So I set this up awhile ago with the intention of writing a short story on it. That never worked out because I didn't have time and someone i know told me I wasn't creative enough to tell a simple bedtime story. Now that I find myself in the small humdrum town of York, Pennsylvania though, I have nothing but time. And who cares if I'm boring. Documentation has to be worth something in and of itself.

So, I have been here for two days now, and I'm not quite sure how I'll live the next 70 or so. I am living in this 200 year old home with a somewhat crotchety woman. I think she was looking for a replacement daughter not someone to live in her extra room. She has invited me to a million family activities and other community events with her. I am going to go to her Bastile day party though.

My job is in the living room of my bosses home and it is utter chaos. Everyone there is a volunteer, and tons of people come and go looking for the most random kinds of help. I've been to the York county prison two days in a row. On the first day, I watched probably 10 people receive deportation rulings before the judge finally decided to show some mercy on the guy we were there to help. Apparently being from Somolia will actually get you further than being a Mexican.

Today I went to translate Spanish. That's right. I guess that's what I get for saying that I speak Spanish. I actually have to do so. The case was a transgender who has been in the US for 10 years. He/she speaks pretty good English but not enough to explain how it was that she ended up in prison in Pennsylvania.

I also got started on my big long term project that will take me most of the summer. The case is of an asylum seaker from Africa who has been denied but is now waiting for appeal in federal court. All I have to do is prepare her brief. Have I ever prepared a brief? Nope? Do I even know what a brief looks like? Nope? But, this girl has no legal representation and no money, so whatever I can do for her is better than nothing? Did you know that Miranda doesn't apply to illegal refugees, at least not the right to an attorney part.

Tomorrow I am going to a press conference in Harrisburg given by Amnesty International. Something about the rights of detained children. I guess I'll find out more tomorrow.

What else have I done? Well, lots of people come into the office who dont speak English and I have to translate. I've done a bit of organizing because this place is literally a disaster zone that will eventually drive me crazy. The job is actually pretty interesting because I am going to get to do a TON of different things, many of which I would not have had the chance to do in a bigger office.

On a more personal note, the state of Illinois thinks that I do not understand the "severity" of my crime and therefore denied my request for driving relief. Not that it matters at all now. Next step, contemplating an appeal process. My personal frustration with the legal system coupled with some of the stupid things I have already seen thus far in my new job, make me unsure if I want to run from or change the legal system.

Anyway, I miss people already. Reality TV isnt cutting it, although I did manage to catch two fascinating shows: one based on parents getting to chose a date for their daughter, and the other based on woman competing for a man and a million dollars (though the man doesnt know that he comes with a million dollars).

Ok, more later.