I set out 10 goals for 2011: five major goals and five bonus goals that would be nice to achieve, but which I did not consider vital to the success of the year.

Major Goals:

1. Pass the Bar
2. Graduate
3. Lose 20 lbs
4. Run the Warrior Dash on Saturday, April 2.
5. Get a job

Of these goals, I managed three.  I finally graduated lawschool, which I consider my most important achievement of the year.   I ran the Warrior Dash in some excellent company.  And I did in fact end the year with a job.

I did not manage to lose all 20lbs of weight, though I managed some.   And, of course, the elephant in the room is that I did not pass the Bar.

Why did it have to be Real Property?

Sub Goals:

1. Learn leathercrafting
2. Learn more than one chord on the guitar
3. Master some new crockpot recipes
4. Zelda Ocarina-thon
5. Go camping

https://carvingleather.wordpress.com/2011/10/23/steampunk-belt/

So I’m currently unemployed, and often bored, and the combination has me turning to crafts.  I decided to make a pair of steampunk goggles.

I looked at a bunch of different pictures on line, and then I found this page (by the lady who writes Cake Wreks!) with details on how to make a nifty pair.   I liked the chunky look of the eye pieces, so I decided to give it a go.  I followed most of the given instructions, with some deviations.

The first big deviation has to do with the leather.  Rather than go for the plain brown featured on the page, I put my leathercrafting powers to good use.

I bought a bag of scrap pieces from Tandy, and found two pieces that were big enough to form the eye cups.  Then I used my geometric shape tool to give the leather the same repeating square pattern I used on my flask.   I used a tool called a four-prong lacing chisel (it looks like a wide dinner fork that means business) to cut holes for stitching.   The last steps were dying the pieces brown and applying finisher.

Then, I used some scrap pieces of soft upholstery leather to form a cushion around the eye cups.

I folded the leather over a pipe cleaner to make the edge look more rounded.

Next, I wrapped the leather pieces around the pipes, and then glued and stitched them into place.

I stitched on more upholstery leather for the band:

And added a shiny brass buckle.

I decided to use brass mesh for the lenses.  Brass mesh, I found out, was about $60 a roll.  I bought a small section of this stuff instead, and decided to spray paint it.

I discovered a small problem with the mesh - other people could look back up the goggles.  They could see the stitching, and the screws holding on the nose bridge.  I thought it looked messy.  Also, I was concerned that the color of the mesh wouldn’t show up well when backed by gaping nothing.   So I took another tip from the EPBOT instructions, and cut some lens backing out of a report cover.

The plastic is both opaque and textured - nobody is going to see anything through there.  That works for me, because I don’t need to see through them, either.   Unless I decide to get some prescription lenses cut for these goggles, I need to wear my glasses to get around.

The last thing to do was spray paint the mesh, the screw-on eye pieces and the bit of metal for the nose bridge (I used the same stuff EPBOT did).  And here were the results:

The screw-on cups are painted antique brass.  The screens and nose piece are painted shiny gold/brass.

Side view:

The EPBOT instructions suggested putting some decorative brass pieces on the sides.   I ordered some, but I decided I like the raw look of the stitching better.

Top view:

The length of the eye pieces makes the goggles a little unwieldy. I might end up wearing them around my neck so they don’t over balance my hat.

Next project - finish construction of my lightbulb-based ray gun.

My first whole project is complete!

Details and project pics.

Check it out.

As you may have heard, I’m running a half marathon on October 30.  Here’s why:

1) It’s an idea I’ve been kicking around for awhile.  I’ve done a couple of 10Ks, and I feel like I’m ready for the next thing.    And when I found out that four of my friends were already registered, it seemed like a perfect opportunity.

2) I really need to get back to being healthy.  After the Warrior Dash in April, I narrowed my focus to law school and the bar.  I didn’t exercise.  I ate out almost every day.  I gained back most of the 12 pounds I was so proud of losing earlier in the year.  My cholesterol officially sucks.  I’ve noticed that I do better with a diet and exercise regime when I have a substantial goal in mind.   “Lose X pounds” is okay, but I really kick it into gear to get ready for a Race Day.

3) I have a personal tradition of doing something I’ve never done before on my birthday.  I’ve never done a half-marathon.

Last week, I poked around and found a good 9-week training program that I hope will get me in shape for the distance, but not kill me in the process.   I feel myself slipping back into the fitness groove.  The only problem so far is that I’m training for this thing during the dog days* of a Los Angeles summer.   If I don’t get my miles in before 10am, it gets stupid hot in my little corner of town.

I’ve lost my gorram mind.

* I realized I didn’t know the origin of this phrase so I looked it up, and decided to share it with all of you.  We’ve all learned something today.

I went to a leatherworking class this morning.  Here’s a really huge post about it!

http://carvingleather.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/1st-class-walking-the-line/

I took the Bar last week, and I survived.   I’m actually pretty happy with my performance.  I didn’t freeze up in the face of a room with over 1,300 people all stressing out; I didn’t throw up, or scream, or pull my hair, or pace around the room in the middle of the exam, or all the other horror stories lawyers like to tell about what happen when they took the Bar.  I didn’t know everything, but I applied what I knew as best I could. That’s really all I could do.  I won’t have results until the middle of November.  Trust me, when I know whether I passed, the rest of you will know as well.

Thursday night, Chris, Jacques, Hanh and I went to Melting Pot to celebrate.  There was cheese and chocolate and really excellent scotch.   Friday, I indulged in a massage, and finally got a kink out of my neck that showed up just a few days before the test.  I also baked a cake for Matt and Anna’s going away party.  Saturday was the party proper, and a good time was had by all.  Today, I just hung out around the house and read and read a book, completely guilt free - I wasn’t supposed to be studying anything, and my time was my own.

This week, I’m on call for jury duty, though I don’t have to report on Monday.  My mid-range plans are to either get a job with a legal temping agency as a legal secretary, or take classes at a community college.  The legal secretary job is because firms won’t really talk to you until you get your Bar results back.  But the job would help me build my legal experience, and I would be networking wherever I had to temp.   If that doesn’t shake out, I’m registered at Los Angles Vally CC.  I haven’t signed up for any classes yet.  That’s due to all the classes being mostly full - fall registration was back in Spring Term, so I’m coming into the process late.  I need to haggle with a registrar over whether my previous undergrad credits or my law school experience can get me out of introductory math and writing classes.

All told, I’m doing very well, and I’m very happy to be done.  I’m going to spend the next few weeks adjusting to the novel concept of “free time.”  I’m going to start exercising again, and I plan to look into weekend classes for my weirdo leathercraft hobby.  I hope all of you are doing equally well, and I look forward to being able to spend time with my friends and family again.

It has been a long climb - at this point, a full year longer than intended - but I’m pleased to announce that I have officially graduated from Western State University College of Law.  On May 31, 2011, the school awarded me the degree of Juris Doctor.

In the week since I found out, my emotions have swung from ecstatic to humbled and hit everything in between.  There is no way I could have accomplished this without the unending love and support of my husband.  Chris, you’re amazing.  That’s not a big enough word - there isn’t a big enough word - but it will have to do.  And thanks to the rest of my family and friends who have encouraged me and consoled me and just generally kept me sane on the journey.

Having finally accomplished this goal, I intend to prove every day that I’ve earned it.  Right now, that means tackling the Bar Exam.  My days are quite full studying; you’re not going to see much of me until the very end of July.   After that, I’ll get reacquainted with the world at large.