There's No Place Like Home (Part 2 & 3)

I checked out the venue for the bar exam a few days before. I actually was pretty nervous checking out the site. Plus I hated seeing that you could see the Riverwalk golf course from the exam room. 

On the day of the exam I pulled into the parking lot to see an Ace Parking attendant. I pulled out my admission ticket in hopes that there would be no cost. But I was wrong. It was going to be $16/day or $48 for the entire 3 days. So I used my wits (which apparently everyone else did not) and parked just another block down at Fashion Valley Mall. On the first day I parked in the long-term transit area (for buses and trolley) and on the last two days I parked under the trolley, which was connected to the convention center by a walkway. This is also where I ate my home-made lunch each day: pb&j (or honey), pretzels, chunky chips ahoy and a vitamin water (focus). 

The examination procedures themselves are pretty formal. We had to do fingerprinting and ID check-ins and out each day. When you went to the bathroom you had to take your ID badge and your admission ticket. The distribution and collection procedures for the different parts of the test were also pretty formal. For all of the old-age proctors that put on this administration, I thought they did a fine job. That is, they weren't unbearably slow for old-timers. 

I actually finished the MBE and the performance test portions of the exam a few minutes early. The essays I was always running right up to the bell. I only felt completely rushed once, but always had time to go to the bathroom. In fact, I think I went to the bathroom two times each three-hour session. Maybe it was the three bags of tea, maybe it was the nerves. 

Once the exam was over I wasn't completely relieved. Probably because I had been in robot mode for 53 days. But once I had a few beers in me I loosened up. I went out with my roommate to PB to his former employ - Moondoggies. Now maybe because it was a Thursday night or maybe because I hadn't been out in two months it seemed strange. Obviously the bar crowd is getting younger and I am getting older. But there is something that I noticed: guys with pierced ears. Not just a single ear pierced, but both. Specifically with 'diamonds.' I put diamonds in quotes because in all likelihood they are not actually diamonds. Did I miss this memo? I mean, I would guess that 2/3 or 3/4 guys had both of their ears pierced with 'diamonds.' I was later talking to a couple of my friends and they said that they actually discussed getting their ears pierced. Can I get added to this email list?