Oh please let this week end soon.
Wednesday:
I settled a $10M case for $10K (It's not nearly as impressive as it sounds. But it was good to get my client out of a complex, multi-party case that was going to be very expensive to defend.)
I got threatened with a $100M lawsuit. (Guess we hit a nerve with that Complaint!)
I filed a motion for sanctions against yesterday's lawyer for failing to remove his improperly noticed hearing from the Friday's docket. (I forgot about the mailbox rule in my last post, so I didn't even have to rely on the lame technical late fax argument.)
I finally got home from work at 10:00 pm.
Thursday:
Telephone hearing with arbitrator (my first arbitration!)
Worked my tail off to draft a substantive response to the bullshit, late-filed motion, but had it on file by 4:00 (yay e-filing!)
Got another late-filed bullshit motion from the same opposing counsel that completely manipulates two different statutes. Happily learn that I completely anticipated and countered opposing counsel's arguments in the response I had just filed. Feel very good about arguing against this bullshit motion because I read every single case involving one of the statutes when I did my annual survey a few weeks ago, and I fully researched the other statute for another case recently. (Unfortunately there is absolutely no case law construing both of the statutes together. This would be a great case to take up on appeal.)
Left the office at 5:15 (Woot!), terrible traffic, grabbed kids for a quick dinner, then had to go buy a gift for a baby shower at work tomorrow.
Back home by 8:00, drafted outline of arguments for hearing tomorrow. Got all my mother's crap together so that I can drop it off because my uncle is driving her home Saturday morning!!!!
Tomorrow:
Hearing, baby shower, drop off mother's crap.
1/24/12
Great Day (please note sarcasm)
I was busy at work--but that's ok. I'd rather be busy than not. But I had to leave at 5:00 because PS had her freshman information fair tonight starting at 6:30. On an average day it's an hour commute home, and today it was raining so I really didn't have a second to spare.
As I was leaving the office at 5:00, I stopped by the printer and noticed a fax coming in for me. I could tell it was a motion and I wasn't going to be happy about it, but it was still printing and I didn't have time to wait, so I just asked an assistant to scan it to me as soon as it came through.
Rushed home, picked up PS, and headed over to the high school (which is so much farther from our house than her other schools and about 3 times as far away as the closest high school). Opened up the motion to find that I am indeed not happy about it. The motion is set for hearing this Friday (because we already have two other motions set at the same time). So I am essentially given three day's notice of a hearing on a motion that is the equivalent of a MSJ. That is just sleazy lawyering. I don't dispute your right to zealously defend your client, but to set an evidentiary motion for hearing with three days' notice is just slimy.You couldn't have even got the court to set a hearing that fast if we weren't already on the docket.
Actually, he didn't technically give me three days' notice. Our rules state that service by fax has to be received by 5:00 or it will be effective the next day. His motion is stamped 5:01. Not a point that I would normally argue, but in this case I think it is justified.
I am booked the next two days, so it is going to mean late nights to prepare any kind of proper response to this ridiculous motion. And I had an email from a co-defendant asking what my plan was because he is in depositions the next two days. So that was happy news.
And, OMG, the freshman fair had a parent meeting that lasted almost 2 hours. Kill me now. (But it did make me happy to see PS and her girlfriends sitting together and whispering and giggling because she is not normally a giggling, whispering kind of girl).
Stopped on the way home to pick up take out for dinner, and finally set down to eat at 9:15.
Whew! And did I mention it was my birthday? Oh yeah.
At least PS baked a cake for me, so my house smells like cakey goodness and I have some chocolate frosting to drown my troubles in.
As I was leaving the office at 5:00, I stopped by the printer and noticed a fax coming in for me. I could tell it was a motion and I wasn't going to be happy about it, but it was still printing and I didn't have time to wait, so I just asked an assistant to scan it to me as soon as it came through.
Rushed home, picked up PS, and headed over to the high school (which is so much farther from our house than her other schools and about 3 times as far away as the closest high school). Opened up the motion to find that I am indeed not happy about it. The motion is set for hearing this Friday (because we already have two other motions set at the same time). So I am essentially given three day's notice of a hearing on a motion that is the equivalent of a MSJ. That is just sleazy lawyering. I don't dispute your right to zealously defend your client, but to set an evidentiary motion for hearing with three days' notice is just slimy.You couldn't have even got the court to set a hearing that fast if we weren't already on the docket.
Actually, he didn't technically give me three days' notice. Our rules state that service by fax has to be received by 5:00 or it will be effective the next day. His motion is stamped 5:01. Not a point that I would normally argue, but in this case I think it is justified.
I am booked the next two days, so it is going to mean late nights to prepare any kind of proper response to this ridiculous motion. And I had an email from a co-defendant asking what my plan was because he is in depositions the next two days. So that was happy news.
And, OMG, the freshman fair had a parent meeting that lasted almost 2 hours. Kill me now. (But it did make me happy to see PS and her girlfriends sitting together and whispering and giggling because she is not normally a giggling, whispering kind of girl).
Stopped on the way home to pick up take out for dinner, and finally set down to eat at 9:15.
Whew! And did I mention it was my birthday? Oh yeah.
At least PS baked a cake for me, so my house smells like cakey goodness and I have some chocolate frosting to drown my troubles in.
1/21/12
How Not to Behave in a Deposition
I find myself frequently lamenting the decline of civility and good manners. There are some temp workers in my office building who have yet to figure out that letting passengers off of the elevator before you pile in is not only polite, but common sense. When we went to see the Nutcracker people were coming in a full 15 minutes after the performance began, never mind that floor seats started at $50. And at the twins' orchestra concert I received an unbelievably rude response from an grandfatherly type when I politely asked him to quit talking during the performances.
So I don't have great expectations from the general public. But I do expect better from attorneys in a deposition. I guess those expectations are misplaced, too.
I spent three days last week in depositions in a big multi-party case. The room was packed with lawyers. On the second day, one older lawyer asked another attorney if he could borrow her laptop to check on something during a break. She generously agreed, and he proceeded to dominate her laptop during the rest of the deposition. The third day he again commandeered her laptop. And then he started talking. Through the entire deposition, while the poor court reporter was trying to focus and take down the testimony of the deponent. At one point he took a phone call right in the middle of the deposition--without bothering to get up and leave! All the while typing as loudly as humanly possible on the laptop that wasn't his.
He was oblivious to the shaking heads and pointed looks directed at him, and I was surprised nobody said anything. (I was close to it, but I didn't want to further disturb the questioning.)
At the end of the day he thanked the lawyer from whom he had borrowed the laptop for allowing him to ensure he got his desired tee time! She asked if he was going to bring his own laptop to the next round of depos, but he said it was too much trouble. Of course it's much easier to just take over someone else's stuff.
Honestly, my children behave better than this "professional" who was obsessing over his golf game on his client's dime.
So I don't have great expectations from the general public. But I do expect better from attorneys in a deposition. I guess those expectations are misplaced, too.
I spent three days last week in depositions in a big multi-party case. The room was packed with lawyers. On the second day, one older lawyer asked another attorney if he could borrow her laptop to check on something during a break. She generously agreed, and he proceeded to dominate her laptop during the rest of the deposition. The third day he again commandeered her laptop. And then he started talking. Through the entire deposition, while the poor court reporter was trying to focus and take down the testimony of the deponent. At one point he took a phone call right in the middle of the deposition--without bothering to get up and leave! All the while typing as loudly as humanly possible on the laptop that wasn't his.
He was oblivious to the shaking heads and pointed looks directed at him, and I was surprised nobody said anything. (I was close to it, but I didn't want to further disturb the questioning.)
At the end of the day he thanked the lawyer from whom he had borrowed the laptop for allowing him to ensure he got his desired tee time! She asked if he was going to bring his own laptop to the next round of depos, but he said it was too much trouble. Of course it's much easier to just take over someone else's stuff.
Honestly, my children behave better than this "professional" who was obsessing over his golf game on his client's dime.
1/15/12
Out of Control
Feeling a bit out of control. I just don't seem to have enough time lately to get everything done. It's always been a delicate balance between work and family, but I've always managed to pull it off. But lately, more things seem to be falling between the cracks.
For instance, a couple of months ago I ordered some things online. I was in search of a mustard-yellow sweater, but the one that arrived was baby-diarrhea yellow. There was also a belt that I loved but it was too big. It was about $60 worth of merchandise that I needed to return, but I kept putting it off. Shortly before Christmas I looked at the receipt to check my deadline for the return and determined it was in mid-January. So last week I dug it out of my closet to finally return it--and when I checked the receipt again the deadline was in December (apparently I couldn't do simple math back in December.) So now I'm one of those people who donates things to Goodwill with the tags still on, because I couldn't get my shit together.
And then, right before Christmas I got a parking ticket while in court for a hearing. I parked directly next to the meter and loaded it up with every cent I could dig out of every nook and cranny in my car. So when I came out and say the ticket flapping on my windshield, I knew it was unjustified. Indeed, there were still 52 minutes on my meter. I really wanted to fight that ticket--but it was only $35 and wasn't sure it was worth my time. I fumed about it for a couple of days. And then I completely forgot about it and my hearing date passed and my $35 ticket suddenly jumped to $65 and my opportunity to fight it disappeared. (In my defense there was only 2 weeks to deal with the ticket from the day it was written, and because of the holidays, only about 5 working days. But still...) Once again I need to get my shit together.
At least it is only these minor things that I'm failing at. My job and the kids are still ok. But it still leaves me feeling out of sorts.
I think the problem is a combination of losing our beloved nanny in the fall and having to deal with my mother. We tried replacing the nanny with a housekeeper, but she just didn't work out. And I think am going to have to go back to a nanny. And then there's my mother. I keep having to take time off for her surgeries and doctor's appointments. She calls and demands things. Her caseworkers and doctors call me. She keeps getting moved from one facility to another (because medicare will only pay for each type of facility for a certain number of days). And the last facility was a minimum 45 minute drive from my house (the others I could make part of my commute to or from work). I feel like she is sucking every free moment I have and many of my not-free moments. And I will admit that I am resentful. Because I feel like I was forced into this position. And I know that she would not do the same for me--nor would she have done it for her own parents. She keeps hinting about coming to stay with me, but I have unequivocally told her no.
For instance, a couple of months ago I ordered some things online. I was in search of a mustard-yellow sweater, but the one that arrived was baby-diarrhea yellow. There was also a belt that I loved but it was too big. It was about $60 worth of merchandise that I needed to return, but I kept putting it off. Shortly before Christmas I looked at the receipt to check my deadline for the return and determined it was in mid-January. So last week I dug it out of my closet to finally return it--and when I checked the receipt again the deadline was in December (apparently I couldn't do simple math back in December.) So now I'm one of those people who donates things to Goodwill with the tags still on, because I couldn't get my shit together.
And then, right before Christmas I got a parking ticket while in court for a hearing. I parked directly next to the meter and loaded it up with every cent I could dig out of every nook and cranny in my car. So when I came out and say the ticket flapping on my windshield, I knew it was unjustified. Indeed, there were still 52 minutes on my meter. I really wanted to fight that ticket--but it was only $35 and wasn't sure it was worth my time. I fumed about it for a couple of days. And then I completely forgot about it and my hearing date passed and my $35 ticket suddenly jumped to $65 and my opportunity to fight it disappeared. (In my defense there was only 2 weeks to deal with the ticket from the day it was written, and because of the holidays, only about 5 working days. But still...) Once again I need to get my shit together.
At least it is only these minor things that I'm failing at. My job and the kids are still ok. But it still leaves me feeling out of sorts.
I think the problem is a combination of losing our beloved nanny in the fall and having to deal with my mother. We tried replacing the nanny with a housekeeper, but she just didn't work out. And I think am going to have to go back to a nanny. And then there's my mother. I keep having to take time off for her surgeries and doctor's appointments. She calls and demands things. Her caseworkers and doctors call me. She keeps getting moved from one facility to another (because medicare will only pay for each type of facility for a certain number of days). And the last facility was a minimum 45 minute drive from my house (the others I could make part of my commute to or from work). I feel like she is sucking every free moment I have and many of my not-free moments. And I will admit that I am resentful. Because I feel like I was forced into this position. And I know that she would not do the same for me--nor would she have done it for her own parents. She keeps hinting about coming to stay with me, but I have unequivocally told her no.
1/11/12
Shit My Mom Says
Today I had to attend a doctor's appointment with my mother and at the end we had to visit with the surgery coordinator because the doc scheduled a day surgery to clean out her incision that's not healing well. I had to deal with the surgery coordinator a lot when her custom hip implant was so delayed, and the surgery coordinator was really an advocate for her.
So anyway, the surgery coordinator has a picture of her beautiful infant twins sitting on her desk. And my mother decides to pop up and ask, "Is one of your twins black?"
The poor surgery coordinator looked shocked.
And I said, "you cannot ask questions like that."
And the sweet surgery coordinator said, "no, she just has a darker skin tone."
And she said, "do they have the same father?"
And the surgery coordinator just stared and said, "yes."
And so my mother says, "is your husband hispanic?"
And the surgery coordinator said, "no."
And so my mother says, "so is the mailman?"
And I said sharply, "Mother, you are not old enough or senile enough to be asking such offensive questions."
I guess I managed to shame her, because she apologized to the poor girl, who was very nice about it all, but I can't imagine what she was thinking.
Seriously, WTF is wrong with her? She's not senile, she's not on any drugs that seem to otherwise impair her judgment, she's only 61--so she grew up in the 60's and should be fully aware that interrogating anybody about their ethnicity or the origin of their children is inappropriate.
Supposedly she only has two more weeks here and then she goes back home. Please god, let it be true. She keeps joking about coming to stay with me and I flat out told her absolutely no way.
So anyway, the surgery coordinator has a picture of her beautiful infant twins sitting on her desk. And my mother decides to pop up and ask, "Is one of your twins black?"
The poor surgery coordinator looked shocked.
And I said, "you cannot ask questions like that."
And the sweet surgery coordinator said, "no, she just has a darker skin tone."
And she said, "do they have the same father?"
And the surgery coordinator just stared and said, "yes."
And so my mother says, "is your husband hispanic?"
And the surgery coordinator said, "no."
And so my mother says, "so is the mailman?"
And I said sharply, "Mother, you are not old enough or senile enough to be asking such offensive questions."
I guess I managed to shame her, because she apologized to the poor girl, who was very nice about it all, but I can't imagine what she was thinking.
Seriously, WTF is wrong with her? She's not senile, she's not on any drugs that seem to otherwise impair her judgment, she's only 61--so she grew up in the 60's and should be fully aware that interrogating anybody about their ethnicity or the origin of their children is inappropriate.
Supposedly she only has two more weeks here and then she goes back home. Please god, let it be true. She keeps joking about coming to stay with me and I flat out told her absolutely no way.
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