The Cookie That Drove Me to Tears

There I stood gazing out of a window from the thirty-eight floor of one of the tallest, most beautiful buildings in the Windy City. Below me were hundreds, no, thousands of strangers, many of whom I would never meet. Beside me were a handful of law students with whom I had just become acquainted. In my right hand was a cookie, a delicious, half-eaten M&M's® cookie. It was the first one that I can remember eating in well over a month. I stared down at the cookie happily, fully understanding all that it symbolized, and burst into tears‼

My recent trip to Chicago was more than another networking adventure or a business trip. It more accurately represented a glimpse of my future reality - a reality, that before last weekend, had not been clearly visible to me. Over the course of the weekend, I was introduced to some of the most prominent lawyers, judges, and legal scholars that reside within this nation. I was able to engage in conversation with many of them during panel discussions, mentoring sessions, and unimaginably delightful meals. One meal in particular gave me the feeling that I was long-lost princess finally returning to the place that she'd be arduously searching for for so many years. Simply put, I will never ever forget the experience that I had in this particular restaurant. After tea and drinks were provided for myself and the other attendees, restaurant servers walked amongst us carrying dainty hors d'œuvres on fancy, wooden boards. Following the starter course, our hostess welcomed us into a separate display area filled with a plethora of soups, salads, and bread selections. Later on during the meal several chefs began to circle the dining room offering various samplings of their prized creations. As a means of describing just how unique and wonderful this dining experience was, I consulted with two of the servers in order to comprise the following list: 

Fire Grilled Ribeye

Wagyu Beef

Spit Roasted Leg of Lamb

Curry Lime Red Snapper

Amaretto and Pistachio Duck Breast 

Linguica Pork Sausage

Asian Pork Belly 

Bottom Sirloin 

Moroccan Chicken 

New Zealand Venison

The aforementioned foods were the tableside samplings that were provided during the main course , along with some of the most additively yummy spinach dip and other small dishes.  I sampled each one of the meats except for the pork belly and venison. Just when I thought I couldn't possibly eat another bite, dessert was served. Charming little cheesecake squares, brownie bites and other pastries filled the center of each table. My taste buds were overwhelmed‼‼

Now, why I'm sharing this story? Well, I may not be a philanthropist at the moment, but I can definitely donate my time and a few encouraging words. Many people agree that, "Hard work pays off." Yet, there are so many others that are not willing to put in the hard work necessary to realize such a worthy payment. Education, in my opinion, is one of the best routes to success‼ The wonderful thing is that as long as there is breath in your body, then it is not too late. Ken Wilde, a Holocaust survivor, received a master's degree in history at age eighty-six. His inspiring story should do exactly what it is set out to do - inspire‼ Hopefully, my story will inspire as well. 

(It's also worth noting that I do not mind editing essays, helping with resume writing, or sharing my perspective. Whether that be tonight or years down the road, I will try my best to make time for what's important. Someone helped me, mentored me, and advised me. With each step that I take I am one step closer to doing the same thing for someone else and making a larger impact in my community. That's what it's all about‼‼‼)

Presenting My Oreo Song‼‼

After viewing the results of my recent poll, I decided to place my song on Youtube. There are quite a few surprises in the final video. It just goes to show that Niga Higa and GloZell are two of my favorite people on YouTube.

Hopefully, you all will enjoy watching the video just as much as I liked making it‼‼‼‼

Milk Jug Update - 09/05/11: 
For those who may like to know, the company that packages this brand of milk in my area recently changed the location of the expiration date! I no longer have to worry about rubbing the date off and wondering which date the milk will actually expire!

A Blog Post Inside of A Blog Post

If you have visited my blog before this morning, then you've probably noticed quite a few changes. In other words, I've become addicted to widgets‼ It seems like there's a widget for everything. It's pretty exciting for blogger like myself. Here are a few of my favorite additions:

• A poll for all of my visitors
• I personally think everyone should be apart of this big decision that I have to make - putting my Oreo song on Youtube.
• A lovely bookshelf widget
• Please don't forget to leave me book recommendations‼‼
• A couple of Twitter widgets
• Yes, I've rejoined Twitter. Now that summer is in full swing, I have a bit more time on my hands. Leisure reading and social networking are two fun ways for me to spend my free time. Well, those things as well as catching up with friends and family... Wait a minute, that's social networking too, isn't it? In any event, if you're worried that everything I do revolves around reading words on a page or screen, fear not‼‼ With the other free time that I have I also sleep, cook, jog, and socialize with the wonderful new friends that I've made here. A great example is the neighborhood ice cream social that I went to the other day. It was surprisingly pleasant‼ Initially, I thought that the event would be rained out, but it wasn't, which was fantastic. While at the social I had the chance to meet many of my neighbors, none of which I had known beforehand. I just thought I'd share that... Now, back to the topic of discussion. If you have a Twitter, then you should most certainly follow me, especially if you were one of my followers four scores and ten years ago.

P.S. I love lists‼

It Feels Like Christmas!!!!!!!

Don't let the title fool you‼ It is about 93℉ outdoors right now. So how else could it possibly feel like Christmas? Well, the answer is simple. I'm unpacking‼‼‼

I've gone about one full week without many of my belongings. The only thing that I brought with me when I came to Illinois was one suitcase and a small carry-on bag. Yup, that's it‼ I haven't cooked in over a week because I didn't have any cookware. I didn't have any of my hair supplies, so my hair has been pretty dull and dry. I haven't been able to wear a different pair of shoes, because there was no space for extra shoes in my one piece of luggage. So, today feels like Christmas‼ Every time I open a box another surprise is lurking behind the walls of tape. 

MY BUSINESS CARDS‼ Oh, how I've missed these‼ Job hunting without a small stack of business cards was not the most pleasant. MY BACHELOR'S DEGREE‼ I only got to see my degree for about an hour before placing it in an old, stuffy box. Surely, such an expensive and meaningful document didn't deserve such negligence. It's finally able to breath. THE BOOK THAT I WAS READING‼ I wondered what happened to that Debbie Macomber book that I was reading. I love her books‼ All of them‼ Of course I haven't read them all, but I have read at least two dozens of her novels. It almost unbelievable that I went without her books this long. They're usually the only thing that keep me company when I go out on dinner dates... by myself. Tonight when I get a bite to eat, I don't have to sit at a table alone sending text messages to fill the void. I can read‼‼‼ It's great to be able to have almost everything that I need right at my fingertips now. 

A big, heart-filled thank you to everyone that helped me move‼ It was definitely a team effort‼ From the people that helped me pack, to the lovely, wonderful, amazing people that shipped me everything, to the two new friends of mine who helped me pick up my packages - THANK YOU‼‼‼‼ Your help will not go unnoticed and your kindness will not be taken for granted‼