Introductions and a long post of inspiration

SlowPokeTX

Well, I guess starting over is hard. I took the LSAT and had really bad result in November. I can attribute that to bad instruction that I hired tutor and being a lot of financial stress for the last 8 months. I turned 49 this past April. I decided that I need to change my whole approach and needed a change of scenery as well. I decided I need to change the way I thought. I was not getting any support from my mother who was rampant Trump supporter and was obsessed with politics. I just that I decided I cut myself away from it because it was going harm me from thinking clearly and logically.It was taking is toll on my mental well being. I decided that I could not be on either side if I want to think clearly and do it without the hyberbole of both sides. I decided that I wanted no part in politics. I wanted to make clean break from it. I was in deep debt from tax obligation from the IRS and Georgia Department of Revenue from an employer that did not pay the taxes and found out they changed my W-2s to exempt. I was fuming when I found out. I felt very upset and angry. I decided as soon I had the money that I was going pay off the 2600 owed both tax agencies that I could put it behind me.

I started to restudy for the LSAT in mid-January and try to clean up the mistake and not reading carefully in January. I decided that I was going to go a lot slower and really digest each part of the LSAT like itself section that needs to be done slowly and carefully. By mid-February, I saw my employment prospects dry up like well that was producing no water and was left. I had spent a good portion of my career in IT field roughly 25 years. I decided to head west to Texas where my job prospects were better and would give me an opportunity clear up my head and start fresh.

I left in Mid-March during the start of Coronavirus pandemic. I left on March 17th around 8 am and took I-20 route near Lithonia because I did not to drive on I-75 because driving on the highway with drivers in Atlanta was scary. I took the scenic route all until I was across the state line of Alabama. I got to Meridian, MS and stop to eat lunch at McDonalds. I had to eat in my car because the dining had been closed. I saw beginning of social distancing and the McDonald workers were wearing mask and gloves. I was hoping and praying that my car would make it all the way to Texas because it had issues where the brakes need be replaced. I was kind of scared. I made to Rayville, LA and stay at extended there. There was a Popeye's next door. You had to walk up to drive in because dining area inside was closed. It said so on the sign. I did take job in Dallas, TX to work remotely. I stood in the drive through for about 20 minutes and walked up to the window to order a 2-piece chicken dinner with French fries and Cajun rice. I drove to Dallas the next day. When I arrived at the extended stay, it was booked and found out my reservation had been cancelled because all of the flights from DFW airport were delay or cancel. I was panicking for a couple seconds.I almost could been homeless and felt staying my car was not an option. I decided to put it together. I found another extended stay in the good part of Dallas and was only one not booked up. I had bit of difficulty getting PO box with the post office in Dallas because everyone had take every PO box and everything was on backlogged for 6 months. I went a UP store and got one. It was hard. I started my job next day. It was rough for a bit. I tried to study the logical reasoning for 1 hour a night and build up a solid foundation.

Also, I had computer issues where the wifi didn't always connect and got it straighten out 3 days later.

Finding place to live was not the easiest thing to do. Most of the places required two pay stubs and didn't have enough to get an apartment. Most of the people were weird and didn't seem friendly at all. I had one that got mad because I didn't have a Facebook account and Twitter account. I said I didn't need one because I don't have anything interesting to say. I found about the lockdown and decided be cautious and keep the social distancing in place and wore a mask when I saw about a place. I looked online and found a room in really nice neighborhood. I rented room from this really nice African American lady who was really well off financially. She was 60 years old. I really needed a friend. She offered me a room, and I offer to pay the electricity. I said I want to be gracious as possible. I paid up rent up for the first 4 months after a month on the job. She said she had a daughter close my age. She started to treat me like I was her daughter. I was feeling better. Here is the thing. I was encourage to read books like classic literature by her. I starting reading Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, the Three Musketeers, King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quartermaine, Catcher in the Rye, Old Mice and Men, The outsiders, Marcus Arelious,I was reading non fiction books and Texas Monthly which is the Texas version of Atlantic and the Economist. I read about 13 books since Mid April. I didn't have tv. I found myself being encouraged to listen to classical music and jazz. Her encouraging me, it is opening new ways of thinking. I think I had receive more an education in my last couple months with reading than I did in last 10 years. I must admit was not I reader until I got to Dallas. I wanted grab all the books I what could grab onto and afford. I did manage to cut out all of the sweets and fast food. I want to eat healthier to lose weigh and did since mid April. What difference it makes in thinking clearer. I did manage to lose roughly 30 lbs. I got yesterday three Agatha Christie's novels. I was excited to get them. I end up taking drawing and starting getting really good and practiced every night to help loosen up a lot of stress. It had filled my sketch pad almost. The drawing getting better each day that I practice. I try to find pictures that make me happy or that seeing the person smiling.

I stay in the house and never venture out because I heard that Dallas Police department was harassing people with out of state plates. My car stay parked on the street for over a month. It had the issue where the door ajar light stay on. I took Uber to UPS store when I had mail on the weekends. I was not keen on going to the grocery store with virus rampaging. I order food from the Doordash.

I had paid off my tax debt mid- April. My old apartment near the Mall of Georgia had given me a lot trouble for the last 2 months. I was battling them to keep their word on paying back the security deposit. I found they like to get people evicted and make more money on the eviction than holding the lease. They hated me paying up my lease. They had deal going on the utilies with this company they work with and make utilities like water 2 months later, so they could ensnare you on that. I was on to them and paid them ahead. I just got my deposit back and won.

I had to save 3 paychecks to get my car fixed and it was fixed. It just passed the state inspection. A week ago I managed to get my Texas licenses plates and get my car registered.

I was studying for the LSAT with the PowerScore books for the LR and LG. The reading of books is helping and reading of Texas monthly. I purchase Manhattan reading comp and found it be more helpful than the PowerScore reading comp. The PowerScore reading bible seems to overthink things and makes things more complex. My end goal is become a felony prosecutor. I know this long post. I am studying and making much better progress. I can tell the difference vs the bad instruction I had received early on. I must profess that I do not know everything. However, I am always will to learn more and make friends. This is the beginning of my LSAT journey. I want to think like a lawyer as well. For me, it means learning to do a lot of listening and learning from others. I don't have a test date set yet. I figured I would get the reading comp straighten out first and start taking prep tests first once I have the reading comp lessons finished. I want to keep track of my progress. I am more of a turtle with the LSAT than the hare at this point.I keep about 40 tests as a good indicator and once I have proven that I can do it. I will set a test date then. This is end of my blog post studying during greatest pandemic. I am so grateful to my landlord and her generosity. I feel energized by her encouragement to think better and new ways of viewing the world. At the moment, she is my biggest cheerleader for me with the LSAT.