Slutty Sailors and Mad Scientists

So, I totally spoke too soon with my last post.  Being away from the office for a day put me behind on everything, and all hell broke loose as soon as I returned. 

Advice for young attorneys: don't count your settlements before they hatch. Cases I though were all wrapped up started unraveling, parties started defaulting on already settled cases, clients I haven't heard from in months suddenly needed me, and Big Boss started bringing me in on a big case that is suddenly moving very fast. And I had two deadlines that I had uncharacteristically procrastinated on meeting to deal with. 

Oh yes, and in the middle of it all, my mother's case manager informed me that they were planning to move her this week to another care facility.  It's a long, convoluted explanation about insurance. The new facility is a lower level of care (not acute care, where she has been), which is where I wanted to put her in the first place, but was told she could not for a multitude of reasons that do not appear to me to have been resolved. But it seems like change will be a good thing, so I didn't really fight it.

They also decided, without consulting me, that the move would be today.  I had a hearing today*, so she was on her own for the move.

We visited last weekend so that we could un-decorate and bring back all of the stuff that she had accumulated in anticipation of the move. My aunt stopped in while we were there and told me that she thinks my mother is taking advantage of me because she is suddenly getting my attention after we have barely spoken for 5 years. It was nice feel validated by someone who knows our history. And hopefully it will make me feel less guilty when I don't have time to visit.

And, of course, in the middle of everything else, I am frantically trying to pull together PS's party.  Her character in the murder mystery is a mad scientist, and we have been looking everywhere for a reasonably-priced lab coat (I don't have time to order online without paying ridiculous expedited shipping charges).  The ones at the costume shop that just opened all have "clever"  names on the breast pocket like "Dr. Howie Feltersnatch" and "Dr. Seymore Bush."  Totally appropriate for a bunch of 13-year olds.

But I eventually found a slutty sailor costume on clearance (a short white dress with buttons) that I decided I could hack into a lab coat by shortening the sleeves and hem and repositioning the buttons. We'll just splatter it with a little blood and be all set.

*The hearing totally sucked. It was an administrative hearing--where a government agency gets to make up its own rules, not publish them anywhere, and apply them as it sees fit. The agency had taken a default after failing to provide notice of a previous hearing. Their position was that the agency is not required to provide notice of a hearing.  Um, seriously?  Thankfully, we are entitled to appeal and get a trial de novo in a real court.