This weekend...

-- is going to be great!!!

-- for the first time since we graduated law school, and probably for the last time in a while, all my friends will be in the same place at the same time! I cannot wait to see everyone in the Grove for the Ole Miss-Arkansas game Saturday! I am still amazed everyone is coming on the same weekend!

-- for the Grove I will be making some of my specialties-- oyster crackers, white trash and regular trash! Yum!

-- have finally decided what to wear! Its a very important part of the process of getting prepared for the game!

-- will get to see my sister this weekend! I miss that girl!

-- was worried about getting a ticket, but Josh saved me! Thanks Josh!

-- am excited this weekend is going to be so good-- last weekend was awesome and I am looking foward to two fun weekends in a row!! I'll blog about last weekend soon-- I promised Penny!

-- I took my first deposition today-- via telephone-- had lots of technicaly difficulties, but it went fine! I am glad its over-- I've obsessed about it for a week, read two books on depositions to prepare, made out a bunch of questions to ask. I know I was going overboard and it wasn't that big of a deal, but being new at this, I want to be sure to be prepared. Eventually, I'll know what I am doing and won't have to worry too much!

-- am getting paid tomorrow-- the biggest payday thus far of my career! I'm sure I'll have it all spent by Monday, between bills, and shopping, but who cares! Yay!

Things to be Excited About...

Its 8:30 and I am still at work. So, to take my mind off that sad fact, here are some things I am excited about.

-- FALL!!! Cooler weather, leaves turning, fall-y smells like my yummy Autumn Wreath candle, cool weather foods like soups and chili
-- Going to the beach this weekend-- headed down there with two friends of mine-- two girls I've known since high school
-- Having to work so much and being stressed about work-- its not fun, but its still a good thing-it means I'm not stressed about not working or not having enough money to pay the bills
-- New Fall TV shows-- even though my favs aren't back yet (Lost and Jericho), I'm glad to see PrisonBreak, the Office, and others back on
-- Netflix-- I love getting a movie in the mail-- sometimes it just brigtens my day! I'm currently watching La Femme Nikita Season 2.

An interesting day..

I've been procrastinating. I've got no less than 10 important things that need to be done as soon as possible, but I'm worried about cleaning out my email inbox, checking on that gift I ordered forever ago, and cleaning up my desk. Finally got tired of my sad little empty office this weekend and bought some office furniture. Well, I had intentions of buying actual furniture, but I really only got some accessories-- lamps, coatrack, small tables, etc. I've got office furniture for my office (a desk, bookshelf, and computer desk) and it looks fine, but the "waiting area" is empty. Its got built in cabinets and counters with stuff on the counters but the only thing on the floor was a shredder. So, I bought some stuff for that room. I've gotten some chairs from my aunt and from my mom's office, and its looking a whole lot better. My mom came and helped me clean things up and now the only thing that looks bad is my desk, which is why I've spent so much time this morning working on it!

Today has been interesting. One thing that sucks about being a baby lawyer is that you get cases no one else wants. A lady called me last week, I'll call her K., about how she is being evicted because she called the Health Department on the landlord. And she called me about 7 times in one day asking questions, ignoring my questions, telling me things she thought was important, etc. And today she came in to see me. Not before bothering the bank ladies on the first floor, who already scowl at me when I walk in the front doors for some reason, and even though I'd specifically told her exactly where my office was and on what floor it was. Anyway, she came to visit and we had a nice long chat wherein it was decided I couldn't help her. She had a couple choices, and both of them involved her suing and potentially only getting a few hundred dollars, most of which would be my fee. So I advised her to head to Justice Court adn file suit herself. I guess it was this advice that made her mad.

I had noticed she smelled really bad at the beginning of the meeting when she showed me some pictures and was right beside me. I'd decided I needed to buy some Febreze immediately. But when she stood up to leave, I noticed her jeans were unbuttoned, and when she walked out the door, I noticed the back of her pants had a strange shadow pattern-- it looked like she had sat in something wet. And when she was gone and I walked back into my office, I realized what it was. Urine. She had wet my chair. It was a horrible smell. It was unbelievable.

So, I've lit some candles, moved the chair out of my office, and called the cleaners. It'll cost my $20.00 to get it cleaned. I think its worth it.

P.S. Don't tell my aunt-- they are her chairs and she'll freak out, so I'm keeping it mum till much later.

Bunko and Prison

Last night was PrisonBreak-- very good still. My dad thinks the show is sorta chuckle this year, but I think it was rather chuckle last year, and I still watched it. Its a bit unbelievable which I find refreshing in this case-- if I wanted reality, I'd sit at home adn look at myself in the mirror. And I love PrisonBreak, not only because Michael is so hot, but because I really like things about prison. Prison movies, documentaries, books, etc. Obsessed with prison. Nearly died happy when my old roomate and I toured Alcatraz our last year of law school. I love watching MSNBC's Lockup late at night. I'd totally know how to survive in prison. There was a BET special on Sex in Prison I caught the end of a couple months ago and I've been trying to get information on it to see if it will be shown again.

Tonight I am hosting Bunko in Newton, so I am driving up there this afternoon. I've basically spent all day running errands to get ready. I am hosting, but it will actually be at my friend Sonji's house-- love Sonji! Love her family. Totally want to be an honorary member. So, I am bringing the food, and the gifts for the winners. Which just reminds me that I need to get a little gift for everyone else! This is winding up costing a fortune! While I love hosting things, I am a bit disjointed-- not having my own house, my own stuff, my own parties means that I run around trying to buy stuff I should already have and have to plan a party out of my car. So, this hasn't been as much fun as hosting parties used to be.

Plus, I am a terrible cook, but a great buyer. Which means I never cook anything but just go buy everything. Tonight we are having BBQ, and I bought some yummy sauce at the gourmet store in Laurel, which I will serve with cream cheese adn crackers. And I've got to go buy some drinks, and then run by the bakery and get something for dessert. And then run by the gift store to pick up the wrapped gifts-- I bought the winner's gifts at Target and got Quinn's Pharmacy to wrap them for me. I also opened up a charge account there-- she was supposed to check my credit and get approval from their owner, but she went ahead adn let me open one! I'd like to think it was my charming manner, or the fact that she found out I was a lawyer, but it probably has more to do with the fact that my dad's had a charge account there for years-- probably 20 at least. So she knew she'd get the money somehow. That charge account of my dad's is a sore subject-- when I was in college, my mom and my sister charged a ton of stuff (my sister would go and charge stuff for her friend's Christmas presents!), and my dad got angry and forbid us from charging anymore. I actually thought he'd closed the account. So for many years I never charged anything-- never even considered it, being the good eldest daughter I am. Then, about a two years ago, my dad tells me that his Quinn's bill got high again adn for me not to charge anything. And I am like WHATTT???? Apparently Betsy and my mom have continued to charge things on there all this time, and he never said anything. But I didn't because I obeyed. So, in essence, they didn't obey but yet got all sorts of gifts and stuff from there all that time. Yet another example of how unfair my family is to people who follow the rules!!

Anyway, I've got some more errands to run today and its days like this I wish I had a secretary!!

My worst nightmare...

Came true this morning. In an effort to make ends meet while starting my law practice, I am living with my aunt. She has a pretty cool attic bedroom that I stay in which is quieter than most places in the house, and allows me to get away from everything when necessary. Its really hot in the attic, but I've made it thought the worst and its about to be winter. Hopefully, by Christmas or a bit after, I'll be living in my own place.

Unfortunately, my aunt doesn't seem to care about the rodent/bug problems in the house. They are everywhere-- especially in the den and kitchen areas. But she's not scared of them and laughs at me when I freak out about seeing a roach. She's actually kinda mean about it. But I hate roaches. Now, I can kill them if necessary, but I'd rather someone else do it. And these roachs are the little ones-- they are the big wood roaches two inches long. Disgusting. My aunt hates lizards and freaked out the other day, screaming like a girl when she saw one in the doorway, but those things don't bother me that much. Certainly not as much as roaches.

Fortunately, I haven't seem many in my upstairs attic room. Until a couple weeks ago, when I woke up in the middle of the night, turned on the light and saw one on my dresser, less than a foot from my head. I freaked out a bit, eventually killed it, but, for good measure, slept on the couch downstairs for a couple nights. I bought some Raid, and sprayed it everywhere till the smell made me sick. And I've seen one more in my room, but it was easily disposed of. Things were well until last night. This morning, technically.

I was dreaming peacefully when I felt something on my face, and I swatted it away. I felt how big it was and heard it thud when it fell off. I immediately freaked out, and turned on the light, but saw nothing. Hoping it was a small little big and I was just confused because I was half-asleep, I went downstairs to use the bathroom, and when I came back, I saw it. On the wall, just inches from where my head once was. A roach. A huge, disgusting roach. And I knew, with a sick feeling in my stomach, that it was the same thing I had just pushed off my face in the middle of my dreams. It was horrible!! I grabbed the Raid, sprayed it over and over, ruining a magazine it landed on, and continued to alternate between spraying and hitting it until it ran under my bed. Now, I know that its probably dead, what with all the spray it inhaled, and I'm not worried about it anymore. Eventually, I will gather the courage to look under the bed to check and see if it is there. But, this morning, I just grabbed my pillow, my phone and a book (which could be interesting insight into my psyche, if you like that sort of thing), and ran downstairs. Where I sprayed another can of raid all over the den and settled on the couch. I wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, adn it was approximately 5 a.m., so I watched Angel and then dozed on and off during JAG. I never really went back to sleep because everytime I closed my eyes, I felt the roach, on my nose, on my face, on my hair, on my back, everywhere. Its a terrible feeling and I've felt it all day long. Even now. Its horrible.

I don't know what I am going to do now. Its been my greatest fear to have a roach crawling on me (ever since I had two roaches crawl over my foot while spending that night at Becky P.'s house in 6th grade-- she had a fabulous old mansion for a house, but the roaches were everywhere). So I honestly don't know what I am going to do-- I cannot imagine sleeping ever again! My brother told me that the chances of it happening again were like a billion to one, but I think the chances of it ever happening were probably about that much and look how that turned out. Anyway, its horrible. I hate roaches. And my aunt just laughed when I told her, she was so obnoxious. But she was much nicer to me this afternoon when she called to give me a list of about ten things she needed done while she was out of town. All things that she could have done before leaving or waited till she returned. She only works 30 hours a week and I am opening my on law practice, but its so much easier for ME to leave work three times in a day to let the electrician in. And heaven forbid we just leave a key for them. Obnoxious.

Once again...

I am broke-- I just overpaid some guy for painting my office. And now I am broke. But, it had to be done-- this office was several shades of gray when I started working here. I wanted to paint it a khaki color which would have hideously clashed with the ugly, stained blue-gray-brown-black carpet. So, I opted for a pale blue color which turned out to be not so much different from one of the original blue-gray colors to begin with. And once I spilt paint on the carpet, causing a huge stain, and realized that getting new carpet was inevitable, I really wished I had stayed with my original khaki color. But, I am only stuck in this lease for a year, so I can leave eventually. The blue with white trim does look really good, and I am extremely proud of myself for the excellent job I did spackling over a couple large holes in the wall-- I am totally so handy!

That is my latest I-can-do-it-myself project I've attempted to tackle. Not having a man to do things like that, I pride myself on being able to do just about anything I want to when it comes to home improvement, etc. It will probably take me four times as long, cost much more, give me a sore back, and a stress headache, but I will eventually get it done. A month ago, when I moved my sister into her new one-bedroom apartment at the University, I rewired a lamp we had bought at Dirt Cheap. It was so empowering and I've told everyone I know about it. Suprised you haven't heard it.

But even after the spackling in the office, I only managed to paint one room so I called ina professional to do it when I realized how much time I was taking. It costs way more than it should and I really should have done it myself, but oh well. Next time.

Tonight's the local high school football game and I am actually going. I originally went to the city school when I lived here a long time ago; of course, I now know no one and don't care at all about going to the game, but my brother currently attends the county school, and the schools are big rivals. So I think I'll be heading over there with my parents and some of their friends. I don't have many friends here so its sorta sad for me to have to hang out with my parents on a Friday night, but the game should be good and maybe I will meet some people. If it doesn't rain. In which case I'll stay home with my aunt and watch Psych and Monk reruns.

Oh my gosh...

I just heard the "Ghostbusters" song on the 80's radio channel I am listening to. That's an awesome song-- I was totally dancing around the office. Luckily, no one else works with me.

First post...

Wow-- isn't everyone so excited? Those pople who've waited months, years even, for me to publish some of my random thoughts? Yeah the excitement is palpable. Or would be, if I ever decided to tell people about this blog. I might one day. But for now, this is a chance for me to post thoughts into the vast nothingness, and get things off my mind, and make myself laugh. A friend of mine from college, let's call him B., once said its best to be able to entertain yourself, then you will never be bored. Wise words from dear old B. He also, after going to medical school, said that he wanted to be a pediatrician because it was a a lot easier to deal with kids than whiny adults-- just wave keys in front of them and they are easily distracted. Plus, he related to them well.

This blog is just a forum for me to do nothing. Isn't that what bloggers do? Write a bunch of stuff because they think they their words are so much more important that other people's? So, I don't want to start out thinking anyone is reading these words, or enjoying them, so I am keeping this private. I've had people tell me before I should write a book, or publish some of my emails to people because apparently they are quite funny. But I'd imagine they are only funny to people who already know and love me. And some of the funniness from my emails comes from my inability to type the word "and" without it coming out as "adn". People seem to get a kick out of that.

For now, let me introduce myself to all my internet fans out there-- I am a baby lawyer (here is where the name comes from, and let me confess I spent quite a few minutes trying to come up with a clever name for this blog, and that's what I came up with-- you can see I am quite clever). I finished law school a year ago May, and clerked for a Judge in my hometown until a few weeks ago when I moved to my other hometown (I consider both "home"-- I grew up in one, and moved to the other in Junior High). I opened a law practice down here, and am now considered a "baby lawyer"-- at least that's what I consider myself, other people probably just consider me a total idiot.

Actually, I have gotten a lot of interesting feedback about going into my own practice-- most of it consisting how much guts I must have, or whether or not I am insane. To be determined later, but so far, so good.

I'm lucky to have a family that's able to support me while I am trying this out-- paying for meals, encouraging me, letting me live with them, etc. Yes, I am one of those losers who still live with their family members. Last year, while clerking for the Judge, I lived at home with my dad (my family is a bi-household family-- we are split into two houses so my dad can work in one town and my brother can go to school in another. Its confusing.) And now that I am working here, I am living with my Aunt. My Aunt is the coolest Aunt ever (a topic for another post, no doubt), so I am okay with the situation. For now. I can feel the clock ticking down to the day it won't be okay and I will start a fight and it will end with headlines such as "Local Woman Injured by Pink High Heel Suede Pump Thrown by Local Lawyer). So, in that respect, I am slowly looking for a house of my own (yet another post topic).

So, here are some things you need to know about me (in order to fully appreciate this blog)

I love my family but they are dysfunctional and annoying sometimes. My sister is the exact opposite of me, and only recently have we begun to get along. My brother is a slacker genius who only cares about sports. I love television (remember, I live at home, and until recently, in a town of 2000, and now, in a town where I hardly know anyone, so don't judge.)-- LOST being a favorite. The Office, 30 Rock, Prisonbreak, HGTV being others. I mourned the end of Gilmore Girls. I'm not a lot of fun. I think my friends forget this when they invite me places. I decided to go to law school because the LSAT book was cheaper than the GMAT book, and here I am today. I don't know anything about practicing law, so that's why I started this blog, so we could all learn together. I like to think of myself as indepdent but I'm not sure I really am. I hate roaches. I read a lot of entertainment blogs on the internet. It annoys me when I have so much work to do I cannot read my blogs in the morning!! I have a myspace adn facebook page, but this is so much more anonymous. I relieve stress by shopping. Which causes more stress when I realize my bank account is about to be negative, so I have to return things. I love spending money and I never have any. I don't like the taste of beer, so I wind up drinking a girly, fruity drink and my friends make fun of me. I am starting this blog basically as a way to procrastinate working on a guardianship since I don't know how to do it.

I realize that in order to grow out of being a baby lawyer, I need quit my procrastinating, as mentioned above. So, now I get back to work.