I'M AT THE BEACH BITCHES!!!

what do you think about that?

5 Q's from Ally

(1) What makes you think Crocs are a good idea?
The Croc is a good versitile shoe with many of the performance aspects of a sandal but the comfort aspects of a full shoe. The plasticized material they are constructed of resists tearing and chewing by the dog. These shoes dry quickly and provide good traction. Crocs are good for mowing the lawn, gardening, and pressure washing.

(2) If you could go anywhere in the world for two weeks, where would you go?
India... China....Greece... Do I have to just pick one??? I dont' know

(3) Which NKOTB are you most like?
I don't even know what NKOTB stands for.

(4) What is the best meal you've ever eaten?
Whenever you go home and mom is really firing on all 6 in the kitchen... I don't know if I can pick just one.

(5) What song could you currently listen to on repeat and not feel annoyed?
This song does not exist.

Accidental Cut & Paste

So this is what I signed up for with law school....

No attempt has been made to "codify" these specific factors. Daubert itself emphasized that the factors were neither exclusive nor dispositive. Other cases have recognized that not all of the specific Daubert factors can apply to every type of expert testimony. In addition to Kumho, 119 S.Ct. at 1175, see Tyus v. Urban Search Management, 102 F.3d 256 (7th Cir. 1996) (noting that the factors mentioned by the Court in Daubert do not neatly apply to expert testimony from a sociologist). See also Kannankeril v. Terminix Int'l, Inc., 128 F.3d 802, 809 (3d Cir. 1997) ( holding that lack of peer review or publication was not dispositive where the expert's opinion was supported by "widely accepted scientific knowledge").

Arrival of the Crocs

Well, the controversial shoes have arrived. I was all excited about wearing the ugly things out in the hot summer sun, alas, the weather has returned to february here and I'm mightly upset about the whole thing. Summer will be here soon enough though!

School is busy as we have lots of project type crap to do before the end of the semester. Then we have two whole weeks before graduation to much up the joint. That should be fun. Trying to finish up the last of these projects now...woohoo

Passing Along

Well folks, I passed the MPRE - 120 / 150. I can ethically practice in all of the 50 states. Good news!

My Weekend - 29 and Official

Another lovely birthday. Wifey got me some doo-doo brown crocs. They will be delivered sometime soon. A trip to the boro - recipient of booze, cookies, and mom got me some shorts I'm too fat to wear. Good thing I didn't remove the tags. Maybe I need to get some new running shoes and work on those 2 inches of waist. A major celebration was commenced in the barn, complete with fish fry and bon fire. My sinuses still hate the bon-fire. I cleared some space back in the woods for a shed we hope to build in the near future. Somewhere to put all the junk when we have parties in the barn.

Dora also aged another year over the weekend. She is officially 2. Its nice to share a birthday with the dog. This year she received 2 pig hooves stuffed with some dog-friendly stuff. She loved them. Dora also accompanied us on the trip to the boro. She wore her new car harness for the first time and tolerated it quite well. In the 'boro, Dora engaged her many doggie friends in rousing games of fetch, chase, and general fighting. She seemed to enjoy her trip and is now chewing on the remenants of her birthday treat at my feet as I post.

happy monday!

The Neighbors Are Home

Ahhh - my new favorirte neighbors are home...hmmm....

Here is a lil' multiple choice question for you. Are the new neighbors:

A) Painting their walls
B) Practicing the Threashold Carry
C) Spying on their new neighbors
D) All of the above

Hmmm...

Roofers

Its good friday - happy good friday everyone.

Its also Dora's birthday - she's 2 today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DORA!!

Tomorrow is my birthday. Yay. I think... I don't know how to feel about birthdays anymore.

Today, the roofers are next door so I have an endless supply of entertainment. Always a sound way to procrastinate that brief.

These Kids Ride the Short Bus

Well, not really. But there is a store for the learning disability kids and bad behavors down the street. Sometimes, I see the Teachers from the school chasing some kid down the street. Well, yesterday I came home and three teachers were standing in my new neighbors yard. They had walkie-talkies, and well they didn't look like they were accustomed to chasing people down the street, thats for sure.

The ladies mill around, I set up my computer and open the blinds. Yes, this is of course happening behind the house owned by the new neighbors (the ones who did the carrying over the threashold the other day, you know, the ones)

Anyways, I keep watching and I see two big, burly guys come over - now these guys clearly chase children on a regular basis - and grab the little shit by the wrists and escort the lil' bastid back to the school. Later, a cop shows up and I give him the neighbors information.

After inspecting the broken window, it appears the kid was trying to break into the house, maybe to steal something. He turned off the power and broke a window.

The school says they are paying for the window - I'll let you know how that works out.

Somebody Took My Damn Money

Well, last week I was on the way to Swainsboro. My dear mother promised to purchase some plants for the house here on Drury. So, off I go. On the way down there, I get a lovely call from Wifey. Wifey says Wachovia called, Wachovia says someobone bought $1,077.38 of quality goods from a Wal-Mart in Tucker Georgia. Well, that someone wasn't me.

According to the nice people my last transaction was at the Arclight theater in Los Angeles. Well, they would be correct. So, now I have to fill out some affidavit. I get the affidavit and take it to my local Wachovia, where they fax it for free. So, Wachovia gave me my money back. And I have no idea who got the card. In fact, the actual card is still in my pocket. So, I have no idea who got my number or where from. Odd.

New Neighbors - Nosy me

Well, of the six houses directly around us, we are now one of two couples who were here when we moved in. The house across the stree sold to a gentleman know as "Pepper", who, strangely enough seems to be dating the hairdresser (or more appropriately, stylist) of the wifey. It is a small world.

To our left is a gentleman who graduated from my fair school of law, and is currently employed by a medium size firm here in town. I hope I don't have to work as much as he does, I think he's on track to bill 2500 hours this year. 2000 is another story. Amazing how much difference 500 hours is on top of that.

The reason for this post, our new neighbors, just moved in across the street. So far, we have seen a Subaru Outback, a Yellow Jeep, and a Big dodge ram. Let me tell you, these people are so cute. As a married man for 5 years, (well almost) - I must say i'm a bit jaded. I confess to laughing aloud as he carried over the threshold, but in retrospect, I'm excited for this young couple who appears to be getting a good start in their new home. I haven't seen any furniture yet, but there are some new pictres being hung on the walls. Someone's parents have also come to visit. I hope they approve.

So chock this one up to young love and my excitement to be surrounded by new neighbors.

Home Again

Sometimes you merely need to leave town to appreciate where you stay. I'm back bitches, I'll have my stories for you soon.

Overheard

The Sidebar Cafe

"If you don't straigheen up u gonna b talkin to da dial ton."

Just what I wanted to hear with my bacon egg & chees biscuit order. I love service people talking on the cell whilst they work.

Snake Bit

I got bit by a snake!! I've never had a snakebite before. I was in the Boro, walking through the yard when all the sudden, something struck my toe. To which, I started the snakebite dance, and screamed, I GOT BIT BY A SNAKE!!!. Fortunately, the only thing truely injured, other than a little bleeding from my toe, was the snake. I stepped on the little guy, but I'm sure he will be fine.

A moment

Oh glory Be
I'm about to take the MPRE

Its all about ethics
After I get done I'm going to need a couple medics

Last night I was off to the prom
tonight I will go see my mom

I wish you a good day
Maybe we'll get some time to play.

Mama Never Told Me Not To Talk To Strangers

So, wifey is away for the weekend visiting with her mother. Clearly I have been left to my own devices.

A friend and I, Say Bob, went to a small town a couple exits up the road for dinner last night. We ordered about 8 appetizers and had a vertiable smorgasboard. Though we drove for about 15 minutes, the food was not the highlight of the evening. There was a wait at the restuarant, the bar smelled funky, so we sat outside with some over our very best new friends.

Introduce, Misty, the hairdresser, Sadie, the realtor, Jon, the cabinet maker, and some other guy who I was never formally introduced to.

Some guy inside looked like a Fabio who had yet to be serviced with the plastic surgery. Evidently he is the local pool man and is installing a million dollar pool at his own house. Something about a beach with real sand, a waterfall in a deep-end, all the amenitites one would expect in a central georgia pool. I wonder if they live in a single-wide....

In This Town, there is a great massuse available, but she was busy because her husband got out of prison today. Evidently he threatened a cop with a gun... (not real sure why). So, the massuse, who is a mere $45 dollars/ hour, was busy attending to her man. Word around the courthouse, yes we were sitting across the street from one of those great old Ga. court houses, is that neither the massuse or the boyfried should be crossed.

The realtor was trying to sell us something.. not sure what... And we were invited to some honky tonk for after hours fun (clearly we declined as I'm alive to write this)

Needless to say, it was an interesting night. All-in-all, Misty said it best, "The hairdresser always wins." And I think those may be wise words to live by.

Which Road are you On?

I got this idea from a friend who made a post about a DTR (if you don't know what it means, see Ally's page) she had with a former boyfriend/x/whatever. Anyways, he posed this particular DTR moment in the phrase of: If our relationship were a road, which would it be? Interstate, a highway, a gravel road, or a dirt road.

Well, this makes me think of something that I think is interesting. So, if your life were a road, which road would you be on right now.... You decide.

Interstate - things are hauling ass. Moving quickly, from state to state. Staying at lots of Super 8 Motels, the occasional Hampton Inn, and if you are really lucky, they'll have a Hilton Garden Inn at the next stop. While the road has some interesting points, you're pretty much just logging miles. Any many miles it is you are logging. As for food. Olive Garden is where its at. Mcdonalds is whats for lunch.

Highway- I personally grew up on a highway. In fact, this piece of asphalt stretches from Savannah Georgia all the way to Sacramento California. Its long, it connects my home town to my current town of residence, and I think i'm partial to highways. Here, you get to see all the cities, the big, the small, and the inbetween. You get to stay at Super 8's B&B's and anything in between. For food, you have the choice of the meat&3, or maybe just Mcdonlds or a local gourment watermellon stand. Really, who know what you will see next. Maybe even an iron hourse in a cornfield.

Gravel - An interesting choice. Because for 1, there aren't many gravel roads out there. Gravel dents the car, makes a lot of dust, and just doesn't look natural laying out there in front of you in this white/grey ribbon. Although you see all the small towns, you can't do cities on gravel. It just won't work out. I think you are on a gravel road if you are headed toward lost.

Dirt - now I'm partial to dirt myself. Dirt roads have a certain romantic quality to them. That is until you've walked 20 miles on one. Then they just remeidn oyou of dirt. But even then, Its fun to walk the gravel road. Smell the odors and scents, see the animals, and just commune with the nature.

I'm thinking a highway or dirt right now. You?

La-T-DA

Well, I'm looking for suggestions on reasons as to why my grades are rather woeful. I'm looking to all my loyal readers to tell me the following.

1. I'm old. I am way to old to be here in middle school.

2. If you have a PhD in philospohy, I will make a D in your class.

3. Are we really this concerned about grades? I thought we were here to learn.

4. Sammons is my hero.

5. Legal writing is for prats. Give me a good grammar class.

6. I've seen a CALI level exam, much less written one. (multiple choice don't count)

What do you think?

Wow! This is bad

Britney needs to cover herself.

Procrastination 834

Another exam, more procrastination. Lets see - whats going on.

1. I noticed my dear dog has some grey hairs on her snout and she's not even two years old. This is disturbing. We played fetch today and I still maintain that no other dog loves fetch as much as she does. She lives to chase a tennis ball. She's so focused on that thing, I haven't used a leash to walk her to the park lately.

2. I fried shrimp, chicken and french fried last night and didn't even start a mininmal grease fire. Though not very exciting, it was fun. Wifey and I watched Little Miss Sunshine. I can't wholely recommend this one. With the exception of a single scene, it was uneventful. Each character was great, but there was no coheisve disfunction. I like cohesive disfunction. Its much more entertaining. Running with Scissors is a better choice for serious disfunction.

3. I may have a significant hope of getting a job. If my dismal class rank doesn't ruin it. Hopefully my reputation and my family's reputation will overcome such lackluster law school performance. Maybe I should have taken this more serously as my "permanent record" is complicating my life right now.

4. Update on the bathroom. I almost have all the glass block laid, 99% of the tiles are set, and some of the grout is in. Things are looking good in there. If I didn't have two weeks from hell, I'd be done soon. However, maybe the baby steps b/t now and then will make a significant difference.

5. hmmmm... I think i'm done. Back to rememdies.

Overheard

So, like in Iraq, I think we should like not totally pull out, but like i wish the Iraq government was ok so that the could, like support themselves. . . like . . . like . . .

. . my boyfriend is totally hot . . . OMG!

in the computer lab.

Overheard

So, like in Iraq, I think we should like not totally pull out, but like i wish the Iraq government was ok so that the could, like support themselves. . . like . . . like . . .

. . my boyfriend is totally hot . . . OMG!

in the computer lab.

Lists

1. What is your occupation? Unemployed Law Student who dabbles in carpentry
2. What color are your socks right now? White short top tennis shoe socks.
3. What are you listening to right now? My professor drone on
4. What was the last thing that you ate? “Breakfast Sandwich” from the school café. It was a bit of an adventure.
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Of course.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Green
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Wifey
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Most of the time.
9. How old are you today? 28
10. Favorite drink? Gin & Tonic, Coke, water, hi-c juice boxes
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? UGA
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Not-so-much
13. Pets? DORA DOG!! My chocolate lab shares my birthday. She will be 2 this year
14. Favorite food? Anything. Really, most anything.
15. Last movie you watched? Departed.(at the movies) Friends with Money (at home)
16. Favorite Day of the year? Weekends
17. What do you do to vent anger? Get angry, pout.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? My post hole diggers
19. What is your favorite, fall or spring? The part of the year when it cools off or warms up and the days are great
22. Do you want your friends to email you back? Generally
23. Would you rather have someone answer the phone or leave a message. It depends.
24. Txt of talk? Text for routine crap, talk to catch up.
25. When was the last time you cried? When my grandfather died.
26. What is on the floor of your closet? Dust, wifey’s clothes
27. Favorite color tie? Blue
28. Favorite smell? Clean
29. What inspires you? A beautiful day
30. What are you afraid of? Failure
31. Plain cheese or spicy hamburgers? Plain Cheese, but good cheese
32. Favorite car? I drive a SUV.
33. Favorite dog breed? Chocolate lab.
34. Number of keys on your key ring? 5 or less
35. How many years at your current job? 9th year of college level education.
36. Favorite day of the week? Saturday & Sunday
37. How many states have you lived in? Georgia and Virginia for a few summers.
38. How many cities/towns have you lived in? Swainsboro, Athens, Atlanta, Macon.

Waiting

Well I'm sitting in the student lounge waiting on class to start. I think thats what sixth semester is all about. Waiting. Maybe law school, after the first year is about waiting. Just waiting around, wasting time, kicking it.

I do have some stuff to read. "Bargaining for the Advantage" goes on my list of strong recommendations. Its a real page turner.

Overheard From A Federal Judge

How do you take a fatal gun shot to a naked man?

I FILED MY TAXES ONLINE

Hootie Hoo!! The federal government owes me some money. Damn I am excited. Last year I made wifey pay the taxes and she introduced me to the concept of the e-filing. This year I did the efile work myself and now my poor, broke student ass is getting just about all the money we paid into the tax man back. This is very exciting.

I hope your tax season goes well. Please don't let THE MAN have you money any longer that he deserves.

My Character is in issue

I don't understand why we can't talk about the predisposition of the victim to be a bit slutty. What's wrong with being a bit slutty. Damn federal rules of evidence.

La Te Dah

Well, I'm still in school. Last semester isn't working out for me so much. Sucking ass really. I have 15 hours of class, no job etc. too much crap to do. hmmm..

Lets see if there is anything fun I can speak of today.

Well, wifey made a good coconut pie over the weekend of which there is none left.

Mom came and helped clean up the house

I got somemore tile laid in the shower.

Watched a good movie or two.

yeah, thats about it.

I'll try and do beter tomorrow.

Back in the Saddle Again

Well folks, I've promised more blogging, but I haven't fulfilled this promise. (collective groan from the 4 of you). However, I will try to do better with this.

Tonight was Scientific Evidence with the Federal Judge. We have to stand up and argue our motions. Last week we were in the federal courthouse. This week, we were in class. However, I find this daunting. First, I had to pee. Anyone who knows me knows that my face turns red when i hold it and mellow yellow seems to have some special face blotcher that affects me severely. SEcond, well, i was a mere law student trying to talk to a federal judge. I feel like I'm back in grade school, standing in front of the school for the first time.

So, he's asking questions and we're at least attempting to give some answers. Its like first grade all over again.

hootie hoo.

A New Form

Blogetry - prose, composed of redundant rhyming lines that tells a simple story. Should be cheesy and short. No more than 10 lines.

I came to school.
This is not cool.

Its supposed to be third year
And I'm not to be here.

I'm doing work.
This school bit is a jerk.

I should go home
and sing along.

See - something like that. REally bad, but with a potential to be interesting in a very mental midget sort of way.

I will try to do this more regularly now

Well, I'm back in school. I'm getting my computer out some. So I'll try to blog more.

Marshall and Ihad a lovely dinner yesterday. We went to the China Buffet where there must be more that 300 items on that buffet. I've watched some movies; cleaned up the back yard; lunch with mom today; class and homework.

still have to finish the bathroom.

Return of Cadleized...drunky

Well.. I'M BACK BITCHES!!!

So, I've been traveling all over the place. Went to a wedding at the Cloister. It was lovely. Very happy bride groom and their families. I enjoyed myself throughly. New Years was quite low key as it was the day after the wedding and i was too pooped to party.

I've been at home and here at the druy drive consruction project..aka home. Wifey has been in Atlant seeing the mom. I've been painting. Painting sux. I laid some tile tody. Its purty. Neighbor came over, brought me a tall boy of tasty PBR and so I've discontinued the painting for a bit and am sitting here on the couch in my robe, kickin it. Tomorrow I wil paint more.

hmmmm.. not much really going on.....yeah.

I'll try to post more tomrrow when coherence returns.

PS - blogger still kinda sux.

PSS - comment moderation is no more.

Toilet Paper Delivery Systems

So Letterman just had the kid scinetists on. This is cool. You mount 4 or more rolls onto a leaf blower and use the blower to distrute the toilet paper. Looks like it will do 4 double rolls in about 2 minutes.

So, who's made you mad laterly because this is a challenge I'm up for.

Multitalented Multitasker

Today I was a carpenter, maid and a locksmith

shinny new locks at my house! Come check them out.

Comment Moderation

Has been enabled to see if this will alow the crazy beta blogger to work better for commenting.... please email me if it does not. I really don't care to moderate the comments.

Plain Lazy

I almost forgot. As mentioned earlier, I'm installing new exterior doors on the house. As I was purchasing these lock sets, I discussed my keying options with the nice man at the hardware counter. Upon directing the nice man to key both new sets alike, I think noticed something amazing. All at the same instant, I realized that I purchased the same type of locks that are on my parent's house, that i carry a key to their house, that the nice man could key my new locks to this key on my key chain, and that the net result to me would be one less key to carry around.

Thats right. I now have the same key to my house as my parents. All so I can drop .02oz of weight from my daily carry around responsibilities.

That folks, is sad.

My Neck, My Back, My Neck & My Back

I mixed 19 bags of concrete by hand today. Ferris, I think I'm dying.

In other news the front and side doors are in the process of being replaced and I am on my way to having built my first fountain.

Off to bed. before I pass out.

Oatmeal and doors

About the oatmeal, its actually steel cut oats, not rolled oats. Therefore, its not what we americans know as oatmeal, but more akin to porrige. I took ally's suggestion and made it with extra milk tonight. tomorrow is rasin oatmeal.

As to the doors, I hung 2 doors today. A front and side one. In purchasing the lock sets, I noticed that i chose the ones that are of the same maker as those at the 'rent's ranch. In choosing a key, I thought, what a fine opportunity to lose a key. So, yes, the door on my house has the same key as the one to my parents. I'm taking lazy to a new level here.

I MADE OATMEAL

Today, I made some oatmeal, the kind that comes in the form of chopped oats. No, these aren't "rolled oats" which are typically used for oatmeal, but a less processed variety. According to the can, they're irish oats. My oatmeal began last night when I saw "Good Eats" on the dvr. I took the mini dip warming crockpot, put in 1 part oats, 4 parts water, a splash of milk, and some dried cranberries. Placed it on my nightstand so if it caught on fire, I'd be the first to know. Turned off when i went to bed after watching tv for a few hrs. Turned on the first time the alarm sounded this morning and enjoyed when I finally got my ass outta bed.

Tasty.

What I did Today

Well, I may need to finish the bathroom, but today I started building my fountain in the back yard. There is a 37'x51' concrete slab in my back yard I'm damn tired of looking at. So, I dug a big-ass hole in the back yard and I 'm installing a fountain. The slab will extend up, long ways, with a concrete basin that roughly mirrors the up-right. I'm going to take a 1" copper pipe, drill holes in it and the water will drip down. I may put up a picture when I get done. Its a damn big hole though.

The System

I may be stealing someone else's post with this, but apparantly some foster parent put their own child's christmas wish list on the "adopt-a-foster-kid" list put out by dfacs. So, instead of a list of presents for the named 1 yr. old, there were things on the list such as a battery-operated ride-on toy. These gifts would clearly be enjoyed by their four year old.

So, I'm going to do a bit of point-counterpoint as, though this is plain wrong... I kinda see what they're doing here...

First, do you remember your first Christmas? I don't but I sure as hell remember being four of five. I personally got a die-cast aluminum ride on tractor (john deere of course) from my grandparents. So, the four year old clearly has the opportunity to have a memorable Christmas. What about the morality here? Ever other day of the year the biological child must receive less attention because these people have personally accepted the burden of society and take care of someone else's child. Financially, these people probably are spending their own money on the foster child. Overall, these nice foster parents are giving and sacrificing in a very personal way to place this child in a stable, loving environment.

However, should my friend be buying presents for someone else's kid? Yes, its deceptive to put that a 1 yr old wants a ride-on-big-kids-toy. But, at the same time, they can't ask for help with their own kid. What to do? Maybe the state isn't providing enough support for these people... Maybe they need more help than they are getting? I don't think its right that these parents asked for their own kids gifts, but clearly something more must be wrong here.

Finally did it

Well, I finally switched to the beta blogger. let me know if you have issues with my blog. all three of you.

LOST

A rebel without a cause, can't figure out what to do with myself... where do i start???

So, as you may have noticed from the lack of activity here, I have been damn busy. I remember making a list on Monday before thanksgiving of all the things I had to accomplish between then and yesteday. It was daunting. So, since that time a mere three weeks ago, I've taken three finals, prepared a trial notebook, written a 21 page paper, and completed my bar application of fitness. I also hand delivered mine and wifey's to atlanta and then returned to atlanta last night for dinner with the father in law to celebrate his birthday. In making the errand yesterday, I stopped by the Your Dekalb Farmers Market. See the new link. This place is amazing. I bought dry staples, butter, rice, pomegranite molassis, balsimic vinegar, and a case of wine, for $110.45 (yes, an entire case of wine!) Amazing

So, now I'm home. I cleaned up the bedroom yesterday and am wondering where to start next. We have a rather unfinished house through and through and unfortunately its fucking cold outside which makes the sawing and whatnot rather unpleasant. I miss summer already. Or at least the warm fall days.

So, I have to finish a master bath, install 2 exterior doors, put up a shit-ton of trim, etc. Where do you think i should start??

PS - Wifey passed MPRE so we can all rest assured she stands on solid ethical ground.

Get ready for some serious macho crap

Ok, don't take this as complaining, but my life has had its up and downs. I've had good days, bad days and all those in between. But the one constant in all those was the fact that every time I watched a new 007 movie, I could count on seeing some hot ass chick in a bikini, and james bond blowing stuff up, driving fast cars, and generally providing me the mental vacay I so despreately crave from time to time. Bond has gotten me thorugh more holidays than I care to recall. My early days of exam procrastination were begun with the Bond marathon before thanksgiving every year (quarter system mind you). Every holiday at the in-laws- you can find me watching james pull of some preposterous stunt and making out with some ridiculously lovely woman in no-where-ville, on some technological magical thingy, after killing all the bad guys and saving the world, yet again.

HOWEVER, this new ass-clown Daniel Craig wants the next Bond movie to have a gay scene in it. Let it be said that I am most comfortable in my straightness. I have gay friends, and I appreciate that they truely love each other as much as any two people can. Having 2 penises in a relationship does not preclude a true partnership. However, 2 penises in a james bond fick equals the end of a franchise that has celebrated the heterosexual male and some beautiful women. In fact, I think 60% or more of the attraction to a bond film are the women. Lots of them. Beautiful. Gay bond? not hardly.

Furthermore, I would like to say Mr. Craig, ass-clown that he may be, was an excellent bond. He was also excellent in the layer cake. However, this new notion of bond seriously has me wondering.

Sorry

My 3 readers MUST be missing me. I have a last final tomorrow then I'll find something to post about that is not so boring as tort reform in georgia, the ABA rules of professional conduct, the demands of trial advocacy, or the fact that its freaking freazing outside. I've brought out the "heat full release." for those of you who know the joy of this, be jealous, very jealous.

more to come.

Its 3:40 am, where are you?

I'm in the law school typing a torts paper after taking two finals today.

Who Let the Dawgs OUT??

Well, for starters, I do feel sympathetic for tech fans. To be ranked 15 and be the second "big" game victory against a team that has struggled through a season and lost some pretty "small" games, you have to give them a nod of the hat for that. Good news for the jackets though, Mr. Reggie Ball is off to the NF...well, who knows. But he is off. They're also headed to the ACC Championship, so i must give the jackets a nod. They played a good game.

From the other side, my true self, I must give Mr. Stafford a hearty pat on the ass and the pretty little blonde cheerleader a true WWII era smooch in the middle of the street to the ticker tape fanfare of a great day. Our beloved bulldogs pulled off what may have been one of the biggest upsets of the season. I'm especially happy because ending on such a high note will allow Coach to contnue what he does best, call pla... I mean recruit. Georgia has plain and clear potential to excel next year and the recruits can now see it as plainly as I. So, next year, we may just be in the top 10 in a more legitimate fashion that this one.

So, in conclusion, tip of the hat to both teams for a game well played. Thanks for a couple hours of mental vacay while I procrastinate this durn trial notebook a lil' longer.

An Odd Sort of Thanksgiving

Well, this hasn't been the greatest thanksgiving ever. I have lots to be thankful for, oddly enough, I was reminded of that as Don and I installed a directtv dish on the barn (2 actually) so we can have football parties and what-not down there. Its great to have a brother like him. Someone who understands my pronouns, will argue for hours with me, but humbly accepts when maybe he was wrong (and that goes both ways). he's just a great guy.

I also have a wonderful family to be thankful for. Mom put out the spread as usual, dad was, well dad, entertaining and busy. My sister was.... well loud. But I'm thankful for her too.

However, when you have an extended family celebration, it can be difficult to be thankful for some of your relatives. My aunt is loud and bossy, but she does make a great pecan pie. My uncle is mostly just loud and uninformed, but i guess i should be thankful for his enthusiasm. My in-laws were vocal about their opinions on cats, but the were sweet to my dog, so there's something. The cousins were all fun this year. I also saw an old film of the 'boro that was made in the late 40's so that was fun as well.

Unfortunately, Wifey got sick on wednesday night and was in bed all day on T-day. Hence, making me thankful for wifey and sad she wasn't around very much. She's feeling better now though.

always thankful for my dog who came home with me. Took a walk this afternoon, and has otherwise been passed out on the couch.

I can say I'm not very thankful for all this work that forced me to miss rib day, but then again, I'll be thankful for this degree sometime in what I hope will be the near future.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Illness

Is not keeping me from blogging. But, I have a 2 finals next tuesday, a trial notebook due on monday and a 25 page tort reform paper due thursday, so I'm kinda snowed under. In other news, I did serve as a groomsman in a Sweet Onion wedding on Saturday, saw some old friends - always good. We had a great time in the Sweet Onion city, their community center puts on a great reception. Low country boil is always a great choice for a rehersal dinner. No beer though. That was a bummer, to which the father of the groom agreed. I was asked to move a very large and expensive flower arrangment which caused me great anxiety. We didn't break or drop it though. that was good.

Sunday was spent having a lovely dinner with all my family members present. Mom prepared seafood alfredo - we used the scallops from our summer trip to Apalachocola - Tasty! I helped. The secret to anything scallop is to cook the scallops seperately and then add. They put off alot of juice that can be very fishy.

Also went flying with dad. That was fun. He let me fly and made me do all sorts of turns and whatnot. All over the place. It was fun, but I have much learning to do.

Well, that's whats up with me. hope all is well with my readers.

Healing, Mr. Regular, & Procrastination

Well, the bug has passed. No more nastiness from my insides.

Today I had the good fortune to visit the soup kitchen with A and actually see Mr. Regular. I don't see how she resisted the urge to go out with him. He looked like quite the catch.

Now that I'm feeling better, I'm working on getting three months worth of work done in three weeks. On tap - a trial, a presentation on medical maplractice premium rate changes correlated to tort reform measures, a final, and medical malpractice final. Geterdun!

Healing, Mr. Regular, & Procrastination

Well, the bug has passed. No more nastiness from my insides.

Today I had the good fortune to visit the soup kitchen with A and actually see Mr. Regular. I don't see how she resisted the urge to go out with him. He looked like quite the catch.

Now that I'm feeling better, I'm working on getting three months worth of work done in three weeks. On tap - a trial, a presentation on medical maplractice premium rate changes correlated to tort reform measures, a final, and medical malpractice final. Geterdun!

I hate being sick

Well, somehow my hard living finally caught up with me. I drank a beer & a half and enjoyed a "quiet" dinner with the mother in law then went to bed at 10pm. Only to wake up at 1 and spend the next hour or so in the bathroom, quite ill. So, I have a presentation wednesday afternoon, a trial wednesday night, and a final on thursday, but I can't quite seem to pull it together. Maybe I will feel better as darkness arrives. I hate feeling like crap.

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know....

For the Buldawgs beat Auburn SO!!!

37-15. Ahhh, finally a good game.

I'm a sucker like that

Well, I apologize for my vacay from the blog. I'm sure my readers missed me so very much. I have been building a fence recently. My friend couldn't get anyone to do the work for him and so I volunteered. I'm getting paid, but its been much more work that I anticipated. Hopefully, I'll be finished tomorrow.

Today, a small boy approached me. I was working, wearing my ear protection, nailing up pickettes. I found out later he is 8. He wasn't in school b/c their electricity was off and he couldn't take a bath. Well, I take that back, they had electricity in one recepticale so they were using an extension cord to do important things, like watch tv and cook with the microwave. I heard tale of 15 brothers and sisters, "b/c his daddy has a lot of girlfriends" and numerous aunts and uncles all over the place. His grandmother is certifiable. She is the one who started telling us we had the propertly line for this fence backwards and after I pulled the plat, used my 150' tape to measure the property lines and spraypainted my best estimate of where they were, she was still arguing with us, using higly persuasive arguments like, "I don't know what you are talking about but I know a stitch in time saves nine".

As you can imagine my patience for this woman was rather marginal. But, back to my social commentary. The sad part about yesterday, besides this boy not being in school, is that he is being raised by people who have no hope of becoming memebers of the "middle class". His mom works at Burger King, dad sounds pretty MIA, something is wrong with the electricity and isn't being reparied, little boy is out of school, and there are multitudes of children running around. Hardly seems like a way to get much of anywhere.

GO VOTE!!!

Well, election day is coming up and I'm looking forward to settling into my little booth in the school down the street and making that final decision. Unfortunatly the days of pulling the lever, watching the curtains fly automatically, and hearing that final crunch as the hospital green voting machine recorded your lot with finality are gone. But, I'll be touching the screen for the first time as I've been voting absentee since we introduced electronic voting here in Ga.

There are some local races I would like to voice my inner monologue on. First, as a lawyer-to-be, the Superior Court Judge race here is really close. I really want to vote for Tripp Self, but Ed Ennis has a really beautiful daughter who stopped by my house yesterday to do some campaigning...

These elections decisions are so difficult. On the other hand, Mr. Self was diligently campaigning in the neighborhood as his wife drove him around on the golf car. I do feel a bit guilty as my dog barkes at him and made some vicious noises. As for the TV ads, I can't figure out which ones i like the best. So difficult....

If you have any suggestions, I will be heading to the polls tomorrow afternoon and I would appreciate your commentary.

In other races, I will be interested to see who wins the Collins/Marshall race for Congress. I really can't beleive how nasty this one has gotten. I think Marshall is ahead on the mud-slinging restraint scale, but either way, this thing has gotten ridiculous. I would also like to take this opportunity to complain about the commercials. I think only the candidate should be able to run these. The party commercials are atrocious.

A randome list, completed in class.

The phone rings. Who do you want it to be?
I wish my phone would stop ringing.

When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
If there is a cart return, probably. I beleive in karam so I think it most appropriate . I hate stores with no cart retrunes - Staples.

In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
Is the social company interesting? I find myself more interesting that most.

Do you take compliments well?
I like to think so.

Are you an active person?
Can't sit still.


If abandoned alone in the wilderness, do you survive?
Eagle Scout. Duh.

Do you like to ride horses?
No.

Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
Each & every summer after I turned 8 or so. boy scout camp, church camp, kayaking camp, you name it. I still remember Camp Daniel Boone with clarity. Long walks back to camp, the Friday all-day bar-b-q of boston butts smoking on grills allday. Stupid campfire skits, afraid to take a shower, trying not to go to the bathroom for a week. Summer camp was always such a fun time for me. In the woods, exploring, taking classes on how to do random stuff. I think summer camp may have shaped my late teens as I turned into a raft guide/mtn biking guide for another camp and worked there for three years. We didn't have to do the skits anymore though.


Are you judgmental?
Yes, but I like to think I don't judge people. I probably judge intelligence most. For instance a woman created a property line dispute today whilst I was trying to help a friend build a fence. I think she sat in her house for weeks and just took some kind of strong pillz. She was out of it. I judged her an idiot.

Do you like to pursue or be pursued?
I pursue. But I want to be pursued. Split personality on this.


Use three words to describe yourself right now.
Tired, itchy, bored.

If you had to choose, would you rather be deaf or blind?
This leads me into a diatribe about how thankful I am for my health and senses. I find myself thinking how happy I am to taste something, see a pretty sunset, gree leaves, or hear music on a regular basis. I'd rather not choose which one to lose.

Are you continuing your education?
Yes. Law School. I'm needing to get a real job soon.

Do you know how to shoot a gun?
Yes. I'm personally partial to my deer rifle. I haven't shot it in awhile though.

How often do you read books?
I read stuff everyday but rarely find myself actually reading a good book. I'm afraid to. I get caught up in them, lose sleep, fail to get work done. I wish i have better self discipline in this area so I would read more.

Do you think more about the past, present or future?
I'm a schemer. I usually strat

What is your favorite children's book?
Anything Seuss.

How tall are you?
5'10'


Where is your ideal house located? I don't know. Funny b/c a friend and I had this conversation recently. My ideal house would be built under my close supervision though.

Boxers or briefs?
Depends.

Last person you talked to?
Wifey as she left to take the MPRE - GOOD LUCK!!

Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
Hmmm.. I have no idea. probably not.

When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
No idea on this one. That place is "woefully middle class"



What are your keys on your key chain for? house, car, wifey's car, dad's office, parent's house, masterlocks to all-things-cadle.

Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
To chick-fil-a then school, then back home b/c i left my computer cord, then back to school. I'll probably make it to lowes today so thats 10 miles aways maybe.

Where is your current pain at?
Happy to report I'm pain free. The shingles rash still itches some but the valtrex has really helped. I know you all make fun of me, but this is now a preventable syndrome that everyone should be aware of b/c antiviral meds really help and the shingles can really destroy your quality of life for longer than you may think.

Do you like mustard?
YES- the best mustard ever was in Oslo Norway where they had this boardwalk by the sea. The stand sold tasty hotdogs and some kind of sweet/tangy mustard that you applied to your hotdog, followed by tasty fried pieces of onion. Affectionately called "onion crunchies" in my house.


Do you prefer to sleep or eat? Depends... i love food, i love sleep when i'm tired. I probably eat more than I sleep.

Do you look like your mom or dad? DAD - our senior pictures from high school are scary.


How long does it take you in the shower? 2 min to until the hot water runs out. My new shower, complete with bench, will decidely extend the time i am int he shower.

Can you do a split? Hell no.

What movie do you want to see right now? Borat!

What did you do for New Year's? I don't think i did anything...hmmm..

What was the cause of your last accident? I almost lost my left nut b/c I was using improper sawing technique on a table saw and a piece of oak shot out and caught me in the thigh. left a bruise on my leg the size of a softball.


Car accident? Chickie poo paying more attention to her radio and less to the red light she was How much money do you have on you right now?
I'm still worried about paying off my student loans, but I'm comfortable.

Was your mom a cheerleader? No - she was big into 4-H though. Damn she can cook b/c of this. Can my readers back me up?


What's the last letter of your middle name?
"L" - the onle letter of this name our whole family can agree on. Well, the N also. You see, my middle name is NEAL. My grandfather, nor my father for that matter, was not a good speller. My grandmother and grandfather decided to name me after my great uncle, grandmother's brother, Neil. Well, while filling out the birthcertificate, Granddaddy put down NEAL for my father. As uncle Neil was crotchity, I don't know if this was truly accidental or a bit of protest, but none the less, my father's middle name is NEAL and so is mine.


How many hours of sleep do you get a night? Either not enough or too much. prolly averaging 8 hours lately.

What do you buy at the movies? Popcorn, but I always want a hotdog.

Do you know how to play poker? I don't. But The Yankee workshop made an amazing poker table the other day.

Do you wear your seat belt? yes. but i have been cited for failure to do this.



What do you wear to sleep? boxers. maybe a t-shirt.

Anything big ever happen in your hometown? Hank Williams Jr. played his first concert there.



How many meals do you eat a day? two and snacks.

Do you like funny or serious people better? I need to be enteretained by someone who is a "serious talker."

Ever been to Vegas?
No, but my serious talker friend has.a

Did you eat a cookie today?
I'll stop by the grocery on the other lowes.

Do you use cuss words in other languages?no, but i should learn.

Do you steal or pay for your music downloads? I'll plead the 5th on this one.

What do you and your parents fight about the most? Nothing lately.

Is anyone mad at or irritated with you right now? I don't think so. Thats a nice thought.

Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Christmas day. This year will be scattered. or not at all since my brother wants to do giftless christmas, which i'm not a big fan of. I like the tradition. its really the thought that counts. I also like wrapping paper. you don't have to give me anything ridiculous.


What's your favorite preparation for eggs?
Fried, in bacon fat, where you use a spoon to cook the yolkes with hot grease. drain on paper towel. so tasty.

Are you easy to get along with? Casually, yes. I can be opinionated and direct. I think its probably a bit of a challenge to live with me.

What is your favorite time of day? That small snatch of time when you appreciate something for just being. Driving home, a beautiful sky. Smelling something that makes you appreciate life. Its never the same time for me.

Who was your best girlfriend/boyfriend?Was? Was... I like this. I'm a serial friendship type person. I call them "transient friends" I can be great friends with someone then one of us will drop off the map. We'll pick back up when/if we run into each other again. I'm gonna go with Jeff on this one. Jeff is an army ranger instructor. We were inseperable around the third grade, hated each other in 5th, (cause I was plain mean), friends again at age 14 or so due to the boy scouts, he moved to Florida at age 17, (came back to visit, and I didn't even recognize him) back to Ga for community college at 19, off to UGA generally together at 20, he went of to war, twice, I'm still in school, and I'll be his best man when he gets married this summer. Jeff is one of the few people I know I can call on. We've "dated" the same women, worked together installing furniture, gone hunting together, fought like brothers, hiked together, and even bounced at the same seedy bar together.. Jeff was and is by best guy friend.


Who do you hate? Idiots and unnecessarially rude people.

Would ever date your first love again? The first person I really wanted to marry. Yes. I wonder how it would turn out. Prolly the same. who knows. And really, now that I'm all married and stuff, who cares?

Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend? Hmm, I have a wonderful wifey, a fun roommate, and some great friends who happen to be girls. My women keep me entertained and grounded.

Depends on how you classify "boyfriend." I am dating but not in a committed relationship with anyone.Current mood?Eh - pretty even keeled - not euphoric but not down in the dumps either.

The time has finally come.

I'm moving to California.

Reese Witherspoon has finally left that wretched husband of hers. I've had the biggest crush on this little honey pie since she starred in some bad movie where she was sleeping with some dude playing her brother. I think this turned out to be where she met that loser husband of hers. So, it started off as fake incest, it was doomed from the start.

Its time for me to step in. Every man has some duty. This is mine.

It's not a threat, its a promise

Keep up the smart ass remarks and I'm posting a picture.

You too can control your outbreaks with a HUGE purple pill

Well damn if i don't have the herpes.

My left shoulder has broken out with a damn rash that absofuckinglutely hurts. N0, it doesn't itch, it hurts. So badly so that I actually went to the doctor. Evidently I'm the poster child for shingles. Shingles is caused by the virus Herpes Zoster, which gave most everyone chicken-pox back in the first grade. Well, evidently the virus never really goes away and will come back as a rash. Furthermore, if the person you are sleeping with has already had chicken pox, you don't spread the virus. That dear person already has it. This also goes for friends. If that dear person is going to get shingles, they will do so as a result of their own relationship with their own dormant virus, not mine.

Also, valtrex is damn expensive. The pills are huge - 1000mg, and they cost about $12 bucks apiece. When you take 3 for 7 days, that gets expensive. Amazingly, my insurance covered all but $30 bucks of this.

Hence, I am now controlling my outbeak with valtrex. Thank god most people only get this damn rash once.

PS - its always fun when the entire staff of the student health center parades through your exam room b/c you are a textbook case of something they don't see much. Shingles are usually reserved for the older people. Significantly older than me anyways.

I ain't doin shiat today

Well, thats not true. I made eggs benedict for breakfast, have some ham soup on. Considering working in the back yard, but I dvr'd an entire day of cooking shows and home improvement from pbs yesterday, so, I'm about to run out which may result in me doing something.

In other news, I have been doing carpentry like a mad man. Bookshelves in the bedroom are now installed and i don't think there is any more exposed insulation in the house. Also, I built some shelving in the water heater cablinet. Alas, I must start being a student again here very soon. Unfortunate really.

Educated Folk.

My Grandfather, F.H., is show with his graduating class. He is on the far left, first row.

For a larger picture, http://www.forest-blade.com/news/2006/0201/News/017.html

A few random comments

It feels like summertime again. Uggh.. Can't this humidity go away?

The house is utterly trashed in a way i hope it never sees again. I hope i can finish that bedroom soon so this furniture can find a new home.

I have finally figured out how to make frozen pizzas as good as those produced by your run-of-the-mill chains. My secret, broil after cooking to crisp the top.

Don't buy cheap paint brushes. Or cheap paint for that matter.

My dog is assy because the weather has been horrible. Maybe some fetch is in order....

Family drama is no fun.

Night class is no fun either.

Using the term "jewing down" when refering to a real estate deal will probably result in trouble, especially if you are teaching a class.

Cox Cable sucks ass. They are coming tomorrow. Grey's best not be interrupted this week.

Regards-

But I don't wanna!!!

I'm on call in Law of Lawyers tomorrow and I really don't want to do this. Just like the painting, its getting old. But I'm almost done. And paying bills and doing laundry and going to class at 8:30, etc. There are lots of things I just don't want to do.

A Disaster To Behold

"A dawg is a Southern man's best friend." - Lewis Grizzard.

I think somebody just shot my Dawg. UGA 22, Vandy 24.

If you are looking for me, I'll be that guy face down by the empty bottle of Makers Mark.

Cox Sux

I'd like to share my boring TV woes. I recently obtained a dvr and for some damn reason, our cable sucks. Our tv chooses not to receive, oh, espn during a big game, channel 6 during Gray's, or maybe anything else I want to watch. Right now its not getting any infomation as to whats on where, so channel flipping with this digital crap is getting old. Making me want to revert to my rabbit ears. At least TV was free then.

So, yes, I know TV is trivial, and I have 10,000 things to do that have more value to myself and others, but I just want to vege out on the couch, and watch Laguna Beach reruns, sans commercials and sip bourbon some evenings. I don't think it too much to ask. Conspiricist bastards. I'm starting to wonder if the wifey has something to do with this. Afterall, she does have a degree in TV communications.....

Painting...its what got me into this mess.

A major first for my time in macon is underway. I am at serious risk of actually completing a room in my house. Today, I had the most fun painting I do beleive I have ever had. I remember the first thing I painted. I con-ed (how do you spell that anyways??) my dad into paying me to paint some building in downtown swainsboro I don't remember which one was first. Oh yeah, that one, the one with 14 foot ceiling and we were supplied with some cheap ass ceiling paint - Coronado is bad stuff, stay away. So, after making some good money, I was off as a painter. This familiy industry eventually resulted in my purchase of a graco professional paint sprayer and I have no idea how many gallons of that paint I have applied to walls since then.

When I first obtained the sprayer, that thing was fun. I made some good money doing that, the I decided to do some construction work in college. Eventually I moved to macon and purchased a house. Hence, for the last two years, I have been trying to finish something. Now, in third year, I'm well on my way.

So, back to the topic at hand - painting. The bedroom walls are already painted. I'm just doing the trim. I've been working for a week and i finally put some actual paint on the walls. I put down 2 coats of primer, sanded, puttied, and caulked. Let me tell you, after all the prep work, it actually paid off. That stuff glides on. Like buttah.

nice.

Its A Celebration!!

Or maybe not...

I recently received a letter a firm i was hoping to get an offer from. It is a lovely letter.

Informing me that they are not hiring this year but would be happy to provide me with a reference for the further job searching that is looking quite necessary.

Too bad practicing law is really running a business. The coyote and I are headed back to the drawing board.

Opinions

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and they all stink.

After reading some blog entries recently, I felt provoked to write my own piece about this topic. First and foremost, I have been to too many years of higher education in fields that are all about qualification. Law, accounting, and science all have trained my wee little brain to realize that there are more questions than answers. So what do i do? Well I qualify things. If this then that but if the other then something else....you get the drift.

So, after reading these opinion pieces on opinions, I thought I would proffer my opinion on opinions. In making this exhaustive academic study, the first thing that popped into my head was the above statement. And, after further thought, I offer the following reivision.

Opinions are like assholes, everyone hides theirs and tries to keep it as clean as possible as not to offend others.

And I beleive on further reflection, people are afraid to have opinions at the risk that conflict will foreclose opportunity. Hence, at office lunches and civic functions, we either sit with people we suspect are most like us or we just sit there and limit discussion to subjects everyone can agree on. Even our lawmakers do this. With the political add season coming, I ask you to slow the dvr down and actually watch some of these commercials. "Mark Taylor is tough on crime." "Sonny helped the children." Why did the do these things? I bet it has less to do with their love for the little ones or the fact criminals are bad people than it has to do with the ease in which they can get people to agree on their legislation. Who wants to go home and say they voted not to punish the sex offenders? NOBODY.

People just don't stand up and say what they think anymore. We are all so interconnected and so many times are our thoughts we think private recorded in places we don't know about, that we are afraid to say what we think.

On another tangent, maybe people don't want to be called a liar or go back on their word, so they qualify. That keeps things from biting them in the ass. Or so they think. But hey, if you making any mistakes, you're probably not learning much.

So, there you go. That's my opinion, on opinions.

Bumpersitcker see recently

"Borrowing tools is for the weak" I thought this was funny, but if anyone needs to borrow anything, just give me a call.

Upside down and crooked

Damn, I am sore. A friend from law school and I hung the crown molding in my master bedroom yesterday. I can barely move. Those light boards take their toll when you hold them up to the ceiling and take them down and cut them they pry them into place then.... well you get the idea.

So, now I have a bit more trim work to do in there and its off to the races with the painting. Then we can at least move all then furniture back into the room. After the bathroom is finished, then we can be in there fo real.

In other building news, i assembled a "Cornhole" table, well two of them actually, for a friend. We just got a DVR and I recorded an episode of Yankee Workshop where they engaged in making signs. Always being one who wants to apply my new "skilz" I decided we should carve his initial in one of them with the router. So, I made my first attempt at somewhat artistic routher work and I must say, i was impressed with the results. I think i can do better next time, but that seems to be a theme for me.

A Close Encounter of Another Kind

Waiting on Pre-Trial practice to begin. And sitting in the student lounge next to the executive committee of the Womens Law Association. also know as the Mafia around here. The are organized, have an outline bank, make connections for jobs and really do loads of stuff around here. I really thought they met in secret and had some sort of secret decoder ring that would allow them access to a secret room that no one else knows about. Evidently I was wrong. So, I'm casually evesdropping on this elusive group and i must say its none too mysterious.

Oh well, maybe they'll throw a couple outlines my way.

Sterilization - A Near Miss

Well, as you all know, I have been working on my house and going to school lately and well, not much else. I don't know how to tell this story in a funny manner right now, but I was sawing a piece of oak in the table saw the other evening when it hung in the blade and fired out the saw into my groin. Fortunately, the piece of wood merely struck me in the leg and left a bruise the size of a softball. No permanent injuries. After stabbing myself in the thumb and nearly castrating myself with a dull piece of flooring, I think i'll take a day or two off.

Otherwise, life is going well. The thrid year of lawschool is truely not so bad so far. I've been getting the master suite ready, and am progressing nicely. I can't wait for a weeekend where I can mow the grass and do some menial stuff and enjoy myself..or come up with a I want to do project instead of a need to do project.

But life is good. Maybe headed to the lake saturday night to watch the dawgs and celebrate a friend's birthday.

My First Exit Wound

Well, yesterday was a good day. I started laying the accent border for my shower and made solid progress. More tile to come today. However, in the process of getting my tile saw ready, I purchased some parts so i could hook it directly up to the water hose. While removing a zip-tie from one of the parts, it seems I stabbed my thumb with the scissors. As you can imagine it started to bleed and i went insided and washed it. As I was trying to stop the bleeding and bandage it, I noticed blood coming from a second hole. Amazingly the tip of the scissors traveled 3/4 of an inch and poked out the tip of my finger. Wow.

So, today I seem fine. I had a tetnus show two years ago and the cut looks clean and the brusiing has gone away today.

Its a real milestone here.

Breaking the Bloggin Rules

I haven't posted anything lately because I work all day on trying to finish my master bedroom/bathroom and then generally pass out shortly after I stop working for the day. Because I don't beleive my readers (down to 1 now) are interested in the mundane aspects of building a dual head shower walk in shower with diamond pattern accent tile and glass block, I haven't been posting much lately. I have also electrified my little work/storage shed and finally moved, by hand over 3,000 pounds of crap out of my back yard. (yes, I did haul it to the dump on a trailer, but it was all loaded and unloaded by hand, so make that 6,000 pounds and you will understand why my back hurts.

So, today I have to prepare an opening statement and of course, I am procrastinating. In my efforts to procrastinate, I found an article in the Young Lawyers Division newsletter from the State Bar. Here, Judge John Elligton, Georgia Court of Appeals, shares "Lessons I've Learned from the Bench." I found some of these to be very good so I thought I would post them here for you to read.

• You can do anythin in a courtroom until someobody (usually the judge) tells you that you can't.
• Just because you can do anything in a courtroom you want to, doesn't mean you have to.
• There is life outside the courthouse - get one.
• Remember, there are no original stories, just original thieves. If you see another lawyer's style you like, steal it and make it your own.
• In law and in life, it is the people you meet and the friends that you make who make the difference.
• Git-R-Done...early. ...
• Even if it is your first time doing something, act like you have done it 100 times before.
• Time is money. Although money will not buy you happiness, it will buy you are Mercedes-Benz that you can ride around in and look for happiness.
• Most appellate judges think that they are legal scholars. The truth is that they are just lawyers who once knew a governor.
• It doesn't cost anythign to be nice - to staff, baliffs, clients and othere attorneys.
• Motions for Reconsideration (MFRs), also known fondly by the court as "more fascinating reading," will be granted only when it appears the court overlooked a material fact in the record, a statute or decision which would require a different judgment from that rendered. ...
• Everybody in the world does not have a courthouse. . . .
• What we do in the judicial system is important. We deal with people's property, people's children, and people's freedom.

So there, Thank you Judge Ellington. I thought these were good nuggets of wisedom and hope you enjoyed them.

Of Droping off Cars

A friend of mine has proclaimed the true mark of good white-trash is the act of "dropping off a car." Today, I soundly entered the White Trash Hall of Fame as I hauled a 1990-something Ford Explorer to Atlanta from the 'Boro behind my 2002 Ford Explorer. Well, if you've never used a car-dolly, its one helluva contraption. Pins here, straps there, this pivots, that doesn't, damn those things are hard to figure out. This from a guy with multiple college degrees and who practically rebuilt his own house. But I digress....

So, I get this pin there, that pin there, and pulled the straps, checked the air in the tires, etc and head off to atlanta. Oh, by the way, I courriered a title to another car to Atlanta as well. So, the drive went very well, that is untill I took the last turn into my brother's subdivision. And, you guessed it, the damn thing fell off the dolly. Well, after the use of a jack, some cribbing, and a chain attached to a big truck (which happens to be the title I was carrying) we got the thing back off and, unbeleivably, there were just some scratches and a not too sever dent.

So, all in all I logged over 350 miles, dropped off a car, dropped off a car title and looked at some ceramic tile for my massive new shower. A tiring, but pretty good day.

PS - Spent the morning helping a friend get the locksmith to unlock her car as well. Its been quite the automotive day.

Still Lawyering.....

In said class as i type. On call today, so blogging may not be such a fine idea, but right....

So, A and I are engaged in a blogging discussion, wherein she simply does not understand the utility of a Big Mac. I mean with all that special sauce, she must be blind to miss this. A alleges that fast food is making children fat and malnourished. I can't seem to agree. Personally, I find this position as illogical as blaming Playboy for the large number of blind young men out there. Or we could sue Nintendo for the kick ass hand eye coordination I now possess and exercise my Ninja skilz on random people on the street.

I mean fast food is tasty, its inexpensive, and has at least some nutritional value. Granted, its chock full of preservatives and low-grade, highly processed food products, but people have been eating those since man discovered the fire. Probably before.

Yes, I have seen Fast Food Nation. There, a libelous hippie, organic gnawing granola nut goes on a McDonalds bings. I mean this guy didn't get a fry after school every day, he got a Big Mac, a Fry, and Apple Pie, maybe a shake and hell, why not, another cheeseburger. Did he got to football practice afterward? Hell no, he went back to his cubicle and languished away with the rest of corporate america. I think that points out the problem very well. Its not the fault purley of what they eat, but the fact that kids don't get out and play as much anymore. When I was a youngster, every time my parents drove by a McDonald's, I would pitch a fit and scream ARCHES!!! ARECHES!! ARCHES!! I WANNA GO TO THE ARCHES!! I never got fat till I got to college and started drinking beer. Why? because I always had a damn shovel in my hand or a hammer or something and I was building shit. Daming up the creek, building tree-houses, building forts, something, anything. I was active. I mowed acres and acres of grass, kayaked, backpacked, and just generally got out the house. There's your problem. Its not the fault of the people who provide me my tasty Filet-O-Fish, its the people who sit on their ass after eating two or three of them.

It & It Finally Happened

Today was big. In several ways. I finally began my third, and what I hope will be my final year as a law student. I had one class. It started at 8:30. At least if forces me out of bed. We are learning about the "Law of Lawyering," which I think should be titled the "Law of Lawyers." I love how this particular instution loves the them "Lawyering." Exactly what is lawyering anyways? I can think of Laboring, which implies sweating profusely as you turn human pack animal and ferry bricks across some sun-soaked construction site, covered in dirt and smelling like a burro, or maybe Accounting, where you look at numbers in 8 point font on a ledger size piece of paper till you eyes cross and you fingers are bloody from ten-key reclaculations. Or maybe Plumbing, where you run pipes under a house that practically sits directly on the ground or squeeze your entire arm into some dark recess trying to glue some pipes together... But I thought the act of being a lawyer was called 'Practicing" I didn't know you could lawyer as you practice, know as "Lawyering" here atop Coleman hill. Who knew? You do learn something every day.

In other "Big Day" news (i'm into the quotes today, can you tell?) WE GOT SOME DAMN DOORS UP IN HERE!! Yes, my bedroom may actually have a door sometime in, oh, the next six weeks. Its is very exciting. I purchased doors in the original style of the house and am planning on reusing the little crystal knobs b/c I think they are cool, but otherwise, they aren't warped, they have nice, smooth working hinges, and they are pre-hung, which means I may be able to install more than one door a month. This is very exciting news.

A Poem

Enjoy the pictures while you can,
Things may have not gone exactly to plan,
Cadleized is however, an industrious man.

But let this be a warning,
Because you discover one morning:

You may in fact have a couch,
You may in fact have a house.

But do not yet develop any roots--
Robert lives but down the street,
And is fastidiously muddying up his boots.

(credit to Robert, the author. MUDDY BOOTS!)

The Great Thing About Law School

Is the aboslute inefficient use of time that is allowing me to write this post. At this fabulous instution, we are afforded the opportunity to learn all about Alternative Dispute Resolution. Its is absolutely fascinating. While I have actually learned something with this course, it meets from 10-12, then from 2-4. Talk about chewing up the better part of the day and spitting it out. Minimal nutritional value to say the least. Unfortunately, as 3L's, we don't get any sort of priority (with parking or anything else) so this is the only time classrooms were available for such good learning and quality education. So, I'm sitting here making this post. Good times.

Let the Games Begin!

Well wifey has left for the beach (for 4 days!!) with her mother and Dora and I are home alone. It was my last day of work at Firm2 and here I sit on the couch, full of tasty mexican (well, moderately tasty as the new El Sombrero on Forsyth ain't much to brag about. The one downtown is tasty but this one sucks ass as my chicken fajhitas were rubbery and nothing was necessarily tasty.)

I started this lovely day at work, finished it up on the golf course, and well, now the couch. I must say I am a disgrace to home-alone celebration husbands everywhere as I have now settled in with some tasty heinekin and, you guessed it, a chick flick. Maybe even worse, North Country, that speaks of women's rights and sexual discrimination in traditionally male-dominated industry. Lets just say this is amazing. (frankly if you don't want to read my ramblings on life and politics, just stop here).

Anyways, I took labor law and am really quite liberal when it comes to equal rights. Its amazing how this movie has portrayed, in what I think is a realistic and reasonable way. Its just my sheltered mind and liberal, hippie parents never taught me how to think like this. I understand women and men are different. I don't beleive women and men are truly equal. There's just no way due to the fact that there are certain biological differences that make us just that, different. That being said, I do think most women can do the jobs of most men and that, intellecutally at least were are on equal footing. I beleive the studies that say most women are calmer and more rational men.. i think b/c I know some pretty hot-headed women, but regardless, women and men often think differently and I think we all have our own gifts.

So, its amazing to see the sexism and denigration of women portrayed in such a vivid and, what I beleive would be an accurate, if not tame, manner. In my labor law class we read some cases that illustrated this point. But the real life portrayal (at least on the big screne) is harsh and just damn. Amazing. I just can't beleive how people can think. I've seen this in the racial context in real life, but not so much in the sexual arena. I'm amazed. What a moving movie.

So, what else can a man say sitting on his couch at home alone on a Wednesday night?

GO GIRL POWER!!! If you think you can do it, go for it. Just don't ask me to birth a kid, cause I can't do it.

ADDENDUM: Just to prove what a dumb-ass I am, I will leave the above discussion posted, but would like to let it be know I wrote that b/f the court-room scene and should, from now on wait to post my thoughts on movies. Wifey says I have a strange way of prediciting plots and I guess I just did that subconciously with my bit of sarcasm above. If you haven't seen the movie, the you don't know how I just stuck my foot in my mouth and you should still watch it as its very moving and worthwhile.

Its going Around

Every once in awhile, especially when I'm procrastinating, I do love a good survey. Here is one that actually made me think.

Ten years ago I: (1996) Was returning from Virginia where I spent the summer as a white water raft guide for a boy scout camp. Tanned and having spent eight weeks of freedom in the hills of West Virginia taking young boys down the New River Gorge, I was returning to the Boro for my second year at East Georgia College. Though I would miss the kayaking adventures on a class IV river after dark, the group of hot Explorer Scouts (yes, they were girls) who came through out program (only to return the next year as counselors, very nice), and some really great friends, I was looking forward to furthering my education because I had finally been released from the hell of high school and was looking forward to much bigger and better things. Finally being of age, 18, I was also allowed the privilege of holding an EMT license which meant I could drive fast and cut cars apart and poke people with needles and give drugs. On my return I began working for the local ambulance service, which I started purely for reasons of going to medical school. Little did I know how much that experience would change the way I look at things for good or how I most certainly wouldn't end up in medical school. (I woulda made one helluva plastic surgeon though).

Five years ago I was: (2001) Returning from Norway, where I had suckered some nice folks from Rotary to send me for the summer on their dime. What a great trip, touring the museums of Oslo, spending most afternoons on the beaches, drinking Norwegian beer till the wee hours, sleeping through (I mean I went and put my head down right on my desk) class, and generally watching the women. Man that country is full of beautiful women. Riding the T-banne to the Ski Jump from some prior Olympics, drinking more beer, meeting new people, (my roommate from Kosovo, who was Albanian and like to have some really hot smelly sex with this girl from Italy in our tiny dorm room (gross)), and just generally lacking in most all responsibility. Returning to Georgia, getting paid $400 to stay an extra night by Norwegian Air (gotta love that), and buying a Grayco paint sprayer so I could make some mulah before returning to Athens and finishing my last year in the Macc program at UGA.

Two Years Ago I was: (2004) A new homeowner. We had gutted the thing, started re-wiring it and I was about to start law school. I think august was spent fighting with the electrical inspector. For the interim, Wifey and I had rented a home on Vineville, where the train kept us up to the wee hours and our carpenter slept in a spare bedroom and was generally nasty to all. He coined the term, "rich people pepper" (anything in a grinder), which lives on in our household to this day. The rental was a step up for me, I live without hot water or A/C for the past 2 months. Wifey was stepping down from our apartment in Atlanta and this mismatch of expectations made the living there rather tenuous. Back at our new home, I was sweating getting the sheetrock in, not knowing I would have to put a new roof on the place or replace all the hardwood floors. I was hopeful that I would be finished soon, and unwittingly naive about this whole remodeling situation. Yes, I can do each task, no, I didn't know it would take this damn long. Nor did I know law school and life would consume as much of my time as it has or that I would be getting old and just plain crazy.

One year ago I was: (2005) Clerking at a law firm, starting back to school, and you guess it, still working on this house.

Yesterday I was: Still working on the house. However, there is an apartment upstairs, there are actually stairs, and we have a wonderful tenant who helps pay the mortgage. Specifically, I was fighting with her ice-maker, which in my opinion is the bane of all appliances to install because they are a huge pain in the ass. I cooked a fabulous dinner for some friends. Probably the best lamb I have done to-date, and the company was wonderful.

Today I was: Still working on the house. (you'd have never guessed? Would you?) I installed some drip irrigation on the back portch, painted a cabinet, hung some faux wood blinds and made many a trip to Lowes. None of this would have been possible without the wonderful hot ham and cheese crossant I had this morning from the Bagelry, (which isn't as good as it once was), but was still perfect this morning as the wine drenched lamb was leaving me in need of some solid breakfast food. Now, I've had a wonderful dinner from the Steak-n-Shake am typing this blog (and noticing that the leisure has left my summers) and will be heading out to see the new movie, Talladega Nights. Don't hold your breath for a review, I'm not into that. (I bet I eat my words on this.)

An Exercise in Fraud

A friend recently told me that my summer was boring and I should write him an email that makes my summer sound interesting. Hence, I concocted the following:

(The names of the innocent have been changed, and the details are incredible distortions of any grain of truth that never existed.)

Robert,

I tried to call, but straight to voice mail. My life has been very interesting so far this summer. I have lied and cheated and cost poor, likely deserving people out of thousands and thousands, possibly millions of dollars. Wifey and I have been fighting and the last episode resulted in a stainless-steel all-clad pot flying through the kitchen window and into the new neighbor’s car. I told them to file it on their homeowner’s insurance. Screw’em.

Work is going well. I am having an affair with the managing partner’s daughter who is also married and the mother of 2. She isn’t that bad looking for a 45yr old. The partner found out and I told him to kiss my ass and that I would be taking over both his family and the firm. I plan to convert it to a torts firm in the near future.

In social news, George threw LeeAnne out the back window of her apartment upstairs where she was mauled by Dora, who is no longer self shaming, but out for blood. Dean Williams, or should I say Mary, has been coming over for mad, drunken dinner parties and I think she is next on my married women to sleep with list. I think she and Justin are actually having a torid affair, but hey, he’s almost single. Tim’s girlfriend has either drown or is MIS on some river floating trip after drinking too many segram’s cooler drinks. They are hoping to have some news by next week, but the search teams are being hampered by the massive mosquito attacks we have been having. Whoever was scared of the killer bees never even considered this. The entire city goes through intermittent periods of lockdown.

So, as woefully middle class as it may be, you can see I have been VERY BUSY!

I hope you are well.

PS – really really liked the Nobu Now Cookbook book. Call and we will discuss.

An Ankle Update

Well, the ankle has finally begun to recover. I guess I just need to accept these things no longer heal in a day or two. Several rounds of anit-inflamatories, icing it, and elevation apparently actually do work. There is a nice bruise that is just begining to form where it was most painful on the night I did the damage, so I hope that is a sign of deep, intense healing that will allow me to enjoy my 3-L year with my classmates who will be on the golf course and everywhere but at school celebrating their last year before entering (or in my case, re-entering) the real world of daily duties at something people seem to call a JOB. Seriously.

Come to think of it, my tour at two, well-respected, super-high quality firms has almost come to an end. Someone asked me what the difference between the two was, and in all honesty its difficult to define. Both firms have very intelligent people, a partnership of all ages, hard workers, and diverse practices. Both focus on law with a corporate bent, but neither are truly "corporate" firms (think office-space). The difference really lies in the people and their personalitites. Both focus on quality legal work and servicing their clients. Both focus on billable hours and keeping track of how their resources are use. Both have fun social events. I would really be honored to work, on a more full-time basis, at either of them.

So, how are they different. One had a research program I prefer, the other made more limited use of it. One allowed us access at all hours, the other didn't. One had Natalia's crabcakes, the other didn't. One had the secretaries bring breakfast on fridays, the other didn't. One had group lunch outings on a regular basis, the other didn't. So, in those ways, yes, the firms were different. But seriously, are those really differences?

I took my first job at a place where I was certain I would quit after 2 years. I knew my days were limited so I chose somewhere I could get in and get out and not make anyone angry. They did the big dinners, the fancy parties, the ridiculous Christmas extravaganza, offered "rotations" to exotic destinations (to do accounting none-the-less), and really doted on their recruits. Frankly, I hated it. I don't intend to make that same mistake again. In seeking my start for my second, and hopefully, God willing, last career. I am looking for somewhere to settle into. Somewhere I can work my ass off and be rewarded for it. Somewhere I am proud to call my place of employment and somewhere I can make people proud the chose to employ me. And though they are different, I would gladly start my legal career at either one. Let's all pray someone thinks enough of me to say, "You're hired."

Drink or Drown

Well I had the pleasure of my first innertube experience I have had in a very long time. The last time I rode an innertube down a river was back in the day - i was well below driving age, when we would take our annual family trip to Helen, Ga. and tube down the river. I found this great fun, cold as hell, and exciting. (We even saw Conway Twitty and George Jones at this event - bonus days? oh yeah) So, tubing as a juvinile was great fun

However, I recently tubed on a nice warm Georgia river and must say it was quite fun. Lots of sun, and lots and lots of beer. A canoe accompanied us and kept everyone with a cold beverage in had. Unfortunately, it is difficult to realize how much consumption has occurred. I never had that, "gawd I'm so drunk" feeling when I stand up from the sitting position, but let me tell you, getting out of that tube was a potentially life changing experience. I'm told I behaved fairly well as the wifey was there, but just durn I remember standing up and being all woozy. Good times, and I think everyone else was in the same condition.

Getting Old is Hard to Do

I injured my left ankle while running at 10:30 down a little residential street near my house. I really enjoy the late night running when it finally cools off and there is little traffic. So, I beleive I was listening to some enrique iglesies when I finally started to pick up some speed and all the sudden my ankle was turning and I was deciding how I should fall (eat pavement or roll?). Fortunately I didn't injure myself in the fall, but durn if I didn't hurt my ankle.

So I did what any young, somewhat fit, american male would do, I started trying to keep running. Amazingly I made it home, and was in pain, but not that bad. the shin splints were much worse. However, I had to play golf the next day. I was fine for the first 7 holes. Then things went bad. I reinjured it on the last hole. painful.

So, I then tryed to play golf again. heinious idea. Was supposed to play on Saturday, but I canceled. I guess I'll just be sitting at home, watching HBO and icing my foot, like I am right now, at work.

on the DL

I just rediscovered music downloads. oh my.

Kip on Soul Mates

LaFawnduh is *the* best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm 100% positive she's my soul mate. Don't worry Napoleon, I'm sure there's a babe out there for you too. Peace out.

Bob Vila Strikes Back - The Empire Emerges

Damn if I didn't actually get some shit done this weekend. I installed a barsink (I don't care if that's not one word. Mine is one-word worthy). The bar area of my house has been a bit untidy since move-in. Somehow, I never bothered to install the electrical outlets or fasten down the countertops. (Well I still haven't installed interior doors, but we aren't even going to go there.) So, my barsink looks fabulous. There are under-counter lights, electrical outlets, and a wall-switch. As a bonus, two other outlets in the general area started working too. I mean seriously, as if...

I even have the thing plumbed. Well, the drain leaks, but lets not get greedy here. The drain system under that part of the house had to be re-vamped, as well as the hot and cold water pipes. However, the drain leak should be a speedy fix, so the thing should be operational in, I dunno, a month or so...

As I was cleaning up and admiring my handi-work, A-rod, the tenant comes home and reports her A/C isn't working. This is a problem that the A/C people were called to repair last weekend as well. As I suspected, the drain lines are flawed because they weren't installed with enough slope to allow proper drainage. Did I call someone to tell me this??

Hell no, I am the illegitimate love child of Martha Stewart and Bob Vila. I don't need the A/C man unless something is wrong with the unit itself. So, I trekked it to Lowes for the 15th time and bought the supplies. The drain line now appears to have a nice consistent slope and went from a 3/4" pipe to a 1 1/2" pipe,

So now I have two functioning drains, and found out a head buzz from pipe glue is way over-rated.

New Sheets

Wifey went and bought new sheets today. They are pretty and something like 350 thread count. But they still aren't soft. Double washed and not soft. You have to buy 500+ thread count sheets for the insta-soft feel I've become accustomed to. Guess I'm just a Sheet Snob.

Wonder if you can get sheets at the Goodwill. I bet they're soft.

Well it is Sunday Afterall

I had one of those odd moments today in the car. I was headed to Lowes at 11:00, which here in the south is serious get dressed up and go to church time. But I was driving to Lowes and thinking about the fact that I haven't really attended church regularly in, well its been awhile.

But I remembered the first time I really think God answered a prayer of mine. I still remember that night well. I was probably 9 or 10. Attending Camp Winshape, which if you don't know is the center of the Truett Cathy (aka Chick-fil-A) God-Fearing Universe. There, we were involved in many activities and this was my first experience to "city-boy" camp. It was rather odd, and I was bored most of the time. I honestly don't remember a thing about it, except the fact that my first dog, Abbie, went missing on the day I first phoned my parents. Abbie was a wonderful golden retriever. She was my first dog and I think I was inspired to have her after reading Where the Red Fern Grows.

But have her I did and I loved that dog. Needless to say, I was distraught when my parents told me she had run away. I cried and cried. So sad, my baby had run away. We had daily devotionals at Winshape, and I remember asking everyone to pray for the return of my pup. For good measure, I stayed up most of the night crying about my loss and begging that God please help return her. He must have heard me because I called my parents the next day, and low and behold a nice family across town had seen her crossing their property and kept her. Not only that, but the also found her owner and didn't keep such a wonderful dog to themselves. I really think God answered my prayers that day. I hope he will answer yours.

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.

Seen on Cheaters

So, you must read this and impose your best redneck voice. If you could go spend some time in a Fleetwood singlewide, that would probably help. Shag carpet not necessary but a definite plus.

Tracy: "So you see, when he proposed we was in the Red Lobster." (big grin)

"but you see he didn have no ring. But I was eat'in a fish dinner and i had a hush puppy"

"An let me teelll you, I bit into the hushpuppy and almost swallowed that ring"

It was just the most romantic thing, but a little painful.

Epilogue

He actually said, "I think we are soulmates. I just can't stop thinking about you. You are clearly the one."

She actually said, "You need to get a grip on yourself. Are you gonna eat any more of these chips?"

Tough Love

I don't really even know where to begin this post.

I spent the evening with the father of one of my very good friends. For some time one of my best friends, but I'm afraid we might have lost him for awhile. I think my friend has some sort of bi-polar/skitzophrenia disorder. He enjoyed a large quantity of drugs for a period of time and it seems to have disloged something. His father, F, came into town today. F is a rather impressive guy. Big time attorney, smart, calm, cool and collected. I've only met him once or twice, but I could see the worry in his eyes when he stepped out of the hotel and into my car. It was palpable. I've never been close to anyone whose child went missing. But it felt as though this man's child was missing. I know generally where his son is. Hell, I could call him or text him right now. But he's definitely missing. Something came loose and nothing has been the same since.

This post is about F. I felt so horrible for him. You could tell that being estranged from his son was absoulutely eating him alive and that he knew there was absolutely nothing he could do. Its terribly sad to see someone so accomplished and who seems to be such a good guy totally demoralized and frightened because he fears for his son and is afraid the boy he used to know and the young man he became may have just left us all forever. It was the unknowing, the fright. I wish I could tell him more, tell him everything is going to be ok, that his son will be the person he knows again, soon. But I couldn't.

I just have no concept of what its like to even have a child, much less fear for that child's well-being on a minute-by-minute basis. Knowing how the sadness I feel paled in comparison to what he was feeling was almost too much for me to bear.

I beleive this would be the ultimate test of pure blind faith. Faith that something, someone out there is in control and that things really do happen for reasons we are incapable of understanding. I guess I just wonder if I have it.

Old Flames

Its always interesting when two people who dated long ago decide to find each other and meet up for drinks, dinner, or who knows what. So many questionmarks. Possible more than on any blind date. This is serious fodder for a new reality show. I suggest integrating the bubble commentary as seen on the famous "Blind Date." Lets do a little he's thinking she's thinking.

She's Thinking:

Is it a date? Will he offer to pay? Where will we go? Will old flames be rekindled only to be doused by reality? Is he fat? Will those old feelings of passion re-emerge? Can we just sit and eat as "friends"? Will he try and give me a "good night kiss"..will I like it? maybe more?
Will he talk about his wife? Will he squirm when I ask? What are his intentions? Are the noble? Does he love her? What about his kids? Are they good kids? Is he a good dad?

He's Thinking:

I wonder what she looks like? I hope she's still hot.. Is she seeing anyone? Is this going to be awkward? Wonder if she's seeing anyone? Think she'd still be interested in me?
Is she goign to ask about my wife? I hope not. Hmmm. wonder how the pictures of the kid will go over? Will she order the lobster like she always did? Should I pay? I should pay.
Will she still think i'm good looking? Will we still have that old connection?

Well, here we go....

tune in at 11

Of Closed Doors & Pencils

This post requires visulaization. Picture yourself if you like.

I was talking to a friend of mine who works at a huge law firm and is a very successful attorney when she described a really, really great idea she had just conceived. (Roll the mental footage)

Fist, you find a yellow #2 pencil that hasn't been sharpened just yet.
DECISION: The more advanced test would use a perfectly round, skinny pencil, the less advanced should use the old school octagonal kind.

Second, close your office door. Lock it.

Now, drop your pants. (yes, underwear and all)

Finally, taking the pencil, see if you can hold it up using your butt cheek alone. No cheating

Accoding to my friend, who performed this self examination in a large, high rise law building, you butt is simply too fat if you can hold up a pencil in this manner.

If you actually go through with this, I hope you at least have good sense not to tell anyone.

wurkin it...

i had an idea for a post... its kinda hazy. anyways, I pretty much worked in the yard all weekend. nice to be home. still left town - to ATL for mil's b-day. am tired now and not really thinking straight and don't know that I have much to say.

A response (a bit non-sensical)

A good friend of mine once said, "Its the journey, not the destination that matters." You see, the problem is I'm a destination kind of guy. I want to get there and do. But once I'm there, I'm thinking of the next step. Where is this going? When is this over? Do I really have to sit through this? Can't I just get a clerk to take care of this? Its terribly difficult to just live in the moment and be happy with whatever it is I have or wherever it is I am. I'm always looking for something better, always trying to push myself to be "out there." And exactly WTF does that mean? out there? Can you ever get there?

From wanting my house to look better, to wanting to learn a new skill, to meeting new people, it seems like the horizon is further away every time I look. There are so many things I want to do and experience. Its like I can't get there fast enough. But when you're there, its just opens your eyes to new options.

I try and tell myself that I'm not going to get there and I need to be happy with the here and now. Its damn hard to do. Continuous improvement is a mantra. A way of life. I just can't sit still. Waiting may possibly be the most painful, and constant activity ever endured.