friday...11 february...2000


Greetings and salutations, all. What a week it's been. The same-old same-old, as they say.

I can't believe that time is moving so slowly. This last semester is positively dragging. Honestly, the last two and a half years have gone by in a snap, but now that it's almost over, it couldn't be taking longer.

I still have very mixed feelings about the whole thing. Part of me is so very excited at starting my new life in Kansas City, my new career as an attorney... such a grown-up job, when I don't feel so very grown up. But I'm still scared at the whole thing, sad to be leaving this little conclave I've been a part of since August of 1997. I look around and the first and second-years and I'm almost jealous... almost.


So, not being able to resist any kind of test, I went here, to the name test Colleen heard about from Catherine.

Holy cow. Colleen bolded the parts she thought were accurate. I'll do the same.

Your name of Elizabeth gives you a very idealistic but passive outlook on life. [Yep.] You desire culture and all the refinements of life but you are inclined to live in your dreams. [Uh, yes.] Although you would like to do many things, procrastination undermines your accomplishment and success in life. [Yes!] You do not like to create issues and will do anything to avoid a conflict. [Oh my God.] Making decisions is difficult for you without the support and approval of others. [Yes.] This name gives you a very sensitive nature, making you feel much that you do not understand. [100% true.] Your feelings are easily hurt, at which times you are inclined to withdraw and become uncommunicative. [Who the hell are these Kabalarians?] Although you desire the friendship and association of others, you find it difficult to express your thoughts through the spoken word, and others find you hard to get to know. [This is the ONLY thing that's not quite right.] It is much more natural for you to express your deeper thoughts in writing. [!!!!!] Inner tension can deplete your physical vitality. [I had a five-hour nap this afternoon.] You are inclined to indulge in rich foods that lack proper nourishment. [Bah ha ha ha ha!!] The physical weaknesses due to this name centre in the heart and respiratory organs, and in the fluid functions.

I'll say it again: HOLY COW. I don't usually believe in this stuff that doesn't at least ask you a few questions about your personality, but my God. This couldn't be more accurate if I had written it myself. As I said, I probably couldn't find anyone who said I was hard to get to know, but I've often wondered whether anyone knows the "real" me.


So, one thing I discussed at length in therapy this week was the fact that I am afraid to stand up for myself, due mostly to the fact that I have not done so very often and therefore people do not react very well when I do it.

HA! They do not know the newly empowered Elizabeth. I got a note stuck in my mailbox today which read as follows (GUSOL being the Great Unnamed School of Law):

Dear Elizabeth,

I was disappointed not to hear from you since our e-mail concerning possible Westlaw support for GUSOL students at the GUSOL U. Dance Marathon this year.

Could you at least give us the courtesy of a reply? I ask not for myself, but because of this worthwhile cause to which so many people here at GUSOL have devoted time and effort.

Well now. This is the first I heard of this, having received absolutely zero e-mail from anyone about Westlaw sponsorship for the dance marathon. I also have zero tolerance for passive-aggressive bullshit such as this.

Honestly, I don't immediately jump down someone's throat, but I look at how I would have handled the situation if roles had been reversed, and this is not what I would have done. I would have first found the person during her Westlaw lab hours which are posted throughout the school and asked her nicely whether or not she had actually received an e-mail, or else put a friendly reminder in her box, not some "at least the courtesy of a reply" snark. I always give the benefit of the doubt, particularly when I'm asking someone for money, for crying out loud.

Ergo, my reply:

On behalf of both myself and Westlaw, let me assure you that I would have replied had I actually received any e-mail. This is the first I am hearing of this. I don't know if you attempted to reach [other Westlaw rep] as well, but he has not mentioned this to me, which leads me to believe that the problem occurred at your end, not ours.

I will contact our account manager and see what we can do to support this event.

I did peek in the other Westlaw rep's mailbox and saw that he had received the same note, which confirmed my assumption. I stuck a copy of my reply in his box, but now I wish I would have waited, because I think he would have come up with something much better.

(And yes, I did only just today learn of the beauty of the blockquote tag from sneaking a peak at Colleen's code from her name analysis, so I'm practicing a little.)

I also received a reply today to my nice, very un-passive-aggressive note to Tripod, protesting the return of pop-ups to my site. They said that there was simply a bug in the program, which they have fixed, but they extended my non-pop-upness for a month as a courtesy.

See that, Mr. Dance Marathon Guy? You catch more flies with honey, every time.