talbotlucas.org: a word to the wise is sufficient

I returned Thursday evening from three jam-packed, brain-tiring (including one brain-numbing) days at the Pasadena Center, my testing center for the bar exam. I couldn't bring a camera with me, but Terrence memorialized the day on film when he came to fetch me.

I have to say that despite the shared nervousness, everyone was fairly well behaved. No shenanigans, and everyone seemed to be reasonably polite to their fellow exam-takers. I was happy to be seated in the front third of the convention hall--I heard that the view from the back of the room was a little disconcerting because of the sea of people. One of the proctors estimated the group at 600 or so, but a quick count of the number of people of across and the number of rows yielded several hundred more than that. I was prepared with earplugs and migraine medication, but didn't need to use either. One we were given the word to begin I managed to shut off just about everything going on around me and to focus on the task in front of me.

Now the wait begins: no news until November, when the results are mailed to applicants. A number of people at the test center commented on the fact that results arrive just before Thanksgiving, which will make the holiday an occasion for even more thanks or one with a lot of explanations (but what's to explain?) and sighing. One person was even thinking of altering their holiday travel plans because he didn't think he could bear sitting around the table and being the only person who didn't pass on his first try.

My nights are still filled with bar prep dreams--last night seemed to be focused on constitutional law, criminal law, and torts--but I'm taking the position that it's out of my hands and I can't worry about it. I'll know the results when I know the results, and in the meantime I've got a lot of other things that have been waiting for my attention.

In that spirit, yes, there was celebrating over the weekend with a nice wine (Tensley's Colson Canyon Syrah) and very good cheese from The Cheese Store (TCS): (a frightfully moldy but lovely French goat, a wedge of Roaring Forties blue from Tasmania, and Etorki, a mild French basque sheep's milk cheese. Accompanied by fresh tomatoes from the Pasadena Farmer's Market, Dominick's sundried tomatoes and an assortment of olives from TCS, good friends, and a lot of sunshine.