Crystal's World

ADD

2010-04-24T18:19:00.001-05:00

I swear law school gave me ADD. I become immersed in something, and then 5 minutes later I'm bored and ready to move on to the next thing. I blame this on having wireless Internet in my law school. If we didn't have that, maybe I would have tried to pay more attention to the professor when he/she spoke.

Anyway, my faux-ADD has impacted this blog. I thought I would have the time to create more entries, especially ones that aren't "journal-like." Except I don't. Blame it on my ADD, blame it on my lack of time, blame it on the fact that I already spend too much time on the computer, or whatever else you can dream up, but bottom line is that I don't really have the attention span for this blog. And, honestly, I think I see my friends more often than I write this. And that's a much better method of communication for me--I much prefer a cup of coffee and good conversation with another real human being than the emptiness of writing into the open blog world.

So, check back on this occasionally; maybe I'll post an update or two. But, for now, if you want to know what's going on with me, well, call me!

Health Care Reform-Rant #1

2010-03-25T23:47:00.002-05:00

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Congress passed the last hurdle in health care reform today, and President Obama will sign the last piece of legislation into law tomorrow, this weekend, or Monday.

Bravo, President Obama. Brava, Congress. Kudos to you, President Obama, for coming through on a campaign promise. I can't remember the last time a President made promises to me (ok, I've only been able to vote for 3 presidents so far), and actually carried through with one of them. Of course, being the socialist-liberal that I am, the health care reform bill is not as comprehensive as I would like it to be. Don't be fooled--this is NOT universal health care. Not everyone gets covered. But, it does cover a vast majority of people who do not have insurance now. And for those of us who have insurance, it puts some limits on what those big, bad insurance companies can do. No longer can they discriminate against those with a pre-existing condition. No longer can they revoke coverage when someone gets sick. Why people are outraged by this, I do not understand. (And save me the abortion debate. Why does that have to get brought up into every federal debate on health care?)

But it is about freaking time! Some Congressional members and members of the public are outraged by this. They argue that we are becoming a socialist country, or that our constitution does not allow for this. Or, they simply state that they do not want to pay for someone else's health care. I'll deal with each in turn.

I fail to see that negative implications in becoming a socialist country. A country that actually cares about its citizens and strives to make a better place for them is a *bad* thing? Why is walking into a clinic, getting treated and not spending any money something that should be criticized? Why is going to get a higher education and not being riddled with debt when you're done a bad thing? Is it because you pay a high amount in taxes? Well, who cares? If your take home money is going to pay for those things anyway (if the government isn't going to pay for it, you will have to, and you'll have to through your own pocket), then why not give it to the government and have it pay for your health care and education? Wouldn't you want a society that puts more of an emphasis on health care rather than a "fend for yourself" type attitude?

The second argument I have been hearing is that the constitution does not allow for the passage of health care reform. Guess what. They argued that FOIA ("Freedom of Information Act") wasn't/isn't constitutionally permissible, either. Guess what. It passed anyway. The PATRIOT Act. Much of that wasn't considered constitutionally permissible, either, but it passed anyway. As much as I may disagree with these federal acts, the constitution is and must be a fluid document. It needs to change with the times. We were attacked by a bunch of radical Muslims in 2001. The government decided to use the constitution to enact some radical pieces of legislation that will have far reaching impacts. If I don't like it, I vote the person who pushed for it out of office. (Good riddance, Bush-y.) Unfortunately, if Congress changes parties again, they, too, can repeal this health care act. But, lets hope by the time that happens Americans are satisfied and even happy with the change that they keep our current, smart leaders in.

To those that argue that they do not want to pay for other's health care, all I have to say is that if they aren't going to pay for it themselves, someone else is going to have to. And I'd rather pay a few extra dollars to the federal government so they can pay it rather than me being stuck with higher premiums because we somehow have to cover the un-insureds' debt.

Perhaps this post will generate some strong criticism. Fine, I accept that. I won't change your mind that health care reform was a bad thing, and you won't change my mind that health care reform was the best thing since sliced bread. (Ok, maybe not *that* good....yet.)

Welcome back

2010-03-25T10:13:00.003-05:00

Life has gotten a bit busier, and I don't have as much time to update this blog. Here's a brief re-cap on the goings-on in Crystal's World the past couple of weeks:

We were out-bid on the gorgeous townhome in Cottage Grove that I previously wrote about. They bid $13K more than the list price. Who does that in a buyer's market?!?
I fired my realtor (not because we got out-bid, but because I just didn't like the guy), and hired my best friend's realtor. With him, we found another townhome in Oakdale. It's not as nice as the one in Cottage Grove, but it has a nice lay-out. It needs a little TLC--such as new carpet. It just needs a woman's touch (or, as I lovingly tell my husband, a woman to tell a man what needs to be done, and he does it). This house is a short sale, so we're dealing with a bank. Hopefully will hear in the next couple of weeks whether the bank is going to approve our offer. I'm thinking when the market turns around, I might get my realtor's license. I can see quite the benefit being a lawyer and being a realtor!
My parents are in San Francisco visiting my brother, so I've had Mollie all week. Having to deal with Thor and Mollie all week makes me think this is what it feels like to put two only-children together. Mollie is so used to having undivided attention from my dad, and Thor is used to just being with his Mom and Dad. Put the two together (and the fact that Mollie is a hyper puppy), and you can imagine what my week has been like! Here is a picture:

I put my smarts and skills to good use and took on my first pro-bono case. For confidentiality reasons, I obviously cannot divulge the circumstances, but I have been enjoying working on it. I need to take on more--anyone have any legal services they want done?!

Other than that, I've just been enjoying the warm weather that has finally descended upon the Twin Cities with long run/walks. But, I'm looking forward to really warm weather in Vegas when I am there in 10 days!

A brief recap

2010-03-11T19:59:00.001-06:00

My lack of posting has probably bothered some of you. (Or, I'm going to pretend it bothers one or two of you.) I've been working all day this week, and while I am able to leave the office by 5 or 6pm, by the time I get home, take my dog for the evening walk/run, clean up the kitchen, do some laundry...etc, the last thing I want to see is my computer. (And I really should call that surgeon about my hands. The pain really is becoming troublesome.)

Not to mention I've been looking at houses all week, as well. We did find one (again), and are putting an offer on it Saturday morning. It's a gorgeous townhome in the southeast-ish part of the Twin Cities. The basement is completely unfinished, which leaves a great project for my husband and his friends. (They love building stuff.) The part that sold me was the loft; upstairs has 2 bedrooms and a loft. I love that as an open office, another living-type-room, whatever we want. Wish me luck that our offer is accepted!

To relax after this crazy week, I've been watching some movies that recently came out. On Monday, I watched The Hurt Locker. Tuesday was Up in the Air. Further reviews will come soon, but I see now why the Hurt Locker won Best Picture at Sunday night's Oscars. The movie is engaging, terrifying and thrilling all at the same time. It really makes you think about our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and you hope (without much optimism), that life isn't that bad for them over there.

Up in the Air is good to quite-good, too. George Clooney does a wonderful job playing an older man who is threatened by change. He also appears to crave and love his solitude, all the while the audience knowing that he craves love and attention, just like the rest of us humans. He meet someone, but the story line takes you on a path that you did not see coming. Or, at least, I didn't. I highly recommend both movies for your weekend pleasure.

Up-date on the home search

2010-03-07T10:48:00.001-06:00

Finding a home to buy has been quite frustrating! After looking at just two properties, I found a great townhome on Tuesday in our price range (and also really close to my best friend's house!). We went to put in an offer on Thursday, and there was already an offer on it. The bank wouldn't accept any other offers, either. It was just about perfect! It was 3 bedrooms and 2 bath (one half bath), and three levels. It had fresh paint and new carpet, and nice size kitchen, living room, and a patio. The down-side was that it was a split level (when entering the home, you had to go up a flight of steps, so not accessible for my brother), the furnance needed replacing, and there was no air conditioner. But, those are adjustments that we could have made over time. I'm so frustrated with myself...if only I had moved faster. Who knew that you had to make an offer right away?

With the home-buyer's credit set to expire April 30 (although, technically, it is June 30 since you only have sign a purchase agreement by April 30 and close by June 30), there are a lot of buyers on the market, and in my price range, not a ton of really nice homes. So, it makes finding a home hard, and I really have to move quickly when I do find one! I hope I find something, because this is just frustrating...

I miss football...

2010-03-03T23:17:00.001-06:00

Being born and raised in Green Bay has made me quite the football fan. And, obviously, with all the McDonald's in Green Bay painted green and gold, I'm quite the Packers fan. I was devastated when Brett Favre joined the Vi-Queens, and it makes me sad to see him in purple and gold. In my mind, he will always be a Packer. (And I was more mad when my husband bought a purple Favre jersey and proceeded to wear it at every Viking game!)

However, as much as I love football, and miss it during the off-season (I have to wait till August for training camp!?!?), I have to give this guy some credit. Jacob Hickman was an offensive lineman for Nebraska for the past 4 years. He had one of the first rounds of invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine, and apparently he was going to be a sixth or seventh-round draft pick. But, after surgeries on his knee, ankle, hand and elbow, and arthritis, he decided that playing for the NFL wasn't worth it. He said that while his injuries were part of his decision to not go pro, he honestly did not have the stomach to play anymore. As he says: "I enjoyed everything I did here. I had a great experience. I didn't feel the need to continue playing. It just didn't feel like it's what I wanted to do with my life."

Good for him. Too many young players get sucked into the promise of fame and money. I don't blame them; I probably would, too. But Hickman sounds like he has the maturity to realize that football is not life, and there is more to do with his life than play. If he doesn't have the passion anymore, he would be a poor teamsman, anyway. And with his injuries, who knows how long he could have played.

60 Minutes did a segment a few months back on concussions in pro-football players. After years of playing, many of them had memory loss, and scans showed significant differences in their brains. Hickman did not want to become one of those, and for that I applaud him. But, if the Packers would have drafted him, maybe we could win the SuperBowl next year...!

From Yahoo: No chance at NFL

Living Arrangements

2010-03-01T23:00:00.000-06:00

While I intended on blogging over the weekend, life got a little busy. I am now looking to buy a town-home/condo/house, hopefully somewhere in the East metro. For those of you who don't know, my husband and I have been living in a house for the past 4 years that his mother and step-father bought as an investment property. They have now decided to sell the house this summer, and so we need to find a new place. We were not excited about the prospect of moving; we knew we couldn't buy quite yet, and since our house is over 2,000 square feet, we were going to lose a lot of space if we moved into an apartment. But, at the time, we did not think we had much of a choice. My husband and I tried purchasing last fall, and things fell through. So, we were resigned to finding a townhome/apartment to rent.

However, things changed this weekend with my parents in town, and if we can find something in our price range, we hope to move by late spring/early summer. And, hopefully, we will be able to take advantage of the first-time home-buyers credit! I am resuming my relationship with my relator, and we are going to look at a couple townhomes tomorow. Maybe this blog will turn into a "What not to do when looking for a home!"

In this economy...

2010-02-25T23:09:00.001-06:00

The New York Times had an article a few days ago about "The New Poor." (I'm a bit behind in my NYTimes reading due to a busy social schedule this week.) The article is quite depressing, but it's most poignant statement comes right at the beginning:

"Call them the new poor: people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life who are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives — potentially for years to come."

With millions of people unemployed, including some of my friends, it is more than painful to think what their lives will be like if they do not find employment soon. I'm not economist, and I don't pretend to be, but I think most people live within their means, and many people live above their means. It's not their fault, it's simple economics: Person A is getting paid X dollars. Person A have a life-style with what X dollars allows them to. If they decide to abuse credit cards, they can live above their means, but knowing that they have credit to pay off (usually, at exhorbitantly high interest rates). Once X is taken away from them, how much can they really cut back? Sure, the cable, the internet, the Netflix can all be tossed, and maybe move to a cheaper apartment or perhaps even sell that house. (Good luck with that.) But, at some point, they've cut back all they can, or the house can't be sold, and then what? You still have the bills to pay, but with either little or no income. At some point, something will snap.

The NY Times article goes on to say that the economy needs "100,000 new jobs a month just to absorb entrants to the labor force. With more than 15 million people officially jobless, even a vigorous recovery is likely to leave an enormous number out of work for years."

My dad, and a very intelligent friend, told me that getting an education will always be the answer. No one can ever take an education away from you, and my friend went on to say that the degree is always more valuable than the expense to get it. Perhaps that's true. However, what do I say to my unemployed friends who I went to law school with? How did I manage to get a job and keep it for the past year or so, and they managed to lose theirs, often when they had better grades and more experience than I did? I definitely do not regret going to law school; I think it's the only reason I have a job right now. Sure, I might be riddled with debt, but I have to believe that all that debt will be worth it. In some regard, it has already been worth it.

I sincerely hope that the economy recovers quickly. I'm certainly tired of hearing "in this economy..." and having to accept the premise that follows. I'm tired of accepting a bad econonmy. Yes, I'm glad I have a job and enough breathing room to have a little fun, but enough is enough.

And if anyone is reading this and wants to make a quick buck, I'm looking for someone who can show me how to make my own website. For your knowledge, I will reward you in money.

Puppies!

2010-02-23T14:08:00.002-06:00

My parents are coming into town this weekend. Not for a long stay; they'll stay overnight at my place or my brother's, and then drive to Duluth on Saturday for the wedding of their good friends' daughter. My parents still live in Green Bay, in the same house that I was raised in, and my brother and I see them about 6 times a year, which is enough for us. It will be interesting to see what life is like when they finally sell the house in Green Bay and move to a townhome in Wayzata, a western suburb of Minneapolis, in a year or two.

In the meantime, I will be taking care of Mollie this weekend. Mollie is the golden retriever my brothers and I bought for my dad last Father's Day after our precious Sasha passed away in February of 2009. Sasha was the sweetest, kindest dog I have ever had, and since my brothers left my parent's house when I was in 8th grade, I was home alone a lot with Sasha. I was heartbroken when she passed last year. But, I found Mollie on the internet last May, and knew that she would be perfect for my dad. My husband and I took care of Mollie for two weeks in June until my dad could come pick her up. I grew attached to that puppy during those two weeks. I love my dog Thor, but Mollie will always have a place to stay with me. Mollie is obviously a lot bigger now, perhaps I'll post a picture this weekend of what she looks like now.

Training Time

2010-02-22T15:20:00.001-06:00

So now that I have registered for the Minnesota AIDS walk (see below), I thought I should start training. Not that walking 6 miles is very hard--I walk every morning with my dog--but that walk is not 6 miles. I downloaded an app for my iPhone (I love the iPhone) that tells me how far I've walked and my average speed. Turns out my daily walk with Thor is about .9 miles. (I should really find a way to get that extra tenth of a mile in.) So, I figure to warm my body to the 6-mile walk I am going to do in May, I should walk 2-3 miles for the month of March, gearing up to 4 miles by the end of the month. Then, walk 5 miles by the end of April, and by the time the AIDS walk rolls around in the middle of May, 6 miles will seem like a breeze.

This will be a great way to lose those extra pounds I've wanted to lose, too. Unfortunately, I gained too much weight my first year of law school, and it took graduating from law school and working crazy hours to lose some of the weight. (A wedding helped, too). However, I'm still not down to my college weight, but this walk should help me get just about there.

Let the walking begin...

A Quick Plug

2010-02-20T19:44:00.002-06:00

After many years of saying I'm going to do it, I have now registered for the MN AIDS Walk. The AIDS walk is one of the more beautiful walks in Minnesota; the walk begins and ends in Minnehaha Park and goes along the Mississippi River. It's a 6 mile walk, and should be a beautiful day in May for it! (The walk is May 16.)

I have pledged to raise money for MAP (Minnesota AIDS Project), and I wondering if you all can help me out! A little goes a long way, even just $5 will help me meet me goal! This goes to a great cause--(no, not my own pocket book). Checks can be made out to Minnesota AIDS Project (or MAP), and sent to me at my home address (which can be provided upon request).

If you have any questions, please see the MN AIDS Walk site here

If you're in the Twin Cities and would like to join me in the walk, just let me know and we can become a team! Ladies and gay men: Just think about all those hot (gay) men in tight T-shirts! Talk about 6 hours of eye candy!!

Feel free to email me with any questions at crenates@gmail.com

Book Review: The Help

2010-02-18T22:54:00.003-06:00

I recently finished the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It was a fantastic book, one I highly recommend reading. To give you a brief overview of the book, it follows three women living in Mississippi in the early 1960s. Two of them are African-American, working as maids in white houses. The third woman is Miss Eugenia Phelan (aka Skeeter), a 22 year-old graduate from Ole Miss who aspires to be a writer in New York City, but comes back to Mississippi to take care of Mother and find a husband.

However, Skeeter is influenced by the Civil Rights movement and works on a project that soon has all the black maids working with her. The maids are paralyzed by the thought of one of the white women finding out about this project, so they go to great lengths to hide their goings-on. By the end, though, it is well worth the fear and they all feel proud for the work that they accomplished.

Kathryn Stockett does a fantastic job of writing through the voice of a 1960s black woman. She captures the voice of what I imagine black women in Mississippi sounded and felt like during this time. She created three extraordinary woman who will move and delight you during a time period where most people probably felt despair and hopelessness.

The Kids Debate

2010-02-16T22:52:00.001-06:00

Now that I'm married, I often hear the question "So when are you having kids?" To people that know me well enough, they tend not to ask the question because they know my feelings on children. To those that do ask, they are often entertained by the evil look I give them. When they question my dissonant glare, I gently remind them that I care not for children and have no plans to have any of my own.

It's not that I don't like children. Most children are decent enough. Babies are even cute. It's just the fact that I don't want to sacrifice my life for that of a child. A couple of my friends have kids (not many...yet!), and I see the sacrifice that they must make for them. And I just do not want to do that. That may be the very definition of selfish, but that's how I feel. Perhaps I will change my attitude in my 30s, but I haven't changed my opinion on this topic since I was 16, I don't see myself changing any time soon.

I have my own theories on why I do not want children (many too personal for public discourse), but mostly I think it boils down to my own childhood: While I had some problems and strife growing up, I had a pretty decent childhood. Most people have children because they want to give their children a better childhood than they had. When you had a pretty good childhood already, what reason is there to have children? I don't feel like I missed anything or didn't have an experience that I want to see my children encounter. Do I want a child to have a similar experience as I did? Sure, I had it pretty good growing up. But, I don't have a burning desire to give a child that same experience.

I will also quickly discharge the argument that because I am an educated woman, it is my "duty" to procreate. Some would argue that it is just my "duty" as a woman to have children. To those that argue the former, I give you the premise that it may be quite likely that my child is quite stupid and/or a menace to society. To those that argue the latter, you have bigger problems that I'm not willing to deal with here. There are plenty of other women quite happy to fulfill their role as doting mother, and I will happily let them accept that role.

You are all welcome to cover my house with this post if I ever announce that I am with child.

The Idiot Box

2010-02-14T20:11:00.001-06:00

I admit it, I watch a lot of television. I have a TV show recording on my DVR just about every night. Judge me if you want, but television and books are my form of escapism. There's nothing better than curling up with a blanket, a pillow, and watching other peoples' disastrous lives.

I usually watch dramas (Private Practice, Bothers & Sisters, and yes, I still watch Grey's Anatomy), and comedies (Modern Family). I do not like reality television; American Idol has to be one of the worst shows on television, and Dancing with the Stars is annoying. However, nothing is better than the Amazing Race. Best. Reality. Show. Ever. In case you've been living under a rock, it's a show where 11 teams compete for a million dollars by racing around the world, completing tasks in each location that are culturally significant to that area. For example, on tonight's show, the first city is Valparaiso, Chile. It is apparently known as the San Francisco of South America, and because of all the hills and cliffs, cable-walking has become a common form of entertainment. Contestants have to walk across a 200 foot cable that is 100 feet in the air. Teams are comprised of two people, usually family, friends, lovers, or co-workers. Differing personalities make the show even more interesting. Stupid people do not last long, as you need to think critically (or sometimes just think). Weak people obviously do not survive as the travel legs look quite difficult. Watching the two interact over the course of tweleve weeks is my second favorite part of the show (the first being all the different cities they travel to). My favorite couple tonight is the lesbian couple, where in their introduction video, one of them said "If we open the clue and it says, 'Find the nearest Louis Vuitton, we'll find it.'" LOVE IT!

I would do the Amazing Race in a heartbeat. Except for the heights portion (my partner can do all of those), I think I have the determination and smarts to at least get to the top 5 teams. Anyone care to join me??

The Road Not Taken...

2010-02-12T18:13:00.002-06:00

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.--Robert Frost

Robert Frost said it better than anyone; two roads appear, and you have to choose between them. Lately, I've been thinking about the road that I didn't take. Two days before I was offered my current job, I was offered a job with the State of Minnesota. I accepted, but then received the job offer from my current employer. I revoked my acceptance with the State, mostly because my current employer was willing to pay me $12,000 more a year. With as much student loan debt as I have, I needed the extra money. So, I took the other job, knowing that it might take me on a different path.

I'm sure we've all had these thoughts before. What if I had taken that other job? What if I didn't turn down that date? What if that relationship hadn't ended? What if I hadn't driven down that road at that time? However, I believe that life works out how it is supposed to. We make choices in life, and we have to accept those choices. It's nice to think about the road not taken, and imagine what life could have been, but it will drive you crazy if you dwell and obsess over it. If life isn't what you want, then make choices to change it, as hard as those choices might be.

All in all, I'm content with my life. I'm not quite in the career that I want, but I'm only 27. Hopefully, I have about 50 years of working left in me (I went to school for so long that I want to enjoy the fruits of my labor well into my 70s!), and that should be plenty of time to take another path.

In my head...

2010-02-11T17:48:00.005-06:00

Because I've had this in my head since January, you can enjoy it, too...

Welcome

2010-02-10T10:56:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the first entry of Crystal's blog! (A cooler name coming soon.) I read quite a few blogs, and I thought, well, hey, I can do that, too! I enjoy writing, and unfortunately, I do not do enough of it in my current job. I had a blog during law school, but I quickly lost interest in it--mostly because I was too busy to update it. So, I'm going to try it again and see what happens. If it's lame and I run out of things to say, well, then, so be it. But, if I can think of enough things to say that people actually want to read, wonderful.

I could write an entire blog about my current job, but I like having a pay-check, so I will not be writing about my job. Yes, as I eluded to above, I am law school graduate, and I did pass the Minnesota Bar, so I am a licensed attorney. And I'll leave it at that. Otherwise, I'll just write about what interests me. I don't want to make this into a journal-like blog, but I'm sure many of the entries will be about my life. It is my blog, after all. :)

And if you're a stranger and stumbled on this blog, here are a few other tidbits about the person who is writing this:

I got married December 19, 2009, after being engaged for almost 3 years. I had the wedding of my dreams, and am so happy that I am married to a wonderful man! (Even if the new last name is hard to get used to.)

According to most people, I have really bad taste in music. My favorite music station is KDWB (a local Top 40 station) or more often than not, I listen to classical music such as Mozart, Beethoven, or Debussy. It's funny that when I was in high school, I berated my parents for only having classical music on in the car or home stereo, and now that's what I do. Talk about turning into your parents.

I have a deep fear of heights. As those of you know who went hiking with us in Red Wing, I get panic attacks at the mere thought of "open" heights. I say open because I'm not afraid of enclosed spaces, such as a planes or tall buildings. But, on a hill/cliff/mountain where I can plummet to my death with a mere mis-step, yes, panic attacks I have.

Welcome to Crystal's World.