Um-kay?

208.2 (sigh)

Today is one of those days where I just plain woke up in a bad mood. I wasn't tired or reluctant to get up. But I didn't want to come in to the office and face all the crap that was sure to await me here, and I just generally didn't want to leave the house. While reading blogs and email this morning, I alternated between wanting to do a marathon cleaning session in my apartment (which desperately needs it) and crawling back into bed with a good book.

Alas, duty calls, and I am now at work, wading through my inbox and attempting to prioritize the (many) tasks awaiting my attention. I am leaving early today to get my legs waxed regardless of how much or little I get done today: though I have a ton of work, only one or two tasks are things that cannot wait until next week. Considering that Monday starts a new billing month, my only true incentive to get anything done (& billed) today is to whittle away at my ever-growing to-do list. Truth be told, I have already billed plenty of hours for May without lifting a finger today. ;-)

Anyway. . . . my mood is slightly improved now, after a caffe mocha and some social interaction with my coworkers. One of the best things about my firm is that I genuinely like the people I work with, attorneys and support staff alike. Makes it much more pleasant to come into the office, no matter what the workload is like. Though I may be reluctant to admit it, I need to work. . . . and not just for the money, either. Having somewhere that I have to show up daily and tasks to accomplish gives me a sense of purpose. For that reason alone, I'd probably work at least part time even if I were independently wealthy.

My planned deposition in San Francisco today has been postponed to next Friday, which means that our weekend trip has also been delayed. Kind of a bummer.

I am taking advantage of the cancellation to go to Tucson tomorrow to visit my CASA child M, who I have not seen in over three months. This is by far the longest I have gone without seeing her in the 4+ years I have been appointed as her advocate (at one time, I was seeing her every week or every other week). Once I had made my arrangements with the foster family to take her on an outing, the father mentioned that she has been asking why I haven't come to see her, which made me feel really guilty. After all the people who have left her life, I certainly don't want her to think that I have forgotten her! It is hard to find the time to visit now that I have drive to & from Tucson to do it, but I am going to make more of an effort, starting with tomorrow's trip.

MM and I will have a mellow evening together on Saturday when I get back: he is looking forward to dinner at Red Lobster, and we will probably just watch a movie after. We'll also hang out on Sunday and have dinner at his parents' on Sunday evening. We may go down to the ballpark this evening and see about getting some scalper tickets for tonights D-backs' game. . . . but MM is something of a "seat snob," so we may just end up watching the game on TV.

I am as in love with MM ever! I continue to marvel at how well-suited we are. We both have strong personalities, so it's not all "rainbows & lollipops" (as my friend J says), but overall our relationship is great. As he and I are together longer and he feels more secure, I am able to share more things with him without fear of him freaking out. LOL (He is a major worrier.) As a result, he has become one of my closest friends in addition to being my beloved boyfriend. Awwww. . . . And it goes without saying that I enjoy his company.

Totally random aside: can I share that I am really diggin' the latest version of Maroon 5's "If I Never See Your Face Again" featuring Rihanna? (It's playing on the online xmradio at the moment.) I love Maroon 5 (lead singer Adam Levine is a fellow Golden Retriever & Prius owner), and I like Rihanna's voice, though I'm not a huge Rihanna fan. Funny how music I like will always give me a lift. . . .

Here's to a great weekend!

The scale finally likes me

205.4 this morning.

That is all. . . . .

Bangs

This is not a particularly flattering self-portrait, but at least it shows how the new bangs look:

The marathon continues

209.4 (yikes!)

I literally gasped when I saw the number on the scale this morning. I knew that I had a huge late lunch yesterday and a heavy snack with MM late in the evening, but I wasn't expecting to weigh this much. Wow. I've been hovering around 207-208 for a while, but this was a jump.

I had a good holiday weekend. . . . though it wasn't a true 3-day weekend because I had to take a deposition yesterday and that meant nearly 4 hours of work. I had dinner with KC Friday night, and we had a lot of fun. Saturday morning I got a haircut & color (I have bangs now, will have to post a photo soon), and Sebastian went to the groomer. MM and I saw The Police in concert on Saturday night, and it was a great show.

Sunday MM and I went to lunch and to the new Indiana Jones movie, then met his parents for dinner later in the evening.

Yesterday after my depo, I had a long, late lunch with KC and MM dropped by after the gym to visit. I pretty much took it easy the rest of the day aside from the depo.

Oddly, I woke up at 5:50 this morning, fully alert and ready to get up and face the day. I got up, walked Sebastian, cleaned the kitchen, did a load of laundry, addressed some birthday cards, and surfed the internet. . . . all before 8:45 a.m. Unusual for me. It felt good to get some stuff done!

Today is another full day of depos, part of the marathon the month of May has been. After work, MM and I will go to the gym and to dinner, per our usual Tuesday routine.

Not much else to tell. MM and I are going to SF on Friday, and I'm looking forward to having a weekend away with him. It's supposed to be in the low 60s--brrr!

Tone and tenor

207.4

I am in the midst of the second of seven depositions in an ongoing case to which I am assigned. I obviously cannot write about the facts of the case for various privacy reasons, but I can share that it is a multi-defendant case, filed based in part upon events that happened back in 1998/1999. There is a simultaneous suit filed in California against multiple other defendants who were negligent in their care of this plaintiff.

It is not uncommon to have a case with complicated facts and multiple defendants in the medical malpractice arena, but it is somewhat uncommon to be dealing with attorneys from another state. In this case, there is associated local counsel, but the main attorneys for the plaintiffs are from the San Francisco Bay area.

Apparently the way attorneys practice in California is somewhat different from the way laywers in the Phoenix community practice, at least in my small sphere of experience, medical malpractice. For sure, the laws in the two states differ, but it's more than that: it's a difference in tenor, tone, and approach. The attorneys' questioning style, approach to discovery, and general demeanor are just a lot . . . edgier than that to which I have become accustomed. In keeping with that theme, they take the full four hours allowed by Arizona rules for each deposition, and they ask a lot of objectionable questions. That simply isn't the way it's (usually) done here.

Needless to say, sitting through long, contentious depositions for days is not exactly my idea of a good time. If I had to deal with attorneys like these on a regular basis, I might have to give serious consideration to other lines of work. I guess, if nothing else, being involved with the plaintiffs' attorneys in this case has given me an appreciation for the kindness and courtesy of the attorneys I deal with on a more regular basis.

It's a weird day here in Phoenix weather-wise: it's been overcast since I got up this morning, and it rained intermittently between noon and 2:00. We rarely get rain in May, and it's especially odd considering that we were having record heat (105-110 degrees) on Sunday and Monday. MM assures me that pleasant weather is forecast for the weekend--highs in the mid-80s--and I hope that's true because we have tickets to see The Police in concert at an outdoor venue on Saturday night. The concert will be a lot less enjoyable if it's raining or 110+ degrees out.

I took Sebastian for a little walk around the neighborhood this morning before coming to my first deposition. . . . just 15 minutes at a moderate pace, nothing major. Sebastian was very happy to get a walk! When I left for work, the boy was lying on the entryway tile, panting happily--he looked like he was smiling, actually.

Looking forward to seeing MM this evening for gym & dinner. . . . I love our little routines.

Feeling weird

207.4

Today has been one of those days when I've just felt. . . . off. I had a hard time waking up and a hard time getting motivated to get ready for work, so I didn't actually make it to the office until 11:00. (I have had a relatively productive day, once I finally got my a$$ in gear.)

All day, I have just felt vaguely not myself. I have a crampy muscle in my right calf and intermittent lower abdominal/back cramping that feels like it could either be related to female issues or GI upset. I'm blah and not very chatty. . . . I'm not even singing as I work. Not quite sure what's up with me. Guess it's just one of those days.

I'm sure the fact that it's hot as Hades here does not help. We set a record high yesterday at 110, and today's temperature is forecast to get just as high. Yuck. The weatherman says it should be cooling off again by the weekend; I sure hope that's true.

I think I'm going to skip the gym tonight because my energy level is crap. I know, I know: if I went, it might help. But I'm going to take the day off.

Actually, on that note. . . . I think I am going to cut out early and go to the store for some healthy foods. If I'm not going to exercise, at least I can eat better.

Trial in Mohave County

I have no clue what I weighed this morning because I woke up in a Hampton Inn in Kingman, Arizona. Props to me, though, because in spite of hitting snooze multiple times, I used the elliptical trainer in the fitness center. Sure, it was only 10 minutes due to my abuse of snooze, but it was better than nothing. . . . which is what I usually do when I am out of town.

I am drained and tired from driving up to Kingman yesterday and back today. On the plus side, our expert witness's flight yesterday was delayed by over an hour, allowing me to nearly finish all my laundry and to actually fold and put away what was finished! I got back home a couple of hours earlier than I had expected (always planning for the worst case scenario), and that was nice, too. Tomorrow it's back to the usual work routine, but that's OK. . . . I'm actually kind-of looking forward to getting some stuff done.

Our expert was a really nice guy, and I actually enjoyed talking him during the 6-hour round trip to and from Kingman. I freely admit that I rarely have trouble talking to people, even ones I don't know, but was pleasantly surprised that chatting with him wasn't a chore, as I had feared it might be.

In a few minutes, I am going to go get a bite to eat with MM. Even though I've only been gone one day, I missed him. We like to spend Sundays together, and yesterday's road trip interfered with that routine. It's always good to be with him.

I was happy to see my boy when I returned, and I think he was glad to see me, too. I can tell that his dogsitter has been taking very good care of him, because he's not any more excited than he usually is at the end of a workday when I come home. I can also tell that she actually does walk him, because he has been going to the back gate of the complex and nosing it when I take him out. . . . which is what he does when I've gotten in the routine of walking him myself. ;-)

It's good to be home.

A brief weekend recap: MM and I stayed in on Friday night, then went to the D-backs game on Saturday night with KC, as planned. It was Chris Young bobble-head giveaway night, but some cocksnuggler(s) stole ours from under our seats during the game! There was literally never a time that we were both out of our seats, so the blatant theft took place under our noses. . . er, butts, I guess. Some people. . . .

I really didn't care much about the bobble-heads, but MM was pretty ticked off. Even though he'd originally been irked that the bobble-head didn't look much like Young, he was angry that someone had stolen from him. He hates thieves. . . . understandably, given what he does for a living.

Here's a little picture of the Mohave County courthouse, where our trial is taking place:

Mount Washmore

208.0 (eek!)

Boy, am I glad it's Friday. . . . even though I will have to work 4-5 hours tomorrow and drive to Kingman again on Sunday. It is halfway through the month, and I have billed about 50% more hours than usual, and this trend looks to continue for the remainder of the month. I'm tired!

MM and I are going to dinner tonight. We would already be there, but he is stuck working later than unexpected. We had planned to go see Ironman tonight, too, but now that he's been delayed, I'm not sure if that will happen. . . . we may just come home and watch the Diamondbacks game instead. MM is staying at my place tonight because he has to get up early to go to work at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. (As I think I've mentioned before, I live less than 10 minutes from his office, whereas he lives about 30 minutes from there.)

Tomorrow night MM and I are going with KC to a baseball game. I'm looking forward to it! KC switched to a different shift in January and now gets off at 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, so I don't see as much of her as I used to. We used to be able to meet for dinner on weeknights, and now that's not possible with her work schedule. Weekends are hard because I usually have plans with MM or she has plans with other friends. So I'm looking forward to hanging out with her, in addition to going to the game, of course.

I'm taking advantage of MM's delay to get some laundry done. I haven't done more than one load since my father was visiting the first weekend of the month, so it's really piled up. I wish I had more time to get some more things done around here, but alas--I do not. Ah well.

TGIF!

Royal flush

207.8 (ugh)

I was out of town (to Kingman) from Sunday evening until 8:45 last night attending the first day of a jury trial in one of my cases. The partner's paralegal and I spent Sunday night in Laughlin (because it's close & the rooms were cheap), and I got a royal flush on video poker! I won $62.50, but would have won a progressive jackpot of nearly $1300 if I'd been placing the maximum bet.

The trial itself was interesting and fun. We were there throughout jury selection and opening statements. I wish I could've attended more than just the first day, but oh well. I will be driving back up to Kingman with one of our expert witnesses next Sunday. It's a 3-hour drive each way, so he and I will have lots of time together. LOL

When I returned home last night--very tired--I talked on the phone with MM. He was also very tired because Mondays are a long and stressful day at work for me. (It's his "office day," when he meets one-on-one with each probationer to review performance and schedules.)

Probably at least in part because we were both tired and stressed, we had our first real fight. It was really more based on misunderstandings and miscommunications than on any serious issue in our relationship, but we were on the phone for an hour and a half hashing things out. Jeez. Things were resolved in a manner that pleased us both, and we are fine today, but I wish we could have avoided the whole discussion. . . . I didn't really need the additional stress, and I could've gone to bed earlier!

Today has been busy. Because I am out of town for work again tomorrow and Thursday, today is the only day I have to complete any work with a deadline this week. I completed a motion response, reviewed and compiled documents that we have to produce today pursuant to a court order, drafted a response (due 5/15) to a complaint on which I am awaiting the partner's review/input, made several phone calls, and sent out a variety of letters on pending matters. Whew! Before the day ends, I still need to make sure that a stack of documents is mailed out and review all the correspondence in my inbox from yesterday and today. I will have to prepare for the next two days of depositions tonight, because I won't have time during the day today.

I think I mentioned in here that I had gone off my birth control pills in mid-April. I got my period on Sunday, which was about a week earlier than I had expected it, based upon my usual cycles. I was relieved, because I don't feel that it is the ideal time for me to get pregnant--I would like to wait until MM and I are at least living together before that happens. MM was actually disappointed. He (naively) thought that he would get me pregnant just as soon as I was off the pill, I guess. Having my period while traveling just added to the joy of the 7-hour round trip to Laughlin. LOL

Eating on the road was crap, not surprisingly. I'm going to the gym tonight with MM, but that will likely be my last opportunity to go before the weekend. I do plan to try to walk in Prescott tomorrow night: it's a really cute little town. I am going to try to make better food choices the next two days, too.

I likely won't blog again until the weekend.

Burst of energy

206.2

I woke up feeling quite energetic today. . . . unusual for me on any day lately, but especially on a Saturday! I was awake by 6:30 without my alarm and was up out of bed starting my morning routine within 10 minutes of waking up--another rarity.

I've taken advantage of this unexpected energy this morning by getting some stuff done early. I went to the gym (did 32 minutes on the elliptical trainer and rowed for 7 minutes), had a smoothie, dropped house keys off to the dogsitter, and am now at work. And it's not even noon here.

I really don't much want to be at the office today, but I have several tasks I must complete today because I will be out of the office on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week. I have a stack of documents about 5-6 inches tall that I have to review and redact, and I am not looking forward to that! Plus I have to respond to motions by two plaintiffs who are representing themselves, a challenge on many different levels. Obviously, non-lawyers don't always understand the law or the rules of court procedure, so that's one difficulty; they are also more likely to get inappropriately emotional in their court filings. Additionally, one of these unrepresented plaintiffs is a convicted felon in prison and the other is a "hobby litigator" (my term for someone who likes to file lawsuits for the "fun" of it) . . . . both difficult types of plaintiffs to deal with. Ugh.

Ah well, this is the way of life when you're the low man on the totem pole. I'm going to be stuck with this crap work for months and years to come. ;-) In addition to the "crap work," I have to catch up on some memos and correspondence and the like. Fun, fun, fun.

Last night I had a nice, relaxing evening at home alone with Sebastian. (MM was out to dinner with his parents.) It was a long and stressful week at work. In addition to several deadlines, I was involved in helping one of the partners prepare for a trial which starts on Monday. The stress level for everyone in the office is higher right before trial, just because there are so many last-minute things that have to be done. So it was good to just lie on the couch and read a novel for hours.

Once I complete my required tasks at work today--which I estimate will take 4-5 hours--I'll head home and have only a short break before I'll have to get ready to go to MM's for the evening. We're going to do the typical Saturday night dinner-and-a-movie date: he wants to see Ironman, and we'll have dinner at Buca di Beppo (yum!). I'm looking forward to being with MM, as always. ;-)

Not much else new to report. I ran into a lawschool classmate of mine at the gym who I had probably not seen since graduation. She told me that another classmate (someone I never see or talk with) had twins a couple of months ago. That news brings my mental tally of lawschool classmates who've had a baby in the past 12 months to 10. That number doesn't even include folks who are currently pregnant or had a child more than a year ago--or, obviously, anyone I don't see or hear about. Crazy. Do we really want all these lawyers reproducing? LOL

BTW: I have not been able to totally quit caffeine ("I wish I could quit you, caffe mocha"), but I have cut back. I now only get a single shot of espresso and that only on the days I "need" it. (I define "need" as waking up feeling tired or headache-y or having difficulty concentrating or focusing.) I only had coffee two days out of five this past workweek. So some progress has been made in overcoming my addiction, and I haven't been suffering with horrible headaches and exhaustion. I really don't think that caffeine in moderation is all that terrible.

Fun with lawyers

205.8

I drove to Yuma yesterday for a court hearing--a six-hour round-trip from Phoenix. Two of the attorneys--one for plaintiffs, one for a co-defendant--engaged in some childish sniping at each other. (The two have been at each other to some degree at every deposition I've covered in that case.)

Now today, I'm attending a deposition in another case, and the plaintiffs' attorney and another defense attorney have been engaged in some humorous verbal sparring about the questioning of the witness. (In fact, plaintiffs' attorney told me on a break "I fucking hate" the witness. Mind you, this attorney is in his late 60s and very well-respected.)

I wonder if I will get to a point in my legal career where I will be snippy and petty. I think the potential exists, given my personality. LOL. For now, I'm just entertained by observing others getting their panties in a ruffle.

Work continues busy. I plan to work for 4-5 hours this Saturday. Job security. . .

I had a fun weekend with my dad. We got along well--no arguments or conflicts--and he seemed to enjoy himself. He met MM, and they got along fine. We enjoyed the baseball game, but for the fact that the home team lost. Not sure when I'll get to see him again. . . maybe sometime in the fall.

I'll be hitting the gym with MM this evening, as per our usual Tuesday routine. I'm looking forward to hanging out with him! He came by my place for a couple of hours last night and hung out--he'd had to work late. Even though I saw him Saturday night when he went to dinner with Dad and me, and again on Sunday for the ballgame, it felt as though we didn't really spend together because we were never alone.

Not much else to report.

My best dog ever

This post is not a slam to my beloved MM. . . . who is terrific and does not make me love my dog more. LOL

It's simply a homage to my wonderful boy. See how cute he is?

Working for the weekend

205.4 (hmph)

I am glad it's Friday, and I'm looking forward to seeing my father, who flies in this evening at 6:00. I haven't had a visit alone with him in ages, and I haven't seen him at all since Christmas.

Things are hectic at work, but not as overwhelmingly busy as a couple of weeks ago. One of the partners with whom I work closely is going to trial on May 12, and it's a case that is assigned to me. So there has been a lot of extra trial prep work above and beyond just the general civil litigation stuff that usually consumes most of my time.

MM is indeed going with me to San Francisco for the weekend of May 30, and I'm psyched about it. It should be a fun, though brief, trip.

As I type this, it's nearly 4:00, and though I have work I could do, I have little motivation left to tackle it. (I spent the past two hours reading disclosure received from other parties. . . . what an energy suck that is!) I may stick it out here for another half hour, then call it a day. Billing this month will not be a problem for me because I have at least six out-of-town trips coming up.

Dad and I are going to the see the Diamondbacks play the Mets on Sunday; we are going to P.F. Chang's for dinner tomorrow night with MM and KC. Not sure what else we'll be doing.