Where does the time go? I apologize to my loyal readers whom, again, have been forced to wait nearly three weeks for a new post. There are so many topics that I have been dying to tackle, but my time has grown rather scarce as of late. I hope to produce several new posts over the next couple of weeks, especially with my whole family coming to town for the holidays. Wish me luck!
I have entered a new phase in my life, and it only took me about twenty-six years to get here. It is something I lovingly refer to as the real world. I was chastised by several of my biggest fans for not letting everyone know in my Turkey Day Traditions post that I passed the July 2006 California Bar exam (along with 51.8% of the other takers). The great state of California decided to throw caution to the wind and grant BAP a license to practice law. Having been duly sworn in on December 1st, I am a practicing attorney...good times.
All this excitement (and student loans) brings with it a new challenge: a job...we are talking salary, benefits, the whole nine yards. It is the first real job I have had. I used to think the summer internships at my Dad's work counted as real jobs; not anymore. I am starting to realize I may have been treated a little differently back then because I was related to guy in the corner office with a view (to his credit, my Dad never wanted that office...he always tried to downplay just how important he was to the company). Even worse, my life is now broken down into six minute increments; oh the joys of billable hours. Trying to balance work and life is proving to be a little more demanding than I thought it would (take Christmas for example, it's only two weeks away...TWO WEEKS...I've never felt so unprepared for Christmas before. I have a new found respect for my Sister who has always coordinated gifts for the family. How does she do it?). I have so much to learn, for my sake...and that of my readers.
Speaking of the real world, on the recommendation of one of my friends at work, I caught the first two episodes of The Real World: Denver, MTv's newest season of the show largely credited with the reality television boom (and now I hear that NBC,the lone station that has, for the most part, avoided the reality craze is going to focus its 2007-2008 line-up around reality based programming...oh, the humanity!). I am sure you know how the show works: seven strangers, picked to live in a totally pimped-out house ('cause that really happens), lives taped, blah, blah blah. I remember the third season of the show, The Real World: San Francisco. That season tackled some major issues, most notably HIV/AIDS and homosexuality. That season brought those two issues to forefront of our current cultural revolution. That season made it seem like the show actually contributed something.
Fast-forward fifteen years; what is the current season contributing you ask? Well, the first two episodes encompassed the first thirty-six hours of the housemates living together. The episodes mainly focused on only three of the seven people, a guy and two girls. In the span of thirty-six hours, the guy made out with one of the girls and slept with the other. This of course resulted in the two girls sharing a "heartfelt" and tearful conversation in which the girl who made out with guy told the other girl she felt so betrayed, and the girl who slept with the guy apologized to the other girl, felt so bad that she would do something to such a great friend, it was clearly the alcohol, would never want a guy to come between them, and then she (the one who doesn't know how to keep her pants on) told the confessional room that she felt so bad because she knew the other girl was going to be in her wedding party...HER WEDDING PARTY! And this is the "real world?" Unbelievable. (You know, when I was younger, I had to sneak around to watch MTV and my Mom would get mad at me when she caught me watching it. She used to say it was bad for my mind...and now, 10 years later, I'm a lawyer...maybe she was on to something.)
And, finally, since you are still here (hopefully), I would like to take the opportunity to welcome USC fans to the real world. No, no, I am not talking about the Gamecocks of the University of South Carolina. I am talking about the Trojans of...of...Southern Cali...ah, I cannot even finish saying it. Two, soon to be three, losses, better put the suicide hotline on red alert. The bandwagon loaded full of Raider fans ran into a little speed bump I like to the call the UCLA Bruins.
It was, by far, one of the best games I have ever seen; either live or on television. For starters, my Brother-in-Law (whom, over the past two years, has steadily climbed my list of favorite people in the world) provided me with some seats in the fifth row at about the thirty yard line (if you watched the game, and I'd be shocked if you didn't, I was about five rows up from were UCLA quarterback Patrick Cowan got leveled in the fourth quarter). I have never heard the Rose Bowl rocking like it was. I was so amped that I did not even care when, with four minutes left in the game, I was stung by a bee. If you do not think this is the greatest conference/cross-town rivalry, find someone who has the game recorded and go to six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. I have never seen anything like it.
As a result of this game, I am pretty sure my Sister is going to lose the company of my Brother-in-Law for a guaranteed one night every year from here on out (remember Sis, "until death do us part"...I was there, I heard you say it...oral contracts are valid in the state of California...I should know, I'm a lawyer). In an effort to bring some good juju, my Brother-in-Law camped out the night before to get a prime tailgating spot. The last time he did so, it should come as no surprise, was the last time the Bruins beat the kiddies of Troy. I will definitely be there with him next time. When we finally met up with him at about 8 a.m., our group was entrenched in a music war with a group of SC band alumni who, every half-an-hour, played and danced...oh yes danced...to Trojan songs.
I also have to give props to the tailgate diagonally across from us who brought their own porta-potty to their tailgate...and I thought I had seen it all. Have to go to bathroom? No worries! Just hop in the porta-potty in the bed of my pick-up truck.
Hey, the real world might not be so bad after all.
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