PLEASANT SURPRISES

OK, so I am hitting that "2 weeks before the bar and I am totally not ready" panic stage. I got some excellent advice from friends who have been through the experience (thank you GV and RM, you rock!) and I am studying as much as my little eyeballs allow. [I have recently discovered that I am slowly becoming bleary eyed and cross eyed and have had to revert back to glasses from contacts in order to rest my eyes, but if that is the worst of my worries I am OK.] But I am still quite frazzled.

I have been running into pleasant surprises of late and it made everything so much more bearable that I had to share with you. It all started yesterday when GV, lawyer pal from way back when I was a naive college freshman, calls to tell me that even after he spent his Thursday night giving me essay tips [instead of packing for his impending move in a week!] he spent time and went to his parents' house during a break at work and unearthed some old Bar books that I might find useful. I was touched and I dutifully went to pick them up from him. He even told me I could write in them!

Today was even better! I was planning to go visit my former roommate who is a bar exam essay wizard for some tips and whatnot. [Props to her for all her help and for giving up most of her Saturday for me.] My father informs me that he is going to change my oil before I make the 90 minute drive to her place. OK, I can be patient, he is doing something nice for me right. So he does the oil change and then heads off shopping. I get into my car for my little roadtrip. I knew in advance that I was down to less than a quarter tank of gas and needed to stop before getting on the highway. The price of gas coupled with my bare bones bank account added to my stress but since the car refuses to run without the stuff I relented. I start the car and LO AND BEHOLD dear old dad filled my gas tank!!! Woo hoo! Thanks Dad! That was #2 pleasant surprise.

Number 3 pleasant surprise came from my former law school roommate. Not only did she give up her Saturday for me, but she had thought ahead and had me do outlining drills for practice essays and then read me the model answers. She is so good to me! I am sure going over bar review was not her idea of a good time. On top of all that she took my poor, non-lawyer butt out to dinner!!

Number 4 pleasant surprise came when I got home. First some background. I have become obsessed with the candy called "Dad's rootbeer barrels". I bought them one day on a whim at this little deli in the middle of nowhere about 25 minutes from my house. I started eating them whenever I studied. After a few days of this I decided that if smell is the first layer of memory [both to make and retrieve memories] and taste and smell are linked then if I eat this distinct tasting candy while I study and THEN eat it during the bar exam I might have a better chance of recalling the information. Sounds like a dandy [if farfetched] theory right? One small problem, I ran out of said candy. I was not about to spend gas and time to go all the way back to that little deli so I bought "rootbeer candy discs" at the supermarket. UGH, BAD, NASTY, VILE candy! [What did I expect for 99 cents?] So they went in the garbage and I resigned myself to abandoning this taste/smell/memory experiment.

However, [here comes the pleasant surprise part] tonight when I got home from roommate's house I went upstairs to turn on my computer and found an entire bag of the root beer barrel candy! My mom [who is battling a nasty cold right now] went out to the deli in the middle of nowhere and got me more! She's awesome sometimes. But wait! It gets better! I go downstairs and thank her, come back upstairs and head to the bathroom and find ANOTHER bag of candy on the vanity! Woo hoo, with 2 bags I can now study and have more for the exam! But WAIT, there's more! I go into my room and sit down on my bed to read my mail for today and as I sit down, I find under the covers is a THIRD bag of candy!!! I am in rootbeer barrel heaven!!

So anyway, Bar review books, practice essays, gas and root beer candy - that's what does it for me now. Whatever makes the day easier .... I'll have to remember this the next time I get mad at my parents. :)

UPDATE: Went into the craft room [where I like to study since there is a huge wide table with plenty of room and NO TV so I am not distracted] and what do I find?? ANOTHER BAG OF ROOT BEER BARREL CANDY!! This puts the talley at FOUR bags! This is better than hunting for Easter eggs!!