So, today's been great.
We had a 6:30 flight out this morning, which meant a 4:00 am wake-up call. I am fine with regular morning ours, but middle-of-the-night type morning hours don't go over well with me. I need my sleep to be tolerable, and in addition to my exceptionally early morning, I didn't sleep worth a darn because I was afraid of oversleeping.
But we didn't oversleep, and we made it onto the first leg of our flight with little drama. Then we had an hour+ layover. DH went in search of coffee. And stayed gone FOREVER. And they started boarding. And I was frantically texting him to get back to our gate ASAP. He made it just in the nick of time, but now instead of just 3 kids and all their carry-ons, we had 3 kids plus drinks plus carry-ons. It was fun!
We finally landed, and I was oh-so-happy to be oh-so-close to home. I called for the shuttle to our parked car. They said it would be 10-20 minutes. Sigh. Shuttle finally showed up--and it was only a minivan--and another couple jumped in front of us and took the shuttle! I made my unhappiness very well known (see above about needing sleep to be tolerable). And so we waited another 25 minutes in the rain and the cold for the shuttle to return. In the meantime I called the shuttle place office to express my dissatisfaction and was rewarded with lame excuses and a "we don't really give a crap" attitude and the knowledge that there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. We'll just chalk it up to a lesson learned--next time, just pay the extra $50 to park at the airport. My cheapness got the better of me.
Finally, finally we are back in our own vehicle, on the 40-mile ride home. And then, from nowhere, TT projectile vomits from the back of the car. She spewed everywhere--on herself and on both of her sisters. They start gagging and rolling down the windows in the freezing rain going 60 mph on the highway. I am just heading into downtown Big City. There is absolutely nowhere I can pull off, and even if I did, there would be nowhere with facilities to clean up with. We start pulling dirty t-shirts from the suitcases for her to wipe herself off with, and DH finds a plastic grocery bag for her to continue retching into.
And then she sneezed, and there was both snot and vomit everywhere.
But it all seemed to make her feel better, and within minutes she was laughing and threatening her sister with her vomit bag.
We zoomed home, PS freaking out because she was supposed to go to a party this that was already starting and that she was already going to be late to, and she was now covered in vomit. But we did get her home, and herself and her sisters cleaned up, and most of the vomit wiped out of the car, and all of our coats now needing to go to the cleaners, and a stack of vomit-covered laundry in addition to the week's worth of laundry that we just brought home.
And I went to drop off PS and DH was going to pick up Bob from the kennel. But then he called because his car wouldn't start. We knew his battery life was almost up, and it got very cold here while we were gone--apparently even in the garage. So I dropped off PS and went back for DH and we went and got Bob and returned him home, and then left again to get lunch and enough groceries to last a couple of days.
And the grocery store was a nightmare. Literally no place to park. I have never seen it so crazy--even on the day before Thanksgiving. After making several circles (and I am not a parking lot circler, I need all the exercise I can get) I finally found a remote spot. And then had to do battle through the aisles of the store, which seemed even worse than the parking lot. My grand plan was to make a big pot of chili for dinner tonight, and apparently it was everyone else's plan, too, because it was nearly impossible to break through the crowd surrounding the canned tomatoes.
Finally, finally, back home. But poor DH, had to leave again to pick up PS and go get a new car battery, because who knows what will be open tomorrow.
My plans for the evening, take a hot bath, put on my jammies, make my yummy pot of chili, finish Gone Girl (not my typical genre, but really good!) and chill until I crash, which I suspect will be long before midnight. I'm so happy to be back in my house with my bathtub and my bed!
Oh, and in case you're wondering, TT seems fine now. I think it was motion sickness.
Oh, and I apologize for my last long, rambling post. It was mostly so I would remember what we did when. And it was done on my ipad, which was not cooperating with blogger, making editing nearly impossible (I can't scroll on my ipad--anyone else have this problem?)
12/29/12
Washington Vacay Continued
Wednesday:
This was a museum day--a good thing because the weather was cold and sleeting and miserable. We took a wrong turn coming out of the metro station and spent way too long going the wrong direction in the freezing weather.
We hit the merican History Museum and part of the Natural History Museum. The crowds were insane, and we endured the first of what was to be many, many security lines on this trip. We also learned that food prices at this Smithsonians is outrageous ($60 for burgers and shared fries!)
Honestly, I was a bit underwhelmed by the museums that we saw. Maybe it was partly because the American History Museum is being removated and many of the exhibits were closed. But we have visited many good museums before, and these weren't particularly more impressive.
We were so pooped after a long day of walking that I collapsed into bed by 8:00!
Thursday:
Today we toured the Capitol and the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is without question, the most stunning building I have ever seen. It is gorgeous. I think I could spend the whole day here, just staring at the architecture. We had arranged for a tour through our congressman, and were booked at the very end of the day. Unfortunately, our docent was very chatty and had not left the first floor more than half-way through our tour time. We were concerned about having enough time to view the other parts of the building, so we abandoned the tour and went exploring on our own like naughty children. This was probably the best decision we made all week, because we would not have had time to take in the breathtaking architecture otherwise.
The Caiptol tour was earlier in the day and brought very long security lines outside in the cold. The tourguide was good, but the tour was disappointingly short. However, the parts of the building that we were allowed to see were beautiful.
My representative had sent us gallery passes, but the House was not in session. The Senate was in session but our Senator required us to come by the office for passes. I would have loved to have Senate gallery passes, but we weren't willing to endure the long, cold security lines again, and we would have been very pressed for time with out Library of Congress passes.
Friday:
Today we hit the Air and Space Museum. It was the most dramatic of the museums we have seen. It had some really cool artifacts, but we went through that museum fairly quickly, because it duplicated a lot of what we have seen on other trips--particularly to NASA and the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola.
Afterward, the kids went back to the Natural History Museum with DH while I went to the Supreme Court. It was fantastic to sit in the courtroom. There was also a short lecture, but it was really 5th -grade level "how the court system works" Which is apparently needed, based upon the conversation of the people in line behind me who explained to their child that the Supreme Court makes the laws and who could not name the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court while we were standing in the Supreme Court! (I have no faith left in our education system--when we were viewing THE Constitution, one lady asked her kid where John Hancock's signature was, and then huffed off when I told her it was on the Declaration of Independence.)
After I met back up with the family, we headed over to the Washington Monument and viewed the White House, before trekking back to the Metro Station and heading up to the National Zoo for Zoolights. The lights were beautiful, but very few of the animal houses were open, and sadly, we have not seen the pandas.
After a very long day, we headed back to the metro and to our hotel. The kids have all now become metro -riding experts.
We thought we were done for the day, but DH really wanted to get some night shots of the Lincoln Memorial--which was only about a mile from our hotel. So we bundled up and headed out again. Unfortunately, public transportation doesn't get you close to the monuments and war memorials. We only saw the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. The rest will have to wait for a spring or summer trip.
Saturday:
We were pooped from yesterday and tired of museums. We had intended to hit the Spy Museum or the Newseum. We ended up visiting the Mansion on O Street. I'm not sure how to describe this place. It's kind of a hidden, out-of the-way place near Dupont Circle. Four townhouses have been joined together to form the Mansion, which is a hotel/event space/thrift store filled with crazy rooms and secret passages with hidden doors. it is filled with junk from top to bottom, and you can buy anything there. You can also go in any room that is not closed off--I can't imagine staying in a hotel with all kinds of strangers wandering the halls. Anyway, the kids claim it was the most fun they had. The loved seeking out all of the secret doors and hidden passageways and were very disappointed when we told them it was time to leave.
We had a late lunch at Dupont Circle before heading to the National Archives. I had reserved our tour ahead of time, so we were able to go through the fairly short security line instead of the really long security line. Here we saw the Magna Carta, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence. This is an absolute must see.
After heading back to dinner in our hotel room, we headed up M street for coffee and cupcakes in Georgetown. A pretty good way to end the day.
Overall, it's been a good trip. I think for a winter trip, we could have gone a couple of days shorter. We'd like to come back when it's warmer and we can enjoy more of the outdoor activities. And of course, there are about a million more museums we could hit.
This was a museum day--a good thing because the weather was cold and sleeting and miserable. We took a wrong turn coming out of the metro station and spent way too long going the wrong direction in the freezing weather.
We hit the merican History Museum and part of the Natural History Museum. The crowds were insane, and we endured the first of what was to be many, many security lines on this trip. We also learned that food prices at this Smithsonians is outrageous ($60 for burgers and shared fries!)
Honestly, I was a bit underwhelmed by the museums that we saw. Maybe it was partly because the American History Museum is being removated and many of the exhibits were closed. But we have visited many good museums before, and these weren't particularly more impressive.
We were so pooped after a long day of walking that I collapsed into bed by 8:00!
Thursday:
Today we toured the Capitol and the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is without question, the most stunning building I have ever seen. It is gorgeous. I think I could spend the whole day here, just staring at the architecture. We had arranged for a tour through our congressman, and were booked at the very end of the day. Unfortunately, our docent was very chatty and had not left the first floor more than half-way through our tour time. We were concerned about having enough time to view the other parts of the building, so we abandoned the tour and went exploring on our own like naughty children. This was probably the best decision we made all week, because we would not have had time to take in the breathtaking architecture otherwise.
The Caiptol tour was earlier in the day and brought very long security lines outside in the cold. The tourguide was good, but the tour was disappointingly short. However, the parts of the building that we were allowed to see were beautiful.
My representative had sent us gallery passes, but the House was not in session. The Senate was in session but our Senator required us to come by the office for passes. I would have loved to have Senate gallery passes, but we weren't willing to endure the long, cold security lines again, and we would have been very pressed for time with out Library of Congress passes.
Friday:
Today we hit the Air and Space Museum. It was the most dramatic of the museums we have seen. It had some really cool artifacts, but we went through that museum fairly quickly, because it duplicated a lot of what we have seen on other trips--particularly to NASA and the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola.
Afterward, the kids went back to the Natural History Museum with DH while I went to the Supreme Court. It was fantastic to sit in the courtroom. There was also a short lecture, but it was really 5th -grade level "how the court system works" Which is apparently needed, based upon the conversation of the people in line behind me who explained to their child that the Supreme Court makes the laws and who could not name the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court while we were standing in the Supreme Court! (I have no faith left in our education system--when we were viewing THE Constitution, one lady asked her kid where John Hancock's signature was, and then huffed off when I told her it was on the Declaration of Independence.)
After I met back up with the family, we headed over to the Washington Monument and viewed the White House, before trekking back to the Metro Station and heading up to the National Zoo for Zoolights. The lights were beautiful, but very few of the animal houses were open, and sadly, we have not seen the pandas.
After a very long day, we headed back to the metro and to our hotel. The kids have all now become metro -riding experts.
We thought we were done for the day, but DH really wanted to get some night shots of the Lincoln Memorial--which was only about a mile from our hotel. So we bundled up and headed out again. Unfortunately, public transportation doesn't get you close to the monuments and war memorials. We only saw the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. The rest will have to wait for a spring or summer trip.
Saturday:
We were pooped from yesterday and tired of museums. We had intended to hit the Spy Museum or the Newseum. We ended up visiting the Mansion on O Street. I'm not sure how to describe this place. It's kind of a hidden, out-of the-way place near Dupont Circle. Four townhouses have been joined together to form the Mansion, which is a hotel/event space/thrift store filled with crazy rooms and secret passages with hidden doors. it is filled with junk from top to bottom, and you can buy anything there. You can also go in any room that is not closed off--I can't imagine staying in a hotel with all kinds of strangers wandering the halls. Anyway, the kids claim it was the most fun they had. The loved seeking out all of the secret doors and hidden passageways and were very disappointed when we told them it was time to leave.
We had a late lunch at Dupont Circle before heading to the National Archives. I had reserved our tour ahead of time, so we were able to go through the fairly short security line instead of the really long security line. Here we saw the Magna Carta, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence. This is an absolute must see.
After heading back to dinner in our hotel room, we headed up M street for coffee and cupcakes in Georgetown. A pretty good way to end the day.
Overall, it's been a good trip. I think for a winter trip, we could have gone a couple of days shorter. We'd like to come back when it's warmer and we can enjoy more of the outdoor activities. And of course, there are about a million more museums we could hit.
12/26/12
DC Vacay Days 1-2
We headed out to the airport early on Christmas Eve. The kids plus all their stuff was about as much fun as I expected, although, blessedly, the security line was nonexistant. We arrived in DC, one plane change later and only 15 minutes later than scheduled, on a rainy, dreary afternoon.
We were thankful to find a minivan cab right away--as we've already discovered these are not overly common in DC and we can't all fit in a sedan-style cab. There was a slight problem with our hotel reservation when we arrived, which added a bit of stress, but was easily resolved. We are staying in a suite hotel with a full kichen, so we were pleased to see a Trader Joe's directly across the street. Although I have heard much about the aweseomness of Trader Joe's, I found it to be a bit overrated. Still, we were glad to be able to stock our kitchen, knowing that everything would be closed on Christmas.
As soon as we got back, we headed out to the National Cathedral by way of bus. It was cold and wet, and we were happy that we didn't have to wait very long, although the bus ride seemed to take forever and we arrived only a few mintues before the service started. The National Cathedral is simply stunning, although I wish we could have seen more of it and we were seated so far back we really could see anything that was happening except on the monitors. We'd like to go back and do a tour, but I don't think we'll have time on this trip.
Christmas morning, the kids opened their stockings and we headed out to Mount Vernon. This will (hopefully) be our most expensive day. Tickets to Mount Vernon cost more than an other attraction we are planning to visit and it was no easy task to get there. We took the metro to the end of the line, and then started waiting on a but that apparently only ran every hour on normal days, and who knows how often on a holiday. After about a 15-minute wait, a mini-van cab showed up and we grabbed it. A $30 cab ride later, and we were there.
Mount Vernon was beautiful and interesting , but I'm not sure it was worth the hassle and expense of getting there.
Coming back, we stopped at Arlington National Cemetery. It is truly the most humbling place I have ever been, and seemed a particularly appropriate place to spend Christmas. Pictures simply don't convey the hundreds of thousands of gravestones that go on as far as the eye can see. It was especially beautiful with Christmas wreaths laid at every headstone. We visited Vicksburg a couple of years ago, which was impressive on its own, but incomparable to Arlington.
We ended our day with dinner near Dupont Circle and a brisk walk back to our hotel, where we all collapsed in exhaustion. This is a beautiful city, and I love it already. I feel like I live in a barren wasteland in comparison. Today we hit a couple of the Smithsonians. Maybe we'll see some of the monuments, if the weather cooperates, although it sounds like it is sleeting right now.
We were thankful to find a minivan cab right away--as we've already discovered these are not overly common in DC and we can't all fit in a sedan-style cab. There was a slight problem with our hotel reservation when we arrived, which added a bit of stress, but was easily resolved. We are staying in a suite hotel with a full kichen, so we were pleased to see a Trader Joe's directly across the street. Although I have heard much about the aweseomness of Trader Joe's, I found it to be a bit overrated. Still, we were glad to be able to stock our kitchen, knowing that everything would be closed on Christmas.
As soon as we got back, we headed out to the National Cathedral by way of bus. It was cold and wet, and we were happy that we didn't have to wait very long, although the bus ride seemed to take forever and we arrived only a few mintues before the service started. The National Cathedral is simply stunning, although I wish we could have seen more of it and we were seated so far back we really could see anything that was happening except on the monitors. We'd like to go back and do a tour, but I don't think we'll have time on this trip.
Christmas morning, the kids opened their stockings and we headed out to Mount Vernon. This will (hopefully) be our most expensive day. Tickets to Mount Vernon cost more than an other attraction we are planning to visit and it was no easy task to get there. We took the metro to the end of the line, and then started waiting on a but that apparently only ran every hour on normal days, and who knows how often on a holiday. After about a 15-minute wait, a mini-van cab showed up and we grabbed it. A $30 cab ride later, and we were there.
Mount Vernon was beautiful and interesting , but I'm not sure it was worth the hassle and expense of getting there.
Coming back, we stopped at Arlington National Cemetery. It is truly the most humbling place I have ever been, and seemed a particularly appropriate place to spend Christmas. Pictures simply don't convey the hundreds of thousands of gravestones that go on as far as the eye can see. It was especially beautiful with Christmas wreaths laid at every headstone. We visited Vicksburg a couple of years ago, which was impressive on its own, but incomparable to Arlington.
We ended our day with dinner near Dupont Circle and a brisk walk back to our hotel, where we all collapsed in exhaustion. This is a beautiful city, and I love it already. I feel like I live in a barren wasteland in comparison. Today we hit a couple of the Smithsonians. Maybe we'll see some of the monuments, if the weather cooperates, although it sounds like it is sleeting right now.
12/23/12
LC's Thoughts on Gun Control
First, the background:
I was raised in a gun family. Pretty much everyone in my extended family owns an extensive collection of firearms of all shapes and sizes. I own several handguns and a shotgun (I have not purchased any--they were all gifted to me). I've been shooting since I was big enough to hold the barrel straight. I've fired everything from a tiny Derringer pistol to an AR-15 (yes, that would be an assault rifle). I do not hunt--I never had the desire or stomach for it. I can't imagine ever shooting a living thing, but I enjoy target shooting.
Do I need these guns? No, not really. Because of safety measures, they are useless for home defense. My guns are all locked up. The ammo is kept separately from the guns. The keys are hidden. My children do not and will not have access to these weapons. Allowing kids (or mentally unstable adults) access to firearms is stupid, irresponsible, and potentially deadly.
Would I give them up? Yes. I guess I keep them around because I don't know where they might end up if I got rid of them.
So why are people so attached to their guns? There are people who earnestly believe the NRA party-line that an armed citizenship is the reason that our country hasn't been invaded. That if they give up their high-powered rifles, we will be invaded by China or North Korea. Frankly, I think this is total bullshit. There is no legitimate non-military purpose for assault weapons (high-powered, semi-automatic rifles). These machines are made for killing people--there is no other purpose. They don't need to be owned by individuals.
What bothers me most is that we did have an assault weapon ban that was passed along with the Brady Bill. But it was written with a sunset provision (WTF?) and was sunsetted with little fanfare a few years ago. It was sunsetted after Columbine, after we had seen similar tragedies. Why was this bill ever sunsetted? And why did nobody care when it happened? Will anybody still care about this issue a year from now?
More importantly, did the assault-weapon ban do any good? My preliminary research shows not much. But maybe the Lanzas would not have been able to purchose those guns if the prior bill hadn't been sunsetted. (I have not seen anything indicating when they were purchased.)
I absolutely think the assault weapon ban should be renewed--but I don't think it's nearly enough. I don't have an answer, but the NRA's stance disgusts me. They are refusing to give an inch. I haven't heard anybody suggest that all guns should be banned, but the NRA refuses to consider any compromise. (And why does the NRA have so much power anyway? Can our legislators please grow some balls and refuse their money?). There should be limits. There should be background checks AND registration (I have multiple guns and never had to have a background check because I didn't buy them and I don't have to register them). There shouldn't be assault rifles or high-capacity magazines (but you aren't going to get rid of the ones people already own).
In my gun-loving state they are talking about arming teachers. This is the worst idea ever. Even though I have been trained, I'm a decent shot, and I have been using guns since I was very young, I have absolutely no confidence in my ability to take down a determined, armed intruder. I don't want guns in my kids' schools. I don't want minimally trained teachers making judgment calls involving guns (yeah, the same people who sent my kids home in a tornado--I think not.) I can only see more death and destruction--either accidentally or intentionally--coming from such an idiotic proposition.
At the end of the day, I think the Newtown shooting is largely the fault of Lanza's mother. I'm not sure any legislation would have prevented those horrific murders. But she purchased those weapons (and would have been the one subject to any background checks or registration laws). She did not keep them out of reach of her mentally ill child, and she was the person with the best knowledge of his mental state. Her lack of judgment cost 26 lives. If she weren't dead, she should be criminally prosecuted.
I was raised in a gun family. Pretty much everyone in my extended family owns an extensive collection of firearms of all shapes and sizes. I own several handguns and a shotgun (I have not purchased any--they were all gifted to me). I've been shooting since I was big enough to hold the barrel straight. I've fired everything from a tiny Derringer pistol to an AR-15 (yes, that would be an assault rifle). I do not hunt--I never had the desire or stomach for it. I can't imagine ever shooting a living thing, but I enjoy target shooting.
Do I need these guns? No, not really. Because of safety measures, they are useless for home defense. My guns are all locked up. The ammo is kept separately from the guns. The keys are hidden. My children do not and will not have access to these weapons. Allowing kids (or mentally unstable adults) access to firearms is stupid, irresponsible, and potentially deadly.
Would I give them up? Yes. I guess I keep them around because I don't know where they might end up if I got rid of them.
So why are people so attached to their guns? There are people who earnestly believe the NRA party-line that an armed citizenship is the reason that our country hasn't been invaded. That if they give up their high-powered rifles, we will be invaded by China or North Korea. Frankly, I think this is total bullshit. There is no legitimate non-military purpose for assault weapons (high-powered, semi-automatic rifles). These machines are made for killing people--there is no other purpose. They don't need to be owned by individuals.
What bothers me most is that we did have an assault weapon ban that was passed along with the Brady Bill. But it was written with a sunset provision (WTF?) and was sunsetted with little fanfare a few years ago. It was sunsetted after Columbine, after we had seen similar tragedies. Why was this bill ever sunsetted? And why did nobody care when it happened? Will anybody still care about this issue a year from now?
More importantly, did the assault-weapon ban do any good? My preliminary research shows not much. But maybe the Lanzas would not have been able to purchose those guns if the prior bill hadn't been sunsetted. (I have not seen anything indicating when they were purchased.)
I absolutely think the assault weapon ban should be renewed--but I don't think it's nearly enough. I don't have an answer, but the NRA's stance disgusts me. They are refusing to give an inch. I haven't heard anybody suggest that all guns should be banned, but the NRA refuses to consider any compromise. (And why does the NRA have so much power anyway? Can our legislators please grow some balls and refuse their money?). There should be limits. There should be background checks AND registration (I have multiple guns and never had to have a background check because I didn't buy them and I don't have to register them). There shouldn't be assault rifles or high-capacity magazines (but you aren't going to get rid of the ones people already own).
In my gun-loving state they are talking about arming teachers. This is the worst idea ever. Even though I have been trained, I'm a decent shot, and I have been using guns since I was very young, I have absolutely no confidence in my ability to take down a determined, armed intruder. I don't want guns in my kids' schools. I don't want minimally trained teachers making judgment calls involving guns (yeah, the same people who sent my kids home in a tornado--I think not.) I can only see more death and destruction--either accidentally or intentionally--coming from such an idiotic proposition.
At the end of the day, I think the Newtown shooting is largely the fault of Lanza's mother. I'm not sure any legislation would have prevented those horrific murders. But she purchased those weapons (and would have been the one subject to any background checks or registration laws). She did not keep them out of reach of her mentally ill child, and she was the person with the best knowledge of his mental state. Her lack of judgment cost 26 lives. If she weren't dead, she should be criminally prosecuted.
12/21/12
Freeeeeee!
Starting today I am off through New Year's Day. This is the longest I have ever taken off, although it's only 5 working days. And it's not without some guilt...we are super busy right now (ironic since half the reason I picked next week for vacation is because litigation is typically slow in December). Still, I'm so, so happy for the down time. I've already billed substantially more this month than I have in any one of the last several months, and it will be back to the grindstone as soon as I get back.
It has been a good week professionally for both DH and me. In addition to my victory on Monday, we found out late yesterday that we (mostly) survived summary judgment in another case. We took over this case about 3 weeks ago (2.5 years old, set for trial in Feb.) I had 3 days to learn the facts and law and to draft a response, and the prior lawyers had no faith we would survive SJ. But we did--yay! And Big Boss actually called me to thank me and acknowledge that I had done most of the heavy lifting to make it happen--that kind of acknowledgement never happens!
DH and I both got our reviews this week, too, which came with very nice financial surprises. This was especially good news for DH who works for a REIT and who's income has been a bit stagnant due to the economy (and hopefully telling of a general economic upswing). Mine came with talk of partnership--which has been mentioned before, but more in passing, and surprised me a bit because I'm only a 5th year. The gist was that it was discussed this year but decided against because of economic reasons (of which I am well aware), but is certainly on the table in the near future.
Now I have three days to shop, wrap and pack. Actually, the shopping is mostly done. I'm just debating whether I'm brave enough to endure the crowds to try to find an extra pair of jeans to take along (probably not--I hate shopping and crowds, there's is a reason God gave us the internet and UPS.)
It has been a good week professionally for both DH and me. In addition to my victory on Monday, we found out late yesterday that we (mostly) survived summary judgment in another case. We took over this case about 3 weeks ago (2.5 years old, set for trial in Feb.) I had 3 days to learn the facts and law and to draft a response, and the prior lawyers had no faith we would survive SJ. But we did--yay! And Big Boss actually called me to thank me and acknowledge that I had done most of the heavy lifting to make it happen--that kind of acknowledgement never happens!
DH and I both got our reviews this week, too, which came with very nice financial surprises. This was especially good news for DH who works for a REIT and who's income has been a bit stagnant due to the economy (and hopefully telling of a general economic upswing). Mine came with talk of partnership--which has been mentioned before, but more in passing, and surprised me a bit because I'm only a 5th year. The gist was that it was discussed this year but decided against because of economic reasons (of which I am well aware), but is certainly on the table in the near future.
Now I have three days to shop, wrap and pack. Actually, the shopping is mostly done. I'm just debating whether I'm brave enough to endure the crowds to try to find an extra pair of jeans to take along (probably not--I hate shopping and crowds, there's is a reason God gave us the internet and UPS.)
12/17/12
Life and Kids and Law
Work/life craziness (there is definitely no balance these days) has continued, culminating in a day of complete insanity (ok, probably not culminating--it is wishful thinking to believe this is the end.)
I have continued working crazy hours, and the only days I have left the office at a reasonable hour recently are when I have kid stuff going on, so I still don' t get home until late.
I had a briefing deadline on Friday, but I nevertheless volunteered to haul a carload of Girl Scouts to camp. Because surely my brief had to be finalized by 3:00 and I would be a-ok to leave (I know you're thinking, yeah right...but the judge was supposed to rule Monday, so he really needed the brief Friday afternoon if we had any expectation that he would read it.). So I ran my tail off Friday, and did manage to pull it off and leave the office at 3:00.
I was so focused on my brief that I didn't hear about the horrible news in Newtown until late in the day, and mostly on the radio on the way home. I was very glad that I had chosen that day to be home early and that I was going to get to spend a bit of extra time with my girlies on the long drive to camp. I don't think its possible to be a parent and not internalize something like that.
Got the girls dropped off at camp and finally made it back home at 9:30 Friday night--physically and emotionally exhausted. (Yes, I was comfortable leaving them there. Honestly, it seems like one of the safest places they could be.)
Saturday was DH's work party--which is always a fancy cocktail-attire affair. But I've been so busy lately that I hadn't had any time to shop. So I was out shopping at 7:30 Saturday morning, desperately seeking a cocktail dress, even though all I really wanted in life was to spend the day in my jammies watching insipid Christmas movies and eating ice cream from the carton. But I did find a dress and the party was nice and I drank a lot of vodka.
Sunday morning was the second 4-hour round trip to retrieve the Girl Scouts. As soon as we got back home, I headed to the office until 8:00 to prepare for a hearing that I had today.
And then today...
I had a significant evidentiary hearing set for this afternoon. My client and key witness was flying in from half-way across the country. At 10:00 this morning the court clerk called to inform me that the judge wasn't coming in and my hearing was cancelled.
Wait..what? But my client is on a plane right at this very minute for the sole purpose of attending this hearing. I begged and pleaded for another judge to hear the case. I did not want to inform my client that his cross-country trip was for naught.
The clerk was non-committal. Maybe she could dig up an associate judge, but it was doubtful.
I called the opposing attorney to tell him the situation. He immediately thanked his lucky stars and informed me he would be objecting to an associate judge (and if he did, the hearing would not go forward).
At 11:00 I called back to check on whether another judge had been found. Got voicemail.
Finally, at 11:30 I got a call from the clerk letting me know that another judge was available--an elected judge, not an associate judge--so no objection would stop the hearing from proceeding.
Of course, by that point, I had spend my morning scrambling instead of preparing. But I was thankful my client's time would not be wasted.
So the client shows up, I brief him on the issues, and we head to court. We were supposed to have 2 hours for our hearing. Instead we were given 20 minutes smushed in the middle of someone else's hearing (and so there was a gallery-full of attorney's observing). I was flustered and my opening was wobbly, but my closing was much better. Oh, and I got the judge to change her ruling on a piece of significant evidence when I spit out a statute that neither she nor the other attorney had ever heard of. Score!
And we won! Well..mostly. There is an issue regarding one of our damages elements that the judge wants briefed. In 7 days. So, yeah, that makes my briefing deadline on Christmas Day. And I'm supposed to be on vacation starting Friday and will be in DC on Christmas and the day following (which would be the true due date). So I guess I have three days to brief this issue that I haven't researched at all and have no clue which way the law will blow. Fun! Because I have plenty of time to add another brief to my over-loaded docket full of loose ends that need to be tied before I leave on vacation. (And to think I picked this time because December is usually slow in litigation!)
I have continued working crazy hours, and the only days I have left the office at a reasonable hour recently are when I have kid stuff going on, so I still don' t get home until late.
I had a briefing deadline on Friday, but I nevertheless volunteered to haul a carload of Girl Scouts to camp. Because surely my brief had to be finalized by 3:00 and I would be a-ok to leave (I know you're thinking, yeah right...but the judge was supposed to rule Monday, so he really needed the brief Friday afternoon if we had any expectation that he would read it.). So I ran my tail off Friday, and did manage to pull it off and leave the office at 3:00.
I was so focused on my brief that I didn't hear about the horrible news in Newtown until late in the day, and mostly on the radio on the way home. I was very glad that I had chosen that day to be home early and that I was going to get to spend a bit of extra time with my girlies on the long drive to camp. I don't think its possible to be a parent and not internalize something like that.
Got the girls dropped off at camp and finally made it back home at 9:30 Friday night--physically and emotionally exhausted. (Yes, I was comfortable leaving them there. Honestly, it seems like one of the safest places they could be.)
Saturday was DH's work party--which is always a fancy cocktail-attire affair. But I've been so busy lately that I hadn't had any time to shop. So I was out shopping at 7:30 Saturday morning, desperately seeking a cocktail dress, even though all I really wanted in life was to spend the day in my jammies watching insipid Christmas movies and eating ice cream from the carton. But I did find a dress and the party was nice and I drank a lot of vodka.
Sunday morning was the second 4-hour round trip to retrieve the Girl Scouts. As soon as we got back home, I headed to the office until 8:00 to prepare for a hearing that I had today.
And then today...
I had a significant evidentiary hearing set for this afternoon. My client and key witness was flying in from half-way across the country. At 10:00 this morning the court clerk called to inform me that the judge wasn't coming in and my hearing was cancelled.
Wait..what? But my client is on a plane right at this very minute for the sole purpose of attending this hearing. I begged and pleaded for another judge to hear the case. I did not want to inform my client that his cross-country trip was for naught.
The clerk was non-committal. Maybe she could dig up an associate judge, but it was doubtful.
I called the opposing attorney to tell him the situation. He immediately thanked his lucky stars and informed me he would be objecting to an associate judge (and if he did, the hearing would not go forward).
At 11:00 I called back to check on whether another judge had been found. Got voicemail.
Finally, at 11:30 I got a call from the clerk letting me know that another judge was available--an elected judge, not an associate judge--so no objection would stop the hearing from proceeding.
Of course, by that point, I had spend my morning scrambling instead of preparing. But I was thankful my client's time would not be wasted.
So the client shows up, I brief him on the issues, and we head to court. We were supposed to have 2 hours for our hearing. Instead we were given 20 minutes smushed in the middle of someone else's hearing (and so there was a gallery-full of attorney's observing). I was flustered and my opening was wobbly, but my closing was much better. Oh, and I got the judge to change her ruling on a piece of significant evidence when I spit out a statute that neither she nor the other attorney had ever heard of. Score!
And we won! Well..mostly. There is an issue regarding one of our damages elements that the judge wants briefed. In 7 days. So, yeah, that makes my briefing deadline on Christmas Day. And I'm supposed to be on vacation starting Friday and will be in DC on Christmas and the day following (which would be the true due date). So I guess I have three days to brief this issue that I haven't researched at all and have no clue which way the law will blow. Fun! Because I have plenty of time to add another brief to my over-loaded docket full of loose ends that need to be tied before I leave on vacation. (And to think I picked this time because December is usually slow in litigation!)
12/9/12
Morning Sickness
No, I don't have it. I'm way past those days, thank goodness. But the world is all atwitter about Kate having hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), and this is something that I am most definitely an expert in. I previously posted about it here.
First, comparing hyperemesis to morning sickness is like comparing eczema to leprosy. It always drove me crazy when it would come up in conversation and someone would say, "oh yes, I had terrible morning sickness, too. I threw up every day." Or oh yes, "but I had all day sickness, I would be nauseated in the morning and throw up at 4:00 every afternoon." Still not the same. HG is the reason I will never have any more children (on my doctor's advice).
For me, HG meant debilitating nausea and vomiting 24/7, for months. I was never not nauseated. I couldn't eat or drink anything without vomiting. The best (and very expensive) anti-nausea medication on the market couldn't even touch my nausea. So I stopped eating and drinking. And still, I vomited bile over and over again, all day long.
Working was out of the question. I became so weak that I couldn't even walk to the bathroom or lift my arms over my head long enough to comb my hair. I spent weeks in the hospital and more weeks receiving IV fluids at home. I dropped nearly 30 pounds, and I was not overweight to begin with. My hair fell out in clumps.
Second, HG doesn't automatically mean twins. I had HG during three pregnancies, and only one was twins (I had a miscarriage between PS and the twins.) In fact, my mother was furious when I got pregnant with the twins, because I had been so very sick with my previous two pregnancies. However, the HG was about 10 times worse with the twins. In fact, I finally asked my doctors about the possibility of multiples because it was so much worse than with my previous pregnancies. They kind of blew off this suggestion, but I was given an ultrasound the next day (this was still very early--maybe 8 weeks), and lo and behold, there were two babies in there.
With that pregnancy, I was hospitalized for weeks--no home care this time around. I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's in the hospital. PS was sent to stay with her grandparents for weeks at a time, which was absolute torture for me. Nothing controlled the nausea. My doctors told me that I was starving to death. That I should consider terminating my pregnancy because it was wrecking my body. Mine was the worst case of HG my doctors had ever encountered, and that period was absolutely the worst period of my entire life.
I was eventually given a feeding tube, which I vomited up within hours. And then I was given a central line. Eventually, one of my docs found an experimental treatment involving massive doses of steroids. It took a few tries, but eventually it worked--by then I was well into my 5th month.
Obviously, the babies and I all survived with no ill effects (and there is no indication that the HG caused my miscarriage). But I always feel some obligation to educate about HG. Because I've heard so many comments like, "I had morning sickness and I worked every day of my pregnancy." It's just not the same. You can't suck it up and deal with HG because it completely overtakes you.
First, comparing hyperemesis to morning sickness is like comparing eczema to leprosy. It always drove me crazy when it would come up in conversation and someone would say, "oh yes, I had terrible morning sickness, too. I threw up every day." Or oh yes, "but I had all day sickness, I would be nauseated in the morning and throw up at 4:00 every afternoon." Still not the same. HG is the reason I will never have any more children (on my doctor's advice).
For me, HG meant debilitating nausea and vomiting 24/7, for months. I was never not nauseated. I couldn't eat or drink anything without vomiting. The best (and very expensive) anti-nausea medication on the market couldn't even touch my nausea. So I stopped eating and drinking. And still, I vomited bile over and over again, all day long.
Working was out of the question. I became so weak that I couldn't even walk to the bathroom or lift my arms over my head long enough to comb my hair. I spent weeks in the hospital and more weeks receiving IV fluids at home. I dropped nearly 30 pounds, and I was not overweight to begin with. My hair fell out in clumps.
Second, HG doesn't automatically mean twins. I had HG during three pregnancies, and only one was twins (I had a miscarriage between PS and the twins.) In fact, my mother was furious when I got pregnant with the twins, because I had been so very sick with my previous two pregnancies. However, the HG was about 10 times worse with the twins. In fact, I finally asked my doctors about the possibility of multiples because it was so much worse than with my previous pregnancies. They kind of blew off this suggestion, but I was given an ultrasound the next day (this was still very early--maybe 8 weeks), and lo and behold, there were two babies in there.
With that pregnancy, I was hospitalized for weeks--no home care this time around. I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's in the hospital. PS was sent to stay with her grandparents for weeks at a time, which was absolute torture for me. Nothing controlled the nausea. My doctors told me that I was starving to death. That I should consider terminating my pregnancy because it was wrecking my body. Mine was the worst case of HG my doctors had ever encountered, and that period was absolutely the worst period of my entire life.
I was eventually given a feeding tube, which I vomited up within hours. And then I was given a central line. Eventually, one of my docs found an experimental treatment involving massive doses of steroids. It took a few tries, but eventually it worked--by then I was well into my 5th month.
Obviously, the babies and I all survived with no ill effects (and there is no indication that the HG caused my miscarriage). But I always feel some obligation to educate about HG. Because I've heard so many comments like, "I had morning sickness and I worked every day of my pregnancy." It's just not the same. You can't suck it up and deal with HG because it completely overtakes you.
12/4/12
Pooped
After working all weekend and billing twice my weekly average over the last week, I am pooped. Once upon a time I was used to billing a gazillion hours a month, but that is no longer the norm and I almost forgot the zombie-like state that goes along with it.
But we hit a deadline this afternoon, so I cut out at 4:00 (after working until 11:00 last night and being back in the office at 8 this morning) . PS and I have theater tickets tonight, and I am glad to have a bit of time at home and hanging out with my girlies before starting the commute back into Big City to see our show. I hope I don't fall asleep. I may need to hit Starbucks on the way.
I think the twins have taken advantage of my exhausted brain and talked me into a sleepover this weekend. They seem to have made a bunch of new friends this year (despite being their 7th year in this school), and I haven't met most of them. This should give me a chance to meet them and, hopefully, their parents. We've just got to squeeze it in between volleyball and more volleyball and caroling with the girl scouts. But this weekend looks better than any other over the next 6 weeks or so.
The good news is that tomorrow's hump day. Let's just hope I actually get a weekend this weekend.
But we hit a deadline this afternoon, so I cut out at 4:00 (after working until 11:00 last night and being back in the office at 8 this morning) . PS and I have theater tickets tonight, and I am glad to have a bit of time at home and hanging out with my girlies before starting the commute back into Big City to see our show. I hope I don't fall asleep. I may need to hit Starbucks on the way.
I think the twins have taken advantage of my exhausted brain and talked me into a sleepover this weekend. They seem to have made a bunch of new friends this year (despite being their 7th year in this school), and I haven't met most of them. This should give me a chance to meet them and, hopefully, their parents. We've just got to squeeze it in between volleyball and more volleyball and caroling with the girl scouts. But this weekend looks better than any other over the next 6 weeks or so.
The good news is that tomorrow's hump day. Let's just hope I actually get a weekend this weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)