Another Alaska Weekend

Good week this week. I did my first arraignment hearing and my first API (Alaska Psychiatric Institute) hearing. Lost both but learned a lot. I actually had to cross examine a witness for the API hearing. And I had to do a mock opening statement for my boss. I kind of think he was torturing me, but I learned a lot and he said that i did much better than he had expected. He actually expected me to freeze and not be able to do it at all.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. There has been pretty nasty weather for the past couple of days. But we went in the hottub in the rain tonight. Pretty fun. And it was actually really pretty to look at the rain falling through the steam from the hottub. I think about 6 or 7 people were over the house tonight. Fun group of people, but not really relaxing to be around.

I looked around some of the gift shops around here. There are some really cool things. If anyone wants anything specific, let me know. I know I am gonna get Steve's mom an Eskimo Yo-Yo (which I was very excited to find this week) and my mom some kind of figurine type thing.

Dad and Pat come up in just over a week. I can't wait. They will be able to bring me grocery shopping! yay! haha. Also.... DENALI!!!!

Alright, food time. Love you guys! :)

World Beard and Mustache Championships

Photos from the World Beard and Mustache Championships. I am pretty sure the photos tell the whole story -- guys with facial hair and costumes gathered from all over the world.


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2354329&id=2710384&l=74930ad1b0

Hey everyone!

Sorry my postings have been so sporadic. My laptop has been acting really weird and will only connect to the internet sometimes.

Anyway, this week work got much better. I started to enjoy it a lot more. I am working more closely with an attorney named John who is absolutely fabulous. He is an extremely good attorney and he is fun to be around. By next week I will probably be doing all of the juvenile arraignments by myself. I feel a little bit like I am getting thrown in the deep in and finding out if I will sink or swim. It is a little nerve raking at first, but everyone is super supportive, so I'm sure it will be fine.

I am really hoping to second chair a jury trial this summer. John has a felony trial in a couple of weeks for a juvenile who is being tried in adult court. He said I could help him out if he hasn't already gotten someone, but he doesn't remember. Regardless of what happens with that trial, I think he tried to assign me my frist real case today. It is a prostitution case again a 15 year old. If that doesn't get worked out, I believe the trial date is currently set for the second half of July. I haven't met the girl yet, but I hope I get to soon.

Not a whole lot new is happening here. I put pictures up on Flickr. The website is: flickr.com/photos/jennmichele10. Most of them are from camping but a few are of the house in Anchorage and the view of the mountains from the front yard of the house. My Frommers book has a walking tour of downtown Anchorage and I started it this week. It is a two hour tour and I only spent about 15 or 20 minutes walking around. I am taking pictures while I do it so that everyone in the Lower 48 can do the walking tour of Anchorage virtually with me. :) Hopefully this weekend I will post some of those. If I max out my space on Flickr I will post links to the photo albums on facebook for you all to see.

Also, this weekend is the World Beard and Mustache Championship and it is being held here in Anchorage. Apparently it happens every two years and this is only the second time it has been held in the States. Supposedly there is a very large German contingent here. I have seen some of the contestants on the streets in downtown. It is pretty crazy. I haven't decided if I am going to go to the actual competition yet, but at least I will go to the parade downtown and take some pictures for you guys. What a strage event.

Well, that's all I really have to update you guys right now. Dad and Pat come in about two and a half weeks and I can't wait (especially because they will have a rental car and can bring me grocery shopping. haha). I'm sorry I haven't been able to call most of you because of the time difference. It is 9pm Eastern when I get off of work here. Please keep in touch.


Daddy, Nana, and James - you remind me that I have the best family in the entire world. I love you guys. Send my love to the rest of the fam. :)

Not a country girl...

As you all probably know, I am not the most outdoorsy person in the world. Despite this, however, I went camping this weekend in Talkeetna. It was an absolutely fantastic group of people and the town was quite extraordinary. It is a very very small town - the downtown area is only two blocks long. And we camped in some grass on the side of the road right where the road ends at the end of downtown. I felt completely out of place since I don't camp and don't hike or do any of those outdoors activities.

Anyway, we went to this local bar on Saturday night and it was quite the experience - a bunch of drunk locals and crazy European climbers. We also hung out with some Germans (all the while I was thinking of Judy and Martin) who were bike riding as far south as they could get until their visas ran out or they ran out of money. Pretty crazy.

So the view of Denali (Mt. McKinley) was beautiful from Talkeetna. The weather was wonderful so we had a fantastic view of the mountains. I am trying to post pictures on flickr now, but I'm slightly technologically challenged. I'm still working on getting internet at the house (for some reason my laptop won't connect to the wireless network) so for now I am still only posting while at work.

Work is going well. I will do a hearing tomorrow by myself. It should be easy, but it will still be the first time I appear in court on my own as a (sort of) lawyer. I also will be calling kids and prepping them for arraignments that happen tomorrow afternoon.

I have noticed SO many differences in the delinquency system here compared to that in North Carolina. Just as an example, in NC when a judge orders that a child pay restitution, the amount is capped at $500 or $1000 (I forget which one, sorry Judge Fine). Here, there is no cap. So one of the attorneys was telling me about a case where a child was ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution. Luckily, the child's father's insurance companied paid it, but imagine if they hadn't. It blows my mind.

Like I said, I am trying to upload photos now and will try to get on the internet again when I get home. Miss you all.


Note to Sassy: Thanks for the comment and confidence booster. I love and miss you. :)

I'm here

Hey everyone!

I'm sorry I haven't written sooner. Things have been a little crazy. I got to Alaska safe and sound after a pretty horrible day on planes. I was pretty sick. It was probably just nerves.

For the past couple of days I have been trying to get used to Alaska time (I am 4 hours behind you on the East Coast) and trying to settle in. The settling in hadn't been going so well, but everyone knows I'm not the biggest fan of change. It is going to be a tough adjustment. I miss you all like crazy.

I started work yesterday so I finally have internet access. Work seems like it is going to be alright. My actual supervisor isn't in this week so it hasn't been made completely clear to me what I am supposed to be doing. I have just been following attorneys around to court. I was given a research project today which means that when I am not in court I will have something to do. It looks like it is going to be pretty interesting and actually involves a question I struggled with all semester in one of my classes. I have a few weeks to put together the memo. I hope I am able to produce a good piece of work.

It also hit me yesterday that I am actually going to be representing people in court this summer. Holy crap! I will hold a small piece of someone's future in my hand. Who thought allowing me to do that was a good idea? haha. Just kidding. I'm sure it is going to be a good experience. I guess I will find out for sure this summer whether I want to be a lawyer.

Alaska is crazy. Sometimes I still don't believe I'm here - I have to walk outside look to the east and see snow capped mountains and then put on a jacket in the middle of May! It is beautiful. The weather has been amazing. Pretty much exactly my favorite kind of weather. I hope it stays like this for the summer but lots of people have been warning me that it may not.

On the way home from the airport I saw a baby moose by the side of the road. It was born last Spring (at least that's what Mike says) but was still huge! Really really cool.

Alright, I'm gonna get back to this research since I am still at work. I miss you all!

May 6

I am still in Winston, but getting this set up. It's my last night in the apartment for a few months.

I will try to keep you'll updated.