My Bucket List

I was out with some friends tonight and we started talking about that movie Secretariat.  Now personally I love horse-racing (before you start yelling I KNOW its not the most humane thing ever), so I mentioned that attending the Kentucky Derby is on my Bucket List.  For people not in the know, a bucket list is a list of things you hope to accomplish before you kick the bucket. When I mentioned going to the Derby, one of my friends asked what else is on my list.  So without further ado, an excerpt from Andrea's bucket list:

1. Go to Paris
2. Swim in the Pacific Ocean
3. Run the NYC marathon
4. Be a millionaire
5. Go to the Kentucky Derby
6. Go sky-diving
7. Write something that is published
8. Complete a triathlon
9. Raise a dog for a seeing eye dog organization
10. Go to Italy
11. Learn Spanish
12. Pass the bar
13. Go to a World Series game
14. Volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters
15. See the Northern Lights
16. Drive cross-country
17. Visit wine country
18. See the Grand Canyon
19. Finish a New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle - without help
20. Drive a convertible
21. Go to the Olympics
22. Go on a cruise
23. Live in New York City (just for a little while)
24. Go to England
25. Learn to (re)play the piano.

I know its a lot of traveling but I've never left the country (heck, I've never left the east coast of THIS country).  That's it for now!

WHAT'S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?!?!?

Hello again!

Wow!  It's been a while since my last post!  I don't really have a reason why, so my bad!  I've been enjoying the long summer days that have made me forget that I have my own little space in this blogosphere!  

So I've now been home for just about a month.  Virginia is good.  So very good.  I never realize how homesick I get until I'm back home in my own little corner of the world.  

Anyway, the past few weeks have been full of days at the beach/pool which have given me a ROCKING tan!  Seriously I usually don't get this tan ever, but if I do I'm usually not this dark until the end of July or August.  It's awesome.

I also started working.  This summer's kind of different than summers past...I'm working about ten hours a week at a local law firm and thirty hours a week at good old Raytheon (where they not only graciously gave me all of those hours but are also willing to competitively compensate me for my time!).  This week is going to be my first week of juggling the two places so I have a feeling its going to be a bit of an adventure.  Either that or a train wreck, but we'll see what happens.

Other than that, I've been keeping pretty busy.  I've been lucky to get to spend lots of time with friends and my parents.  I've seen bunches of movies and gone out to eat more than I really should.  I love it.  It might not be the most eventful summer or even the most exciting, but its working for me, and I'm loving every single day.

Summer Reading

One of my very, very favorite parts of summer is that I have TONS of free time that I can direct to one of my more favorite pastimes, reading.  


I actually got a little bit of an early jump on the summer reading this year.  After our momentous appellate brief was due, I decided that I deserved a few days to read a non-serious, non-legal book.  My choice?  Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner.


Before I dive into the book review, can I just say how much I love Jennifer Weiner?  I'm not a crazy, huge fan of chick lit.  I usually lose my patience with the flimsy, self-absorbed "heroines" that are only trying to find "THE guy."  But Jennifer Weiner's not like that.  It's still chick lit.  But her characters are more developed.  They're real women.  They have real problems and deal with loneliness, heartbreak, and real self-doubt.  I usually feel like I know the women in Jennifer Weiner's novels.  Hell, sometimes I feel like I am one of the characters in her novels.


Enter Good in Bed.  It's about twenty-something Cannie Shapiro, a Philadelphia based journalist who's experienced moderate success in her job.  She struggles with her weight and has some serious family issues.  Cannie recently broke up with a long-term boyfriend Bruce and desperately wants him back.  Until he publishes an article entitled "Loving a Larger Woman" in a nationally syndicated magazine.  


This book takes Cannie from Philadelphia to New York and out to Los Angeles.  She grows and changes and finds herself.  I don't want to give too much away but I will say that it was a good read and I'd highly recommend it.  Once you're done with it, I'd also recommend reading the second novel about Cannie (Certain Girls) which I had read several years ago without knowing that it was a sequel to Good in Bed.


Be on the look-out for more book reviews!  Happy reading!!!

WHAT'S ON YOUR SUMMER READING LIST???

What Doesn't Kill You Only Makes You Stronger...

...and  maybe a little crazier.  Its been a while since the last time I sat down to post, so you'll have to forgive me!  Even though its been a while, I have to let you know - my first year of law school???  Its OVER!!!!  I've been home in Virginia for the past week and, man, am I glad to be back in the Commonwealth!  I missed being home.


This year was tough.  Harder than it had to be in a lot ways.  


School was hard, but I knew it would be.  I studied more than I knew was possible.  I missed my family and friends.  I've never been so far away from home for so long before.  My living situation ranged from mildly irritating to overwhelmingly stressful, I wasn't expecting that one.  However, in the interest of maintaining journalistic standards, I won't say much more about it because I'm not offering this platform to the other side.  The one last thing I'll say is this: I'm generally easy to live with but I know not always.  I'm particular and never speak up when something is bothering me.  So I know at least part of it is my fault for not vocalizing my complaints.


Anyway, I'm home.  Finally.  I'm working at a local law firm for the summer (part time) and good old Raytheon part time as well.  As of right now, I'm only working at the law firm about 10 hours a week.  I'll start at Raytheon in the next couple of weeks.  Until then, ten hours a week is making me go crazy.  Its hard to go from 100/week to ten hours a week.  Usually I studied for ten hours a day, I have more free time than I know what to do with.


So for now, I have more time to write and read and enjoy.  Hope everyone's summer is off to an excellent start!!