New Stephen King Movie - The Mist

I am a HUGE Stephen King fan. I've been reading his novels for years. He is my all time favorite author. Does that make me shallow, a product of my generation, not a true lover of literature? Maybe yes to all, but hey, I know what I enjoy and Stephen King can tell a story. He doesn't do it in a pretentious manner, he doesn't try to impress with big words and flowery visuals, and he has the talent of being able to really relate to readers. His words find their way into a person's being and connect with some essential bit of humanity, usually a deep fear, and then he plays on that fear, that humanity, in an expert manner. Brilliant!

If I had to pick a favorite Stephen King book...well...I'm not sure I could choose. The Stand - a classic good versus evil story - is certainly among my top choices. The Green Mile, about a death row warden, made both a good book (serialized novel, actually)and a powerful movie. Who doesn't like Tom Hanks in just about anything he's done, right? Oh, and the short story, The Body, essentially a coming-of-age story, released as a movie, Stand by Me, is just plain good story-telling.

I will be the first to admit that it is rare for Stephen King's works to be as powerful on screen as in print. Part of their power comes from what one's own imagination conjures up, what is just below the surface, how the words play on a person's own fears. The screen version has to be more visual and less subtle. Still, sometimes it works, and with better special effects being created all the time, it is always tempting to see what the next Stephen King movie will be like.

The latest, The Mist by Stephen King, opens on November 21st. It looks dark, frightening, and truthfully, now that I have children, disturbing to watch. The fears, the things that go bump in the night, are more real as a parent. Still, like a train wreck, the story calls, and I am tempted to see what this one will be like.

The synopsis reveals this to be about a man and his son trapped in a grocery store with many other people as a mysterious mist envelops their town. Of course, this is not a pleasant fog, it is a deep mist with evil things lurking in it. The interesting aspect to the story though, the humanity element, is the question of which is more frightening, the things in the mist or the humans that are taking sides, panicking and revealing themselves to be more monstrous than anyone had imagined.

The Mist was originally a short story in a compilation called Skeleton Crew. Like a bad dream that haunts, I vaguely remember reading it many, many years ago. I'm sure it was disturbing. I'm sure the movie will be, too. That doesn't mean it won't be good. It means Stephen King, and those that brought this story to life, are doing their jobs, helping us face our fears and consider our priorities.

You can check out scenes ane more at: http://www.themist-movie.com/

Procrastination

What is it that law students are best at?
Arguing?
Public debate?
Writing well researched documents?
Drinking?

No. I think most of us will agree it is PROCRASTINATION! We put off the things we know we must do in an effort to avoid/deny how much there is to accomplish. I've mentioned before, a law student's home is never as clean as right before finals. I am getting ahead of myself though. It is not finals time, yet. It is pre-finals time.

Yesterday, as I mentioned I would, I created a list of thing to do and put them on a schedule. I have already been able to cross some things off and feel more in control. Excellent. Now, before I get too much accomplished, I should blog. Great procrastination technique, don't you agree?

Custom Holiday Cards

Now that we have kids, we send out photo Christmas cards each year. You know the ones where the family all dresses alike and poses? That would be us! Well, we often use our annual family picture, or simply another good picture that has been taken recently. We don't go out and take a picture JUST for the cards. Wait....sometimes we do. OK - never mind - I was getting to a point. What was it? Oh, right -

Many of you have probably heard of VistaPrint.com. We've used them before to buy business cards, custom sticky notes and the like. (They tend to have great free give aways and half-price specials.) Anyway, their custom-printed products are very nice, professional looking and reasonably priced, which is why we have used them before.

I just found out that they have a nice selection of Holiday Cards, both ones you can add your own photo to, and ones you can just customize with your own sentiment and/or name. They are having a special now where you can get 50 custom cards folded cards for $30 - or postcard style 50 for $12. Hmmm..I better let Wife know...that price even beats the local mega-chain where we have had our cards printed before. The selection is really good, but you may have to click around a bit and get familiar with their options in order to access them. Fun!

Pre-Crunch Time for a Law School Mama

Good morning! It was a really good weekend, and even included a movie date with my Wife yesterday afternoon. We went to see Martian Child, and both thoroughly enjoyed it.

Today, however, I see I am really down to the wire with school and am starting to get that panicky-can't-quite-breathe, oh-crap-how-will-I-ever-get-this-all-done? feeling. I have a 25-ish page paper due, but would like to still get some feedback before handing in the final version, which probably means finalizing it during the exam period. Nice. I have way more notes than ever in 2 of my classes, making the outlining/refining process a nightmare. Especially in the one that I don't have a great grasp on anyway. *breathe* I have to do a presentation on my paper topic for seminar next week. We have to do a 4-hour drive and be gone all of Thanksgiving weekend....4 hours there, 4 hours back. That is 8 hours of study time...ticking away.....still, family commitments are important. I will have to make time over the weekend to study, because I still have all the regular homework to do for the next week.

*breathe*

I am making up a schedule to take advantage of lunch times, time before and between classes, and I know I will figure it all out. Yes. That's it. I've done it before. Others are doing it. It is do-able. Yes.

What Kind of Mom Are You?

Wife found a simple "What Kind of Mom are you Test".

Here are my results:

ENTP —The “Independence” Mother

Full of energy and confident in her own self-sufficiency and competence, the ENTP mother encourages her children—as a role model and as a teacher—to be independent and confident on their own in the world.

A “big picture” person, she points out options and possibilities along the way. Objective and logical as well, the ENTP wants her children to evaluate their choices and learn from the consequences of their own decisions.

The ENTP mother is resourceful and action-oriented. She likes going places and doing things with her children, exploring all that life has to offer. She is less concerned with rules, routines, and schedules. Introducing her children to new concepts and activities, challenging them, and stimulating their intellectual development are top priorities.
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That sounds about right and is consistent with my Myers-Briggs Personality Type. Well, I am a pretty consistent INTP, but seem to go towards the extroverted side with my kids. I am guessing that is because I have so much alone time during most of my days.

Interestingly, I switched one of my answers so I got the results for an INTP mom, and this may be even closer:

Your type is: INTP —The “Love of Learning” Mother

Intellectually curious and patient, the INTP mother relishes those times with a child when they are learning something interesting together. Whether they’re at the zoo or computer terminal, she sparks to answering his or her “whys” with in-depth responses or new knowledge.

The INTP mother is also objective and introspective. She listens to and discusses children’s ideas and questions as she would those of a peer, fostering self-esteem and confidence. Open and non-directive, she allows children the freedom to do for themselves and quietly encourages them to believe they can do it.

Independence, autonomy, intellectual development, and self-reliance are probably the INTP’s highest priorities for her children. An avid reader, she naturally imparts an appreciation and love of reading as well.

Drawn to all types of learning, the INTP may also value her mothering experience for all the new insights about life it provides her.
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Fun!

Happy Random Thursday

It's cold and foggy. In fact, there is a fog advisory flashing on the taskbar for the Weather Channel on my screen. Frost has begun to form on my windshield in the morning. I think I've been spoiled by the warm, sunny weather lately. I'm not ready for the cold. I am a weather wimp.

Wife and kids came to work to visit me and have lunch yesterday after they'd been to Build-A-Bear Workshop. Big day for them! It was fun to see them and introduce them to my co-workers who had not met them yet, and ones who couldn't believe how big they are getting.

Did I mention that I won another scholarship? I found out last week that I won our school's energy law scholarship. I have no idea if they give out more than one or what the competition was like, but hey - I'm happy! I bring this up on Random Thursday because I was thinking back to last night and how I promised a classmate I would stop giving her grief over dropping our energy law class because it was most likely to my benefit that she was not able to compete for the scholarship. So, I have agreed to fully support her in anything she doesn't want to follow through on as it may later benefit me :) (I know, self-centered, but she does get the benefit of me not hassling her, so really, it is a win-win situation!)

OK - anyone have any awesome recipes for sneaking veggies into kid's food (or adult's food)? Let's just say our whole family is not doing great in the vegetable department, and we have very little time for cooking. I think if Wife has to continue feeding the kids pasta and grilled cheese (all they will eat it seems) for much longer, she will lose her mind. Boy Wonder does OK on fruit, but we can't even get Baby Girl to eat that. "Me no like that," said with great distaste, is a common phrase in our household. Oh, my.

OK - I must go get coffee now. Happy Thursday!

Looking for Shopping Cart Software?

So many business opportunities, so little time! If you are interested in starting your own on-line business, what kinds of things should you consider? I have a lot of answers to that question but for now, I will focus on one small area - your ecommerce software.

There are a lot of companies offering ecommerce software, or shopping cart capabilities, as some people prefer to call them. One company is Ashop.com.au - it offers full hosting, shopping cart services, tech support, and more. Even though there are free and low cost services out there, these are rarely easy or work well. The frustration level is not worth it. It is worth paying to have ecommerce services done quickly, easily and correctly. This company offers enough options that everyone from beginners to experts can be satisfied.

I like that Ashop is set up to accept coupons, do gift certificates, and has its own affiliate program built in. As a business owner, these are really valuable features to offer your customers. They also have online movie tutorials, which makes setting up your storefront, and all related features much easier than trying to read it in text format. Considering all the features and services they offer, I would say this is one company worth considering if you are in the market for ecommerce software. As with all major business decisions, don't rush into anything. Do your research and see where it leads.

Note: This is a sponsored review.

Parking Ticket Woes

Yesterday I parked in the faculty/staff parking lot at about 10 minutes before 5:00pm. Non faculty/staff are not supposed to park there until after 5:00pm. I received a ticket marked 16:53. That's right....I got dinged $40 for parking 7 minutes early. I was not happy. There were plenty of empty parking spaces around me. I was not keeping a staff or faculty member from parking in their designated lot. Most are on their way out - not in. I confess to violating the letter of the rule, but not the spirit. I actually believed that there was a grace period this time of night as several of us park 10-15 minutes before 5:00 and have never been ticketed. I think the school should be looking towards supporting the entire community, enforcing rules with the flexibility the situation calls for, and not issuing citations for actions that have caused no harm. I submitted my appeal. We'll see.

Incidentally, I now have to figure out how to delay my arrival at the school until 5:00, but not much later, because the lot fills fast after 5:00 with many of us evening student getting off work at 4:30 or 5:00. Perhaps I could go to the park down the street, waste gas, increase carbon emissions, and read magazines about fiber optic cables, or maybe even something law related. I suspect I will stay at work 5-10 minutes later, get caught in and add to the congestion that worsens every minute after 4:00 (or earlier), all in an effort to ensure I am not in the parking lot prior to 5:00 just in case 10 faculty members suddenly need to park.

Moving Into the Weekend...

So, we are going into our second weekend of a written schedule of the things we will do each day from Friday through Sunday. That way, we all know what errands have to be done and when we will fit them in, and when time for fun is coming up (and if there is something specific planned). The kids both get some special time all to themselves with me since they tend to act out a lot to get my attention and definitely compete for my time. The Boy really looked forward to this last weekend...though he did try to short change his sister by calling some all together play time her special time. Nice try, buddy! I think this more structured time is really important for my schedule-oriented family. It also makes it easier to see what will be realistic to pack into our short time together.

Hope you all have some special time with your families and/or friends this weekend!

Hey - special shout out to Nikk - Happy Moving Weekend! You know I'd be there to help if we lived closer.

Random Thursday

Don't you hate it when your coffee is too hot to drink?
I am on my second cup. Well, really 1.5. I was halfway through the first cup and it was cold, so I went to heat it up, and noticed there was more in the pot so topped off my cup before putting it in the microwave. It's been sitting now for about 10 minutes. Still can't touch it. Note to self: 30 seconds is too long if half of the coffee is fresh out of the pot.

I am a little scared and a lot bothered that there were already a ton of Christmas decorations out in the stores prior to Halloween. I was thinking we could maybe get some half-priced costumes for the kids to play dress-up in at the sales today. Since there were already almost no Halloween things left in stores before Halloween, I have a feeling that ship has sailed.

What do these things have in common?
- a pearl necklace
- a pirate sword
- a pink sunhat

You can make up your own answer to this riddle, of course, but these are typical things Baby Girl will use for playing dress up. Guess I won't worry too much about "real" Halloween costumes. The more imagination, the better!

Coffee's still too hot. Burned my tongue. Damn.

What a Halloween! I spend most of the day doing party-prep, socializing and clean-up for a Halloween potluck at work. I was already exhausted before we'd even gotten to the evening's main event - taking the kids out trick or treating. I got home around dinner time (opting to skip my classes - parents have to make priorities), and the kids were already bouncing off the walls. We quickly dispensed with dinner, had a bit of a struggle over getting costumes on, and were finally on the way out the door, heading first to Grandma's and Grandpa's house, and then to do the door-to-door thing in my sister's neighborhood. Once we finally got outside, the kids had such a great time, and we did too!

Here are a couple pictures. If you regularly check Wife's blog, you may have already seen these:

For Those Interested in Flooring

This is sort of interesting. I don't think about flooring much, at least not as much as I did when we had a cat that liked to urinate under the beds. Apparently some manufacturers of hardwood flooring are trying to convince customers that buying online is a bad idea. An online company, iFLOOR, is putting some bucks into reassuring customers that is not the case. Interested in flooring - you might want to check out this press release as a way to start thinking about some issues you may not have considered previously.
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iFLOOR, America's largest online flooring retailer, today announced a $1,000,000 limited warranty designed to protect its customers from predatory manufacturer policies that exclude warranty coverage from online purchases.

The policy, which goes into effect immediately, offers up to one million dollars of coverage in the event that a customer's warranty claim is denied specifically because they made their purchase online. It is complimentary for every iFLOOR customer, and protects the buyer under the same terms as the original product warranty.

iFLOOR, Inc. CEO, Steve Simonson, came up with the program to combat "scare tactics" used by manufacturers of hardwood floors and laminate flooring. "Their idea is to discourage you from buying at a discount!" wrote Simonson in his blog "It's About Flooring". "This is not right! You deserve to save money! So we're going to take care of this problem once and for all."

And it would appear that federal law is on his side. Section 108 of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Act, states that, "In general, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty."

Under iFLOOR's new warranty, a key provision allows for iFLOOR to "seek justice" on behalf of the customer in the event of legal action. According to Simonson, "I'm putting iFLOOR's money where my mouth is."

About iFLOOR, Inc.
Since 1998, iFLOOR.com has been the leading online and retail flooring company, with 36 local retail stores nationwide offering more than 70,000 products, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring and cork floors. iFLOOR.com is the largest online flooring retailer according to Internet Retailer Magazine, and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the past three years. Committed to quality customer service, superior selection and friendly expert advice, iFLOOR.com enables customers to buy flooring both online and in its retail stores at a substantial savings over traditional retailers. For more information about iFLOOR, please visit www.iFLOOR.com.

Let's Get Real

I know, I know. Some of you read my blog first thing in the morning along with your morning coffee. That is often when I am writing entries, which accounts for some of my not-yet-caffeinated ramblings. Anyway, since it seems unfair to leave you only with sponsored posts on this fine morning, I figured I should put something more relevant up here to brighten your morning.

(Waiting for inspiration.......)

(Still waiting..........)

(Still waiting..........)

(Consider if there is anything interesting to be said about the fact I need to send a reminder to my energy law profs about the contact names they are going to send me. Probably not. Well, to me this is interesting, but probably not for most of you.)

HALLOWEEN!!! That's it. Tomorrow is Halloween! After a party at work, which I have helped organize despite the fact that I am not a party planner, I will be skipping my evening classes and taking the kids out trick-or-treating. I missed Halloween my first year of law school, and decided I would not do that again. The kids really look forward to it, and it is one of my favorite holidays, too, so...family time it is! At this point, I believe I will be taking a clown and a Care Bear to visit Grandma and Grandpa, a few neighborhood houses, and possibly the community center. By tomorrow night though, who knows what they will have settled on? Last year, in an effort to be just like me, Boy Wonder gave up his skeleton costume he'd had on much of the day and we dressed him as a pirate. Here are some pictures from last year:

Pretty darn cute, right?

Happy Halloween everyone!

Damn, What Was I Thinking?

Damn. I think it just hit me today: I work full time. I go to LAW SCHOOL 3/4 time. I'm raising a family. Am I nuts? This is a lot of work.

I know, I know. Most of you are probably saying something to yourself right now along the lines of...."Duh."

I apparently am incredibly slow. I usually do not really get that this is a lot. It is just life. Somehow, this semester I feel like I've had less time to process what I should be learning than ever. Realistically, I know this is not true. There has never been nearly enough time to process what I am learning. This semester is really no different. What is different is this is the most credits I have taken. I am taking 12 credits. Is 12 really any more work than 11 though? It's a tad more class time, but really....in my life, it is still 4 classes. Same - same.

This semester, it will be fine, but I am looking forward into next semester, in which our Brave Hero fool-heartedly charges head first into another 12 credit load and a 10 hour a week internship, on top of the 32-hour per week job. WHAT? I've poured over the class schedules and there is just no good way out of it.

So, if you are looking for me next semester, you can find me in a "tranquil setting" with padded walls and no sharp objects. I'll be the one babbling something about the Bar Exam.

Random Thursday

The radio station I listen to most mornings, wait, correction, ONE of the radio stations I listen to most mornings has "Random Thursdays" where they talk about any topic. It appears many of my Thursdays are random, too. In fact, my entire blog is somewhat random, though I do try to weave in law school, my kids, my relationship, and life in general as much as possible in between odd bits of inspiration. A couple days ago, I was writing about leaves, several months ago, it was The L Word, next it could be first communion invitations, or the worms in our backyard. Actually, maybe the snails. Wife told me they seem to be in abundance this year and is worried it means our house is going to fall down around us as they eat it from the outside in.

Today's random thought has to do with naming streets and other things, which I'd discussed a while back....how streets get their names from people who have lived there or events that have happened. Well, we've been reading a case in Environmental Law (see the way I worked law school in?) about the Kill Van Kull. This is apparently a waterway in New York filled with industrial pollutants, or it was at the time of this case. With a name like that, I am wondering what else was in the body of water? Well, a little Google-searching has revealed the name is actually of Dutch-origin and means something to the effect of "a small stream beyond the water." *Whew* The alternatives swimming through my warped mind were not pretty.

Incidentally, doesn't the name Kill Van Kull sound like a rock band? Yes. It is. Heavy Metal. I thought so. My mind is a scary place.

Wonderful Weather

I go to school at a very environmentally aware school. We talk a lot about global warming, climate change and the frightening things that are happening with global weather. Sometimes though, it sure is nice to step out of the role of environmentalist/concerned citizen/worried mom and just breathe in the crisp fall air. Yesterday was a wet, dreary day, but today it beautiful - blue sky, sunshine, still cool at 53 degrees, but its the kind of day you can look upon and smile. I'm doing just that right now. I hope you are someplace that you can appreciate the beauty in your day.

Stepping Outside Ourselves

Browsing web sites from other countries is really interesting. The language, even when in English, is just enough different that it invokes thoughts of a very different lifestyle. For instance, at this UK site on home insurance, here is something you just won't find on most US sites: "We have been around since 1867..." Sure, it could happen, but I have yet to run across it on a web site.

Here is another refreshing aspect of this site, they have a section called "Ethics in Action." I don't know if this is common in the UK, but it sure caught my attention. The introduction to this section says, "CIS became the world's first insurance company to launch a customer-led ethical policy to guide the social, ethical and environmental aspects of its investments." Doesn't that make you seriously want to consider doing business with them? I know I am always attracted to companies that seem to be doing good things for the environment and the community instead of just themselves.

It is nice to see what others outside of our own country are doing, after all, we are all one planet, and now more than ever, we need to be finding the commonalities and working together for the good of all.

In Awe of Autumn

I took a walk today to get some air and enjoy the fall leaves.
Wow.
The colors are truly breath-taking. I found this one perfect leaf that had so many colors and such beauty in it that I had to pick it up and carry it with me for a while. Artistic inspiration.

I finally took a picture - but I only had my camera phone - so the resolution is poor, but the colors were still captured.



The background is some fabulous moss found on a log in the forest where I ended up. I finally tossed the leaf over the edge of the path where it can continue onto its leafly destiny.

I stood in forest, the sunlight barely making its way through the still-thick tree tops.
Leaves fell all around me, their crispness brushing the branches, the sound like rain.
The sound like peace.
There are so many answers here - if only we know how to listen.

Sunny Skies - but I am Freezing!

Yesterday it got up to 70 degrees outside. It was gorgeous! Blue sky - multi-colored autumn leaves - perfect! Today is equally gorgeous. (Here comes the but...) Somehow, the sun has apparently signaled the building in which I work that summer is once again upon us and the air conditioning has kicked in. I am pretty sure that my hair should not be cold while sitting at my desk. I should not need to get high risk life insurance
just because I'm not getting up doing aerobic exercise in order to keep my body temperature at an acceptable level. Seriously though, I work at the end of a maze in cubicleland and it could be days before anyone realized I'd frozen back here. The poor person who wanders back to ask how to request a contract at a new site will be in for quite the shock. I think I may have to go outside to warm up!

I AM Gay Enough!

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Wife and I recently discovered we were not gay enough. Someone's blog listed us as "gay like"....well, this is a correction. We are simply "queerish", as opposed to truly queer, it seems. Well, hey, I don't know this person, but they have a link to my blog on theirs, and seem "queerish" themselves, so if you are interested in this gay parenting thing, check out their site.

You will all be happy to know I have evidence that I am gay enough.

This is actually pretty good, and speaks volumes of stereotypes and truth. I met a 1L at my school the other day prior to an event about discrimination in the work place. She was there to meet her mentor, one of the panelists. I was there to meet the same person because I had heard she was quite out as a lesbian and was involved in energy law. The student asked if I'd ever met her. When I said I had not, she replied with something to the effect of, "So you will know who you are looking for, she looks a lot like you but with red hair."

Now, it took a lot for me not to crack up at that point, because I what I was hearing in my head is that all dykes look alike. Of course we do - how else will we know each other when we meet? (That was sarcasm, by the way.) I was polite, and I really was not offended, but I was amused. Did the 1L even know the other woman is gay? Probably not...which does say that there really is a tangible something about the lesbian vibe, and the stereotype.

Did the woman and I look alike? Well....not really, but we both have short hair, are of medium build and give off a definite lesbian vibe. (I think that is a self-confidence thing, actually, because in a room of powerful women - say, attorneys - all wearing suits - well - the lesbian vibe is a lot more difficult to distinguish, at least, quickly.)

So, you see, I clearly AM gay enough since I look like an OUT lesbian.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

As my energy law paper deadline more rapidly approaches, I find that we are now down to 1 1/2 family days. This sucks for us all. Although, this weekend, we were fortunate that the rainy day was my half-study day and the sunny day was PUMPKIN PATCH DAY! I don't have the pictures yet, but keep an out of on Wife's blog. I'm sure she'll have some up soon. We had a good time scrambling up the hay pyramid, grinding corn to feed chickens, feeding goats, winding through a hay maze, and taking a bumpy ride out to the pumpkin patch itself. Baby Girl LOVED the bumpy ride and it made her laugh with delight. The pumpkins themselves were "too dirty" and I had to carry even the smallest one, but she was fine with throwing clumps of dirt for fun. What? They were not too dirty? Boy Wonder had a great time disassembling/inspecting a giant sunflower, and barely noticed the pumpkins at all. All right - as long as a good time was had by all.

It may not have been Disneyworld, and we didn't get to end our day in a plush Orlando vacation home, but it was a nice escape made even nicer by a mostly-sunny fall day. Might as well save Orlando for a winter vacation anyway :)

Mmmmmm......Hot Coffee

OK, I got it. I now have my coffee. I could feel your concern over my lack of caffeine. Thank you. It's all OK now. Really, I generally only have one cup per morning. Sometimes two. Not the half-pot size cup that Wife drinks either. These are generous cups, to be sure, but not giant by any means.

I have 25 minutes to get a bit of work done. Then I head to class, sit there absorbing knowledge for 80 minutes, drive to my mom's house, and study the rest of the day. I'll be home for dinner and Family Time by 5:00. (At some point I'll wonder if we are going out or if I need to figure out something to cook....but that won't be for several hours yet. Come on - I'm only on my first cup of coffee!)

That's my Friday for you! Hope you all have a good one!

Cufflinks - Have I Been Missing Out?

Wife wrote in the last day or so about how the Boy has been carrying around an old set of my dad's cufflinks. At his memorial tribute, we had his old jewelry box (for lack of a better word) set out, and near the end I opened it to see if there was anything inside. There were a few things - cufflinks, a fishing weight, some tie clips, some screws, lots of keys, and a few other misc. metal things. It smelled good - like a garage and tools.

Anyway, my sisters and I all took a few things we wanted, and then let the kids pick a few things, too. I explained cufflinks to them. Do all men have shirts that need cufflinks, or only if they rent a tux? It seems like cufflinks are a typical groomsmen gift, but is a wedding the only time a guy really needs cufflinks? There are amazing cufflinks out there, both for men and women. Makes me want to start a new collection! I'd need some dress shirts though. Well, hey, I'll be a fancy lawyer before too long, and then I'll need them. It's never too soon to start collecting!

Where's the Coffee?

It's Friday morning. It's 7:33am. I have been up since 5:12am. I've showered, dressed, fed the animals, scooped the litter box, greeted Boy Wonder who was up by 5:45, eaten a bit of breakfast while sitting on the couch with him watching Lilo & Stitch, let the dogs in and out and given them their carrot treats, brushed my teeth, kissed Boy and sleeping Wife goodbye, driven to work, turned on the lights at work since I was the first one here at 6:40, read my email, made the coffee BUT have I gone to pour myself a cup of the delicious morning brew? NO.

I have been too busy sharing my life with all of you. How is that for a sacrifice for my readers? Lame? OK, so I've just been too lazy to get off my b*tt and go get the coffee. I'm going now. I suspect it will make my Environmental Law class, which starts at 9:00, much easier to comprehend.

Friday Fun!

On my Disneyland blog I just posted a list of the first five sounds that I think of when I think of Disneyland. Well, at least, the first five sounds I though of today!

I thought here I would list my top five Sounds of Fall.

1) Crisp leaves crunching under my feet.

2) Heavy rainfall outside my window at night.

3) Halloween candy pouring into a bowl.

4) Running around, laughing, rolling with my kids in the leaves.

5) The laughter of this silly stuffed animal we named "Pumpkin Boy." He looks like an orange bear but with a pumkin head, and when you squeeze his hand you hear a child's laughter, twice, then "Happy Halloween!" Baby Girl was afraid of him last year, but she's delighted with him this year.

Happy Friday!

A Jungle Full of Stuffed Friends

We love stuffed animals around our house - or rather "friends" if you are talking with Baby Girl and "buddies" if you are talking to the Boy. Wait, let me correct myself. *I* love stuffed animals. Wife is fairly sick of them....mostly because there are so many of them. Baby Girl will pick a friend, or a Baby, over almost any other toy any time she gets to choose. She is so nurturing, and is just adorable caring for her friends. I am totally a sucker for the really soft gund animals. It's hard to resist something that I think is totally cute, and I know my daughter will love. Still, we do sometimes say "no" and remind her that she has lots of friends at home that need love, too :)

Wind's a Comin'!

So, we are expected to get a big windstorm today. Earlier I heard it would be over by 2:00, but at 2:00 we only had some unremarkable wind. The latest predictions have us in a wind storm watch until 5:00pm. Any moment I expect to see a bazillion leaves, an umbrella, a couple hats, maybe a pearl necklace, and possibly a small animal blow into the courtyard that I look out onto from my desk at work.

Well...maybe not. I hope not. Breezes are nice. Damaging winds, not so much. *glancing up into the sky* The clouds sure are moving fast up there. Storm may still be coming!

That Wasn't Enough? Five More Things

OK - so, five was not enough? Really?
OK - then here are five more. Tell me at least one doesn't make you smile!

1) Hot, fresh pizza piled high with your favorite toppings.

2) A hot bubble bath, candles, soothing music.

3) Rich chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.

4) The first snow fall of the year.

5) Zippers. Seriously. Have you ever thought of how much more convenient your life is thanks to zippers? Think about it!

Have a Happy Day!

Five Good Things About Today

I've felt it around campus, on the blogs, in the air - it's that time of year that we could all use a little "pick me up."

OK - so here are five good things about today:

1) The leaves outside are absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous. I have actually been taking the the time to really notice the vibrant reds, yellows and oranges of the changing leaves against the still bright green grass and unchanged leaves. Wow!

2) These three - depending on the day, you may wish to substitute your own family:
(I don't know what's up with that smile!)



3) Halloween candy is out. Halloween decorations are out. Chocolate is relatively easy to find.

4) Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize. Please God, let the United States wake up.

5) Kate Moennig.
(Sometimes, I do these just for me.)

Hobbies and Such

Hobbies are good. We all need a way to relax and dive into a world separate from the things we do every day. I remember when I used to have time for reading for pleasure. That was fun. Going to movies was fun. Remember life before law school? Oh, wait, maybe that was life before kids I am thinking of!

Now, sometimes simple things have to be considered hobbies....driving to and from work, eating lunch, taking a walk to the drinking fountain! Yes, it's true - I know how to have fun!

One of the hobbies I do have is very informal (though not less formal than the water fountain one)- it is collecting watches. I have a couple of Disney watches, maybe a Timex or two, and most whose names I don't recall because I'm not really hung up on that aspect of it. I don't have a Hamilton watch, but I certainly wouldn't mind getting one. They have a very nice looking triangular-shaped one that I would love to add to my collection. These are higher end watches than I can currently afford to collect, but maybe one of these days!

Perspective on the times

It's a scary world out there. Has anyone else been feeling it? I'm not just talking about the war, and the frightening power-mad "leader" of the free world (using the term leader loosely). It seems like in the last few days I've gotten word, mostly from the blogging world, about bad stuff happening to good people. There's break-ups and babies being taken away from good parents and sick children and now, Ellen and the dog. It's just so much. Is anyone else outraged by the bad, bad people that took the dog away from Ellen's hair dresser's family? They don't care about animals...they care about...what? Paperwork? That's more important than the actual happiness and safety of the dog? Have we heard of the "spirit of the law"? Come on people!

I know that there is always bad stuff going on in the world, and how I process it is directly in response to what I choose to focus on. Rather than the negative, I need to focus on the positive. For instance, my kids are wonderful, amazing human beings and we have enough pictures of them to fill about a gazillion micro sds. Rather than fearing for their safety or health, I need to celebrate their lives and enjoy every moment I can with them. There is much good in the world. Sometimes, we just have to look more closely than others.

Go Help a Fellow Law Student

Here's your chance to do something really nice for a fellow law study, and it is easy, too! One of the blogs I sometimes read is Merits of the Case by LawMom. You guessed it, another crazy law student who is a mom, and she is also battling breast cancer. She is a finalist for a $10,000 blogger scholarship. As you can imagine, her family can really use the money. For more info and how you can vote, check out her post about the scholarship.

Marathon Homework Weekend

I had a marathon homework weekend. Wife took the kids to see her side of the family, all who live about four hours away. (Be sure to check her blog in the next day or so, I am sure she will post pictures of the great pumpkin patch adventures!) She bravely drove off on Friday morning while I was in class; the only adult to supervise not only the long drive, but the entire weekend. I am happy to report that they all did quite well.

I missed them, and I also got a lot done. I not only did this week's homework, but got a good start on outlining, and a well-developed outline for my energy paper. I would love to have started writing the paper, but really, the hard part is pouring over the materials and really figuring out the argument and how to put it together, so I am pretty satisfied.

I am unconvinced that drug treatment, or maybe it should be called vitamin and herb treatment for colds is effective. I battled a cold all last week, and through study weekend, finally feeling much better simply breathing steam from a boiling pot. Sadly, Wife and Baby Girl now have the cold that Son and I are pretty much over. So the winter season begins.....Can we be done with sickness for the winter now? We are all still tired of it from last year! I have too much studying to do to be sick, and the rest of the family is just too busy with their lives, too. Who do I talk to about this?

National Coming Out Day

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Today I hosted a screening of the film Inlaws & Outlaws for the Staff Council of the University where I work. We had 25 people watching it at three locations throughout our state. Everyone was moved to laughter and tears, and unanimously want to host a larger event to include faculty, students and our broader University community.

Inlaws & Outlaws is a very candid look at marriage and relationships, both gay and straight, and without preaching at all, portrays the simple fact that we all just want to love and be loved, and we share a lot more in common than not.

I've already had four people, all straight actually, tell me they want to buy the film. It's that good. They want to see it again and share it with their family and friends. Check out the web site for clips and more information. (www.inlawsandoutlawsfilm.com/)

We've had enough

We will be happy when 2007 is over.

I know that every year has its ups and downs. Were it not for the hard times, we wouldn't appreciate the good times. I get that - mostly. Still, we are tired of the hard stuff this year.

Yesterday we lost our sweet, crazy, wonderful 14-year-old tabby that Wife had since about 6 months before we got together. For those counting, that makes 2 cats and 2 parents who have died in the past 11 months. Our poor son - he keep losing the cats he is closest to, and he gets close to them because they are old and slow down long enough for him to pet. Intellectually he seems to understand the concept of death - as much as you'd expect from a 5-year old, or even a 15-year old, really. Emotionally, he seems OK, but we worry at what point does he stop bonding with things for fear of losing them? Hopefully, never. Still, it is one of those things a parent worries about.

All of our pets are getting up there in years. The next couple of years are likely to bring more loss as we have to say goodbye to those loved ones, too. Son is already begging for a new cat (we currently have 3 cats and 2 dogs), and we've explained that we need to love the ones we have and that when the time is right, a new kitty will be led into our lives. It always happens that way for us. Still, a part of me wants to be able to get him a young cat that is likely to be around for a long, long time, but even then, there are no guarantees.

So, while overall there is much that is positive in our lives, for now, we are sad and are making a general announcement: ENOUGH - PLEASE?

New Blog Announced

Hey folks, I just wanted to announce that I have started another blog! (Because I clearly have too much spare time!) This blog has a focus on balance, on finding meaning in life, and on being true to yourself. Is called:
Who You Are/What you Do. The brief description I've posted on the site describes the purpose as this:

Who you are" is not necessarily "what you do," or is it? This blog will explore how people find meaning in their careers and hobbies, and what it takes to integrate who you are with what you do.

I hope you will check out this site, enjoy it, and tell all your friends!

In addition, if you feel your "what you do" is in alignment with "who you are," or if you have other particular insight to share, I would love to interview you, and of course, provide a link to your personal blog or website. You can email me at the address on my sidebar.

Enjoy!

What is that exactly?

During the celebration honoring my Dad this weekend, my sister's husband sang a song that my sister wrote about my Dad. She knew it needed to be light so we didn't all in up in tears during the whole thing. Besides, all that crying would have made it hard to hear and appreciate the words....Anyway, it was a song sung to the tune of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line." Some of you may recall that Johnny was one of my Dad's favorites.

My sister's version was called, "It Should be Mine," and was about his love of getting a great deal on something and turning it over for a profit. It ended with a nod to the fact that now all this stuff that my Dad had gotten great deals on over the years, and did not turn over, is now ours to figure out what to do with. He has a few good tools, nothing fancy like a plasma cutting device, but useful none-the-less. However, the vast majority of it is either mostly junk, or so obscure that no one knows what it is, even though it might be valuable. My Dad was a junk collector, a bargain hunter, and a pack rat. I mean all that in the most loving way possible. I admire that he could talk someone out of a $500 piece of equipment for $35. The problem was, he often did not need the piece of equipment, he just saw the potential and set about bargaining. He was an interesting character, my Dad.

Ban on Germs and Other Family Drama

Today we had the Celebration of my Dad's life. It was good, really good. I'm still processing it, but let me cover the pre-game show first. The 24 hours prior to the event were filled with drama as various family members came down sick and we debated postponing or not (but with all the kids and the winter season setting in, someone may well be sick from now until May), and the related drama. It was stressful and not pretty and it seemed that no matter what someone was going to end up disappointed or upset and there was nothing that could really be done about it.

Whenever we have our kids around others who have been/still are sick I wish that we had something we could give them that would boost their immune system, perhaps something from the garden of life. I'm a bit afraid that most of the immune boosting formulas would be too strong for kids though. Still...a magic pill for when they are out and about in this germ-filled world would be nice! I know that getting sick is supposed to boost their immune systems in the long run, but as stressful as our lives are when I am in school, even a simple cold can mean a week of way less sleep for everyone, more crankiness all around, tough to handle kids for Wife, and poor quality in-class and study time for me. We need a moratorium on sickness!

Celebration of Life

Tomorrow we are finally having my Dad's "Celebration of Life" event? party? memorial? It's kind of strange that it has been all summer since he died, and my sisters and I didn't really talk much about his death, or this memorial, and we all waited until the last minute to plan. Denial? Maybe. I found some peace in coming up with all the interesting/strange/funny things I inherited from my dad. Maybe I'll share some of them after this weekend.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Meaning of Contemporary

Do you ever wonder what "contemporary" really means? Contemporary with what? Merriam-Webster Online says it means: 1: happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time 2: a: simultaneous b: marked by characteristics of the present period : modern, current. Well, seems somewhat clear, until you look at houses, or maybe furniture, or are reading something without context. You might think...this house looks like it may have been contemporary, meaning modern, about 30 years ago, maybe it means it is existing simultaneously with the houses next to it. If you want to see what contemporary furniture looks like - furniture that is both modern and exists at the same time as the furniture next to it, see Bush furniture. I wonder what furniture that does not exist at the same time as that which is next to it would be like. Talk about your creative writing exercises!

Yacht Insurance?

OK - I know, I just posted about travel insurance, but doesn't yacht insurance sound intriguing? Owning a yacht sounds more intriguing than the insurance part, but hey, you've got to insure the thing. Sure, a lot of us may not have a yacht, but here is something fun I learned at this site. You can get dinghy insurance, boat insurance, narrow boat insurance, and
RIB insurance. Here's where you are about to learn something: RIB insurance is for Rigid Inflatable Boats!

This is actually a kind of fun site if you like boats - there are links to wallpapers, boat reviews, sailing clubs and more. In addition, there is really useful information on boat safety and considerations when purchasing a boat. Of course, there is also information about all kinds of boat insurance. If you live in the UK and have a boat, this may be a very useful site for you. If you don't, there is still good information for boat lovers of all kind.

UK Travel Insurance

Do you live in the UK and need travel insurance? If so, Covermytravels might provide some useful information for you. Their insurance covers such things as: Loss or damage to baggage, Loss or theft of personal money, Travel delays, and Cancellation of flights/transportation. They even cover hazardous activities such as SCUBA diving, hot air ballooning and archery. (Hello - if you think you need insurance for this one, you may want to find a different group of archery friends!) They also cover over 65 travel insurance.

The site itself is user-friendly, and offers tabs, similar to a notebook, so you can quickly find the insurance section that is right for you - single-trip, long-stay, family..etc. There is a FAQ section that provides some good information. You can also get a Quick Quote on-line.

I know that now that we have kids, we always check the travel insurance options that are offered. It's something to think about!

Random Thursday Thoughts

So, it ends up that a glass of wine before energy law class does not make the subject easier to understand. Go figure. Well, at least I tested the hypothesis.

Have you ever laughed so hard you thought you could use : adult diapers?

Lately, the times that I laugh the hardest are when I am really tired and something on tv or something my wife says just strikes me as particularly funny, and I can't stop laughing. I realize, on some level, that whatever it is is not that funny, but I just can't stop. Let's face it, laughing that hard feels really good....well, until you pull a muscle in your side, or you can't catch your breath and you pass out or something.

Creepy Halloween Food?

I just got out of a meeting at work regarding planning a Halloween party. Now, I am really not a party planner...but I am chair of our Staff Council group, and one of our big goals is improving communication and relations among groups. What better way than sharing food, right?

Anyway, one person was talking about some creepy Halloween recipes, like deviled egg eyeballs (put an olive in the middle and sliced pimento for the blood-shot part), spider hot dogs, pumpkin cake (2 round bowl cakes put together and frosted to look like a jack-o-lantern)and more. Do any of you have a favorite? I think I may do some surfing eventually this month. How much fun would the kids have with creepy food?!

Love Coupons?

Do you love saving money? Me too!
I just found a site that I think may be really helpful during Holiday shopping, and beyond: couponchief.com

This is a site that provides up to date coupon codes, promotional deals and discounts. In order to see if I thought this site would be really useful, I went directly to their travel category, and immediately found Orbitz deals that were very attractive, such as $100 off for selected family destinations, including Anaheim. Gotta love that!

What else? They work with lots of companies, but the next things to catch my eye were the ebags deals. Ebags sells luggage, messenger bags, backpacks and the like - quality stuff made more affordable with a 10% off coupon!

This looks like a great place to bookmark and keep in mind all throughout the year.

Lisa Heinzerling Visits Campus

Today during our Environmental Law class we had a guest professor and she was really interesting and dynamic. Here are the details of this amazing woman who was the primary writer for the Massachusetts v EPA brief.
---
Georgetown law professor Lisa Heinzerling -

Professor Heinzerling has taught on the faculty of Georgetown University Law Center since 1993 and in 2003 she received Georgetown's faculty teaching award. She teaches several courses at Georgetown, including Environmental Law, Advanced Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Food and Drug Law, and a first-year course on the regulatory and administrative state. She served as counsel for the successful petitioners in the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court case Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, which addressed the EPA's role in regulating air pollutants associated with climate change.


Prior to joining the faculty at Georgetown, Heinzerling served as an assistant attorney general in the Environmental Protection Division of the Massachusetts attorney general's office. Previously, she clerked for Judge Richard Posner on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and for Justice William J. Brennan Jr. on the U.S. Supreme Court. She is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as editor in chief of the law review. She is the author of numerous articles on a variety of environmental subjects and the co-author of three books, including Priceless: On Knowing the Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing (2004) with economist Frank Ackerman.

Not a bad resume, eh?

Tonight, I will be going to her lecture, "Climate Change in the Supreme Court." Should be interesting!

What happens in Vegas...

Time for some fun? Who doesn't think it would be fun to take off for a few day to the mountains, or beach, or Vegas and just hang out with no responsibilities? OK, here's where I confess that I have never been to Vegas - never seen the Bellagio hotel, the bright lights of all the casinos, the flashy entertainment. I don't mean this in a "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" amnesia sort of way, I mean it in a never-got-in-a-plane and visited there sort of way. One of these days we'll get there - maybe after law school and once the kids are older. On the other hand, I think Wife and I will always chose Disneyland over Vegas. Maybe we can do a combo package!

Piece of the Sun!

Today is a rainy, rainy day. It is kind of nice to see the rain after summer. The plants and grass get all shiny, the air smells good, the sky changes from dark to light to dark over and over. I can enjoy it for a while. Like, maybe a few weeks. Although, driving home in a downpour last night reminded me that I dislike driving during hard showers. I like driving when the pavement is dry, thank you very much. So, while I am happy with fall right now, give me a month and I'll be wishing we had a prime piece of real estate in sunny Southern California, near enough to visit Mickey and friends (and Audra and her wife) whenever we wanted!

OK - So I am Strange

I was driving into work this morning, and got to thinking about how streets are named. You know how streets used to be named for a local landmark, or the business or professional you'd find on the road, or some other such logical connection? There was always a Main Street, for obvious reasons; perhaps a Baker Road, because the baker lived on it; maybe there would be Lake Road or River Road, again for obvious reasons. This morning, reading exit signs mainly because they are there, I noticed something that caused some concern: What in the world would cause someone to name a street Killingsworth?

Just saying....

Melissa Etheridge Rocks!

I know, it's not a unique or a particularly deep revelation, but it is so true in the more traditional sense of the phrase and in the current sense of the phrase. This woman rocks as a musician, as a human being, as a role model for us all.

Her new album, The Awakening, has just been released and it is amazing. Pick it up, read the liner notes, take the journey with her. This album represents the path of her life - through wanting to be a rock star and making it and then dealing with breast cancer and finally through a period of awakening to what life is really about. This is a spiritual journey, but also one of politics and love and family. There is an hysterical song called Threesome, which she talks about in an interview on AfterEllen.com that has to make you smile. This is good stuff. It really is.

You can see Melissa singing and talking a bit about her music on Amazon.com, but when you go to buy The Awakening, do it from Safeway, if you can. Proceeds from the CD's sold through Safeway go to breast cancer causes.

The Lights Go On and Off

Ever been sitting in class and one minute everything seems to make sense, and then all of a sudden, it doesn't anymore, and then, miraculously, it does again?

Right. Me neither.

*grin*

Odd the way the brain works sometimes, isn't it? It's like it gets full and you are just done for a bit, and then, a little space opens up again, and you can put some more in. Kids are like that, too. They can only be "good" for a while, and then they just have to let all their crazy energy out, and then they can get a grip again.

We're never that far from childhood.

Not a Techno Geek

When it comes to technology, I get by, I can surf the waters, but definitely cannot handle the big waves without taking a spill. I really like technology, when it is working. Late yesterday afternoon, and unfortunately, into the evening I set up our wireless router. Old one died over a year ago, and we've been doing without. This seems like it should be an easy thing. It was not. It was a frustrating thing that makes me wish I had a techno geek with no social life living next door at my constant beck and call. It got it running and we are happily wireless, though I never was able to run its installation wizard. Every time I did, it disconnected the broadband connection and we'd end up with NO INTERNET at all. Not fun. So, we have it installed. No security. Does that matter? Maybe, maybe not. Seems we are vulnerable, no matter what. If you know that I have just opened up my family to certain attacks, do let me know.

For now, I will be happy with my semi-tech life that includes a desktop and two laptop computers, 3 digital cameras, 2 cell phones, 2 dvd players, and a partridge in a pair tree. I do not have an iPod, a Blackberry, a GPS device, or a 28" viewsonic monitor that would increase "my gaming and viewing pleasure" (or something like that). Still, as long as what I have is working properly, I am happy!

Disclosure Policy

As many of you already know, I sometimes accept sponsored posts. That means sometimes I get paid if I include a link to someone's web page. Occasionally I will do a product or site review, and get paid to do that. I am always honest in these reviews and do not accept any assignments that dictate what my opinion must be. If I recommend a product or site it will only be because I really like it, and more often than not, these will not be sponsored posts, and usually, I will reveal that fact. Please note, a personal recommendation is much different than a review that says something to the effect of "I found this site and they have cool furniture."

Some folks believe this act of accepting money compromises the integrity of a blog. I accept money for work I do everyday and don't believe this compromises my integrity. Getting paid to blog provides some much needed extra income for my family, and it actually encourages me to be a more frequent, more creative blogger. I blog on a wide variety of topics, some paid, some not, and I think most reveal a little something about me, my family, and my perspective on life. I hope you, my dear readers, agree.

Thank you.

Law Student Treads Water

The weekend is almost here! It has been a busy week, and will be a busy weekend, as always, I suspect. I am beginning to feel behind at school, even though I technically am not. This is maybe the point at which I realize that I am reading and paying attention in class, but haven't had any time to consciously absorb anything. I'm just treading water, but not really learning to swim. It is this way every semester, I suspect, for most of us work-by-day/school-by-night students. At some point, probably around finals, much of it sinks in, but I fear much gets lost, as well.

What I haven't got a good grasp on is my energy paper. There is so much to learn that it is hard to know where to focus. At least, I am really interested in it, which is good.

Today, after class and a bit of work, I will go to my mom's to study. I am not sure if it is good or not that I cannot work at home. The kids are just so excited to spend time with me (and I with them) that it doesn't work out. Poor wife, whenever she wants to work from home, doing blogs or scrap booking, she mostly has to wait until the kids are in bed. Have you ever noticed on TV that the parents get to do whatever they want, whenever they want, even if they have 10 kids, and the kids never get in the way? Isn't that false advertising?

That Time of the Semester

After class yesterday a friend mentioned to me that she seems to have hit that point in the semester where everything stops making sense and the amount of information to learn seems overwhelming. I haven't hit that wall yet, but know it will come. It always does. Maybe it's not a wall....maybe it is....I don't know...something that just has to be ridden out and acknowledged, but you know you will get over. It is sort of a storm - you can't see through it, and aren't making any forward headway - but it will clear.

So - if you are coming up on that storm, or the storm is coming up on you - grab your rain gear and have faith that it will clear.

Whine about Meal Planning

When you have to eat two meals away from home, meal planning can be a real pain. OK, no matter what, meal planning can be a real pain. Don't expect me to offer any answers here - I have none.

I have recently started trying to pack a fair amount of food into work on Mondays - the makings of at least a couple meals - cheese, fruit, Coke - and figure I can supplement that as needed. It's nice having a 'fridg at work where I can safely keep my food. Still, sometimes I don't want to eat what I brought or it seems like too much trouble to prepare to take to school for dinner. (Trouble = open can of chili, add some cheese and cranberry sauce, find containers for it and for the leftovers. My threshold for "trouble" is apparently low these days.) Sometimes it seems like some diet pills
would be easier. They don't even have to be ones to help me lose weight, although, that would be a bonus, but ones that would provide nourishment, like a meal replacement, THAT would be handy!

Confessions from a Dabbler

I confess, I'm a dabbler. I get interested in things quickly - sometimes pursue them a bit - and soon am onto something else. ("That's not dabbling - that's ADD." Maybe.) I play around with illustrations, electronic and non; I've played at gardening, writing books, various home businesses, and countless other things. I read a lot about Internet marketing trends and what the biggest "gurus" are saying, and fortunately, have invested very little money into any of it. Most of it is free, if you look around enough, or at least, the advice about who to listen to and who not to bother with, is free.

What was my point? Oh, right. If you are anything like most people, you have thought about starting your own Internet business. Everyone seems to be making money there, right? The entire world is potentially your customer or your audience. Cool - but where do you start?

There is so much to know about building a web site, and getting in good with the search engines, and advertising...and on and on, and pretty soon you either give up, or try something out of desperation to make a move. Most people who start a web business end up with no traffic, or pay way to much for what little they do receive. (No - I do not have a citation for that fact. Just trust me. I'm not a doctor and I do not play one on TV.)

About two years before I started law school, I did a ton of research because I wanted to start a business to bring in some extra cash. I finally found a product/service that seemed to offer way more than everyone else at a very reasonable price, plus they had a money back guarantee. I explored their offerings, success stories, samples..etc. and was really impressed.

I finally took the plunge and purchased Site Build It.

What a fun process! Ken Envoy, owner of SBI, walks you step-by-step through figuring out what you are interested in and building a content-based web-site that will attract traffic, and eventually, generate money for you. Best of all, the techie stuff happens without you needing to know a thing about it. It took me maybe a month or so of working very part-time to build up a decent-sized web site, but I could have had it up much faster. Within a few months, or so, I was making an average of $100 per month.

(The site, in case you are interested was: my-disney-family-vacation.com.)

About then, I started really focusing on the LSAT, and left the site on auto-pilot. Once I was accepted, I decided not to renew my annual membership, even though I could have made back the money in just a few months. That was a mistake. It was generating cash! Hello! Well, I was overwhelmed with the prospect of law school, and the 2 little kids, and leaving Wife home alone with them all the time....

Anyway, I have come full circle and plan to recreate the web site, or a version of it anyway, in the not-too-distant future. (Maybe after I've made some progress on my energy law paper.....) I've done a lot of research again, and through independent means, ended up back at SBI again. Their methods are tried and true. No gimmicks. No get rich quick. Just a little work each day or each week (or a lot all at once, if that suits you), and soon you will have a web site that will attract more and more traffic each month. You get the traffic - you can make money.

So, if any of this sounds good to you. Click here to check out more about SBI. If you have questions about my experience, feel free to comment here, or to email me.

Escape to Seaside!

It was a beautiful, sunny Friday.

I was supposed to be going to do my homework.

I wanted to go to the beach.

The beach won!

For details, check out Wife's blog.

I am now fitting in my homework in between work and classes. I'll end up taking some time off of work tomorrow, but it was worth it! Even though the weather on the coast was not supposed to be particularly nice, it ended up warm and wonderful! Lots of good time with the kids, and Wife and I dreaming of a kid-free weekend. (In reality, none of us is ready for that....but kids asleep by 6:30, or a babysitter so we could enjoy some shopping and quiet dining time sure would be nice!) The bright side of fitting in last minute studying, is that the material will be fresh in my mind. That almost never happens! I study on Friday for my next Tuesday and Wednesday classes. This could be good! (Like how I rationalize my impulsive behavior?)

Law School Schedule Blues

So, we are one month into this new semester, and I must admit, none of us (the family) have adjusted well to this new schedule, yet. Fortunately, we've had no "normal" five day weeks where there wasn't a first day of Kindergarten, or a Holiday, or a human or computer virus to remove me from either work or school for a few extra hours with the family.

Five full days is a long time to go without seeing Baby Girl (who is really no longer a baby, but still the baby in our family). I generally see the Boy in the morning before I get up. He is an early riser, and likes to get up to spend time with me, even if he is only watching tv on the couch while I rush around feeding cats, dogs and myself. Wife and I spend half an hour up to 2 hours together some nights, but by then we are both pretty beat, and the together time is mostly vegging in front of the tv after taking care of any "must do-s".

Yup - weekends are the best! Sleeping in, hanging out playing and reading stories to the kids, watching movies (oh, and the shopping and other chores), and just all being together. That's what it's about, isn't it?

Happy Weekend, Everyone!

One of Those Days

Seems I am having one of those days where my mind is rambling from topic to topic and I am going several different directions at once. I believe the politically correct, polished term for this is "multi-tasking." *grin* I have worked on a number of contracts, done several blog posts (as you may have noticed), spoken on the phone for both family and business purposes, helped a co-worker figure out what to do with some misc. items, made coffee and drank said coffee, done some emails and now...here I am, back at my blog.

No class tonight. It is study night. Tomorrow is study afternoon, followed by family evening. Good. I miss my family :)

Furniture and More Furniture!

If you are looking for Contemporary Bedroom Furniture, Furniture From Home is a nice looking place to browse, and possibly make a purchase. They have furnishings for the living room, dining room and home office, and a really big selection of bedroom furniture . The pictures provide good detail and are easy to load. Shipping is free, and in case you are new to buying furniture online, they have a whole page devoted to easing your mind.

Given that our kids are getting bigger, I am most interested in kid bedroom furniture, and they have some really distinct pieces. I especially like the trundle bed sets - great for sleep-overs! Funny, in our house, I am pretty sure that the child bedroom furniture, is what we have spent the most time and money acquiring. Maybe some day, we'll treat ourselves to a really nice matching bedroom set, but first, we'll make sure the kids' rooms have been properly outfitted!

Flashback to First Year

I know I have some first years reading this blog. I don't know if you will find this reassuring, or not, but probably. Last night during class I totally felt like I was somewhere in my first year again. I could barely track the conversation, the case I'd read only barely resembled the one the prof. was talking about, and I was so tired I really just wanted to go to sleep. Yup - sounds like first year alright! Fortunately, it only lasted for about 2/3 of the class and I felt almost experienced again as we neared the end of class. By the second class of the night, I was on top of my game again, and understood about 75% what our adjunct energy law prof was talking about! (Not a bad percentage for that class!)

So, if I had a point, I guess it is that sometimes, we all feel lost, but eventually, we find our way out of the dark.

Is Working Hard Smarter?

Interesting thinking about work ethics, isn't it? Have you ever had a job where people thought you were Wonder Worker just because you did what you said you were going to do when you said you'd do it? I've had several of my friends answer that question affirmatively. Is that such a rare occurrence these days? Sad. Of course, it does make it easy to stand out: just do your job. Now, if those people were in a pay for performance situation, the world would be just and they would be getting paid more than the slackers in the cubes down the hall. In the real world though, mostly, those that do work well, get more work piled on them to compensate for those who do not do their work well. Is that screwed up, or what?

Relaxing in your own Conservatory

How relaxing would a conservatory be, or, as we call them in the US, a "sun room"? (Conservatory sounds MUCH nicer!) This site has beautiful Home Improvements products, such as windows and doors, driveway cobblestones and garage conversions. "What is a garage conversion?" you may ask. It is a package to turn all or part of your garage into living space, or specialty storage space.

This company offers beautiful and practical products, with a variety of special offers to make the cost more affordable. So, if you live in the UK - check 'em out.

If not, you can still take this moment to relax, breathe deeply, and imagine yourself stretched out on a sofa in your very own conservatory, the sun bathing your skin in just the right amount of warmth. Ah.....

Computer Peace Restored

Elimination of the computer virus problem, by removal of the computer, seems to have quieted our hectic home. Odd that the computer virus seemed to have infected the human inhabitants, as well. At least the crankiness and frustration seems to only to have been a 48 hour virus.

Just another sad testament to our society that there are people out there whose greatest challenge in life is to mess up the lives of people they don't even know. (Sound a lot like anti-gay activists, don't they?) Do I believe they look beyond their own challenge to the consequences of their actions? No, not really, not beyond the simple thought that society somehow owes them and this will really show 'em. As Wife mentioned, though, imagine if these peoples' energies could be focused on solving real problems. Wow! What power that could be! Solutions for achieving world peace? An end to world famine? Affordable alternatives for clean energy? An end to global warming? Who knows?!

5 Stages of Computer Virus Grief

We were hit by a computer virus...no,correction, computer viruses and spyware. Hit hard. I was on the phone with a gazillion agents from Geek Squad on and off through various antivirus sweeps for approximately 40 hours before giving up and asking for a refund.

It was quite an emotional and physical ordeal. I realized, as I was going through it, that there were stages to this process.

1) Anger. Damn. Porn Pop-ups when I am not even on the internet. Great. Just what I want the kids to see.

2) Hope. Geek Squad can help for just $99. Nice, knowledgeable agents available 24/7. Lots of tools. This problem can be fixed.

3) Despair. Nothing is working. Even when the analysis says the system is clean, it is not. We are embarking on another 2 hour and 40 minutes sweep, after which they will look at it again. This will never end. I should throw my computer out the window now.

4) Resignation. Eventually something will work out, somehow. We'll probably have to dump the whole system and start over. I'm too tired and drained to care much anymore. Whatever.

5) Acceptance. System is infected beyond repair. Let's save personal files, wipe out the entire system and start fresh. Better yet, let's pay someone else to do it. Let's have him install more memory, while he is at it. It will be better than new, soon!(Thanks for the recommendation, Nikk.)

An entire lost day of work and classes, countless hours on the phone, and two very NOT relaxing "family" nights at home, and it looks like the problem will be resolved by Thursday morning.

Those responsible for viruses and spyware deserve to suffer a very long and painful death.

Random Friday Thought

I was thinking about the phrase "piece of mind" only I was really meaning "peace of mind." If you want reassurance that all will be OK, whatever the contemplated action is will give you a peaceful sense - thus "peace of mind." With me so far? If someone else gave you the advice, say a "piece of their mind" does that give you a reassuring "piece of mind"?

I should probably go get a cup of coffee now. *grin*

Happy Friday!

I Am Not Gay Enough

...or at least, my blog is not. According to someone's blog that Wife found, our blogs are only "Gay-like." I thought at first it was "Gay-Lite," you know, all the fun but with 1/3 less calories? So, feeling "not gay enough" I brainstormed this with my fellow law students.

We did find some flaws in my/our lifestyle. We had not taught our 5-year-old son how to play any form of baseball or softball until recently. We do not play golf, or tennis, or any sport really. I did get points for being able to reference "toaster ovens" (the fabled prize for recruiting lesbians into our secret society - made famous by Ellen Degeneres on her previous tv show.) I think I should get points for being a woman married to another woman. I don't drive a pick-up truck or a Subaru. I don't write much about the S&M dungeon in our basement, because, after all, all good gay people have a wild sex life. I am also not political enough. Do I get points for my son proudly telling everyone he meets that he has two mamas? Maybe there is not enough drama in that. People just smile at him and tell him what a lucky boy he is. Perhaps that is it - lack of gay drama.

Guess I am not gay enough.

Thoughts of lawyering and mommying

Wife and I went to an awards ceremony at at drag show cabaret/bar last night. I was the recipient of one of their several generous scholarships. It was a warm, wonderful crowd. The people that much of society looks at as freaks do so much wonderful fundraising throughout the year to benefit scholars and community organizations. It is a shame more people do not realize that fact. Anyway, I was feeling bad most of last night because when I had to give my "thank you speech" it was the opposite of everything "WE" expect lawyers to be - articulate, poised, prepared. My voice was shaky and when I went to say thank you to my wife, who is pretty much raising our children as a single parent during the week, I got all choked up with tears. (Thankfully my mention of our 13+ years together received a nice round of applause.)

Have women fought so long to be respected in this "man's profession" that I feel like being emotional takes away my credibility? Maybe. Maybe it's also those emotions that will keep me in line, and doing the right thing for my family, and others I impact.

I feel better after reading a friend's post today. It is a poem about appreciating the wonderful moments with our children. I was in tears after reading it and remembered something I realize more and more. Being a mother has changed me. I am more emotional. I see how beautiful and how fragile life can be. I worry about my kids and I love them more than I ever thought possible. I don't think that will make me a bad lawyer. I think it will make me a good one - well-rounded and able to keep an eye towards what is truly important.

End of Summer

I can feel it in the air - the end of summer rapidly approaching. (I know, I am in denial - Son and I are both in school, let's face it, summer is over!) The days are still getting warm-to-hot, but there is a chill in the air in the mornings and leaves are starting to change color. We may still be able to get in one more evening with the fire table on the back patio, but I'm not sure. Before I know it, our boy will be bringing home Fall-themed artwork, and we will be shopping for Halloween costumes. Where did the summer go?

Fun Times in the Mailbox

Remember how fun it was when you were a kid to get to go to the mailbox? I loved getting the fun stuff that my mom didn't want, like pretend checkbooks that were really coupon books, and have been happy to discover that our son has the same belief that Mailboxes are a unique form of toybox. He and Daughter happily played for a good hour today with junkmail and a very fun toy catalog. Too bad we generally aren't nearly as excited by the mail that we get!

School and Home: Two Different Worlds

Wow! The less I am around home, the harder it is to be there sometimes. Isn't that odd? I miss spending time with my kids and wife, but the less I am there, the less tolerance I have for the crazy messes - the cars, the little men, the castle parts, the doll house parts, the jigsaw puzzle
parts, and the books scattered everywhere. The noise is a bit insane sometimes, especially compared with how quiet work and school are. Then again, I look around, and my two-year old plops herself down on my lap with a book and asks in the sweetest voice, "You read this to me, Mama?" and all the craziness is worthwhile.

Annoying Sales Pages

I guess this is a Friday rant. I'll come up with something at the end to offset it, deal?

Has anyone else done a fair amount of internet research on pretty much any topic about which you could buy an informational product product or service - making money as a stay-at-home mom, home internet business, conscious creation, how to succeed in X? Have you become annoyed by the "sales letters" or "sales pages" or "promotional pages"? They all look the same and have the same features, and all because internet marketing experts tell small business owners this is what works. Really? Still? I mostly find them irritating.

They go like this....Do you need X, Y and Z? I am an expert in X, Y and Z because blah, blah, blah. Here is all the really cool stuff you will learn/receive. How much would you pay? Wait before you answer, you will also get all this really valuable stuff (and you know is is valuable because I am putting a large dollar number next to it)absolutely free when you buy my product. Now, are you ready to buy? Wait! You also get a money back guarantee (because studies show most people will not ask for their money back). Cool, right? Finally, the price and easy payment options.

Clearly, this technique does work, and if I think back to my childhood, they've been selling Ginsu knives on tv with the same basic ad format for years and years. Tried and true method. Still, I find them irritating and will be happy when I stumble across someone doing something unique rather than a version of the same thing that is everywhere.

I'm done now.

OK - good thing about today: It is Friday, which means, if I read fast this afternoon and get the last 5/8 of my homework done, the next two days are family days! It may have technically been a short week, but it felt long for all of us. Starting Kindergarten is emotionally draining, but hey - Son seems happy and at this point, that is what really counts.

Happy Weekend!

More Law Student Tips I Thought up When I Should Have Been Studying

Check out my recently published content on Associated Content:

5 First-Week-of-School Tips for Law Students

Associated Content publishes articles and pays authors a very small amount for them. I figure, why not do it now and then? I'm going to need some serious coffee money this semester!

Kindergarten - Day 2

Another succesful day for our Kindergarten Boy! Yippee! Today he didn't even want Wife to meet him at the school when getting off the bus. They compromised and she waited outside of his classroom, but he found his own way from the bus to the room. She said he looked little and scared, but when he saw her his face lit up and he happily ran to his classroom. Good thing Wife was there, as he had been reassigned to a different teacher, which was, as he put it "his dream come true!" He really like the other kindergarten teacher better than the one he'd originally been assigned, so we are all happy about that.

I tell you, no amount of skin care products could possibly give me the happy glow I have knowing that my boy is happy.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

This weekend the kids and I watched The Nightmare Before Christmas, which despite the strong Disney ties I had never seen before. (Disneyland has a whole The Nightmare Before Christmas overlay they put on the Haunted Mansion in time for Halloween.) I actually enjoyed it far more than I thought I would and the storyline is really quite good. I had to explain it to the Boy as we went along, but he liked it and we both found ourselves singing some of the songs afterwards. It is really fun that he is getting old enough to have an attention span for real movies. Guess we'll need a popcorn machine soon!

We have a Kindergartener!

Our boy started Kindergarten today.

He was so excited and happy this morning. Wife put him on the bus. His bus trip was outstanding. Baby Sister and I met him at the school so we were there when he got off (and so was Wife by then). He was happy, excited - we lined up to go into his classroom, and it all fell apart. He did not want to go inside. We finally got him in....he did not want to stay and did not want us to leave. There was quiet drama. We finally had to leave, and he was in quiet tears. All of our hearts were broken. Wife and I stressed for the next 2 1/2 hours, wondering how it was going, and why, after such great day camp prep experiences this morning went so terribly wrong.

Wife went to pick him up in time for his 12:05 release - and guess what? He LOVED it, and can't wait to go back tomorrow! I talked to him on the phone and asked what he did. He very excitedly told me he had a snack! How funny - the snack was what he was most excited about, and it was just cereal. What a huge relief. Looks like we are successfully heading into this new phase of all of our lives.

Happy Kindergarten, Son!

Random Blog I Found Interesting

I was made aware of a blog I found rather interesting to browse through today. It is Karl's blog and the author is Karl Moore. According to his web site, Karl is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and officially one of the world’s top 100 developers. "Developer of what"? you may ask, as I did. I was tempted to say "technology" since he has written books about Visual Basic and other techie code things, but then, as I browse his site, I would say the true answer is "Developer of himself, and others."

He posts inspirational messages to his blog daily in an attempt to inspire and help individuals in their spiritual growth. I like his tone, very real, like I he's just talking to me in my living room. His words feel sincere, like a person exploring the world, not like a master of the universe. Cool. On a Monday, he also posts a "Random Act of Kindness"... and on a Friday, he posts a "Friday Factoid."

You might want to check him out. I think I will for a couple weeks and see what I think.

Returning to School as an Older Student

An anonymous reader asked me what advice I have for somewhat older students hoping to "take the leap" and go to law school when they also have the obligations/blessings of a partner and children. That does seem like an area I am well acquainted with, doesn't it?

OK - first - talk extensively to your husband/wife/partner. You need to all be on board for this crazy ride. That person will end up needing to take up all of the parenting and household duties that you will not be able to do while you are in school. If you will also be working while going to school, this adds to the challenges and responsibilities that your partner will need to be willing to take on for the family. I work during the days, go to school at night and, depending on my schedule and when I fit studying in, have between 1-2 days on the weekends for my family. My partner essentially becomes a single-mom during the weekdays, and I don't see my kids except on the weekends. It is a huge sacrifice for everyone involved.

Talk to your partner about ways the two of you can stay connected. Law school is very consuming. I won't say "all-consuming" - but it can be. You must plan for making time for each other. It is also good to discuss how you will deal with potential feelings of jealously or inadequacy that may arise from your spouse since you are off meeting new people and learning new things. You will be excited about subjects your partner probably knows nothing about, and in which she probably has little interest. Not everyone is a law geek.

Studying for the LSAT is good practice for getting back into the swing of studying. LSAT advice? Take lots of the previously administered tests.

As a student who has been out of school for over 10 years, you may feel uncomfortable with your study skills. If you got accepted into law school, you undoubtedly did well in school and figured out how to do well on the LSAT. Trust that your skills will come back - just like falling off, I mean, RIDING a bike. You may struggle a bit during the first semester as you figure out what works best for you now. Even the younger students have to do that though. Your process may just take a bit longer. Give yourself a break, appreciate the experience you are getting, and trust that you will figure it all out.

I'd like to say something like, "know what you are getting into," or "know what you want to do," but that would be impossible and hypocritical. I had an idea of what I was getting into, but like parenthood, you don't know until you know. I am still exploring what I want do to and narrowing my focus, so I did not know what I wanted to do. I did talk to a few attorneys first to find out what they liked and didn't like about their position and previously held positions, and what they would have done differently in law school. Certainly I would recommend talking to practicing attorneys or JD's in positions in the field in which you are interested. Law has one of the highest dissatisfaction rates, and there are probably many reasons for this. I won't elaborate because my point is to try to make a well-researched decision about your own career goals.

If you know you want to be a lawyer, have your family's support, and think you can make it work with your other obligations in life, don't let fear stop you. This is your life and you should make it all you want it to be. It will not be easy. It will be hard. Moms, more so than Dads from what I have seen, will experience a lot of guilt and feel the sacrifices perhaps more intensely. Will it be worth it? I certainly hope so!