i bought my books today. Surprisingly, it only cost $350. My Employment Law professor has gone the route of 100% photocopied materials. No book. Only one of the two packets was ready for pick up today (of course ... that's what I get for thinking I can get all my errands done while the kids are in school ... it won't be ready until "maybe the 3rd" - which is Friday), but it was only $15. If the second is the same, then this is almost the least expensive law school class. The truly least expensive was the class I taught - I believe we were given those materials at no cost to us. We also got a discount (either 10 or 15 percent) on all our other books as a perk of the position. I miss that perk. Although I do not miss having the stress and responsibilities that came with teaching the class. I still am planning on soaking up the luxury of pure student-status.

The course description for Corporations was posted today. It said that "in keeping with the cooperative education model of the law school, this class will be an experience in cooperative education as well" or something like that. It said that we will be spending some of each class in lecture, and some in small groups working out problems. grrr. argh. [that's a Buffy reference]. I am not looking forward to spending part of each session of this 8:30 class in "small groups." I hear that my Administrative Law professor runs that class in a similar manner. Admin is my other 8:30 class.

I spent about 45 minutes before I left the house for my book-errand getting my bike and paraphanalia in order. I have historically wimped out on taking the bike in cold weather, but I do not feel that I have that luxury this quarter, since I do have those pesky 8:30 classes, and the Things are due at school at 8. I could, theoretically, force them to either eat breakfast at school or attend these little math and reading "clubs" which are held M-Th -- all starting at 7:30, instead. But they don't like that, and it makes for a very early morning just so I can have the pleasure of sitting on a crowded bus for 45 minutes instead of going for a chilly ride for 20 minutes. I have gloves. I have scarves. I have hats. I even have those nifty little ear-bands that keep the frigid wind from blowing directly into my ear canal and causing a severe jaw ache for the rest of the day. I can ride in the cold.

So today was my test ride. In the cold (18 degrees, to be precise).

But when I got outside, and on the bike, it was all wobbly. The rear tire. I had checked the tires before I left, and the front needed air, but the rear seemed okay. But it was not. I went back inside and checked the pressure and added a bit of air, and went back out - still wobbly. It didn't feel flat, it felt all off kilter. But I couldn't figure out where, and i didn't SEE anything off kilter.

I ended up taking the train. If beloved can't help me figure out what's up, I'll have to beg him to let me use his bike until I can 1) get mine fixed, or 2) use my tax refund to [beloved's going to roll his eyes at me when he reads this] buy a new bike. mmmmm. a new bike!!!!!

Before I got the bike ready, and before I left to get the books, I watched a movie. I borrowed Garden State from the library. Beloved saw that I brought it home and gave me a look which said, "you don't expect me to watch this crap, do you?" and I responded with, "I'm going to watch it during the day" and he nodded in approval of that plan. I loved the movie. I thought it was great.

And guess what else I borrowed from the library? Season 8 of Friends. I believe that is the season I left off on. I had watched that show religiously from Season 1 through the first few episodes of Season [i think] 8. Then I left the ex-schlurg, and was a single mom working evenings and commuting an hour to my job, and my life was chaos, and i couldn't afford cable and reception sucked and my t.v. was constantly threatening to break. The result was a cessation of my previously habitual t.v. watching. I had been watching Friends, ER, West Wing, and I know there was more, but I can't remember what at this point. I know there was a lot more. That was one of the most positive changes in my life. Getting rid of t.v. and the feeling that I had to watch these shows. I have been dangerously close to returning to the old habits - something I do not want to do. Right now it's Lost and 24. 24 is mine and Beloved's show, and I will not stop watching that. I'm also not giving up Lost. After the Superbowl, I was hugely suckered in by the advertisements for Grey's Anatomy, and I watched and loved that show, and the follow up one week later. But I will not watch it. I also for a little while was watching that show Invasion which comes on after Lost. But then this guy made this other guy cut his arm off with a chainsaw, and I said - you know what? I do NOT have time for this. And that was the final straw - far from the first.

I am happy to see the end of Friends, though. And it's on DVD. So no commercials, no schedule to be a slave to. I'll probably watch a couple episodes, return the set, and then rent it again at some point over the summer. I watched every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer this way. With my Sis. Back in Berkeley. I find it much more pleasant than real-time television watching.

I am writing this post in the public library, because my girls and the babysitter are at the house. If I am home, the kids are all "off" - showing off for both myself and the sitter, and it's just difficult. She had lost last week's pay because of our trip, and I didn't feel it was right to make her miss this week as well. So I'm making myself scarce while they're doing their routines at home. But the computer just told me I only have 5 minutes left, and I am going to post this rambling nonsense without any edits. Sorry.

posted by Zuska @ 4:51 PM

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