This is a whiny post meant almost entirely to make me feel better...skip it if you are not in the mood :)
As evidenced by my panicked post approximately 5 hours ago, I am happy to report the status of Law School Exams as being 1 down, 4 to go. Two of them I'm not too worried about - Professional Responsibility is multiple choice, and Evidence is objective. And hopefully I have a little evidence background to surf on after 10 years of mock trial. But Con Law and Civ Pro...well, no telling who will come out on top.
Life just seems to be chucking it at us lately, and I've been uncharacteristically unhappy about it all. School was a wash this semester - nothing inspired or interested me, there wasn't a single class I wouldn't have been happier staying home during. I didn't read a single page for any of two of my classes after the first day - this is a new low (high?) in my slacker-ness!
We are moving to a spiffy new condo - but we have to be out by Saturday, and I am an idiot, and scheduled the electricity to be cut off tomorrow. Hopefully it doesn't get too cold, because I don't think there is any way we will be finished tomorrow night. Who knows where (or if) we will sleep! We have packed maybe 10 boxes...but we have a TON of stuff. Most of it mine. I love the new place, and it is cheaper, but I am kind of skeptical about our stuff fitting in it. I would also like to live somewhere that looks like a real house, rather than a hodgepodge of free stuff, but I don't think that will be happening any time soon.
I have a project for work that I just can't work up the motivation to finish (start?) - it's categorizing EVERY law affecting public safety on a local recreational lake. I think this may be a bit ambitious. Let's not discuss how long I have had this project, or when I was supposed to finish it by.
And, as always happens at the end of the semester, the student loan money has run out. My lackluster enthusiasm for work has not helped this situation. Unfortunately, this is the least convenient month to be broke.
I must have had 10 interviews this semester - one call back (does a reception count as a callback?) and no job offers. John is still looking for a new job.
In other news, John has gotten me hooked on World of Warcraft. Level 33 human warrior - I'm having a lot of fun with it. It's nice to have something frivolous to think about. I wish John and I could play at the same time, but we sure can't spring for a second account right now. We are in the same kick-ass guild, though! I've met and made friends with a few fabulous people - it's so interesting to me how different everyone is. A father, a student my age, and a 15-year-old - all playing the same game. John's hilarious, so everyone loves him - I got lots of flack about being his wife. And I love my toon's name - much better than mine, totally random choice.
So anyway - for the Alliance! (Can we discuss how Horde outnumber Alliance 4:1 or more on Coilfang? It's awful questing anywhere other than starting areas - the gankage is horrible!) I'm done with Redridge and Duskwood, can't decide where to go next. Stranglethorn is a little too deathly for me right now. I think I'll stay in Arathi to keep trucking toward exalted with Stormwind, but I might go to Wetlands (talk about uninspiring scenery) or Hillsbrad. I did my first battlegrounds (Arathi) the other day - I must have done about ten and the Alliance only won one. How depressing. I don't think I'm a very good PvP-er - I'm much more inclined to run past a Horde than attack him. Oh well.
Well, enough depressing randomness for today, I think. I will try to be a better blogger :)
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Oops, I'll try to do better :)
Well, it sure didn't take me long to fall off the blogging wagon, did it? I had excellent intentions...they just didn't pan out, as intentions tend not to do. Since we last spoke, oh, say, two weeks ago, a lot has happened!
And the big thing that has been eating up my evenings...
Big Bad Credit Card Company's Evil Collections Agency has been threatening to sue me. I am pretty sure they violated the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act several times over, but I didn't record the calls, so I can't prove it. The thing is, we do happen to owe a lot of money to a lot of different companies (Parents, never let your children have credit cards!), but we're going through debt consolidation to try and take care of everything. But this ONE company - Big Bad Credit Card Company - is being a total...hmm, well, any names I would like to call them is not very ladylike. They still own the account, but they have Evil Collections Agency trying to collect for them. They started this lawsuit nonsense several weeks ago, I talked to a lawyer, and everyone assured me it was all scare tactics to get me to pay. They never said anything quite incriminating enough to warrant a FDCPA claim, but they stopped calling once our debt management proposal was sent to Big Bad Credit Card Company. We had about a two week reprieve.
That lasted until Monday! They started calling again, and I asked them not to call me during work hours. They agreed. They call back FOUR TIMES on Wednesday at noon - and then I finally answered when they called at 6:45 that night. This is when Evil Collections Agent said "This call is to notify you that we will be serving you with a summons and complaint on Friday at your workplace through your HR department." The jerk said he was a paralegal (he isn't - he is a collector) and refused to give me the name of the local attorney. He told me the court date would be on August 20. I started panicking when he starts mentioning work, and I asked why they don't serve me at my apartment. He said that the sheriffs always choose to do it at work.
So, my issues with these people are 1) calling me during work hours after agreeing not to, 2) threatening to serve me at work through my HR department, and 3) threatening to sue me at all! My interpretation of the FDCOA is that you're not allowed to threaten legal action unless you INTEND TO TAKE IT. Even if they do intend eventually to sue me...they pretty much threw that argument out the window when they said they would be suing me on FRIDAY. And they didn't! Isn't that prima facie evidence that they never intended to do it? I was on vacation on Friday, but that's beside the point...they didn't know that. No one tried to find me at work. No work people emailed me to tell me that sheriff's deputies were looking for me, no messages were on my voicemail at work or on my cell phone, and no one near my cubicle saw anything. No one left any papers for me with anyone (not that they could have). I don't even have any reason to believe they even know where I work. Is there any way that they can find that out?
We're still being yanked around by the Big Bad Credit Company regarding whether they're going to accept our debt consolidation proposal or not, and for how much money. But at least the Evil Collections Agency hasn't called back since Wednesday! Those people always leave me in hysterics...and then I look back and realize that they just want money, and their tactics worked like a charm on me.
The moral of the story: debt collectors are the scum of the earth.
On a somewhat related note...I cry at the drop of a hat, and I think some people think this makes me less capable of being an attorney. Yes, I despise criticism and mean people. There is just absolutely no excuse for rudeness! I might be a delicate flower with tender feelings, or whatever, but I hate it when people are mean-spirited and nasty. I am usually a very polite person - I was a GREAT cashier and waitress. I have my bulldog moments - I usually get my way. But if you're mean to me in the process, I'll hang up the phone (after you give me what I want) and BAWL. Does this mean I'll be a bad lawyer? I tend to think I am perfectly capable of separating work and my personal life - and I think there's a difference between crying at a debt collector in the privacy of my own home and at a judge. I did mock trial for nine years, and I never cried while the timer was running. Sure, I don't think anyone's ever used the words "easygoing" and "laidback" to describe me - I'm definitely not either of those things! But I am learning not to take things as personally as I have in the past and not to get as worked up about the little things. It's a process, people! But I don't think it means I'll be a bad lawyer. I always thought being passionate for the things for which I cared deeply would make me a BETTER lawyer, back when I wanted to defend death penalty clients. I have changed my mind on the issue of passion as a prerequisite to being a good advocate - but a little passion never hurt.
- My fabulous co-law clerk moved to the Big Apple. I miss her! We do have a very nice guy who replaced her That, however, does not make her departure any less sad.
- I got to attend my first mediation! Very interesting - not sure that I can envision Alternative Dispute Resolution as a future career, though. The case did not settle. I hope I didn't jinx it!
- My dad sold his house - my childhood home. This is also very sad - the closing is on the 30th of August. For his sake, I hope everything goes okay! But for my sake, I am more than upset at losing the only home I ever lived in, before John and I got our apartment. Dad's freaking out about the home inspection - apparently the results of that are expected today or tomorrow.
- John and I took an impromptu vacation to Norwood, North Carolina, where his family has a camper on Lake Tillery. We took the dog, and a good time was had by all during the Big Bad Heat Wave of 2007. I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the second time, I engaged in my usual Sunscreen Nazi antics, and we got to go out on a boat! I love me some boats. Regarding all things maritime, my love for boats is rivaled only by my love for the beach. The deal between John and me had been that I get a 1 day trip to the beach this summer since money is tight - however, John hates the beach, so we compromised. We went to the lake for the weekend, and maybe next year we can take a longer trip to Pawley's Island. Hear that, John? The deal is immortalized on the internet! We have to go to the beach next year! Jellyfish, crowds, sun, sand, and all!
And the big thing that has been eating up my evenings...
Big Bad Credit Card Company's Evil Collections Agency has been threatening to sue me. I am pretty sure they violated the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act several times over, but I didn't record the calls, so I can't prove it. The thing is, we do happen to owe a lot of money to a lot of different companies (Parents, never let your children have credit cards!), but we're going through debt consolidation to try and take care of everything. But this ONE company - Big Bad Credit Card Company - is being a total...hmm, well, any names I would like to call them is not very ladylike. They still own the account, but they have Evil Collections Agency trying to collect for them. They started this lawsuit nonsense several weeks ago, I talked to a lawyer, and everyone assured me it was all scare tactics to get me to pay. They never said anything quite incriminating enough to warrant a FDCPA claim, but they stopped calling once our debt management proposal was sent to Big Bad Credit Card Company. We had about a two week reprieve.
That lasted until Monday! They started calling again, and I asked them not to call me during work hours. They agreed. They call back FOUR TIMES on Wednesday at noon - and then I finally answered when they called at 6:45 that night. This is when Evil Collections Agent said "This call is to notify you that we will be serving you with a summons and complaint on Friday at your workplace through your HR department." The jerk said he was a paralegal (he isn't - he is a collector) and refused to give me the name of the local attorney. He told me the court date would be on August 20. I started panicking when he starts mentioning work, and I asked why they don't serve me at my apartment. He said that the sheriffs always choose to do it at work.
So, my issues with these people are 1) calling me during work hours after agreeing not to, 2) threatening to serve me at work through my HR department, and 3) threatening to sue me at all! My interpretation of the FDCOA is that you're not allowed to threaten legal action unless you INTEND TO TAKE IT. Even if they do intend eventually to sue me...they pretty much threw that argument out the window when they said they would be suing me on FRIDAY. And they didn't! Isn't that prima facie evidence that they never intended to do it? I was on vacation on Friday, but that's beside the point...they didn't know that. No one tried to find me at work. No work people emailed me to tell me that sheriff's deputies were looking for me, no messages were on my voicemail at work or on my cell phone, and no one near my cubicle saw anything. No one left any papers for me with anyone (not that they could have). I don't even have any reason to believe they even know where I work. Is there any way that they can find that out?
We're still being yanked around by the Big Bad Credit Company regarding whether they're going to accept our debt consolidation proposal or not, and for how much money. But at least the Evil Collections Agency hasn't called back since Wednesday! Those people always leave me in hysterics...and then I look back and realize that they just want money, and their tactics worked like a charm on me.
The moral of the story: debt collectors are the scum of the earth.
On a somewhat related note...I cry at the drop of a hat, and I think some people think this makes me less capable of being an attorney. Yes, I despise criticism and mean people. There is just absolutely no excuse for rudeness! I might be a delicate flower with tender feelings, or whatever, but I hate it when people are mean-spirited and nasty. I am usually a very polite person - I was a GREAT cashier and waitress. I have my bulldog moments - I usually get my way. But if you're mean to me in the process, I'll hang up the phone (after you give me what I want) and BAWL. Does this mean I'll be a bad lawyer? I tend to think I am perfectly capable of separating work and my personal life - and I think there's a difference between crying at a debt collector in the privacy of my own home and at a judge. I did mock trial for nine years, and I never cried while the timer was running. Sure, I don't think anyone's ever used the words "easygoing" and "laidback" to describe me - I'm definitely not either of those things! But I am learning not to take things as personally as I have in the past and not to get as worked up about the little things. It's a process, people! But I don't think it means I'll be a bad lawyer. I always thought being passionate for the things for which I cared deeply would make me a BETTER lawyer, back when I wanted to defend death penalty clients. I have changed my mind on the issue of passion as a prerequisite to being a good advocate - but a little passion never hurt.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Tinkering is fun!
I think I have finally gotten all the settings and design things the way I would like them for now! It's a bit of a learning curve - but I figured out how to get a blogroll in the sidebar, and pictures added, and even a "Subscribe with Bloglines" button. I'm feeling like hot stuff right now :) (Let's not disillusion me, okay?)
Next on my list - surely there is an easier way of posting pictures than uploading to Blogger every time. Flickr, maybe?
Next on my list - surely there is an easier way of posting pictures than uploading to Blogger every time. Flickr, maybe?
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Well here we go!
First of all, my fabulous husband, John, deserves a huge thank you for making my beautiful banner! I tried my hand at creating one myself, but I have little to no artistic talent - fortunately for me, John knows his way around Photoshop! I also tried to get permission to use some pretty photographs from various places, but no luck. If you're interested, though, this guy is super nice and has some beautiful prints available! My favorite is "Calla Lilies at Duncans Landing, Sonoma Coast, California." I want this for Christmas, y'all. ;)
I hope that this blog will chronicle my journey into becoming (or at least getting a little closer to becoming) the wife, mother, and lawyer I want to be - a Southern lady, a loving wife, a better cook, a less haphazard homemaker, and a confident professional. And eventually, a mom. I can't wait for that one - but it will be the longest wait of all, I think.
So how about a brief bio (shall we disclose up-front that I'm a bit long-winded? Laziness has tempered this flaw since law school, but not done away with it entirely!) of your blogmistress? Try to contain your enthusiasm - I know it's hard!
My name is Megan, I'm 22 years old, and I married the love of my life (man of my dreams, best friend, every other cliche imaginable goes here), John, on March 10, 2007. We've been together since August 2004, but we've been friends since I was a freshman in high school - back in 1999! We met because I dated his best friend, who ended up being the best man at our wedding - that always makes for a good story! John and I are pretty much a classic case of opposites attract - I'm high-strung and high-maintenance, while John is a huge nerd with a crazy sense of humor and is as easy-going as can be. One family member once compared us to a terrier and a basset hound. I'm not very funny - but I have my moments. I'm always pretty darn pleased with myself whenever I get a big laugh out of John.
This is John and I at our wedding.
John lived on a boat when we first started dating and works in nuclear security - I'm fairly certain one of his happiest days (except for when you married me, buddy!) was when we got our(now 10 months old) puppy, Biscuit, about a month ago. I am a huge cat person - we have two, Hedwig and Chewbacca (guess which one I named? Only slightly obsessed with Harry Potter here.) - but John wore down my will to resist! We picked out a beautiful name for her, Dixie Kate, which I gave up on the condition that I never ever have to hear her real name - GRAVY Biscuit. That condition was TOAST (ha ha - toast, biscuit, get it?) in about two days. Gravy Biscuit - gah!
This is Chewbacca and Hedwig. We found them when they were 6 weeks old in the treehouse behind Matt's house (the best man at our wedding). They had a brother that we put back in the treehouse - I still feel bad about that, even though his mommy came back to get him. I also have a cat named Mitzi that lives with my dad.
This is Biscuit. Her eyes slay me!
I'm a dual British/American citizen - I LOVE England. John and I have considered living there after law school - but you can't "transfer" as a lawyer there until you have two years of experience. My mom was British (from this village), and she passed away when I was 15. That's probably one of the "life events" that has most profoundly affected who I am - I can't imagine how different my life would be if she had lived. My dad and I have a very strange relationship, and he's moving to Pennsylvania as soon as he sells our house (the only one I ever lived in!). I have three half sisters and a handful of nieces and nephews there. John's family is amazing - I am so lucky to have married into them!
This is my dad and I.
I'm starting my second year of law school in August, and I'm working right now (and through the coming school year) as a law clerk at a Fortune 500 utility company. The work is always different and very interesting - I think I was incredibly lucky to get such a great job for the summer after my first year! Having decided to get married (and then done so!) during the second semester (I'm only a little crazy, apparently), my grades took a bit of a nosedive - we'll see what happens for next summer. Interviews start next month, which is completely insane to me. Hopefully someone will want to hire me!
I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my law degree - I came into law school passionately opposed to the death penalty and wanting to be a criminal defense attorney. Unfortunately, I just don't think I can afford to take that path right out of law school - especially with the crazy amount of student loans I'll have (I know this is completely unheard of right out of law school, right?). That's a bit disheartening, since I know in my heart I'll never do it if I don't do it right away. I also wanted to be in a courtroom no matter what - I was a huge mock trialer ("mocker") in college, and I loved it. It's only a minor technicality that I wasn't particularly great at it! I love my job, so I'm liking the idea of working in-house - we'll see, right?
This fall, I'm taking Business Corporations, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law II, and Civil Procedure II. Advice (and outlines, heh) welcome!
I have two tattoos - a Chinese symbol that means "political" (a remnant of my former politically active liberal life...still liberal, no longer active) and two calla lilies. This is fairly out of character for me, only explainable by the lure of Asheville, NC's tattoo parlors when I was in college, the recklessness of two girls on road trip, and the fact that one tattoo is never enough. John has a Batman symbol on his arm - I am certain one day there will be more!
I love LOST, tulips, roses, fountain pens, Eminem, P!nk, office supplies, etiquette, grammar, the Rules of Evidence, apple juice, chocolate, banana pudding, pearls, Law and Order, CSI (LV and Miami), the Food Network (Paula Deen and Alton Brown!), Clean House, and the color pink. And long walks on the beach. No, really, I love the beach!
I am only slightly preoccupied with the concept of pregnancy, even though it will be a long time before I can experience it myself. I like to plan in advance. :)
I'm also a compulsive list-maker, and a bit of a neat-freak. I'm not religious, but I feel that I should be. Just like I feel that I should lose weight, stop swearing, learn how to cook, and be better put-together (read: drying my hair in the morning would be a good start) more of the time!
Well, John should be home soon, so y'all are off the hook from any more of my introductory novella. No one could possibly be this interested in me other than my husband (right honey??), but hopefully whoever ends up visiting my corner of the internet! He requested lasagna, I have to go get the Stouffer's out of the oven. :-D I work hard, obviously!
I hope that this blog will chronicle my journey into becoming (or at least getting a little closer to becoming) the wife, mother, and lawyer I want to be - a Southern lady, a loving wife, a better cook, a less haphazard homemaker, and a confident professional. And eventually, a mom. I can't wait for that one - but it will be the longest wait of all, I think.
So how about a brief bio (shall we disclose up-front that I'm a bit long-winded? Laziness has tempered this flaw since law school, but not done away with it entirely!) of your blogmistress? Try to contain your enthusiasm - I know it's hard!
My name is Megan, I'm 22 years old, and I married the love of my life (man of my dreams, best friend, every other cliche imaginable goes here), John, on March 10, 2007. We've been together since August 2004, but we've been friends since I was a freshman in high school - back in 1999! We met because I dated his best friend, who ended up being the best man at our wedding - that always makes for a good story! John and I are pretty much a classic case of opposites attract - I'm high-strung and high-maintenance, while John is a huge nerd with a crazy sense of humor and is as easy-going as can be. One family member once compared us to a terrier and a basset hound. I'm not very funny - but I have my moments. I'm always pretty darn pleased with myself whenever I get a big laugh out of John.
This is John and I at our wedding.John lived on a boat when we first started dating and works in nuclear security - I'm fairly certain one of his happiest days (except for when you married me, buddy!) was when we got our(now 10 months old) puppy, Biscuit, about a month ago. I am a huge cat person - we have two, Hedwig and Chewbacca (guess which one I named? Only slightly obsessed with Harry Potter here.) - but John wore down my will to resist! We picked out a beautiful name for her, Dixie Kate, which I gave up on the condition that I never ever have to hear her real name - GRAVY Biscuit. That condition was TOAST (ha ha - toast, biscuit, get it?) in about two days. Gravy Biscuit - gah!
This is Chewbacca and Hedwig. We found them when they were 6 weeks old in the treehouse behind Matt's house (the best man at our wedding). They had a brother that we put back in the treehouse - I still feel bad about that, even though his mommy came back to get him. I also have a cat named Mitzi that lives with my dad.
This is Biscuit. Her eyes slay me!I'm a dual British/American citizen - I LOVE England. John and I have considered living there after law school - but you can't "transfer" as a lawyer there until you have two years of experience. My mom was British (from this village), and she passed away when I was 15. That's probably one of the "life events" that has most profoundly affected who I am - I can't imagine how different my life would be if she had lived. My dad and I have a very strange relationship, and he's moving to Pennsylvania as soon as he sells our house (the only one I ever lived in!). I have three half sisters and a handful of nieces and nephews there. John's family is amazing - I am so lucky to have married into them!
This is my dad and I.I'm starting my second year of law school in August, and I'm working right now (and through the coming school year) as a law clerk at a Fortune 500 utility company. The work is always different and very interesting - I think I was incredibly lucky to get such a great job for the summer after my first year! Having decided to get married (and then done so!) during the second semester (I'm only a little crazy, apparently), my grades took a bit of a nosedive - we'll see what happens for next summer. Interviews start next month, which is completely insane to me. Hopefully someone will want to hire me!
I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my law degree - I came into law school passionately opposed to the death penalty and wanting to be a criminal defense attorney. Unfortunately, I just don't think I can afford to take that path right out of law school - especially with the crazy amount of student loans I'll have (I know this is completely unheard of right out of law school, right?). That's a bit disheartening, since I know in my heart I'll never do it if I don't do it right away. I also wanted to be in a courtroom no matter what - I was a huge mock trialer ("mocker") in college, and I loved it. It's only a minor technicality that I wasn't particularly great at it! I love my job, so I'm liking the idea of working in-house - we'll see, right?
This fall, I'm taking Business Corporations, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law II, and Civil Procedure II. Advice (and outlines, heh) welcome!
I have two tattoos - a Chinese symbol that means "political" (a remnant of my former politically active liberal life...still liberal, no longer active) and two calla lilies. This is fairly out of character for me, only explainable by the lure of Asheville, NC's tattoo parlors when I was in college, the recklessness of two girls on road trip, and the fact that one tattoo is never enough. John has a Batman symbol on his arm - I am certain one day there will be more!
I love LOST, tulips, roses, fountain pens, Eminem, P!nk, office supplies, etiquette, grammar, the Rules of Evidence, apple juice, chocolate, banana pudding, pearls, Law and Order, CSI (LV and Miami), the Food Network (Paula Deen and Alton Brown!), Clean House, and the color pink. And long walks on the beach. No, really, I love the beach!
I am only slightly preoccupied with the concept of pregnancy, even though it will be a long time before I can experience it myself. I like to plan in advance. :)
I'm also a compulsive list-maker, and a bit of a neat-freak. I'm not religious, but I feel that I should be. Just like I feel that I should lose weight, stop swearing, learn how to cook, and be better put-together (read: drying my hair in the morning would be a good start) more of the time!
Well, John should be home soon, so y'all are off the hook from any more of my introductory novella. No one could possibly be this interested in me other than my husband (right honey??), but hopefully whoever ends up visiting my corner of the internet! He requested lasagna, I have to go get the Stouffer's out of the oven. :-D I work hard, obviously!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Casting off!
In my first attempt at any sort of blog since they were in vogue in high school, I'm looking forward to the mental exercise of thinking about life from the perspective of writing about it - we'll see how I do! I'm quite new at this - so pardon the dust!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
