Saturday, December 27, 2003
Law School Memory #5: Brian's Birthday
We ran into a problem or two or three setting up Brian's birthday. First, his parents were coming over from Colorado that day so it was doubtful that we were going to do something that night or over the weekend. Second, he told us he had an errand to run after his early morning class and would miss the rest of the day up until Torts in the afternoon before heading back home to clean up for his parents' arrival.
Annie, PeShawn and I were walking towards the gift shop across from our school to pick up a card and what would be a "It's a Boy!" balloon-on-a-stick for Annie to give to Brian during the early morning class. As we were making our way, we were talking about what a shame it was that we couldn't do something right away for Brian's birthday. That's when I quipped, "Well we could just throw him a party during Torts." At the time I meant it as a joke -- therefore I had quipped not said -- but Annie seemed taken by the idea and it was decided then that we would throw Brian a surprise "party" just before the start of Torts class.
That was the plan before the unsuspecting and very uncooperative Brian threw us yet another curve by telling us in the morning that he wasn't going to be running his errand as planned after all. By then we were pretty much dead set on doing the party in Torts so we came up with the alternative of Annie and Shawn taking Brian to the Tea Room for lunch while Benilda, Rita and I got everything together.
During lunch we headed over to Ralph's purposefully breaking the picket line 'cuz honestly there was nowhere else to go except maybe Rite Aid, Walgreen's or one of many shops nearby but really where would the fun have been in that? We ended up buying a "Happy Birthday" paper tablecloth, a pink paper set of plates featuring a princess, those party favors that you blow, a helium balloon with the words "Smile, It's Your Birthday!", a chocolate cake and candles spelling out Happy Birthday.
Leaving the parking lot, one of those picketing came up to Rita's car and gave us a lecture about why we shouldn't be shopping at Ralph's and that we should find another place to go shopping which led me to say, "Ok, we'll go right across the street next time to Vons."
We get back to school and set the whole thing up with RaShawn by spreading the tablecloth across his desk space and that of the three other's next to him, taping the tablecloth to the desk so he couldn't remove it easily, tied the balloon to his chair, set the plates and party favors out and placed the candles on the cake.
Now I must confess, I didn't originally think of it as being sweet, I was going instead for the joke. But people said what we were doing was sweet so I guess it was sweet.
Ten minutes before class, Brian walks in and is genuinely surprised and a bit embarrassed by it all. He ended up taking about a half dozen blows to blow out the candles. And what was a little odd, but sweet of them, were all these classmates of ours, that he probably didn't know all that well, wishing him a happy birthday. Brian thanked us all at the time and thanked us again with a really sappy e-mail which I have yet to give him a hard time about.
That was the genesis of the whole "let's embarrass the birthday celebrant just before class starts" thing.
Annie, PeShawn and I were walking towards the gift shop across from our school to pick up a card and what would be a "It's a Boy!" balloon-on-a-stick for Annie to give to Brian during the early morning class. As we were making our way, we were talking about what a shame it was that we couldn't do something right away for Brian's birthday. That's when I quipped, "Well we could just throw him a party during Torts." At the time I meant it as a joke -- therefore I had quipped not said -- but Annie seemed taken by the idea and it was decided then that we would throw Brian a surprise "party" just before the start of Torts class.
That was the plan before the unsuspecting and very uncooperative Brian threw us yet another curve by telling us in the morning that he wasn't going to be running his errand as planned after all. By then we were pretty much dead set on doing the party in Torts so we came up with the alternative of Annie and Shawn taking Brian to the Tea Room for lunch while Benilda, Rita and I got everything together.
During lunch we headed over to Ralph's purposefully breaking the picket line 'cuz honestly there was nowhere else to go except maybe Rite Aid, Walgreen's or one of many shops nearby but really where would the fun have been in that? We ended up buying a "Happy Birthday" paper tablecloth, a pink paper set of plates featuring a princess, those party favors that you blow, a helium balloon with the words "Smile, It's Your Birthday!", a chocolate cake and candles spelling out Happy Birthday.
Leaving the parking lot, one of those picketing came up to Rita's car and gave us a lecture about why we shouldn't be shopping at Ralph's and that we should find another place to go shopping which led me to say, "Ok, we'll go right across the street next time to Vons."
We get back to school and set the whole thing up with RaShawn by spreading the tablecloth across his desk space and that of the three other's next to him, taping the tablecloth to the desk so he couldn't remove it easily, tied the balloon to his chair, set the plates and party favors out and placed the candles on the cake.
Now I must confess, I didn't originally think of it as being sweet, I was going instead for the joke. But people said what we were doing was sweet so I guess it was sweet.
Ten minutes before class, Brian walks in and is genuinely surprised and a bit embarrassed by it all. He ended up taking about a half dozen blows to blow out the candles. And what was a little odd, but sweet of them, were all these classmates of ours, that he probably didn't know all that well, wishing him a happy birthday. Brian thanked us all at the time and thanked us again with a really sappy e-mail which I have yet to give him a hard time about.
That was the genesis of the whole "let's embarrass the birthday celebrant just before class starts" thing.
I Know She Has the Ring for it But Does She Have the Stomach?
I need to get Benilda to top this woman:
A would-be jewel thief who swallowed a 1.5 carat diamond ring has been forced by nature to give up the evidence...
Law School Memory #4: Lola Benilda's Birthday
We -- Annie, Brannon, Brian, Ellisen, Macy, Rita, co-worker of Ellisen, and I -- took Benilda to Grand Lux Cafe at the Beverly Center for a belated happy birthday dinner. I had the Lemon Chicken Piccata partly on Macy's assurances which turned out to be really good and established her as someone I can rely on in finding me the right woman. The logic works, I mean if it looks good and smells good I'm going to eat it right? Well the same goes for food.
The evening was rather uneventful but still very much entertaining, Brian and I went into near hysterical laughter after being given a ridiculous description of a dessert by our waitress -- "as your fork breaks the outer crust, it surprisingly dips into a pond of molten chocolate..." [ed. note: her actual words and you probably had to be there to understand how funny this really was although some at the table didn't think it was so funny] --, Brian was also copying my mannerisms that night as Macy and Rita delightfully kept pointing out, there were a lot of cute girls there to look at and as we were threatening to give Benilda a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday she pre-empted us by blowing out the candle to her complimentary birthday dessert. That was the night.
Prior to arriving at the Beverly Center, I spent a few hours resting on Rita's couch as she entertained me by paying her bills.
The evening was rather uneventful but still very much entertaining, Brian and I went into near hysterical laughter after being given a ridiculous description of a dessert by our waitress -- "as your fork breaks the outer crust, it surprisingly dips into a pond of molten chocolate..." [ed. note: her actual words and you probably had to be there to understand how funny this really was although some at the table didn't think it was so funny] --, Brian was also copying my mannerisms that night as Macy and Rita delightfully kept pointing out, there were a lot of cute girls there to look at and as we were threatening to give Benilda a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday she pre-empted us by blowing out the candle to her complimentary birthday dessert. That was the night.
Prior to arriving at the Beverly Center, I spent a few hours resting on Rita's couch as she entertained me by paying her bills.
Quote This
"I couldn't say the word stomach and I couldn't say the word tummy so I use the word stummy." - Macy
Law School Memory #3: Can We Turn Off the Air Already?
The air conditioner seemed to be always on in the library and it would get especially cold in the study group rooms where the incessant whir of the air conditioner is heard. Study group rooms #1 and #2 were the only exceptions and #2 became for awhile the choice of our morning study group.
Admittedly, this doesn't appear to be worthy of memorializing especially to those who don't know how cold it would get, but trust me, it was really freezing at times.
Admittedly, this doesn't appear to be worthy of memorializing especially to those who don't know how cold it would get, but trust me, it was really freezing at times.
Law School Memory #2: I Really Thought They Had a Chance
The week leading up to this year's UCLA-USC game I talked a lot of trash in favor of UCLA. With UCLA being a 21 point underdog Benilda decided to call me on my BS and offered a wager where the point spread wasn't given because at that point I wasn't conceding anything to a Trojan. Afterwards, a few people asked me why I would make such a bet, fact is, when you talk a lot of shit there comes a time when you either put up or shut up and I'm not one to shut up. I also figured I'd get in as much trash talking in while I still could because quite frankly after the game was played there was a good chance there wouldn't be an opportunity for me to say much.
Well if you don't remember (i.e. you're not a Trojan fan - because who else would remember such a crappy game?) the Bruins let me down for a fifth straight year.
The following Monday, Benilda had waiting for me a newly bought t-shirt from the game featuring the words "Return to Glory" and "UCLA Sucks" - hard to type those last few words - emblazoned in cardinal and gold. She also handed me about a dozen placards with either the words "Fight On!" or "Beat the Bruins!" on them which were also in cardinal and gold. I soon after found several of the placards placed on my car's rear window, windshield and driver's side window. Those Trojans sure know how to rub it in.
I end up getting to class only several minutes before the start because of another law school memory that I'll shortly post about. So I'm in class with the Trojan t-shirt on, hidden underneath my coat, and placing the Tojan placards against the whiteboard, on the podium and along the first desk row for our Civ. Pro. professor, an alumnus of UCLA, to come walking into. Keep in mind, I only did so reluctantly and because I was indebted. Some of my classmates, quite a few of them also UCLA alumni, were wondering aloud what the hell I was doing but they were quickly told that I had lost a bet.
After setting up the classroom I went to my seat and at a couple of my so-called friends' urgings I removed my coat to unveil to the whole class the Trojan t-shirt I had on. Our Civ. Pro. professor came in, removed the placards and said only a few words about the game and left it at that. And I will leave the memory at that.
Next year, there's always next year.
Well if you don't remember (i.e. you're not a Trojan fan - because who else would remember such a crappy game?) the Bruins let me down for a fifth straight year.
The following Monday, Benilda had waiting for me a newly bought t-shirt from the game featuring the words "Return to Glory" and "UCLA Sucks" - hard to type those last few words - emblazoned in cardinal and gold. She also handed me about a dozen placards with either the words "Fight On!" or "Beat the Bruins!" on them which were also in cardinal and gold. I soon after found several of the placards placed on my car's rear window, windshield and driver's side window. Those Trojans sure know how to rub it in.
I end up getting to class only several minutes before the start because of another law school memory that I'll shortly post about. So I'm in class with the Trojan t-shirt on, hidden underneath my coat, and placing the Tojan placards against the whiteboard, on the podium and along the first desk row for our Civ. Pro. professor, an alumnus of UCLA, to come walking into. Keep in mind, I only did so reluctantly and because I was indebted. Some of my classmates, quite a few of them also UCLA alumni, were wondering aloud what the hell I was doing but they were quickly told that I had lost a bet.
After setting up the classroom I went to my seat and at a couple of my so-called friends' urgings I removed my coat to unveil to the whole class the Trojan t-shirt I had on. Our Civ. Pro. professor came in, removed the placards and said only a few words about the game and left it at that. And I will leave the memory at that.
Next year, there's always next year.
Law School Memory #1: Good Morning!
Annie, Benilda, Shawn and I would meet 7:30 in the morning at the library to go over the readings for the day. Most of the time not everyone was in the study group room by 7:30, a lot of the times we didn't get around to all of the readings for that particular day, a good portion of the time was not even spent discussing cases and legal concepts but on gossip instead. In spite of all of that, it was on the whole one of the more rewarding and fondest experiences of my first semester in law school.
First Post
It's been a little over a week since I finished my first set of law school exams, it's a little over a week until my second semester of law school begins and it's about four days until the beginning of a new year. All in all, it makes for the perfect time to reminisce and to look forward to what might be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)