Nealmeister

The Evidencing Life

12 July 2006

Day one, post-BarBri, regimented studying.  Did my first blotch of Evidence review using Study Smart, and let me just give a shout out to the BarBri-Thompson/West monopoly for essentially helping my dumb ass really get this stuff.  Study Smart is wicked awesome... I highly recommend it, especially if you think that you've been NIEDing or IIEDing yourself with PMBR questions. 

While we're at it, looks like I'm primed to be moving in August.  And my family won't be around to bid me farewell.  Peoples going away (taking JetBlue) and such.  Oh well.  They never liked me anyway (lol).

Finally, a joke, sent from our beloved friend e-Co.  I wanted to mass email it to everyone.  Instead, I blog it.

Here we go...

An 80-year-old man goes for a physical. All of his tests come back with normal results. The doctor says, "George, everything looks great. How are you doing mentally and emotionally?

Are you at peace with God?"

George replies, "God and I are tight. He knows I have poor eyesight, so he's fixed it so when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, poof! the light goes on. When I'm done, poof! the light goes off."

"Wow, that's incredible," the doctor says.

A little later in the day, the doctor calls George's wife. "Ethel." He says, "George is doing fine... But I had to call you because I'm in awe of his relationship with God. Is it true that he gets up during the night and poof! the light goes on in the bathroom, and when he's done, poof! the light goes off?"

Ethel shouts, "Good God almighty! He's peein' in the fridge again!"

Moving, Lonergan, and Seventy-Five Days

An agent through which vital powers are exercised.

Fall is finally becoming fall in Boston, in November.  Crisp and cool, just the way November should be.  I always thought that this type of fall weather lends itself to the nostalgia that replays inside my mind and supports the frustrated writer that lingers inside of me.  That's what I thought about when I was walking up Walker Street after I got off the bus this evening.  I was thinking about how much I really love my street, and how cool but strikingly red the fireball glowed from the utility pole at the top of my street, and how much I really loved what I do--even though I bitch and complain about it at times.  It's that new slug of a slog that I have to fight out and figure out.  I could quit.  But I love the playing field.

Beneath that fireball, though, I bumped upon Todd and Meg's U-Haul.  Todd and Dan were in it, amid all of the Todd and Meg's life that was getting squeezed into a 17-foot U-Haul.  Now, I always get really funny with change, especially moving.  I play things off like I'll see someone tomorrow.  I try to keep things "normal."  I laugh a bit and [/MESSAGE CLIPPED/]

[So Long], Sweet Summer

I got an unexpected call from Barbara this morning. I was in the middle of finishing up drafting a release at work and found myself really looking for an excuse to take a 6 minute break. Barbara became it. And I was wicked delighted to take her call.

As things turned out, I cleared my early afternoon schedule to get Chacarero with Barbara and her dog. Even though the original Chacerero is now closed (victim to the filene's shuttering/downtown crossing gentrification), we made do. After a bit of waiting at Rico's, we hit up the patio at the Boston Anthenaeum to soak up the mid-summer splendor that is

Boston

. So, looking over the king's burial ground -- straight for our alma mater law school and the urban mountain that is the financial district -- I let barbara do most of the talking. We kind of relished over that feeling that you have inside of you when the bar exam is done. We chatted about conservatives and Gordon Brown. I nostalgized about how I felt when I cleared out my law school locker, and she told me about the relief she felt when she could get out of that law school.

I realized, though, that I really do miss academia... Or at least the freedom of having "hang out" time while getting things accomplished. Of course, that feeling is only amplified by the sunny weather and New England summer, by people wearing cargo pants and t-shirts and reef flip flops, to everyone else's stories of frozen margarita happy hours oceanside... on a Tuesday night. I decided, then, that I wanted winter to come. Soon.

Just think people. Christmas is less than 5 months away....

BarBri is Done!

Don't know why this was still in draft, 10 months after the fact.  I mean, the original posting date (in draft) is 12-JUL-2006.  And it wasn't even a real post...  just a picture of the Suffolk-AM crowd, minus Mr. Murphy of course.

But we can let nostalgia continue, I guess, for it brings visions of hope for the law school/barbri class of 2007.  Kids, there is hope.  Just wait until August...

In re: Property

My roommate -- and a handful of other goods friends -- are going through their first year law school exams.  I've got a good chuckle out of "reviewing" with them.  And I've got a good chuckle knowing that they'll finally understand where all of the law school "inside jokes" are coming from.  So, in light of all of the good laughs that I've got out of "reviewing" with some of them, I've decided to share you the crazy facebook action that ensued last night... when I was 80 percent sleep deprived :)

Neal Boyle is proclaiming to all of his first years: I won BLACKACRE!

Updated on Tuesday

The responses (of course, you have to read bottom to top):

Caroline C*nw*y (Suffolk) wrote at 10:54pm on May 1st, 2007 hahaha that's awesome!! nice catch on Greenacres... i'm going to go with a tenancy for a term through the summer, if possible. end date august 31, 2007. hopefully i'm not mixing up my tenancies. which is entirely possible. Wall-to-Wall - Write on Caroline's Wall - Message - Delete

Neal Boyle wrote at 10:49pm on May 1st, 2007 Greenacres is the place to be!! Unfortunately, I own Greenacre too. I own all acres. Statute of Neal. They don't teach that in property class... You could lease Greenacre, though. Would you like a periodic tenancy? A tenancy at will? Tenancy of terms? Tenancy by the entirety? Oh wait, scratch the last one... Wall-to-Wall - Write on My Wall - Delete

Caroline C*nw*y (Suffolk) wrote at 10:30pm on May 1st, 2007 can i have Greenacre? Wall-to-Wall - Write on Caroline's Wall - Message - Delete

Neal Boyle wrote at 10:17pm on May 1st, 2007 dukeminier is my hero.  literally. Wall-to-Wall - Write on My Wall - Delete

Ysmael F*ns*c* (Notre Dame) wrote at 10:01pm on May 1st, 2007 lol... we're such dorks (have fun slaving away as i prepare to do the same in a couple of years...) Wall-to-Wall - Write on Ysmael's Wall - Message - Delete

Neal Boyle wrote at 9:58pm on May 1st, 2007 not if you're in a jurisdiction where i've statutorily eliminated all adverse possession claims... take that COAH OCEAN!! Blackacre's in my chain of title!! It's mine!! Wall-to-Wall - Write on My Wall - Delete

Ysmael F*ns*c* (Notre Dame) wrote at 9:52pm on May 1st, 2007 not after i make it mine through adverse possession! (this message satisfies the "hostile" element) Wall-to-Wall - Write on Ysmael's Wall - Message - Delete

House is in da' House

Well, my roomie and her law school friend convinced me to stay home and "work" and watch house instead of going to the gym.  Now I have a new tv show to add to the list.  Yummy.

Congrats to everyone who has passed the bar, btw.  We need to have a celebration party soon.  Any suggestions?  In Charlestown?

And on another note... to all you grad students out there who are near and dear to my heart, but whom I never contact nearly enough, I have a message:  finals are coming soon.  Be sure to be getting at least 7 hours of sleep, take your vitamins, and email me your top three favorite types of candy before Nov. 20th.

Today's an Adam Vinatieri Three-fer

So the Colts play the Pats tonight, and I'm hauling ass trying to get as much work done as possible so that I can at least do stuff in front of the television (and with some warm apple pie, courtesy of party animal, e-co, and e-co's new love) so that I can actually get to watch some of the game (unlike the notre dame game yesterday--where I was being really lame and watched on ESPN gamecast).

The Colts and the Pats just bring a smile to my face.  Everyone knows that I'm all about College Football.  I could really give two shits about NFL ball.  Most of the time, if I had to chose between being locked in the library at school and watching pro ball, I'd willingly go to the library... and stay there.  But the Colts and the Pats.  Maybe all the "spiteful hating" that I've learned to love to do has brought me to love watching this match-up for the sheer comedy because it's so, well, drama-filled (as I MTV-ize pro ball).

Take Peyton.  It's always a ton of fun watching him squirm like a kid in junior high.  So whiney.  So much like Rudy when he was playing football on the lot.  I just love laughing at him, and actually, I'd really love it if CMart could come up from DC and watch with me so that we could hate on together.

There's tons more to hate on, but I'm feeling like a bad broken record.  Let's go for the Adam Vinatieri roll call today, because he's the reason I'm actually blogging right now instead of drafting pleadings.  And note, out of my need for nostalgia, this is brought to you by Papa Gino's...

"It's good!" ... I actually passed the Massachusetts Bar, thanks to the likes of the brain trust, multi-colored flashcards, the loverly staff at BarBri (especially Paula), Professor Judge and Dean Keenan (for helping me call two questions on the essay portion), Robert Feinburg, Esq., my mom and dad, and friends and lovers and fwbs, and viewers like you.  You can find evidence of my passage here.

"It's good!" ... I've donated more of my income since September to charitable purposes than I have to any other combined personal cause.  Thank you Microsoft Money for auditing my checkbook.  But with charity comes love.  That's why I'm hanging the autographed Snow Ball picture of Adam Vinatieri that I won in an auction at Best of Charlestown in my office at work.

"It's good!" ... because I really could use some Papa Gino's pizza right now, but let's face it, the Triple Play and Adam Vinatieri's pizza deal last year were better than Teddy Bruschi's ...

"It's good!"  ... ok, enough.  I've stopped laughing enough now.  But I do have to announce, my son, Neal, will become a kicker as well.  I couldn't have him be a pouty bitch like the other QBs in my life, could I?

Ok, this needs to stop.  Now.

Massachusetts Bar Results were mailed today.

Somewhere between Maura S. Doyle's place and my apartment on Russell Street, U.S. Mail has the pass or fail letter for me, my friends, my colleagues.

I know that during all those Halloween parties, I promoted the whole "if the haters will hate, let them hate."  But that doesn't change the fact that I am hyperventilating at work and cannot type enough about plan confirmation under chapter 11 to calm me the hell down.

So help us all.  I'll be at Mass at Arch Street tomorrow morning people.  St. Anthony, if there's been any better time, now is it....

It's been a while

I've got that Staind song stuck in my head this morning.

But just as I post again, I'm heading off with Erin, Ro, Keith, Greg & Ed to go rafting on the Kennebec River up in Maine a couple of times again.  Even though it's pouring rain in New England and it looks like it's going to be in the 50s this weekend.  Jackman, here we come back!  So for the time being, you're stuck with the "ten-sentence-or-less" update I guess...

Don't worry.  I guess I'll be back Monday or so, Moose ears and all.

But to answer the questions...

• The Bar made me say "Oh SHIT!" many times.  It was analagous to being Elmo-ed.  But I haven't really thought about it in a while now.  That biatch is in some else's hands, BIOTCh and all (lol).
• Me and Jess have moved in to our new pad in Charlestown (and we got a spare bedroom, wink wink)
• I haven't made all those promised phone calls...
• too many people getting married (but I'm wicked excited: a closer Boyle relative got engaged!)
• I'm excited-scared-and-everything-else-in-between about work.  Orientation starts in New York City mid-September.
• Vacation and TV are such great things.  And by the way--CSI has surpassed Law and Order SVU on my "favorite TV shows" list.
• Perpetual Keggers'/Mofos' Reunion Game: Purdue.  But I might die at work the week before...

That's it folks.  Thank yous are still coming. And cell phone reception sucks on my street, but I'm trying.

Go Vacationland!  Beat Bay State!

A Prayer of Thanksgiving and a Prayer of Good Luck

First off, I want to wish everyone Good Luck on whatever state's (or states') bar exams that you begin tomorrow.  I think we've all prepped as much as we humanly can, getting beat up by BarBri and PMBR and so on... so now we need to kick in the creativity and hope and the inspiration that brought many of us to become lawyers in the first place. 

I like that vision from a hope standpoint, so that I can just keep on moving on.  But I think for all of us, there will be a few things that we maybe don't know--or really see--when those essays and state multiple choice and MPTs come in front of us.  Hopefully, that spark inside of us will keep us going.  Good luck, you!  Kick it, punch it, spit in its face... the bar exam is the enemy so go in and fight like it's your job! Booyah!

Second is a little more personal.  After all, the blog stems directly out of the Journaling that I've been doing since I was in the 5th grade.  The only difference now is that I kind of subject myself to the public light (that's what the comments, or the emails keep telling me... haha).

I have some groups to thank.  The obvious is God, being Catholic and all.  But those prayers I really said on my own, so I won't detail here....

When I emptied out my locker at Suffolk last night, and saw Brett Lovins when I was in the middle of a haze (and I think my conversation with him maybe got him worried, yes?), I realized: this bar exam is the culmination of really 20 years of formal education for me. 

It all started in Boston Public Schools -- at the Harvard-Kent School with Mrs. Kissling -- and since then I've been fortunate enough -- through St. Catherine's and Boston Latin and Notre Dame and Suffolk -- to meet so many educators who decided to work with my issues and get the best out of me.  In every ghetto, in every city, there's the geeky little kid who colors inside the lines and really likes to read and who really was shy and who couldn't win a fight for the life of him.  That was me circa 1986.  The balancing factor thanks goes out to all the guys, girls, adults, priests & nuns, coaches, camp directors, friends near and far, cousins and aunts and uncles and neighbors, and so many others in Charlestown and beyond who have really been great mentors and friends and have "had my back," literally and figuratively, advising and laughing and joking and criticizing and laughing some more.  For pointing out my faults and celebrating our victories.  This entire journey represents a joint venture of sorts.  I KNOW that I would NOT have got through this with out you all.  You get my thanks every time I see you, hang out with you, drink with you, vent with you, laugh with you, etc. etc.  But I just needed to recognize, you know!

And lastly, my family.  The Boyles. 

My siblings--Will, Ro, and Sean--are really my best friends, even though we fight and scream and basically live our lives in a drama-ful fashion, like we are straight out of MTV's the Real World.  Remember when we used to play "Mattress Coaster" when we lived in the Bricks?  Or all of our fart jokes?  Or the von-Boyle singers?  Remember when we moved to Lexington Street?  Our days up at the Bunker Hill Pool and how Greg the lifeguard made us do belly-flops into the deep end?  Oh, the days.  As much as I've hated being the oldest, I love you three.  I don't think anything could replace that and I kind of feel like I'm doing this for you as much as for me.  We shall do a toast up in Maine, for sure.

But more importantly, my mum and dad.  I can't really type this without some tears, but I love you and I thank you both so much for the sacrifices that you've made to make sure that your four kids can move on up.  I don't think that there's  any greater love than that.  And that's why, when things are looking grim in the middle of those essay days, I can count on your love and inspiration to carry me through.

* * * *

I'll be away for a while kids.  After the Bar, I'm going white water rafting up in Maine with the Charlestown kids.  Then the move-in to Russell Street begins.  Finally leaving home.  Free at last!

Good luck all of you guys!  And now, a little Irish Blessing because it's always worked...

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

And, one last  (because this one is (and has been the whole summer) pretty cool)...

Sunday, July 23

My Best To All This Week    

I don't mean to be overly dramatic over some silly little test, I merely continue a tradition in hopes of inspiring those who may harbor doubts over the coming days. And no matter the results, having experienced this firsthand, I respect all who give it their best shot.

Good luck to all taking the bar exam this week.

He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day
...
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.