Back to the Real World

I am very excited to begin clinic tomorrow! I'm excited for the experience it should provide me, the fact that it's something new, and most of all, I'm hoping for a more normal schedule which will allow me to enjoy my nights and weekends!

I have to say that my time off this past week has been awesome. I had a girls night out on Wednesday - we had yummy mojitos and tapas in Harbor East and then went out for drinks afterwards in Fells. It felt great to be able to catch up and let loose.

Ian took off of work on Friday for us to spend the day golfing (in the rain), but we still managed to have a great time. Friday night I had more mojitos as a cuban (read: not authentic) restaurant and then went out afterwards in Fed Hill.

Saturday was filled with errands and then we cooked out. And today, we went to church, then to Ian's soccer game and then we proceeded to walk for about 4 miles and got frozen yogurt halfway through. Tonight we're on for another cookout with this amazing recipe Asian Pork Tenderloin with a side of Corn and Tomato Salad (everyone seems to love this salad that I make, even Ian who hates corn) over couscous.

So happy we had a fun weekend before I head back into the real world!

Picture from my girls night out:

Picture at Cuban restaurant (before many mojitos):

Whacky Wednesday

Life got a little busy the past few days. I don't even know if I told you about this process at school to get on one of the 5 law journals? Well, to get onto one of the journals, you have to petition. It's basically writing a huge paper based on about 400 pages of cases and history and research that they give you, that you then turn in and only 40% of the people who turn it in will get onto one of the journals (which is a very prestigious honor, a great experience - each of the journals are publications that come out throughout the year - and each journal has a different topic). So that was due yesterday and I had a major meltdown on Monday thinking I couldn't do it - I had procrastinated too much! But I worked through it and turned it in yesterday. So happy that is over!

To celebrate, I came home and opened a bottle of wine, drank quite a bit with indian takeout, and watched Twilight (since you already know my obsession with the book - which by the way, the movie can't live up to how good the book was). I also am ordering the next 2 books that I haven't read - can't wait to curl up on the couch with a glass of wine and read through them.

So this past weekend we went to Meli to celebrate Ian's mom's birthday. It is affiliated with 2 other restaurants which we happen to love (Mezze and Kalis Court), so we were excited to try it out. I was not that happy with it - it was just kind of, eh. I started with the carpaccio appetizer which I admit, was very good and would totally get again. I then got striped bass over lettuce with tomatoes and some type of potato - the fish was supposed to be grilled but clearly was fried or pan seared, and the fish came out kind of room temperature. The rest of the group got mussels, clams, lamb shank, lobster mac and cheese. Everyone had the same impression - it was just okay. But I did try the baklava and it was delicious! And this place has such potential - it's a great atmosphere! Hopefully since it's new, it'll just get better from here.

Oh - and we tried this new yogurt place called Mr.Yogato in Fells. SO yummy. Ian hated it - but that's because it's true yogurt - not ice cream. It's tangy - almost like greek yogurt - and frozen. I added fruit to it and it was delicious! And even better, it's fat free. It was hot outside when we went - what a perfect way to spend the afternoon - by the water with frozen yogurt in warm weather. Love it! I think we'll be visiting this place again if the weather is nice this weekend - I want to enjoy this no school, no work thing as much as possible!

List of Things to Do This Summer

*This is my 25oth post! Wowsers - I don't think it's that exciting of a post to be my 250th - but meh.

As summer freedom quickly approached, I found myself saying just about every other day - OHHH we'll have to do that this summer. I started a list because, well, because I love making lists. But the problem with me being a planner, is I overpack my lists. For instance, here's my list of things I have so far for this summer:

• Take a trapeze class
• Take dance classes
• Go to the gym 4-5 days per week
• Go to visit family in New England
• Take a trip with/or go see Lauren
• Go to NY to visit my brother and SIL
• Go to about 5489089035 restaurants we haven't tried
• Have a movie marathon day
• Have a stay in my PJs in bed and watch TV day
• Clean the house thoroughly
• Plant plants outside
• Have at least 4 get togethers at our house
• Go away for our anniversary
• Go away on vacation to a lakehouse
• Go to Bethesda (where we used to live) to have dinner at our old fave restaurant and meet up with friends there
• Have my goddaughters come stay with us for a night
• Go hiking

Add to the list that I am trying to be a better friend since I've been MIA for 9 months, and am now trying to make tons of plans to catch up with them. But then I realize, there are only so many weekends I have this summer - I think I might just run out of weekends to do all the things I've been wanting to do. Sigh. But I'm going to do the best I can. I have high hopes for a lovely summer with family, friends and beautiful weather. But I think I better stop with the list - I think I have plenty to keep my summer full of fun things!

This weekend is pretty packed with me finishing up petitioning (have I explained this??) that is due on Tuesday. But I did manage to plan fun dinner dates for tonight and tomorrow night. Have a great weekend!

30 Days of Hell

After hearing great things about Jillian Michael's workout DVD The 30 Day Shred, I decided to try it out. I've had the DVD for a couple months now and finally decided to pull it out after seeing a blogger's success with it. I persuaded Ian to join me in the hell fun. Today will be the 3rd day if I can possibly do it.

Holy shit - I am out of shape. The 20 minutes of her workout have beads of sweat dripping off my face, have Ian cussing very obscene expletives at the TV screen (things I most certainly cannot repeat in this here blog), and have me thinking, can I even call what I do at the gym a workout?? And don't even get me started on the two women working out behind Jillian - all smiley and not sweating - it kind of, just a little bit, makes me want to punch them in the face.

It better be worth it. Every time I go to pee my legs feel like they're going to collapse. And going down the stairs - yowsers. Going up the steps you expect to feel sore after a good workout, but going down the steps always has a way of surprising you.

But at least I know it's making my body work - and hopefully the amount of sweat dripping off my face is just a clue as to how much fat my body is losing.

The Mommy Itch

I do not think I can hide the fact that I love kids. I think they're adorable and they make me laugh uncontrollably. I have 7 nieces and nephews and the 3 kids of my matron-of-honor are essentially my family. I always wished I'd had younger brothers or sisters - but maybe my love for kids is because I didn't have younger brothers or sisters.


I grew up hanging out with one of my best friend's family - she's one of 4 kids and I was so jealous. She had tons of cousins and her recent wedding was a blast with the majority of the guests being her family. One of my other friends is one of 8. Yes - that's a lot of kids! But again, I love seeing her with her siblings - her recent wedding was also a huge one - over 400 people I believe, but that's because she had over 100 family members coming.


Since we've been married (almost a year - I can't believe it!), I have noticed that I have the Mommy Itch. It's like my body is telling me it's time to have babies. I see kids at restaurants, church, on the street, in stores, on TV and when I see them, whatever else going on around me suddenly stops. All I can see are the kids. Almost instinctively, I turn to Ian: "I want babies." He's used to it by now - thank God the Mommy Itch is hitting me after we're married - I'm sure he would've been running screaming from me had I started with those types of comments beforehand.


His response is "I know honey - soon." We had agreed (much to Ian's dissatisfaction) to wait until I'm finished with law school and settled in a job. That means we have to wait until 2-3 years. It's scary and exciting all in the same moment that starting a family is that close to becoming a reality. But at the same time, it feels so far away. You grow up thinking, get married, have kids. Or maybe that's just how I thought. But I met this amazing man, married him and now it's like I have to trick myself into thinking it's not time to have kids yet.


So Ian will have to keep hearing me say those words: I want babies. I can't help it. I am so excited for that chapter in our lives. Maybe the Mommy Itch kicks in when you are at a point in your life that you'd imagined you'd start having kids. I know I'm not the only one out there that Mommy Itch has attacked. What makes it kick in? Does it kick in for everyone?


Well until we're at a point to start having kids, I wish the Mommy Itch would hide away in the sidelines somewhere. Because I'm pretty sure it's a little old to keep hearing "I want babies." And until we're at that chapter in our lives, I'm pretty happy being just the three of us (I can't leave Tessa out of course!), enjoying each other and the freedom that comes with it.

I Need More Balls

Friday we played in the annual golf tournament that benefits the scholarship fund in my grandfather's name. It goes to the same high school which my uncle and brother attended and where Ian and I were married. We had a blast as always and luck must've been on our side because the rain held out until we were all finished! My grandfather was the golf coach at the school and even though I never met him, I'm sure it's the reason golf is in my genes. I love it and almost went to college on a full scholarship for golf - but any good golf schools are far away from my home in DC so I decided against it.

Lucky for me, Ian happens to love golf as well so it's a great activity for us to do together. After all, what is better than beautiful weather, drinking beer, chatting and laughing while riding in a little cart? We often talk about how it'll be a great activity for us to do as a family and for the two of us when we retire one day.

Well, as much fun as Friday was, I did not have a good game - in fact, I think it's just about the worst I've played. I stopped counting how many balls I lost at 6. And for you non-golfers, golf balls are expensive! At the golf shop, 3 golf balls can cost about $12-15. That's a whole lot of money I left on the golf course! It's a good thing the booze was included.

Engrossed

Have you ever been so engrossed in a book that it makes you cry? Giddy? Laugh? Fall in love? Wait not so much the last one? Hmmm. Maybe that's just me. My brother and sister-in-law (SIL) bought me the first two books of the Twilight Series awhile back for my birthday (in November) but because law school kind of took over my life I hadn't gotten around to reading them. Well, I started the books 2 days ago and am finished with both of them. I curled up and was giddy from the excitement, as Ian sat next to me laughing at me.

Never before have I fallen in love with a character quite as much - and certainly not a vampire! The books have me wishing I was the main character, a teenager falling in love for the first time. And I never understood why women find the character from the movie so attractive - he was not my cup of tea...until now. The character fits his looks perfectly - or maybe the other way around. The writing kind of made me want to be a vampire myself.

I'm glad it only took me 3 days to read them because it put a huge damper in my plans to get my project done that is due in less than 2 weeks. Thank goodness I don't have the rest of the series yet, I don't think the project would ever get done.

I Didn't Have Time

This weekend felt truly amazing. I had time to surprise Ian with a romantic dinner on Friday - I pulled out the candles, made brownies from scratch, and made braised shortribs (not using a recipe!!) for dinner. I even did the dishes! Ah, the things that bring me joy now that I have time on my hands.

Saturday was jam-packed but we had a blast. We started off by losing our last kickball game then went to a bbq with those folks. Then, we headed to a law school bbq and ate some more there. Then, the 1st bbq was still going on so we headed back there for some more fun and games. After all of that, we had to quickly change and get ready to go out with both families to celebrate with them at The Brewers Art. We finally made it home at 11:30 and were asleep before we could even say good-night to eachother.

Then we spent mother's day with both moms - brunch then games at our house afterwards.

So I spent the weekend doing a lot of fun things! I know awhile back I let you in on my little anxiety issues. I was surprised throughout my first year of law school that I didn't have a whole lot of anxiety issues - I wasn't short of breath or feeling out of control. Since being finished as of last Tuesday, my anxiety has come up full force. I am somewhat confused by it, as it hits me about midday and for no apparent reason, especially considering that I do not feel particularly stressed about anything! But I think it comes down to the fact that during school, I simply did not have the time for my body to be stressed, or to even accept that I might be facing anxiety. So now that I have the time, I feel like my body is bringing up all of that anxiety that had been bottled up inside of me for the year. So I guess it's just giving me even more of an excuse to enjoy my days - I have to continue to do relaxing things to help, like workout, take walks, take baths, read, watch movies, etc. And all in all, that ain't so bad!

After brunch and games with our moms, Ian and I took Tessa for a long walk at a park nearby. It was absolutely beautiful and I was able to snag this photo before Tessa began venturing into the water!

I am a Planner

This won't surprise anyone that truly knows me. As I've gotten older, my urge to plan things has become even more fine tuned. You see, when I make dinner plans with someone, or plans to go do something with a friend, or am going to meet up with friends for happy hour, I put it in my calendar. That's just the way I work.

I didn't used to be quite like this - but then I graduated college and started working in the "real world" and realized that time away from work is truly precious time. If I make plans with someone, I am taking time away from my husband and time that could be used for "me time". So when people cancel without truly having an excuse, it is mind-boggling to me, and leads to something much more than just disappointment.

Of course, if a friend calls and says "I'm so sorry" and that such and such has come up and it's just looking like it's not going to work, I would be nothing other than understanding because stuff does come up! But when a friend cancels with me or is wishy-washy about making it because something else has come up, in the name of "better plans", I get pissed. I think it is incredibly disrespectful. I'd prefer to not have made plans in the first place. Because when someone invites me to do something one night, I block that night out for my friend - I feel they deserve that! Don't I deserve the same?

Recently I've realized people don't handle these situations the same way. Still - I don't get it! At the end of the day, I get sad and upset and feel super hurt that this person didn't treat me with respect. So for those non-planners out there - give a planner a little courtesy, because when we put things in pen in our calendars, it means we are looking forward to those plans from the day we write it on there. All of that built up excitement can be wiped away and replaced with feelings of hurt. I am courteous in blocking off time for you, because I want to spend time catching up and seeing you, so it'd be nice for you to do the same. And when you don't - don't be surprised when I want to kick your ass. Thanks!

And yes - 2 sets of plans changed this week because of non-planners. Assholes - so much for celebrating!

1/3 DONE!!

And by 1/3, I mean I am finished my first year of law school (of the 3 total). I am SO freaking relieved and feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. This has been in some respects the longest and in other respects the shortest 9 months of my life. I am so grateful to have had this experience - even the hellish stressful times. It has made me stronger, more aware of myself and how strong my relationship is with my husband, and hopefully made me wiser. I feel a huge sense of pride at having come this far.

To my friends and family - I am eternally grateful for their patience, love, and support. I escaped from people's lives for days, weeks, sometimes even months at a time without talking to some of my closest friends, but not once did I hear anything but understanding from them. People who I never imagined would be supportive surprised me with how much they encouraged me.

People say they can't imagine being married while going through law school - but I can say that I don't think I could've made it without Ian. He was patient with me when I deserved it the least. He cared for me when I was being selfish. And he occasionally put me in my place that brought me back to reality.

So this week of celebration (yes, I'm that excited to make it a week long thing - maybe even longer), I will be celebrating what I've accomplished and remembering that I couldn't have done it without my amazing hubby, family, and friends.

Ta Da!

Just when I am cranky because of school and being a pain in the ass, Ian surprises me. We've been trying to cook more at home, or I should say, I've been trying to encourage Ian to do so. Well, he's gotten himself the title of Master Chef, which is probably bad news for him because it means I'll want him to cook a lot more often, but definitely good news for me.

Saturday he made mushroom ragu over creamy polenta - it was positively hearty and flavorful, while the creamy polenta was amazingly creamy. Then Sunday, he spent about 3 hours making homemade lasagna. I'm not normally a lasagna lover - but I could get used to this one. In the middle of cooking, he yells from the kitchen that he suddenly has a new appreciation for Moms who cook a lot. So later he called his Mom to let her know - and then she proceeded to tell me...

Kate, Ian told me as a teenager that he would end up marrying someone who does all of the cooking and cleaning for him. [big laughs from her]

My dearest hubby, saying that has certainly come back to haunt you now that I'm in law school.

One reoccurring bicker I have with him is that I honestly do not think he has washed the towels or sheets since we've been married. Well ladies and gentlemen, I went to climb into bed and realized he had changed the sheets, and put our new duvet cover on the bed. I really am a lucky girl. Either that or I'm just one helluva man trainer.

*UPDATE - that means that I normally wash the sheets and towels - not that we seriously are dirty people.