Who ever heard of an operatic Jake?

Well I am in full-fledged-final-freak-out mode. The six hour final previously mentioned has been upgraded to eight, and my draft of that 20 pager was returned with the word "poor" used more frequently than I would have hoped. Also, after applying for my first real job that I had hoping for since before we moved out here, I got a "we will contact you if we want an interview" response. 

They don't have to be so polite about it, I know what that means.

On the bright side, I am completely finished with one class, final paper turned in and all, and this professor actually hands out more than one A per class if deserved, so things might actually be okay in that department.

I spent today typing up all my notes to review for that eight hour monstrosity. Did I tell you it is for Water Resources? The same class I have been complaining about all semester? The sad thing about it though is that the professor was awesome. He a really cool guy who talked to us like we were people, and ended the last lecture on the last day with "Four Keys to Lawyerly Happiness". They actually made me want to be a lawyer almost as much as the late great Boston Legal (albeit it went out with more of a bizarre fizzle than the grand pop it deserved). Here are the keys:

1. Show the love (don't demonize people).
2. Wear the badge proudly. Lawyers are leaders. We are the foundation of the civil society.
3. Believe--in yourself, in your clients, in what you do.
4. Follow your dreams. Your time out there is not that long.

Maybe after I'm done with this degree I'll just go on and get my JD. Wait...that would mean more of these ridiculous law school finals...

And here I am back to finals. I can't get away from them!

On a completely separate note, Jake and I traveled to Boston this last weekend to see my uncle Brian in the Messiah at Symphony Hall.

BOSTON WAS AWESOME.

We ate and P.F. Chang's, AND Addis Red Sea (Ethiopian), saw the Messiah in the most beautiful hall I have ever seen, drove on actual roads made of cement, walked around a real mall...all of this while avoiding getting a parking ticket even though we clearly deserved one. We were parked in the same meter spot for about ten hours with only a few quarters after we realized Boston counts its meters on Saturdays too. Saturday was a great day. We also got to see baby Jane (Ann and Brian's youngest) who is about as cute as possible, and getting so big! She was very popular everywhere we went. Pat and April and family were also there to share the P.F. Chang's, and it was great to see them too. They saw the Messiah the night before, and Grace was due to play the Angel in the Nativity at their ward Christmas party, so they couldn't stay long, but it was great to see them.

I don't know what was more comforting about our trip to Boston: the fact that the real world still exists outside of Vermont, or the fact that Vermont still exists inside the real world.

Either way, we are still enjoying our little slice or rural happiness we have carved out for ourselves.

One thing I love about Jake: he continually thinks that I can't hear him when he is in the shower. This is when he practices. Sometimes he practices strange voices or bits that he pulls out on occasion. Recently he purchased an opera CD and has been practicing opera. We also are in the ward choir, so the singing has been almost a constant. I am so proud of all of his hard work even though he doesn't really like singing the tenor part. But right now he is practicing "Figaro", and quite impressively I might add. After every run he adds on a delightful "thank you" to his awestruck audience.

I love Jake. Even when he stays after work for an hour and a half to work out when he knows I want to eat dinner before nine o'clock. If he didn't look so good, I might be a little madder. 

Oh, and I tried raw milk. 

Straight from the cow's teat to my mouth.

Brilliant.