I somehow managed to get a major kink in my neck. It hurts like crazy, and I can't turn my head to the left unless I do it VERY slowly and carefully. It started hurting a little yesterday, and I was hoping a good night's sleep would heal it, but it seemed to make it worse. Argh. I don't know if I pulled a muscle or just slept on it wrong or what, but it hurts, and that's not a good thing to have when I'm trying to study for my last final.

Speaking of which, I'm almost done with my first year! I am one test away from being 1/3 done with law school, and 9/10 done with school more generally. Wow. In figuring out that last fraction, I figured out that by the time I'm finally done with school, I will have been going for 20 years. That's kind of crazy. Anyway, my finals have been going ok. I think I did really badly on Constitutional Law, well on Property, and pretty well on Contracts. Now I just have Civil Procedure left, which is mostly just knowing and understanding rules. I tend to deal better with black letter law and hard facts, so if I study hard, I should do ok.

Last night, my Schola had our end of the year dinner at one of our member's house just off campus. She had an absolutely beautiful house, and it made me want to have as nice of one someday. Definitely gave me some decorating ideas if nothing else. Our hostess decided that since we were a singing group, we needed to sing our grace for dinner, and asked if anyone knew one. Long silence, and I pipe up and suggest the Doxology (Be present at our table, Lord). No one else knows it (they're all Catholic), and I explain that my mom's side of the family is Lutheran and I also worked for two summers at a Lutheran Bible Camp. I sang it quickly for them, and then we all sang it together, with people trying out various harmonies along the way. It was great, because these people are such good singers that they can hear something once like that, and then sing it and make up harmonies as they go. It also reminded me of home and family, and our singing various harmonies when we do it as well. Hey, at least I didn't suggest the Superman, Scooby-Doo, or Addams Family prayers from camp! :)

Random tangent: In singing with this group this year, I have discovered how rare it is for people to be able to sing at this high of a level. We only practice an hour a week, so we all have to be pretty good at sight-reading, and only practicing something a few times before performing it. I've never had voice lessons, so most of it is natural on my part. And most of my family is a lot like me as well, very musical and able to just jump in and harmonize and learn things quickly, and just hear when something is right or wrong. One of the things I have discovered about my voice this year is that I can kind of "hang back" on a note right before I hear it, hear what others are singing, and sing that note right after they do. But this all happens in a split second. It allows me to sight-read things (chant especially) and not sound like I'm seeing it for the first time, which I often am. Also, I can "hear," or sort of just know, where I'm supposed to be on my part based on what the other parts are singing. That is why it's so easy for me (and the rest of my family) to harmonize. In this sense, it seems to me that rather than being very musically knowledgeable, I just have a good ear with enough musical knowledge to make it work. I always thought lots of people can do these things, but from conversations I've had recently, it doesn't seem like many can. For all my blog readers who are musical, can you do this as well? (assuming you understand what I'm talking about, it's kind of hard to explain) In any case, it's very flattering to know that these people think that I have what it takes to sing with them.

Well, I'd better get back to studying. I'll leave you with my schedule for the next few days:
Now until 1:30 pm tomorrow: Study, study, study, maybe clean room/do laundry for study break
Tomorrow: Civ Pro Final, Pick up Journal Write-on stuff, Celebrate!
Saturday: Pack/clean :( Maybe Mass
Sunday: Hop on train to Chicago, Lunch with Veronika and Jess!, Train to home (sleep and read fiction!)
Monday: HOME AND SUMMER!!! :)

I'll try to maybe write a reflective, end of my first year blog either on Saturday, or possibly after I get home. Until then, adieu!