Bar Exams

Phew... done.

Money Matters

Okay, feeling a little less panicked. Not going sailing was the right decision. I am now only one exam away from being done.

In non-bar exam news, having a baby has made us get really serious about finances, and budgeting for absolutely everything. I've got a spreadsheet budgeting for absolutely every baby related purchase - even breast pads and diaper bags. I'm still trying to justify to D that we need the organic crib mattress. I have a cousin who died of SIDS, and that makes me a wee bit anxious about all the risk factors, though I have decided that the crazy SIDS monitors are not really useful and are probably just stress-inducing.

Anyway, in an effort to be financially responsible, I was just going over our mortgage statements. The prime interest rate has gone up yet again. We have lived in our condo for two years, and pay roughly $1600 a month into our mortgage ($1636 after the new rate increase). We put down a 20% downpayment. Of the remaining debt, we have paid off only $12,000 of principal in 24 months - the rest (more than half) is all interest! Isn't that depressing?

Factoring in condo fees and the exorbitant heating at our old place, it only costs us about $100 more to live here than it did to rent, so it's still a better deal. And our place has appreciated by quite a bit. But it's still kind of sad to see how much we pay the bank to live here. And of course I haven't factored in all the costs associated with buying, which go into the thousands when you consider lawyer's fees, inspections, painting, buying the odd piece of new furniture, moving. Wow.

Anyhow, I better get back to criminal procedure. And crib mattress shopping.

Uh Oh

Okay, freaking out doesn't begin to explain it. I'm getting my head around Estate Law, sort of, but Corporate Tax and Secured Interests are still a gigantic mystery. I am starting to realise that failure IS an option. Holy crap.

Countdown

It is now T minus less than one week until the bar. I am officially FREAKING OUT!!!! I have a lot of material yet to read, and then do practice exams. We all have all these assignments to hand in and they give them to us throughout, which means that a lot of time and prep goes into them, when I'd really prefer to have been focussing on the exams a little earlier. Too bad I never got around to filling out that feedback form.

Also, a few optimistic weeks ago I booked myself for an afternoon of sailing tomorrow - was that a dumb idea? I may have to cancel that. Then again, if I have days and days of studying ahead, maybe a few hours outdoors is what I need to keep myself on track. Ha - I can justify anything.

I am starting to tire again quite easily, so I find I need to sleep until 8:30 or so - not conducive to a full day of studying.

Now I Work Down at the Car Wash, Where All It Ever Does Is Rain

Studying for the bar in the summer officially sucks. It is 500 degrees out and I am stuck inside with only a fan poring over some lame exercise on a Saturday evening. It's not really that complicated, but the marking scheme is nit-picky and a wee bit arbitrary so it's causing me undue stress.

I don't think I've ever had a summer where I've had to study. I spent most of my childhood and teenage ones outside at summer camps, canoeing and camping. Then I worked some "real" jobs, many of which involved sitting in a windowless office. But at least at 5 p.m. I was ready to go and be on terrace somewhere. Even last year when I summered, I was usually home by 7. So I have never had to spend a July Saturday at 11 p.m. sitting in front of my laptop. That doesn't mean I haven't ever done it - but I've never been required to do it. Hopefully, I will not have to do it again (though I realise that may be a tad unrealistic given my career choice). There was a radio show broadcast from my summer camp this afternoon and it filled me with nostalgia.

Thank goodness I will be done in August and will not be required to bring home the stress of work with me.

Anyway, in far more exciting news, Lag Liv is having her baby, four weeks early!!!

Checking In

We are in the middle of a radical heat wave - wow. I ache to go to the beach.

I went to a wedding this past weekend, which was amazing. It was very lovely and heartfelt with all sorts of personal touches. I saw all sorts of old friends who I haven't visited in years and it's amazing how quickly things can seem normal again.

I really enjoy this part of being pregnant - people are so happy for us, and they're always extending well-wishes and sharing their stories. Last night the waiter at an upscale restaurant told us how the birth of his child was the most amazing moment of his life. People are just kind to me, and us. I understand now what my friend says when she says she misses her belly. It made no sense before, since I was really not enjoying pregnancy for the first 20-odd weeks.

Anyway, back to work.

Happiness

Okay, I'm over my little rant from last time. One thing that I have to say this pregnancy has "given" me is an ever-increasing respect and love for D. I mean, don't get me wrong, he has been my best friend for years, but it's just amazing to realise how much respect and trust we have for each other, and how tied we in are to each other's decision-making process. I really do feel that it's important that D be as comfortable with our choices as I am, and one thing the mini-intervention taught me is that he is; after all, this was a decision we made together.

While it has taken him a bit longer to adjust to the reality that we're going to be parents (let's face it, neither of us really know what we've gotten ourselves into) I do love how into it he is. He is already talking about when we could possibly have another one - would 18 months be too soon? (Yes! I won't even have finished my articles by then!) He is very psyched to take some serious time off with the next one. He is very keen to have a huge brood.

Have I mentioned that I've reached the honeymoon period? I'm rebutting all the pregnancy books - it's not the second trimester that's the best, it's the third. I have energy, I feel well, I hear myself laughing all the time.