Kaulapi World

Thunderstorms in the horizon, might even get some hail in the district. Probably won’t be going anywhere interesting tonight, maybe clean up the hobbit-hole a little bit, cook some steak. I seem to be content with the simple existance more so than less. Just as well, I suppose.

Saw house of flying daggers, thought it was pretty good overall, the special effects and fight scenes are always eye-opening. Can’t say which of the three (Crouching Tiger, Hero, House of Flying Daggers) I like the best, all three were memorable in their own respects. I also had a chance to see Wong Kar Wai’s 2046 on DVD, another brooding love story set amidst lonesome brooding and more brooding. I’ve come to accept that as his trademark, have to say that its pretty effective and convincing.

Went to a Nationals game last night, got to see them kick some Diamond back tail with a homer and 7 runs in a later inning. I’ll admit that at first I had been a little cynical about the decision for the dc government to bring a baseball team down, while so many other public projects go unfunded. After going there myself for a game I’m somewhat confident that it might be a good long term investment for future revenue that could be reinvested into the district. Hopefully.

I think the saving grace is the fact that RFK is on a metro-line, so it gives a draw for bringing people to the stadium without having to fight traffic. Plus if they save on gas, parking and roadrage, they’ll be more willing to put up the cash for 6 dollar bud in plastic bottles, and stadium memorabilia, glossy programs, and overpriced chicken w/fries.

Of course it helps to have a winning team.

Wrapping up some paperwork, getting ready for the move to a new division, a bit closer to my interest area, although I have to say that I enjoyed working on my current assignment quite well. It all worked out quite nicely, feel that I gained some valuable experience and got some good perspective that will help me with the future job and career goals.

And meanwhile it’s getting warmer in the city, surviving a milder winter than times past. I think I can deal with the climate change for sure. so far so good.

Also on a sadder note, patches the cat passed on at about 5:05 HST. Got a sad email from mom. gonna miss her, have lots of cat stories over the years. Have to remind myself that she really did live a good life overall, a happy existance for the most part, I’d like to think.

Realized that adjusting to the work life makes you temporarily forget some simple pleasures in life, like listening to some music, catching up on some reading, or just chilling out. Of course it really is different than going to school, something that I’ll be revisiting again soon enough. Still waiting for my last law school to reply, but I’m thinking that I’m pretty set on Catholic. Every week or so I hear another reason to go there. This week it was hearing about their telecomunications law certificate program, and their national security law program. both possibilities if the wind takes me there. On top of that I ran into two fellow employees that will be starting in the fall evening program as well, might be able to set up a study group or something. Even more reason to go ahead and commit already.

Trying to map out what kind of schedule this would put me in, the biggest adjustment surprisingly would be trying to keep up my workout schedule as much as possible. Been pretty pleased with my progress over the past 10 months, I’ve lost close to 30 lbs, and edged my strength past of what it was when I was still wrestling. Bench is at a solid rep between 225-265 depending on how tired I am, I’m sure my max is over 300 now if I tried for it. Have to remind myself that I’m not really training for any kind of competition or anything so there really isn’t any point to strive for a max, especially since I banged up my shoulders fom wrestling. Once in a while my rotator and AC remind me about my old injuries. I suppose if I got back into some kind of budo, jujitsu or something it might make more sense, I’m definitely in better shape to handle it now than a year ago.

The main benefit from working out is the clarity that exercise brings with it, motivation, peace of mind in general. The psychological boosts from it are a cure-all for a crappy mood. I still say that we should be prescribing a physical fitness regimin instead of antidepresants.

Found another decent sushi place in Dupont, not too bad considering the locality, but nothing compared to the stuff back home, of course. Apparently an owner of an established Japanese eatery and her daughter are relocating to Georgetown to specialize in comfort food, anything but sushi and nothing even close to this Asian fusion crap that seems to be really popular on the mainland. I think I’ll like it when it opens.

Spring is here, cherry blossoms in bloom. Its a big event here, with a parade and festival set up for the weekend, when the sakura our supposed to be out in full. The temps are warm, spring weather much warmer than what I’ve gotten used to living in the midwest, a good change of pace. Hopefully the rain won’t flood my apartment.

Went to a seminar at Catholic U for admitted law students, have to say that I was overall impressed. I’m beginning to appreciate that the school is one of the sleeper schools in the area, easily overshadowed by the three georges and american, while still benefiting more than a fair share of the locality that DC provides for government connections. I was keen on their vocalized commitment to government and public interest law as well.

The only thing that kind of makes me hesitate is the price, something that I’m not used to, being weened on public education for the last 6 years or so. I used to quip that if you’re going to go to a private university and throw down all that kala, it better be highly rated, or it had better be a professional degreee like medicine or law or something. Time to eat my words perhaps. There were a bunch of specific institutes and areas of concentration that the school has strived to be in the forefront of, specialties that fly under the radar mostly. The more I hear about the school the more I’m interested in it. I recently found out that a pretty powerful person on the hill went there a while back, although he doesn’t normally broadcast his connection, let alone his specific degree concentration very often.

And then I’ve been thinking about my current situation and what La Follette has given me so far. A law degree at this point is an extra credential, a possible second career, if I want a bunch of years from now. Someone once told me that we all face roads and decisions in life, often times you won’t recognize the paths until after you’ve crossed them. Often you will either met the challenges in life head on, or you will fail. Thats life really, if you really strive for something, that as long ast your motives are postive, and you are steadfast in your drives and convictions, there isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t be able to manifest some part of your desired reality around the corner.

So far the school seems to fit right, kind of like that feeling I had when I first went to Madison. Of course back then I had already committed to the school before ever visiting, but once I got there I felt like I was meant to go there. That the school was calling me to come. Some similar feelings have been coming up again with the law school as well. I’m thinking that I’ll most likely be there in the fall, barring some drastic change of plans.

As my train was pulling into my stop on the way back home the operator announced that the pope had just passed on.