Tick………tick………….tick…………..
Well, things are winding down. There are now eight (not counting today) days left in my career here (though I could wind up like Milton in Office Space if I don’t remember to tell HR I’m leaving). And school is all but over except for finals, which are the 14th and the 19th. Oh sure, there’s a Contracts review session tomorrow, but I won’t be there because it’s the oldest nephew’s confirmation.
When I was a teenager, I used to think that my parents didn’t understand me. But now that I’m older, I realize that it’s the other way around – teenagers don’t understand what it’s like to be an adult. And they never will, because it’s an understanding that you don’t get until you’re there, and then it’s too late to go back. Only then do you appreciate the benefits of ignorance.
My oldest nephew lacks motivation. He’s perfectly content to do nothing. One of his classmates, upon noticing the instructor had misspelled his confirmation name, asked my nephew to get the attention of the girl in charge fixing such errors. My nephew called this girl’s name out in a voice barely audible to me, sitting right next to him, much less someone three rows away, as she was. The classmate finally got help from someone two rows in front of us, who overheard him asking for help and called the girl over.
I feel sorry for him, because I think he’s greatly influenced by his father, who brags about his third grade education, and how well he’s done for himself. Let’s review that, shall we? He lives in a house he doesn’t own, drives an on-its-last-legs car because he (a) can’t afford and (b) can’t get a loan for a new one, has twice been cited by the city where he lives for having vehicles rusting away on the lawn in front of his house (and complained that they ‘have it in” for him as a result), has promised to by a car for both kids when they turn 16 (and told the oldest that the beat up, rusting deathtrap 1989 MR2 was for him, but then traded it for a tractor, and said he’d get that instead), and works as a maintenance man for a grocery chain, because he lost every other job he had and his own business ‘never took off’ (which it won’t when you make 8 a.m. appointments, and don’t show for them, or when you don’t answer your pager).
My nephew won’t hesitate to tell you his plans to play college and pro football, but apparently he missed the requirements that you (a) pass your classes, (b) stand taller than 5’9” and (c) actually make the teams. Kind of like the tax client I had this year who told me that she inspired her boyfriend to go back to college. When I asked her what he went back to do, she told me “he’s gonna be an NBA player.” Again, the fact that he was 5’8”, 28 years old, and playing on a juco team didn’t seem to be a deterrent, because “he’s got some real good moves.” Yeah, so does the 12th man on every NBA team.
Anyway………
It’s strange to be winding down. When you go to law school open houses, they tell you that you really bond with your classmates, and to an extent it’s true. But there are barriers. The suburban people (like me) are limited, since they have to drive back out to the suburbs, and can’t hang around like the city people do. Take last night, for example. John, Heather, Christine, Aaron, Mark and I all went for drinks. Heather left when her stalker showed up (according to her, they’re just friends, but from what she told me, she’d better be careful). I left when I realized (a) it was getting late (b) I’m still gainfully employed, and needed to be at work somewhat close to on time (c) I had a thirty-five minute drive home and (d) I was getting tired. The others were still there, rehashing their briefs, agonizing over trivial errors (I can’t imagine that in practice all briefs are perfectly written) and rationalizing that the Moot Court committee won’t notice that they didn’t underline a case name, or missed a period, or spelled behaviour with a ‘u’ as the British (and I) do.
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
Thursday, May 01, 2003
And then there was eleven.........
Or zero. Depends on if you're counting classes left, or workdays left. The first is zero. Tonight's it. The last Contracts class, ever (thank God!). We've all suffered enough.
Not that class was all that bad, but it could have been better. A little less emphasis on the minutiae of each case, and a little more emphasis on things to know when you practice.The most helpful comment came when Professor Contract's husband taught, and corrected a classmate who said the price of an item should be $76. "You'd never say that in practice," he chided, "because you'd be admitting the price was $76. The price is $44, and you don't know where $76 came from." An important insight easily overlooked by a new attorney. And if one were unfortunate enough to be matched with a saavy, older attorney - you'd be toast, and your client would be pissed. This is the kind of stuff we all wanted to know, but never really learned.
As for workdays, well, we're down to eleven. And today wasn't half bad. Hopefully, my journals will clear tomorrow, and I'll be able to book something. Otherwise, it will be a lousy weekend. But the promising thing is that I can now run reports and get information, which is a marked improvement over last night.
The downside to this quitting thing is that I know a lot of people around here. In fact, if they all come out next Friday (my original last day), there will be almost 80 people at my going-away party. That's not a bad turn-out. But I digress. I've gotten lots of emails and phone calls, not to mention people stopping me in the hall, in the coffee room and elsewhere to ask me about this.
I've learned there are three types of people:
The ones who wish you well superficially, while questioning your sanity.
The ones who wish you well sincerely, smile, shake your hand or pat you on the back and say keep in touch (and mean it).
The ones who wish you well with that look in their eye - the look that says they wish they were you, getting out and finding a new (and theoretically better) life, and not stuck in a job they are handcuffed by salary and/or benefit to. I feel sorry for these people. They feel trapped in their lives, and ultimately are miserable, punching the clock every day until retirement, when they hope to be able to do all they really wanted. But what if they're not able? What if arthritis robs them of the ability to walk? Or a heart condition confines them to limited activity? Or worse? What then?
The worst three words you can say consecutively are I should have. I know, because I've said them. I should have never broken up with Brenda Keller back in high school. I should have called Jeanette Beauregard that summer between my junior and senior year at NIU. Foolish me.....
I've said I should have enough in my life. I'm trying not to say it anymore, but I know I'll fail somewhere along the line. Right now, though, I can pursue my dream. I said I should have for ten years, between the first time I took the LSAT, and the second. That's long enough.
What are you saying I should have to?
Or zero. Depends on if you're counting classes left, or workdays left. The first is zero. Tonight's it. The last Contracts class, ever (thank God!). We've all suffered enough.
Not that class was all that bad, but it could have been better. A little less emphasis on the minutiae of each case, and a little more emphasis on things to know when you practice.The most helpful comment came when Professor Contract's husband taught, and corrected a classmate who said the price of an item should be $76. "You'd never say that in practice," he chided, "because you'd be admitting the price was $76. The price is $44, and you don't know where $76 came from." An important insight easily overlooked by a new attorney. And if one were unfortunate enough to be matched with a saavy, older attorney - you'd be toast, and your client would be pissed. This is the kind of stuff we all wanted to know, but never really learned.
As for workdays, well, we're down to eleven. And today wasn't half bad. Hopefully, my journals will clear tomorrow, and I'll be able to book something. Otherwise, it will be a lousy weekend. But the promising thing is that I can now run reports and get information, which is a marked improvement over last night.
The downside to this quitting thing is that I know a lot of people around here. In fact, if they all come out next Friday (my original last day), there will be almost 80 people at my going-away party. That's not a bad turn-out. But I digress. I've gotten lots of emails and phone calls, not to mention people stopping me in the hall, in the coffee room and elsewhere to ask me about this.
I've learned there are three types of people:
The ones who wish you well superficially, while questioning your sanity.
The ones who wish you well sincerely, smile, shake your hand or pat you on the back and say keep in touch (and mean it).
The ones who wish you well with that look in their eye - the look that says they wish they were you, getting out and finding a new (and theoretically better) life, and not stuck in a job they are handcuffed by salary and/or benefit to. I feel sorry for these people. They feel trapped in their lives, and ultimately are miserable, punching the clock every day until retirement, when they hope to be able to do all they really wanted. But what if they're not able? What if arthritis robs them of the ability to walk? Or a heart condition confines them to limited activity? Or worse? What then?
The worst three words you can say consecutively are I should have. I know, because I've said them. I should have never broken up with Brenda Keller back in high school. I should have called Jeanette Beauregard that summer between my junior and senior year at NIU. Foolish me.....
I've said I should have enough in my life. I'm trying not to say it anymore, but I know I'll fail somewhere along the line. Right now, though, I can pursue my dream. I said I should have for ten years, between the first time I took the LSAT, and the second. That's long enough.
What are you saying I should have to?
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
And the countdown continues…….
Things around work are getting frustrating. I keep running report after report, and get nothing that I can use for month end. I’m at the point of saying that I’m not doing any accruals, simply because I can’t find the info I need. I’m not alone on this, either. None of the other support accountants can get anything they need, either. And the level of annoyance just builds. This month end is going to be horrible.
As for the countdown, I should be on seven, as in seven days left. But it’s now twelve, after the Director of Accounting asked me to extend my stay here by a week to help in transitioning stuff over. Since I have no desire to burn bridges, and since I harbor no real ill will, I chucked the plans for finals study marathons and said ok. The one caveat is that I am taking the 14th off for my Contracts final. Besides, who am I to complain about getting an additional week’s pay?
The sad thing, really, is that I’m not being replaced. Miguel and Ron get more work, as does Jose, and no more thanks for the effort. When I told Lois who was replacing me, her first words were “what does he have?” And when I told her that Jose has Projects, she quickly mentioned that he’d never have time for her department. Probably true, which is too bad, because in the year I’ve been their accountant, they’ve gotten a good understanding for what’s going on.
In other news…..
Well, my lucky streak ran out. I’ve never been called on in Contracts, simply because I believed (correctly) my last name was a bit of a challenge for Professor Contracts. As it turns out, I was right, but she gave it a shot on Monday. Two other people have passed in her class (by saying “pass”, as a matter of fact) and have been the first people called on the next class period.
So on Monday, when the prof called on me, I wasn’t prepared. And I said so. Well, actually, when she asked me to give the facts of the case, I said, “I have no idea. I didn’t read that case.” After class, everyone was warning me that I’d better read up for tonight’s class. Too bad that it’s month end and that I’ll likely be late to class, if I go at all. Right now, leaving on a good note is much better than leaving on a bad one. Who knows when I might need a good word.
Putting in a good word…..
Speaking of putting in a good word, I’ve noticed a few other blogs have linked me, which is always appreciated. However, I’ve only noticed by tripping across them on my travels elsewhere. If you want to link to me, feel free. I won’t object. But send me an email so I can return the favor. Tomorrow, I’ll feature some of the fine people who’ve thought enough of what I write to include a link to my site. Don’t miss out – send me an email, or post a comment, and I’ll give you a plug too.
Things around work are getting frustrating. I keep running report after report, and get nothing that I can use for month end. I’m at the point of saying that I’m not doing any accruals, simply because I can’t find the info I need. I’m not alone on this, either. None of the other support accountants can get anything they need, either. And the level of annoyance just builds. This month end is going to be horrible.
As for the countdown, I should be on seven, as in seven days left. But it’s now twelve, after the Director of Accounting asked me to extend my stay here by a week to help in transitioning stuff over. Since I have no desire to burn bridges, and since I harbor no real ill will, I chucked the plans for finals study marathons and said ok. The one caveat is that I am taking the 14th off for my Contracts final. Besides, who am I to complain about getting an additional week’s pay?
The sad thing, really, is that I’m not being replaced. Miguel and Ron get more work, as does Jose, and no more thanks for the effort. When I told Lois who was replacing me, her first words were “what does he have?” And when I told her that Jose has Projects, she quickly mentioned that he’d never have time for her department. Probably true, which is too bad, because in the year I’ve been their accountant, they’ve gotten a good understanding for what’s going on.
In other news…..
Well, my lucky streak ran out. I’ve never been called on in Contracts, simply because I believed (correctly) my last name was a bit of a challenge for Professor Contracts. As it turns out, I was right, but she gave it a shot on Monday. Two other people have passed in her class (by saying “pass”, as a matter of fact) and have been the first people called on the next class period.
So on Monday, when the prof called on me, I wasn’t prepared. And I said so. Well, actually, when she asked me to give the facts of the case, I said, “I have no idea. I didn’t read that case.” After class, everyone was warning me that I’d better read up for tonight’s class. Too bad that it’s month end and that I’ll likely be late to class, if I go at all. Right now, leaving on a good note is much better than leaving on a bad one. Who knows when I might need a good word.
Putting in a good word…..
Speaking of putting in a good word, I’ve noticed a few other blogs have linked me, which is always appreciated. However, I’ve only noticed by tripping across them on my travels elsewhere. If you want to link to me, feel free. I won’t object. But send me an email so I can return the favor. Tomorrow, I’ll feature some of the fine people who’ve thought enough of what I write to include a link to my site. Don’t miss out – send me an email, or post a comment, and I’ll give you a plug too.
Monday, April 28, 2003
You know how it is. You see things how you want them in your mind's eye, and then....reality sets in. Case in point: Saturday's oral arguments at the Daley Center. I envisioned myself as eloquent, knowledgeable, and able to field every question. Things didn't quite turn out that way. As evidence, I offer the following (we spoke in front of a two judge panel):
Judge A (to Chad, counsel for plaintiff): Thank you counsel. At this time, I'd like to rebuke counsel for defense (me) for failing to ask for rebuttal time......
Me (thinking): Holy Shit. Holy Shit. How did I do that? I swore I asked for rebuttal time. And here I've been, like a fool planning my rebuttal! And Chad cited Lindgren v. Moore, the facts of which almost perfectly dovetail the facts in this case, and I need to distinguish it! Oh no.........how can I be so stupid......
Judge A (continuing): .....and you won't make that mistake again, will you counsel?
Me: No your Honor.
Judge A: I imagine you'd like rebuttal time right about now, wouldn't you?
Me: Yes, your Honor, I had thought I'd asked for it. An oversight on my part.
Judge A: Would two minutes be sufficient?
Me (surprised at all hell that I'm getting this huge break): More than sufficient your Honor.
Judge A: You may proceed then.
Me (with volumes of gratitude): Thank you.
In the feedback section, the judges both pointed out my error, and used it to highlight the importance of asking for rebuttal time. On the positive side, Judge A commented my rebuttal was 'perfect' and did exactly what it was supposed to do - defeat Plaintiff's arguments. Judge B did chastise me for invoking sarcasm when I mentioned biofeedback, reminding me that you never know what the judge is into, and if his wife was big into biofeedback, I could have just blown a perfectly good argument. Both Chad and I earned marks for being the last to go, and handling the tough questions they asked with grace and poise and showing a real "mastery of the law." Afterward, Chad, Jen (a classmate in another section of legal writing) and I celebrated at Miller's Pub.
Onward and......upward?
I announced my resignation today. Two week notice. Well, not exactly two weeks, since May 9th is my last day. My boss said he was shocked, but understood. He said I'd probably shock a few other people as well. If I do, I'll be surprised. I told him that I was flexible, that I didn't want to put him in a bad spot. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I was nervous as hell all day. I told Mark on Friday, and Jim today, figuring that since I've been friends with both of them for 8 and 18 years, respectively, and knew both before they worked for the company, that they deserved that much. Jim was dying to find out how Ken reacted, figuring Ken would ask him when he know. I also told my old boss, and the two main people I support, before I worked up the courage to tell my boss.
We'll see what happens now. Any suggestions for living on $20K a year welcome.
Judge A (to Chad, counsel for plaintiff): Thank you counsel. At this time, I'd like to rebuke counsel for defense (me) for failing to ask for rebuttal time......
Me (thinking): Holy Shit. Holy Shit. How did I do that? I swore I asked for rebuttal time. And here I've been, like a fool planning my rebuttal! And Chad cited Lindgren v. Moore, the facts of which almost perfectly dovetail the facts in this case, and I need to distinguish it! Oh no.........how can I be so stupid......
Judge A (continuing): .....and you won't make that mistake again, will you counsel?
Me: No your Honor.
Judge A: I imagine you'd like rebuttal time right about now, wouldn't you?
Me: Yes, your Honor, I had thought I'd asked for it. An oversight on my part.
Judge A: Would two minutes be sufficient?
Me (surprised at all hell that I'm getting this huge break): More than sufficient your Honor.
Judge A: You may proceed then.
Me (with volumes of gratitude): Thank you.
In the feedback section, the judges both pointed out my error, and used it to highlight the importance of asking for rebuttal time. On the positive side, Judge A commented my rebuttal was 'perfect' and did exactly what it was supposed to do - defeat Plaintiff's arguments. Judge B did chastise me for invoking sarcasm when I mentioned biofeedback, reminding me that you never know what the judge is into, and if his wife was big into biofeedback, I could have just blown a perfectly good argument. Both Chad and I earned marks for being the last to go, and handling the tough questions they asked with grace and poise and showing a real "mastery of the law." Afterward, Chad, Jen (a classmate in another section of legal writing) and I celebrated at Miller's Pub.
Onward and......upward?
I announced my resignation today. Two week notice. Well, not exactly two weeks, since May 9th is my last day. My boss said he was shocked, but understood. He said I'd probably shock a few other people as well. If I do, I'll be surprised. I told him that I was flexible, that I didn't want to put him in a bad spot. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I was nervous as hell all day. I told Mark on Friday, and Jim today, figuring that since I've been friends with both of them for 8 and 18 years, respectively, and knew both before they worked for the company, that they deserved that much. Jim was dying to find out how Ken reacted, figuring Ken would ask him when he know. I also told my old boss, and the two main people I support, before I worked up the courage to tell my boss.
We'll see what happens now. Any suggestions for living on $20K a year welcome.
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Ok, when I saw this article I thought that the picture was taken at the wake, and I was wondering why her eyes were open. Then I read the caption........
I don't know if I want to be that old, if that's how I'll look.......
I don't know if I want to be that old, if that's how I'll look.......
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
A rare day off....
Ok, so I should be doing homework, or laundry, or......any number of a thousand things. And in a way, I did. I went to the tax office and cleaned up some extension stuff. But more remains. Funny how things tend to drag after tax season. Clients no longer have the sense of urgency to get things done. And actually, that's probably why they got extended in the first place.
Easter was nice. I won't bore you with details, because nothing happened of note, but it was nice to spend time with my family in a relaxed, sort of, atmosphere. I think it has to do with the semester winding down; I still feel pressure to be doing 'something', even when I'm trying to relax. I think I'll finally relax on May 19.
One nice thing about tax season ending is the gift of time. With that, I was able to turn in a draft for the first time all semester. A full draft, no partials. How nice. Even better, I was able to horn in on my fellow classmate's oral argument practice last night and get some of my own. I'll get more tomorrow when we argue a faux motion for summary judgment. My big moment comes Saturday. The fun part will be arguing in the Daley Center. I'll have to grab the classmates who argued tonight (hence my day off) and find out how it went. Of the five of us who practiced last night, I think I was the only one who was going on Saturday. The rest went tonight. I was going to try to write on for the Consumer Law Review, but they only gave us a week to write a 15-page article, and I didn't get that much time as a gift. So I'll shoot for Moot Court tryouts on May 2nd. Of course, that's the day of my Mom's b-day party, but she'll understand. I'll just arrive a bit late.
Ok, so I should be doing homework, or laundry, or......any number of a thousand things. And in a way, I did. I went to the tax office and cleaned up some extension stuff. But more remains. Funny how things tend to drag after tax season. Clients no longer have the sense of urgency to get things done. And actually, that's probably why they got extended in the first place.
Easter was nice. I won't bore you with details, because nothing happened of note, but it was nice to spend time with my family in a relaxed, sort of, atmosphere. I think it has to do with the semester winding down; I still feel pressure to be doing 'something', even when I'm trying to relax. I think I'll finally relax on May 19.
One nice thing about tax season ending is the gift of time. With that, I was able to turn in a draft for the first time all semester. A full draft, no partials. How nice. Even better, I was able to horn in on my fellow classmate's oral argument practice last night and get some of my own. I'll get more tomorrow when we argue a faux motion for summary judgment. My big moment comes Saturday. The fun part will be arguing in the Daley Center. I'll have to grab the classmates who argued tonight (hence my day off) and find out how it went. Of the five of us who practiced last night, I think I was the only one who was going on Saturday. The rest went tonight. I was going to try to write on for the Consumer Law Review, but they only gave us a week to write a 15-page article, and I didn't get that much time as a gift. So I'll shoot for Moot Court tryouts on May 2nd. Of course, that's the day of my Mom's b-day party, but she'll understand. I'll just arrive a bit late.
Sunday, April 20, 2003
Saturday, April 19, 2003
Nerve-wracked
Had dinner last night with the parents. They expressed concern over my switching to full-time. Primarily, they're worried that I am biting off a big chunk - possibly more than I can chew. My Mom's biggest worry, of course, is whether I'll have enough to eat. My father's worried about the debt load. And me? Well, the list of things I'm not worried about is much shorter than the list of what I am worried about. I'm worried about taking a huge risk that might not pay off. I'm worried that, in my effort to give myself more time to dedicate to school, I'll find that I'm still stressed out over time. I'm worried about moving yet again - this time into the city. I'm worried about where the hell I'm going to store the motorcycle. I'm worried about having enough money. I'm worried about being able to find a part-time job. I worry about how much the COBRA insurance is going to cost. I worry about whether the school's health insurance will cover me in the summer next year, or if I have to sweat out an entire summer without insurance. The list goes on.
In the front of my mind, I tell myself there's no reward without risk. I tell myself that it will all work out, that I'll get a job, and be successful. I tell myself that I have my CPA and MBA to fall back on, that if worse comes to worse, I can go back to what I do now.
Despite my best efforts, this is going to be a long week.
I went to school today to pick up some materials for my paper. Donna was there, studying in the student lounge. At first I didn't notice her, she was so quiet. We talked for a bit, until I remembered that I'd only put fifty cents in the meter, good for half an hour, and that time had almost expired. Fortunately, no ticket. And Donna offered to help me find a place when I get back from Rome. I told Donna I was absolutely terrified of what I'd planned to do. She suggested I give notice on Monday, or first thing on Friday morning, but I want to do it privately, so I had planned on waiting until Friday afternoon. Let me tell you - Friday is going to be the most stressful day of my life so far. I told Donna that at this point, it would be much easier to get married. And despite the fact that I've never been close, I pretty much meant it. Of course, Donna would be a perfect wife, which is probably why her husband married her......
Had dinner last night with the parents. They expressed concern over my switching to full-time. Primarily, they're worried that I am biting off a big chunk - possibly more than I can chew. My Mom's biggest worry, of course, is whether I'll have enough to eat. My father's worried about the debt load. And me? Well, the list of things I'm not worried about is much shorter than the list of what I am worried about. I'm worried about taking a huge risk that might not pay off. I'm worried that, in my effort to give myself more time to dedicate to school, I'll find that I'm still stressed out over time. I'm worried about moving yet again - this time into the city. I'm worried about where the hell I'm going to store the motorcycle. I'm worried about having enough money. I'm worried about being able to find a part-time job. I worry about how much the COBRA insurance is going to cost. I worry about whether the school's health insurance will cover me in the summer next year, or if I have to sweat out an entire summer without insurance. The list goes on.
In the front of my mind, I tell myself there's no reward without risk. I tell myself that it will all work out, that I'll get a job, and be successful. I tell myself that I have my CPA and MBA to fall back on, that if worse comes to worse, I can go back to what I do now.
Despite my best efforts, this is going to be a long week.
I went to school today to pick up some materials for my paper. Donna was there, studying in the student lounge. At first I didn't notice her, she was so quiet. We talked for a bit, until I remembered that I'd only put fifty cents in the meter, good for half an hour, and that time had almost expired. Fortunately, no ticket. And Donna offered to help me find a place when I get back from Rome. I told Donna I was absolutely terrified of what I'd planned to do. She suggested I give notice on Monday, or first thing on Friday morning, but I want to do it privately, so I had planned on waiting until Friday afternoon. Let me tell you - Friday is going to be the most stressful day of my life so far. I told Donna that at this point, it would be much easier to get married. And despite the fact that I've never been close, I pretty much meant it. Of course, Donna would be a perfect wife, which is probably why her husband married her......
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Frustrated......
(I wanted to quote the song by The Knack here, but I'm too tired to get up, pull out the album (yes, I have Get the Knack on vinyl), and play it to refresh my memory on the lyrics. C'est la vie.)
We are now fully into Easter Break. But still, I don't get anything done that I should. The best laid plans....
So the nurse has fallen off the end of the earth. I called her last night, and left a message, but no return call. She was nice, but truthfully, I don't think there was long term potential there. Too many 'odd' things about her. I won't go into them, but suffice to say, I wasn't totally comfortable. Plus, our schedules never meshed. I was available, she was busy. She was available, I was busy. But usually the former. And the warning flag was 'plans' last weekend, even though she had just come back from a week in Mexico. Maybe, I'll be surprised, but I doubt it.
So ladies, I am once again available for dating. Oh, wait, I was never "off" the market. Well, anyway, we here at Chez Greg are again accepting applications for potential girlfriends. Don't delay - this offer is guaranteed not to last long! Applicants must be able to tolerate fact that I will be gone for two months this summer, and will be unemployed (partially, at least) for much of the next two years. On the other hand.....I will have a nice job, hopefully.
I tried to book the flight to London tonight, but no luck. I had hurriedly signed up with Student Universe a while back, and foolishly forgot to write down my ID and password. Now I'm in a holding pattern, waiting for them to answer me back.
Had a conference with the Legal Writing instructor. Went well. She complimented me, which boosted my confidence. It had been lagging after writing this brief, but I feel better now.
The real issue is how tired I am right now. I am just SO not motivated. I could have slept all day, for what it was worth. And I spent most of the day at work screwing around aimlessly. I think the real issue is burnout, which I need to fight through and overcome. Otherwise, I'll get bounced before I fly away. Not a good thing. S told me she hasn't heard anything from the IBABY people either. Wonder what's taking them so long to do this background check.
Oh.
My.
God.
The couple on Blind Date is seeing a psychic. Pathetic. But then, I'm (partially) watching it, so what does it say about me? That there's nothing good on TV? yeah, that's it....
Ok, I'm having verklempt. Miracle Whip is neither a miracle, nor whipped. Discuss amongst yourselves. I'm going to bed.
(I wanted to quote the song by The Knack here, but I'm too tired to get up, pull out the album (yes, I have Get the Knack on vinyl), and play it to refresh my memory on the lyrics. C'est la vie.)
We are now fully into Easter Break. But still, I don't get anything done that I should. The best laid plans....
So the nurse has fallen off the end of the earth. I called her last night, and left a message, but no return call. She was nice, but truthfully, I don't think there was long term potential there. Too many 'odd' things about her. I won't go into them, but suffice to say, I wasn't totally comfortable. Plus, our schedules never meshed. I was available, she was busy. She was available, I was busy. But usually the former. And the warning flag was 'plans' last weekend, even though she had just come back from a week in Mexico. Maybe, I'll be surprised, but I doubt it.
So ladies, I am once again available for dating. Oh, wait, I was never "off" the market. Well, anyway, we here at Chez Greg are again accepting applications for potential girlfriends. Don't delay - this offer is guaranteed not to last long! Applicants must be able to tolerate fact that I will be gone for two months this summer, and will be unemployed (partially, at least) for much of the next two years. On the other hand.....I will have a nice job, hopefully.
I tried to book the flight to London tonight, but no luck. I had hurriedly signed up with Student Universe a while back, and foolishly forgot to write down my ID and password. Now I'm in a holding pattern, waiting for them to answer me back.
Had a conference with the Legal Writing instructor. Went well. She complimented me, which boosted my confidence. It had been lagging after writing this brief, but I feel better now.
The real issue is how tired I am right now. I am just SO not motivated. I could have slept all day, for what it was worth. And I spent most of the day at work screwing around aimlessly. I think the real issue is burnout, which I need to fight through and overcome. Otherwise, I'll get bounced before I fly away. Not a good thing. S told me she hasn't heard anything from the IBABY people either. Wonder what's taking them so long to do this background check.
Oh.
My.
God.
The couple on Blind Date is seeing a psychic. Pathetic. But then, I'm (partially) watching it, so what does it say about me? That there's nothing good on TV? yeah, that's it....
Ok, I'm having verklempt. Miracle Whip is neither a miracle, nor whipped. Discuss amongst yourselves. I'm going to bed.
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
A tax day story...
The scene wasn't an unfamiliar one. He was single, he lived alone. She, too, was single, lived alone. They differed in age by only a few years, and in height by only a few inches. They weren't in love, but good friends. She knew she could trust him, knew he'd look out for her, knew he'd do his best to help her out.
The ex hadn't been kind; there'd been words, volleys of hate which had signalled the death of the relationship in a violent, verbal spasm. It hadn't involved physical abuse, just a growing apart of two individuals who never grew together.
But the transition wasn't easy. He had done some things naturally, and she others. That which he did, she could do, but she could never understand them like he could, and he didn't understand them well himself. So they lingered. For years. First she promised she'd tackle them herself, then she swore she'd get them done, but all the while they lingered while time slipped quietly by.
Then she met him. And they became friends, occasionally sharing a drink, but more often an email, a phone call. Hi how are you, she'd ask, knowing that this time of year the question would be greated with a scoff, as he'd complain about the long hours, the stupid clients, and the tyrannical boss so evil, the staff ran an annual pool to see how long the front desk girl would last. This year, he'd told her he'd added law school to his to do list - a way of forgetting by punishment the woman who'd hurt him. And this year she'd needed him more than ever; her time was running out, and she needed the money.
She had called him and asked of his precious time. She only needed a night, she said, and she'd cook him dinner. Like any single guy who lived alone, the prospect of a home-cooked meal by anyone other than himself, some good company, and companionship for an evening was enough to entice him to make the hour-long drive to see her. He came over after eight, after a long day of work (even if it was Saturday), and greeted her with a smile. She started by informing him she didn't have any salad, or any bread, or any parmesean cheese. Good egg that he was (and how the women in his class described him), he offered to drive her to the store.
When they came back, she got serious about the dinner. She made sure the sauce, simmering all day, was just right - not too blah, not too spicy. She threw the angel hair pasta into the boiling water. She buttered the bread - sticking her tongue out at him when he asked how many cows she planned to kill to butter two sides of french bread. And when it was ready, she opened the oven, now thoroughly preheated, and went to toss in the bread to bake.
But she'd forgotten about the baking pans. And the knife. The wooden knife, now smoking as it had begun to singe. He laughed heartily, the laugh of someone who was under tremendous stress and hadn't had an outlet in weeks. She laughed in reaction, and tried to hide her embarrassment. But he wasn't embarrassed, he found it charming, her attempt to step out of character and be Susie Homemaker. Fortunately, the rest of dinner went well, and a few days later, he sent her a lovely present - her tax return, complete with refund. And she promised to make him steak next year. Without the knife.
Happy April 15th!!!!
The scene wasn't an unfamiliar one. He was single, he lived alone. She, too, was single, lived alone. They differed in age by only a few years, and in height by only a few inches. They weren't in love, but good friends. She knew she could trust him, knew he'd look out for her, knew he'd do his best to help her out.
The ex hadn't been kind; there'd been words, volleys of hate which had signalled the death of the relationship in a violent, verbal spasm. It hadn't involved physical abuse, just a growing apart of two individuals who never grew together.
But the transition wasn't easy. He had done some things naturally, and she others. That which he did, she could do, but she could never understand them like he could, and he didn't understand them well himself. So they lingered. For years. First she promised she'd tackle them herself, then she swore she'd get them done, but all the while they lingered while time slipped quietly by.
Then she met him. And they became friends, occasionally sharing a drink, but more often an email, a phone call. Hi how are you, she'd ask, knowing that this time of year the question would be greated with a scoff, as he'd complain about the long hours, the stupid clients, and the tyrannical boss so evil, the staff ran an annual pool to see how long the front desk girl would last. This year, he'd told her he'd added law school to his to do list - a way of forgetting by punishment the woman who'd hurt him. And this year she'd needed him more than ever; her time was running out, and she needed the money.
She had called him and asked of his precious time. She only needed a night, she said, and she'd cook him dinner. Like any single guy who lived alone, the prospect of a home-cooked meal by anyone other than himself, some good company, and companionship for an evening was enough to entice him to make the hour-long drive to see her. He came over after eight, after a long day of work (even if it was Saturday), and greeted her with a smile. She started by informing him she didn't have any salad, or any bread, or any parmesean cheese. Good egg that he was (and how the women in his class described him), he offered to drive her to the store.
When they came back, she got serious about the dinner. She made sure the sauce, simmering all day, was just right - not too blah, not too spicy. She threw the angel hair pasta into the boiling water. She buttered the bread - sticking her tongue out at him when he asked how many cows she planned to kill to butter two sides of french bread. And when it was ready, she opened the oven, now thoroughly preheated, and went to toss in the bread to bake.
But she'd forgotten about the baking pans. And the knife. The wooden knife, now smoking as it had begun to singe. He laughed heartily, the laugh of someone who was under tremendous stress and hadn't had an outlet in weeks. She laughed in reaction, and tried to hide her embarrassment. But he wasn't embarrassed, he found it charming, her attempt to step out of character and be Susie Homemaker. Fortunately, the rest of dinner went well, and a few days later, he sent her a lovely present - her tax return, complete with refund. And she promised to make him steak next year. Without the knife.
Happy April 15th!!!!
Saturday, April 12, 2003
The Friday Five, one day late (I'm always late, so for me it's on time):
1. What was the first band you saw in concert? Well, I won tix to see the Beach Boys when I was 13. But the first one I paid for was AC/DC. A very cool show. I couldn't hear for a week.
2. Who is your favorite artist/band now? Well, believe it or not, I still like AC/DC. But the Bon Scott version. Not the Brian Johnson version. Not any album after Back in Black. My tastes also run to Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Sinatra.......actually, they're all over the place. It depends on my mood - happy, sad, angry.....
3. What's your favorite song? See number #2. But some perennial faves: Lips Like Sugar (Echo & the Bunnymen), Blue Jean (Bowie), Under Pressure (Bowie & Queen), One Tree Hill (U2), Badlands (Bruce)....there's more, but I'm tired.
4. If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Guitar. But I'd rather sing. Singers get the girls. Accountants get the tax returns.
5. If you could meet any musical icon (past or present), who would it be and why? Elvis. Just to ask him what the fuck was he thinking?
1. What was the first band you saw in concert? Well, I won tix to see the Beach Boys when I was 13. But the first one I paid for was AC/DC. A very cool show. I couldn't hear for a week.
2. Who is your favorite artist/band now? Well, believe it or not, I still like AC/DC. But the Bon Scott version. Not the Brian Johnson version. Not any album after Back in Black. My tastes also run to Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Sinatra.......actually, they're all over the place. It depends on my mood - happy, sad, angry.....
3. What's your favorite song? See number #2. But some perennial faves: Lips Like Sugar (Echo & the Bunnymen), Blue Jean (Bowie), Under Pressure (Bowie & Queen), One Tree Hill (U2), Badlands (Bruce)....there's more, but I'm tired.
4. If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Guitar. But I'd rather sing. Singers get the girls. Accountants get the tax returns.
5. If you could meet any musical icon (past or present), who would it be and why? Elvis. Just to ask him what the fuck was he thinking?
So it's over.
But it's not.
But it is.
Huh?
Ok, so for all intents and purposes, my tax season is over. But there's those pesky extensions. Some are like P - they are actually done, but they owe, and they don't have the money, so they extend. Others are like D&C - they never give me everything they need to for me to finish. If they did, it wouldn't be an issue.
For as close as we are to April 15th, I had only 3 real appointments today. I expected more. Like, a full day. I managed to fill the day anyway, toiling away on yet another return where all the documents aren't included. Another extension, this one because the client doesn't call me back. Another client frets because we didn't include union dues, but since that's subject to a 2% floor, he won't be able to deduct them anyway. A parent is miffed because their daughter wasn't ready in time to join the parent at the office so I could do a two-for-one (two returns in one hour). Instead, she has to make a separate trip. I seriously underbill, expecting to get a tirade from the boss but it took me all of eight minutes to do her 1040EZ, so should I charge her the hour rate?
Meanwhile, the regular job has become a drag. Or maybe it's just burnout raising it's ugly head. I feel just totally lackluster this week, and don't really accomplish anything. At the tax office, I mope. At home, my apartment beckons, begging me to clean it. It's a filthy mess. I realize that it's been two years since I actually took a vacation. I want to sleep all day. I have over 100 emails in all of my inboxes, because I'm too lazy to clear them out. Blah.
I've just wasted 30 minutes surfing websites of people who are asking visitors to give them cash to pay various bills. I think I've seen everything now. Some of these people actually have succeeded. Others have gotten token amounts. I find it amazing that such a scheme works. Maybe I should start my own. Everybody send me a dollar, and help me pay for law school. Heck, I only need.......uh.......a hundred and twenty-seven thousand people to do that! Cool! So what are you waiting for? Be one of the first? Then I won't have this huge stress of HAVING to get the big bucks job, and I can do public interest law!!!
But it's not.
But it is.
Huh?
Ok, so for all intents and purposes, my tax season is over. But there's those pesky extensions. Some are like P - they are actually done, but they owe, and they don't have the money, so they extend. Others are like D&C - they never give me everything they need to for me to finish. If they did, it wouldn't be an issue.
For as close as we are to April 15th, I had only 3 real appointments today. I expected more. Like, a full day. I managed to fill the day anyway, toiling away on yet another return where all the documents aren't included. Another extension, this one because the client doesn't call me back. Another client frets because we didn't include union dues, but since that's subject to a 2% floor, he won't be able to deduct them anyway. A parent is miffed because their daughter wasn't ready in time to join the parent at the office so I could do a two-for-one (two returns in one hour). Instead, she has to make a separate trip. I seriously underbill, expecting to get a tirade from the boss but it took me all of eight minutes to do her 1040EZ, so should I charge her the hour rate?
Meanwhile, the regular job has become a drag. Or maybe it's just burnout raising it's ugly head. I feel just totally lackluster this week, and don't really accomplish anything. At the tax office, I mope. At home, my apartment beckons, begging me to clean it. It's a filthy mess. I realize that it's been two years since I actually took a vacation. I want to sleep all day. I have over 100 emails in all of my inboxes, because I'm too lazy to clear them out. Blah.
I've just wasted 30 minutes surfing websites of people who are asking visitors to give them cash to pay various bills. I think I've seen everything now. Some of these people actually have succeeded. Others have gotten token amounts. I find it amazing that such a scheme works. Maybe I should start my own. Everybody send me a dollar, and help me pay for law school. Heck, I only need.......uh.......a hundred and twenty-seven thousand people to do that! Cool! So what are you waiting for? Be one of the first? Then I won't have this huge stress of HAVING to get the big bucks job, and I can do public interest law!!!
Wednesday, April 09, 2003
Thank god it’s the last week of tax season. I’m ready for it to be over. In fact, the weather and tax season can both take their leave of me now. I don’t need this frigid, arctic weather, and I would like my weekends back. As if it were somehow divined, I’ve suddenly come into a flood of personal tax clients. Of course, no one wants to do it early. It’s something I’ve never understood. Those who are getting their money back file early, and those who are paying not only file late, they prepare late, too. Now, I understand the wait-until-the-last-minute-to-pay thing. But it never fails that over half those people know they’re going to owe a substantial amount of money, but wait anyway, then fret about how much they owe, and “where am I going to get all this money?” It never dawns on them (even when I’ve told them time and time again) that if they prepared their return in January, the “where am I going to get the money?” question would have been much easier to answer. Sure, it wouldn’t reduce what they owe (that would have taken their thinking ahead before they take the money out of their 401(k)), but at least they wouldn’t find themselves in a cash crunch. Or better yet, like the guy, four years or so ago, who sat telling me all about the vacation he was planning for himself and his wife while I plugged away at his return. When I got done, he owed something like fifteen hundred dollars, because he’d taken a huge chunk of his 401(k) “to pay bills and other stuff” and, of course, was under 59 ½, and so incurred the 10% penalty. Of course I asked how he was going to pay for this wonderful vacation, and he responded, “with my refund. It’s my savings account.” Now, why you’d want a non-interest-bearing savings account is beyond me (although that’s pretty much what any passbook-style savings account is anymore), but plenty of people over-withhold and treat their tax refund as a windfall, instead of being a bit more prudent with their money all year long. Anyway, this guy was one of those people, and he was quite upset when I responded with “not this year. You owe.” And this guy was a big, biker-looking dude. And he was pissed. But there was nothing I could do – it was all his own doing. Needless to say, he didn’t come back the next year.
Saturday, April 05, 2003
Saturday Entertainment, or how I survive tax season...
Recent searches which have lead people here:
1. Blog+lawisfun (Thanks! Just mark me as a favorite...)2. Officer caught having sex
3. Bar character & fitness
4. Demon dogs + CTA (referring to the flap between Demon Dogs hot dog stand and the CTA)
5. New Lenox & ugly
6. Fun for George Bush
7. Having sex with dog is considered (this guy came from the UK. Makes me wonder about people there.)
8. Hot couple having sex (nobody I know would fit that description, me included. Sorry.)
9. Law student + smoker
10. Tax law blogs (no, no, no. This is SO wrong...what a boring blog that would be)
11.New Lenox Mustangs (go Mustangs!!)
12. Desire to fuck my mother-in-law. (I'm sorry. Can I recommend a therapist? I have one as a client...)
13. Caught having sex. (Should I be noticing a theme here??)
I can just imagine the disappointment all those who came here to find a cheap thrill, only to find this blog. No, I can't. Wonder how many of them were doing this on company time??
While I can't help on the "hot couple having sex" thing, I can recommend a beautiful, intelligent woman's blog. And if you're (1) in California and (2) hiring (and not for something sleazy, either), she'd make a fine addition to your staff.
Recent searches which have lead people here:
1. Blog+lawisfun (Thanks! Just mark me as a favorite...)2. Officer caught having sex
3. Bar character & fitness
4. Demon dogs + CTA (referring to the flap between Demon Dogs hot dog stand and the CTA)
5. New Lenox & ugly
6. Fun for George Bush
7. Having sex with dog is considered (this guy came from the UK. Makes me wonder about people there.)
8. Hot couple having sex (nobody I know would fit that description, me included. Sorry.)
9. Law student + smoker
10. Tax law blogs (no, no, no. This is SO wrong...what a boring blog that would be)
11.New Lenox Mustangs (go Mustangs!!)
12. Desire to fuck my mother-in-law. (I'm sorry. Can I recommend a therapist? I have one as a client...)
13. Caught having sex. (Should I be noticing a theme here??)
I can just imagine the disappointment all those who came here to find a cheap thrill, only to find this blog. No, I can't. Wonder how many of them were doing this on company time??
While I can't help on the "hot couple having sex" thing, I can recommend a beautiful, intelligent woman's blog. And if you're (1) in California and (2) hiring (and not for something sleazy, either), she'd make a fine addition to your staff.
Friday, April 04, 2003
The premiere (here, at least) of the Friday Five:
1. How many houses/apartments have you lived in throughout your life? Three houses, two apartments. One house was with a friend who rented me a room. The other two were my parent's.
2. Which was your favorite and why? Apartment #1. It had a great view. I'll overlook the fact that it had no overhead cover, was located just below the elevator's ventilation shaft opening, and that that was like Club Med for pigeons, so that my balcony was always covered in pigeon crap. For six weeks, at least, I had a nice eighth floor apartment, with a great view. So what if the elevators only worked half the time? Details.
3. Do you find moving house more exciting or stressful? Why? Stressful. Who doesn't? Packing all that crap up, then unpacking? Yuck.
4. What's more important, location or price? Ummm....location always costs big money 'round here. So, price comes first. Who cares if you have a great view of Lake Shore Drive if you have no furniture, and no money?
5. What features does your dream house have (pool, spa bath, big yard, etc.)? A BASEMENT! Although I'll admit, I'd also like a nice downtown place with a view. And a big, honkin', palatial house with a huge garage, a huge basement, and a yard that takes TWO landscape companies to mow. And a pool. And..........well, I could go on, but first I need the cash.......
1. How many houses/apartments have you lived in throughout your life? Three houses, two apartments. One house was with a friend who rented me a room. The other two were my parent's.
2. Which was your favorite and why? Apartment #1. It had a great view. I'll overlook the fact that it had no overhead cover, was located just below the elevator's ventilation shaft opening, and that that was like Club Med for pigeons, so that my balcony was always covered in pigeon crap. For six weeks, at least, I had a nice eighth floor apartment, with a great view. So what if the elevators only worked half the time? Details.
3. Do you find moving house more exciting or stressful? Why? Stressful. Who doesn't? Packing all that crap up, then unpacking? Yuck.
4. What's more important, location or price? Ummm....location always costs big money 'round here. So, price comes first. Who cares if you have a great view of Lake Shore Drive if you have no furniture, and no money?
5. What features does your dream house have (pool, spa bath, big yard, etc.)? A BASEMENT! Although I'll admit, I'd also like a nice downtown place with a view. And a big, honkin', palatial house with a huge garage, a huge basement, and a yard that takes TWO landscape companies to mow. And a pool. And..........well, I could go on, but first I need the cash.......
Thursday, April 03, 2003
I love my job, I love my job........
How many times do I need to say that before I truly believe it? Ok, my job isnt that bad, but it can be frustrating, especially around this time of the month. The third, fourth and fifth workdays are always stressful, since they mark the end of the month-end close period. Today was no different. As usual, I was up against the wall, having discovered a crucial issue shortly before final numbers were supposed to be posted. And as one would expect, I committed the ultimate sin - I made a mistake. Not a big one, but here in LaLa Land, all my errors are major. Fortunately, I wasn't alone, so it may get overlooked. Or else I'll get slammed in November again, as was the case last year. Got hauled into a meeting and told that a letter was going into my personnel file because I'd failed to adequately support my departments - in September. Actually, it was stuff related to August. Never mind that I was learning an entirely new position (and basically, no more knowledgeable than a new hire) or that I didn't want the position in the first place; no, the benefit to this sandbagging was that they could justify a lower bonus and merit increase, and thereby come in under budget for the year.
You know, my job is that bad.
So why do I fret over whether I should switch to full time or not?
How many times do I need to say that before I truly believe it? Ok, my job isnt that bad, but it can be frustrating, especially around this time of the month. The third, fourth and fifth workdays are always stressful, since they mark the end of the month-end close period. Today was no different. As usual, I was up against the wall, having discovered a crucial issue shortly before final numbers were supposed to be posted. And as one would expect, I committed the ultimate sin - I made a mistake. Not a big one, but here in LaLa Land, all my errors are major. Fortunately, I wasn't alone, so it may get overlooked. Or else I'll get slammed in November again, as was the case last year. Got hauled into a meeting and told that a letter was going into my personnel file because I'd failed to adequately support my departments - in September. Actually, it was stuff related to August. Never mind that I was learning an entirely new position (and basically, no more knowledgeable than a new hire) or that I didn't want the position in the first place; no, the benefit to this sandbagging was that they could justify a lower bonus and merit increase, and thereby come in under budget for the year.
You know, my job is that bad.
So why do I fret over whether I should switch to full time or not?
Wednesday, April 02, 2003
A new beginning (sort of)
So yesterday, April Fool's Day (of all days), was the first day of our new accounting system. I was cynical - I figured there would be huge numbers of errors, mass chaos, and God knows what else. But it wasn't that bad. Yes, there were issues, but for the most part, they seem to have been minor. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the week plays out.
Of course, hiding behind all this is the fact that we are a large (over ten million) amount over budget, and the scramble is on. The bad news is that we are only halfway there. So the guess is that sooner or later, there will be a layoff. If I'm lucky, sooner, rather than later, and I'll be a part of it. That would make my decision much easier........
In other news.........
I need the help of a computer geek. I have pictures from the barrister's ball that I'd like to post, but.........I have no idea how. Help!
So yesterday, April Fool's Day (of all days), was the first day of our new accounting system. I was cynical - I figured there would be huge numbers of errors, mass chaos, and God knows what else. But it wasn't that bad. Yes, there were issues, but for the most part, they seem to have been minor. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the week plays out.
Of course, hiding behind all this is the fact that we are a large (over ten million) amount over budget, and the scramble is on. The bad news is that we are only halfway there. So the guess is that sooner or later, there will be a layoff. If I'm lucky, sooner, rather than later, and I'll be a part of it. That would make my decision much easier........
In other news.........
I need the help of a computer geek. I have pictures from the barrister's ball that I'd like to post, but.........I have no idea how. Help!
Monday, March 31, 2003
Training Day...
Going to the office downtown used to be more enjoyable than this. Go to the second floor, flash the company ID, and tailgate your way in. Now, because of our buddy Osama, security is much tighter.
On the drive in this morning, I had two thoughts. Well, three actually. But two related to work. The third was figuring out how the hell I was going to return my tux from the Barrister's Ball. The first work-related thought was that I couldn't remember which floor I was supposed to be on - the 10th or the 11th. I knew one was today, the other in two weeks. I also didn't know how I was going to get up there. I'd heard about the new security gates, which required a valid ID to pass through. And even if I got past that, I'd need to get onto the floor somehow. But complicating things was the fact that it was only 7:10, and Jennifer wouldn't be in until 7:30.
I called her right at 7:30, and got her voice mail. She was checking messages, and I was fairly close to downtown. Traffic wasn't as bad as I'd thought. I'd given myself an hour, and only 32 minutes later I was about 15 minutes from being downtown. Fortunately, she answered the second time.
"Where are you? Are you taking today off?" she asked.
"No, I'm on my way downtown, and I need a favor."
"Sure. What can I do for you?" She was making light of my request, pretending to be solicitous as a way of being funny. I laughed.
"On my desk, under the org charts is my training schedule. Can you tell me where I'm supposed to be, the 10th or the 11th floor?"
"Sure, hang on."
While she went, I realized that I should have asked about the class start time and for phone numbers of the three people I knew well enough in the building who could let me in. When she came back, she had most of the info I needed without asking, and I realized I was going to be forty-five minutes early.
I parked in the Sears Tower garage, which didn't require an upfront payment like the cheaper lots. This was good, since I only had about six dollars on me. I called Jen back, and got the phone numbers. By the time I found an ATM, bought a latte (hey, some things are more important than others), and gotten through to someone upstairs, it was after 8:10. Armed with Diane's promise to let me in if needed, I went to security, and followed the right procedure. I still had to tailgate onto the right floor, but that was surprisingly easy. The person even held the door for me.
Training was relatively uneventful, as long as you don't count the three times I killed the power for the room. It wasn't really my fault; the room was laid out so that the power cords and LAN connections were at my feet, and every time I moved them, something went out. It got to be a running gag. In the afternoon, I moved seats, and took one that had opened up when the person realized they were in the wrong class. So was I, but no one told me until the afternoon. Seems all the nuclear people were having their own, special version of this class, but I couldn't recall anything in the email which said that. Oh well.
I took lunch out from the Corner Bakery in the Sears Tower. Security there was equally tight, if not greater. The entrance to the building, once fairly fancy, is now barren and marred with metal detectors. What a sad state of affairs. Maybe someday it can go back to where it was.
Training let out early enough that I could make it all the way up to Montrose and Milwaukee to return the tux, and back down to Loyola, without any problem. I even had time for a leisurely dinner. And for the first time in over a month, I felt prepared for a class. I actually was ready for Contracts, and got more out of class than I had in a long time. Well, not counting Thursday, when Professor Contracts couldn't make class, and her husband, a professor at a competing school, filled in. Would it be bad to say he did a much better job than her? Most of the class thought so....
Tomorrow is a big day. The new financial system goes live. And I'm wondering what disaster will strike. Stay tuned.......
Going to the office downtown used to be more enjoyable than this. Go to the second floor, flash the company ID, and tailgate your way in. Now, because of our buddy Osama, security is much tighter.
On the drive in this morning, I had two thoughts. Well, three actually. But two related to work. The third was figuring out how the hell I was going to return my tux from the Barrister's Ball. The first work-related thought was that I couldn't remember which floor I was supposed to be on - the 10th or the 11th. I knew one was today, the other in two weeks. I also didn't know how I was going to get up there. I'd heard about the new security gates, which required a valid ID to pass through. And even if I got past that, I'd need to get onto the floor somehow. But complicating things was the fact that it was only 7:10, and Jennifer wouldn't be in until 7:30.
I called her right at 7:30, and got her voice mail. She was checking messages, and I was fairly close to downtown. Traffic wasn't as bad as I'd thought. I'd given myself an hour, and only 32 minutes later I was about 15 minutes from being downtown. Fortunately, she answered the second time.
"Where are you? Are you taking today off?" she asked.
"No, I'm on my way downtown, and I need a favor."
"Sure. What can I do for you?" She was making light of my request, pretending to be solicitous as a way of being funny. I laughed.
"On my desk, under the org charts is my training schedule. Can you tell me where I'm supposed to be, the 10th or the 11th floor?"
"Sure, hang on."
While she went, I realized that I should have asked about the class start time and for phone numbers of the three people I knew well enough in the building who could let me in. When she came back, she had most of the info I needed without asking, and I realized I was going to be forty-five minutes early.
I parked in the Sears Tower garage, which didn't require an upfront payment like the cheaper lots. This was good, since I only had about six dollars on me. I called Jen back, and got the phone numbers. By the time I found an ATM, bought a latte (hey, some things are more important than others), and gotten through to someone upstairs, it was after 8:10. Armed with Diane's promise to let me in if needed, I went to security, and followed the right procedure. I still had to tailgate onto the right floor, but that was surprisingly easy. The person even held the door for me.
Training was relatively uneventful, as long as you don't count the three times I killed the power for the room. It wasn't really my fault; the room was laid out so that the power cords and LAN connections were at my feet, and every time I moved them, something went out. It got to be a running gag. In the afternoon, I moved seats, and took one that had opened up when the person realized they were in the wrong class. So was I, but no one told me until the afternoon. Seems all the nuclear people were having their own, special version of this class, but I couldn't recall anything in the email which said that. Oh well.
I took lunch out from the Corner Bakery in the Sears Tower. Security there was equally tight, if not greater. The entrance to the building, once fairly fancy, is now barren and marred with metal detectors. What a sad state of affairs. Maybe someday it can go back to where it was.
Training let out early enough that I could make it all the way up to Montrose and Milwaukee to return the tux, and back down to Loyola, without any problem. I even had time for a leisurely dinner. And for the first time in over a month, I felt prepared for a class. I actually was ready for Contracts, and got more out of class than I had in a long time. Well, not counting Thursday, when Professor Contracts couldn't make class, and her husband, a professor at a competing school, filled in. Would it be bad to say he did a much better job than her? Most of the class thought so....
Tomorrow is a big day. The new financial system goes live. And I'm wondering what disaster will strike. Stay tuned.......
Saturday, March 29, 2003
The Morning After
Rules on going to the Barrister's Ball:
1. Remember, you have to work in the morning. Getting in at 3:00 a.m. is NOT a good idea.
2. Being nice will get you everywhere. Even in to see George Clinton without a ticket.
3. Being nice will also get you the HOB's hostess' phone number.
4. Setting up a buffet dinner during lent is not a good idea for a Catholic University.
5. Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, never fear. And always eat before both.
6. Always remember, when the after party is at a bar, it's a good idea to bring your ID.
7. Bouncers are not known for their sense of humor.
8. When you are drunk, things you think are funny aren't always to others.
9. Combining #6, #7 & #8, is not a good idea.
10. The homeless guy flagging cabs will not take no for an answer - even if you try to just walk away.
11. Whoever invented caffeine is a god in my book. 'Nuff said.
Rules on going to the Barrister's Ball:
1. Remember, you have to work in the morning. Getting in at 3:00 a.m. is NOT a good idea.
2. Being nice will get you everywhere. Even in to see George Clinton without a ticket.
3. Being nice will also get you the HOB's hostess' phone number.
4. Setting up a buffet dinner during lent is not a good idea for a Catholic University.
5. Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, never fear. And always eat before both.
6. Always remember, when the after party is at a bar, it's a good idea to bring your ID.
7. Bouncers are not known for their sense of humor.
8. When you are drunk, things you think are funny aren't always to others.
9. Combining #6, #7 & #8, is not a good idea.
10. The homeless guy flagging cabs will not take no for an answer - even if you try to just walk away.
11. Whoever invented caffeine is a god in my book. 'Nuff said.
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
For those of you who are law student wanna-bes who read this, a word to the wise: I have been pretty swamped with work lately. My trial level brief took over twelve hours to write, and I still think it sucks. Someday, I'm sure, it'll be a breeze to write a brief, but not right now. I spent Sunday catching up on Contracts, and used a day off on Monday to write my paper. It took so long, I missed both Civ Pro and Contracts. Too bad, too. Professor Contracts handed back the mid-terms. I got a check, which apparently is OK. I did get to talk to the Prof after class, and I determined that while I was on the right track, she didn't like the explanation. C'est la vie. But it's good to know I'm learning something. And that, despite being behind, I'm not clueless. Always good to know.
With the trial brief done, I can relax a bit. We did practice orals in class tonight, and I wound up going first. Based upon my classmates comments, I did pretty well. The real thing is at the end of April, and we drew names to find out who we were paired with. Originally, I drew Erin, but had to back out when the instructor said our trial would begin at 5:30, which is a pretty impossible time for me to make. So I switched with Molly (who apparently wanted to go during the week), and lo and behold, the only two guys in the class wind up facing each other. Should be interesting. I finally have gotten, in recent days, a chance to actually talk to Chad, and he seems like a really good guy. I'm actually looking forward to it.
With the trial brief done, I can relax a bit. We did practice orals in class tonight, and I wound up going first. Based upon my classmates comments, I did pretty well. The real thing is at the end of April, and we drew names to find out who we were paired with. Originally, I drew Erin, but had to back out when the instructor said our trial would begin at 5:30, which is a pretty impossible time for me to make. So I switched with Molly (who apparently wanted to go during the week), and lo and behold, the only two guys in the class wind up facing each other. Should be interesting. I finally have gotten, in recent days, a chance to actually talk to Chad, and he seems like a really good guy. I'm actually looking forward to it.
Friday, March 21, 2003
Ok, I have to admit to being a bit lax lately, and not posting on a regular basis. C'est la vie. I've been kind of busy. Doing what, I'm not sure, but I've been very busy.
The week in review:
Monday was not a good day. I came to work in quite the surly mood, and upset two of my co-workers, whom I consider friends. It was so bad, I actually had to apologize, and mend fences. This is not a good thing. Fortunately, Jen is a good-natured person, and forgave me. Miguel was a little more piqued, and we didn't speak to each other on Tuesday. I finally sent him an email and apologized, offering to talk to him about it if he wanted to. He was ill Wednesday, but we did discuss the issue of my moodiness on Thursday, albiet briefly. I think we cleared the air. Until the next time, at least..........
Tuesday started out badly, as I mentioned. Plus, I thought that I'd lost my pocket-sized Black's the night before. I was not happy about leaving a $25 book (for a pocket-size softcover!) laying on the floor of the law school for just anyone to have. But, fortunately, I hadn't - it was in my locker. And I got even better news - an A on my legal writing research memo! I drove home with a big grin. I've been a bit more organized, too. I was able to file all of my friends' tax returns in a timely manner. Except for one, which rejected for no good reason. Unfortunately, communication with the tax office has been sparse, and I need to touch base there. Fortunately, I'll be there tonight, but I'm booked solid. Three more weeks.
Wednesday was two hours of Contracts. Professor Contracts had to be out of town Monday, so instead of one hour of Civ Pro, and two of Contracts, we had three hours of Civ Pro. At the end of class, Professor K decided to do a hypo on Class action, starring - me. Here I was, typing away on the laptop when I hear my name, and look up to find I'm the subject of the hypo. Now imagine how weird it was for me to write 'Greg v. Fly-By-Night Travel', all the while enduring the bemused looks of classmates who (for purposes of the hypo) had purchased, at my behest, a ski trip from the aforementioned travel company, only to find the lodge had yet to be built. The class finished with a debate on whether I was a qualified representative of the class, or if I had ulterior motives which disqualified me. Of course, Cisco the Cop was tossed out as a co-plaintiff (which prompted him to quip he'd never buy a trip from me in the first place). Class ended before the issues were resolved, so Monday should continue the fun.
Of course last night was Day 1 of March Madness. I'd post my brackets, if I could, but alas.....I cannot. Suffice to say that Notre Dame and Illinois both disappointed me by winning, and SIU disappointed me by losing. I have to admit to taking risks this year. I've been busy enough that I didn't really follow college B-ball (not that I do, anyway), so I kinda guessed a lot. And relied on ESPN's picks.
Last night also reminded me of why I don't go out after class on Thursday anymore. I get in too late, spend too much, and wind up wiped out on Friday. Given the number of meetings I have today, that's not a good thing. Helllooooo coffee.......
The law loveline....
One interesting thing you learn as you go through the first year is how people who seem intelligent can still do things that cause you to raise an eyebrow. M, considered by many to be the prettiest girl in class, got married over break. That's right, married. They've been dating for .... six months. He lives in NC (but is moving here), and she lives here. I hope for their sake that it works out. I also found out last night that C (who I've had a secret crush on) is back with the 5-year Boyfriend Who Can't Commit. She says this time he seems more serious. I told her I'd offer a shoulder if she needs one. In other news, our lovely Japanese law student has taken up with a classmate. She, too, supposedly had a boyfriend, though he was back in Seattle, from whence she came. I think she'd been shopping (she was always flirty with me), and he took her up on the opportunity. Apparently, it's gotten semi-serious, as she was seen drinking from his beer last night as if it were her own. And the cutie who sits in front of me supposedly broke it off with her boy-toy, while Em and hers are going hot and heavy. She's even bringing him to the "prom" (a/k/a Barrister's Ball) next week. Speaking of which, I rented a tux for the occasion last night. According to the rental guy, "if you're single and not involved, that's the place to be." So this should be interesting. What's really funny is how our class has divided on the issue - some all for the fun of playing dress-up, others deriding it as "prom". Methinks some people need to adjust their outlook, but I'm not saying which ones. I'll leave that to you. I'm done being the LLS gossip columnist. For now.
The week in review:
Monday was not a good day. I came to work in quite the surly mood, and upset two of my co-workers, whom I consider friends. It was so bad, I actually had to apologize, and mend fences. This is not a good thing. Fortunately, Jen is a good-natured person, and forgave me. Miguel was a little more piqued, and we didn't speak to each other on Tuesday. I finally sent him an email and apologized, offering to talk to him about it if he wanted to. He was ill Wednesday, but we did discuss the issue of my moodiness on Thursday, albiet briefly. I think we cleared the air. Until the next time, at least..........
Tuesday started out badly, as I mentioned. Plus, I thought that I'd lost my pocket-sized Black's the night before. I was not happy about leaving a $25 book (for a pocket-size softcover!) laying on the floor of the law school for just anyone to have. But, fortunately, I hadn't - it was in my locker. And I got even better news - an A on my legal writing research memo! I drove home with a big grin. I've been a bit more organized, too. I was able to file all of my friends' tax returns in a timely manner. Except for one, which rejected for no good reason. Unfortunately, communication with the tax office has been sparse, and I need to touch base there. Fortunately, I'll be there tonight, but I'm booked solid. Three more weeks.
Wednesday was two hours of Contracts. Professor Contracts had to be out of town Monday, so instead of one hour of Civ Pro, and two of Contracts, we had three hours of Civ Pro. At the end of class, Professor K decided to do a hypo on Class action, starring - me. Here I was, typing away on the laptop when I hear my name, and look up to find I'm the subject of the hypo. Now imagine how weird it was for me to write 'Greg v. Fly-By-Night Travel', all the while enduring the bemused looks of classmates who (for purposes of the hypo) had purchased, at my behest, a ski trip from the aforementioned travel company, only to find the lodge had yet to be built. The class finished with a debate on whether I was a qualified representative of the class, or if I had ulterior motives which disqualified me. Of course, Cisco the Cop was tossed out as a co-plaintiff (which prompted him to quip he'd never buy a trip from me in the first place). Class ended before the issues were resolved, so Monday should continue the fun.
Of course last night was Day 1 of March Madness. I'd post my brackets, if I could, but alas.....I cannot. Suffice to say that Notre Dame and Illinois both disappointed me by winning, and SIU disappointed me by losing. I have to admit to taking risks this year. I've been busy enough that I didn't really follow college B-ball (not that I do, anyway), so I kinda guessed a lot. And relied on ESPN's picks.
Last night also reminded me of why I don't go out after class on Thursday anymore. I get in too late, spend too much, and wind up wiped out on Friday. Given the number of meetings I have today, that's not a good thing. Helllooooo coffee.......
The law loveline....
One interesting thing you learn as you go through the first year is how people who seem intelligent can still do things that cause you to raise an eyebrow. M, considered by many to be the prettiest girl in class, got married over break. That's right, married. They've been dating for .... six months. He lives in NC (but is moving here), and she lives here. I hope for their sake that it works out. I also found out last night that C (who I've had a secret crush on) is back with the 5-year Boyfriend Who Can't Commit. She says this time he seems more serious. I told her I'd offer a shoulder if she needs one. In other news, our lovely Japanese law student has taken up with a classmate. She, too, supposedly had a boyfriend, though he was back in Seattle, from whence she came. I think she'd been shopping (she was always flirty with me), and he took her up on the opportunity. Apparently, it's gotten semi-serious, as she was seen drinking from his beer last night as if it were her own. And the cutie who sits in front of me supposedly broke it off with her boy-toy, while Em and hers are going hot and heavy. She's even bringing him to the "prom" (a/k/a Barrister's Ball) next week. Speaking of which, I rented a tux for the occasion last night. According to the rental guy, "if you're single and not involved, that's the place to be." So this should be interesting. What's really funny is how our class has divided on the issue - some all for the fun of playing dress-up, others deriding it as "prom". Methinks some people need to adjust their outlook, but I'm not saying which ones. I'll leave that to you. I'm done being the LLS gossip columnist. For now.
Monday, March 17, 2003
How to date like Greg, or what to expect when you go out with me.....
A typical date:
1. Meet attractive cardiac nurse on match.com
2. Exchange emails, have hours-long phone conversations.
3. Agree to meet for dinner on Saturday night at nice, Cajun-style seafood restaurant.
4. Get there to find 90-minute wait for a table.
5. Curse fact that restaurant doesn't accept reservations.
6. Give name and sidle up to the bar for a $5.50 Jack and Coke.
7. When date walks in, greet her and buy glass of wine.
8. Enjoy conversation.
9. Fruitlessly attempt to get seat at bar; have couple already seated at bar & eating take pity on you, hand you their number which is 20 lower than yours.
10. Hear number called within moments; total wait time 25 min. Feel confident about how things are going.
11. Enjoy dinner. Swallow hard and remember that topic of conversation is tipping when bill comes. Sign for $82 dinner.
12. Date suggests seeing movie. Feeling even better - she's enjoying evening, doesn't want to leave.
13. Drive to apt to drop off date's car.
14. Go to movie. Watch 'About Schmidt'. Enjoy, even if slow at points.
15. Leave theater. Hop in (fairly) new, low milage car.
16. Start car.
17. Begin backing out of parking space.
18. Look puzzled when car stalls 2/3 of way out of space, and won't restart.
19. Call OnStar. Act nonchalant when told tow truck will be there - in 90 minutes.
20. Realize even though apt is only 2 miles, too cold and too late to walk back.
21. Wait for tow truck. Explain to date this was not part of plan. Confidence level plummeting.
22. Tow truck arrives. Driver attempts to start car to no avail. Tow required. Beg for ride back to apt. Driver agrees.
23. Back at apartment, realize it's late and date has 1 hour drive home. Offer to let her spend night.
Ok, now you're her. What do you do?
A typical date:
1. Meet attractive cardiac nurse on match.com
2. Exchange emails, have hours-long phone conversations.
3. Agree to meet for dinner on Saturday night at nice, Cajun-style seafood restaurant.
4. Get there to find 90-minute wait for a table.
5. Curse fact that restaurant doesn't accept reservations.
6. Give name and sidle up to the bar for a $5.50 Jack and Coke.
7. When date walks in, greet her and buy glass of wine.
8. Enjoy conversation.
9. Fruitlessly attempt to get seat at bar; have couple already seated at bar & eating take pity on you, hand you their number which is 20 lower than yours.
10. Hear number called within moments; total wait time 25 min. Feel confident about how things are going.
11. Enjoy dinner. Swallow hard and remember that topic of conversation is tipping when bill comes. Sign for $82 dinner.
12. Date suggests seeing movie. Feeling even better - she's enjoying evening, doesn't want to leave.
13. Drive to apt to drop off date's car.
14. Go to movie. Watch 'About Schmidt'. Enjoy, even if slow at points.
15. Leave theater. Hop in (fairly) new, low milage car.
16. Start car.
17. Begin backing out of parking space.
18. Look puzzled when car stalls 2/3 of way out of space, and won't restart.
19. Call OnStar. Act nonchalant when told tow truck will be there - in 90 minutes.
20. Realize even though apt is only 2 miles, too cold and too late to walk back.
21. Wait for tow truck. Explain to date this was not part of plan. Confidence level plummeting.
22. Tow truck arrives. Driver attempts to start car to no avail. Tow required. Beg for ride back to apt. Driver agrees.
23. Back at apartment, realize it's late and date has 1 hour drive home. Offer to let her spend night.
Ok, now you're her. What do you do?
Friday, March 14, 2003
Ahh...the weekend. Time to relax. Right.
Tax season is really starting to pick up. Tonight and next Friday are booked; tomorrow is end-to-end, starting at 10, and next Saturday is half-booked already. To think a month ago I was bored here at the tax office on a Saturday afternoon.
And the weather is picking up with it. Temps are expected to be in the 60's for the next few days, so......I may need to take the motorcycle out for a spin. I've been itching to ride.....maybe I'll get the license this year. Hmm....there's something else I need to do - get the license.
And the best news of all....I have a date tomorrow. With a lovely young nurse. Things have went well on the phone all week, though I didn't call her last night because I needed to get some work done. Maybe she'll call tonight. If not, I'll be dining with her tomorrow. And if dinner goes as well as the phone calls, I'm going to have a shit-eating grin on my face for a week.
Tax season is really starting to pick up. Tonight and next Friday are booked; tomorrow is end-to-end, starting at 10, and next Saturday is half-booked already. To think a month ago I was bored here at the tax office on a Saturday afternoon.
And the weather is picking up with it. Temps are expected to be in the 60's for the next few days, so......I may need to take the motorcycle out for a spin. I've been itching to ride.....maybe I'll get the license this year. Hmm....there's something else I need to do - get the license.
And the best news of all....I have a date tomorrow. With a lovely young nurse. Things have went well on the phone all week, though I didn't call her last night because I needed to get some work done. Maybe she'll call tonight. If not, I'll be dining with her tomorrow. And if dinner goes as well as the phone calls, I'm going to have a shit-eating grin on my face for a week.
Thursday, March 13, 2003
It’s Thursday of Spring Break. By now, you would think I’ve used my time wisely, and gotten a lot done. And, in a way, I have. But in other ways, I haven’t. I haven’t done much work on the trial-level brief, which means I’ll be very busy this weekend. And forget reading, which means double the work.
On the other hand, my bathroom was absolutely disgusting, and is now clean. There is a definite measure of satisfaction in that. And I feel much better than I did last week, although the cough and sneezing are still there; I’m attributing at least some of it to the changing weather, which is expected to hit the 60’s by the weekend.
I spent Monday and Tuesday at a training session designed to familiarize us with the new accounting software that debuts in a few weeks. What an eye-opener; despite the illusion that the entire world is on the internet, there were at least 3 people out of a class of 12 that openly admitted to never having even opened Internet Explorer. Considering the new software is web-based, this is alarming. I was one of the more technologically advanced people there. As a result, I wound up helping the instructors with those who weren’t up to speed. The whole experience underlined one of the fatal flaws of my company – an unwillingness to make a full commitment to anything.
My initial suggestion to the instructors (one of whom was a former coworker who switched divisions) was that there should have been a skills test, so that everyone in a class was learning at the same pace. They agreed, and said one had been suggested, but people such as my boss’ boss had torpedoed the idea, saying they knew their staff’s skill levels, and no such test was needed. Needless to say, they were very wrong. In addition to the 3 who never used the internet, there was at least two more who didn’t belong in that class because they had no idea what accounting terminology such as depreciation, expense and asset meant. When you have remedial people in a class with advanced learners, you lose. The advanced people will get bored, and the remedials will get frustrated, and neither will accomplish what they could if they were handled separately. Additionally, the remedials will likely wind up leaving the company in a year or two. Or doing their best to totally sabotage the transition. Apparently, this type of thinking never occurred to the higher-ups.
To make matters worse, some supervisors were totally against sending staff to a two day course, claiming (a) they didn’t need it [wrong!] and (b) the department couldn’t spare the staff [too bad]. Based on what I saw, there should have been a push for a whole week of learning, not just two days. And any supervisor who complained should have been fired on the spot. Harsh? Sure, but this transition is costing the company millions, and supervisors with attitudes such as indicated aren’t supporting the company; they’re supporting their own self-interests. And in the long run, they hurt the individual and the company. There should be no place for that here.
On the other hand, my bathroom was absolutely disgusting, and is now clean. There is a definite measure of satisfaction in that. And I feel much better than I did last week, although the cough and sneezing are still there; I’m attributing at least some of it to the changing weather, which is expected to hit the 60’s by the weekend.
I spent Monday and Tuesday at a training session designed to familiarize us with the new accounting software that debuts in a few weeks. What an eye-opener; despite the illusion that the entire world is on the internet, there were at least 3 people out of a class of 12 that openly admitted to never having even opened Internet Explorer. Considering the new software is web-based, this is alarming. I was one of the more technologically advanced people there. As a result, I wound up helping the instructors with those who weren’t up to speed. The whole experience underlined one of the fatal flaws of my company – an unwillingness to make a full commitment to anything.
My initial suggestion to the instructors (one of whom was a former coworker who switched divisions) was that there should have been a skills test, so that everyone in a class was learning at the same pace. They agreed, and said one had been suggested, but people such as my boss’ boss had torpedoed the idea, saying they knew their staff’s skill levels, and no such test was needed. Needless to say, they were very wrong. In addition to the 3 who never used the internet, there was at least two more who didn’t belong in that class because they had no idea what accounting terminology such as depreciation, expense and asset meant. When you have remedial people in a class with advanced learners, you lose. The advanced people will get bored, and the remedials will get frustrated, and neither will accomplish what they could if they were handled separately. Additionally, the remedials will likely wind up leaving the company in a year or two. Or doing their best to totally sabotage the transition. Apparently, this type of thinking never occurred to the higher-ups.
To make matters worse, some supervisors were totally against sending staff to a two day course, claiming (a) they didn’t need it [wrong!] and (b) the department couldn’t spare the staff [too bad]. Based on what I saw, there should have been a push for a whole week of learning, not just two days. And any supervisor who complained should have been fired on the spot. Harsh? Sure, but this transition is costing the company millions, and supervisors with attitudes such as indicated aren’t supporting the company; they’re supporting their own self-interests. And in the long run, they hurt the individual and the company. There should be no place for that here.
Saturday, March 08, 2003
The comments are back!!!!!
I made them a little more law-related, since this is, technically, a law (school)-related blog.....not that everyone is going to rush to comment, but there you go.
The weather this morning was nice: in the 40's, sunny. Then the rain came. And now it's snowing. What a beautiful day. At least I didn't care - I was stuck inside doing taxes all day. Tonight, I'll head home, cook some dinner, and attempt to reclaim my life a bit. The bathroom is woefully in need of cleaning, as is the rest of the apartment; the checkbook needs to be balanced, and I just need some downtime before I start working on the trial-level brief. Doesn't that sound exciting? Weren't you glad you dropped in here to read that?
I made them a little more law-related, since this is, technically, a law (school)-related blog.....not that everyone is going to rush to comment, but there you go.
The weather this morning was nice: in the 40's, sunny. Then the rain came. And now it's snowing. What a beautiful day. At least I didn't care - I was stuck inside doing taxes all day. Tonight, I'll head home, cook some dinner, and attempt to reclaim my life a bit. The bathroom is woefully in need of cleaning, as is the rest of the apartment; the checkbook needs to be balanced, and I just need some downtime before I start working on the trial-level brief. Doesn't that sound exciting? Weren't you glad you dropped in here to read that?
What is going on with my blog??????
I noticed last night that I'd lost my comments. At first, I thought it was a temporary glitch, or maybe they'd been taken down for maintenance. But now, I'm beginning to wonder what, exactly is going on..............
I need to work on this, but right now, I have tax clients to work on. So bear with me on this. In the meantime, feel free to email your comments to me at gregzbylut@msn.com, and I'll add them to the comments when I figure out how to recover them...
I noticed last night that I'd lost my comments. At first, I thought it was a temporary glitch, or maybe they'd been taken down for maintenance. But now, I'm beginning to wonder what, exactly is going on..............
I need to work on this, but right now, I have tax clients to work on. So bear with me on this. In the meantime, feel free to email your comments to me at gregzbylut@msn.com, and I'll add them to the comments when I figure out how to recover them...
Friday, March 07, 2003
A letter to the President:
Dear Mr. Bush:
I thought I'd post a letter here, because let's face it - you'd never read it anyway if I did mail it to the White House. Instead, I'd get some crappy card thanking me for my interest in the US Government or something. But I digress.
I wonder if, during your dating years, you ever had a friend who dated someone totally wrong for them. You know, the kind of person you told your friend to break up with, but they were so in love, they couldn't. And when it all went to hell (as it always does), and they told you that you were right all along, you bought them a beer and commiserated with them, and talked about how others can see things in a relationship that you can't.
Well, you're that person now. The one dating the lousy person. Only it isn't a dating relationship, it's Iraq. The fact that almost every other country in the world refuses to back you up should give you pause. But it doesn't, because you're too headstrong, and too in love with the idea of finishing what your father started. Sure, Bill Clinton was scum. But right now, Saddam wouldn't have a friend in the world if Clinton were running this thing.
Don't get me wrong; I think Saddam is a big scumbag. But so is North Korea's Kim. And that's the funny thing. You talk tough about Saddam, but that's like being a kid who claims he can beat up the class geek, while the bully shouts threats at him. Saddam has screwed over the people of Iraq. He's poisoned them, shot them and raped them. He needs to go. But not like this.
Perhaps you should have studied abroad, as Clinton did. Then you'd realize how much damage you're doing by continuing down the path you have us on. You'd realize that two hundred years of diplomacy is about to go out the window to satisfy your ego. And normally, I wouldn't care. But what you're doing will reflect upon me. I will pay the price of your actions, because I am an American. I will be the one who gets blown up on a plane, or in a club, or shot by some kidnapper, because of your decisions. You will give the orders, but others will drop the bombs, and give their lives, in the name of "freedom", and "democracy". But what you offer isn't freedom, or democracy. You can't because you can't control the citizens of other countries. You can't guarantee what works (for the most part) here will work there. You don't recognize that this country has its share of problems, which we shouldn't wish upon the world.
But you're too wrapped up in conquest to see that under the veneer, the wood is rotten. This country needs to be fixed. The people here need food, work and shelter. That's what they want. They see no benefit to them by sending their hard earned tax dollars to fix some other country, provide food and shelter to people thousands of miles away who will have no qualms about charging us exorbitant amounts of money for gasoline, while people here have such glaring needs.
What we need to do right now is to step back. Find out why no one wishes to support us. Are they too afraid of losing precious contracts? Fine. Leave Saddam alone. Let them pay the price for inaction. Why do we always need to ride to the rescue? We do it so often, no one appreciates it anymore. They just figure we'll fix it, and they won't have to do anything. Well, I'm tired of being taken advantage of. Let France play cop for a while. After all, they've shown how well they can defend themselves, right? They know everything, so let them deal with explaining how they were so smart for doing nothing. Let Chirac be the modern-day Chamberlin, waving the piece of paper in front of the plane, and claiming "peace in our time" while spouting the benefits of appeasement.We'll still have to ride to the rescue, but at least it will be willing partners, not as a bully.
For your sake, and mine, I hope this all goes the way you want to. Otherwise, I'm voting for the other guy in 2004.
Dear Mr. Bush:
I thought I'd post a letter here, because let's face it - you'd never read it anyway if I did mail it to the White House. Instead, I'd get some crappy card thanking me for my interest in the US Government or something. But I digress.
I wonder if, during your dating years, you ever had a friend who dated someone totally wrong for them. You know, the kind of person you told your friend to break up with, but they were so in love, they couldn't. And when it all went to hell (as it always does), and they told you that you were right all along, you bought them a beer and commiserated with them, and talked about how others can see things in a relationship that you can't.
Well, you're that person now. The one dating the lousy person. Only it isn't a dating relationship, it's Iraq. The fact that almost every other country in the world refuses to back you up should give you pause. But it doesn't, because you're too headstrong, and too in love with the idea of finishing what your father started. Sure, Bill Clinton was scum. But right now, Saddam wouldn't have a friend in the world if Clinton were running this thing.
Don't get me wrong; I think Saddam is a big scumbag. But so is North Korea's Kim. And that's the funny thing. You talk tough about Saddam, but that's like being a kid who claims he can beat up the class geek, while the bully shouts threats at him. Saddam has screwed over the people of Iraq. He's poisoned them, shot them and raped them. He needs to go. But not like this.
Perhaps you should have studied abroad, as Clinton did. Then you'd realize how much damage you're doing by continuing down the path you have us on. You'd realize that two hundred years of diplomacy is about to go out the window to satisfy your ego. And normally, I wouldn't care. But what you're doing will reflect upon me. I will pay the price of your actions, because I am an American. I will be the one who gets blown up on a plane, or in a club, or shot by some kidnapper, because of your decisions. You will give the orders, but others will drop the bombs, and give their lives, in the name of "freedom", and "democracy". But what you offer isn't freedom, or democracy. You can't because you can't control the citizens of other countries. You can't guarantee what works (for the most part) here will work there. You don't recognize that this country has its share of problems, which we shouldn't wish upon the world.
But you're too wrapped up in conquest to see that under the veneer, the wood is rotten. This country needs to be fixed. The people here need food, work and shelter. That's what they want. They see no benefit to them by sending their hard earned tax dollars to fix some other country, provide food and shelter to people thousands of miles away who will have no qualms about charging us exorbitant amounts of money for gasoline, while people here have such glaring needs.
What we need to do right now is to step back. Find out why no one wishes to support us. Are they too afraid of losing precious contracts? Fine. Leave Saddam alone. Let them pay the price for inaction. Why do we always need to ride to the rescue? We do it so often, no one appreciates it anymore. They just figure we'll fix it, and they won't have to do anything. Well, I'm tired of being taken advantage of. Let France play cop for a while. After all, they've shown how well they can defend themselves, right? They know everything, so let them deal with explaining how they were so smart for doing nothing. Let Chirac be the modern-day Chamberlin, waving the piece of paper in front of the plane, and claiming "peace in our time" while spouting the benefits of appeasement.We'll still have to ride to the rescue, but at least it will be willing partners, not as a bully.
For your sake, and mine, I hope this all goes the way you want to. Otherwise, I'm voting for the other guy in 2004.
Wednesday, March 05, 2003
Man do I wish I was further along in law school. Then I could be this guy's attorney. If this isn't a juicy Con Law case, I don't know what is. But then, since Con Law isn't until next spring, I could be wrong.....
I don't know about you, but I'm wondering how many people protested today because they actually believed that we should not go to war against Iraq, and how many viewed it as a good excuse to blow off class.
This story is interesting. On the one hand, it's disturbing, because children and women could be endangered. On the other hand, how many people check the sex criminal registry to see if one lives by them. True story - an aquaintance of mine was arrested for molesting a 13-year-old boy. He pled guilty, and got probation. No one who knew him knew - only his ex-wife knew. So how did we find out? A bartender ex of his spilled the beans. And like a match to gasoline, it flew around to everyone (courtesy of my roommate, who couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it). Never heard from the guy again. But then, given the way he acted toward us the last time we saw him, I'm not saddened.
Tonight was the curriculum planning seminar. It was interesting, to say the least. And it's given me more reason to consider the switch to full-time. But that's a big change.....so I'll have to toss it around for a bit.
I don't know about you, but I'm wondering how many people protested today because they actually believed that we should not go to war against Iraq, and how many viewed it as a good excuse to blow off class.
This story is interesting. On the one hand, it's disturbing, because children and women could be endangered. On the other hand, how many people check the sex criminal registry to see if one lives by them. True story - an aquaintance of mine was arrested for molesting a 13-year-old boy. He pled guilty, and got probation. No one who knew him knew - only his ex-wife knew. So how did we find out? A bartender ex of his spilled the beans. And like a match to gasoline, it flew around to everyone (courtesy of my roommate, who couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it). Never heard from the guy again. But then, given the way he acted toward us the last time we saw him, I'm not saddened.
Tonight was the curriculum planning seminar. It was interesting, to say the least. And it's given me more reason to consider the switch to full-time. But that's a big change.....so I'll have to toss it around for a bit.
Tuesday, March 04, 2003
What is it about bad weather that changes people's driving habits? Drop three consecutive snowflakes, and all hell breaks loose.
First you get those who insist on driving 70, even if there are eight inches of snow on the ground. At the other end of the spectrum are those who suddenly have to drive 5 miles an hour. These two types DO NOT mix, so the drive home tonight, through heavy snow, was quite interesting. Amazingly, I only passed two accidents, both one-car. Almost saw one, but the fishtailing Caprice was able to get traction and save the car. His lesson learned, he then proceeded to.........speed up.
It feels good to turn in the Research Memo. I feel like I have one huge burden off my back. But another looms - the Contracts mid-term. I have forty-eight hours to catch up. I don't think it's going to happen. Life goes on.
Tomorrow is the big day - the curriculum planning seminar. I'm hoping it'll help me decide if I should switch to full-time or hang in there as part-time.
On the plus side, today was Mardi Gras. But to those of us who are of Polish decent (I'm half Polish), it's even better - it's Paczki day! It's pronounced 'pone-chkey", though you'll be forgiven if you say it 'poonch-key'. Either way, it's a once-a-year treat, and I have three sitting in my fridge - one each of strawberry (yum), prune (yum) and poppyseed (double yum). My other Polish co-worker, Tom brought in a dozen or so, which raised everyone's spirits, and reminded me of the reception my father got at Electro-Motive when he came in with the Paczki.
So to all my Polish friends - happy Paczki day! And Megan promised Soda Bread in Legal Writing in two weeks, so that's something to look forward to.....
First you get those who insist on driving 70, even if there are eight inches of snow on the ground. At the other end of the spectrum are those who suddenly have to drive 5 miles an hour. These two types DO NOT mix, so the drive home tonight, through heavy snow, was quite interesting. Amazingly, I only passed two accidents, both one-car. Almost saw one, but the fishtailing Caprice was able to get traction and save the car. His lesson learned, he then proceeded to.........speed up.
It feels good to turn in the Research Memo. I feel like I have one huge burden off my back. But another looms - the Contracts mid-term. I have forty-eight hours to catch up. I don't think it's going to happen. Life goes on.
Tomorrow is the big day - the curriculum planning seminar. I'm hoping it'll help me decide if I should switch to full-time or hang in there as part-time.
On the plus side, today was Mardi Gras. But to those of us who are of Polish decent (I'm half Polish), it's even better - it's Paczki day! It's pronounced 'pone-chkey", though you'll be forgiven if you say it 'poonch-key'. Either way, it's a once-a-year treat, and I have three sitting in my fridge - one each of strawberry (yum), prune (yum) and poppyseed (double yum). My other Polish co-worker, Tom brought in a dozen or so, which raised everyone's spirits, and reminded me of the reception my father got at Electro-Motive when he came in with the Paczki.
So to all my Polish friends - happy Paczki day! And Megan promised Soda Bread in Legal Writing in two weeks, so that's something to look forward to.....
Monday, March 03, 2003
I've been so busy between both jobs and class this semester, that I've fallen behind. So next week's spring break is perfectly timed. The intent is to use the time to work on my trial-level brief. Hopefully, I'll be able to accomplish that. But I'm digressing from the point I wanted to make.
Falling behind means that I sit in every Contracts class, dreading being called on. Now, I think I have some level of security here, because my last name is so difficult to pronounce, and Professor Contracts is quite the formal one - Miss Johnson, Mr Smith, not Jenny and Bill, like Professor Sex, uh, Torts. Every time I've volunteered in class it's been "yes? (while pointing to me)","in the back", or something similar. Never by my name. Then there's been the near misses - Tim on my left got tapped last week, Beth on my right got it tonight, and Michelle and Bridget in front of me have both been called on. But not me.Yet.
I think being called on when unprepared is the biggest fear of any law student. Most of my classmates will probably tell you that it's their biggest fear, followed closely by looking foolish. I know there's been times when people haven't been prepared and gotten called on - they stammer, and usually get bailed out by one of the Springbutt Bingo stars - the five or six people who dominate class by constantly raising their hand and getting called on. But last Thursday was a first. Someone actually took a pass. I figured it would be me and my big mouth who'd be the first to pass, but it was this girl near the front, who I've never heard speak in any class. I think it took Professor Contracts by surprise - but she recovered quickly. And guess who got called on tonight? This time, she was prepared. I think. I'm not sure since her voice was so soft, I could barely hear her. Which is a problem in class. I sit in the back, near one of the few outlets in the room (since I have a laptop, which at this moment is living up to its name), and most of the soft-voiced people sit in front, facing away from me. So when they speak, it's like listening to Charlie Brown's teacher - wah, wah, wahwah wah. Or in some cases, blah blah blah blah.......
The next three days are going to be interesting. The Legal Writing Paper tomorrow (I think my instructor saw it, at least - I got an email from her today, though not about the paper), then Curriculum planning on Wednesday, followed by the Contracts mid-term on Thursday, followed by full collapse on Friday. I'm no way prepared for this mid-term; I'm too far behind. One other frustration is that I haven't been able to attend any review sessions - they've all been on Saturday, when I have to work. So I have absolutely no idea what to expect.
On a side note, we have 3 Chicago cops in class. I wanted to ask them what they thought of what happened today, but didn't get to. It seems two 14th district cops stopped a guy for speeding, then arrested them when they learned he didn't have a license and shouldn't be driving in the first place. Somehow, they were outside the car when the perp pulled a Houdini; he managed to get his hands from behind his back, climb into the front seat, and drive off. They recovered the car about a mile later, but he was long gone - and still handcuffed. Methinks the officers have a lot of questions to answer...
Oh well, day 2 of close tomorrow. More fun at work....
Falling behind means that I sit in every Contracts class, dreading being called on. Now, I think I have some level of security here, because my last name is so difficult to pronounce, and Professor Contracts is quite the formal one - Miss Johnson, Mr Smith, not Jenny and Bill, like Professor Sex, uh, Torts. Every time I've volunteered in class it's been "yes? (while pointing to me)","in the back", or something similar. Never by my name. Then there's been the near misses - Tim on my left got tapped last week, Beth on my right got it tonight, and Michelle and Bridget in front of me have both been called on. But not me.Yet.
I think being called on when unprepared is the biggest fear of any law student. Most of my classmates will probably tell you that it's their biggest fear, followed closely by looking foolish. I know there's been times when people haven't been prepared and gotten called on - they stammer, and usually get bailed out by one of the Springbutt Bingo stars - the five or six people who dominate class by constantly raising their hand and getting called on. But last Thursday was a first. Someone actually took a pass. I figured it would be me and my big mouth who'd be the first to pass, but it was this girl near the front, who I've never heard speak in any class. I think it took Professor Contracts by surprise - but she recovered quickly. And guess who got called on tonight? This time, she was prepared. I think. I'm not sure since her voice was so soft, I could barely hear her. Which is a problem in class. I sit in the back, near one of the few outlets in the room (since I have a laptop, which at this moment is living up to its name), and most of the soft-voiced people sit in front, facing away from me. So when they speak, it's like listening to Charlie Brown's teacher - wah, wah, wahwah wah. Or in some cases, blah blah blah blah.......
The next three days are going to be interesting. The Legal Writing Paper tomorrow (I think my instructor saw it, at least - I got an email from her today, though not about the paper), then Curriculum planning on Wednesday, followed by the Contracts mid-term on Thursday, followed by full collapse on Friday. I'm no way prepared for this mid-term; I'm too far behind. One other frustration is that I haven't been able to attend any review sessions - they've all been on Saturday, when I have to work. So I have absolutely no idea what to expect.
On a side note, we have 3 Chicago cops in class. I wanted to ask them what they thought of what happened today, but didn't get to. It seems two 14th district cops stopped a guy for speeding, then arrested them when they learned he didn't have a license and shouldn't be driving in the first place. Somehow, they were outside the car when the perp pulled a Houdini; he managed to get his hands from behind his back, climb into the front seat, and drive off. They recovered the car about a mile later, but he was long gone - and still handcuffed. Methinks the officers have a lot of questions to answer...
Oh well, day 2 of close tomorrow. More fun at work....
Sunday, March 02, 2003
Saturday, March 01, 2003
Creating Havoc.....and showing some gratitude
Seems I happen to share a popular name. Or at least I'm the Johnny-come-lately of gregs. Like a lot of other people, I surf other blogs (and seem to always find my blog wanting compared to some of them out there, like this one or this one or this one or even this one.)
So, one day, I happened to surf over to le petit hiboux, which I immediately found interesting. And me being me, I noticed that her "crush" for February was none other than a guy named greg. Not me, of course, but this greg. Having the twisted sense of humor that I do, I decided to have some fun, and create confusion, which I did fairly well. And darnitall if the lovely krissa didn't chastise me for it. So I will go by another name on her site (and a few others who link to her) and profusely apologize for the confusion. And say that I'm honored to be mentioned in another's blog - my visits have shot up as a result. Not that anyone's been inclined to comment, but at least they stop by......
Speaking of mentions, my post on Mr. Rogers got noticed elsewhere and linked to the University of Pittsburgh's School of Law website, which just impressed the hell out of me. A hale and hearty thanks for that......I do appreciate links here (and I try to reciprocate, if I'm aware), which leads me to further thank Sue Sponte for her link here (although, m'lady, I am not a pre-1L, as you have my link labeled, but a full-fledged 1L. An overworked, stressed-out 1L.). Welcome to one and all. Feel free to leave an opinion/comment. I do appreciate different viewpoints.
Ok, back to tax returns. Or should I write my paper? Decisions, decisions.....
Seems I happen to share a popular name. Or at least I'm the Johnny-come-lately of gregs. Like a lot of other people, I surf other blogs (and seem to always find my blog wanting compared to some of them out there, like this one or this one or this one or even this one.)
So, one day, I happened to surf over to le petit hiboux, which I immediately found interesting. And me being me, I noticed that her "crush" for February was none other than a guy named greg. Not me, of course, but this greg. Having the twisted sense of humor that I do, I decided to have some fun, and create confusion, which I did fairly well. And darnitall if the lovely krissa didn't chastise me for it. So I will go by another name on her site (and a few others who link to her) and profusely apologize for the confusion. And say that I'm honored to be mentioned in another's blog - my visits have shot up as a result. Not that anyone's been inclined to comment, but at least they stop by......
Speaking of mentions, my post on Mr. Rogers got noticed elsewhere and linked to the University of Pittsburgh's School of Law website, which just impressed the hell out of me. A hale and hearty thanks for that......I do appreciate links here (and I try to reciprocate, if I'm aware), which leads me to further thank Sue Sponte for her link here (although, m'lady, I am not a pre-1L, as you have my link labeled, but a full-fledged 1L. An overworked, stressed-out 1L.). Welcome to one and all. Feel free to leave an opinion/comment. I do appreciate different viewpoints.
Ok, back to tax returns. Or should I write my paper? Decisions, decisions.....
Friday, February 28, 2003
The Week From Hell is nearly upon us. The topic of at least one conversation last night was all of the things going on next week – paper due Tuesday (for some of us, including yours truly), curriculum planning on Wednesday, Contracts Review session on Thursday, followed immediately by Contracts mid-term. Friday brings welcome relief in the form of spring break, and not a moment too soon. Of course, for the Saturday Legal Writing people (SLWP), their break doesn’t start until the afternoon.
My plan for spring break is simple – work on the trial-level brief due March 25th and catch up on reading, etc. There are a precious few who actually plan to travel to places like Cozumel and Cancun. More than one SLWP openly self-debated about skipping class to start Spring Break early, though most stopped when reminded of the miss-a-class-lose-a-half-grade penalty.
That segued into a discussion about Professor Contracts’ absence policy: miss two classes, and lose part of a grade, miss four and forget taking the final. This is unduly harsh to some, including me, whose work/commute schedules don’t always make it easy to show up promptly all the time.
From what I hear, I have the dreaded two strikes, simply because I arrived late. If that’s the case, I’m invoking the email I sent to Professor Contracts prior to the class’ start. The overall consensus is that Professor Contracts’ strategy is not a good one, nor popular.
Supposedly, Professor Contracts has a good memory. Last night, however, it must have been shut off. I bumped into her on the street outside one of the buildings shortly after class. She was looking for the Public Interest Law Society (hereinafter known as PILS) Charity Auction. She asked if I knew where it was, and I told her, whereupon she asked if I had been there in a prior year. I of course told her no, but seeing as I sit directly in front of her in class (albeit in the last row, but at roughly eye level), it made me wonder how much she paid attention to us.
The boyfriend of my classmate and friend Anita owns a restaurant in Highland Park, called Belle Via . He was kind enough to donate a $50 gift certificate to the auction, which I managed to win, beating out a woman none of us knew. Ironically, I was standing in line later in the evening behind several women, one of whom complained, “Can you believe I lost out to a GUY? A GUY? What guy would outbid me?” Well – me, that’s who. And you should have bid more, wench. Not that I bid a lot, but mine topped yours by $4, a nearly 20% increase. So there. Nyah.
My plan for spring break is simple – work on the trial-level brief due March 25th and catch up on reading, etc. There are a precious few who actually plan to travel to places like Cozumel and Cancun. More than one SLWP openly self-debated about skipping class to start Spring Break early, though most stopped when reminded of the miss-a-class-lose-a-half-grade penalty.
That segued into a discussion about Professor Contracts’ absence policy: miss two classes, and lose part of a grade, miss four and forget taking the final. This is unduly harsh to some, including me, whose work/commute schedules don’t always make it easy to show up promptly all the time.
From what I hear, I have the dreaded two strikes, simply because I arrived late. If that’s the case, I’m invoking the email I sent to Professor Contracts prior to the class’ start. The overall consensus is that Professor Contracts’ strategy is not a good one, nor popular.
Supposedly, Professor Contracts has a good memory. Last night, however, it must have been shut off. I bumped into her on the street outside one of the buildings shortly after class. She was looking for the Public Interest Law Society (hereinafter known as PILS) Charity Auction. She asked if I knew where it was, and I told her, whereupon she asked if I had been there in a prior year. I of course told her no, but seeing as I sit directly in front of her in class (albeit in the last row, but at roughly eye level), it made me wonder how much she paid attention to us.
The boyfriend of my classmate and friend Anita owns a restaurant in Highland Park, called Belle Via . He was kind enough to donate a $50 gift certificate to the auction, which I managed to win, beating out a woman none of us knew. Ironically, I was standing in line later in the evening behind several women, one of whom complained, “Can you believe I lost out to a GUY? A GUY? What guy would outbid me?” Well – me, that’s who. And you should have bid more, wench. Not that I bid a lot, but mine topped yours by $4, a nearly 20% increase. So there. Nyah.
Thursday, February 27, 2003
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood......
No, it's not. Mr. Rogers has died. He was 74. He had stomach cancer.
I'll admit to being old enough to have watched Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood as a child. I would say it had an influence on my life, because it was all about exploring and learning, and I've done plenty of both. I love to read, love to travel and love to learn. How else do you explain getting a CPA, then an MBA, and then a JD? It's either that, or masochism......
I'm sure (I hope) that there's plenty of educational, informative TV out there. I grew up watching Saturday cartoons (the Bugs Bunny & Roadrunner show!!!), but it wasn't all just cartoons. Every now and then I turn on CBS radio (usually for traffic reports), and hear Christopher Glenn doing the World News Roundup. Takes me back to when he used to do "In the News", a regular spot on Saturday mornings. Between the two (Mr. Rogers and Christopher Glenn), it would be hard to decide who had a larger impact on where my life has gone.
What's sad is that I don't think my 14 and 11 year-old-nephews can say the same thing. The big impact on their lives hasn't been a news reporter, or TV host. It's been Play Station. And there's something lost there. I'm afraid of what it will mean for them when they turn 30.
No, it's not. Mr. Rogers has died. He was 74. He had stomach cancer.
I'll admit to being old enough to have watched Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood as a child. I would say it had an influence on my life, because it was all about exploring and learning, and I've done plenty of both. I love to read, love to travel and love to learn. How else do you explain getting a CPA, then an MBA, and then a JD? It's either that, or masochism......
I'm sure (I hope) that there's plenty of educational, informative TV out there. I grew up watching Saturday cartoons (the Bugs Bunny & Roadrunner show!!!), but it wasn't all just cartoons. Every now and then I turn on CBS radio (usually for traffic reports), and hear Christopher Glenn doing the World News Roundup. Takes me back to when he used to do "In the News", a regular spot on Saturday mornings. Between the two (Mr. Rogers and Christopher Glenn), it would be hard to decide who had a larger impact on where my life has gone.
What's sad is that I don't think my 14 and 11 year-old-nephews can say the same thing. The big impact on their lives hasn't been a news reporter, or TV host. It's been Play Station. And there's something lost there. I'm afraid of what it will mean for them when they turn 30.
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
I should have known today was going to be a bad day when I woke up. First, I slept later than I wanted to. Worse, I had enough hot water in the shower this morning to get wet – and no more. I think I managed to shower in about 4 minutes flat.
Despite a fitful night of sleep, I arrived at work in a coherent state of mind, and a fairly decent mood, as opposed to the usual fog and crappy mood. Again, outside the norm, and a red flag.
Today was bonus day. Since no one had discussed my rating with me, I braced myself for the worst. Around Thanksgiving, I’d been dragged into the middle boss’ office and told all my sins for the year. Of course, it was couched in the ‘but you’re improving’ language to soften the blow, but there it was. Never mind that the person training me hadn’t done a complete job. Or that I was often left out of the loop about due dates, etc (usually finding out less than a day before with the comment “oh, we didn’t tell you? I thought so-and-so told you. Sorry.”) Not to mention that no one ever complained that they weren’t happy to me. No, no. I find out at the end of the year that my mistake my second week in this position was going to penalize me come bonus/increase time.
So it was with trepidation that I reluctantly followed my boss into an office to hear the news. Of course, he thought I should have gotten more, but, darnit, the powers that be didn’t want to hear of it. Of course, one of those powers that be doesn’t even know what I do (and has admitted as much openly), but he didn’t think I did it well enough. So, I get shafted.
So much for a good mood.
Now, I know about 20 people a day read this, but nobody ever comments. So if you’re tempted, don’t hesitate, because I could use some cheering up right now…………
Despite a fitful night of sleep, I arrived at work in a coherent state of mind, and a fairly decent mood, as opposed to the usual fog and crappy mood. Again, outside the norm, and a red flag.
Today was bonus day. Since no one had discussed my rating with me, I braced myself for the worst. Around Thanksgiving, I’d been dragged into the middle boss’ office and told all my sins for the year. Of course, it was couched in the ‘but you’re improving’ language to soften the blow, but there it was. Never mind that the person training me hadn’t done a complete job. Or that I was often left out of the loop about due dates, etc (usually finding out less than a day before with the comment “oh, we didn’t tell you? I thought so-and-so told you. Sorry.”) Not to mention that no one ever complained that they weren’t happy to me. No, no. I find out at the end of the year that my mistake my second week in this position was going to penalize me come bonus/increase time.
So it was with trepidation that I reluctantly followed my boss into an office to hear the news. Of course, he thought I should have gotten more, but, darnit, the powers that be didn’t want to hear of it. Of course, one of those powers that be doesn’t even know what I do (and has admitted as much openly), but he didn’t think I did it well enough. So, I get shafted.
So much for a good mood.
Now, I know about 20 people a day read this, but nobody ever comments. So if you’re tempted, don’t hesitate, because I could use some cheering up right now…………
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Lately, it seems like I'm perenially behind. I was able to get a whopping three hours of study time this Sunday. What frustration.
I have two tax clients who live near each other. One had already made an appointment for me to pick up his materials on Sunday. The other called during the week and asked when I could come out. What an opportunity, right? Nope. Party II would not be home when I was to meet with Party I. So I had to come earlier - five hours earlier. Now, it takes me an hour to get there. Add in b.s. time, and an hour back, and I've torpedoed three hours. I was desperately hoping to avoid that Sunday. But, alas, 'twas not to be. And to make matters worse - Party II didn't even have all of his materials ready! I told him to mail them to me, I'm not making another trip. I drove back to the apartment in a crappy mood.
My regular job was at least a little less stresful this week - my boss has been out of town the last two days. Not that he bugs me or anything, but things lighten up when the bosses are gone. Always a nice atmosphere. Of course, it would have been nice if he'd told me, so I didn't schedule a meeting with a VP to discuss salary issues. As it was, I tried my best to slough my way through.....I think I did ok.
And class - ugh. Tomorrow is the MANDATORY public service convocation. It starts at 5. Unless God himself comes down and frees up a lane on the Eisenhower, there's not a chance in hell of me making it there in time. Next weeks even worse - a paper due on Tuesday in Legal Writing, the career planning seminar on Wednesday (another pre-class event that I'll be late for), and to top it off, a mid-term on Thursday in Contracts. I am in no way prepared for a mid-term. Professor Contracts mentioned we should have our outlines well underway. I had to stifle a laugh. Right. Well underway. On five hours a weekend. Sure, no problem.
The best part of last week was getting back the homework assignment, and reading the tutor's comments - "You're on your way to IRACing..." blah, blah, blah. Apparently she thinks (1) I actually take the time to brief a case (no) and (2) I actually care what she says (no). I don't have time to IRAC, or FIHR, or any other briefing method. I'm lucky I have time to read the case. Lately, I live in dread of being called on, and wonder what smart-ass remark will fly from my lips when I'm not prepared. Hopefully, I'll be in a good mood that day, and not a grouch.
Truthfully, the best part of last week was going out for drinks with Gretchen after class. It was nice, relaxing, intelligent conversation, and much better than the blind date I had the week before.
Ok, I'm off the soapbox now. I just needed to vent. Lately, life seems a lot about frustration.
Sunday night, I had dinner with my dad. Mom had surgery, so she didn't go. During dinner, my father tried to play devil's advocate, and suggest that I pursue the personal leave of absence route. I looked into it today. The only downside is that when I come back, location isn't guaranteed. And since we have a site clear across the state, I'm concerned that I could get screwed in the long run. I'll have to wait until next week. Part of that shindig next Wednesday deals with issues like this...
I have two tax clients who live near each other. One had already made an appointment for me to pick up his materials on Sunday. The other called during the week and asked when I could come out. What an opportunity, right? Nope. Party II would not be home when I was to meet with Party I. So I had to come earlier - five hours earlier. Now, it takes me an hour to get there. Add in b.s. time, and an hour back, and I've torpedoed three hours. I was desperately hoping to avoid that Sunday. But, alas, 'twas not to be. And to make matters worse - Party II didn't even have all of his materials ready! I told him to mail them to me, I'm not making another trip. I drove back to the apartment in a crappy mood.
My regular job was at least a little less stresful this week - my boss has been out of town the last two days. Not that he bugs me or anything, but things lighten up when the bosses are gone. Always a nice atmosphere. Of course, it would have been nice if he'd told me, so I didn't schedule a meeting with a VP to discuss salary issues. As it was, I tried my best to slough my way through.....I think I did ok.
And class - ugh. Tomorrow is the MANDATORY public service convocation. It starts at 5. Unless God himself comes down and frees up a lane on the Eisenhower, there's not a chance in hell of me making it there in time. Next weeks even worse - a paper due on Tuesday in Legal Writing, the career planning seminar on Wednesday (another pre-class event that I'll be late for), and to top it off, a mid-term on Thursday in Contracts. I am in no way prepared for a mid-term. Professor Contracts mentioned we should have our outlines well underway. I had to stifle a laugh. Right. Well underway. On five hours a weekend. Sure, no problem.
The best part of last week was getting back the homework assignment, and reading the tutor's comments - "You're on your way to IRACing..." blah, blah, blah. Apparently she thinks (1) I actually take the time to brief a case (no) and (2) I actually care what she says (no). I don't have time to IRAC, or FIHR, or any other briefing method. I'm lucky I have time to read the case. Lately, I live in dread of being called on, and wonder what smart-ass remark will fly from my lips when I'm not prepared. Hopefully, I'll be in a good mood that day, and not a grouch.
Truthfully, the best part of last week was going out for drinks with Gretchen after class. It was nice, relaxing, intelligent conversation, and much better than the blind date I had the week before.
Ok, I'm off the soapbox now. I just needed to vent. Lately, life seems a lot about frustration.
Sunday night, I had dinner with my dad. Mom had surgery, so she didn't go. During dinner, my father tried to play devil's advocate, and suggest that I pursue the personal leave of absence route. I looked into it today. The only downside is that when I come back, location isn't guaranteed. And since we have a site clear across the state, I'm concerned that I could get screwed in the long run. I'll have to wait until next week. Part of that shindig next Wednesday deals with issues like this...
Monday, February 24, 2003
It's amazing how fast a week can go zipping by, and it seems like mere hours.
I took a "mental health" day on Friday, simply because after the last two weeks of buzzing activity, I was simply exhausted, and there was ironing to do. Not to mention the near-successful assault on my apartment by the dust bunny army. Needless to say, there is still ironing to do, and cleaning as well.
I also need to revisit my weekend plans. They never seem to allow enough time for all I need to get done.
I took a "mental health" day on Friday, simply because after the last two weeks of buzzing activity, I was simply exhausted, and there was ironing to do. Not to mention the near-successful assault on my apartment by the dust bunny army. Needless to say, there is still ironing to do, and cleaning as well.
I also need to revisit my weekend plans. They never seem to allow enough time for all I need to get done.
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Got my research memo back today. Got a 'B' which means my grade has slipped slightly. This is only a 'shadow grade,' however, so it counts for nada. Still, I would have liked to do better. But I had to admit that it was a direct result of being crunched for time lately. I forsee a lot of late nights. My classmate Anita must have too, since she announced in class tonight that she resigned from her job at the bank. Her first comment? "It'll be nice to get more than four hours a night sleep." Uh-huh. I know that 'permanently tired' feeling.
Rome trip is starting to gather steam. Only one person has expressed worry about traveling, given the situation. I'm worried, but not sufficiently so to avoid getting on a plane. After all, I could get run over by a car tomorrow walking to my garage. Life is unpredictable.
The real drag came yesterday, when Professor Contracts announced she was giving a mid-term on March 6th. No grade given, and only an hour long, but just so not what I needed right now. And this afternoon's budget meeting went poorly, which just added to the feeling that the mountain is only growing bigger, not smaller.
I had a date Saturday. With the recently-divorced friend of a tax client, whose wife thought we'd be a good match. It was about as uncomfortable as it gets, and yet I told her I'd call. She seemed nice, but she's about 2 inches taller, and I really didn't detect a lot of enthusiasm from her. I'll call her tomorrow. I doubt if date 2 will occur. Heck, I didn't even get the 'handshake of death.' How bad is that?
Ok, I need some bitch time. My neighbors are morons. Mike moved at the beginning of January, and the replacement neighbors, I found out, have a dog. How did I find out? Because the damn thing was whining all through my lunch today. Great. Just what I need - a dog with separation anxiety.
That's not the half of it, though. Our fire door is not (as the other two floors' are) self-closing. So the people on this floor regularly leave it wide open. That's not to say having it as self closing would help, though, since the other two doors are regularly blocked open. I swear this must be some kind of violation, but damn if I can find it on Lexis or Westlaw. I hope there isnt a fire before my lease is up. Otherwise, there'll be one really big lawsuit.
To top things off, I have lazy neighbors. Just about everyone in this complex (save me) has a dog, and half of them get together regularly to walk them. So what makes them lazy? Well, last Friday, it snowed here. And on Saturday, I walked out to go to the tax office. I get a paper delivered six days a week, and most days its tossed right around the front door somewhere. Saturday, it was tossed on top of some snow, just outside the door. And some a-hole's dog had peed all over it. All over my frigging paper. Some lazy a-hole couldn't be bothered to walk across the way to the open field. How annoying. And inconsiderate, since my paper wasn't the only one this dog had peed on. Fortunately, the paper is wrapped in plastic, and one small corner was unimpacted, so I was able to get the paper safely out. But the fact still ticks me off.
Ok, I'm done venting............have a great night. I think I'm taking a vacation day Friday. I need some R&R........
Rome trip is starting to gather steam. Only one person has expressed worry about traveling, given the situation. I'm worried, but not sufficiently so to avoid getting on a plane. After all, I could get run over by a car tomorrow walking to my garage. Life is unpredictable.
The real drag came yesterday, when Professor Contracts announced she was giving a mid-term on March 6th. No grade given, and only an hour long, but just so not what I needed right now. And this afternoon's budget meeting went poorly, which just added to the feeling that the mountain is only growing bigger, not smaller.
I had a date Saturday. With the recently-divorced friend of a tax client, whose wife thought we'd be a good match. It was about as uncomfortable as it gets, and yet I told her I'd call. She seemed nice, but she's about 2 inches taller, and I really didn't detect a lot of enthusiasm from her. I'll call her tomorrow. I doubt if date 2 will occur. Heck, I didn't even get the 'handshake of death.' How bad is that?
Ok, I need some bitch time. My neighbors are morons. Mike moved at the beginning of January, and the replacement neighbors, I found out, have a dog. How did I find out? Because the damn thing was whining all through my lunch today. Great. Just what I need - a dog with separation anxiety.
That's not the half of it, though. Our fire door is not (as the other two floors' are) self-closing. So the people on this floor regularly leave it wide open. That's not to say having it as self closing would help, though, since the other two doors are regularly blocked open. I swear this must be some kind of violation, but damn if I can find it on Lexis or Westlaw. I hope there isnt a fire before my lease is up. Otherwise, there'll be one really big lawsuit.
To top things off, I have lazy neighbors. Just about everyone in this complex (save me) has a dog, and half of them get together regularly to walk them. So what makes them lazy? Well, last Friday, it snowed here. And on Saturday, I walked out to go to the tax office. I get a paper delivered six days a week, and most days its tossed right around the front door somewhere. Saturday, it was tossed on top of some snow, just outside the door. And some a-hole's dog had peed all over it. All over my frigging paper. Some lazy a-hole couldn't be bothered to walk across the way to the open field. How annoying. And inconsiderate, since my paper wasn't the only one this dog had peed on. Fortunately, the paper is wrapped in plastic, and one small corner was unimpacted, so I was able to get the paper safely out. But the fact still ticks me off.
Ok, I'm done venting............have a great night. I think I'm taking a vacation day Friday. I need some R&R........
Monday, February 17, 2003
Tell me why, I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why, I don’t like Mondays
I wanna shoot
The
Whole
Day
Down.
- The Boomtown Rats
So today is President’s day, the day we honor all our presidents. There was a time when only two were considered so great that we should honor them – Lincoln and Washington. Of course, here in Illinois, Lincoln’s adopted state (he technically was born in Kentucky, and spent a few years there before his family moved to Illinois) only Lincoln’s birthday was a school holiday. Since my dad’s birthday was the same day, we always had off, which was nice. Dad, of course, usually had to work, but that was beside the point.
Today, we honor all presidents; the great – Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson – and the not-so-great – Clinton, Nixon, Harding. The ones we all know – Kennedy, Reagan – and the ones that make us say “who?” – van Buren, Fillmore. Let’s face it; ask 9 out of 10 Chicagoans who van Buren is, and they’ll correct you and say ‘no, no, van Buren is a street - it’s between Adams and Congress.’ So happy president’s day to you. And if you happen to be one of the lucky ones off today, more to you. But since you want electric power to watch Springer today, I have to work. So there.
I decided to peruse the Internet to find a link relevant to president’s day. I found this. Read it, and see if you can guess who spoke these words, and when (I’ve deleted a couple of sentences which would have been dead giveaways, but left in one). Then decide for yourself how relevant they are today.
The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.
We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge--and more.
To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do--for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.
To those new States whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom--and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.
To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required--not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge--to convert our good words into good deeds--in a new alliance for progress--to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know that this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.
To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support--to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective--to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak--and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run.
Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.
We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.
But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course--both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war.
So let us begin anew--remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.
Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.
Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms--and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.
Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.
Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah--to "undo the heavy burdens ... and to let the oppressed go free."
And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved.
In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe.
Now the trumpet summons us again--not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are--but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation"--a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.
Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it--and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.
Tell me why, I don’t like Mondays
I wanna shoot
The
Whole
Day
Down.
- The Boomtown Rats
So today is President’s day, the day we honor all our presidents. There was a time when only two were considered so great that we should honor them – Lincoln and Washington. Of course, here in Illinois, Lincoln’s adopted state (he technically was born in Kentucky, and spent a few years there before his family moved to Illinois) only Lincoln’s birthday was a school holiday. Since my dad’s birthday was the same day, we always had off, which was nice. Dad, of course, usually had to work, but that was beside the point.
Today, we honor all presidents; the great – Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson – and the not-so-great – Clinton, Nixon, Harding. The ones we all know – Kennedy, Reagan – and the ones that make us say “who?” – van Buren, Fillmore. Let’s face it; ask 9 out of 10 Chicagoans who van Buren is, and they’ll correct you and say ‘no, no, van Buren is a street - it’s between Adams and Congress.’ So happy president’s day to you. And if you happen to be one of the lucky ones off today, more to you. But since you want electric power to watch Springer today, I have to work. So there.
I decided to peruse the Internet to find a link relevant to president’s day. I found this. Read it, and see if you can guess who spoke these words, and when (I’ve deleted a couple of sentences which would have been dead giveaways, but left in one). Then decide for yourself how relevant they are today.
The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.
We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge--and more.
To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do--for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.
To those new States whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom--and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.
To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required--not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge--to convert our good words into good deeds--in a new alliance for progress--to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know that this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.
To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support--to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective--to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak--and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run.
Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.
We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.
But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course--both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war.
So let us begin anew--remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.
Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.
Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms--and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.
Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.
Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah--to "undo the heavy burdens ... and to let the oppressed go free."
And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved.
In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe.
Now the trumpet summons us again--not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are--but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation"--a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.
Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it--and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.
Friday, February 14, 2003
Hello? Anybody here? Hmm…..awful quiet around here…..
It’s all about me, dammit…………….
I have determined that my shower hates me. I don’t know what I did to it, but it no longer likes me. Either that, or the ghost of one of my ex-girlfriends is now haunting it. My shower is officially a tease. It starts out nice and hot, but within moments, it turns tepid at best. Factor in the fact that my bedroom is on two outside walls, and that the walk-in closet is cold enough to store food in during the winter, and the bathroom itself (which is attached to both) is cold. Cold bathroom + cold shower = I don’t spend a lot of time primping.
My apartment has been officially labeled a hazmat zone. I know there’s no chance of my having female accompaniment anytime soon, because she’d walk in, take one look and run. There’s crap all over, and the dust bunnies have completed their buildup in the living room and are preparing to launch on the kitchen soon. Intel tells me it’ll be sometime in the next week…….
Ok, so I took yesterday off from posting. I read Wednesday’s post, and realized it was totally disjointed, like I was on drugs or something. Were I that lucky. Then things might be interesting.
I’m starting to get excited about going to Europe, even if it is mainly because the weather here sucks so bad. I just asked for weather warm enough so that my car can return to its natural ruby red color, instead of salt white. So what do I get? A winter storm warning. A good excuse if I wanted to stay in and study all weekend, but it’s tax season, and I have appointments tonight. I’m not sticking around late, I guarantee that. I have research to do.
Yesterday, I finally decided to do the Bar Character and Fitness Application. Originally, I thought that Illinois bars really had cracked down on their patrons, until I realized this joke was all about being licensed to practice in Illinois. This exercise in stupidity is unbelievable – they want to know everything about anything you might have possibly considered doing. I was expecting them to ask the last time I had sex. And god forbid you miss a question – they won’t process your application!
Not that these chowderheads are anywhere near being in the 21st century. Up until late December, their requirements were that you printed the application out and typed the answers. Typed. Who the fuck still owns a typewriter? Jesus H. Christ – even my company, notorious for having big, clunky, adding machines circa 1962 vintage – tossed out their typewriters. Of course, it took a move to a new building for that to happen, but it did. And fee payment? Certified check, cashiers check or money order ONLY. Hey morons – you hear of this new invention, the credit card? Or the real fandangled new thing – direct debit? *Sigh*. And I’m planning on joining these techo-morons. I doubt if the Illinois, Chicago or American Bar Associations will see dime one of my money.
Anyway, they’ve somewhat gotten into the 20th century. In late December, they added the ability to type onto the form while still on the computer. You can then print it out, and pay via 19th century methodology. Of course, they call it “downloadable”, which implies that you can download the file, and save changes. Wrong. I spent an hour typing crap in yesterday, and hit save, and…………..it all disappeared. ARRRGGGHHHH!
Anyway………..another weekend is upon us. Maybe this one, I’ll actually be productive.
It’s all about me, dammit…………….
I have determined that my shower hates me. I don’t know what I did to it, but it no longer likes me. Either that, or the ghost of one of my ex-girlfriends is now haunting it. My shower is officially a tease. It starts out nice and hot, but within moments, it turns tepid at best. Factor in the fact that my bedroom is on two outside walls, and that the walk-in closet is cold enough to store food in during the winter, and the bathroom itself (which is attached to both) is cold. Cold bathroom + cold shower = I don’t spend a lot of time primping.
My apartment has been officially labeled a hazmat zone. I know there’s no chance of my having female accompaniment anytime soon, because she’d walk in, take one look and run. There’s crap all over, and the dust bunnies have completed their buildup in the living room and are preparing to launch on the kitchen soon. Intel tells me it’ll be sometime in the next week…….
Ok, so I took yesterday off from posting. I read Wednesday’s post, and realized it was totally disjointed, like I was on drugs or something. Were I that lucky. Then things might be interesting.
I’m starting to get excited about going to Europe, even if it is mainly because the weather here sucks so bad. I just asked for weather warm enough so that my car can return to its natural ruby red color, instead of salt white. So what do I get? A winter storm warning. A good excuse if I wanted to stay in and study all weekend, but it’s tax season, and I have appointments tonight. I’m not sticking around late, I guarantee that. I have research to do.
Yesterday, I finally decided to do the Bar Character and Fitness Application. Originally, I thought that Illinois bars really had cracked down on their patrons, until I realized this joke was all about being licensed to practice in Illinois. This exercise in stupidity is unbelievable – they want to know everything about anything you might have possibly considered doing. I was expecting them to ask the last time I had sex. And god forbid you miss a question – they won’t process your application!
Not that these chowderheads are anywhere near being in the 21st century. Up until late December, their requirements were that you printed the application out and typed the answers. Typed. Who the fuck still owns a typewriter? Jesus H. Christ – even my company, notorious for having big, clunky, adding machines circa 1962 vintage – tossed out their typewriters. Of course, it took a move to a new building for that to happen, but it did. And fee payment? Certified check, cashiers check or money order ONLY. Hey morons – you hear of this new invention, the credit card? Or the real fandangled new thing – direct debit? *Sigh*. And I’m planning on joining these techo-morons. I doubt if the Illinois, Chicago or American Bar Associations will see dime one of my money.
Anyway, they’ve somewhat gotten into the 20th century. In late December, they added the ability to type onto the form while still on the computer. You can then print it out, and pay via 19th century methodology. Of course, they call it “downloadable”, which implies that you can download the file, and save changes. Wrong. I spent an hour typing crap in yesterday, and hit save, and…………..it all disappeared. ARRRGGGHHHH!
Anyway………..another weekend is upon us. Maybe this one, I’ll actually be productive.
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Dashed Dreams Dept.
What is this world coming to? Steven Segal being shaken down by the mob? No way! C’mon, we all know he’d just kick their butts…….unless……he’s a……….wimp.
Michael Jordan not an angel? Having an affair? Getting caught by a photographer? Never!
In student news....a/k/a things I learned while reading the paper
The Chicago Sun-Times' Red Streak edition has an interesting article for those of you who are planning on going to U of I and thinking about pursuing grants to pay for your education, be it legal or otherwise. If you haven't done your FAFSA yet, get on it. The money pool just shrank.
DePaul students who don't already know will be depressed to learn that the CTA is trying to boot out Demon Dogs. I've never been there, but people I know who have rave about this place. To me, a hot dog is a hot dog. To Bill the Heart Surgeon, it's future business.
Interesting case in California - seems a 17-year-old couple was having sex (no! teenagers don't have sex, do they?), when the girl realized it was time for her to go home. So she asked her date (boyfriend?) to stop. When he didn't, she filed rape charges - and won.
Now lets take a minute to examine this case, which the Sun-Times says can impact laws in Illinois. The S-T doesn't mention details, but law.com does. And it's pretty interesting. The girl claims that she told the guy to stop when she realized that it was time for her to go home. Ok. But later, the article notes that the dissenting justice pointed out that the girl was enjoying the sex. Ok, now explain this, please. She was enjoying the sex, but not so much that she couldn't help but notice that she should be leaving now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning what happened. Just pointing out that little inconsistency. In a related case, a woman in North Carolina really got creative in filing her case - hers was for "Wrongful Seduction."
So the lesson here is (1) if you used a really cheap pick up line, and (2) the sex was bad, you might wind up in court.
What is this world coming to? Steven Segal being shaken down by the mob? No way! C’mon, we all know he’d just kick their butts…….unless……he’s a……….wimp.
Michael Jordan not an angel? Having an affair? Getting caught by a photographer? Never!
In student news....a/k/a things I learned while reading the paper
The Chicago Sun-Times' Red Streak edition has an interesting article for those of you who are planning on going to U of I and thinking about pursuing grants to pay for your education, be it legal or otherwise. If you haven't done your FAFSA yet, get on it. The money pool just shrank.
DePaul students who don't already know will be depressed to learn that the CTA is trying to boot out Demon Dogs. I've never been there, but people I know who have rave about this place. To me, a hot dog is a hot dog. To Bill the Heart Surgeon, it's future business.
Interesting case in California - seems a 17-year-old couple was having sex (no! teenagers don't have sex, do they?), when the girl realized it was time for her to go home. So she asked her date (boyfriend?) to stop. When he didn't, she filed rape charges - and won.
Now lets take a minute to examine this case, which the Sun-Times says can impact laws in Illinois. The S-T doesn't mention details, but law.com does. And it's pretty interesting. The girl claims that she told the guy to stop when she realized that it was time for her to go home. Ok. But later, the article notes that the dissenting justice pointed out that the girl was enjoying the sex. Ok, now explain this, please. She was enjoying the sex, but not so much that she couldn't help but notice that she should be leaving now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning what happened. Just pointing out that little inconsistency. In a related case, a woman in North Carolina really got creative in filing her case - hers was for "Wrongful Seduction."
So the lesson here is (1) if you used a really cheap pick up line, and (2) the sex was bad, you might wind up in court.
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Welcome to the jungle, we’ve got fun ‘n’ games……..
Ok, so the temperatures here in balmy Chicago are more approaching the Arctic than the jungle, but who’s noticing. I mean, just because I drove to class tonight in near white-out conditions, should that be an issue? Here I am, on the phone, doing the right thing and pulling over, and what happens? An inch of snow, that’s what. And ten minutes (ok, thirty) later? Snow’s over. Ya gotta love this city.
Another thing to love about the cold – I’m a non-smoker. Every winter, I see the smokers outside the building, bundled up to their ears, sucking their life away. I envy them to a degree; they get to get away from their desks from time to time and not have to go to a meeting. But in winter? Never. If I were a smoker, the weather here the last month would have been incentive enough. If it wasn’t, this case would be.
Mayor Daley has a way with words. What it is, I don’t know. But he has a way with them. I think if his words were human, you’d call it bondage. I’m wondering why the media has never sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress after one of his press conferences. Today, he lashed out at Hollywood for filming “Chicago” in – of all places – Toronto. Ahh, were there but a link to this one. Maybe tomorrow.
The fun begins
Tax season is always hectic. Trying to balance regular work, and tax work can be trying sometimes. Now add in law school, plus commitments, and....well, it gets nuts. I'm already resorting to hitting the library after class. I've got nine weeks to go. And a trial level brief to write. On the upside, however, I did get pulled over last night on the way home. Seems that October has passed, and someone neglected to inform me. (I'm working on who to sue for that now.) Mr. Bad Man wasn't happy that I insisted on doing 5 over, or that my plates are slightly past their use-by date. I had heard that mentioning law school could help, so I did. And I'm over $100 richer tonight, since Mr. Bad Man decided to let me slide with a verbal chastising. Thank you officer!
I guess I'll be visiting the Secretary of State at lunch tomorrow. I would've gone today, but the fridge was empty......
Ok, so the temperatures here in balmy Chicago are more approaching the Arctic than the jungle, but who’s noticing. I mean, just because I drove to class tonight in near white-out conditions, should that be an issue? Here I am, on the phone, doing the right thing and pulling over, and what happens? An inch of snow, that’s what. And ten minutes (ok, thirty) later? Snow’s over. Ya gotta love this city.
Another thing to love about the cold – I’m a non-smoker. Every winter, I see the smokers outside the building, bundled up to their ears, sucking their life away. I envy them to a degree; they get to get away from their desks from time to time and not have to go to a meeting. But in winter? Never. If I were a smoker, the weather here the last month would have been incentive enough. If it wasn’t, this case would be.
Mayor Daley has a way with words. What it is, I don’t know. But he has a way with them. I think if his words were human, you’d call it bondage. I’m wondering why the media has never sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress after one of his press conferences. Today, he lashed out at Hollywood for filming “Chicago” in – of all places – Toronto. Ahh, were there but a link to this one. Maybe tomorrow.
The fun begins
Tax season is always hectic. Trying to balance regular work, and tax work can be trying sometimes. Now add in law school, plus commitments, and....well, it gets nuts. I'm already resorting to hitting the library after class. I've got nine weeks to go. And a trial level brief to write. On the upside, however, I did get pulled over last night on the way home. Seems that October has passed, and someone neglected to inform me. (I'm working on who to sue for that now.) Mr. Bad Man wasn't happy that I insisted on doing 5 over, or that my plates are slightly past their use-by date. I had heard that mentioning law school could help, so I did. And I'm over $100 richer tonight, since Mr. Bad Man decided to let me slide with a verbal chastising. Thank you officer!
I guess I'll be visiting the Secretary of State at lunch tomorrow. I would've gone today, but the fridge was empty......
Monday, February 10, 2003
{inhale}……hold it, hold it….{woosh}….hmm. So THAT’S what it feels like to breathe..
Venting
I hate whiny co-workers. And I have several. Every time some minor issue occurs, they act like the world is coming to an end. Of course, this necessitates that I immediately drop everything and tend to their issue. It’s probably the most frustrating thing about working here. Well, after the political bullshit.
This morning, one of my co-workers, “Betty” (obviously, not her real name) comes rushing over to tell me that, over the weekend, someone booked a journal entry, and the corporate numbers have changed by $150K, and she needs a new allocation right away. Never mind that this is a $150K on thirteen million (or 1% of the total expenditures for the month), or around $15,000 per site. No, the fact that it’s financial peanuts doesn’t matter, she needs her allocation right away. This is someone you can’t rationally discuss this with, either. Last week, a discussion between her and another co-worker, Julio (not his name, either) got out of hand in a hurry. Julio, admittedly, got a little short with her, but still gave her enough info to do what needed to be done. Not good enough. She started to run, not to her boss the Manager of Financial Reporting, or his boss, the Director of Accounting, but his boss – the VP of Business Operations. So when she came over, I looked at what she wanted, and gave her a short, terse “fine”. She went away, then I went and pled my case to her boss. Not that I’m whiny, but that we’ve already moved on – the invoices have been sent to the stations, and other parties have made decisions on what we put out last Friday. To send out a minor change now, and expect everyone to revise their presentations based on it would seriously damage our credibility, to say nothing of making us look foolish. We true-up the numbers next month anyway, so there would be no great loss to waiting until then. And he agreed. It’s nice to have one person I can talk rationally to…
Moving on….
Nikki, Esq. wrote last week about some self-doubt now that she’s in law school. Nikki, I know how you feel. All too well. I make pretty good money doing what I do – around sixty thousand dollars – and I supplement that with money I earn doing tax work, which varies depending on the level of effort I put into showing up at the tax office. And I’m putting it all on the line to chase this lawyer fantasy of mine.
At some point, probably sooner than later, I’m going to have to give up this job. That means giving up twenty paid vacation days a year, a (fairly) regular schedule of 7:30-4:15, good health benefits, an excellent pension plan, and the convenience of being 1.5 miles from home to work for an uncertain future, and the hope that someone out there will want to hire me, despite the fact that, when I graduate, I’ll be 40 years old. I’m hoping that some law firm will find my CPA and my MBA valuable additions to my background. Otherwise, the time I dedicated to passing the CPA exam and the five years (and twenty seven thousand dollars in loans) I invested in getting an MBA would be a total waste of time and money.
I’ve signed up for the Rome and Oxford programs offered by Loyola, which means that I’ve committed myself to spending two months in Europe. I have no idea how I’m going to support myself, and, more importantly, I’m sure I won’t be allowed to take two month’s leave, either, which pushes the discussion of the previous paragraph into the “sooner” part, rather than the “later” part. I originally wanted to wait until next year to leave, so that I’d have five years in here, and be vested. But there are a thousand things swirling about in my head right now, and I don’t know how to resolve them all so that I am totally satisfied. The drive from work to school is an hour, and when you factor in parking, it costs me $25 a day. I could take the train, which would be cheaper, but then I’m tied to the train schedule, and it won’t save me time – it’ll actually take longer. Plus, research after class is out, since there’s only one free shuttle in the evening, and it leaves after class. If I hang around, I’m stuck with cab fare, which wipes out any savings, since it costs as much to park.
So you get the idea. I’m going through the same angst you are, only a little differently. What gets me through? Well, as an athlete would say, “keeping your eye on the prize.” In other words, remembering why I decided to pursue this, despite all the stress that I’m under. In the end, I think it’ll be worth it. At the very least, my job won’t be as routine and unchallenging as it is right now.
Venting
I hate whiny co-workers. And I have several. Every time some minor issue occurs, they act like the world is coming to an end. Of course, this necessitates that I immediately drop everything and tend to their issue. It’s probably the most frustrating thing about working here. Well, after the political bullshit.
This morning, one of my co-workers, “Betty” (obviously, not her real name) comes rushing over to tell me that, over the weekend, someone booked a journal entry, and the corporate numbers have changed by $150K, and she needs a new allocation right away. Never mind that this is a $150K on thirteen million (or 1% of the total expenditures for the month), or around $15,000 per site. No, the fact that it’s financial peanuts doesn’t matter, she needs her allocation right away. This is someone you can’t rationally discuss this with, either. Last week, a discussion between her and another co-worker, Julio (not his name, either) got out of hand in a hurry. Julio, admittedly, got a little short with her, but still gave her enough info to do what needed to be done. Not good enough. She started to run, not to her boss the Manager of Financial Reporting, or his boss, the Director of Accounting, but his boss – the VP of Business Operations. So when she came over, I looked at what she wanted, and gave her a short, terse “fine”. She went away, then I went and pled my case to her boss. Not that I’m whiny, but that we’ve already moved on – the invoices have been sent to the stations, and other parties have made decisions on what we put out last Friday. To send out a minor change now, and expect everyone to revise their presentations based on it would seriously damage our credibility, to say nothing of making us look foolish. We true-up the numbers next month anyway, so there would be no great loss to waiting until then. And he agreed. It’s nice to have one person I can talk rationally to…
Moving on….
Nikki, Esq. wrote last week about some self-doubt now that she’s in law school. Nikki, I know how you feel. All too well. I make pretty good money doing what I do – around sixty thousand dollars – and I supplement that with money I earn doing tax work, which varies depending on the level of effort I put into showing up at the tax office. And I’m putting it all on the line to chase this lawyer fantasy of mine.
At some point, probably sooner than later, I’m going to have to give up this job. That means giving up twenty paid vacation days a year, a (fairly) regular schedule of 7:30-4:15, good health benefits, an excellent pension plan, and the convenience of being 1.5 miles from home to work for an uncertain future, and the hope that someone out there will want to hire me, despite the fact that, when I graduate, I’ll be 40 years old. I’m hoping that some law firm will find my CPA and my MBA valuable additions to my background. Otherwise, the time I dedicated to passing the CPA exam and the five years (and twenty seven thousand dollars in loans) I invested in getting an MBA would be a total waste of time and money.
I’ve signed up for the Rome and Oxford programs offered by Loyola, which means that I’ve committed myself to spending two months in Europe. I have no idea how I’m going to support myself, and, more importantly, I’m sure I won’t be allowed to take two month’s leave, either, which pushes the discussion of the previous paragraph into the “sooner” part, rather than the “later” part. I originally wanted to wait until next year to leave, so that I’d have five years in here, and be vested. But there are a thousand things swirling about in my head right now, and I don’t know how to resolve them all so that I am totally satisfied. The drive from work to school is an hour, and when you factor in parking, it costs me $25 a day. I could take the train, which would be cheaper, but then I’m tied to the train schedule, and it won’t save me time – it’ll actually take longer. Plus, research after class is out, since there’s only one free shuttle in the evening, and it leaves after class. If I hang around, I’m stuck with cab fare, which wipes out any savings, since it costs as much to park.
So you get the idea. I’m going through the same angst you are, only a little differently. What gets me through? Well, as an athlete would say, “keeping your eye on the prize.” In other words, remembering why I decided to pursue this, despite all the stress that I’m under. In the end, I think it’ll be worth it. At the very least, my job won’t be as routine and unchallenging as it is right now.
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