Working for the Weekend.

Or, in my case, working through the weekend. I actually don't mind working from the office on the weekends. Its generally nice and quiet with no ringing phones, hallway chatters, or the like, and casual clothes. (Mind you, not too casual. I'm no longer in college so going to work in my pajama pants, while tempting, is no longer appropriate.) However -- and its an important however -- if you end up working full days in the office, it messes with your mind.


I spent over 20 hours in the office this weekend. I suppose that sounds bad when you put it that way but it was a rather productive use of time. A few hiccups but nothing awful. I usually try to do any necessary weekend work from home but it was logistically silly this weekend. While we accomplished a lot, my problem is that I now feel like it is Wednesday or Thursday. Its weird what a time warp being in the office on a weekend causes. A time warp and a laundry backlog.

Dear Anonymous.

I received my first ever blog comment today. I have to say, I enjoyed it more than I expected. Perhaps that's because I use this space to remove the rattling thoughts from my head and not some other purpose. To my knowledge, roughly three people read this every once in a while -- one of my friends and my parents.

So, to get a comment was one quite nice thing but to get a complimentary comment, even better. So, Dear Anonymous, thank you. Your comment made my day.

Tik Tok.

Damn Ke$ha. And not just for her stupid use of the $ in the spelling of her name. Altough, that is one of my objections to her. How do you even pronounce that? And, its not because of her ridiculous taste in men either. She won't talk to any man unless he "looks like Mick Jagger." Seriously, has she seen what an embalmed, leathery piece of man he's become at this point? I just cannot believe her songwriters couldn't come with a better line to rhyme with "swagger" than Jagger.

No, my problem with her is that her opening lines of Tik Tok just taunt me. "Pedicures on our toes [toes]." Every single time I hear the song, which is at least once an hour, I'm reminded of how badly my peds need curing and I just have not had the time to do it.

These Kids.

Since I don't have children, I don't have the possibility of the terrifying realization, while yelling at my kids, that I've become my mother. As an apparent substitute, I realized that I've become the senior associates I always didn't understand. Why were they so impatient? Why did they need things so early?

As it turns out, they needed things "early" because it takes time for them to do their jobs so that the partners can do their jobs. And, you never want to give it to the partner with only a couple hours and/or requiring the partner to pull a late night to get something done. Its annoying and rude. Live and learn.

Last week, we had two drafts due on an important project. The deadline on Friday was rather important. On Thursday evening, at a not-late 6:30, I sent an email to a junior associate requesting two citations for our deadline the next day. Two hours went by and I received exactly no response. This was not the first time that this particular junior associate had blown me off, hell it was the second time that week. Another senior associate had been his champion but he came over to my side after being blown off last week as well.

So, I decided to send a crappy email. I even invoked the old tried and true saw "the Firm gives you a blackberry for a reason" in telling the junior associate to respond to me, even if it was to say that he wasn't near a computer, and advise me of when I'd have what I needed. An hour later, he responded with "first thing in the morning." In his world, first thing in the morning in 9:45 am.

These kids these days.

VTK.

I heard rumors that VTK lost its lease four months ago but I didn't believe it. The place is well-liked and always seems pretty full, even if it isn't the new hot thing. I walked by on Friday and noticed that it is gone. Apparently, New Year's Eve was its last night in operation. It will be replaced by a Rosebud. One of three within a mile radius, just what we need.

I will miss VTK. I LOVED their pad thai, beef tenderloin, their appetizers and their dollar dessert menu at lunch. Oh, mini passion fruit souffle, I might miss you the most. (Oddly, the full size one I did not enjoy at all.)

On the plus side, I'll always have my bag to remind me. The smell is mostly gone now but I don't think I'll ever forget my pad-se-ewwwwwww incident.

Philosophy

A friend of mine gave me "pomegranate bubbly" flavored products -- lip gloss, shower gel and lotion -- from Philosophy for Christmas. We suffered through a Kant class together during college so I thought it appropriate. (I couldn't and kan't stand Kant to this day.) Also, our
birthdays are about 3 weeks apart so the antioxidate flavor was not inappropriate.

I read the labeling on the lotion today:

"What if we woke one day and were told we must begin to take lessons on being a fine glass of
champagne?
Lesson #1: celebrate bring timeless knowing with each day you become better and more valuable instead of older and less desirable.
Lesson #2: rejoice in the fact that you can tickle peoples [sic] spirits by being effervescent and alive versus bitter, bland, or hollow.
Lesson #3: covet your own curves as you admire the finest of shapely glass bottles.
Lesson #4: never postpone a celebration.
Lesson #5: you are the greatest celebration of all."

Who knew? You can take note from lotion. Learning from a glass of bubbly, however, is not news to this girl.

Vacay!

I am not positive how to pronounce it but my first vacation since the summer of 2006 is taking place on Anguilla, the British West Indies, during the first week of March. I don't mind travelling alone but prefer to take a vacation with someone. For apparently the past almost-four years, my schedule has not matched up with those of my friends. One bonus of my mom's health sabbatical this semester is that she is free to vacation with me and an island has got to be just what the doctor ordered.

We are staying at the Viceroy Anguilla (http://www.viceroyanguilla.com/) for five nights. Neither of us are feeling particularly ambituous soI suspect our itinerary will be limited to working out (me, not so good for the mom right now), laying on the beach, enjoying drinks with umbrellas (or the like), snorkeling, dining at some good restaurants (per Wiki, Anguilla is the culinary capital of the Caribbean) and perhaps a ferry ride to St. Marteen or St. Bart's. Or, essentially doing nothing but being lazy in the nice warm weather (average daily temperature of 83) with white sandy beaches as our scenery.

Cannot. Wait.

MD&A

Generally, I am not one of those people who in a social situation can only talk about their work. At our firm's happy hours, I usually choose who I talk to and where I stand by whether those people are inclined to talk about their cases. Last night, I was within earshot of the most boring conversation I've heard all year (fine, in at least eight days), where one person conducted a monologue detailing the procedural posture, underlying case law, and a blow-by-blow of her actions and conversations with opposing counsel for at least twenty minutes. I don't know how the other person (not involved in the case, more understandable if she was) managed to feign interest for that long. Occasionally, there will be a legal topic in the news that I'm happy to discuss if other, non-lawyer, friends want to as well. But, I just assume that most people don't want to talk about the nitty-gritty of the law and instead would prefer to think that what we lawyers do is accurately portrayed on Law & Order.

So, I find it weird that my first interpretation of Jay-Z's lyrics in "Empire State of Mind" was rooted in securities law. Now, Jay-Z isn't above using legal terms, as he said, he's "not a lawyer but I know a little bit." Of course, that was referring to when the police can search your car and every good former drug dealer probably does know a little bit about that.

But, in "Empire State of Mind," his latest and biggest hit that has been performed all over the place, including TV, there is a line that I kept hearing as "MD&A got you feeling like a champion." On the one hand, Jay-Z has been a CEO. On the other hand, I sincerely doubt he gets intimately involved in his Management's Discussion & Analysis, assuming his company is publicly traded. Yet, I can see how that section of an annual report would have you feeling like a champion if your company had a good year.

Real line: "MDMA has you feeling like a champion." I had to look that up but MDMA is the actual name for ecstasy.

Well, That Was Quick.

Its only the fourth day of January -- but first official day back in the office -- and I remember why I hate January. Its the month of anxiety for me.

It doesn't matter how you finished last year. You could have run for daylight, struggling to make your 2,000 billable hours, or been grinding it out after a long year at 2,400 billable hours. Makes no difference. January means you start at zero. When I was a first year, I remember a more senior associate telling me that she always tried to work a little on New Year's Day, that way no matter what, at least she'd start the year positive. I thought it was crazy at the time, when my hours didn't count. Now, I see the wisdom of that advice.

This year, while I currently have work, it has an expiration date at the end of the month. That means I need to rustle up enough new work to keep myself busy full time in the next three weeks.

January also means reviews. Or, at least, scheduling of reviews. With the exception of my first year, I've never enjoyed my review. Its the only time of the year we get any actual feedback and its intentionally critical (veiled as constructive or flat-out), which is rarely good for your self-esteem. This year my review was scheduled in December -- a first -- for January 20th. The dread had already kicked in when I got a phone call re-scheduling it to February 3rd. As usual, right before my birthday. The firm's gift to me.

Between that and some usual annoyances, it was not my best day but it was typical of January.

Out With The Old.

New year, new stuff.

At 8:00 am this morning, I received delivery of a brand new washer-dryer. The delivery time was a surprise but the delivery itself was much-anticipated. The dryer has been problematic for years. By problematic, I mean two fires (or, at least smoke produced) and an inability to dry a towel in under three hours. I'm a lazy person so it took roughly two years of my mother nagging me to request that my landlord replace it. Once I did, it was a mere two week wait and an hour for nice dry clothes.

After a great spin class at the gym, I spent the afternoon attempting to remove a desk to make room for a new armoire that is being delivered this month. I knew the desk could be taken apart since I put it together but it was somewhat trickier than imagined. Once I figured out the trick to the weird locking screws, it wasn't that bad. Worse to carry down to the trash. I'm very much looking forward to the new armoire. With the replacement of the desk, I am giving away the last bit of my law school life. Its time, after all I've been practicing for over five years now. Also, the armoire's purchase was motivated by the anticipation of my mom spending more time here in the next six months. I think that if she's going to be able to spend some time here, she might as well be able to unpack and make herself at home.

Twenty Ten.

My New Year's Eve plan worked out with one minor detail -- apparently the combination of prosecco and shots causes me to time travel, despite laying a solid foundation. One would think I know better.

I find myself wondering what 2010 will bring. More so than most years, I find myself very uncertain about the future holds, with really no idea what might happen. Keeps things interesting, I guess. As it unfolds, I'll be repeating to myself the one prayer that I actually know off the top of my head, in paraphrase style: strength to accept what I can't change, courage to change what I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

I just wiki'd the serenity prayed and learned that while attributed to Niebhur, has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and the other twelve-steppers. That's unfortunate but I guess appropriate given that I started the new year with a hangover.