Going home
Thursday we breathed a collective sigh of relief. My husband finished his exams. The weight didn't lift instantaneously from our shoulders, however. It took us a few good hours of recapping and reviewing before we could truly shake off the stress. Going out to the "Bar Review" that night helped.
My husband and I don't get out that often, and during his exams, we didn't go out at all. But I managed to find us a babysitter for Thursday night. We put the kids to bed and dressed up. I wore a nice brown mock turtleneck sweater and a cute pink and brown skirt that went just past my knees, and my cool brown boots. I thought I was looking pretty hip.
I picked up the babysitter and my husband and I drove down to a trendy bar in a happening part of town. We walked into the bar, showed our ID (you're just flattering me!), paid our cover, got our little wrist bands, and walked back to the private party room. A handful of law students were already there, drinking away their anxiety. My husband introduced me around to his classmates. The first woman we met was young, adorable and petite in an elfish way, dressed in a skimpy black top. She was smoking a cigarette, and looking like she hadn't had a decent meal in weeks. She talked about abandoning her cat, eating take out, and chain smoking during exams.
Wow! Ten or fifteen years ago I would have been nodding in concurrence. That night I was nodding in disbelief. I couldn't relate to thing this young girl was saying to me. Abandoning my kids was not an option. Take out every night was not an option, smoking was never an option. And the skimpy black top? Are you kidding me?
I saw many of those skimpy black tops that evening. They had different cuts, different trim, covered a varying amount of flesh. No one, oddly enough, showed up in a mock turtleneck anything. I looked like the resident nun. All of the Jewish students we met felt compelled to explain their lack of observance to me. Hey, I wanted to say, I didn't even say a bracha over this drink! Yeah, me, wild rebel. It didn't quite work anymore.
I enjoyed meeting my husband's classmates. They are a sweet, brilliant, and funny bunch. I laughed deep and hard for the first time in months, although that could have been the two drinks I had. My weekly kiddush doesn't quite keep my system lubricated for whiskey and Cokes. They made me feel welcome, and said such lovely things about my husband.
"He's a rockstar!" Explained one beautiful, young woman.
I beamed. Naches is naches!
Friday was the last night of Chanukah. We rushed around trying to pack and clean and cook. I made the traditional Shabbat meal of enchiladas and beans and rice. We lit our candles, opened the rest of the presents and ate our Shabbes Tacos.
My son lost a tooth on Friday, too. My son and I debated what we would do about the lost tooth. After all, our new tooth fairy in Chicago could be Sabbath observant, as well. We decided to put the tooth under the pillow on Saturday night, but when my son woke up, his tooth was still there! I suggested that perhaps we didn't have a very bright tooth fairy, so I suggested he check the other pillows in case the tooth fairy put the tooth under the wrong pillow. He found a dollar bill under his sister's pillow. Whew! Chicago tooth fairies, indeed!
* * *
We're packing up and getting ready to drive to San Antonio for our break. I can't wait to see my friends and family, to spend Shabbat at my shul. 24 hours in the car with my whole family.
My husband and I don't get out that often, and during his exams, we didn't go out at all. But I managed to find us a babysitter for Thursday night. We put the kids to bed and dressed up. I wore a nice brown mock turtleneck sweater and a cute pink and brown skirt that went just past my knees, and my cool brown boots. I thought I was looking pretty hip.
I picked up the babysitter and my husband and I drove down to a trendy bar in a happening part of town. We walked into the bar, showed our ID (you're just flattering me!), paid our cover, got our little wrist bands, and walked back to the private party room. A handful of law students were already there, drinking away their anxiety. My husband introduced me around to his classmates. The first woman we met was young, adorable and petite in an elfish way, dressed in a skimpy black top. She was smoking a cigarette, and looking like she hadn't had a decent meal in weeks. She talked about abandoning her cat, eating take out, and chain smoking during exams.
Wow! Ten or fifteen years ago I would have been nodding in concurrence. That night I was nodding in disbelief. I couldn't relate to thing this young girl was saying to me. Abandoning my kids was not an option. Take out every night was not an option, smoking was never an option. And the skimpy black top? Are you kidding me?
I saw many of those skimpy black tops that evening. They had different cuts, different trim, covered a varying amount of flesh. No one, oddly enough, showed up in a mock turtleneck anything. I looked like the resident nun. All of the Jewish students we met felt compelled to explain their lack of observance to me. Hey, I wanted to say, I didn't even say a bracha over this drink! Yeah, me, wild rebel. It didn't quite work anymore.
I enjoyed meeting my husband's classmates. They are a sweet, brilliant, and funny bunch. I laughed deep and hard for the first time in months, although that could have been the two drinks I had. My weekly kiddush doesn't quite keep my system lubricated for whiskey and Cokes. They made me feel welcome, and said such lovely things about my husband.
"He's a rockstar!" Explained one beautiful, young woman.
I beamed. Naches is naches!
* * *
Friday was the last night of Chanukah. We rushed around trying to pack and clean and cook. I made the traditional Shabbat meal of enchiladas and beans and rice. We lit our candles, opened the rest of the presents and ate our Shabbes Tacos.
My son lost a tooth on Friday, too. My son and I debated what we would do about the lost tooth. After all, our new tooth fairy in Chicago could be Sabbath observant, as well. We decided to put the tooth under the pillow on Saturday night, but when my son woke up, his tooth was still there! I suggested that perhaps we didn't have a very bright tooth fairy, so I suggested he check the other pillows in case the tooth fairy put the tooth under the wrong pillow. He found a dollar bill under his sister's pillow. Whew! Chicago tooth fairies, indeed!* * *
We're packing up and getting ready to drive to San Antonio for our break. I can't wait to see my friends and family, to spend Shabbat at my shul. 24 hours in the car with my whole family.
Wish us luck!
posted by law school widow at 6:55 AM
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