Weekend

This past weekend was pretty good - as Derek might say, "one for the books."

First off, I got to judge the regional undergraduate mock trial competition this weekend. I judged rounds 1 and 3, the morning rounds on Saturday and Sunday respectively. It felt a little weird being on the other side of things this time around. I can still vividly remember being in some of the same rooms competing just a few years ago. Also, I got to preside over both trials in addition to scoring. My co-judge in each round was an attorney, and technically they were supposed to act as the presiding judge. But they both asked if I would preside instead and I wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to be in charge. On the whole, the teams I saw did pretty well. I heard some horror stories from other judges though - teams on notes, running out of time, whispering objections across the courtroom, not knowing objections... but my trials went smoothly. It was a good experience, but it made me miss mock trial a bit. Still, it was a nice reminder of one of the reasons I decided to go to law school in the first place.

The next big event of the weekend was Emily's dinner party. Her fiancé Keith had come to visit, and we finally got to meet him. It was a great evening filled with great food and great conversation. Everyone brought something to the dinner. Not being a gourmet chef myself, I brought chocolate-covered strawberries (which were "ginormous", according to Brooke). They seemed to be a big hit. Keith's a great guy and he and Emily seem perfect for each other. I'm sure they'll be deliriously happy together for years and years to come (regardless of whether Emily deserts us for San Fran or Keith finds a job in Chicago).

Then of course there was the Superbowl. I watched the game with a few friends in Fischer, a rather low-key event. We pilfered some food from the community center's party (I figure, we paid the same activity fee as everyone else, so we're entitled to the food even if we don't eat it at their party).

All in all, it was a really good weekend.