Birthday :-)

6/19/2009 -- 6/19/2010:

So much has happened during this past year. Craig gave me a wonderful card on my birthday that made me realize how much has happened.

Studied, studied, studied.

Brought my beloved dog Otto into my life.

Took two bar exams (in the same week).

Passed two bar exams.

Got engaged.

Traveled, last-minute-like, to India.

Had my first broken bone.

Planned. Freaked out. Analyzed.

Got a job as a lawyer.

Esq.

Went to court. And again.

Got married!

Became a wife.

I think year 26 wins the "year of transition and change" award so far.

On to year 27!

The Job

Some days I really love being a lawyer.
I think it has to do with my confidence level.
Some days, I want to crawl under a rock and hide.

I'm starting to feel comfortable with what I am doing.
But soon, I'm going to leave this job, hopefully start a completely new job, and go through the process all over again. I guess that is a part of life.

Craig and I are sitting at my uncle's beautiful house, getting ready to attend a wedding tomorrow. We went to the rehearsal dinner tonight, at an awesome place in the middle of nowhere, Mississippi. The groom's family was from all over -- New Jersey, Ohio, St. Louis. Fun to be around. I like being reminded of cultural differences. Apparently the water glassses are super-sized in Mississippi. And fried catfish is not necessarily considered a delicacy outside the South.

Wonderland day

I felt like today I woke up on the wrong side of the mirror. Surrounded by Mad Hatters and late to everything.

Well, I wasn't really late to everything. But I felt like I was moving slowly, and time was rushing by quickly.

Friday can't come soon enough. . .

One Month

One Month.

A month ago, I woke up oddly calm and ready for the day. The calmness did not come without a nine month history of preparing, journaling, thinking, worrying, and finally, a major freak out the day before leading to my mother taking away my to do list. I spent the morning getting ready, drinking mimosas, and eating brunch at my grandma's house with my sisters and friends.

I met my love at the church I grew up in and we had a meaningful ceremony surrounded with the love of our friends and family.

We walked out of the church, into a borrowed Thunderbird, and felt like we were walking on air. We made our way to a barn and partied with our friends and family.

The whole day felt like a blur, like Craig and I were in our own little bubble. Turns out, we ended up dancing in a sea of bubbles before leaving to start our life together.

Happy One Month, Craig :-)

All pictures taken by Erin Johnson Wingard

I'm sorry

We are so mad at BP, at the Federal Government, at everyone else for causing this horrible disastor in the Gulf. We are quick to find blame with the giant oil corporations, upset that they have distributed 10B+ to its shareholders. We are angry with the federal government for not responding quickly enough, for not regulating enough.

But we as a nation can't escape the blame. We are oil hungry, gas hungry. I can't escape the blame. I am oil hungry, gas hungry. We look for easy fixes and quick answers. We consume and rely on oil -- the same oil that is now polluting our beaches, our playgrounds. We have created a huge demand for this thing. The oil companies are big and monstorous, but we created them. We created them and they took on a life of their own. Now this black gold that we have craved and sought and fought over is coming out at us in thousands of barrels a day. It is uncontrolled -- just like our desire for oil has become uncontrollable.

I'm sorry.

Two weekends ago my parents and Craig and I went fishing in the Panama City Bay area. As our little boat got closer to the opening into the gulf, we saw a couple of dolphins swimming. They were about 15 feet from our boat, and so happy and beautiful. Right now, Panama City Beach is oil free, but I'm worried it won't be long. Oil hit another one of my favorite places, recently, Fort Pickens. Above is a picture of Fort Pickens, taken spring of 2008.

Camping

Random piece of advice, don't go camping in the woods with no running water when you are coming down with a urinary tract infection.

Otto and I did survive, though. He came away with only 2 ticks (one dead and stuck, one alive and crawling). I only had two ticks. (both stuck -- eww). I made Craig drive me back while crying outside the tent only once (Friday night -- when the uti decided to rear its head -- I came back to the woods Saturday). I think the only reason I came back was out of love. It had to be. Though it probably would have been better for both of us (and Otto) had I stayed at home. Tents and ticks are not my thing, I've decided. Roughing it is cool, if there is some sort of grander purpose. Mission trip roughing it because you are doing work for others, cool. Visiting foreign (or not so foreign) places and roughing it because campsites are more budget friendly, cool. Loading up a car with enough water, food, wine, beer, and a blow up air mattress only to drive 40 miles and sleep outside in no air conditioning? No thanks. I like my nature in 3 to 4 hour trips.

Maybe next time, when I'm not sick.

Holidays and oil

Today is the birthday of Jefferson Davis. Well, actually, he was born on June 3rd. To be more precise, today is the observed birthday of Jefferson Davis. A state holiday.

3 of our 13 state holidays (14 if you count Baldwin and Mobile county celebrating Mardi Gras) commemorate the civil war and its heroes.

Robert E. Lee's Birthday, celebrated this year on January 18. Simultaneously celebrated with Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.

Confederate Memorial Day, celebrated April 26, 2010.

Am I the only one who finds this odd?

In other news, my family went out fishing in the Panama City Bay this past weekend. Saw dolphins in the bay, walked along Shell Island, and traveled around the bay and marshy areas. Really hope that beautiful area stays that way.