The exam I had this morning sucked. I mean, it sucked. Marissa, Susannah and I were up until 5:00 studying for it, and we felt so good about it. We had written a kick-ass outline (all the better because it was open-book) and were going over old tests like gangbusters. We were issue-spotting like crazy, coming up with sneaky issues we now hoped were on the exam because we had figured them out, working through complicated circuity of interest problems, spending almost an hour figuring out the shelter rule, confident that we would kick ass because no one else could possibly have the amazing understanding of the intricacies of real estate transactions that we did.

Harumph.

Let me just say that the exam ended with Marissa in tears, going up to the professor and pleading to be permitted to drop the class. Now, Marissa is in the top ten, so it is understandable that she puts an inordinate amount of pressure on herself, and she also has a host of other personal issues that make this more difficult for her than it should be.

Although I'm sure everyone who walks out of a law exam where they feel they did poorly says the same thing, but I went to class, paid attention, studied for nearly 20 hours, and I was not given an opportunity to reflect that knowledge in that test. Part One was worth 50 points, Part Two was worth 30... I wrote two more pages for Part Two than I did for Part One. That can't be good.

However, the only thing that makes me feel better is that everyone, and I mean everyone, walked away going "Huh?" Marissa was inconsolable for a while, but other people who are closer to her in rank than I am (which is just about everyone!) tried to convince her that they didn't have any better clue than she did about what that test was about.

After all the hullaballoo, I came home, crawled in bed, talked on the phone, fetched my mail (3 Christmas cards and 2 birthday cards, sooo lovely!), read a few pages of Entertainment Weekly, turned over, and fell asleep for about five hours.

I woke up with a screaming headache, which is what happened the last time I pulled an all-nighter and then slept all day. Took some Aleve, read the rest of the Entertainment Weekly with a flashlight (bedside lamp was WAAAYYY too bright), then finally got up in search of some dinner. There are a couple of parties tonight, but I'm too exhausted, and frankly the last thing I want to do is stand around with a bunch of law students and bitch about exams, which is all anyone will be doing.

I did pop open a Cider Jack in celebration, though. Which is strange. The only other times I've ever had a drink (I know, cider hardly qualifies) by myself is when I'm in some sort of emotional turmoil.

No turmoil this time. Just relief. Except that there is no chocolate in my house, which is a very very bad thing.

I saw the coolest news on Bravo last night. There is going to be an all-day Moonlighting marathon on January 2, and thereafter it will be on every weeknight at 7:00! Hooray hooray!! That is my all-time favorite show, the likes of which will never be seen again, thanks to the onset of political correctness. Bravo to Bravo (...right) for resurrecting it!!

In other entertainment-related news, I'm retiring Limelight. I have no idea what made me think I could keep that going. I suppose it's a testament to my dedication to law school (har har) but I can't keep it up the way I'd like, and I can't do it half-assed.

The link will remain active, however, in anticipation of that great day about seven weeks away... Oscar nominations!! (To those of you who weren't Graceful readers, you have no idea what you're in for.)

Holiday movie I cannot wait to see: The Talented Mr. Ripley
Holiday movie I would rather endure two hours of Chinese torture than watch but that Lynne actually suggested we see on MY birthday: Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo
Holiday movie we will be seeing because it is, after all, my birthday, so I get to pick: Toy Story 2.

Guess what, amidst my amazon.com parental gifts, arrived at my house this week?

The Official United States Mint 50 State Quarters Collector's Map!! It is the COOLEST!! It's a nice big portfolio-type thing with a big map in it, which has plastic circles in (or around) each state for you to pop in that state's quarter. Plus the whole portfolio is full of fun facts and history of America's currency!

There was nothing in the package that indicated who had sent it to me, but I had a sneaking suspicion that it was this cool chick, because we had both copped to starting state quarter collections, and I was right!! Thanks doll!!!

(The only frightening part of this gift occurred when I was popping in the Georgia quarter, and I had this horrific flash of me, two days before my 38th birthday, sitting in sitting in some messy apartment surrounded by my cat and empty diet Coke cans, popping in the Hawaii quarter. It was really scary. But I got over it.)

I'm going to my parents tomorrow to bake chocolate chip cookies and then to my cousin's for a Christmas party tomorrow night. I'll be back on Sunday to give you all an update of what I'm sure will be a fabulously exciting entrance into my... gasp... late 20's.