This semester I have the opportunity to do what I think will be one of the most rewarding things I have done in my academic career. I am working at the Pepperdine Legal Aid Clinic at the Union Rescue Mission downtown near Skid Row. At the clinic we provide legal services for people living at the Mission or low income people that cannot afford the legal assistance they need. Students volunteer at the center and we are supervised by an attorney who helps us along the way (Prof. Otey), makes official decisions, and signs legal documents before they go out.
One of our assignments so far has been to write a paper on our first impressions so I figured I would post that here. More details to come later on my thoughts and experiences.
First Impressions
In my first three weeks at the clinic I have worked through several different first impressions, from the conditions outside to the clinic to the clients and the type of work that we do. Honestly, I guess some of my first impressions started before I even visited the Union Rescue Mission. The Monday evening before I was set to visit the Mission I began to feel uneasy about the semester. I was not sure what I would encounter and I was certainly afraid that I would have almost none of the answers necessary. Because several of my friends had worked at the clinic I knew the clinic would provide a structure that allowed me to survive, and maybe even succeed, but I was definitely uncomfortable with the uncertainty.
My first impression of the area around the mission was total disbelief at the sheer number of people living on the streets and the conditions they were living in. I thought living and spending time in Santa Monica had opened my eyes to the issues of homelessness and poverty, but I quickly realized that was all on a smaller scale. Relatively speaking, I was much more aware of homelessness after I moved to California because prior to beginning law school I could count on one hand the number of people I had seen living on the streets. After living in Santa Monica for just a short time I had witnessed more people living on the street, sleeping on benches, sleeping in doorways, and begging for money than I had seen in all the years prior. But on the day that I drove down to the mission those numbers would be made to look miniscule all over again. In one pass down San Pedro I could not wrap my mind around how many people were out on the streets with everything they owned in a bag or a shopping cart. As I drove down San Julian to find parking, it also hit me that not only were there a ton of homeless individuals in this area, but it was a community that seemed as though everyone knew each other and had lived in the area for a while.
As I left my car and started walking into the clinic, questions about some of the logistics started to run through my mind. I found myself wondering where all these people slept, where they found food, and how they were able to have any money at all – the area didn’t exactly seem ripe for panhandling. I was saddened by how many people looked sick, tired, or both. Some people seemed to be enjoying themselves and were having a laugh with others, while others had a look on their face as if they were just trying to make it from one minute to the next. Part of my first impression of the Union Rescue Mission was slightly skewed because everyone was waiting for one elevator, but it seemed like the Union Rescue Mission was organized chaos. When we made our way around the Mission to see all of the floors I was definitely encouraged that there was an organization offering all of these services but I was still struck by just how inadequate it all seemed. I noticed that parts of the building had not been updated in a while, were overcrowded, and the learning center had computers that looked to be more than ten years old. It was great to know that people were getting help, but I could not help but think that there was so much more that could still be done.
On the tour Prof. Otey pointed out the security procedures that were in place at the mission, how access was limited to certain floors, and rules for the residents in the Mission’s programs. On one hand, all of the structure and rules of the Mission gave me some comfort but it also gave me some pause because it meant there was a need for all of these measures. The tension between the safety of the Mission and the need for extra measures of security made me unsure of how to act while I was at the Mission. I certainly respected everyone there as a person and wanted to treat them just like I would any other person but I also wanted to make sure I was aware of my circumstances and my actions.
My first impression for the legal aid clinic itself was that Jose would be very helpful and there was a great system in place to help walk me through the necessary steps of interacting with a client. I felt at ease knowing that Jose was a filter for all things coming in to the clinic but was also a fountain of knowledge on what to do if there were questions along the way.
My first impression of the clients and what it would be like to work with the clients came the next week. I had an unusually smooth first client interview because my client was extremely nice, well prepared, and Professor Otey ended up doing most of the work with the client based on the nature of his case. Despite the unique circumstances I walked away from this interview realizing this was something that I could do with Prof. Otey’s help and more importantly, we could really make a difference for the client. It was really refreshing to see how happy the client was when he left and what a big difference we could make in his life. I soon realized however that not all interactions with clients would go this smoothly. I was able to overhear an interview in the office next door and despite the task being something most people would consider simple, the student volunteer was having a difficult time getting the correct information from the client. The student volunteer was trying to help a client fill out paperwork for disability benefits but the client seemed more bent on telling his story than answering the questions needed for the paperwork. This helped temper my first impression of what it would be like to work with the clients by showing me that while there was the same potential to make a difference in the lives of our clients the work to get there might not be so easy.
An additional first impression that came from meeting with a client was just how quickly the time slot for an interview, and my time at the clinic each week would pass. I realized that I would need to be really efficient with my time to stay on top of my work and make sure I was getting things done on time for the clients. Before working at the clinic I must have thought we would meet with a client, get everything done for them during their visit, and they could be on their way. After actually working with a client I noticed I would be in a real time crunch to get everything done for a client in the hour and fifteen minutes that we had, even if I had a few minutes of prep time before the client arrived. Later I would realize we would get things started with the initial interview and the client would come back the next week, giving us more time to do work for them in between visits, but initially I thought it would be a real rush to get things done in one day.
In summary, my first impression was that working at the clinic was definitely outside of my comfort zone, something I did not feel totally prepared for, but was something that could and would get done to make a significant difference for some people. There were things that made me uncomfortable, things that were encouraging, and a realization that despite all preparation I would likely run into something that I had not thought about but someone would have the answers and I would figure out how to deal with it.
As the semester goes on I look forward to seeing which of my first impressions were accurate and which were completely baseless. I know that I will routinely encounter new situations and “first impressions” but I don’t plan to be stuck in any of those impressions by assuming anything will always hold true.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
MLK Day in Mexico
Last weekend Courtney and I made the trip to Mexico with 23 other law students for another home building trip with Amor Ministries. This was Courtney's third time to make the trip and my second go round. I had an idea of what to expect this year but it was no less special or powerful.
Friday night we drove down to Irvine and stayed at one of our group member's church so that we could get up bright and early Saturday morning to make our way down to San Diego and the border. Saturday morning we drove the the office for Amor Ministries, in San Diego and near the border. We organized all of our luggage and divided up into the cars for our official caravan into Mexico. I was more nervous this year however because I was driving a twelve passenger van and I wanted to make sure I stayed close with the people in our caravan. I was not concerned about safety because I had made this trip last year and Amor has done this tons of times with no incidents but every time that you mention going near Tijuana people start to get really antsy and remind you just how dangerous things are down there. Parents of students are the trip start to flip out so I felt particularly responsible for making sure my van stayed with the group and there were no problems. While we are in the area of safety I want to make it clear that we aren't driving down dark alleys, taking corners at high rates of speed, or dodging bullets so staying safe really isn't a big deal but I can't help but be a little tense when other are so unnecessarily worried. We come into Tijuana at a border check point that puts you on a main street. You are on the street for 6-7 blocks, make one turn and you are on the highway so we are not even driving through the streets of Tijuana really. Most of the problems in Tijuana occur in downtown Tijuana from 12 am - 6 am and we don't see downtown or the hours of 12-6 on this trip. In fact, we end up working in areas 20+ minutes away from Tijuana.
Last year we worked on one house but this year our group of 25 had two houses at the same worksite. A pair of sisters lived near each other and we were going to build two new homes for the family. Saturday consisted of dividing up, cutting all our lumber with handsaws, and framing the house with hammers and nails. We had hoped to have the roof on and squared up before we left Saturday but we fell just a little short of that goal. Here are some pictures of the worksite as we left Saturday and when we arrived for work on Sunday.
Sunday morning we arrived back at the houses knowing we had to put in some serious work. Normally Sunday you prep the house for the first coat of stucco before lunch and then put the stucco on in the afternoon and finish early because you have to let the stucco dry before anything else can be done. We had a lot to do before the first coat of stucco was going to be ready but we were looking at an 80% chance of rain on Monday so we needed to get that first coat finished Sunday. Maybe it was because everyone already knew what needed to be done and tasks were divided when we got there, or maybe everyone just realized we really needed to work hard - but either way we got it done. The roof was on, tarred and shingled, and the first coat of stucco was done. All that was left to do was put in the doors and put on the second coat of stucco. This is what the houses looked like when we left Sunday.
Sunday night at the campsite the Amor employee that had been organizing our work at the houses went on and on about how impressed he was with our group because EVERYONE worked hard and we accomplished so much in one today. Then he went on to say how cool it was that we had changed a family's life in one weekend. At that point it hit me just what we had done - 25 law students gave up one weekend of their entire school year and changed the life of a family in Mexico.
Monday the rain held off and we were able to go back and put the finishing touches on the houses with a second coat of stucco. The picture with the banner is from Sunday (in case we got rained out Monday) and the second picture is one of the finished homes.
Beyond helping one family, we have hopefully impacted an entire neighborhood. One of the best moments was seeing some the kids in the neighborhood running up to see the new house and as we finished a family or two in the area showed up to see the new houses. We prayed with the family before we left (with the Amor employee acting as a translator) and the family prayed that they would use the homes to bless those around them.
This second year was a great experience helping a family in Mexico and getting to know another group of students. We are already looking forward to next year and thinking about how many people we can take and how many houses we can build.
Last weekend Courtney and I made the trip to Mexico with 23 other law students for another home building trip with Amor Ministries. This was Courtney's third time to make the trip and my second go round. I had an idea of what to expect this year but it was no less special or powerful.
Friday night we drove down to Irvine and stayed at one of our group member's church so that we could get up bright and early Saturday morning to make our way down to San Diego and the border. Saturday morning we drove the the office for Amor Ministries, in San Diego and near the border. We organized all of our luggage and divided up into the cars for our official caravan into Mexico. I was more nervous this year however because I was driving a twelve passenger van and I wanted to make sure I stayed close with the people in our caravan. I was not concerned about safety because I had made this trip last year and Amor has done this tons of times with no incidents but every time that you mention going near Tijuana people start to get really antsy and remind you just how dangerous things are down there. Parents of students are the trip start to flip out so I felt particularly responsible for making sure my van stayed with the group and there were no problems. While we are in the area of safety I want to make it clear that we aren't driving down dark alleys, taking corners at high rates of speed, or dodging bullets so staying safe really isn't a big deal but I can't help but be a little tense when other are so unnecessarily worried. We come into Tijuana at a border check point that puts you on a main street. You are on the street for 6-7 blocks, make one turn and you are on the highway so we are not even driving through the streets of Tijuana really. Most of the problems in Tijuana occur in downtown Tijuana from 12 am - 6 am and we don't see downtown or the hours of 12-6 on this trip. In fact, we end up working in areas 20+ minutes away from Tijuana.
Last year we worked on one house but this year our group of 25 had two houses at the same worksite. A pair of sisters lived near each other and we were going to build two new homes for the family. Saturday consisted of dividing up, cutting all our lumber with handsaws, and framing the house with hammers and nails. We had hoped to have the roof on and squared up before we left Saturday but we fell just a little short of that goal. Here are some pictures of the worksite as we left Saturday and when we arrived for work on Sunday.
Sunday morning we arrived back at the houses knowing we had to put in some serious work. Normally Sunday you prep the house for the first coat of stucco before lunch and then put the stucco on in the afternoon and finish early because you have to let the stucco dry before anything else can be done. We had a lot to do before the first coat of stucco was going to be ready but we were looking at an 80% chance of rain on Monday so we needed to get that first coat finished Sunday. Maybe it was because everyone already knew what needed to be done and tasks were divided when we got there, or maybe everyone just realized we really needed to work hard - but either way we got it done. The roof was on, tarred and shingled, and the first coat of stucco was done. All that was left to do was put in the doors and put on the second coat of stucco. This is what the houses looked like when we left Sunday.
Sunday night at the campsite the Amor employee that had been organizing our work at the houses went on and on about how impressed he was with our group because EVERYONE worked hard and we accomplished so much in one today. Then he went on to say how cool it was that we had changed a family's life in one weekend. At that point it hit me just what we had done - 25 law students gave up one weekend of their entire school year and changed the life of a family in Mexico.
Monday the rain held off and we were able to go back and put the finishing touches on the houses with a second coat of stucco. The picture with the banner is from Sunday (in case we got rained out Monday) and the second picture is one of the finished homes.
Beyond helping one family, we have hopefully impacted an entire neighborhood. One of the best moments was seeing some the kids in the neighborhood running up to see the new house and as we finished a family or two in the area showed up to see the new houses. We prayed with the family before we left (with the Amor employee acting as a translator) and the family prayed that they would use the homes to bless those around them.
This second year was a great experience helping a family in Mexico and getting to know another group of students. We are already looking forward to next year and thinking about how many people we can take and how many houses we can build.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
It only took about 5 plays for the dream season to start feeling like a nightmare. For the twenty four hours or so after the game I kept hoping to wake up and find out that the game had not actually been played yet and Colt would actually have a chance to play for the national title. I just could not believe that that his career at Texas and our season would end this way. Unfortunately it was true and I would have to deal with it and after I watched some highlights Thursday night and Friday I found it easier to come to terms with the loss.
Courtney and I were able to get tickets for the national championship game on Wednesday night and we were pumped about the game. As a brief aside, this is a plug for Barry's Tickets. They made it all happen because they didn't charge any "convenience fees" which actually are not convenient at all. Two other websites were charging $90 and $115 respectively in convenience fees, ensuring their tickets were still unaffordable.
Courtney and I had planned to head out to the stadium and spend the afternoon hanging out and looking for a ticket while we enjoyed the whole scene. It was a big relief to get tickets for about what we wanted to pay Wednesday night so that we didn't have to worry about finding tickets the next day. I had only been to one bowl game in my life, the Cotton Bowl, and there were still some remnants of the state fair but I have never experienced a game day like this. We got there plenty early to make sure we were able to park near the stadium - they park people on a nearby golf course - so we had lots of time to walk around and see the sights. There were a ton of people and one side of the stadium had the Texas Exes tailgate party, concessions, and a place to buy Rose Bowl gear (this store said they would have championship stuff after the game but we obviously didn't feel the need to stop and check it out). There were also plenty of tailgates and people making a day of it.
We were walking around the stadium looking for an ESPN tailgate we had heard about. When we rounded a corner we ran into this mass of humanity and roads that were roped off for the arrival of Bevo to the stadium.
Despite the fact that this could make all Texas fans look bad I thought people might use find these pictures amusing. You will notice that he catches me taking his picture and pretending to take Courtney's picture in the first shot. I think he liked the attention anyway.
These are some shots from inside the stadium. We sat on row 76 (out of 77) but there is not a bad seat in that stadium. I felt like I could see the game just fine and I can't imagine there was anyone there that felt like they could not tell what was going on really well. Courtney and I got some laughs from people that ended up around us and were talking about how they were in the nose bleeds or they were winded from walking up so many stairs. We wanted to tell those people they should try seeing a game from the upper deck of stadiums like DKR or Kyle Field if they want to know what it is like to be winded and sitting in the nose bleeds. The pregame stuff was really cool and they brought in the flag with parachuters. Of course, they had what is probably my favorite part of a pregame ceremony for a big game - the flyover.
The only frustrating part of the pregame experience was the camera situation. The night before the game Courtney and I looked at the Rose Bowl website to see the list of prohibited items so there were no surprises when we got to the stadium. Unfortunately the web site indicated that SLR digital cameras were not allowed in the stadium and Courtney and I were particularly bummed because we had hoped to take our nice new camera that takes great pictures. We took the camera to have before the game but ended up just leaving it in the truck rather than carrying it around all day. We got to the stadium about 2 hours before kick off and noticed several people carrying cameras just like our Nikon. Obviously the gate workers were not aware of the Rose Bowl policies on prohibited items so I thought maybe I could go out to the truck, get the camera, and bring it back. The only problem was that once you were in the stadium you could not leave and come back in. Once they scanned your ticket and you were in that was it. So, we were in the stadium knowing we could have our really nice camera that had been left in the truck but there was nothing we could do about it.
As everyone knows by now, Colt went out after taking a shot to his shoulder on Texas' first possession of the game. The atmosphere was electric and I knew it was going to be a good game. I even felt like the Horns would win by 6 - that was my pregame prediction. The energy and electricity completely left over half of the stadium when Colt went out. People were still excited because we had a chance to score a touchdown and would soon recover a quasi-onside kick but there was a totally different field. I could tell by the way Colt walked off the field that his throwing should was hurt and it probably wasn't good. Despite that I was hoping for a Willis Reed moment where Colt would come running out of the tunnel and everything would be fine as he led Texas on to the national title. After about the third possession with no Colt I really wanted to cry - literally. I was of course disappointed for the team and the end of the season, but even more so for one of my favorite Texas players of all time who had given TONS to the school over the last four years. I knew no one wanted to play more than Colt and I could not imagine how he felt to go out like this.
I admit that I felt like we had little to no chance with Gilbert as the quarterback and it wasn't his fault. It was just as much a function of Gilbert being a true freshman on the biggest stage and the way the entire mood seemed to have changed. To the team's credit they didn't seem to let up and they did their best to stay in the game after the initial shock. To make a long story short they had a really good third quarter and got within 3 points in the fourth quarter. The crowd was absolutely back in the game and I thought we might actually do this in the biggest comeback and win in Rose Bowl history. Our section of the stadium was chanting "Hell no, we won't go!!" And there has never been more meaning behind the Texas Fight chant. People usually overdo it with that chant, using it too often or too long in silly situations but it was 100% applicable in this game and the stadium was rocking. Unfortunately Alabama dialed up an effective blitz and hit Gilbert right before he could get rid of the ball, resulting in a fumble that sealed the game. I still could not believe all that had happened and I knew I had to see some highlights to make sense of it all.
The next day I watched parts of the game on a rebroadcast on ESPN 360 and came to the conclusion that it just wasn't our night because in all reality we probably could have found a way to win without Colt. I realized that Malcolm Williams let a great ball go through his hands for a missed touchdown that would have made the game 14-13 in the second quarter and probably would have done loads for Gilbert's confidence. At the game I could not tell if the pass had been tipped by a defender but highlights showed it was just a missed catch. Additionally, the infamous shovel pass that resulted in an interception and touchdown for Alabama should have been prevented - not because it was a bad play call or because Gilbert made a bad decision/pass, but because a block was missed, a defensive player hit Monroe as the ball got there and Monroe should have caught the ball that hit him in the hands. There were several missed blocks and dropped balls that can't happen if you want to win the national championship. I would like to think that the result would have been different if our team leader and best player was still in the game, primarily because the team morale and focus would have been a little better but you never know. In any event, I was never more proud to be a Longhorn fan than I was that night. And the way Colt handled all of it in this (which in my opinion was much more genuine, touching, and effective than all of Tebow's scripture eye black and posturing) post game interview shows why I am proud of him and why I am proud of the team. Colt's Example
HOOK 'EM!!
Courtney and I were able to get tickets for the national championship game on Wednesday night and we were pumped about the game. As a brief aside, this is a plug for Barry's Tickets. They made it all happen because they didn't charge any "convenience fees" which actually are not convenient at all. Two other websites were charging $90 and $115 respectively in convenience fees, ensuring their tickets were still unaffordable.
Courtney and I had planned to head out to the stadium and spend the afternoon hanging out and looking for a ticket while we enjoyed the whole scene. It was a big relief to get tickets for about what we wanted to pay Wednesday night so that we didn't have to worry about finding tickets the next day. I had only been to one bowl game in my life, the Cotton Bowl, and there were still some remnants of the state fair but I have never experienced a game day like this. We got there plenty early to make sure we were able to park near the stadium - they park people on a nearby golf course - so we had lots of time to walk around and see the sights. There were a ton of people and one side of the stadium had the Texas Exes tailgate party, concessions, and a place to buy Rose Bowl gear (this store said they would have championship stuff after the game but we obviously didn't feel the need to stop and check it out). There were also plenty of tailgates and people making a day of it.
We were walking around the stadium looking for an ESPN tailgate we had heard about. When we rounded a corner we ran into this mass of humanity and roads that were roped off for the arrival of Bevo to the stadium.
Despite the fact that this could make all Texas fans look bad I thought people might use find these pictures amusing. You will notice that he catches me taking his picture and pretending to take Courtney's picture in the first shot. I think he liked the attention anyway.
These are some shots from inside the stadium. We sat on row 76 (out of 77) but there is not a bad seat in that stadium. I felt like I could see the game just fine and I can't imagine there was anyone there that felt like they could not tell what was going on really well. Courtney and I got some laughs from people that ended up around us and were talking about how they were in the nose bleeds or they were winded from walking up so many stairs. We wanted to tell those people they should try seeing a game from the upper deck of stadiums like DKR or Kyle Field if they want to know what it is like to be winded and sitting in the nose bleeds. The pregame stuff was really cool and they brought in the flag with parachuters. Of course, they had what is probably my favorite part of a pregame ceremony for a big game - the flyover.
The only frustrating part of the pregame experience was the camera situation. The night before the game Courtney and I looked at the Rose Bowl website to see the list of prohibited items so there were no surprises when we got to the stadium. Unfortunately the web site indicated that SLR digital cameras were not allowed in the stadium and Courtney and I were particularly bummed because we had hoped to take our nice new camera that takes great pictures. We took the camera to have before the game but ended up just leaving it in the truck rather than carrying it around all day. We got to the stadium about 2 hours before kick off and noticed several people carrying cameras just like our Nikon. Obviously the gate workers were not aware of the Rose Bowl policies on prohibited items so I thought maybe I could go out to the truck, get the camera, and bring it back. The only problem was that once you were in the stadium you could not leave and come back in. Once they scanned your ticket and you were in that was it. So, we were in the stadium knowing we could have our really nice camera that had been left in the truck but there was nothing we could do about it.
As everyone knows by now, Colt went out after taking a shot to his shoulder on Texas' first possession of the game. The atmosphere was electric and I knew it was going to be a good game. I even felt like the Horns would win by 6 - that was my pregame prediction. The energy and electricity completely left over half of the stadium when Colt went out. People were still excited because we had a chance to score a touchdown and would soon recover a quasi-onside kick but there was a totally different field. I could tell by the way Colt walked off the field that his throwing should was hurt and it probably wasn't good. Despite that I was hoping for a Willis Reed moment where Colt would come running out of the tunnel and everything would be fine as he led Texas on to the national title. After about the third possession with no Colt I really wanted to cry - literally. I was of course disappointed for the team and the end of the season, but even more so for one of my favorite Texas players of all time who had given TONS to the school over the last four years. I knew no one wanted to play more than Colt and I could not imagine how he felt to go out like this.
I admit that I felt like we had little to no chance with Gilbert as the quarterback and it wasn't his fault. It was just as much a function of Gilbert being a true freshman on the biggest stage and the way the entire mood seemed to have changed. To the team's credit they didn't seem to let up and they did their best to stay in the game after the initial shock. To make a long story short they had a really good third quarter and got within 3 points in the fourth quarter. The crowd was absolutely back in the game and I thought we might actually do this in the biggest comeback and win in Rose Bowl history. Our section of the stadium was chanting "Hell no, we won't go!!" And there has never been more meaning behind the Texas Fight chant. People usually overdo it with that chant, using it too often or too long in silly situations but it was 100% applicable in this game and the stadium was rocking. Unfortunately Alabama dialed up an effective blitz and hit Gilbert right before he could get rid of the ball, resulting in a fumble that sealed the game. I still could not believe all that had happened and I knew I had to see some highlights to make sense of it all.
The next day I watched parts of the game on a rebroadcast on ESPN 360 and came to the conclusion that it just wasn't our night because in all reality we probably could have found a way to win without Colt. I realized that Malcolm Williams let a great ball go through his hands for a missed touchdown that would have made the game 14-13 in the second quarter and probably would have done loads for Gilbert's confidence. At the game I could not tell if the pass had been tipped by a defender but highlights showed it was just a missed catch. Additionally, the infamous shovel pass that resulted in an interception and touchdown for Alabama should have been prevented - not because it was a bad play call or because Gilbert made a bad decision/pass, but because a block was missed, a defensive player hit Monroe as the ball got there and Monroe should have caught the ball that hit him in the hands. There were several missed blocks and dropped balls that can't happen if you want to win the national championship. I would like to think that the result would have been different if our team leader and best player was still in the game, primarily because the team morale and focus would have been a little better but you never know. In any event, I was never more proud to be a Longhorn fan than I was that night. And the way Colt handled all of it in this (which in my opinion was much more genuine, touching, and effective than all of Tebow's scripture eye black and posturing) post game interview shows why I am proud of him and why I am proud of the team. Colt's Example
HOOK 'EM!!
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
The dream season is almost complete. From the beginning of the college football season I was hoping for two things. 1) That the Longhorns would take care of business and make it to the national championship game in Pasadena; and 2) that Courtney and I would somehow be able to go to the game. I knew it would be ideal if Texas could play in the game out here because we were just right down the road, meaning we did not have to pay to fly and then pay for a hotel to see the game. I guess I was of course hoping for a third thing as well - that Texas would win the game. As of tonight, we are 2/3 of the way there. Since the Horns were officially in the national championship we started looking at tickets but the prices were ridiculous to say the least. We had more or less decided that we would head out to the Rose Bowl on game day to hang out, soak up the atmosphere, and see if we could get a ticket. We were hoping that as kickoff got closer, prices on tickets would come down. We were even ok with missing kickoff if it meant we could afford a ticket.
Today the all important step 2 took place. We started monitoring websites for ticket prices and the prices were coming down but you still had to pay ridiculous service and convenience fees. Stubhub had $90 worth of fees and Ticket City was charging $151 for your "convenience." A friend had mentioned www.barrystickets.com so we decided to give it a shot - and we found a goldmine. Our good buddy Barry had tickets for sale at the lowest price we could find and there were NO CONVENIENCE FEES. The price you saw was the price you paid. I was able to order the tickets and pick them up right away. The fact that I could pick up the tickets was huge because it meant I could actually get some sleep tonight, maybe.
I understand that Texas is the underdog in the game, and for good reason. Alabama has a great defense, a physical offensive line, and a Heisman winner running behind them. But, Texas has a pretty good team as well and it should be a good matchup. It will be a total blast to spend the day tailgating, taking it all in, and then cheering on the Horns. Hopefully they can finish the dream season and I will be able to witness the Longhorns winning a national championship. Hook 'Em!
Today the all important step 2 took place. We started monitoring websites for ticket prices and the prices were coming down but you still had to pay ridiculous service and convenience fees. Stubhub had $90 worth of fees and Ticket City was charging $151 for your "convenience." A friend had mentioned www.barrystickets.com so we decided to give it a shot - and we found a goldmine. Our good buddy Barry had tickets for sale at the lowest price we could find and there were NO CONVENIENCE FEES. The price you saw was the price you paid. I was able to order the tickets and pick them up right away. The fact that I could pick up the tickets was huge because it meant I could actually get some sleep tonight, maybe.
I understand that Texas is the underdog in the game, and for good reason. Alabama has a great defense, a physical offensive line, and a Heisman winner running behind them. But, Texas has a pretty good team as well and it should be a good matchup. It will be a total blast to spend the day tailgating, taking it all in, and then cheering on the Horns. Hopefully they can finish the dream season and I will be able to witness the Longhorns winning a national championship. Hook 'Em!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Thanks to the first part of Christmas break I may have two new interests. One likely won't go anywhere but my eyes have at least been opened to something I didn't know I would be interested in. The two areas of interest are: bike riding and DJing.
Courtney and I went to San Francisco for Christmas this year and we were there Tuesday through Monday. Tuesday we had great weather so we went out to Coit Tower.
We did not have any cash and it cost $5 per person to get to the top of the tower so we went with the views we could get walking around the outside of the tower. We were still able to see the city, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate bridge, and Alcatraz.
After visiting Coit Tower we drove down Lombard Street, "the crookedest street in he world," mainly to say I had done it. There were a lot of people that thought it was a good idea to stand in the middle of the street below the crooked portion for a good picture. Unfortunately this made it a little frustrating to actually navigate the streets but we made it and I probably ended up in a few pictures.
Next we went down to Fisherman's Wharf, the ultimate tourist trap in San Francisco.
We walked the length of the wharf and ended up at Pier 39. There were tons of shops and all sorts of food available at Pier 39 but we were going for one of the more unique things that has made the pier famous - the sea lions. There is an area of floating docks near the end of the pier where hundreds of sea lions typically hang out. Unfortunately it looks like were were just a couple months late so most were gone. We did get to see a few sea lions though so it wasn't all in vain.
Day 2 was the beginning of one of my potential new interests - biking. Courtney and I rented bikes and biked to the Golden Gate Bridge, across the bridge into Sausalito for lunch, and back across the bridge. We were really lucky and had a second consecutive day of great weather in San Francisco so we had some great views,
but we also had some not so great hills. In all we rode over 20 miles and we put in some serious work on a couple hills. The most notable hill was Alexander Avenue. For a glimpse into why this hill was less than fun, click on this link. This picture gives you a small idea of how steep the hill was and trust me, it felt like it went on forever. There were several different climbs along the way and Courtney and I quickly realized we were a bit out our league because we were only seeing avid bikers with their real cycling bikes and their official gear. BUT, I am proud to say we made it and overall really enjoyed our bike ride.
The second interest came up after Christmas day because Courtney's cousin got DJ Hero for Christmas. We spent quite a bit of time playing the game and while it was nothing like really being a DJ it definitely peaked my interest. At the very least it got me thinking about mixing music, what songs would go well together, making a set, etc. Courtney's brother runs the LA branch of the Scratch Academy so I am in good hands if I ever do decide to take some lessons, but I don't know whether that will actually take place.
Today my parents are flying out from Texas and they will be here until the first. Courtney and I are really excited to have them here because it will be the first time they have seen our new apartment. It will also be the first time my brother has been out here with time to actually hang out and see what the area has to offer. The previous two times he has traveled out here (Courtney's graduation and our wedding) he was here barely more than 24 hours so we are really looking forward to his visit.
Hopefully you all enjoyed your time with family over Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever you celebrate. Happy New Year.
Courtney and I went to San Francisco for Christmas this year and we were there Tuesday through Monday. Tuesday we had great weather so we went out to Coit Tower.
We did not have any cash and it cost $5 per person to get to the top of the tower so we went with the views we could get walking around the outside of the tower. We were still able to see the city, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate bridge, and Alcatraz.
After visiting Coit Tower we drove down Lombard Street, "the crookedest street in he world," mainly to say I had done it. There were a lot of people that thought it was a good idea to stand in the middle of the street below the crooked portion for a good picture. Unfortunately this made it a little frustrating to actually navigate the streets but we made it and I probably ended up in a few pictures.
Next we went down to Fisherman's Wharf, the ultimate tourist trap in San Francisco.
We walked the length of the wharf and ended up at Pier 39. There were tons of shops and all sorts of food available at Pier 39 but we were going for one of the more unique things that has made the pier famous - the sea lions. There is an area of floating docks near the end of the pier where hundreds of sea lions typically hang out. Unfortunately it looks like were were just a couple months late so most were gone. We did get to see a few sea lions though so it wasn't all in vain.
Day 2 was the beginning of one of my potential new interests - biking. Courtney and I rented bikes and biked to the Golden Gate Bridge, across the bridge into Sausalito for lunch, and back across the bridge. We were really lucky and had a second consecutive day of great weather in San Francisco so we had some great views,
but we also had some not so great hills. In all we rode over 20 miles and we put in some serious work on a couple hills. The most notable hill was Alexander Avenue. For a glimpse into why this hill was less than fun, click on this link. This picture gives you a small idea of how steep the hill was and trust me, it felt like it went on forever. There were several different climbs along the way and Courtney and I quickly realized we were a bit out our league because we were only seeing avid bikers with their real cycling bikes and their official gear. BUT, I am proud to say we made it and overall really enjoyed our bike ride.
The second interest came up after Christmas day because Courtney's cousin got DJ Hero for Christmas. We spent quite a bit of time playing the game and while it was nothing like really being a DJ it definitely peaked my interest. At the very least it got me thinking about mixing music, what songs would go well together, making a set, etc. Courtney's brother runs the LA branch of the Scratch Academy so I am in good hands if I ever do decide to take some lessons, but I don't know whether that will actually take place.
Today my parents are flying out from Texas and they will be here until the first. Courtney and I are really excited to have them here because it will be the first time they have seen our new apartment. It will also be the first time my brother has been out here with time to actually hang out and see what the area has to offer. The previous two times he has traveled out here (Courtney's graduation and our wedding) he was here barely more than 24 hours so we are really looking forward to his visit.
Hopefully you all enjoyed your time with family over Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever you celebrate. Happy New Year.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Yesterday I finished another semester of law school and to be honest, I am not sure how I feel about it. It is always nice to have a semester's worth of work behind you and a couple weeks of no school ahead of you, but at this point one more semester down means much more than that. It means I have two semesters of school left. This time next year I will be done with both the law school and the business school and the working world will come calling (hopefully). It also means I only have one semester of law school left. I will graduate from law school in May and finishing the first semester of my last year makes all of that seem much closer. While most people cannot wait for the last year of law school to finish I feel quite the opposite. Sure there are times that school is stressful and busy but that also happens in life in general. I really enjoy the learning process as a whole - I enjoy going to class and I don't mind reading and preparing for class. And even more than all that I love the community at the law school and the flexibility of a student's schedule can't be beat. There is certainly a short coming of having no money as a student so I of course have to move on but there are plenty of things I enjoy about school that I will miss.
In the past few weeks several other things have also happened beyond finishing school. First, we won our first flag football championship. One law school won the championship three years in a row and that overlapped with my first two years of law school. After they graduated we thought we would be able to win our first championship but the business school moved in and beat us in the championship last year. It only took four years but we finally got ours this year, haha. Because I have one more fall semester left I guess I can technically make a run at a repeat. Next year we will have everyone from the team returning except one player. He will be tough to replace but we will give it a shot.
Unfortunately, since I last wrote we also lost our first softball game. We had a game after the first three days of studying for finals and you could tell everyone was still stuck in the studying haze. We were flat and almost asleep on our feet. But we are still in first place and hopefully we can bounce back this week with a win.
Second only to our flag football win, the Horns closed out the season with a win over Nebraska to secure their place in the national championship game. The offense struggled but the defense was great and they ultimately found a way to win. Courtney and I are hoping to find some tickets so we can go to the game but right now the cheapest tickets we can find are about $750 EACH. Haha. Prices should come down but they are going to have to come WAY DOWN before we are able to go. I would love to be there and hopefully it will work out but either way it will be great to cheer the Horns on in their second national championship game in four years.
I am looking forward to next semester but I am definitely going to enjoy the holidays with family and the time off from school. Next semester I will have a chance to work at Pepperdine's Union Rescue Mission Clinic. The clinic is located near Skid Row and offers legal services to people that can't otherwise afford them. Law students have the chance to work with attorneys to help with the overwhelming amount of people that need help. I have heard great things about the experience from people that have worked there in the past and I expect nothing less from my time there. I will also be fortunate enough to take a trip to Austria in March for another international Moot Court competition similar to my trip to Germany in October.
Courtney and I are headed north to San Francisco for Christmas and we are really looking forward to the trip. It will be my first time in San Francisco with no school work to be done so I have the whole time to relax, enjoy myself, hang out with the family, and see the city. It will be cold for sure but it will be a great week. Then my parents and brother are coming out to Cali to have a version of Christmas with us since we are not making it out to Texas. My mom is really excited about the gift for Courtney and me and she wants to be with us when we get it. I have no idea what it could be at this point.
Have a great weekend and enjoy getting ready for the holidays.
In the past few weeks several other things have also happened beyond finishing school. First, we won our first flag football championship. One law school won the championship three years in a row and that overlapped with my first two years of law school. After they graduated we thought we would be able to win our first championship but the business school moved in and beat us in the championship last year. It only took four years but we finally got ours this year, haha. Because I have one more fall semester left I guess I can technically make a run at a repeat. Next year we will have everyone from the team returning except one player. He will be tough to replace but we will give it a shot.
Unfortunately, since I last wrote we also lost our first softball game. We had a game after the first three days of studying for finals and you could tell everyone was still stuck in the studying haze. We were flat and almost asleep on our feet. But we are still in first place and hopefully we can bounce back this week with a win.
Second only to our flag football win, the Horns closed out the season with a win over Nebraska to secure their place in the national championship game. The offense struggled but the defense was great and they ultimately found a way to win. Courtney and I are hoping to find some tickets so we can go to the game but right now the cheapest tickets we can find are about $750 EACH. Haha. Prices should come down but they are going to have to come WAY DOWN before we are able to go. I would love to be there and hopefully it will work out but either way it will be great to cheer the Horns on in their second national championship game in four years.
I am looking forward to next semester but I am definitely going to enjoy the holidays with family and the time off from school. Next semester I will have a chance to work at Pepperdine's Union Rescue Mission Clinic. The clinic is located near Skid Row and offers legal services to people that can't otherwise afford them. Law students have the chance to work with attorneys to help with the overwhelming amount of people that need help. I have heard great things about the experience from people that have worked there in the past and I expect nothing less from my time there. I will also be fortunate enough to take a trip to Austria in March for another international Moot Court competition similar to my trip to Germany in October.
Courtney and I are headed north to San Francisco for Christmas and we are really looking forward to the trip. It will be my first time in San Francisco with no school work to be done so I have the whole time to relax, enjoy myself, hang out with the family, and see the city. It will be cold for sure but it will be a great week. Then my parents and brother are coming out to Cali to have a version of Christmas with us since we are not making it out to Texas. My mom is really excited about the gift for Courtney and me and she wants to be with us when we get it. I have no idea what it could be at this point.
Have a great weekend and enjoy getting ready for the holidays.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
End of Movember
This is what the end of Movember looks like if you have a pathetic stache for four weeks.
Monday is the end of the month and I will actually be shaving this thing tomorrow. Our team has raised over $500 so it has been worth while. All that being said, we can take donations through December 8th I believe so please go here: Movember and donate a couple bucks to a great cause.
The big event of this past week was of course Thanksgiving. This year Courtney and I experienced a less traditional Thanksgiving but it was great. Thursday we flew out to Houston where my parents picked us up and we headed to College Station. My grandmother drove in earlier on Thursday and she and my brother, Ryne, had the food all ready to go. We fed our faces and then headed to campus for the big game. My brother is a senior at A&M so Courtney and I were the only ones in burnt orange. We walked around campus so Courtney could see a few things, see the Corp march in, and get an idea of the overall atmosphere. Then we headed up to our seats to let the fun begin. We ended up being treated to a great game and maybe the loudest game/stadium I have ever experienced but we unfortunately also sat in front of the dumbest Aggies in all of Aggieland.
We knew it would be less than desirable when we heard the language behind us in the first five minutes. We heard just about every imaginable cuss word and otherwise unintelligent comment about the things taking place on the field. I kept reminding myself that EVERY fan base has "these people" and we just happened to sit in front of them. There were comments ranging from: how the phrase Texas Fight repeatedly in the Texas FIGHT song was unoriginal to every single time an Aggie player made a good offensive play it was pointed out that the Aggie had made the Texas player his ?*%$#. I was doing a fair job of tolerating the nonsense but I eventually reached my breaking point. Texas went for a fourth down in the third quarter, just inside A&M territory. As soon as the whistle was blown, dumb, dumber, and dumbest behind me started complaining about what a terrible spot it was, how Texas ALWAYS got the benefit of the doubt because they were Texas and how the Longhorns definitely got the first down. In fact, one of them made the comment that Texas had never gone for a fourth down that they did not get because they always get the benefit of the doubt - that alone should shed light on the intelligence level that was in our midst. Keep in mind that there had been a play earlier in the game where it looked like Johnson may have fumbled the ball before going down but there had been no review to see if Texas recovered a fumble, despite the fact that Texas always gets the benefit of the doubt. After the measurement was taken Texas was actually quite a bit short of the first down. Despite the fact that we had just turned the ball over on downs I smiled to myself about how wrong the people behind us had been due to their whining/cry baby complex. Later in the 3rd quarter, Tre Newton broke a 7 yard run for what appeared to be a touchdown. The tackle was made close to the goal line but the ball appeared to break the edge of the goal line before he was down and it was declared a touchdown. This was of course a cue for the brilliant threesome behind us who immediately sprung into action. They were calling for a review, saying Newton was clearly down before he reached the endzone. But again, they pointed out there would be no review because Texas ALWAYS got the benefit of the doubt. They became resigned to the fact it would be a touchdown because poor ol Texas A&M just could not get a break or any respect against the Longhorns. That was it, I could not keep quiet any more.
At the remark that there would not be a review because Texas always got the benefit of the doubt I had to turn around. I said, "Yep, it is the same Texas team that always gets the benefit of the doubt, just like earlier in the game when they didn't get the first down, right?" One of the guys looked a little surprised that I had said anything to him and he took a second to gather himself before reminding me that Texas does always get the breaks. I said, "Yeah just like they did earlier when they got the good spot but didn't get the fourth down conversion, right?" The same guy stuttered and stammered a little bit before telling me, "Dude you just got a touchdown but he was down so you should be happy." I replied, "Yeah they always sometimes get the benefit of the doubt except for times when they don't like the fourth down earlier in this game." After another short pause the brainiac asked me if I had watched any of the Texas games this year and said that I should keep arguing because it was fun. At this I just smiled and nodded, realizing I had made a mistake by trying to argue with someone of such a high intelligence in the first place.
The Horns ended up holding on for the win in a great game. One of my favorite plays was a long run by Colt where he actually found another gear and outran the entire A&M defense. I actually sent a friend a text saying, "He is faster than all of your defensive backs....really?" It was a great run and one that could, I hope, be a Heisman winning/defining moment for Colt. Earl Thompson also had a big interception that could help him win the Thope Award. As I mentioned earlier though - and to the credit of Aggie fans - that game might have been the loudest game I have ever been to. The A&M fans did a great job of yelling before almost every Longhorn snap and 3 hours after the game my ears were still ringing.
Now the Horns are one win away from a shot at another national championship - our second in four years. If Texas takes care of business Courtney and I will begin the search for two tickets to the national championship game at the Rose Bowl on January 7th. Any thoughts on who they will face? My money is on Florida and I will save my anti-Florida rant for another post.
Class ends this week on Wednesday and then it is two weeks of finals. I am actually glad that finals are here because I have nothing to do other than study my outlines for two finals. No papers to write, no reading for class or anything else. Just studying and taking two tests, each one week apart. As a result, there probably won't be much to write about in the way of school over the next three weeks but I hope to make it to a couple Pepperdine basketball games so that should provide some material.
All of you who were chomping at the bit, or actually had jumped the gun with Christmas festivities, Thanksgiving is gone so let yourself go now. Have a great week.
This is what the end of Movember looks like if you have a pathetic stache for four weeks.
Monday is the end of the month and I will actually be shaving this thing tomorrow. Our team has raised over $500 so it has been worth while. All that being said, we can take donations through December 8th I believe so please go here: Movember and donate a couple bucks to a great cause.
The big event of this past week was of course Thanksgiving. This year Courtney and I experienced a less traditional Thanksgiving but it was great. Thursday we flew out to Houston where my parents picked us up and we headed to College Station. My grandmother drove in earlier on Thursday and she and my brother, Ryne, had the food all ready to go. We fed our faces and then headed to campus for the big game. My brother is a senior at A&M so Courtney and I were the only ones in burnt orange. We walked around campus so Courtney could see a few things, see the Corp march in, and get an idea of the overall atmosphere. Then we headed up to our seats to let the fun begin. We ended up being treated to a great game and maybe the loudest game/stadium I have ever experienced but we unfortunately also sat in front of the dumbest Aggies in all of Aggieland.
We knew it would be less than desirable when we heard the language behind us in the first five minutes. We heard just about every imaginable cuss word and otherwise unintelligent comment about the things taking place on the field. I kept reminding myself that EVERY fan base has "these people" and we just happened to sit in front of them. There were comments ranging from: how the phrase Texas Fight repeatedly in the Texas FIGHT song was unoriginal to every single time an Aggie player made a good offensive play it was pointed out that the Aggie had made the Texas player his ?*%$#. I was doing a fair job of tolerating the nonsense but I eventually reached my breaking point. Texas went for a fourth down in the third quarter, just inside A&M territory. As soon as the whistle was blown, dumb, dumber, and dumbest behind me started complaining about what a terrible spot it was, how Texas ALWAYS got the benefit of the doubt because they were Texas and how the Longhorns definitely got the first down. In fact, one of them made the comment that Texas had never gone for a fourth down that they did not get because they always get the benefit of the doubt - that alone should shed light on the intelligence level that was in our midst. Keep in mind that there had been a play earlier in the game where it looked like Johnson may have fumbled the ball before going down but there had been no review to see if Texas recovered a fumble, despite the fact that Texas always gets the benefit of the doubt. After the measurement was taken Texas was actually quite a bit short of the first down. Despite the fact that we had just turned the ball over on downs I smiled to myself about how wrong the people behind us had been due to their whining/cry baby complex. Later in the 3rd quarter, Tre Newton broke a 7 yard run for what appeared to be a touchdown. The tackle was made close to the goal line but the ball appeared to break the edge of the goal line before he was down and it was declared a touchdown. This was of course a cue for the brilliant threesome behind us who immediately sprung into action. They were calling for a review, saying Newton was clearly down before he reached the endzone. But again, they pointed out there would be no review because Texas ALWAYS got the benefit of the doubt. They became resigned to the fact it would be a touchdown because poor ol Texas A&M just could not get a break or any respect against the Longhorns. That was it, I could not keep quiet any more.
At the remark that there would not be a review because Texas always got the benefit of the doubt I had to turn around. I said, "Yep, it is the same Texas team that always gets the benefit of the doubt, just like earlier in the game when they didn't get the first down, right?" One of the guys looked a little surprised that I had said anything to him and he took a second to gather himself before reminding me that Texas does always get the breaks. I said, "Yeah just like they did earlier when they got the good spot but didn't get the fourth down conversion, right?" The same guy stuttered and stammered a little bit before telling me, "Dude you just got a touchdown but he was down so you should be happy." I replied, "Yeah they always sometimes get the benefit of the doubt except for times when they don't like the fourth down earlier in this game." After another short pause the brainiac asked me if I had watched any of the Texas games this year and said that I should keep arguing because it was fun. At this I just smiled and nodded, realizing I had made a mistake by trying to argue with someone of such a high intelligence in the first place.
The Horns ended up holding on for the win in a great game. One of my favorite plays was a long run by Colt where he actually found another gear and outran the entire A&M defense. I actually sent a friend a text saying, "He is faster than all of your defensive backs....really?" It was a great run and one that could, I hope, be a Heisman winning/defining moment for Colt. Earl Thompson also had a big interception that could help him win the Thope Award. As I mentioned earlier though - and to the credit of Aggie fans - that game might have been the loudest game I have ever been to. The A&M fans did a great job of yelling before almost every Longhorn snap and 3 hours after the game my ears were still ringing.
Now the Horns are one win away from a shot at another national championship - our second in four years. If Texas takes care of business Courtney and I will begin the search for two tickets to the national championship game at the Rose Bowl on January 7th. Any thoughts on who they will face? My money is on Florida and I will save my anti-Florida rant for another post.
Class ends this week on Wednesday and then it is two weeks of finals. I am actually glad that finals are here because I have nothing to do other than study my outlines for two finals. No papers to write, no reading for class or anything else. Just studying and taking two tests, each one week apart. As a result, there probably won't be much to write about in the way of school over the next three weeks but I hope to make it to a couple Pepperdine basketball games so that should provide some material.
All of you who were chomping at the bit, or actually had jumped the gun with Christmas festivities, Thanksgiving is gone so let yourself go now. Have a great week.
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