So, I’ve made it to June. Three out of five grades are in, and so far I’m doing just ok. I’ve become amazingly disconnected from caring whether I retain my scholarship or not. I have decided that the wait for law school grades is really unpleasant and I don’t have time to postpone my life while I wait, so I have moved on. I found myself floundering for a few weeks because I have far too much time on my hands. I was actually used to being busy morning, noon, and night. So I have put myself on a schedule and that has helped substantially. The basics:
1. The Internship – I am working three days a week in a local courthouse, handling administrative issues for persons accused of minor crimes and sentenced to community service and various treatments. I meet the client before they see the prosecutor and again after they face the judge. It is interesting work. During quieter times I am able to sit in court and watch criminal trials and the general criminal docket. I have actually learned alot, and met many people. My school is well-represented here, with interns working with the prosecution, defense, and other administrative positions. So far, well worth my time.
2. The Real Job – I actually do have one of those. I am working 25 hours per week with my client for the duration of the summer, with most of those hours being done on the weekends when my children are with their father.
3. The Children – The college freshman is home and already working full time and taking a summer class. She and I have a standing date on Friday evenings for dinner and a movie. Boyfriend happens to work on Friday, so that works out well for me. It is great to have her home. The boys are still in school. They will be attending camp on my work days, and will have the option of going to camp on my two days off. I lucked out with a summer playground program that runs five days a week from 8-4:30 – total cost for two children? $450 for the entire summer! That’s total, not each. There is no way to beat that. They get to play sports, swim, make crafts, and do other camp activities plus take a field trip once a week (extra $ there, but that’s ok). Thank God for Parks and Rec. Three evenings a week are devoted to the children, from 4-9 PM. So far we have made it to the public library, the park, and out for a bike ride. I can’t wait for them to be done with school so we can take a day trip or two.
4. Reading – I am on my third book. As I have shared my summer reading list elsewhere, I can not share it here, but I love to read, I missed it during law school, and I am happy to have time to do it now.
5. Writing – I also love to write. I have been keeping up with my journal, and have allotted three late evenings per week to writing. No TV, no computer, no radio. Just a notebook and a pen. Whether I end up with poetry, a novel, a collection of nonsense, or just an extension of the journal remains to be seen. Six to nine hours of writing a week should certainly lead to something.
That sums up my weekly to do list. Housework fills whatever small voids are left over. I have also managed to plant some flowers and a couple of tomato plants. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Sometime between now and the end of June I hope to have all my grades in and discover whether I will retain my scholarship or not. Until then….
