Friday, July 25, 2008

Cue the Clowns!

And no, this has nothing to do with the Bar Exam. At least, not directly. Of course, everything that happens these days has something to do with the Bar Exam, but this is not really one of those things. The clowns, I'm talking about.

Get to the point, you say? I concur.... To the point, I'm getting.

I bought tickets last week to the circus. Yes, I mean the "Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus". I've never been to the circus (a circus, any circus), but my granddaughter loves animals and she loves going to the zoo (what 2 1/2-year old doesn't?)

I was sitting with her the other night and we were talking about our recent trip to the San Diego Zoo ("talking" being a metaphor for me nodding , smiling, and saying "Yep", and "uh-huh" and "that's exactly right") ... when she held her elbow up to her nose and, using her arm like the trunk of an elephant, made the "elephant" noise. I thought that was cute so I asked her what sound the lion makes and she promptly roared. I then proceeded to ask her about every other animal I could think of and she responded with the sound that animal made (or a fairly close approximation), and the sounds were all fairly distinct so I knew she was putting some thought into her answers.

Getting to the point, I am.

So because she like animals, and colors, and flashing lights, and music, and all that stuff, I went online and bought tickets to the circus for August 2nd at 3:30 pm. I figured it would be a nice break from whatever it is I've been doing for the past couple of months.

I choose the option to print the tickets on my own printer (because I want to stand in as few lines as possible during my lifetime), and I print the tickets. You're seeing where this is going, aren't you.

I walk into the kitchen, stick the tickets on the refrigerator with a magnet and walk away. But then I think I had better turn around and double check the date and time because I remembered that once upon a time, a long long time ago, in a land far ... ahem... I remembered that I made a mistake once, and decided that I should check to see if I could possibly have made my second mistake ever.

Sure enough. There it was. It turns out that I'm going to the circus tomorrow.

I briefly considered telling my wife and daughter to find someone else to take my ticket and to go without me, but then I decided that a 5-hour break from studying would do me some good. I haven't taken a break longer than about 45 minutes in weeks (as you know, sleeping is no break), so I decided that I would actually do what everyone says to do. I decided that I would take a break, and go to the circus with my family.

Of course I'll be listening to Jeff Fleming on my MP3 player the whole time, but I feel like I've been cooped up in my study dungeon for months. It'll be nice to actually see the outside world for a few hours.

So, cue the clowns. Going to see the circus I am. And I'm not talking about the impending circus that is the Bar Exam.

20 comments:

calbar blondie said...

Well, we have a circus of sorts at the San Diego Convention Center(where I will be testing next week). It's the annual Comicon comic book convention...let's hope they all clear out by the time the State Bar moves in!! Yikes...
Have fun on your well-deserved break!

teeniekp said...

Good for you, GP! Forget about bringing Flemmings with you. By now, you know what you know.

Have a great time with your family at the circus. The five hour break will refresh you!

goldenrail said...

Circuses are great fun! And somehow, I don't think you'll be able to leave studying at home, not with all the wild animals, crazy stunts and other tort-heroes in every corner. Eat some cotton candy for me and Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Get some nuts!

Anonymous said...

btw - the "Get some nuts" comment is from a Snickers commercial from the UK...starring Mr. T. Anyways...

Anonymous said...

Oh, GP, pleas don't patronize a circus that uses animals. Ringling Brothers has a terrible reputation of abusing elephants and other animals. Please look into it.

Anonymous said...

GP,

I know how much fun that event is going to be for you. I am 45 years old, happily married, 3 grown up kids, and yes, 2 granchildren (girl age 5 and girl 8 months) and yes I will be spending time with them also this weekend. I am taking the bar for the second time and I have learned one thing, if you are not ready by now, you may as well not bother showing up. My study materials have been put away, my studying is complete. The next three days are for me to enjoy and relax, massages, dinner, scotch and yes a couple of movies with my wife.

Listen the Bar Exam is not brain surgery, you either have learned how to answer their questions by now, or you have not. In terms of the MBE's, hell do next best thing when in doubt, go with your gut reaction to pick the right answer.

In any case, leave Fleming behind, Jeff and Sue used to be my next door neighbors, with all respect to him, I can find many other people i would rather listen to like, Barry White rather than listening to Fleming.

Good luck to you my brother from another mother, and keep your finger crossed for every other sister from another mister.

Gabriel N.

Anonymous said...

Actually there is much law in the circus. Instrumentalities of interstate commerce, Jurisdictional issue, Torts by clowns (but you've consented to those).

Jonathan L. Kramer, Esq. said...

Brian:

I'm shocked and disappointed that you would put your family above studying for the bar exam.

What does this foretell about you as a attorney when you pass exam? That you'll have a balanced family and work life? That you'll remember that grandkids grow up too fast?

This is completely unacceptable.

Forget the circus; forget the grandkids; forget everything except passing the bar. Then, when you do, you'll be ready to forget the circus, and forget the grandkids, and even the wife.

Or, maybe, you're right!

Your friend.

Me.

The Grand Poobah said...

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear.

What I meant to say was that I am going to join the circus.

I'm going to be the JD clown. I'll be wearing judges' robes but I'll have (almost) nothing on underneath. It will signify the comic futility of my pursuit of a law license in California.

Or, I could just be taking a short break. A short self-imposed "calm before the storm" so to speak. A little "balance" time, as you put it.

Yeah, that's the ticket!

Anonymous said...

Good Luck!

Anonymous said...

Good Luck GP! Three's a Charm!!

I finally figured out what I did wrong in Feb. On the advice of one of my bar exam books, I wrote a "positive reason" for taking the bar on a 3x5 card and kept it with me. Unfortunatley, I wrote "I love a challenge," completely forgetting that the UNIVERSE BACKS YOU UP. So three days before the bar, I got food poisoning (big challenge). So I checked into the hotel to get some extra rest before the bar...still repeating my "positive reason"...I was put in a room on a floor with a convention of several hundred screaming teenagers who ran up and down the hall all night (bigger challenge)...still repeating my "positive reason," I went into the bar exhaused...and got a rule 12 violation during the PT. (BIG BIG CHALLENGE)...and last but not least, I got to study for the July '08 bar. (Need I say more?)

Well, my new mantra is "I LOVE TO KNOW THE ANSWER," "I LOVE TO PASS!" "I LOVE TO GET CONGRATULATED" and "I LOVE TO GET SWORN IN."

See you in court GP. I hope we're on the same side. I look forward to congratulating you in Nov.

-Wendy from San Diego

Anonymous said...

Hey Grand,

My diversion last week was Kung Fu Panda and, as you said, everthing loops-back to the damn exam (I'll be happy when that's no longer a part of my life).

The relates-to-the-exam message of KFP: 1)there is no secret ingredient; 2)the page is blank to show what you've got; 3)believe in yourself.

Regards, Applicant

Anonymous said...

you will pass-------you will pass-----you will pass------You will pass----------You will Pass------------You Will pass------------You Will Pass--------You WILL Pass------You WILL PASS--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
--------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS---------YOU WILL PASS
YOU WILL FREAKING PASS THIS MOTHERF&*^%$^&&^R THIS TIME!!!!!!!!!

Blawgin' said...

Good luck GP!!! I have a really good feeling about this examination...and have fun at the circus, you deserve it!

The Grand Poobah said...

Thanks, all y'all. I appreciate the good vibes!

Anonymous said...

GP and all other takers,

Good luck and all my prayers are with all of you guys. We will all pass this time around. I will be at the Anaheim Convention Center and staying at the Maryott Hotel in Garden Grove.

Just remember folks:

1) Let the facts speak to you loudly and clearly;

2) They will lead you to all potential issues that need to be discussed;

3) Once you remember the issue, that thought will automatically link to a rule statement;

4) And please remember, that it is all about the ANALYSIS on the essays.

Good luck to all, see you on the other side, when we all get sworen in in December.

Gabriel N.

Anonymous said...

Go get em GP!!!! I know this may sound hokey, but take a few minutes tonight to close your eyes and try visualizing success on this exam. Try visualizing opening those exam essays and immeadiately spotting the issues, and quickly (but carefully and methodically) writing your answer in the style you've been practicing these last couple of months. Even try visualizing your gameplan for the PTs. I was an athlete in college and a military aviator before law school and the Bar, and visualizing worked well for me in sports and in combat. The one time I didn't visualize success was the CA Jul 07' Bar (I was too nervous and didn't believe it would work for a test), and I failed by 15 points. I took the Colorado bar in Feb 08' instead of retaking CA and decided to go back to what I knew worked for me in the past, visualizing success. Granted, the CO bar is a much different exam than CA, but I passed CO first time.

Study however you want to today - if that means having an IPod at the Circus or closing the books at 3pm, trust your gut on what you need to do, becuase only YOU know what works for YOU. Don't worry about what other folks say you should do. But, one thing that doesn't involve studying is the visualization technique, and I can't recommend anymore vehemently.

Kick butt tomorrow thru Thursday and remember that you've got ALL the skills and tools necessary to pass this thing, so go get it!!! You have certainly earned your right to it. Take care and best wishes!

Jonathan L. Kramer, Esq. said...

* * * * * * * * * * *

Message to all EXCEPT Brian:

I've just called our friend to wish him smooth seas over the next few days.

He's in the hotel already, which is good since he won't be checking in during the afternoon/evening rush.

We all know two things about the bar exam and Brian (1) the test is a bastard; and (2) Brian is up to the task of beating back the bastard.

Send good thoughts his way over the next few days. He's one trooper!

-Jonathan Kramer-
Brian's part-time employer, now *and* after the test results are in.

PS: Brian, if you're reading this message before Thursday evening, STOP IT! :-) jlk

Anonymous said...

GP...super girl here...well it's about that time again and we will pass this time around...stay positive my thoughts and prayers are with you!!!! See you Tomorrow!

-SuperGirl