like to hear the argument of any person who could sincerely tell me that they believe that McCain would still have picked her if she was a he. And quite honestly, I would pity the fellow.

Who cares if she has a lot in common with the average American? Average should not be what leads this country. How is it that people forget that phenomonal leaders are well, phenomonal?

Personally, extraordinary is what I am after, and Palin is just NOT that.