Nearly nine days since my last entry.  Less than 3 weeks until my 1L finals.  Yeek!  All sorts of fears running through my head, etc.

Yesterday afternoon, I went to a friend's housewarming party.  He's among the few of my friends who are becoming Property Owners.  It's a big deal.  While houses come and go, it takes some commitment to go from Renter to Owner.  Typically you're assuming you'll be in an area for at least several years.  My track record has been to move about every 2-4 years, usually 2 years.  Furniture and artwork become more serious investments.  You spend weekends renovating or improving the house and that's ALL you talk about to your Renter friends (this is the worst part, unless you're also an Owner).  I understand it's nice to finally be able to do whatever you want to your place, but meanwhile the Renters think the Martha Stewart/Bob Villa talk sounds like you have no life.  Some day, I too will go through the change from Renter to Owner (if I ever get of law school debt), but in the meantime I can just roll my eyes...

The symptoms of buying a house are similar to committing to a significant other, except it's harder to break up with a house...you actually have to unload it onto someone else, negotiate and go through the escrow crap...try "unloading" your ex onto a potential "buyer"...hee, hee... 

Ah, prescription-strength decongestant!  Now I can breathe again  and stop looking like Rudolph. 

The clerk behind the new cafe I now frequent is beginning to remember me and my typical morning mocha order.  Every time I move I have to leave a favorite coffee shop.  I wonder if the Starbucks people near my old place in student housing ask what happened to the "tall mocha girl".  Every time I walked in they started my order before I even reached the counter.  I miss Starbucks!

This is new coffee shop takes some getting used to.  For one thing, they don't do the industrial strength coffee drinks like Starbucks.  Also, many of the customers are middle-aged white folks who seem to gather there to sip coffee and chat with friends or read a book.  You don't see students pouring over textbooks and laptop computers at all.  Last weekend when boyfriend and I went here for breakfast, I overheard two people earnestly discussing chakras and gurus and trading notes on the best speakers.  The topic is very normal for California but their seriousness about it was kind of disturbing.  I just hope it gives them what they need. 

Other food news.  In our continuing search for a new selection of good restaurants, my boyfriend and I conveniently came upon a very yummy breakfast place one block from my apartment!  Weekend brunch is a custom for us and we were gettting tired of IHOP. 

Don't you just hate it when little things like laundry get in the way of being "productive"? 

It's 4 days since my last entry and I still love this apartment.  It almost feels like a vacation.  I'm finding it hard to be academically productive here.  It's so peaceful!  All I want to do is chill on my new area rugs.  I can't believe I now own IKEA area rugs. 

Anyway, I thought I was always sleepy at new home because it was so peaceful, but turns out I'm coming down with the cold.  It's probably brought on by the exertion of my boyfriend and I moving all my stuff in one day. 

I visited my on-campus masseur, a French Algerian guy, to fix my neck and shoulder pain, a souvenir from the move.  I felt just dandy until I put my heavy backpack back on my shoulders. 

For the past couple days, I wander around in my new one bedroom apartment completely baffled.  I have never lived alone before.  Also, I didn't expect to have my own place until 2-3 years later because I felt it would be too indulgent for a student. 

But here I am!  I liked the new apartment the moment I stepped in.  It felt clean and pristine with its white paint, hardwood floors, and soft light.  Oddly enough, it had the same apartment number as my old place.  I didn't know whether that was good sign or a bad omen...

It's not the just the new apartment that makes me feel disoriented these days.  I feel like I'm finally getting what I want from Life and that I'm finally allowed to become the real Me. But I'm used to fighting to reach my goals, being rejected or failing, and then having to start over or continue fighting.  I just can't believe I'm actually getting what I want.  Part of me wonders if this is just a nice dream or a parallel dimension...like the movie "Sliding Doors". 

I'm just itching to move out!  Now, now, now! 

If you learn any anything from law school, it's that you choose your battles and keep your eye on the big picture.  While my pride screams for me to stay put and duke this out, I know it's a losing battle to try reasoning with these people. 

Meanwhile, I have hopes that somehow the universe will appropriately punish these thick-headed, insensitive people who are the source of my frustration.  I'm imagining a range of cruel butt-kicking scenarios right now...