It just hit me

I'm working on a paper for my Mediation Advocacy class, and I have just now realized what I have gotten myself into. As a part of my paper, I am actually looking at the legal/mediation themes in a play about a woman who meets her daughter's killer. It's a really moving play, and in reading it, I felt almost as much, if not more, compassion for the killer than for any of the other characters.
And then it hit me.
If I go into Criminal Law, and if I work for the Crown, I will be dealing with all the people that love and happiness forgot. The people that will stand accused in court are often products of a life lived without love, patience or compassion. They are often people who were victimized themselves at a young age. I don't believe that this excuses those who victimize others and I still believe that offenders should be appropriately punished. But I have realized that everyone of them is a human being and I can't imagine what it will be like to meet people who've been dealt such an unfair, sad hand in life.
I don't know what to hope for. That I can do the job without my heart breaking? Or that my heart breaks a little every time?

Little Bastards

Signs of spring. Also the cause of incredibly itchy eyes and a head full of snot. Kind of pretty, I guess.

Shepherd's Pie

I'm on a tight budget for the next few weeks until my summer job starts, so I spent a few pennies on carrots, dug around in the cupboard, thawed out some deer and voila! Whipped up two casseroles of Shepherd's pie. I used a can of gravy someone gave me, some instant mashed potatoes from the back of the cupboard and some seriously freezer burnt peas. And it was delicious. Which is good, because I made enough to eat it for a week.

Subtly Funny

Photo a Day Challenge

For the month of April I am going to try to post a photo a day. Ideally I am going to try to TAKE a photo a day to post, in an effort to use a little of the left side of my brain each day while I am super-busy cramming law junk into the right side.
Today I forgot to take my camera with me when I left the house, so I have to put up an old photo.
You can guess what day it was.

Um, yes please.

My roommate has a coffee maker that is programmable, so that you can set it to brew while you sleep and wake up to a hot cup of coffee immediately. Best thing ever.

Elephant Story

At this time of year, I like to read short stories before I go to sleep at night. I find that I need some light fiction to get all the law out of my head, and I like the short story format, because it doesn't keep me up all night turning pages like a good novel would. Last night I read a really odd and funny one, and this morning I managed to find the text of it on the internet to share.

Enjoy!

Not quite what I was looking for

When you google the phrase "Common Usage", this article is the fourth hit. It's fokken amusing.

Gaaaahhhh!

You know that feeling like you're going to sneeze, that you desperately need to sneeze, and you can't? I was literally sitting here, moments ago with that feeling. And I didn't sneeze. But then I thought, "Gee, I've sneezed A LOT today." And then I realized that about 30 minutes ago I was thinking that I could really use a kleenex, or possibly a hatchet to chop my nose off with, cause my nose was itching SO MUCH. And then I said out loud, "OH MY GOD. IT'S THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH."

[insert lots of dammits and shits here]

Here we go again.

The Great Pancake Debate

This Tuesday is Pancake Tuesday and I am, obviously, thinking about making pancakes. But I am also thinking that I would really rather have waffles. And I am wondering, are waffles so substantially similar to pancakes that I would achieve the same effect? Or is the tradition only sufficiently served and recognized by pancakes?

Me in 10 Years?

From Overheard In New York:

We're Not That French
Little boy, collapsing onto mother's lap: I am so hungover.
Mother: What?! No you're not! (to anyone within earshot) No, he's not.

--JFK Airport

Tootsie Rogue

I found these on sale at Shoppers Drug mart in Calgary, and I was pretty excited:


I love the vanilla flavoured Tootsie Rolls, and they usually come in a bag of assorted crap that I don't like quite as much, so I was pretty excited to find an entire bag of them. AND ON SALE!

So today, I got home and while I was unpacking I emptied the bag into my candy dish. And look what was inside! What a sneak.