Shifting from School to Summer

I wonder how many of my classmates are good at switching from academic mode to real life. I am doing quite well. I am feeling really good about not reading 200+ pages of case law each week and struggling to stay awake during night classes. I am loving driving home in the sunshine and seeing my family during dinner.

What I have discoverd is that my creative self starts getting very loud and demanding. Wife and I have both noticed this pattern. Once I can turn off a big piece of the regimented, linear thinking, my mind goes wild and wants to create - on the computer, in the garden, on the digital camera, on paper - anywhere, everywhere!

I don't want to think about serious things like politics and the economy, talk to mortgage lenders, or read the paper. I want to be surrounded by positive things, have fun with my family, spend time in the sunshine, and focus on creating rather than worrying about all the things in life there are to worry about.

Boy Wonder's last day of Kindergarten was yesterday. (How did that happen?) We celebrated with a trip to Red Robin last night (his choice), today is a gorgeous, sunny day, and it feels like summer can really begin. Though it is supposed to be a wet weekend, maybe by next weekend we can set up the tent in the backyard and really welcome summer with a backyard camp out, completed with campfire and S'mores!

I'm Baa-aaacck :)

I have battled a cold for about three weeks. At the end of last week it turned into a horrible sinus infection and possibly pneumonia. It wasn't such a great weekend, with my head feeling like it would explode every time I bent slightly to one side, but it was gorgeous weather! I got to spend some time with Wife enjoying our outdoor furniture, and watching the kids play in the yard.

This week, though feeling like I was successfully beating the sinus infection, we were unsure about my lungs and some other symptoms, so finally I went to the doctor. She agreed my body was fighting successfully, that I possibly had "pre-pneumonia" and to come back in two days if I was worse or not at all better. Fortunately, today I feel better than I have in weeks! I am still a bit drained, but in comparison with earlier this week, feelin' great! Wife and kids seemed to have avoided the worst of this, so we are now ready for a fun and healthy summer!

The Sun is Here!

Being deprived of the sunshine for so long makes it that much sweeter when it finally arrives. People are leaving my work building in droves to soak up a little happiness. We are literally going outside, turning our faces skyward, and basking in the glory shining down upon us. This morning - gray, gloomy, cold (in the 40's). This afternoon - beautiful, sunny, blue sky, temps in the 70's.

LOVING IT!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

My sweet little princess was trying to trace her hands a couple nights ago. I was cooking dinner, and when she asked for help, I hurried over between tasks, traced her hands, and went back to what I was doing. She took the pencil and tried to do what I had done. I heard a few sounds of frustration and then "Damn it! I can't do this."

It took all I had not to laugh and to tell her that was an adult word (Damnit - one word?) and she was not to use it. I think she settled on "nuts" instead. As I was trying to recover, I ventured towards the back of the house where Wife was folding laundry or cleaning slipcovers, or something. We met in the hall since she had heard part of the conversation, and both of us burst into laughter when I told her what our darling daughter had just said.

I have to admit, I was very impressed with her proper use of the word, and perfect inflection, expressing her defeat and frustration. Too cute.

Free Time?

I was just talking to a friend/co-worker who asked what I was doing with all my free time now that I am not in school. I just laughed and referenced my kids. By the time I get home, spend a little time with them, make dinner, play a bit more, do baths, stories and bedtime, it is about 7:00 or 7:30 and I am wiped out. It occurred to me last night that normally at that time I would still be facing an 8:00 class. There are so many summer projects I'd love to tackle - gardening, reading some mindless summer books, perhaps a writing project, and I won't even go into the disaster that is our garage, but wow, after working all day and only spending a couple hours with the kids, I am exhausted. Thank you, Wife. I know you do this every day, and I totally see how by the end of the day all you have the energy left to do is read or write blogs. At this rate, I'll need to go back to school to get some rest! I think, with the sun coming (yes, it is coming!), that should increase my energy level. I hope!

Helicopter Seeds

I love the little helicopter seeds from maple trees. You know the ones - you throw them up in the air and they spin back down like, well, little helicopters. A couple days ago I was out on a walk (trying to pretend it was a nice, sunny day, suitable for a walk) and the wind blew this down nearly in front of my face. I'd never seen a bunch of the seeds still hanging on the tree. I thought this was pretty cool, and I love how sharp the picture turned out despite the fact I used my phone to take it.

Not about the weather

I am guessing my readers would like to read about something other than me griping about the weather, which was my first thought. Out of sheer determination, I am avoiding that topic. I feel like I should write about something a little deeper than the weather (or the snow expected in the mountains today). Maybe I should discuss my thoughts about the meaning of life, what our purpose on this planet is, and how it is not about material possessions or power or who makes the most money. Sure, it is nice to buy expensive cars and jewelry and go on exotic vacations sunny locales, where there is not rain and temperatures in the 40's in June. Life is about feeling good about who we are and who we love and how much we enjoy spending time with them out in the backyard, huddled in our winter coats, using our umbrellas to block the wind as we plant our tiny tomoto plants which will nourish us in the fall (if they survive the cold temperatures and rain). It's not about the weather. No. Not about the weather.

Email Intruders - Spam and Such

Is there something about me that screams that I need Viagra? I think I've gotten about 50 email solicitation for the the little blue pill in the past 3 days. Is is so hard to believe I am not worried about improving my performance and increasing the size of my you-know-what in order to "make chicks go wild"? (Yes, pretty sure that was one of the headlines.) Do subject lines on emails that start with "You are stupid..." or "You are ugly..." really make so many people rush to open that email that it is profitable?

My email filter catches a ton of spam, but clearly, not everything. I recently found out I'd been spamming myself. (Yes, a dirty little secret I'd been keeping...) I got a sordid email, actually, several emails, and started clicking away in order to block the sender from sending more messages to my email box. Imagine my surprise when my own email address popped up under "sender". Great. Apparently my email address had been hijacked and was now being used to send nasty emails to half the population of the world. There goes my next job interview...

It is easy enough to delete the emails not caught by spam filters, but I am still bothered with wondering if so much money is made on spam ads that it makes them worthwhile, or if it is more along the lines of a virus? Do people just enjoy clogging up the email systems with junk? I don't know, but seems likely these people could use their powers for good and we'd all be a lot farther ahead. At the very least, maybe I'd be better informed about a kitchen gadget that slices, dices, makes dried fruit, creates the world's best smoothies, opens any can without creating sharp edges and comes with a fine set of knives if I order right away.

Trying to Embrace the Weather

The weather has me down. It has been a hard week for both Wife and I....not interpersonally, but rather hard mentally due to lack of energy brought on my the cold cloudiness. She heard that out of the past 4 months we have had only 5 days that were sunny all day long. That is a lot of cloudy days.

Yesterday afternoon I thought, "I'm going out on a walk anyway!" If it was a sunny day I would surely take a walk on my break, so I decided to go anyway. I walked. I took a few pictures on my camera phone. Am thinking I may need to stick a real camera in my work bag. I know we have a spare, just no memory card for it right now. Anyway, here's what I took. Notice that the one looking up through the trees makes the day appear to be sunny. It was not. At approximately the same time I was looking up, rain drops were trying to make their way down on top of my head.





After about 10 minutes, or so, my hands were freezing, and I was cranky that it had actually gotten so cold that I could see my breath. The moss on the tree was pretty cool though, so all was not a total loss. See the beauty where you can.

Take Another Look

I took a fresh look at my word cloud today, and the phrase that jumped out was "kids law." Pretty funny!

Oh, see Wife's Blog for the lastest our Boy Wonder's big accomplishment! We are so proud!

Law School Mama's Word Cloud

Here is the current word cloud of my blog. I love the way some of these phrases flow together, like "fun garden getting girl" (that would be our little Princess), "weekend wife" (sounds abour right during the school year, right Honey?, "exicted family feel" and "workyear zoo."

beach being bit blog boy cats class click comments dakota dogs envelope everyone excited family feel friend full fun garden getting girl going graduation happy kids law life mama nice night posted probably really school send shopping summer sun things today trip until week weekend wife wonder work year zoo

created at TagCrowd.com

Growing Things

Despite the lack of sunshine, it is finally almost feeling like summer. The past school year is behind me, I can register for the last section of my classes for next year today, we've already had a mini-vacation to the beach, Boy Wonder is almost out of school, the garden is underway, the sandbox is built, we've been to our first garage sales, and the propane tank on the barbecue is full. (I know this because I had to fill it after some hot dogs ended up conspicuously under-cooked last week.)

I feel myself taking nice, deep breaths and contemplating more than just getting through the next task - work, school, home/sleep, work, school, home/sleep. It feels like I have a life to live for a bit. Not that I am unhappy or not living life while at school, but summer is different. It is full of possibilities. It consists of my family, of days that last longer as the sun (?) stays out until late, of weekends that last for 2 whole days - not study day and then one other day to cram in all the chores and fun we can.

It is during this time that I feel the need to feed the non-academic side of my life. I want to let the artist roam free - create art in some manner - through writing, through gardening, through whatever strikes me. Wife asked me last night, after I'd decided to give up on the book I was trying to get into, if I'd like to read the one she'd just finished "unless I didn't want to be in touch with what everyone is reading and expand my mind."

Hmmm....actually, no, I don't want to expand my mind. I want to be entertained. She assured me the book was an easy read, requires little brain-power to get through, but does make you think. OK, I could probably do that, but it might have to wait until I get through the Kinsey Millhone alphabet mystery I picked up. No, I am not a big mystery reader - I like Alex Delaware (Jonathan Kellerman's creation) and Kinsey Millhone(Sue Grafton). I mostly stumbled upon each of them by accident many, many years ago. Still enjoy them when the mood (and time) strikes.

So, my mind is wandering to fun projects today - what I can create, what I can read, what I can grow. Now where is that sun??

Summer Update

We've gotten a few occasional glimmers of the sun over the past couple of weeks. Enough to make us hopeful that it is coming, but not enough to prevent the bitterness that it is not already here.

I'm working full time at my normal day job - up from the 32 hours I usually work during the school year. I've picked up a few hours from a local law firm that I am THRILLED to be working with. They are allowing me to do project work as they need it and as my schedule allows, which is perfect for me. So, I did not actually have to say good-bye to my laptop this summer. I don't exactly need more ram to keep up with all the work, but I've gotten a project or two a week so far. Nice people - fun work - great experience.

Started digging out a new area of the yard for a vegetable garden. Most of the plants are sitting in tiny pots waiting to be planted.

Built a sandbox (with benches!) for the kids. They have had a couple of "beach parties" despite the fact of no sun. They are adorable - and living testament to life being better at the beach :)

Last night we went to Pride Night at Boy Wonder's school. It was a chance for the kids to show off what they had been doing "all year" (but really only the last couple of weeks). Our son had a couple really nice books he'd made to show us - one on farm animals and one on zoo animals. We were really done in about 5 minutes, but encouraged him to give us a tour of the school to make it seem more of an event. He also got to demonstrate recess to us, so that was fun for the kids. It was really kind of disappointing that there was not much going on. Not sure what we expected, but we all left feeling that something was missing. Maybe some music, entertainment, games, refreshments...something would have added to the experience.

Anything else? Boy Wonder is rocking his swimming lessons! We are so proud and he is having a great time. They end this week, and it looks like the next class is already full, so he may be done with lessons for a bit. At least it has been a good start and he has had a successful experience.

We've just about got the new night-time routine down. Think we are mostly settling in to being a family with two parents home at night. I forget how much of an adjustment it can be - but sure is worth it for all of us!

Graduation - Not Mine

This morning I clicked on the video link to my law school's graduation, held this past weekend. The music was not recognizable, nor were most of the faces. Still, watching everyone march in, proudly wearing their caps and gowns, full of smiles and relief made me cry. I was struck by the huge significance of this event for all these people, many of whom were my day-student classmates (day program is three years, evening is four, but we attend some classes together). I was struck by the huge significance this will have for me and my family next year. It symbolizes four years of sacrifice and hard work, huge loans, and the start of a new career. In many ways, it is the passage from one life into another.

Next year, at this time, instead of tending my garden with the kids and hoping I am getting as good of a workout as if I'd trained on ellipticals, I will have just graduated and will be stressing about taking the bar. There probably won't even be time for gardening. Oh, surely I will be able to at least put in some beans, tomatoes and a few flowers, right? Especially with the help of my little Gardener Girl/Princess/Ballerina :)

Strange to consider. One more year. One more year. In one more year I will be the proud bearer of a Juris Doctorate degree. One more year. We can do this.

What about the zoo?

You will all be happy to know there was no need for gps tracking on Boy Wonder! He arrived home safely and excited about what a great time he'd had. Yippee!

"So, what was your favorite thing about the zoo?'

"Collecting things at the information center."

The boy is a paper products junkie, and brochures are just the thing to feed his habit. He will carry them around in a plastic grocery bag for the next week, along with anything else deemed particularly special right now, and may or may not ever look at them. Odd? I don't know since I've never had a six-year-old boy before, but seems a bit peculiar. Harmless enough though, and soon he will realize he can actually read those brochures. Way Fun!

Boy Wonder's Big Field Trip

Today our son is on his first big field trip - the first time out in the real world, under someone else's care, where there are a lot of other people, too. He is at the zoo. Last summer, with his day camp/kindergarten prep class he went on local field trips, but they were about 10 minutes away. Today he is at the zoo, over 30 minutes away. Actually, at work, I am quite close to him. That's kind of nice to think about.

Realistically, we know all will be fine, but still, seems like putting a gps tracker, like used for vehicle tracking, might have been a good idea. What if he is put into a group with the parent of one quiet, well-behaved child who won't have a clue of how to handle rowdy kids who don't listen? Will he wander off and get lost? Will someone take him? Last night, wife reviewed with him, once again, all of the rules about strangers and what to do if he gets lost. We felt better when he told us that their teachers will be at the front gate the whole time. So, there should be no kids from their class passing through those gates until they are supposed to!

Boy Wonder is very excited and I think will do well. We are excited for him, too, but still, just another step for us - especially Wife - of having him out of our control and at the mercy of the world. Hopefully, it will be a wonderful day!

2 parts fun, 1 part crankiness, mix until chilled

Remember the Facts of Life theme song? OK, some of you may be too young, and some of you may not be freaks about remembering the lyrics to theme songs (I am). It starts, "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life.." Well, that certainly is the truth! Wife summarized our weekend quite well in her post today, and was actually able to leave it feeling way more positive than we felt by the end of it yesterday. As always though, looking back, there were many good times.

I took both kids to Home Depot on Saturday morning for over 2 hours and they were really good. We had fun pricing lumber and other building materials for some garden projects, then picking out some veggie plants and seeds. We chatted about things we saw, watched a forklift, and generally had a nice, easy time. Another shining time was taking our Princess out for a bit of grocery shopping on Sunday morning. We managed to be gone for two hours because that seems to be how long I take to do any shopping no matter the size of my list (right, Wife? *grin*). Our girl is just so sweet and funny - she is wonderful to spend time with alone. We bought a little doll for under a buck - and a few bathtub turtles - on the way home she took such good care of them, introducing them to each other, sharing her slice of cheese with them....just too much cuteness :)

We don't seem to have our summer groove as a family going very well, yet. It i probably partly because we haven't yet had a "normal - no real plans" weekend yet, and also, we have not had reliable summer weather. The gloom is getting to us. Yes, it was about 100 degree last week at the beach, then we had highs during the week that were in the 50's. Crazy. (Side note: grass is growing like crazy, but is too wet to mow. Not looking forward to tackling that job when it does finally dry out a bit!) Now, the Princess and I both have colds..and I know colds are not caused by temperature....but I'll blame the weather anyway. It just feels like the right thing to do.

Come on summer sun! We are ready for relaxing nights in the backyard and some barbecue weather! How about some high 70's/low 80's...perfect!

Beach Report

Many of you will have already seen pictures on Wife's blog. Our trip to the beach was fun, and naturally, we wish we were still there. It was very hot the day we arrived, so as soon as we checked into our hotel, we headed for the beach. We'd not been to this particular beach before, and found there was a tiny stream running from the shore (probably from the mountains) to the ocean. It was perfect to be able to play in safely away from the unpredictable surf. It didn't take long for the kids to find they could lay down in the water, and were soon soaked and caked with wet sand. Perhaps some swimwear would have been a better choice than their clothes, but truthfully, we don't get too uptight about those kinds of things.

After fun on the beach, we all cleaned up (way necessary!) and headed into town for a bit of shopping and dinner. After than, we got the kids to sleep at a reasonable time and then were very grateful for some wonderfully quiet time spent reading on the balcony to the sounds of the waves until the sun went down. Ah....Perfection!

We stayed three nights - with the days filled with shopping, eating, playing in the arcade, riding the carousel, and other typical beach fun. The evenings, I must confess, were my favorite times. I love it when the kids are safely asleep, exhausted, and Wife and I can read and talk with the sounds of the waves in the background, and a beautiful sunset looming on the horizon. That is some seriously good R & R. Where do I sign up for more??

Easing into the summer

So, I have been officially done with my third year of law school for just over 2 weeks now. Mostly, I am beginning to feel more relaxed and into the swing of family life, but not entirely. We've been out of town for the past two weekends, which has been fun, and exciting, but hardly "normal." The kids are getting more used to me being home, but the household still erupts into chaos the minute I walk in the door. It is fun to be greeted enthusiastically by everyone, including the dogs, but after that, the kids tend to spin a bit. We are working on normalizing this, but as I said, being away from home has prevented a certain degree of that. Oh - and the kids have started swimming lessons, and I feel so lucky that so far, I have been able to be home in time for them! That could never happen when I am in school. Boy Wonder is doing fantastic - and the Princess is a natural in the water. Swimming is such an important skill, and Wife and I are thrilled they are having so much fun.

So, I am feeling more relaxed, but finding it takes some time to come down from the internship/work/school/home to sleep mode. If only we had some extra cash and a week's worth of vacation we could do some retail therapy - preferably in and near Disneyland - new clothes, a new watch, designer jewelry, maybe some shoes, and something fun with Stitch on it :)

Short of that, it will be gardening, barbecuing and playing in the sprinkler in the backyard. Not a bad way to spend a summer :)

Happy Mama Gets Help from Gardener Girl

Ah.....relaxation and happy mode have begun to sink in :) I am sure it doesn't hurt at all that we leave for a three-night trip to the beach tomorrow. Yippeee!!

This has been a fun week (filled with the challenges of everyone getting used to a new routine and acting out accordingly) of being with my family and dreaming about the summer. A very good friend sent me a wonderful birthday present called an EarthBox, which is a self-watering container garden - great for growing veggies! My little Gardener Girl, who has been dedicatedly watering her marigolds since even before they were planted (or existed except in her imagination), was very excited for us to put it together. We haven't bought the tomato plants, yet, but we are ready for them!

In addition, we are going to try some container-grown potatoes,snap peas, green beans, maybe cucumbers and/or zuchini in the garden I hope to put together soon. Ah, yes, and a new sandbox. Lots of building and digging and good physical work for me - and not a single bit of case law reading!

Here are some pictures of our EarthBox assembly project. My girl always has her tools at the ready (the same tools were favorites of Kelton's until we started letting him occassionally use real ones)!

Mother's Day and Wanting What is Best

All you bloggers out there probably know this feeling far better than you wish - you know you had at least three really great blog topics you wanted to cover, but when you finally sit down at the computer to write, they are gone. That is what I am faced with this morning. These were actually real topics requiring almost deep thought and everything......Oh, well, guess I could surf the net for movie trailers, reviews of generic Phentermine, and best ways to make a child-friendly garden.

Ah-ha! I remember one of them - Wife and I spent Mother's Day evening doing a task in the best interest of our son. We filled out a form and composed a letter requesting a boundary exception for our son so he can go to a different school next year. Not just a different school - a better school; the school with the highest test scores in our district and the lowest percentage of students in the free/reduced meal program. We found out from a teacher friend that there is a very direct correlation between the free meal percentage and test scores - meaning a very direct correlation between income and test scores.

Our son's education has caused us to come face-to-face with our own prejudices, level of snobbery and cold-hard reality. The idea of our son being educated in a school of children with mixed economic backgrounds, race, languages...etc. seemed like it could have its benefits. It could, but the reality is that in this school, whose boundaries include a lot of apartment complexes and judging by the number of late registrations, maybe people who either move a lot, or just have no clue how to find out how, or that they even should, register their child for school BEFORE the first day of school. So, what I am dancing around is that there are a lot of people with low levels of education or low understanding of English language and/or "customs." I am voting primarily for poorly educated, possibly struggling to make ends meet and not being able to take time to consider their children's schooling, OR way too involved in partying. We met a few of those parents.

Wife was only kindergarten parent volunteer, and noticed many students never turn in their weekly homework. At this age, that is a parental responsibility even more than one of the students'. There are many areas we are concerned about, and we really want something more for our kids.

My point, if I had one? We realize on some level we are being snobs by wanting our child educated where parents will take a more active role in their children's education and where behavioral problems starting at home to not leak into a large portion of the classroom. More importantly though, we want Boy Wonder to get a good education and have every advantage possible. Being in a classroom where the teacher has to spend a lot of time dealing with kids with behavioral problems, or working on basic skills that the kids should have known coming into kindergarten is not giving him any advantages at all. He is definitely not having the same experience as his friend that is going to the better school that we would like to get him into.

Of course, many people want their child to get into the "best" school, and only so many boundary exceptions can be made. Will Boy Wonder be one of them? If not, what are the other options? We intend to find out!

So, there you have it, a Mother's Day evening spent doing what Mothers do - loving their kids, and wanting what is best for them.

Target or Ye Olde Drug Shoppe?

Remember when all towns did not look alike? Every corner did not have the same dozen franchise stores in the same strip malls? You could drive for more than five miles without coming across a Starbucks or a McDonalds? Towns had character back then. Gosh, am I sounding old or what? I will admit, when driving into a new town, or visiting friends, it is good to know where the local Target is, or that I can grab a familiar burger late at night if their food was weird and we didn't eat much of it. Still, when I think about trips I have enjoyed, and some of the best, but less obvious things I like about the beach, or any vacation destination, it is the uniqueness. It is not knowing what is in Randy's Drug Store or if the Hungry Bear burgers are good that make the experience less like home and more like vacation. Most of us like, even prefer, the "mom and pop" stores, on some level, but the convenience and lower prices of the big names are a bigger draw. Strange times we live in.

First Night Home As Summer Mama

Finals are exhausting. Maybe it is the end of the year that is exhausting....or wait....here we go....it is the rest of the year that is exhausting! School would be somewhat better if my mind was more like computer memory, but even then, just the number of hours spent at work and school would be draining. Now I can finally slow down, take a breath, and regenerate with my family for the summer. I am very happy about all of that, but it is such an unfamiliar feeling - like I should be doing something that I am not. It takes a while to gear down, I guess. Granted, I have been free for less than 24 hours.

I went home and we had a nice evening yesterday, which was my first day home for dinner on what would normally be a school night. I made tacos, since Boy Wonder had been begging Wife for them earlier in the week. She doesn't cook tacos, so her answer had been no. I personally am thrilled that my boy likes Mexican food. One of our first signs that Wife was pregant (the first time - with Boy Wonder) was that she had a craving for Mexican food. That NEVER happens. I knew that had to be MY BABY causing that craving :) Anyway, we ate tacos, played outside, did baths and bedtime stories....a good night.

Done!

My last final was turned in at 1:00 yesterday and I am done!!! School is out for the summer!! Yipppeeee!!

Now I am completely exhausted. I totally feel like a zombee, staring at my computer, reading my emails, trying to think about work, but finding it hard to focus. I think a nice vacation is in order! Heck, even just a trip (without the kids!) to a local mall would be nice - I could browse through Bath and Body Works, Yankee Candle, get a slice of pizza, gaze a the beautiful mens gold watches at the jewelry stores, maybe look at some new clothes for the summer, then take in a movie. Sounds relaxing, doesn't it?

Vacation from my Laptop

Odd to think that I bought my laptop computer three years ago this fall. I wonder if I need to increase my laptop memory? I suspect it is woefully outdated by now. Although, for what I do, it suits me just fine. If it will hold out another year, it will have served me well.

I rarely see my laptop over the summer. I have a few projects I may need it for this summer at work (for use during lunch), or at home while Wife is on the big computer. Strange, as I mentioned last year around this time, how it is such a big part of my daily life while at school, and then it just disappears for three months. Right now, not needing to be on the laptop for a while sounds pretty darn good!

Training Ethical Lawyers?

Last final - today - 24 hour take-home - done tomorrow.

Am I happy or what? Not so happy about the exam, but happy that the end is so close I can taste it! I feel somewhat prepared for the test. I am not sure how prepared one can feel for an exam in a class where we read over 1000 pages. Public Lands - open notes, closed book. Odd right?

Here's an interesting topic - honesty. In my naivete, and dedication to the honor code, I just believe everyone will follow the rules and not open their book. Wife thinks I am cute to be so trusting, but that I am out of my mind and will be competing with those who are cheating. She points out that lawyers are not exactly known for their trustworthiness. I suppose that is true. We talked about how people will justify it to themselves - those extra few points on an exam score might put them right over the line to get a scholarship or win a job interview so they can pay back their student loans....blah, blah, blah. I feel like we are at a really ethical institution preparing very ethical lawyers, but maybe I really am terribly naive. Ultimately, I can only control my own behavior and do what I know is right for me.

I know what is right for me now is a vacation!!!! *grin* I need info on cheap flights to Disneyland! I also need to stumble upon a few extra thousand dollars to pay for such a vacation.....Maybe I will just be satisfied with some tropical drinks and T-ball in the backyard with the wife and kids :)

Drinking and Law School

There are a lot of events at our school that involve alcohol - lunchtime parties with kegs, evening receptions with wine and beer, and sometimes, we just bring our own to dinner. I wonder if it is this way at all law schools, all graduate schools, maybe just private schools?

I think it may be no coincidence that many professional publications for lawyers include ads about alcohol rehab programs. They apparently train us early to imbibe. (Like any of us needed training at this point....)

Mostly, I don't think it is a problem, especially among the older students that know how and when to stop. A glass of wine or two at dinner can be really nice, but I've watched some of the younger students drink way more than they should prior to going to class, or while attending a professional event. As we are constantly reminded, our reputation starts the minute you enter law school. Do you really want people to remember you as that guy who drank too much at the Blah Dee Blah Dinner?

On the other hand, this post is a little heavy. Heck - school is out, or almost out, and I know that I am thinking a bottle of wine with my sweetie during backyard cookouts sounds like the perfect way to end a summer day! I won't be trying to impress anyone or learn anything, other than maybe how to get the kids to bed more expeditiously. Pop that cork!

A Little Doggie Fun

Just thought it would be fun to show how Maddie is getting along. As you can see, she has become buddies with the other animals, and is convinced that the couch is hers. She shares well, though.

Truthfully, one cat still wants her to spontaneously disappear from the face of the earth, though even she has her moments when she will allow me to pet both her and Maddie while not growling. Even better, once this past weekend, she walked past the dog as if she did not exist! If she would take that on as a life philosophy, our household would be a much more peaceful place. Unfortunately, as it now stands, if the cat senses the dog might be anywhere near, she growls, this has the effect of calling the dog to her, so she growls again. Not recognizing this odd sound is coming from the cat he's known his whole life but who never made the sound prior to Maddie's arrive, Jordan (the dalmatian) barks. Well, if Jordan is barking, there must be something interesting happening, so Maddie must bark, too. It is quite the three-ring circus! Poor Wife.



Here's another. Yes, the dog is up in the play structure, a good 4.5 feet off of the ground, with Boy Wonder. He simply called her up, and BOOM, there she was. She is very athletic :) We told him not to do that anymore since she could hurt her legs jumping back down (or even jumping up). It had already happened twice before we knew of the excitement. Maybe she could use the slide? How happy does that boy look? There is something incredibly adorable about a boy and his dog.

OK - enough procrastination. I have to go study Ocean and Water Law. Final tonight!

Thoughts of Summer and Law School

It is fun, exciting and a bit unnerving going into my last summer before the end of law school. I cannot wait to see my family each night and spend full weekends together. No "Sorry, Mama has to go study, but maybe later," for more than three months! I had been contemplating an internship, and still have a possibility of one, but don't want to over-commit my time. So, I am left pondering options - could I work with this firm in the fall? Should I be seeking out other options for fall placements? Will there be an internship seminar such an experience would fit in, or could I do it as independent study? What jobs might open up over the next year and what are the pros and cons of leaving my current job now to get into a real legal job? So much to consider!

To distract myself from studying for finals, there is always the internet - ridiculous videos, interesting tidbits, fun blogs, reviews of products from MP3 players to Leptovox, to vacation destinations. (We have a two-day beach vacation already planned for mid-May! Yippee!) Then there is always posting on my own blog!

OK, OK, I am going....have to study for Final #1, which is tonight at 6:00pm.

A Wonderful Birthday!

Thanks for the postings and emails wishing me a Happy Birthday! Wife and kids made sure I was well taken care of - from breakfast in bed, and decorations all over the house, to lots of fun presents that I don't know how I ever would have managed to open without their expert assistance (*grin*), a day spent at our local museum of science/science center, and dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. The kids even managed to be pretty well-behaved for the day. Gotta love that!

If you want to see photos and read more details - check out Wife's blog.

Thank you Family for a fabulous day! Wish it would have lasted longer! Hey - school is almost out and we bought an annual family pass to the science center, so I guess the fun can keep happening all summer long!

Interesting?

I thought so. Another of those nature photos to share with the kids - and you!

Counting Down the Days!

We're coming into the home stretch. My last real class was last night. I have a late class on Monday, but it is more of a just-for-fun deal with movie clips relating to our subject, plus popcorn, snacks and drinks. I do not suspect any of the clips will involve bodystockings since our prof. said she still had to preview some of the clips recommended to her. Should be interesting to see what she comes up with. I might consider not going, except this prof. is really nice and it would be sort of like planning a party and having no one show up. Still, I bet half of the class won't be there. It will probably be fun, and very casual. Actually, as some of us have mentioned to each other, it does force us to be on campus studying that night, so is probably a good thing.

I have one short paper due Monday, then two finals, one Wednesday and the other a 24-hour take-home the following Tuesday. That means by the end of the day on Wednesday, May 7th I will be done!

Good luck to all my classmates, and my virtual classmates several states away!

Office Move - A Glimpse Into My Work Life

Since last week sometime, I have been moving into a new work space at my real job. (As opposed to my internship, which is now over. Great experience!) Yesterday was the official move day when my computer was moved, and this morning, I got my phone, but last Friday I moved all my files and personal belongings. Just thought I would share them for fun.




Yes, technically it is a cube, but it is a good size, I have a window, and lots of privacy. Best cube on the floor - maybe in the whole building. Not bad!

Summer! Summer! Summer!

I am so ready for the sun! We live in an area that has been unseasonably cold and dreary....OK, so it is dreary quite a bit, but by now it is usually getting warmer and I am so ready! As you may have seen on Wife's blog, we bought new patio furniture and it will be so nice to be out of school for the summer and able to enjoy it every evening with my family! If it is at all like last year, we will eat dinner outside quite a lot, and when the kids are done eating, we will let them go play in the yard while Wife and I finish our more leisurely dinner. The new cushioned seats will be very comfy for us to sit and watch their antics :) I can't wait! I think my head has mostly already been on summer vacation since the end of spring break!

In the Zone

It has been a really good week! (Well, for me....not so much for Wife who has been home with a somewhat sick girl all week. At least they are on the upswing now!) Maybe it is the fact we are getting more daylight, if not exactly sun. Maybe it is that there is only one full week of school left, then finals. Maybe it is that summer is coming (OK, so that is tied in with the last one.) I'm not sure what it is, but I have been getting work-work done, internship work done, web site creation done, blogging done, even my school work is mostly done...I feel like I've been eating right, exercising, taking my Orovo and getting lots of sleep. I haven't really been doing any of these things....I eat OK-ish, walk to my parking spot, take a prenatal vitamin and sleep about 5-6 hours a night. I'm not sure what it is - but I like it!

If I find out the secret - I will share it here!

Parking Ticket Victory

Anyone but me remember my parking ticket from last semester? (I know Jen does.) Well, today I finally got a notice that my citation has been dropped and my account credited. Yes! Sweet justice is mine!

Fungus and Blogging

This morning I saw something that I wanted to share with Boy Wonder. It is this really beautiful fungus growing on a branch by where I park every day. The picture did not turn out very good (camera phone), but I thought if I emailed it to myself, I could post it here if the details are better on a larger screen. Wife can show him. Then I thought, besides, I'd like to share it with all of you. This is one little thing I notice and appreciate almost every day. The wonders of nature! (Wish the photo came close to doing it justice.)



This picture of fungus gets me to my real point. Mieke, another law school mom friend recently posted about the purposes and ramifications of blogging. I won't try to reiterate what she said, or the many eloquent comments she has received, but I will say this topic has come up for me a couple times.

My style of blogging here is very random - sometimes school stuff, sometimes family, sometimes odd things that jump into my head - like posting a picture of fungus. I do it to share with friends who keep up on my life through my blog. I do it to connect with others in similar situations - moms or others in law school, lesbians, moms in general....whoever is reading and somehow connects with my writing. I sometimes write to process things . I sometimes write for money. I rarely write to be eloquent or provocative or funny. Why not? Maybe I should. Someday a future employer may read through this and judge me based on what is here. (My full name is not posted all over this particular blog, but it wouldn't be hard to make the connection.) I figure: so be it. I don't post anything I would be ashamed of here, and don't consider this a sample of my legal writing abilities. What you get here is me.

I don't have a lot of time to write well-constructed arguments or fancy pieces of prose. When I write, I am simply communicating as me - what you see is what you get. As Mieke and her readers point out though, it is not ALL of me. Are there things I don't share? Sure. Could I share some more deeply provocative thoughts? Sure. Frankly though, I want this to be easy. Those who are interested in intellectual discourse can find plenty of places for that. Those interested in checking in on my life - here I am!

Boy Wonder Turned 6 - Crazy!

Boy Wonder had a wonderful Birthday weekend, complete with family party, playing in the backyard, and about 40 holes of "glo golf" (dark mini-golf course with black lights, an underwater theme of brightly colored sea creatures, and balls that glow under the black lights) that we enjoyed on Sunday. We managed to get the house cleaned, carpets cleaned and lawn mowed before the family party, and Wife did last minute pick-ups and prep work while I studied Saturday morning. We did not exactly have out the Riedel wine glasses, but everything looked just right for a 6-year-old's birtday party. His theme was Crayola Art - so lots of bright colors and a cake decorated with a box of chalk and container with a little chalkboard on the outside. Very cute and so appropriate for our budding artist. He is always interested in art supplies and creating things. He's a bit of a non-representational artist - his things are more free-flowing, which may not win him points at school, but we don't like to stifle his creativity by insisting he draw identifiable objects in expected colors.

How did our boy get to be 6? He was three when I started law school. How time flies!

Wrong Blog, Origin of Phrases

HAHAHA! I see that I posted my Disneyland Family Vacation post on this blog (see below). How is that for cross-advertising? I have now posted it on the correct blog, but wanted to keep it here, too, since there were comments.

Hey folks - can you believe we are really getting down to the wire with this semester? I am working on what one professor called "the penultimate question set." Our last of three papers in one of my classes will be assigned sometime today and is due by the 28th. I will only have two finals, which is nice. The other two classes are a paper class and my internship/seminar class. Nice...

The phrase above, "down to the wire", reminds me of something. What is the origin of the phrase "knock on wood" and also, now, "down to the wire"? There are so many of this little cliche-like sayings that often have their roots in an interesting place. I learned in Con Law (I believe) that "the whole 9 yards" is a reference to WWII ammunition...something about a belt of ammo being 27 feet. Guess it would be easy enough to Google any of this. (Notice how Google has been adopted as the term for doing a search? IP person - quick - tell me what this is called when the brand name looses its distinction...like Kleenex and Band Aid?)

Here is an interesting site on this topic:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~genepool/meanings.htm I'd say it is not definitive, but there are some great theories.

Have a fun weekend! I will be mowing and cleaning the carpet in preparation of Boy Wonder's 6th Birthday party! (I'm sure there will need to be some studying in there, too. See above regarding penultimate question set....)

Off-Resort Hotels - Where do you compromise?

I was researching off-resort hotels recently and was struck by how difficult it is to find everything that *I* want in a hotel if I am not going to stay at one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels. It may be a while before we can afford to stay on the resort - or even off the resort - but it is fun to dream! I actually really enjoy reading about hotels and what others think about each one. Strange? Nah, no more strange that people's fascination with Dancing with the Stars. Vicarious living, right?

Anyway, the things that are important to me are a refrigerator, microwave, comfy beds, good pool for the kids, relative quiet and either within easy walking distance of Disneyland or with its own dedicated shuttle that runs frequently and stays on schedule. Oh, and do I even need to say that it needs to be CLEAN? I would also enjoy a free breakfast and a visually pleasing setting. Wow....I am asking for a lot! By the time I pay for all of that....could I be at Paradise Pier? Maybe, depends on when I want to go, availability, and special deals that are happening.

What else to consider? Things that you might not think about - is there renovation happening? How frequently are the elevators out of order? Are there smoking rooms and how well are smoking areas isolated from the rest of the hotel? Is freeway noise a problem? Oh - and is it really a hotel or a motel? Does the bathroom/closet area act as a buffer between the sleeping area and the main corridor or will people be walking right by your bed, yelling to each other at all hours, separated only by a thin wall and the window, possibly with a loud air conditioner in it?

So much to consider. I am thinking about putting out a chart of the top 20 or so hotels/motels near Disneyland and whether or not they have the amenities most important to me. It will make future decisions easier for us to make, and maybe you, too!

Keep Your Wedding Photos Proudly Displayed

Family photos are really the only art on our walls. What could be more beautiful in our home than our kids, right? There are even a few of us as a couple, and ones of the whole family. We have a variety of sizes and quality of photos. A few have custom picture framing, such as one that displays the front and the back of our wedding invitation, with a wedding picture in the middle of the two pieces. It is really nice. We always keep in mind a study Wife read early in our marriage about couples who display their wedding photos having a better chance of staying together than those who do not. I believe the theory is that when you are going through the rough times, photos will remind you of how much you loved your spouse in the beginning and that the person you married still exists underneath whatever problems are currently on the surface. Seems to be working for us!

It was a Happy Anniversary!

Our anniversary was wonderful, for those of you who read Wife's blog, too. She made me a wonderful slide-show with music and photos from our 14 years together (13 year wedding anniversary). It was so super sweet and I know she put a ton of time and effort into it. It was a terrific present! Thank you, Baby!

On the dog front, Maddie has made holes in Jordan. Yes. Apparently she has been nipping too hard at his legs and stomach and now he has a few wounds. They are not bad, and we've been keeping antibiotic cream on them. She plays too rough, and he does not stop her. In fact, he is often the instigator of the rough play. Whatcha gonnna do?

We've also found out that occassionally she barks when the telephone rings. This is really nice when it is about dinner time, and Wife is getting bugged by calls for re-fi or auto insurance quotes, and the dog randomly decides it is time to bark at the telephone that she's heard several other times that day without incident. Strange.

We are beginning to see that Maddie may not be the sharpest crayon in the box, but she is super sweet. Hopefully, with me home a bit more this summer, I can assist with some of the training issues, and just be around to wear her out!

Boldly going where no dog has gone before

Wife: You are not going to believe what your son did with your dog.
(Note - two "yours" in one sentence. This probably is not going to be good.)

Me: Uh oh, what?

Wife: You know the platform where the slide connects with the play structure?

Me: Yes. (Picturing the play structure/swing set I build in the freezing rain about a year ago.)

Wife: Your son got the dog up there with him. She jumped up and down off of it - twice.

Me: Wow. (That is about 4 1/2 feet off the ground. Maddie is very athletic.)

Wife: I told him not to do it again so she doesn't hurt her legs.

Me: Good idea. (Mental note: find something athletic to show Boy Wonder to do with Maddie that is unlikely to result in a broken leg on anyone.)

A new advernture every day!

Snow. Seriously?

We had a fun weekend with the kids and Wife's family. Big birthday celebration, including miniature golf for the kids, cake, ice cream and presents. Everything a kid could want! What we got that we were not bargaining for was snow! The crazy weather we'd been having continued and in the middle of what we thought would be a rainy drive to the beginning of our festivities, it started snowing! Actually, we drove into the snow, where it had piled up to a good 2-3" and cars had started sliding off the road, and then we were out of it again, about 10-15 miles and 40 minutes later. Times like that, it is good to have car insurance, but all the insurance in the world doesn't make you any less afraid of your children being hurt in an accident. Wife and I both hate driving in snowy/icy conditions. We are very happy to be safely warm inside a house where we can go out, play with the kids, then come back inside for some hot chocolate! Thank God all turned out fine, and we are safely home where we belong again. Isn't it Spring, yet?

Dogs and Cats!

Maddie has made friends with two of our three cats. The third cat is afraid of her, angry at her very existence, and does not want to give her a chance. Cat is afraid. Cat runs. Cat becomes very attractive to chase. Now, we have to figure out how to get Maddie to just leave this cat alone. If the chaos keeps up, we'll need new carpets, walls and door hardware - and a new home for Maddie. I really do not want that to happen, and neither do the kids. Wife might not mind so much, as our little ball of energy can be a lot to keep up with sometimes.*

Before we adopted Maddie we were told she is fine with cats. I would agree that is mostly true, but not entirely. I don't think she wants to eat them - I think she wants to play with them. Now that two of our cats have proven they are not afraid of her, and just act like she's not around, they are not very interesting. The cat that most needs her to not be interested, is naturally, the one Maddie desperately wants to learn about. Guess I better spend some time in the internet learning how to train this out of the dog. Any ideas?

*Wife has added a comment, but in case you are not inclined to read comments, I thought I would make a note here. She wants it to be known that she would mind giving up Maddie. See, the sweet girl has quickly wormed her way into all of our hearts. Oh, right....all except Lucy - the cat that wants the earth to swallow the dog.

Snow?! It's almost April!

It was just snowing! It did not stick, but one does not expect to see snow this time of year in our part of the country. Sure, it happens sometimes - but it is crazy! Although a good amount of snow to play in for a day or two would be fun, I am ready for the spring!

Wife and I have talked about how nice it would be to live somewhere where an "outdoor room" is practical. You know the nice furnishings you see in the stores, with the couch, coffee table, fancy fire bowl, lamps, cooler, extravagant grill, and maybe a sound system? We get too much rain for that - and even if we only used it during the summer, then we'd have to have a place to store everything over the winter. Still....how nice would it be to have a comfy couch, soft music and a couple of fancy Murray Feiss lanterns just out your backyard? A private oasis like that sounds pretty good to me!


Murray Feiss

Contemplating the Internet

Today I invite you to think about the internet for a moment. Maybe more than a moment. Think about how it has affected your daily life. Sure, we casually talk about how it has connected the world and changed the face of business and blah, blah, blah catch phrases. Really, though, how cool is it to have a computer in your kitchen, or living room, or bedroom where you can access information about pretty much anything within seconds?

I was thinking today of how much I use the internet for personal tasks. These are things I quickly thought of that I had done within the past month - look for a dog to adopt, search for recipes, find the correct spelling of a word, find the meaning of a legal term, see what time a movie is showing at the local theatre, search for and compare anniversary gift items, pay a credit card bill, see previews for The L Word, and keep up on people's blogs that I never would have known were it not for the internet.

I am also intrigued by all the interesting business ideas people have implemented over the internet. It ranges from selling ebooks on pretty much any topic, to giving advice about being successful and happy, to selling handmade soaps and jewelry, to providing ideas about children's birthday parties. The place everyone starts, whether just wanting to blog or doing a full business is with a web host. I ran across a web site this morning that had done a recent review of low cost web hosting services:
This looks like useful info, and there is also information about other Wordpress themes, for those familiar with Wordpress as a blogging tool. I can't verify the reviews, but I bet the hosts mentioned would be worth checking out. It is easy to get reviews on a host by doing a search on the host name and "reviews."

OK - I think my tangent on the internet is about over. I need to go order dinner on the web!!

Enjoying Spring Break

Spring break - Ah, it feels good! It was so nice yesterday to have Wife tell me about a cool art project that Boy Wonder had brought home and know that I would get to see it that evening, while my son was still awake. Last night I was able to cook dinner, help clean, scoop the yard, play with the new dog (who we are often calling "young punk" due to her age and energy), give the kids their baths and still spend some time with Wife. Nice! (It sounds like I did a lot, but Wife was even busier than I was. Crazy!)

What wasn't nice was that due to the lateness of dinner, which happens when I cook since I don't get home until past the time they would normally eat when I am in school, their schedule was all off and they were both WIRED by bedtime. It took an hour and a half to get our Princess to sleep. She kept telling us she could not sleep and begging to watch Ruby and Max. We sometimes let her do this on Sunday nights - end of the weekend and last chance to get some time with me - but last night, it was no go. So.....it was late by the time she was asleep, thus taking away from adult time.

Even though I am working on reviewing some notes and reading for next week, it is nice not to really be worrying too much about hitting the books this week. Then, in 5 more weeks, it is time for finals, and the semester will be done! We are all ready for that!!

Picking up trash

Remember when you were a kid and it was OK to pick up garbage off the street and put it in a trash can? I remember one vacation where a friend and I rowed around in a boat picking up garbage just to make the area nicer. Now, Wife and I tell our kids NOT to pick up garbage.....too much fear of germs, or cuts getting infected, rampant staff infections....blah, blah, blah. Still, I want them to do the right thing. We've said that maybe some day before we take our walk around the block with the dogs, we could put on disposable gloves, bring along a garbage bag, and let them pick up the litter they see. Guess that still would not prevent cuts. Maybe they need one of those grabber tools for this task!

Snug as a bug...

The animals have taken over :)



As you can see from this adorable photo, Maddie's new place is on the couch, cuddled with whoever else wants to be there. She is very affectionate, and doesn't mind sharing the space. Generous, right?

Last night, after the kids were asleep, Wife and I were watching TV and arranged on the couch like this:

Wife.....Jordan (dalmatian).....Me.......Maddie (boxer/whippet)

Wife got up for a moment, comes back to find a cat in her place, nearly sitting on the dog's head. I moved the cat for her, lifted the dog's front end, and she squeezed back into place. Jordan started making heavy breathing sounds of being uncomfortable. Wife got on the floor. I offered to move the new young punk dog, but no....she stayed on the floor despite the pain she's been having in her back, arms and hands. I urged her to get up off the floor, but I think she was holding out for a new massage chair - a place to call her own. It will probably need to be set up inside a cage to keep both kids and animals off it. Now THAT would be attractive in our living room!

Spring Break is Here!

Last night was technically my second night without classes, but the first night was classless due to our prof. being sick, so I stayed at work and studied. Yesterday I left work early, was home by 4:00, and we all went out to the Spaghetti Factory to celebrate us all being together for dinner/bedtime for the next week!

I admit that I have been a bit jealous of hearing all the fun places that some of the other students are going over the break - Kauai, Italy, camping in a friend's mountain cabin, skiing for a week.....We will be taking a couple days to visit Wife's family and do a joint birthday party for our kids and one of their cousins. We won't exactly be staying in a Las Vegas hotel, or any hotel at all, much to our kids disappointment (they love hotels - especially the mini-stores and the pools), but it will still be a little getaway. We won't feel compelled to do chores - that's something! A week without classes - what a nice break for us all!

The L Word - Season Finale

Say it isn't so! How can there possibly only be one more episode left of Season 5 of The L Word? Darn Showtime for its short seasons - only 12 or 13 episodes - and then the next show starts - maybe Tudors or Weeds. (Weeds is kind of fun, too.)

It has been a really good season! There was an interesting story about the military's don't ask - don't tell policy; Jenny went into full crazy villain mode - and mostly out again; the Bette and Tina storyline - I won't ruin it for folks who may be waiting to rent the series - but it has been excellent; and there were lots of group scenes of the characters just hanging out together, partying, being friends, which, other than the sex, is really what we all love about the show.

Speaking of sex, the writers really spiced things up a lot - tons of fairly graphic sex scenes - occasionally Wife and I felt like we were watching porn. It is all tastefully done, nothing inappropriate is actually shown (I am sure there are those that would disagree)and serves the storyline - still - wow - those could not have been comfortable scenes to film. (They are certainly not ones we want left on the DVR for the kids to find!)

I have heard sex scenes are so incredibly awkward to do - just imagine it - you have to be naked, acting like you are involved in a very intimate act while the director, assistant director, lighting, camera and sound crews are focused on making sure every angle looks just right. Crazy! I saw an interview with Ilene Chaiken, Producer of The L Word, where she discusses how Cybil Sheppard and her daughter, who is on the show, deal with sex scenes. There was one scene in particular that neither was comfortable with - the mom (Cybil) walks in on her daughter having sex with Shane. I can't blame them - even if it is "fake sex," she's naked, in bed with a woman. They decided to film it in such a way that mother and daughter were not actually in the room at the same time. Odd the way TV and movies can work that way, isn't it?

Where was I going with all of this? Ah, yes, sad to see the end of the Season. Thank you Ilene, cast and crew for another 12 weeks of seeing OUR life represented on TV. (You know, our life minus law school, the kids, the cats, the dogs, and plus a lot of money....!)

Mourning the loss of stationary stores

Does anyone remember J.K. Gills? They were a stationary store. They were often in malls and carried great stuff - paper, cards, office supplies of all kinds, and best of all, pens! I know, I just posted about pens, but that made me think about how much I used to love to go in and look at/test all the cool pens at J.K. Gills. Where can you go now to do that? Places like Office Max, I suppose, but I don't think they carry that great of a selection and they don't have ones you can test. I wonder where a person can get the best buy on pens you can actually test before you buy. Most stores will not be very happy if you start breaking open packages and sampling the merchandise. How else are you supposed to know if the pen feels right in your hand, and if it writes smoothly with just the correct line thickness?

Exactly my point.

Pens, pens and more pens

This is just funny - a website called pensrus. Of course, they sell pens - mostly ones for businesses to put their name and/or logo on so people will take them and remember who they are. Their products seem to range from cheap pens to more expensive ones, but the prices seem good - if you happen to need to order 100 or more pens at a time. Hmmmm....I can't say that I have even been in a lawyers office where the pens had their name and number on them....but if it was a nice pen, it might be a nice touch. I can see it now.....

"Hey honey, who was that lawyer that did our will? Janet and Terri are looking for someone to do their wills."

"I don't remember, but look in the drawer by the frig...there's a blue and black pen in there. Her name is on it."

Cool.

The slow re-emergence of the cats

I may have mentioned that our three cats were less than thrilled at the addition of Maddie to our family. One of the cats has mostly made peace with the new dog and they tend to ignore each other. Of course, being a big, goofy dog, Maddie sometimes just has to stick her nose in the cat's face, and is greeted with an unwelcoming hiss. We tell her to leave the cat alone, and all is good again.

One of the other cats is approaching that level of comfort, but is not there, yet. She is OK to be on the couch with Wife and I, and the new dog, and will even turn her back on the dog and sleep on the couch at such times. She's not crazy about coming face to face with the beast though, and will run, which causes the dog to want to chase her. Go figure :)

The third cat stil sounds like a demon is living under our bed. Although she came out of her hiding spot during tv time Saturday night, and checked the dog out from a distance, she is in no way ready to be friends yet. This makes her all the more interesting to Maddie the Curious. Maddie walks by the bed - horrible growling sound begins, causing Maddie to stick her nose under the bed, thus increasing growling. Bad news all around. We get Maddie to "leave it" and the adventure is over until the next time. I'd just let the dog get bapped a time or two, until she learns, but have had a dog nearly get an eye taken out that way, so doesn't seem wise.

They will get there. This particular cat is especially peaved because she had finally attained Top Animal ranking and had been reigning mercilessly since we lost our rottie in December. She is not certain this new dog will let her rule. She probably would, if the cat would just chill for a bit. Too bad there is not a dos command line for "calm kitty."

Spring Break is Coming!

Happy Friday! It's a rainy, dark day, and yet, I am feeling quite good today. Even the paper I have to write tomorrow doesn't have me down. Tonight I am taking the kids to a movie at Boy Wonder's school. The kids all take sleeping bags, spread out on the floor, and pig out on pizza and candy while sort of watching a movie. We went several weeks ago, and though we only watched maybe 40 minutes of the movie, had a good time. Tonight's feature is a Bee Movie. We'll end up having to rent or buy it later because I have little faith the kids will actually get through it, but I'll want to see what happens. :)

Spring break is week after next! Yeah! Not quite summer, but at least it will be a little break. I'll still have some homework - and need to get serious about some outlining - but still - I'll be home having dinner with my family for the week. That will be good. Now that I'm nearly done with three years of this crazy routine that is my life, I am finally feeling really tired of it. Work, school, internship, homework, family.....that's about the order of how much time any of my priorities actually get. I am tired of my family being last. Sure, I take off days when they need me, and always save all of Sunday for them, but it's just not enough. I miss out on so much - the silly and the amazing things our kids are doing every day, my son reading books to his little sister, the bedtime stories. Well, summer is coming, then just one more year!

One thing at a time - Spring Break - one week away!

The Draw of New Technology

Does anyone else ever feel the push/pull of new technology? I am not a techno geek, and have never felt the need for the latest gadget. It's not that I'm against them, just have no need to spend money on the latest and greatest gadgets. Still, once I get on board with something, I often think it is pretty cool - cell phones, DVRs, laptop computers. We've not jumped on the GPS train, yet, nor do either of us have a Blackberry, or similar device. I just today found out that an unlocked phone means a cell phone that is not locked to one particular provider so sim cards and plans can be switched around. Hey - I know how to text someone using my cell phone, isn't that enough?

I am really attracted to the new MacBook Air, which is a really thin laptop computer. I remember about 15-20 years ago being at a workshop where there was a speaker from Microsoft. She mentioned that someday we'd have computers as thin as a pad of paper. Seems that day is here. (I think she was actually talking more about the notepad that we'd write on....and that technology is here, too....but I've not seen the two combined, yet.) If I had two years left of school, I think this MacBook Air would be enough to get me to convert to a Mac, but who knows how much I will need a laptop once I am out of school? Guess there will always be good reasons for a nice laptop....Well, I'll give them a few years to work out the kinks and see if the price comes down!

General Announcement to those with Dogs

I can't believe that adults really need to be told this, but c'mon people! If your dog is out walking/strolling/running/jogging/exploring/meandering or in any way being outside of his own yard and "relieves himself" in a manner others could later see, or step in, pick it up! You are the owner/mom/dad and it is not OK to let your dog use other people's property as his personal toilet and just leave it. Take a bag and pick it up!

No, I did not step in anything (thank goodness), but yesterday on the way from my car to the building where I work, there were two piles to be avoided and at home, someone has been letting their dog use our front yard and not cleaning up after him. SO NOT OK.

Sometimes I'd like to make a trap out of CAT5e cable - when the dog's person steps into the circle/trap he would be jerked off of his feet, hung by his legs from the nearest tree and a sign would be posted on him: I did not clean up after my dog. Bet he would get no sympathy.

Nice and Comfy?

I received the following picture on my cell phone this morning.



The caption was, "Notice anything?"

Uh, see, Maddie was not supposed to be on the couch. Jordan is allowed on the couch. Jaxon, our rottie, had never even wanted to be on the furniture, so it wasn't an issue. Having one couch/bed dog was plenty. We'd hoped to keep Maddie off of the couch, and had been successful so far. This morning, after I left work, while Wife continued sleeping, seems someone else found a comfy spot to sleep.

Two couch dogs? This should be interesting! The couch may be reasonable, but if another animal gets up on the bed, there will be no room left for the humans!

Thoughts of spring cleaning

Now that the outside of the house looks so nice (see Wife's blog for before and after new siding pictures), I have a feeling we'll be tackling the inside next. Wife already blogged about doing some painting....I mean, the desire to do some painting.....no, that's not right either......the desire to have some of the walls painted. No one really enjoys painting walls, do they? (Kids do not count here!)

I am thinking the garage needs serious attention (as usual). We have so much stuff out there: kid toys that sometimes get rotated into the house, camping gear, bikes, an old couch, books, winter coats, tools, CAT6 cable, misc. furniture, lawn mower...the list goes on and on and on.... We probably need two things: a serious consideration of what we really need to keep, and some nice shelves with doors. Oh - and time away from the kids to tackle this project! Maybe this summer?

Treadmills for dogs?

Since people seem interested in the new pup, I will keep posting about her :)

I think I have mentioned that she has a ton of energy! When she is in the mood, she races around the yard like a wild thing and can fetch a ball faster than any dog I've ever seen. She is practically on top of the ball before it hits the ground. She's the kind of dog people put on treadmills! Turn it on and let her go!

I used to think this was a joke, but I've heard people really do this. Seems like you'd want to take some serious safety precautions - no leash, start slowly, watch for signs of fatigue...OK, I had to search. Interested? Check out "treadmills for dogs" on your favorite search engine - tons of results. This is a real way people exercise their dogs. How about that!

Loves people, but not in our house

OK, so Maddie is showing one sign of being a bit off. At the park, in the vet's office, on the street she is very friendly with people and animals. At our home, she seems skittish around people that come to visit. My Mom let herself in yesterday and Maddie went crazy barking at her, then quieted when she realized I was OK with the stranger, but then didn't really warm up. (Same thing happened again today, though today, Wife let her in.) Maddie was not aggressive, just didn't want to come too close. She did a quick "lick by"...coming just close enough to lick my mom's hand then ran off again. It seems strange for such a friendly, outgoing dog. I suspect it has something do to with insecurity about her new home and maybe suspecting she could be taken away from us....which is kind of like what just happened to her when we got her. The rescue shelter folks took her away from the family giving her up, and brought her to us.

We are wondering if for a while we should meet people with her outside first, then all come in together? Seems weird to have to go to a separate piece of real estate to do introductions, but would be worth it, if it helps. We figure, eventually she will learn that people come and go and all ends up fine. Has anyone else had a similar experience or any insight into this issue?

New Addition to the Family

So, we got our new furry family member! Her name is Maddie and she is a total sweetheart :) She is well-behaved, gentle, quiet, a good fetcher and quite a cutie! (See Wife's blog.) She is a bundle of energy, though, which is great for playing fetch. Not so great for the 11-year-old dalmatian to keep up with. He was so sore after the first evening of just being up and walking around (not even playing, because we don't want them playing rough), that he could barely move the next day. I took him to the vet yesterday, and now we have medical supplies in the form of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatories for him. He's doing much better and is such a happy dog today. This is his first time ever getting to be the dominant dog and he is one happy pup!

Wife is fairly certain I am insane, and trying to make sure she joins me. She's just added keeping the dogs from playing too rough and cleaning muddy paw prints from the floors to her long list of duties that I rarely am around to help with. We'd not realized how sedate our dalmatian had become....barely even going outside anymore....so this shift is significant. I love having the boisterous doggie energy in the house again, and the kids are totally in love with the new pup (she's actually 3 years old). Even Wife admits she is quite the sweetheart. I think she's going to be a wonderful addition to our family.

GLBT Rights, Campaigns, and Where Do We Draw the Line?

As many of you know, I am a big fan of The L Word. As such, I sometimes (OK, weekly) check out their web site, Our Chart for previews and podcasts and such. The Executive Director does a nice weekly segment about the social, political and technical challenges of each episode. She's a role model for me and I really enjoy this segment. This week I caught most of a interview that Jennifer Beals (one of the stars of the show) did with Tobias Wolff, chair of the National LGBT Policy Committee for the Barack Obama campaign.

(I'm about to make a law-related connection here - just wanted to point that out...here it comes...)

"Tobias Barrington Wolff is emerging as one of the leading lights among the new generation of public-law scholars. He has been a professor at the University of California, Davis Law School since 2000 and was a visiting professor at Stanford Law School in the 2003-04 year, at Northwestern Law School in fall 2005, and at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in fall 2006.

His academic work spans the fields of Civil Procedure and Constitutional Law, and his advocacy work has included participation in some of the highest profile gay rights cases of the last several years."
(lifted from: http://www.equaljusticesociety.org/about_wolff.html)


The link to that interview is here:
http://www.ourchart.com/node/338899

He is a compelling spokesperson, and I think he'd be a fun law professor.

Barack appears to be a strong supporter of the gay community, as is Hilary. Both have some minor shadows, but both are far superior to John McCain, who has a very bleak record on LGBT issues. I started to print it out here, but decided if anyone really cared to dig further a simple Google search will tell you all you need to know.

It's really difficult to know that I have friends and family that support a political party that believes me and my family deserve less than other Americans. Yes, that is only one issues, and for some of them, a minor issue. For me, it is my life. Would it be as easy for them to ignore that tiny, possibly distasteful piece, if their favored party was saying women did not deserved equal rights or protections? Or that it is OK to make African American people have relationships that are not on equal footing with those of white people? Or that it is OK to be Jewish, as long as you don't talk about it? Just wondering where that line is...

The More - The Merrier!

Wife and I have decided that I like chaos. I claim to enjoy calmness and peacefulness, but whenever things get a little too "status quo," I shake things up. Wait - I intentionally shake things up.

Here's proof:



This may be the next member of our clan! She's a 3-year-old boxer mix, and is supposed to be a real sweetie. We meet her on Friday, and if all goes well, we'll soon be a two-dog family again!

Seems I thought the house was just a bit too calm with only one older dog around the house! Of course, as most of you will note, I am not around the house that much. It will be Wife that takes on the brunt of the extra work, especially during the adjustment period. (Though I plan on trying to be around the house a bit more than usual.) Funny, once you get used to two dogs, one seems so quiet....Stay tuned!