First semester finale

It's over! Yesterday morning's civil procedure final marked the end of the first semester for 1Ls. For many in my section in particular, it was the most dreaded of the three. It's all done now!

For me, it was definitely the most painful part of the day. But I did go from the final to the surgery center, where I finally got this awesome piece of metal out of my knee. As you can see, it's about four inches long (almost twice the length of a AA battery) and comes with a washer, to boot. I elected not to have general anesthetic, so I got to watch the entire procedure. I think the best moment was when one of the nurses asked me which final I'd taken. I said, "Civil procedure," and she asked, "What kind of law is that?" I said, "How to sue somebody." Immediately the anesthesiologist looked up with wide-open eyes as if to say, "Oh, great." I told him I'm not into medical malpractice, then I laughed.

The whole thing was much less painful than the first surgery, and my knee feels so much better already. I should be running again in a few weeks! I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my friend Cabell, who waited for more than three hours in the surgery center lobby to take me home. She's the best.

So that was my excitement yesterday — not the kind of day I hope to repeat anytime soon, but as Nietzsche would say, "What does not kill us makes us stronger." I couldn't agree more.

I have a lot to do in the last few hours before this afternoon, when I fly home to Iowa. I thought I'd at least post my second semester schedule, so I can remember what awaits (in just 2 1/2 weeks).

• Property, Prof. Ronald Rosenberg—M, Tu, Th, 10-11:15 a.m.
• Constitutional Law, Prof. William Van Alstyne—M, Tu, W, Th, 2-3:15 p.m.
• Contracts, Prof. Angela Banks—M, Tu, W, 3:30-4:45 p.m.
• Legal Skills, Prof. Fred Lederer—Tu, 8:30-9:50 a.m.

I'll also be taking Advanced Research for two weeks in March, after spring break. The class meets on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

So, 16 credits, compared to the 14 I had this semester. At least now I have some idea what I'm doing and how to get ready for finals. I'm definitely looking forward to next semester. See you all in January!