A fellow law student introduced herself to me last night as someone who reads my blog. ** Hi Mary! ** We started talking about some of the challenges of having a family while going to law school, whether the family is a wife and human kids, or a spouse and furry kids, there are still sacrifices all around. Sometimes decisions are made, and other times they are forced upon us by circumstances, to put off parts of our life, or lose touch with friends, or not be as present for our family as we'd like. People tend to not talk about the emotional toll that the sacrifices take - on us as students, and on our partners, children, animals, and others. First year especially is kind of a mind-game and it forces us to call into question a lot of our own priorities and values. I think that is easier to see in retrospect than when you are going through it, and probably easier to value in retrospect, too.
I think more folks should be honest and open in their communication with others about what they are experiencing emotionally - at home, with friends, and maybe people would feel less alone. I know I've found a few people similarly situated and it has been nice to know we're all going through the same challenges, but not everyone is as up front, or has that kind of support. As lawyers-in-training we are taught to put on this all-knowing, in control-facade and it does us a disservice as students. The fake it till you make it mentality is necessary in the real world, but with each other, sometimes we just need to admit that we feel like we've been hit by a fleet of moving trucks. We are tough, or we wouldn't be in law school; we will bounce back, but sometimes the long hours, the studying, and the competing demands take their toll.
A lawyer recently gave me some advice about studying for the bar. She said that everyone around me will be saying they are doing great, all is going well, and the truth is that for most people, that is not really how they will be feeling. She said not to let that behavior psych me out. It ended up that most of the people she knew were actually uncertain and nervous while studying for the bar. So, it is OK to let our guard down sometimes, admit that what we are doing is often tough, even it if is mostly because we haven't seen our partner or children all week and almost nodded off twice in class.
(I am personally doing great this week, this is just a topic that came up in discussion that I thought was post-worthy.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Maddie the Great
There's nothing quite like our love for our dogs, is there?
Thought today I would share some really good photos that Wife just took of Maddie. She's the Boxer-Whippet mix we adopted in February. She's a great dog - but way more great (and quiet) when I am around than when I am not. She drives Wife a bit crazy by afternoon, when the barking starts...if its not her, it is Jordan, the dalmatian, who often just barks to get Maddie to play with him. Too bad Maddie can't come to work with me. She would love it, and everyone would love her.
In the photos, she is soaking up the sun by one of the kids' play structures. She's got the right idea. Somehow, that activity sounds way better than hearing about effluent limitations and the Clean Water Act, which is on my agenda for this afternoon.
Have a good week, my friends!
Thought today I would share some really good photos that Wife just took of Maddie. She's the Boxer-Whippet mix we adopted in February. She's a great dog - but way more great (and quiet) when I am around than when I am not. She drives Wife a bit crazy by afternoon, when the barking starts...if its not her, it is Jordan, the dalmatian, who often just barks to get Maddie to play with him. Too bad Maddie can't come to work with me. She would love it, and everyone would love her.
In the photos, she is soaking up the sun by one of the kids' play structures. She's got the right idea. Somehow, that activity sounds way better than hearing about effluent limitations and the Clean Water Act, which is on my agenda for this afternoon.
Have a good week, my friends!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tired of School
I'm actually coping better than many of my classmates, but can I just say it here - I am done. Not really, of course, but I am feeling done with the full-time job, going to school, then going home to mostly not see my family because they are sleeping, and then doing it all again. Don't get me wrong. I am actually mostly enjoying my classes. I wish I could get paid to go to them instead of the other way around.
I miss my family. They miss me. I want to be around each night to put the kids to bed and then watch TV with my wife. All the new shows are starting and law school is definitely going to interfere with the new season. Yes, I know, TV is mostly mindless entertainment. THAT is the point. I LIKE mindless entertainment.
We watched Grey's Anatomy last night. I got to talk to my co-workers about it today. That was fun. I want to see what everyone is talking about the next day - and I hope that soon it will have nothing to do with Sarah Palin. It can be sex, drugs, money, how to get unlocked cell phones, fast cars, fast women, family drama, silly fun - I like it all!
I am looking forward to family fun this weekend. I don't know quite what that will look like, but I do know there is still homework tomorrow. How fast can I read (and comprehend) 100 pages?
Happy Weekend, Friends!
I miss my family. They miss me. I want to be around each night to put the kids to bed and then watch TV with my wife. All the new shows are starting and law school is definitely going to interfere with the new season. Yes, I know, TV is mostly mindless entertainment. THAT is the point. I LIKE mindless entertainment.
We watched Grey's Anatomy last night. I got to talk to my co-workers about it today. That was fun. I want to see what everyone is talking about the next day - and I hope that soon it will have nothing to do with Sarah Palin. It can be sex, drugs, money, how to get unlocked cell phones, fast cars, fast women, family drama, silly fun - I like it all!
I am looking forward to family fun this weekend. I don't know quite what that will look like, but I do know there is still homework tomorrow. How fast can I read (and comprehend) 100 pages?
Happy Weekend, Friends!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Appreciation
This was my view as I walked into my building at work this morning. I have added that to my list of things to be grateful for today. May you all find something beautiful in your life today.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Weekend Ramblings
At our school last week we were honored to spend time with Justices O'Connor and Kennedy. It was an amazing experience that I want to memorialize in a post that is worthy of the event(s). However, it is a busy Monday, my mind is going in several different directions in a sort of non-distracting, functional way, and I'm just not feeling a deep post happening. It will come, just not today.
The weekend was good, but short. Had my first paper of the semester to write, which I need to polish and print today. It didn't put me too far behind since I put a bit of reading off for between classes today. It was grocery shopping weekend, which is hard on us all. Since I study Saturdays, about half the day, that leaves Sunday as our family day. Saturday we generally do something fun, or get a couple errands done - but big errands or big fun must wait for Sunday. Grocery shopping is an all-in-one trip involving two shopping carts(includes things like heat pump filters, kitty litter, medicinal supplies and this weekend, a new - and the first - booster seat for our Little Princess who is about to outgrow the car seat in my car), and about two hours. Then we have to come home and put it all away. Overall, very time and energy consuming! We spent the remainder of the day visiting family and delivering coupon books that were a fundraiser for Boy Wonder's school. (Hopefully, the only selling event that will happen since this year's PTO is against it. Yeah!)
Wife and I both had memory stick-related issues this weekend, which raises data back-up issues. Our external hard drive is full and we need to get another. I wonder, do any individuals use tape drives, or is that more of a business thing? No idea. We'll probably just look for another external hard drive.
So, that was our weekend! (Except the good part about family movie night and pizza - something we did a bit over the summer, but may try to fully embrace this year in order to keep our Fridays calm and predictable for tired kids - and their moms!)
The weekend was good, but short. Had my first paper of the semester to write, which I need to polish and print today. It didn't put me too far behind since I put a bit of reading off for between classes today. It was grocery shopping weekend, which is hard on us all. Since I study Saturdays, about half the day, that leaves Sunday as our family day. Saturday we generally do something fun, or get a couple errands done - but big errands or big fun must wait for Sunday. Grocery shopping is an all-in-one trip involving two shopping carts(includes things like heat pump filters, kitty litter, medicinal supplies and this weekend, a new - and the first - booster seat for our Little Princess who is about to outgrow the car seat in my car), and about two hours. Then we have to come home and put it all away. Overall, very time and energy consuming! We spent the remainder of the day visiting family and delivering coupon books that were a fundraiser for Boy Wonder's school. (Hopefully, the only selling event that will happen since this year's PTO is against it. Yeah!)
Wife and I both had memory stick-related issues this weekend, which raises data back-up issues. Our external hard drive is full and we need to get another. I wonder, do any individuals use tape drives, or is that more of a business thing? No idea. We'll probably just look for another external hard drive.
So, that was our weekend! (Except the good part about family movie night and pizza - something we did a bit over the summer, but may try to fully embrace this year in order to keep our Fridays calm and predictable for tired kids - and their moms!)
Friday, September 19, 2008
What Do Alaska Women Think of Palin?
Even though it may not have gotten much press, The Alaska Women Reject Palin Rally was Huge.
The link above is from a blog of a woman who lives in Alaska and attended the rally. In case some of you believe it is a fraud, here's the Snopes verification, including video footage. The women of Alaska who are most familiar with Sarah Palin's experience and leadership are very worried about the possibility of her becoming the Vice-President, and let's face it, McCain's health is in question so, she could easily become President.
The video posted on Snopes has interviews with the attendees who speak up about why they do not support Palin and how she is severely under-qualified for this potential position.
The link above is from a blog of a woman who lives in Alaska and attended the rally. In case some of you believe it is a fraud, here's the Snopes verification, including video footage. The women of Alaska who are most familiar with Sarah Palin's experience and leadership are very worried about the possibility of her becoming the Vice-President, and let's face it, McCain's health is in question so, she could easily become President.
The video posted on Snopes has interviews with the attendees who speak up about why they do not support Palin and how she is severely under-qualified for this potential position.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Palin - Feminine Power with No Clout
This is an amazing article by Rebecca Traister of Salon.com.
Here are a few really insightful excerpts, and I hope it will make you want to read the whole article and forward it to your friends:
What Palin so seductively represents, not only to Donny Deutsch but to the general populace, is a form of feminine power that is utterly digestible to those who have no intellectual or political use for actual women. It's like some dystopian future ... feminism without any feminists.
Palin's femininity is one that is recognizable to most women: She's the kind of broad who speaks on behalf of other broads but appears not to like them very much. The kind of woman who, as Jessica Grose at Jezebel has eloquently noted, achieves her power by doing everything modern women believed they did not have to do: presenting herself as maternal and sexual, sucking up to men, evincing an absolute lack of native ambition, instead emphasizing her luck as the recipient of strong male support and approval. It works because these stances do not upset antiquated gender norms. So when the moment comes, when tolerance for and interest in female power have been forcibly expanded by Clinton, a woman more willing to throw elbows and defy gender expectations but who falls short of the goal, Palin is there, tapped as a supposedly perfect substitute by powerful men who appreciate her charms.
But while the Republicans would have us believe that Palin can simply stand in for Hillary Clinton, there is nothing interchangeable about these politicians. We began this history-making election with one kind of woman and have ended up being asked to accept her polar opposite. Clinton's brand of femininity is the kind that remains slightly unpalatable in America. It is based on competence, political confidence and an assumption of authority that upends comfortable roles for men and women. It's a kind of power that has nothing to do with the flirtatious or the girly, nothing to do with the traditionally feminine. It is authority that is threatening because it so closely and calmly resembles the kind of power that the rest of the guys on a presidential stage never question their right to wield.
-------------
To all of my friends out there who are women, lawyers, future lawyers, moms with daughters, moms with sons who want more from our culture - is this really what we stand for, what we are willing to have represent us just to see a woman in the White House? I think NOT.
Here are a few really insightful excerpts, and I hope it will make you want to read the whole article and forward it to your friends:
What Palin so seductively represents, not only to Donny Deutsch but to the general populace, is a form of feminine power that is utterly digestible to those who have no intellectual or political use for actual women. It's like some dystopian future ... feminism without any feminists.
Palin's femininity is one that is recognizable to most women: She's the kind of broad who speaks on behalf of other broads but appears not to like them very much. The kind of woman who, as Jessica Grose at Jezebel has eloquently noted, achieves her power by doing everything modern women believed they did not have to do: presenting herself as maternal and sexual, sucking up to men, evincing an absolute lack of native ambition, instead emphasizing her luck as the recipient of strong male support and approval. It works because these stances do not upset antiquated gender norms. So when the moment comes, when tolerance for and interest in female power have been forcibly expanded by Clinton, a woman more willing to throw elbows and defy gender expectations but who falls short of the goal, Palin is there, tapped as a supposedly perfect substitute by powerful men who appreciate her charms.
But while the Republicans would have us believe that Palin can simply stand in for Hillary Clinton, there is nothing interchangeable about these politicians. We began this history-making election with one kind of woman and have ended up being asked to accept her polar opposite. Clinton's brand of femininity is the kind that remains slightly unpalatable in America. It is based on competence, political confidence and an assumption of authority that upends comfortable roles for men and women. It's a kind of power that has nothing to do with the flirtatious or the girly, nothing to do with the traditionally feminine. It is authority that is threatening because it so closely and calmly resembles the kind of power that the rest of the guys on a presidential stage never question their right to wield.
-------------
To all of my friends out there who are women, lawyers, future lawyers, moms with daughters, moms with sons who want more from our culture - is this really what we stand for, what we are willing to have represent us just to see a woman in the White House? I think NOT.
The Ignorant or the Enlightened?
The world is full of bad things. This has always been true, but it seems like more and more we hear about devastation caused by both man-made and nature-made catastrophes. Not only do we have hurricanes (arguably increasing in intensity due to global warming - hence man-made) and drought, but some of our biggest, most stable financial institutions are crumbling, gas will probably be near $5.00 a gallon again soon, and American women seem to actually be stupid enough to fall for the Republicans' gamble on that very thing in the form of Sarah Palin. Really, people? Really?
It is hard not to be negative sometimes; hard not to focus on what is wrong with the world instead of what is right. Yet....there have always been tragedies, wars, economic crisis, and stupid people - and some people through all those times have remained optimistic. Does that make them the ignorant, or the enlightened?
From a Toshiba Satellite laptop I can pull up all sorts of information about how beneficial it will be to my life, my career, my health, my family, my friends and my community if I focus on what is good in life. If I am grateful for my children, for sunsets and for hot showers maybe that is a way of holding onto how much I really have. Yes, we have serious problems, but getting mired down in them so all I can feel is hopeless will not help anyone. I choose to be positive, happy and grateful. If nothing else, it will make me and my family feel better, and those at work more likely to enjoy being around me.
It is hard not to be negative sometimes; hard not to focus on what is wrong with the world instead of what is right. Yet....there have always been tragedies, wars, economic crisis, and stupid people - and some people through all those times have remained optimistic. Does that make them the ignorant, or the enlightened?
From a Toshiba Satellite laptop I can pull up all sorts of information about how beneficial it will be to my life, my career, my health, my family, my friends and my community if I focus on what is good in life. If I am grateful for my children, for sunsets and for hot showers maybe that is a way of holding onto how much I really have. Yes, we have serious problems, but getting mired down in them so all I can feel is hopeless will not help anyone. I choose to be positive, happy and grateful. If nothing else, it will make me and my family feel better, and those at work more likely to enjoy being around me.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Ramblings on food and such
Wow - what a busy week!
Not only are classes in full swing, but I'm in the midst of a huge project at work that has been taking up all my time! Said project will be completed by tomorrow. I have a feeling that being as busy as I have been could have been a better weight loss method than the best diet pill in the world, except for the fact that there has been free food available. I actually consider it a perk, but were it not so handy, I wouldn't be eating it. Good lesson for life, I guess. I have found that I am drinking a yogurt drink and munching a breakfast cookie during break as my dinner for my back-to-back-to-back class night. Pretty low-call dinner, really. Easy and reasonably healthy and filling.
I don't know why I am posting about food, other than I am really, really tired, and there are two beautiful muffins on my desk waiting to be taken home for my lovely wife who has been incredibly supportive during this crazy-busy time. In fact, it is time to head home! Yeah!
Not only are classes in full swing, but I'm in the midst of a huge project at work that has been taking up all my time! Said project will be completed by tomorrow. I have a feeling that being as busy as I have been could have been a better weight loss method than the best diet pill in the world, except for the fact that there has been free food available. I actually consider it a perk, but were it not so handy, I wouldn't be eating it. Good lesson for life, I guess. I have found that I am drinking a yogurt drink and munching a breakfast cookie during break as my dinner for my back-to-back-to-back class night. Pretty low-call dinner, really. Easy and reasonably healthy and filling.
I don't know why I am posting about food, other than I am really, really tired, and there are two beautiful muffins on my desk waiting to be taken home for my lovely wife who has been incredibly supportive during this crazy-busy time. In fact, it is time to head home! Yeah!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Three Day Weekends - More Please!
Let's have more three day weekends! It is not quite 12:30 Saturday afternoon and my homework for next week is already done! Cutting out Monday classes makes my reading load much lighter :)
Right now I am out in our garage, sitting at my office furniture (OK, a card table and a dining room chair) getting ready to pack up my school work and listening for a car in the driveway telling me my family has arrived home. They went out to run errands and play at the mall, both to occupy themselves, and keep the house quiet so I could work faster. We are all about me getting my work done so we can all have family time together. I think the sun is even cooperating so we can have a pleasant afternoon outside, if we so choose.
Wow....only 12:30 with 2 1/2 days of free time left ahead! Right now, that is sounding like pure bliss :)
Right now I am out in our garage, sitting at my office furniture (OK, a card table and a dining room chair) getting ready to pack up my school work and listening for a car in the driveway telling me my family has arrived home. They went out to run errands and play at the mall, both to occupy themselves, and keep the house quiet so I could work faster. We are all about me getting my work done so we can all have family time together. I think the sun is even cooperating so we can have a pleasant afternoon outside, if we so choose.
Wow....only 12:30 with 2 1/2 days of free time left ahead! Right now, that is sounding like pure bliss :)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Week 1 - Complete
Well, at least I have gone to all of my classes, including the extra one that I registered for in case I decided I didn't like one of my classes. I did like the class I was unsure of - Legislative and Political Process - so now I get to drop the spare.
I think it will be a good semester, and I am especially happy that our Crim Pro prof, a prosecuting atty and first-time faculty member, seems like he will be very good. Quite entertaining and clear, plus the polish one might expect of a TV prosecutor. I really appreciate that during a twice-a-week class that runs from 8-9:30. As I have said many times, I pay good money for this and I want to be entertained. Some people just really want a sharp professor that will teach them the law in a way that challenges them. I want an entertainer that can also educate me. Better chance it will stay in my memory that way.
I only have classes three nights a week, leaving other nights for homework, which is good. I anticipate my stress level being relatively low this semester, so perhaps I should save the wine of the month club membership for my last semester. I am already not satisfied with my class schedule and I will be fully into the stress that is the bar exam - applying for, prepping for, and eventually taking. Ugh. "Go to my happy place." "Go to my happy place."
I think it will be a good semester, and I am especially happy that our Crim Pro prof, a prosecuting atty and first-time faculty member, seems like he will be very good. Quite entertaining and clear, plus the polish one might expect of a TV prosecutor. I really appreciate that during a twice-a-week class that runs from 8-9:30. As I have said many times, I pay good money for this and I want to be entertained. Some people just really want a sharp professor that will teach them the law in a way that challenges them. I want an entertainer that can also educate me. Better chance it will stay in my memory that way.
I only have classes three nights a week, leaving other nights for homework, which is good. I anticipate my stress level being relatively low this semester, so perhaps I should save the wine of the month club membership for my last semester. I am already not satisfied with my class schedule and I will be fully into the stress that is the bar exam - applying for, prepping for, and eventually taking. Ugh. "Go to my happy place." "Go to my happy place."
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Advice for First Years
As I sit in my office at work, enjoying the sun shining through my window, avoiding starting a new project because there are only 13 minutes left before I leave for school, I consider that it is the time of year when new law students tend to find my blog. So, if you are a new reader, welcome!
I am a 4L or 4E (4th year evening) or some simply lump me into 3L, but I know I've already been doing this for three years, so that doesn't sit well with me. I work a full time job by day, play law student at night, and try to keep in touch with my family - my wife and 2 children - during the early morning, late evening and weekends. It's been a tough gig for us all, but the light at the end of the tunnel looks to be daylight. We're going to make it!
(By the way, Wife's blog has all the family stories and pictues. When would I upload photos?)
Each fall I like to give out a few tips that I've learned over the years that I wish I'd known when I started. If you do a word search on this blog for "first years" you will probably come up with posts from years past. I could look back through those, but I would really like to offer something fresh and insightful. I've been doing this for three years. I should have accumulated some great tips, right?
RIGHT! Unfortunately, they may be muddled up with some mediocre tips, so you may have to weed through the junk. Very much like reading a case. Hey - there's a tip already - sometimes you have to wade through a lot of junk to get to the good stuff.
It may feel wonderful, or terrifying, or both, to be starting law school. It is probably both, but remember, ultimately, it is just school, and if you are in law school, you probably figured out already how to do school. Only this time, keep up on your reading. Really. You don't want to get behind and think you will make it up later.
Sometimes you will be on top of everything, sometimes you will feel lost and wonder what you are doing. You will wonder what you were thinking - going to law school! Crazy! Everyone I've talked to about this subject has gone through feeling this way at some point during their first year. It is OK.
Take advantage of career workshops, speakers, receptions, all of the extracurricular opportunities you can manage and still do what needs to be done. It is so useful hear from lawyers in your community about what they do, what their path was, what advice they have, and you never know who you will meet that might be able to help you out later. For those who don't know what they want to do when they get out of law school, these are great ways to become familiar with some options.
Grades matter, but they really are not everything. There is more to life than your GPA. For many of us, this is the first time we experience not being at the top of our class. In a class of formerly A students - suddenly we are divided into A, B and C students. It's a forced curve and it is reality. It's going to be hard for a while. Ultimately, it will be OK. After your first legal job, no one will care what your GPA was, at least, that's what I'm told :)
Lawyers like to help law students. Most are very willing to do informational interviews, or less formally, have coffee or lunch, with a student who wants to talk with them about their field of expertise. This is a great way to get relevant advice, figure out what a typical day is like for that person, and maybe even make a connection that will help you land a summer or full-time job. Your career services folks, and your professors, can usually provide a list of people or even make introductions for you.
Make friends.
Share notes - especially when you miss a class.
Don't worry about the "right" way to do a case brief, or any other notes. Figure out what works for you.
Try not to play too many online games or surf too much during class. It is really distracting both for you and the people behind you.
Have fun. This is just 3 or 4 years of your life, and it is an opportunity most people never get. Enjoy it!
I am a 4L or 4E (4th year evening) or some simply lump me into 3L, but I know I've already been doing this for three years, so that doesn't sit well with me. I work a full time job by day, play law student at night, and try to keep in touch with my family - my wife and 2 children - during the early morning, late evening and weekends. It's been a tough gig for us all, but the light at the end of the tunnel looks to be daylight. We're going to make it!
(By the way, Wife's blog has all the family stories and pictues. When would I upload photos?)
Each fall I like to give out a few tips that I've learned over the years that I wish I'd known when I started. If you do a word search on this blog for "first years" you will probably come up with posts from years past. I could look back through those, but I would really like to offer something fresh and insightful. I've been doing this for three years. I should have accumulated some great tips, right?
RIGHT! Unfortunately, they may be muddled up with some mediocre tips, so you may have to weed through the junk. Very much like reading a case. Hey - there's a tip already - sometimes you have to wade through a lot of junk to get to the good stuff.
It may feel wonderful, or terrifying, or both, to be starting law school. It is probably both, but remember, ultimately, it is just school, and if you are in law school, you probably figured out already how to do school. Only this time, keep up on your reading. Really. You don't want to get behind and think you will make it up later.
Sometimes you will be on top of everything, sometimes you will feel lost and wonder what you are doing. You will wonder what you were thinking - going to law school! Crazy! Everyone I've talked to about this subject has gone through feeling this way at some point during their first year. It is OK.
Take advantage of career workshops, speakers, receptions, all of the extracurricular opportunities you can manage and still do what needs to be done. It is so useful hear from lawyers in your community about what they do, what their path was, what advice they have, and you never know who you will meet that might be able to help you out later. For those who don't know what they want to do when they get out of law school, these are great ways to become familiar with some options.
Grades matter, but they really are not everything. There is more to life than your GPA. For many of us, this is the first time we experience not being at the top of our class. In a class of formerly A students - suddenly we are divided into A, B and C students. It's a forced curve and it is reality. It's going to be hard for a while. Ultimately, it will be OK. After your first legal job, no one will care what your GPA was, at least, that's what I'm told :)
Lawyers like to help law students. Most are very willing to do informational interviews, or less formally, have coffee or lunch, with a student who wants to talk with them about their field of expertise. This is a great way to get relevant advice, figure out what a typical day is like for that person, and maybe even make a connection that will help you land a summer or full-time job. Your career services folks, and your professors, can usually provide a list of people or even make introductions for you.
Make friends.
Share notes - especially when you miss a class.
Don't worry about the "right" way to do a case brief, or any other notes. Figure out what works for you.
Try not to play too many online games or surf too much during class. It is really distracting both for you and the people behind you.
Have fun. This is just 3 or 4 years of your life, and it is an opportunity most people never get. Enjoy it!
Monday, August 25, 2008
First Day Back to School
....but not until 4:30. So, here's what I have today:
I wish my camera phone took better close-ups. This snail was absolutely beautiful. I sent a picture to Wife's cell phone, and minutes later I got a call from Boy Wonder.
"What's up with the snail picture, Bro?"
Such a silly boy!
I wish my camera phone took better close-ups. This snail was absolutely beautiful. I sent a picture to Wife's cell phone, and minutes later I got a call from Boy Wonder.
"What's up with the snail picture, Bro?"
Such a silly boy!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
End of Summer
We are in mourning today. Although we tried to enjoy our last pre-back-to-school day as a family, we were all sad that this is the end of summer. It will be four nights a week that I do not see my kids and they do not see me. I will see Wife for anywhere from 30-minutes up to maybe 90-minutes before going to bed on those nights. We'll both be too tired to really do much more than pack my lunch and dinner for the next day and catch a little TV. Friday nights will likely mean homework, as will a good part of Saturday, leaving Saturday night, and all day Sunday as our family time. *sigh*
On the bright side, we go into this time with a much more organized garage, thanks to Wife. She did some serious cleaning up/getting rid of this week - organized the extra shoes, beach toys, Halloween costumes, CAT6 cables, old CDs and assorted other stuff that takes up room in our garage. It looks better. Still not what we hope it will someday be, but much better. We also have a new bed set - a really, bright colorful set that reminds us so much of a beach towel that we bought some fun beach-themed bathroom accessories to compliment it. Wife then got a beachy-looking basket for misc. hair products that sit on the counter, and has started replacing dark picture frames with white ones. What a refreshing change that we are both enjoying! We are well on our way to having a tiny little beach oasis in our very own home. It will be nice to come home to everyday.
On the bright side, we go into this time with a much more organized garage, thanks to Wife. She did some serious cleaning up/getting rid of this week - organized the extra shoes, beach toys, Halloween costumes, CAT6 cables, old CDs and assorted other stuff that takes up room in our garage. It looks better. Still not what we hope it will someday be, but much better. We also have a new bed set - a really, bright colorful set that reminds us so much of a beach towel that we bought some fun beach-themed bathroom accessories to compliment it. Wife then got a beachy-looking basket for misc. hair products that sit on the counter, and has started replacing dark picture frames with white ones. What a refreshing change that we are both enjoying! We are well on our way to having a tiny little beach oasis in our very own home. It will be nice to come home to everyday.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Last Minute Beach Trip
Wife and I got in a last minute family trip to the beach this past weekend. Yippee! When we found out it would be over 100 degrees at home, we lucked onto a place at a beach about two-and-a-half hours away. We were only going to stay Saturday and Sunday nights, but were having such a great time, we opted for another night! Yeah, us! We stayed at a condo two nights, which was nice, but not quite on the beach. For our bonus night, we stayed at a nice hotel right on the beach - a quick walk down two flights of stairs and we were in the sand :) The view was spectacular and we will definitely stay there again.
Besides the ocean, what made this trip especially fun was that we found out the local casino has a child care center that you can drop your kids off to have fun while you go and gamble. Well, at least I believe that is the intent. We've barely even walked into a casio, but imagine our excitement when we found out you could leave their resort and go wherever since the center gives you a pager! There was lots for the kids to do and they loved it so much wanted to go back, so we let them go two days in a row. Mommies got to have a child-less breakfast and lots of shopping at the outlet mall. Way fun! We managed to get some clothes for the kids, a purse for Wife, hand soap from Bath and Body works for me, and while we did not see any Clarks shoes, there were many shoe stores to check out, too. Big fun was had by all.
This weekend I start on my homework for next week, but the last HURRAH sure was worth it!
Besides the ocean, what made this trip especially fun was that we found out the local casino has a child care center that you can drop your kids off to have fun while you go and gamble. Well, at least I believe that is the intent. We've barely even walked into a casio, but imagine our excitement when we found out you could leave their resort and go wherever since the center gives you a pager! There was lots for the kids to do and they loved it so much wanted to go back, so we let them go two days in a row. Mommies got to have a child-less breakfast and lots of shopping at the outlet mall. Way fun! We managed to get some clothes for the kids, a purse for Wife, hand soap from Bath and Body works for me, and while we did not see any Clarks shoes, there were many shoe stores to check out, too. Big fun was had by all.
This weekend I start on my homework for next week, but the last HURRAH sure was worth it!
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Stumbled Upon a Great Read
I've been reading a really good book called The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. It was a book I found in the out-of-the-way trading library in a lunch room at work. The description caught my attention, and since I'd been hopping from one book to the next for the past few weeks, nothing grabbing me, I figured it was worth a shot.
From The Publisher's Weekly review: "Caldwell and Thomason's intriguing intellectual suspense novel stars four brainy roommates at Princeton, two of whom have links to a mysterious 15th-century manuscript, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. This rare text (a real book) contains embedded codes revealing the location of a buried Roman treasure. Comparisons to The Da Vinci Code are inevitable, but Caldwell and Thomason's book is the more cerebral-and better written-of the two: think Dan Brown by way of Donna Tartt and Umberto Eco." It's been fun to delve into the Princeton atmosphere through the eyes of college kids young enough to still be dealing with acne and first love, but also deeper issues such as the nature of friendships and the paths chosen throughout life.
The Da Vinci Code was more of a heart-pounding, page-turner than The Rule of Four, but this book is nearly as enjoyable in that it works on different levels. The relationship between the characters is almost a story that could stand alone without the mystery element. Fun stuff! I'm not really ready to trade in my fiction escapism for case law books. Oh, well, ready or not, here they come!
From The Publisher's Weekly review: "Caldwell and Thomason's intriguing intellectual suspense novel stars four brainy roommates at Princeton, two of whom have links to a mysterious 15th-century manuscript, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. This rare text (a real book) contains embedded codes revealing the location of a buried Roman treasure. Comparisons to The Da Vinci Code are inevitable, but Caldwell and Thomason's book is the more cerebral-and better written-of the two: think Dan Brown by way of Donna Tartt and Umberto Eco." It's been fun to delve into the Princeton atmosphere through the eyes of college kids young enough to still be dealing with acne and first love, but also deeper issues such as the nature of friendships and the paths chosen throughout life.
The Da Vinci Code was more of a heart-pounding, page-turner than The Rule of Four, but this book is nearly as enjoyable in that it works on different levels. The relationship between the characters is almost a story that could stand alone without the mystery element. Fun stuff! I'm not really ready to trade in my fiction escapism for case law books. Oh, well, ready or not, here they come!
Family Fun Can be Exhausting!
Wow! What a week it has been! Starting last Saturday we've been on vacation. Our activities included the opening of a local park (which included a dog park opening, agility course for dogs, kick ball and parachute games for the kids and a free BBQ), visiting Wife's family 4 hours north of home for more park fun, a petting zoo, two family birthday parties and BBQs, a few kidless hours of outlet mall shopping for Wife and I, a nice morning on a beautiful beach, games at Chuck E. Cheeses, and after three nights, back home for the Children's Museum, a local park which included a 1.2 mile hike around a lake (Princess spent about a quarter or so of it on my back), and going to see Wall E. Oh - and camping out in the backyard. We are on our third night :) Whew! At this rate of activity, there will be no need for diet pills. Family fun is quite a work out for us all!
The kids are finishing up videos while Wife and I blog, and soon we'll tuck them into their beds in the tent, pop our own DVD in the laptop, and settle in for 2-3 episodes of Boston Legal. Neither of us is ready for vacation week to end, but we are squeezing in every last bit of fun we can!
The kids are finishing up videos while Wife and I blog, and soon we'll tuck them into their beds in the tent, pop our own DVD in the laptop, and settle in for 2-3 episodes of Boston Legal. Neither of us is ready for vacation week to end, but we are squeezing in every last bit of fun we can!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Boston Legal - Seaon 3 - What Happened?
So, any other Boston Legal fans out there? I know there is at least one of you who lurks. What the heck happened with Season 3? After two sharp, tight, witty seasons, the first couple of episodes of Season 3 feel almost like a different show. My first guess is a new set of writers. There are two new characters which I hope I grow fond of because right now, I only kind of like the woman, but not so much the man. I don't expect this tv show to provide the secrets of the universe, or even an acne cure, but I do
want my old, familiar characters, challenging situations and witty banter, thank you very much.
We will continue Season 3 tonight and hope it gets better.
want my old, familiar characters, challenging situations and witty banter, thank you very much.
We will continue Season 3 tonight and hope it gets better.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Guilty Pleasures
This summer we discovered Boston Legal. Oh, I know we were not the first to discover it, but like our ancestors before us, things are not truly relevant until we are involved. We are now involved. Deeply, passionately involved.
I love the relationship between Denny Crane and Alan Shore. Denny is so wonderfully unpredictable and does not hesitate to use his money and power in inappropriate ways. His republican stances are ridiculous enough, though played completely straight, that there can be no mistaking where the writers' political preferences lie. Alan is pure brilliance in human form. Wife was in love with him from nearly the beginning, wanting to somehow heal his wounds. I enjoyed his boldness, but was not a true devotee until season 2 episode 6, "Witches of Mass Destruction." In this episode, Denny is very angry with Alan for taking a case that calls into question governmental activities in the war. Denny believes that good Americans always support their government in times of war. Alan says some profound things to Denny including that as loyal Americans, we have to start talking about the war, even if we don't agree, we must not remain silent.
This show is filled with social and political commentary, but in such a way that it is blended in perfectly with what is really a character-driven series. It is smart, sexy and very funny.
Being a William Shatner and Candace Bergen fan, I always figured I'd enjoy Boston Legal. Wife has friends that have told her we should watch it. Still, we just never made the time, plus, it is hard to start a show mid-season. Thanks to Netflix, this summer we've made it most of the way though the first two seasons, and hope to have watched season 3 by the time I start back to school at the end of August. Good times!
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