Note to Self

The Los Angeles International Airport is not a good place to be when one is a hungry person, bitter about the fact that it is never as easy to totally to get away from work as one would hope. For starters, it feels as if dirt is hanging in the air. Touching the bathroom walls is simply not an option one may consider. The airport is also home to more rude and loud travelers than even a Chicagoland native can contemplate. The concept of a "private telephone call" has not yet caught on here. Finally, it is very difficult and time-consuming to work one's way through the gauntlet of the airport's finicky wireless internet system, which one would not have to do if not for her inability to totally free herself of work even when she has been a very, very good girl and caught up on all of her work before leaving.

Have informed friends I am meeting in Hawaii that serious quantities of alcohol will be needed in order to transform me from Bitter Lawyer Person to Happy and Carefree Island Lisa. They say there is still some alcohol left on the island despite their having arrived two days ago, so I look forward to my arrival there.

Flight boarding soon . . . need sustenance. More later!

An Announcement

Today, the shareholders of my firm held a vote. As a result of that vote, I am now a shareholder, too! So, I am spending the weekend celebrating, packing and--oh, yes--working, then flying to a tropical place on Monday! I will try to post from there, but can't promise anything for sure until I see what the internet setup will be.

Have a fabulous weekend, all!



UPDATE: This man's story makes me feel humbled. Can you imagine a lawyer who manages to practice while encircled in an iron lung? People amaze me sometimes. This is one of those times.

States I Have Visited

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Countries I Have Visited

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Want to see something cool?

The New York Times has this awesome graphic that lets you see how many times Bush has used various words in each of his State of the Union Addresses. Check it out!

From the Breath of Fresh Air File: an open letter from religious leaders denouncing the slandering of Barack Obama based on his religious background (or lack thereof). The best lines:

However, certain moral standards should infuse our national dialogue, and the recent attacks on Sen. Obama violate values at the heart of this dialogue. The false and malicious attacks levied at him are anathema to all of our faith traditions, and we condemn them outright.

On a non-political note, this is one of the best obituaries I have ever read. Via Unfair Park, the Dallas Observer's blog.

Speaking of Unfair Park, you might enjoy their snarky story of the local asst. district attorney who once sent an innocent guy to prison and is now without a job. (I certainly did).

Speaking of crime, here is a heartwarming story of a repentant thief . . . who succumbed to text messages!

Finally, on a personal note, in the Good News category, Kip (my eldest dog), does not have cancer, but only a cyst. Yay.

Is that a Super Bowl Shuffle I hear?

Yes, it is! Yes, it is.



Da Chicago Bears. In the Super Bowl. For the first time in 21 years. I was in high school then. I feel like a school girl now!

GO BEARSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So much for the book diet . . .

I had planned not to buy any new books until I finish the ones I have yet to read. So much for that, as the following have been added to my collection in the last week:

1. Frank Rich's "The Greatest Story Ever Sold";
2. Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope";
3. Bob Woodward's "Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate";
4. "In Defense of American Liberties" by Samuel Walker, a history of the ACLU;
5. Bob Greene's "And You Know You Should Be Glad"; and
6. "What's a Nice Republican Girl Like Me Doing In the ACLU?" by Sheila Suess Kenney.
   

I'm thinking about leaving a copy of book #6 for my managing partner to read. It's a tossup as to whether it will make him mad or win him over.

I'm back! Here is an assortment of Saturday tidbits.

And now I've rectified the problem of the prior 24 hours, in which I slept only 3 1/2 hours and ate only 1/4 of a donut. Sleep is great!!!

I'm feeling a bit better than I was when I made the last post. I think the Hawaii trip that is now only NINE days away is serving as a lifeline for me. I chatted last night with one of my friends who is making the trip as well and we can barely contain our glee--it felt like we were college students planning spring break. I cannot wait!



Here I am, coming back to the surface.

*****

So finally, I can write a bit. I am proud to say the eating more healthfully thing is working quite well so far. I have lost 6 pounds since beginning to pay attention to what I eat and when I eat it. The 1/4 of a donut day was a fluke--I haven't been starving myself, just thinking more carefully about what I eat and taking steps to have healthy foods available nearby.

*****

Over the last few weeks, I have benefited greatly from the Democrats' sweep of Dallas County courthouses in November. One of my cases requires frequent visits to court and a frenzy of activity at the initial stages. In that case, the other side is constantly trying to game the system instead of just getting down to the matter at hand in a forthright and fair manner. And our judge--one of the newly elected Democrats--is having none of it. The courtroom feels like a different place, a fair place where common sense and what we all know to be true replace the old system of looking the other way or even lending a hand while lawyers flaunt the rules and do what they wish on the twisted principle that the end justifies the means. What a breath of fresh air!

*****

Have any of you been following the jury selection in the Scooter Libby perjury case in D.C.? I wish I could be there to see it in person. It sounds like a joke! They are at the stage of the case in which potential jurors are asked questions designed to reveal their relationships with the players in the case as well as their biases. Potential jurors with direct relationships and those who say they cannot set aside those biases are supposed to be excused from the panel. Only in this trial, every juror is thrown out who says he/she doesn't trust the administration, doesn't like the war in Iraq or doesn't think Cheney or others can be believed. Not surprisingly, they're plowing through jurors like, well, soldiers in Iraq, and have very few left standing. Dan Froomkin's Friday White House Briefing contains an interesting summary of the process.

By the way, have you met Dan Froomkin? He is an independent writer for those Post who writes a daily column tying together all of the coverage--and other news beyond the mainstream coverage--of the doings of this Administration. There is a twist of opinion at the beginning of every column as well. I am a faithful daily reader, as there simply is no more complete collection of such information out there. It's a quick read, but an enlightening one, if you're interested.

*****

My heart smiled yesterday when I heard that Notre Dame's star receiver, who happens also to have been drafted by the Chicago Cubs, has forsaken football and signed a contract with the Cubs. Only 40 days, 2 hours, 52 minutes till the first spring training game!

I hope you do things this weekend that make your heart smile!

Another one of those posts.

I feel empty. I don't know why. I stay up way later than I should every night because I don't want to go to sleep and then wake up and have the next day be the same. I feel like a mouse on a treadmill at work. I feel exhausted because of my staying up late to avoid the next day. It feels as if my medicine isn't working anymore. I'm worried that I don't care more on a daily basis. I felt anxious tonight while ordering stuff online for my trip at the end of the month. I'm nervous about my trip, about what might happen while I am gone. I am worried about what might happen while I am there. I feel disappointed because I read something on Wikipedia that gave away the end of one of the storylines on the West Wing--it reminded me of the time I opened my presents secretly on Christmas Eve and had no surprises the next day. My heart is beating quickly all the time.

Please let this feeling pass.

Want to see Europe?

Then check out these wonderful photos of European soccer fields, by Hans van der Meer. Watching the slideshow of these photos feels like reliving my solo backpacking trip through small French towns all over again, only with many cities added that I haven't seen before.

Via Kottke.

UPDATE: I just found this other site, which you may also enjoy: the author, who appears to be an artist living in Rotterdam, sets the auto-timer on his camera to two seconds and photographs himself running away from it. The scenes surrounding him are always interesting.

Speaking of that, it was seven years ago when I embarked upon a six-week backpacking trip to Europe. It was the first of many vacations I have taken alone. I had left my first law firm and negotiated six weeks off before starting my next job. Not surprisingly, none of my friends were able to get that much time off work. My flight left on the Millenium New Year's Eve . . . December 31, 1999. Choosing that date for the flight, when so many were claiming the world would end that night, was my tiny way of daring fate about what was to come next.

I liked traveling alone even more than I had expected. It was while riding around on trains in Western Europe that I read "Atlas Shrugged" for the first time and wanted to find within myself the strength of Dagny Taggart. My French-speaking ability was vastly improved as I made light conversation with the French and with French-speaking people I met in the other countries I visited: Spain, Italy, Austria, Turkey and Germany (in that order). I made new friends on the trip and am still in touch with one of them, an energetic, smart and fun writer from Australia.

There were, however, times when I was a little lonely. Even then, it was pretty easy to find internet access. So I tried to send a missive back to friends and family about once a week, checking emails from home at the same time. I was feeling a bit nostalgic for that kind of travel after looking at the photos linked above and dug those missives out of my email. I thought you might be interested in reading them--here's the first one:

Bonjour, All!

I am sitting in the hottest copy shop in all of France -- hot meaning warm, not cool. The trip is going well so far! I figured out what I forgot (those who saw me pack will wonder how that could have happened) the moment I stepped off the plane -- gloves, my Neiman's mints and mailing addresses so I could send post cards! Please send me your mailing address, anyone who would like a card!

So far, I have been to the following French cities:

Paris (shopped in the Jewish neighborhood and rode in a sardine-like packed mètro that reminded me about certain cultural differences)

Ambroise (saw a cute group of French schoolkids embarking on a field trip, the chateau where Henry II, who was 4 feet tall, bumped his head on a low -- how low could it have been?!?-- doorway on the way to a tennis match and died, and a chocolate shop in business since 1913 -- for good reason!)

Fontevaud (visited an enormous Abbey, which happens to house the "remains" of Richard the Lion-Hearted and would make a great setting for a horror movie -- my favorite place so far)

Saumur (more on that later)

and Tours (I am here now and for the next day or two, met my first English-speakers -- an Australian and a girl from Denton, Texas -- in 3 days here and will use it as a base to visit Chateau Chenonceau tomorrow).

My French-speaking capabilities have ranged from decent to embarrassingly awful, but I am already starting to think in French sometimes! As you would expect, some people are incredibly nice and some are not.

To those of you who said you were envious of this trip, this description of my day yesterday should cure you (STOP reading now if you don't want to be disillusioned!): awoke at 7am to catch train, walked to station with 40-pound pack, picking up croissant and Coke breakfast, rode to Tours, I planned to leave pack at the station for the day, learned thanks to the terrorists most stations won't store packs anymore, rode train to Saumure after comical half-French, half-English exchange with Information about location of the proper rail line, in Saumur walked to youth hostel with very heavy pack because line was busy when I called for a reservation, found hostel closed for 2 weeks (Let's Go book apparently missed that one!). Sat down, thought about revenge on Let's Go, contemplated asking garbage truck drivers who came to this isolated place for ride back to station. Help arrived in the form of a sweet (and cute) special education teacher with a van of his students -- he told me not to be afraid -- I wasn't -- and gave me a lift back to the station. Begged Saumur information desk people to hold pack while I visited the Abbey. In Fontevraud, misread French bus schedule and feared I would not get back to Saumur before info desk closed for night. Found timely bus, retrieved pack, rode train to Tours and splurged on cab ride to youth hostel, where I had made a reservation and they were actually open. Tried to find internet source last night, got bad info from hotel hosts, met kind Chinese/French girl who led me on internet hunt, then to dinner.

I never realized how much work it is to make all plans and do all navigating on your own! Last night, I raised a glass in toast to Amy (my partner in crime on my last trip here) -- she made that trip infinitely easier! Even this computer keyboard is a challenge -- it must be arranged to accomodate keys commonly used in French. All in all, however, I am very glad to be here and am learning a lot, not just about France.

I should grab some lunch (it's 7 hours earlier here than in Illinois and Texas). Have a great day and talk to you again soon!

Lisa

P.S. Thanks to those who sent e-mails already -- it's nice to read friendly messages from home!

This is lovely Saumur. Here is where I found the pic, as mine from this trip are not digital.

You know how some people entertain themselves with crack and porn?

Here's what was in the package I eagerly opened when I got home tonight after an insanely busy day that included, among other things, trying to pull the iron out of the fire for a guy who really needed help and quickly, plus two courthouse trips and the successful acquisition of a TRO for my client:



The item on the right is the entire West Wing series on DVD. Simply put, I have fallen in love with this series, and watching the episodes as they trickled in three discs at a time through my Netflix subscription was wholly unsatisfactory in the face of the miniscule amount of patience I possess. I rationalized this extravagance by telling myself I will watch it again and again, and I know that is true.

The Constitutional Law book is my crash course to prepare for the days ahead, whatever they may hold. I chose Chemerinsky's book because my Constitutional Law professor in law school felt Chemerinsky was the best. If I'm not going to follow the advice of Dan Rotenberg, the man who bestowed upon me my best grade I ever received in law school and, more significantly, who taught me to love the Constitution, then whose advice could I follow? Another of my favorite professors wrote this about Professor Rotenberg after he died nearly six years ago:

There is no way to say what I am about to say decorously. I have been allotted three minutes to talk at this memorial, and that is a good thing because it means that there is no time for me to engage in bullshit, and Dan detested bullshit.
. . . . .

Dan detested intellectual shallowness and moral cowardice. He reserved especial disdain for expedience masquerading as principle. On those occasions when Dan was the only person to vote “no” on some proposition at a faculty meeting, it was not because nobody else agreed with him, but rather because Dan was the only person courageous enough to speak out against some folly.

His students referred to him affectionately as “C+ Dan”; the reason is that if the exam was not excellent Dan would not give it an “A” and if it wasn’t very good he wouldn’t give it a “B.” He was one of the most demanding faculty members the law school has ever had; yet he managed to be so demanding without ever being cruel.

He was brilliant without being pretentious. I do not know if I would have believed what I am about to tell you if I had not witnessed it myself. Most faculty members that I know, when they write an article, try to use offers of publication from one journal to extract a commitment from another journal. Dan did not believe in that. His work was first-rate, as anybody who has read it will tell you, but it was not always in first-rate journals because Dan’s practice was to publish his work in whichever journal called him first. He did not believe in playing students from one school against students from another, and he did not view his scholarship as a means to better his own position in the world.

The last quality of his that I’ll mention is his passion. Dan quite simply believed in the difference between good and bad and the difference between right and wrong, and he believed as well in the difference that a single voice could make. He believed all this, passionately, yet entirely free of pretense or haughtiness. He had greatness and modesty in equal proportions.

All of us have our own memories of Dan. I have something more. This is the book with the essay “On Bullshit” [which Professor Rotenberg loved]. This is the coffee stain that Dan caused and for which he was profusely and excessively apologetic. And this is the piece of paper he used as a bookmark to mark a passage from the essay that he read at a faculty meeting one day when most of the rest of us were intent on doing something stupid.

In the Paradisio Dante says something along the lines of how the flame of a good man burns forever. That observation is truer of no man than it is of Dan Rotenberg. The way he lived his life has touched all of us who knew him, and in turn it touches all whom we know. Dan might say that this is bullshit but he would be wrong. Because of how he lived and because of the example he set, Dan is just now beginning to change the world.

Having read this, you will understand why I ordered Chemerinsky's book, and maybe a bit more than that. Dan Rotenberg's classroom was the place where my eyes first lit up at the idea of using this grand old document, in all of its short but powerful glory, to preserve the basic human rights of people. One of my colleagues told me the other day that I am a "true believer." I think that's something to be proud of, whether he intended it that way or not.

Post of the Day, maybe even of the Week or Month!

I'm not sure if you have seen Jay's blog. If not, you should!

His post today is rich with the amazing and interesting details of his trip to Branson, Missouri. But two parts of it made me laugh out loud, not an easy task on a day in which I decided twice to quit my job (the first time, I saw it definitely happening down the road, and the second time, I considered doing it immediately) and cried in my office.

Anyway, back to the funny . . . Jay writes about a couple of store employees whom he thought he might have interrupted while they were, um, bonding:

They were standing on the other side of the building from me talking quietly to each other. It started reminding of being in college, sitting on my bed reading with my roommate and his girlfriend sitting on his bed looking at me like “are you ever going to leave dude?” So, I decided to go ahead and leave. The lady told me to have a nice day and the kid gave me this big smile and the old “head nod” move. But, just before I walked out I spun around and asked for an application. They were both heading back towards that same door when I did this. The woman said “uhh ... sure” and went and got me one. The kid wasn’t smiling at me anymore.

I threw the application away after I left.

The part where I laughed was when he wrote about asking for the application, then throwing it away. The second time I laughed out loud while reading Jay's blog today was during this part, where he describes a convenience store clerk's reaction to a customer who called her "baby" during their transaction:

The lady behind the counter then said “I wish she wouldn’t call me ‘baby’”. I just looked at her. She went on to explain “Men can call me ‘baby’ all they want, but not women. I don’t think it’s a good idea anymore. There’s too much lesbianism going around, ya know”

Going around? I didn’t know it was contagious. Be careful out there people or you will catch the guy!

Then she dropped this amazing line on me:

“I stick to the sticks, if you know what I mean” She had her eyebrows raised and was leaning over the counter just a bit.

Good stuff, eh? You see, this is why Jay is a Golden Spork winner, an honor of which I can only dream.


***************************

The story about people calling each other "baby" reminded me of something I've been meaning to write about. I noticed over the last year or so that people suddenly seem to call me "honey" wherever I go. Seriously. Store clerks, bartenders, waitresses and waiters and the cashier at the place where I get my car washed all have called me "honey." I've been trying to figure out why they do it, and all I can guess is that I'm looking young these days and that they have no idea I am 37 years old. But really, it's anyone's guess.

***************************

Finally, I'm sure you all are just dying to know what I think about the Grand New Strategery for the Vietnam--I mean--Iraq war, which Shrubby rolled out tonight. Well, I was already furious yesterday when I read somewhere that the idea to send more troops to their near-certain deaths came from a national security staffer who wanted to a plan that was not a focus of the Iraq Study Group's report. I'm SERIOUS, people. Do you really think I could make that up? I wish I had saved the article for you, but I didn't.

So, with the high expectations for the speech that that tidbit engendered, I eagerly tuned in to listen to tonight's presentation. You know what I learned? There is no new plan. Just the same old one, which has been so successful for us. God help the men and women in our armed forces, as well as the Iraqui people.

Only in Texas . . .

Most big-firm lawyers in Texas receive courthouse reports regarding the prior day's lawsuit filings. This permits us to watch for activity concerning our clients and give them a heads-up before a process server arrives at the door.

Sometimes, though, the reports are valuable in a different way: pure entertainment value. This excerpt from one of today's reports is one such example:

Negligence case in which church deacons responsible for catching church service attendees "taken by the spirit" during "special prayer" were not at the ready Jan. 9, 2005, when the plaintiff fell backwards. The suit states that the associate pastor of New Life Assembly of God had just laid hands on the plaintiff's forehead for the prayer, and that falling backwards was the established custom for this part of the service. Deacons responsible for catching those engaged in this prayer were in other sections of the sanctuary at the time and the plaintiff sustained injuries as a result.

Only in Texas would you see this perfect storm of evangelical religion, taking advantage of the tort system and failure to accept personal responsibility. I am curious as to how the plaintiff rationalized God's reason for letting this happen to her.

If I had to choose the most beautiful song,

it would be this one:




This is the late Jeff Buckley, singing Hallelujah.

An interesting experiment . . .

I'm following the guidance of Bob Greene, Oprah's trainer, in my efforts to become more healthy this year. His advice for the first month (at least) mainly involves exercising more, but includes small food tweaks like having multiple small meals and abstaining from alcohol. Greene says the calories in the alcohol and its effect on food choices is something to be avoided, at least in the early stages of his plan.

This was my first week on the plan and I did well with all of the food tweaking, but terribly on the exercise side (meaning I did not exercise at all). I successfully avoided alcohol all week, which was a big deal for me because I customarily have a glass of wine at night to help me transition from "high speed" mode to sleep mode. I felt good all week and didn't miss the alcohol at all. But for some reason, I decided to have a glass of wine last night. I didn't have much, but this morning I feel as if a truck hit me. WHY?!?!? If someone is trying to tell me to listen to Bob Greene and not take breaks from his advice, I have received the message, believe me!

Off to get breakfast . . . hoping it works where Tylenol has failed . . .

*****************************************

But first, on a more festive note, how many of you have seen this hilarious "My d--- in a box" video from SNL, featuring the newly-single Justin Timberlake?



If you enjoyed that, you'll love this chick rejoinder, "Box in a Box":

An Important Message From a Proud But Devastated Father

Check out this Washington Post op-ed by the father of James Kim, who died in a forest in the Pacific Northwest while looking for help for his family. Mr. Kim writes:

Early last month my son, James Kim, died of hypothermia in a snowy wilderness in Oregon after setting out on foot to seek help for his family, who were stranded in a car.

My son's death was a tragedy that could have been prevented. A wrong turn on a poorly marked wilderness road need not have resulted in the ordeal of James's wife and two daughters, nor his death while trying desperately to find help. I am sharing some of the hard-learned lessons that I took away from my family's trauma in the hope of making it less likely that others will suffer the same fate.

Mr. Kim then makes some very common sense recommendations regarding how to avoid the next similar tragedy. It is hard to hear the sadness and anger that come through while reading the article, though it is written very professionally and seriously.

More Vows for the New Year, and How This Administration Made Me Mad Yesterday

(if I call them "resolutions," they are much less likely to occur).

I may have mentioned that I have a painter here this week, repairing my ceiling where necessary and painting ceilings, my closet and my laundry room, which were in serious need of sprucing to match the rest of the house. I had to clear out the closet and laundry room the other morning so he could work. More stuff came out of those tiny spaces--especially the closet--than I could ever have imagined. I was going to show you a photo of the clothes stacked on my bed, most of which I haven't worn in years, but I am, frankly, too embarassed to do that. (I will take such a photo for myself so whenever I wonder why I don't have a more solid retirement fund, I can remind myself.) And it was then that I had an epiphany: I am a pack rat extraordinnaire, rivaling some of the great pack rats in my family tree. And another epiphany: I don't enjoy living like a pack rat.

Anyway, this weekend I will put stuff back in the closet and laundry room, but I will be thoughtful about it, asking myself for each and every item if I will wear it in the next year--if not, it goes. I decided that I will photograph the clothes I'm keeping out of sentimental value (it's odd how a particular outfit can bring memories rushing back), so that I have a digital image to return to and don't have to house the item forever. I want my house to feel lighter, more organized and easier to use. And I'm fixated on making that happen as soon as possible. I'll take it one room, one drawer or space at a time, so as not to become overwhelmed. But I think this time it will really happen.



****************

Another of my new year vows is to stay organized at work. I have always been an organized worker, but I see that sometimes when things are going fast and furious, that slips a little and I end up with piles of paper all over my desk. I simply can't work that way--my mind is most organized and sharp when my surroundings are organized and peaceful. So I plan to work at keeping things organized as much as I possibly can.

****************

In the "this just ticks me off royally" category is the news regarding Harriet Miers' resignation as White House Counsel. I could not care less about whether she stays or goes, but what makes me mad is that this. When the Jackass in Chief nominated Miers as a poor substitute for the retiring Sandra Day O'Connor, he assured us all along that she possesses the intellect and experience necessary for a United States Supreme Court Justice:

I believe that senators of both parties will find that Harriet Miers' talent, experience and judicial philosophy make her a superb choice to safeguard the constitutional liberties and equality of all Americans.

How telling is it that while Miers supposedly was well-suited to "safeguard the constitutional liberties and equality of all Americans," she now is not seen as a strong enough lawyer for this crap White House, as the Washington Post writes:

Bush advisers inside and outside the White House concluded that she is not equipped for such a battle [in response to expected inquiries by the new Democratic Congress] and that the president needs someone who can strongly defend his prerogatives.

The Bush Administration apparently thinks we won't notice that this contradicts their statements of support for Miers' S. Ct. nomination and do not bother to explain why this does not show they are huge liars. It isn't as if we would believe them anyway. Maybe this story provides the true reason: Miers was nominated for the Court due to her religion, but a religious person would not be well-suited for the manner in which the White House intends to conduct itself in response to future Congressional inquiries.


****************

In other news, the rain smell on the sidewalks yesterday morning reminded me of Paris. Speaking of Paris, have you seen this web site? I just discovered it yesterday and spent an embarassing amount of time on it, dreaming of living in the various Paris apartments that are for rent, and looking at the neighborhoods where they are, etc. If you love Paris, you will enjoy this site. Oh, and you may enjoy this site as well--a woman who lives in Paris writes about and photographs her life daily, and it is really interesting.
A photo of disorganization, beautiful when it's someone else's, and is in Paris:

As you can see, I still cannot sleep.

So I will note that Dave Barry is pure genius, for writing this and other things (in his recap of the year 2006, from the Washington Post, which I also love--I don't know how I lived all these years without the Washington Post until beginning to read it online a few years ago):

In other political developments, the New York Times prints a leaked top-secret government report expressing doubts about the war in Iraq. The Bush administration holds a secret meeting to prepare a response, but within hours the Times prints leaked details of the meeting, including who went to the bathroom and why. The administration then attempts to take out the Times building with a missile, but the Times, using leaked launch codes, redirects the missile to The Washington Post. As the debate over Iraq heats up, President Bush pledges to "keep on continuing to stay the present course while at the same time not doing anything different." Democratic leaders declare that they have a "bold new plan" for Iraq, which they will reveal just as soon as the New York Times leaks it to them.

Does everyone giggle aloud at Dave's (in my opinion, still quite funny) humor, or is it just me?

This weekend, I experienced a moment I thought only happened in movies. On a mission to have items other than (or at least in addition to) condiments and alcohol in my refrigerator, I stopped at a popular fancy grocery store in town. The store captures my interest because it keeps me guessing at what the various vegetables are, as I am nothing if not a vegetable novice. For instance, I learned on this visit what a brussel sprout tower is. But I digress. After making an educated guess as to which of the dozens of varieties of apples would work best as a peanut butter conduit, I began loading a thin plastic bag with apples. All of a sudden, apples were tumbling everywhere--on me, on the floor. I was too embarrassed to look around, so I did my best to retrieve apples and keep more apples from falling to the floor, all at the same time, but without making eye contact with anyone else. And just as I bent down to pick up another apple, The Handsomest Man Ever came over and helped me finish the task. It made me think of the Anne of Green Gables book in which Anne's daughter thinks it is shameful to be carrying a cake through town and hurls her mother's beautiful bake sale cake into the brook when she sees her crush approaching. Only I didn't see The Handsomest Man Ever until he was already helping me pick up the apples, so I wasn't forced to hurl them anywhere. While cleaning up the apples, we shared a few nice moments, both exclaiming at the same time that we had never seen an apple episode like that other than in the movies. Ah, the stuff from which romance novels spring forth. Anyway, I saw him again in the checkout line and thought perhaps that meant it was fated for us to chat again, but apparently not. But a girl can dream . . .

I have discovered that the best airport to fly to for the purpose of visiting Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island is the Boston airport. Just an FYI.

My dogs sleep like humans, in that they get sleepy around 9 or 10 at night and will pretty much sleep through the night after that.

I really must get curtains for the front wall of my bedroom. I think part of my difficulty sleeping is that nearly the entire wall is taken up with two tall windows and two French doors, and they have no coverings (the porch deck outside them prevents folks from looking in at night, or so I tell myself). Anyway, these windows sometimes let in a ridiculous amount of light, even at night (where does it come from), which I think may be affecting the quality of my sleep.

I'd like you to meet one of the newest on the blogging scene, a high school freshman from Iowa named Mary. I was introduced to her via the blog of Kate, who does a nice job of summarizing Mary's world view and writing style. If you don't laugh out loud at some point while reading Mary's blog and/or the comments left on her blog, then you don't know the meaning of LOL, people!

For the first time in months, I don't have drywall hanging down from my living room ceiling. I almost felt as if I missed it when I arrived home tonight.

I must get up early to clear out my closet and laundry room (really another closet, it's so tiny) so they can be painted tomorrow. Sleepy now . . .

Here's a pic for you to reward you for your patience with my meandering thoughts:

Travel planning fun!

I hope you all enjoyed a safe and responsible New Year's Eve!

Now that I have enjoyed several consecutive non-travel weeks (unless you count my day trip to Lubbock), I admit to be experiencing a bit of a travel itch. So yesterday I mapped out some actual and potential trips for 2007. They are as follows:

• Late January/early February: pleasure trip, Hawaii (actual)

• February: business trip, Nashville (actual)

• Late May: pleasure trip, see Cubs play Dodgers in LA on Memorial Day weekend (potential)
  

• Late August/early September: pleasure trip, drive through Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine--I realized after studying travel books this afternoon that these three states were the most I could hope to reasonably see in a 10-day period, and even that is pushing it (potential)
  

• Oops--almost forgot--Late September: business trip to Kansas City, then see friends for fun in Boonville, MO (actual)

I'm sure that somewhere in there will be a trip or two home to Chicago. What do you plan to see in 2007?

Taking Inventory of 2006 and Planning for 2007.

(View from my porch, with Christmas lights. Photo by me)

A Clear View To A New Life . . . that is the name I chose for this blog so many months ago. And for the first time, I feel there is real truth in it. Yes, I made progress this year toward the life I want to have! I set some loose goals for myself at the beginning of the year, and accomplished some of those while also encountering the unexpected . . .

(1) I made progress toward my goal of working full-time for my favorite civil rights group. I am on the Board of my local chapter and am known by the folks in our state office. Frighteningly, there is talk of making me the President of our local chapter in our upcoming election! But most importantly, I am now in a position to do as much civil rights work as I can find time to do, and I have the opportunity to make a real difference in so many areas. This is a dream come true for me, and I feel so lucky to be in this place at age 37. If I had done this immediately after law school, I'm not sure I would have realized how lucky I am, and for that I am grateful. I am also grateful because many people don't find out what their dream is until much later in life, if ever, and I appreciate learning of it while I still have time to do something about it.

(2) Hopefully, by the end of January, a vote will confirm me as a shareholder in my firm. This is something I have wanted for a long time to "check off my list" and I can't wait to do it. I want to continue to grow at work, both as a lawyer and as a business developer. I feel I am on a good path, but I want to continue to improve.

(3) Perhaps most significantly (and I wonder how this might relate to the first two things on this list), for the first time in eight years, I have found peace regarding my Dad's death. This means I still miss him, but the magical healing powers of the heart have finally kicked in for me. I could hear Christmas music this year without hating it (heck, I even purchased some at Digital Janitor's suggestion). I could see Father's Day cards and gifts in the store through eyes unblurred by tears. I could speak of my Dad matter-of-factly with people without it being a big deal. I still have a soft spot in my heart for old men and still find tears in my eyes during the playing of the National Anthem at baseball games, but I'm not sure I want that to change. In 2007, I will focus on improving my relationships with my Mom and (if it is possible) my brother.

(4) In my own tiny way, I did my part to nudge the Cubs toward the glory that is a World Series Win. I engaged in a brief economic boycott of the Cubs at the end of the season, vowing that if they didn't take drastic steps to improve the team, they wouldn't see any more of my money anytime soon. Well, the Cubs did make big changes, with Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry even wheeling and dealing while being hooked up to an EKG for tests during the Winter Meetings in Florida. So what if I didn't actually "tell" the Cubs I was boycotting them--I'm sure they felt the effect immediately after I made the decision, without any telling being necessary. :) My love affair with the Cubs will continue in 2007, both financially and otherwise, and I hope to see them play while visiting some baseball parks I have never seen before, with Dodger Stadium and Coors Field (in Denver) being prime candidates for a trip.

(5) I read some new books this year, though not as many as I would have liked. The ratio of books read v. books unread in my house is still much in favor of the "unread" books. I hope to do something about that in 2007.

(6) My house was practically falling down around me and I now have tentatively begun edging down the path to putting it back together, with the assistance of a great housekeeper, a sweet and enthusiastic personal assistant to coordinate repairs and such and a group of contractors I like and trust. I hope to have my house restored to "showplace" condition next year. You all are invited to the party in celebration!

(7) I wanted to devote time to creative endeavors, giving myself the chance to write about non-work related things and to work on my photography skills. I did both of those things this year (I'm not saying I did them WELL, mind you!), and plan to continue! In 2007, I will work on my technical skills in photography instead of relying solely on intuition and the luck of good lighting. I also hope to take the Starbucks guy up on his offer for me to show him a disc of my photography, with the possibility of having my own "show" at the shop.

(8) I have stopped doing things that hurt me, except in the areas of eating poorly, not exercising and not getting enough sleep to be at my sharpest. I intend to do something serious about those things in 2007, making healthy eating and exercise a habit.

(9) I took action against the malaise that some people call depression, finally accepting medication to combat the problem. And it worked! I rarely spend an entire day in bed now and, as you can see above, have accomplished more than I dreamed possible this year!

The only major goal I had for last year and did not fulfill was to visit Cuba. I'm still dreaming of such a trip, but not sure when/how it will happen. I will cross off a long-wanted trip to Hawaii early in the year. But I'm dreaming of another trip in the fall . . . perhaps a road trip in the northeast to see fall foliage and other parts of the country I have yet to take in.

What are you proud of regarding your 2006? What do you plan to do with your 2007?