Taking the Oath

On Tuesday afternoon, I took the oath of attorney and was sworn into the Washington State Bar.

It was just a few days from getting my letter to scheduling my swearing in. Unfortunately, that meant that one of my biggest supporters, my mom, was not able to be there. Fortunately, it happened to be scheduled when one of my most enduring and closest friends, Denaye, would be in town to share the moment. Denaye's presence was definitely fitting given that we were chatting on the phone when I got my mail on February 22, 2007 and discovered that I'd been accepted to law school. A couple of my local friends, Theresa and Shahms, were also able to get some time off of work to attend the ceremony. And, of course, my George was never far away.

I wish I could tell you that I'm now officially a lawyer. Unfortunately, that lovely letter that told me that I passed the bar exam also told me that I had about four boxes to tick: 4+ hours of online training, pay yet more fees, fill out yet more forms, and be sworn in by a judge. My final online video ended just a few moments ago, so I have officially satisfied every...single...requirement for bar admission. Now, it's in the hands of the bar association and the Supreme Court. Once they issue me my bar number and bar card, I'll be official.

Proof

The official pass list is posted here. And the official stats are posted here.

My friend, Brian, stopped by the WSBA office today and sent me these photos:

Backyard Antics

Our local Raccoon family came by this evening to welcome us back from Walla Walla, and to congratulate Amanda on passing the Bar Exam. Here are two of the little ones, climbing the tree behind the house (which will not make the Squirrels happy). Their sibling is nearby, out of shot, and Mama came by a little later to keep an eye on them.

As long as we are at it, here are some more photos of the denizens of our backyard from the last week or so. Our neighbor puts out peanuts for the Squirrels occasionally, but it turns out the local Woodpeckers like them too...

There's usually a pair of Woodpeckers and a trio of Squirrels, and the Woodpeckers have been known to try and drive the Squirrels off... which is particularly funny because apparently nobody told the Squirrels they were supposed to be intimidated -- they take no notice whatsoever.

This particular day, however, peace reigned between the avian and mammalian inhabitants of the yard, and everybody got some peanuts.

We get a variety of other wildlife, but these are the critters who are most amenable to being photographed. I mean, we have only seen a Coyote around here once, so chances are I'm not going to get a photo any time soon...

Walla Walla Wine Weekend

In celebration of Sam's 30th birthday, she and Brian invited George and me and two other couples to Walla Walla for a weekend of wine tasting. We had a great time seeing a bit of eastern Washington (a first for George and me), tasting wine, catching up with old friends, and making new friends. Because we had rented a house, we were able to hang out together and cook dinner at the house rather than deal with the hustle and bustle of a restaurant.

Over Saturday and today, we visited the following wineries: Waters, Gramercy Cellars, K Vintners, Russell Creek Winery, Mannina Cellars, Dunham Cellars, Buty Winery, and Terra Blanca. We definitely tasted a lot of wine we liked, but I felt that Walla Walla (at least the part that we visited) lacked the ambiance of Napa and Willamette, which have a certain romance with the vineyards surrounding the winery. Then again, Terra Blanca definitely had beautiful buildings, caves, and grounds.

This summer was so mild that the fruit has been ripening very slowly, and harvest is weeks behind across the Pacific Northwest. Because of the delay, we were able to see a lot of action: fruit still on the vine, fruit being sorted and de-stemmed, fruit in bins being fermented, barrels being filled. It's definitely a busy and exciting time to be in wine country!

All in all, it was a very enjoyable weekend...made even more enjoyable by a very special letter waiting in the box upon our return.

Photos are here.

Sarah's Visit

My friend, Sarah, visited at the end of September/beginning of October. She and I became friends while we were both involved with student government in college. I've always really enjoyed Sarah's sense of humor and her brutal honesty. She is not the friend who will tell you that you're wonderful if she thinks you're being an idiot, and I really appreciate her willingness to question me and make me accountable for decisions. Sarah and I spent so much time chatting and catching up that I only took a few photos and none with the two of us!

My photos from Sarah's visit (and other autumnal happenings) are here. Sarah's photos are here.

Come back soon, Sarah!

Results

We spent this weekend in Walla Walla, Washington on a wine tasting trip with some friends to celebrate one friend's 30th birthday. (More on that in a future post.) Just a few moments ago, we got home, got the mail, and read these precious words:

"Dear Amanda: It is our great pleasure and honor to inform you that you have passed the Washington State Bar Examination. Congratulations!"

To say that I'm happy is a bit of an understatement, and I am pretty certain that George feels even more strongly than I do because I know he was not excited about the prospect of living through another bar prep course. Woooooooooohooooooooooo!

Bar Watch 2010

Bar results were mailed yesterday, and they are supposed to be posted online on Monday. I'll likely get my results when I pick up my mail at home tomorrow...or if they post online earlier. Either way, I promise to tell you as soon as I know whether I passed or failed..............................

Our Crazy Squirrels

Despite being academically aware they're just another species of rodent, we can't help but be amused by the antics of our resident Grey Squirrel family. At this time of year, they're rummaging around the garden and nearby green spaces, gathering material for their nest -- which is in the branches of the Douglas Fir by our back door.

All three resident Squirrels were at it last weekend, and this guy decided that the funny looking biped with the camera needed an eye kept on him.