Thankful

For my three beautiful, healthy, smart, funny, well-behaved girls. We are very, very fortunate in the kid department.

For my awesome hubby who has tolerated my control-freak craziness for almost 15 years.

For having a good job in a bad economy.

For having a very normal life despite (or maybe because of) my drama-filled childhood.

For being able to spend today with my hubby and my girlies doing nothing and ordering in.

For weather cool enough to build a fire.

It's been a rough year. This time last year we were travelling to visit the in-laws while MIL was being treated at a cancer center. We didn't realize how dire MIL's circumstances were until that weekend, and even then, we thought we'd have her at least until summer. By January she was in hospice, and we spent the next month traveling back and forth to hometown.

Unfortunately, the stress and drama didn't end with MIL's passing. FIL's sudden return to dating, followed by a marraige less than four months after MIL died put the entire family into a tailspin. And then FIL entered a deep depression from which he still has not emerged.

So we're not really looking forward to this holiday season--but it will be nice to get past it. And I am especially grateful for my drama-free day at home with DH and the girls.

Fearing for our Future

So a few weeks ago our local bar association put out a call for attorneys to teach law for half a day to middle or high school students. And for some inexplicable reason, I was compelled to sign up for this.

"Don't worry," they said, "We'll give you a curriculum."

Yeah, they gave me a curriculum--covering the 4th Amendment. I'm a commercial litigation attorney. The 4th Amendment NEVER comes up in my practice area. EVER. But I read the curriculum, and did a little brushing up the night before, and got a pretty good handle on what I would be speaking about.

Anyway, I can't say it went well. I was assigned to speak to two 10th grade classes in a not-so-great part of town. There was no diversity--every single kid in both of the classes I spoke to was Hispanic. (I suspect I was assigned to this school because my married surname is Spanish.) The kids were completely checked out and apathetic. I'm not a teacher and I'm not the most engaging speaker in the world, but nothing I did could grab these kids' attention.

I tried to ask questions, find something they were interested in, but got very little reaction no matter what path I wandered down. When it was clear they had little interest in legal issues, I tried talking to them about higher education and getting in to college--but going to college did not appear to be in any of their futures. I've spoken to my kids' classes before, and worked with 6th graders in an inner city school and I have never had this much trouble getting kids' attention.

The only kid who asked any questions was one who made it clear that he had plenty of experience with the legal system and he kept asking me specific crim law hypotheticals, mostly related to when and under what circumstances he was allowed to shoot someone.

I left frustrated and trying to figure out what I should have done differently. And a little annoyed that I had just wasted half my day when my schedule is jam-packed right now. I called my teacher brother to whine, and he said what I was feeling but hadn't figured out how to put into words--this school had already given up on these kids--and nothing I could say was going to change anything.

If you like Pina Coladas...

Most of last month I just kind of rolled along and wasn't especially busy. And then last week I got hit with motions and discovery out the wazoo. And of course every single deadline falls during the week that I am on vacation. So while I was already cramming 4 weeks into 3 this month, I am now cramming 4 very busy weeks in to 3.

And Boss informed me on Friday that he wants me to file a petition ASAP. A basic petition is usually something I can knock out in a few of hours. Except this one requires a particular supporting affidavit. And there is a newly enacted statute regarding the contents of the supporting affidavit. And there have been at least a dozen opinions in the last 8 months regarding the old statute and comparing it to the new statute. And there is a circuit split on how to interpret the statute--but my circuit hasn't ruled yet. So I have to figure out how to draft the affidavit so that it is enforceable under the new statute and under both sides of the split. Which means I am putting in a ton of hours researching before I can even start on what should be a super-simple petition.

And DH just left for a business trip. So I'm on my own with the girls for half this week--which will make the long hours I need to put in this week more challenging.

I guess the good news is that I won't have any trouble making my hours even though I'll be taking off for a week. And it's a hell of a lot easier to take being in the office at 9 p.m. when I know that in a month I will be sitting on a beach in the Caribbean drinking Pina Coladas .

Think they did this on purpose?

Just got served with an MSJ and the response is due on the day after Thanksgiving. Which also happens to be the first full day of my cruise. And the response is due the first day after I get back.

Intentionally scheduling a response deadline on a day following a holiday reeks of assholiosis. And since there has been dead silence on this case for months, I can't help but think it was intentional.

Unfortunately for the other side, I am not an procrastinator, so I will have my response drafted by the end of this week. And I am confident that I can obliterate their MSJ.