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I’m Number 3, with a Close 8!

20 Mar

 

 

 

Look at these images and choose your favorite. Then read down to find your number and see what it says about you! Mine was actually pretty accurate 🙂  Taken from the FB page of Andreea Zoia

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Personality Test Results:

1. Freedom loving 
Freedom is important to you – nothing is worse than when you feel tied down. You may find you move jobs or location frequently because the idea of staying in one place too long unnerves you. The same can apply to relationships! People see you as fun loving, and you are. You attempt to enjoy life to the full, in accordance with the motto: “You only live once.” You tend to attract less energetic people as friends or partners, like moths to a flame, they see you as the light. Careful they don’t drain you! You are very curious and open about everything new and thrive on change. Quite simply, you are a breath of fresh air.

2. Independent and unconventional
Your lifestyle is highly individualistic. You do not follow the crowd, on the contrary, you seek to live according to your own ideas and convictions, even if this means swimming against the tide. You need a free and unattached life that allows you to determine your own course. You have an artistic bent in your work or leisure activities. Your urge for freedom sometimes causes you to do exactly the opposite of what is expected of you. You are rather unique, so don’t bother comparing yourself to anyone else. Live life your way.

3. Sensitive and reflective
You are comfortable spending hours alone with your thoughts and rarely become bored. You dislike superficiality; you’d rather be alone than have to suffer through small talk. Your relationships with your friends are very strong, which gives you the inner tranquillity and harmony that you require. You love deeply but if someone betrays you it is next to impossible to forgive. You are an old soul, someone who has lived many times before and has seen it all. All you crave now is simplicity and the chance to focus your attention on a meaningful existence. 

4. Down to earth and charming
You have a natural authentic charm, what you see is what you get. People admire you because you seem so ‘together’. You have both feet planted firmly on the ground and they can depend on you. While others complicate their life with ifs and buts, you know your own mind. You provide security and space to those close to you. You are a rock, and although others may not tell you, you are the sun around which they revolve. You dislike superficiality and tend to be skeptical toward the whims of trends. Where others crash and burn, you motor on, quietly achieving all you need to do. You are a woman (or man) of substance.

5. Professional and self-assured
You take charge of your life, and place less faith in your luck and more in your own actions. You solve problems in a practical, uncomplicated manner. You take a realistic view of things in your daily life and tackle them without fuss. You are given responsibility at work, because people know that you can be depended upon. You project self-assurance to others. You are a born leader and organiser. Although you work well in a team, ideally you should be the one giving the orders. After all, you are usually right! 

6. Peaceful and timeless
You are easy-going yet discreet. There is a timeless elegance about you (think Audrey Hepburn). You make friends effortlessly, yet enjoy your privacy and independence. You like to get away from it all and be alone from time to time to contemplate the meaning of life. You need space, so you escape to hideaways, but you are not a loner. You are at peace with yourself and the world, and you appreciate life and what this world has to offer. You have a strong life purpose and when you discover it, you project your personal brand of magic on the world.

7. Cultured and classical
Cultured and sophisticated you value the things money can’t necessarily buy – good conversation, original ideas, music and the arts. You have a fair mind and can see both sides of an argument. You rarely let emotions get the better of you, preferring to assess situations rationally. Calm, logical and yet compassionate and kind. You have ‘old-fashioned’ principles, which at heart make you a real lady (or gentleman). A timeless, vintage classic – the sort of person everyone secretly admires and likes to copy. 

8. Sensitive and spiritual
You are a highly sensitive and spiritual person. You refuse to see life only from a rational view point. You have great intuition and trust your feelings. You must have dreams to aspire towards or you won’t feel happy. You like to improve yourself, and in so doing make a difference in the world – even if only in little ways. You find it hard to understand people who are only guided rationality. You form true relationships with open souls, people who know there is more to life than we can touch, see or hear. Your psychic sense is highly evolved, trust it and work with it.

9. Dynamic and sparkly
You are a mover and a shaker! You are willing to take risks in return for interesting and varied work. Routine tends to have a paralysing effect on you. Being stuck behind a desk 9-5 would destroy your soul and enthusiasm for life. You need to be given the chance to express your ideas and put them into action. You have a rainbow personality, and can cheer others up, even on the gloomiest of days. If you ever feel you have lost your sparkle it is because the situation you find yourself in is not right for you. Follow your enthusiasm, even if it means you chop and change for years. The journey is as important as the destination.

Awesome Moves!

8 Mar

Lessons in Being a Princess

7 Mar

“Princess” by Mechtaniya

I had the best day today! I had the wonderful pleasure of babysitting little girls for a friend. The girls (M and B) are ages two and three respectively, and are good-natured sweethearts.  B and M are always all-around girly-girls; but B has just entered into the wonderful world of princesses, dresses, crowns, and the infamous dream of beauty (M is still a bit more distracted by loud and squishy toddler toys).  It’s a pretty significant war just trying to get B to wear pants long enough to wash her dresses; she’s been delirious to find that her most recent Birthday and Christmas presents were devoted to princess-related items.  Everyone she meets is informed that she is not “B”, she is “Princess B.”  Honestly, it’s adorable.  I fully expect her to resemble a real-life Gossip Girl-esque Blair when she grows up (the fashion-interested Blair, not the snobby Blair).  

Today, We relocated to a large play area in the mall for lunch and games while their mother was busy and grabbed some hot dogs before hitting the playground.  The food store was right across from a Build-A-Bear storefront, which naturally attracted the girls’ attention.  I swear to God, B has now found heaven.  Because tucked in amongst the bears was a row of three dolls dressed like princesses.  B immediately informed M that these were  “real princess dolls.”  I’m assuming you can tell a true princess doll from a fake princess doll by the dress and crown?  I think M was more intrigued by the big wooden bear statue, but that didn’t stop B from talking her head off about the dolls.  So of course the rest of lunch-time was devoted to telling me all the signs of real princesses.  

They went something like this:

  • Real Princesses wear beautiful dresses (This was demonstrated by layering napkins over her clothes to resemble a “skirt”)
  • But not just any dresses, princesses have swirly skirts (Hands spread out extra wide to show just how swirly)
  • Because the skirts are swirly, princesses spend their time spinning around to show it off (we now pirouetted in circles repeatedly)
  • Princesses must wear pink everything.  (Purple jewels will work in a pinch, but no compromise on the dress itself).
  • Princesses wear pretty pink shoes.  (Sandals are okay, but they need sparkles or light or something “beautiful”)
  • The crown is mostly non-negotiable. (Her pink butterfly barrette was a satisfactory replacement though because it was a butterflyand it was pink. M’s purple butterfly was insufficient)
  • Sparkles make everything more princessy (Princesses love sparkles so we have them whenever we can. But sometimes we can’t and that isn’t as pretty)
  • Real Princesses are beautiful dancers and stand like this to be beautiful:

“Arabesque” by TheBalletPrincess

B was the most enthusiastic demonstrator; I feel like I learned a lot. 🙂

But perhaps the greatest lesson she taught me in being a princess didn’t come from our long conversation but from her actions this afternoon.  I mean, B was right, she was a real princess. But not just because she wore pink and knew how to arabesque. She also 

  • Picked up her trash and made sure no one else needed help throwing theirs away.
  • Tore M’s hot dog into bite sized pieces and offered up her own when M’s fell on the floor.
  • Repeatedly returned to pick up the other children’s shoes and coats when someone knocked them on the floor.
  • Went around to every child standing alone and hugged them.
  • Raced over and kissed the little boy that fell and hit his knee.
  • Called all the other children over to her and directed them in games and how to play together. 
  • Never took bossing too far and would let others lead as well when they let everyone in.
  • Made sure no one felt left out.
  • Repeatedly returned to the shyer, less comfortable M, kissed her and then introduced her to another quiet kid to play with before going back to her friends
  • Gave away her crayons to M when M got bored.
  • Made sure that none of the babies escaped from the play area (redirecting them inwards with a hug and guiding hand)
  • Smiled at the adults 
  • Said her “Pleases” and “Thank yous”
  • Told one mother “your baby is very good.”
  • Loved everyone indiscriminately.

Those are the real characteristics of a princess.  Someone who know when to lead and when to follow, who knows how to deal with the extroverts and the introverts. Someone who unreservedly gives out hugs, kisses, and kind words, but is aware of them enough to save them from their own wandering nature.  Someone who is loyal and good to their family, putting them first. Someone who is clean, tidy, and has a helping heart. Someone who know just what to say to make you smile and when you need it the most.  

Those were the qualities that really changed her from “B” into “Princess B.” 

Spanish Slang Is Above My Pay Level :(

4 Mar

Today’s lesson in the course of the law. . . Apparently some Spanish slang involves substituting “qu” with “K” and “ll” with “y” and dropping all silent letters. . . Makes for an interesting translation! Doesn’t help when there is no punctuation or accent marks. 

Suddenly, “Aquí hablamos español” is “aki ablamos espanol.” 

Also, Google Translate is trying to say the words aren’t Spanish; they are a mixture of “Hatian Creole,” “Dutch,” and “Galician” Shows what it knows.

Stupid Taxes

28 Feb

That moment when you’re almost finished with your taxes, only to realize that what you thought was the T-1098 form from your University for tuition was actually a letter requesting your approval so they could then send you the T-1098 form. . .  😦

Pet Peeve: Bathroom Stall Doors

28 Feb

Genuine Pet Peeve: Bathroom Stall Doors that are open inwards and are too big.   No matter how skinny you are, you have to straddle the toilet to open the door. 

Bar Exam Tips

26 Feb

I haven’t gotten my score back, so I can’t offer any advice as to how to pass the bar. But I can tell you what let me survive the bar. 🙂

  1. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST! Line up everything you’ll need for the exam days, as well as orientation. Verify what proof of identity is required and whether anything else is needed for registration. You cannot arrive without the stuff needed to sign in.
  2. Look at what you can and cannot bring into the exam. It does you no good to orient yourself to a highlighting system in practice if highlighters are against the rules.  
  3. Practice Test with the tools given in the bar.  If you have pencils, then use pencils.  
  4. Give yourself an extra 15-30 minutes to arrive the first day of orientation. There will be plenty of people around to chat with, and it allows you the potential time for recovering if you get lost.  Make sure you know the route you’ll take to get there on time each day.
  5. Check out where food is located. In Iowa, the only nearby food is the Starbucks food cart, but it can run out of food after a while (or at least any options).  Everything else is a fair distance away.  
  6. Find out where to access drinks. Especially drinks at lower prices than the Starbucks. They wanted $3.50 for the same bottle that was $1.00 in the machine.
  7. Don’t eat stuffy foods. You’re going to be sitting for the next 6 hours in one spot with limited movement. Don’t eat anything that will stuff you up and make you sick.
  8. Don’t drink too much. You’re going to get 1-2 trips to the bathroom max. . . don’t drink too much water. 
  9. Don’t drink alcohol. Wait until after the exam–you cannot afford a hangover or to feel groggy the next day.
  10. SLEEPI know that everyone is already aware of this, but you need a decent night’s sleep.  The stress starts letting up the closer you get to finishing the bar, and by the end you’ll start feeling tired. It’s even worse when the rooms are warm and the multiple choice questions hit the boring stage.  Try to be as well rested as possible.
  11. Stop Stressing. It’s done; you have no more time to study or re-call anything else. Whatever happens is going to happen regardless of what you’re going to do.  Not worth extra stress that will only make you more tired.
  12. If possible, bring someone with you. They don’t want you to bring in anything, so having someone on hand to make sure you arrive safely, have money for food, watch over your bags, etc. can be a big help. The moral support isn’t too bad either.
  13. Time Everything. The biggest complaint I heard was that people ran out of time–many failed to answer some of the questions at all.  The test is set up to be easy to divide into portions. Essays get 30 minutes each; Multiple choice gets 3-4 minutes each; MPT essays get 90 minutes each. Promise yourself that you won’t spend any more time. If you have a chance at the end, go back, but otherwise try to put something down for everything. 

Bar Exam: MEE Review

26 Feb

MEE (9:00-12:00 & 1:30-4:45) on Day 3

Meh, mixed reviews here people.  

It started out the same way as before, they read us the rules and handed out the tests.  You had to have the white card especially today, since the NCBE # and your Applicant # had to go on the bubble answer sheets. We filled that out, and the process started.

You’re given 100 questions for both 3 hour tests, resulting in 200 questions over all. They are all multiple choice, and covered Property, Evidence, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Contracts, and Torts.  They were fairly well divided, although I though a lot of the questions were repeats of subjects (you know, repeat the same question in a different format?).  I think I did better on this portion.

The worst part was the tediousness–by question 80, I was bored out of my mind with those types of questions.  Reading the answers and questions over and over, you fall into a rut. Some people worked until the very end, but everyone in my row and the rows in front of me were done well ahead of time.  I finished 20 minutes ahead of time for the first portion and 30 minutes ahead of time for the second portion. Of course, I never gave it a second run-through.  I hate second guessing myself, I generally second guess wrong.  😛  I gave it my best shot the first time and then sat and tried to cool down.  

Best Method of Answering

Follow Barbri’s recommended method. Read the answers first, mark the ones you know are wrong. Next read the call of the question, can you check off anything else? Finally read through the facts.   The hardest part is falling into a rut and moving too quickly when you realize time is disappearing. It can be easy to start moving faster and missing things when you have this many questions. I try to stop and take a 1 minute break every hour. Sit back, breathe, and re-focus your mind, then tackle the next 34 questions.  

Ease Measure: Medium

Bar Exam: MBE Review

25 Feb

MBE (1:30-4:45) on Day 2

Okay. . . this was MUCH worse than I had hoped.  We had one hour for lunch and then we went through the same intro process again.  FYI, to go to the restroom, you have to raise your hand, hide your test in Examsoft, put your files at the front, and go one at a time. Once again they give you all of the questions at once for the exam. All together you have 3 hours to do 6 essay questions.  They can cover any number of topics; the list is fairly broad. I was a little upset on this one–it seemed like almost everything showed up.  It seemed like most of the questions were on obscure subjects from the law.  Not my favorite exam; I definitely was prepared less for this than for the MPT.

I’ll go on the record with saying that I was unaware of the answer to the first 4 essays at all. I had to get to Question 5 before I recognized anything.  But it wasn’t that bad. If you read through the questions and think about what problem they are suggesting arises, you’ll hit quite a few points even if you lack the law. Think back to the original principles!

Best Method of Answering

Read all the questions (not the facts), and guess where the essay is going to fall. Then approach your best ones with 30 minutes each. Then hit up the harder ones with 20 minutes each. This leaves you time at the end to pick and choose which ones to flesh out. Honestly, you write a lot less than  you think from the practice exams. The questions are 1-1 & 1/2 pages, so reading can take a while.  Don’t bother with code sections; just run with what you have. If you don’t know the answer, go with common sense.  WATCH YOUR TIME

Ease Measure: Very Difficult

Bar Exam: MPT Review

25 Feb

MPT (9:00-12:10) on Day 2

Definitely not as bad as I was afraid of.  We arrived for the morning section and filled out the little signature cards. The room opened at 8:30 for those with laptops, so I went ahead and set up.  They gave out the instructions and began; don’t forget that by the time they finish instructions, you will be starting a little late.

The MPT rules explain the many different ways that the exam can be structured; however there is a general format. Traditionally, there will be two parts–the file and the library. The file has the facts; the Library has the law.  This is just a test on your writing skills; can you write an intelligent, well-thought response to the question. The questions come in many forms, and often a rarer form is thrown in to trip you up.  But it seems from the state’s list of “percentage likelihood that something shows up” information that some form of brief or memorandum are the most common.  The law can contain cases or code sections; often one of each. Each document has something worth noticing.  The facts will have a short summary with the question, followed by supporting documents.

One came with instructions on the layout of the test, but the other did not. In general, I’d say remember to always add the To, From, Date, RE section.  DON’T FORGET THAT YOU DO NOT USE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE LAW.  Any statutes will be provided; it is set in a fake jurisdiction.

Best Method of Answering

My recommendation is to start with the law.  Type it up verbatim on your computer along with citations.  Then read the call of the questions. Lay out the law out in the pattern of the issues raised in the questions.  Then fill it in with facts as you read about them. Save 5 minutes for smoothing out the sentences.

Easy Measure: Very Easy