Only in the Midwest

Last week we had bitter cold. Yesterday we got about a quarter of an inch of freezing rain. Tomorrow our high is 57 with thunderstorms. Tomorrow night we’re supposed to get about an inch of snow. By Thursday night, we’ll be back down below zero again. Seriously, only in the Midwest does that happen the last week of January!

In other news, I’m making it to Institute this semester. Another student showed up last week. I’ve seen him around campus but don’t really know him well. At least so far I really like Institute and President Evans. 🙂 Speaking of church stuff, my lesson in Sunday School went really well yesterday. We had a good discussion regarding helping someone learn about Heavenly Father. It was a lesson that had us delving into the examples of Ammon and Aaron in teaching King Lamoni and his father. We also looked at Korihor’s beliefs versus Alma’s beliefs. In general, class goes better when we can put lists of things on the board but not each lesson easily lends itself to that. Plus, some of the outlines are on the thin side on materials for me, so coming up with stuff to cover 45-50 minutes is sometimes a challenge so far. I’ve taken a look at the outlines for February but I’m not yet sure which one to teach this coming Sunday.  The lessons for February aren’t so much about the plan of salvation, but seem to really be about how to learn about the plan of salvation and teaching others about the plan of salvation. It’s definitely taking some getting used to for everyone.

I’ve decided to go ahead and take the Wisconsin bar exam in July. I’ve also decided to take the MPRE (multi-state professional responsibility exam) anyway, despite the fact that Wisconsin doesn’t require it (they test ethics/professional responsibility on the bar exam itself, rather than separately). I’ve decided that I’d either like to go home or go out east to Washington, D.C.. That means the Wisconsin bar exam. As far as Washington, D.C. goes, to be admitted to the D.C. bar, you simply have to pass a bar exam in any state. I’d like to move out to Washington, D.C. one day. I don’t want to be an elected politician for sure, but as my securities regulation professor pointed out this morning in a discussion over the Supreme Court, at a basic level, a politician is simply someone who creates policy. And that I like. But I think I’d end up working for a nonprofit/think tank.

Speaking of securities regulation, what is up with me this year? I took corporations last semester because it was a bar course. I expected to be bored at the very least. At worst, I expected to struggle and generally hate it. Instead, I liked it and ended up with a B in the class. Consequently I ended up taking securities regulation (an easy example of a security is stock sold on the New York Stock Exchange). And now, a full two weeks into classes securities regulation would be my favorite class and truthfully, it’s not even close. And that’s not a factor of the rest of my schedule. I’m genuinely enjoying securities regulation. Part of that is the professor, because he’s just awesome. I had him for Contracts my first year and then Comparative Law my second year. He’s one of those professors you either like or don’t like. But whether you like him or not, there’s no denying he knows his stuff! I like him a lot and I like his style of teaching a lot. Plus, the class has just 8 of us enrolled. It’s my first small class in law school and I LOVE it! It’s such a different atmosphere for class. Of course, it also means there’s no hiding and you have to keep up in class.

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow marks a year since my grandmother passed away.  I got through it, something I wasn’t sure would happen a year ago. I miss her dearly and I’m sure I always will. But I know I’ll see her again one day and I really don’t have any doubts that she’s accepted the Gospel on the other side. That’s just who she was.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt