Legally Brunette

My husband - let’s call him “Mr. Brunette” - is also a student.  He’s working on finishing up his bachelor’s degree in business, and is able to do it through a distance learning program that our state college system offers.  (No, this isn’t that University of Phoenix nonsense!)  One of the classes he’s taking is business law - and bless his heart, he’s really enjoying it.

Which is great!  I appreciate that he’s enjoying it, and I love talking law geek stuff with him.  But not at 11pm at night.  You see, my daily schedule is as follows:

• 7:30am - get up, shower, get ready for work
• 8:30am - stumble into work.  Read blogs.  Check bank balance.  Read CNN and try to be a nominally informed citizen.
• 9am - give up on trying to wake up naturally. Walk two blocks to get coffee and scone.
• 9:30am - 5:30pm - actually get work done.  I’m a paralegal, and my boss is annoying very kind, and pushes me to do more lawyer-y stuff.  Heavy thinking.  Try to look like I know what the *bleep* I’m talking about.
• 5:30pm - 6:15pm - drive to school.  Listen to NPR.  Try to be a nominally informed citizen, but secrety hope that they’ll just play a short story by David Sedaris.
• 6:30pm - 9:30pm - school.  Try to absorb torts, civ pro and legal reasoning.   Mostly absorb torts, kinda absorb civ pro, fight strong urge to throw sharp pointy objects that the legal reasoning professor.
• 9:30pm - 10:30pm - drive home.  Talk to friend who is going through a messy divorce on the phone.  Thank God, Allah, Buddah, and the Great Unknown that my personal life is relatively drama-free.
• 10:30pm - get home.  Finally.  Thank Mr. Brunette profusely for being drama-free.  Eat… something.
• 11pm - Sit in my large comfy chair.  Watch ‘The Simpsons’, ‘The Office’, ‘Doctor Who’ or ‘Torchwood’.   Turn the brain off and morph into vegetable matter.

Basically, my brain in “on” law from 9am - 9:30pm.  Which means that at 11pm, all I want to do is watch mindless TV before I go to sleep and do it all again the next day.  Which means, unfortunately, I really do NOT want to debate the case that Mr. Brunette’s class is discussing that day.  I try my best to be a good wife and a supportive partner, and engage in conversation… but really, I’m *tired*.  About all I can handle at that point are the finer aspects of Homer and Marge’s marriage.

I love him, but I might just have to hide his business law book.

I’m in my favorite little coffee shop, eating my lunch and working on my case briefs for Thursday. I work in a small downtown area, so I get to see a wonderful array of folks walk by as I sit here. Added bonus - they always play some neat music. Today’s selection seems to be ‘The Best of Johnny Cash’.

In any case, an elderly woman just zoomed by in her power wheelchair, with a little girl who looked to be about 2 on her lap. Both the little girl and her (assumed) grandmother just had the biggest grins on their faces as they rode by.

Awesome.

As a little FYI for anyone who is using Yeazell’s Civil Procedure 6th ed, this site has been quite helpful when writing my case briefs. They have briefs for all the cases in that book, and they’re fairly well done. And it’s free. Free = awesome.

*sigh* Back to work.

Saturday was - by all accounts - a very good day. I went down to school and signed up for my parking pass, bought some books, and got my student ID. Thankfully, the lines for all three of these things were minimal at best. I was done by noon - but not before spending obscene amounts of money on required books and study materials. I also picked up a little mini-Black’s Law Dictionary, which will live in my bookbag for emergency use. (I still prefer the lovely big one that a fellow law geek gifted me with last spring! *smooches*)

I’m still both amused and annoyed that during *six hours* of orientation, they couldn’t be bothered to tell us the more practical aspects of being new students.  We had to figure out things like parking passes, email addresses, student ID’s, and the like on our own.  I certainly understand the concept of being adults and being able to figure out all that yourself - but really, it would have taken them 10 minutes to say “You need to go here for ID’s, here for parking, and do this for your email address.”  Seriously.

On the plus side, we got our Lexis and Westlaw accounts on Thursday.  Oh, sweet, sweet Westlaw.  Total, 100% full access to Westlaw.  I’ve died and gone to legal geek heaven.  It’s sweet, sweet heaven.  Seriously.  I can’t even begin to tell you how totally awesome it is. *happy swoon*

I spent Saturday afternoon with friends and their 4 month old baby - which was beyond lovely. It’s been eons since I’ve had the chance to just hang out with folks, and we had a wonderful time just hanging out and chatting. I got to sample some of my friend’s wonderful home-baked bread, which is always a treat.  I figured it was worth my while I catch up with friends while I can, because Lord knows my time is going to be severely limited here very, very soon.

Went home, picked up the hubby, and had sushi for dinner. Cheap-ish sushi = love. We saw Blades of Glory at the dollar theatre, which was just beyond funny. That was the best $3 I have spent in AGES. We just *cackled* through the whole thing. I’m sure it helps that we both enjoy watching competitive figure skating, and I will admit that I have a weakness for Will Ferrell movies. I almost feel dirty saying that, but it’s true.

In a “it’s a small world” moment, we ran into friends in the parking lot - turns out they saw the same movie, and were sitting three rows behind us. Too funny. We hung out in the parking lot and chatted while we waited for the crowds to disperse. That particular parking lot is not set up well, so it’s easier just to wait for everyone to leave before trying to fight your way out.

Sunday was first batch of homework for school. I’ve already found something that works well for me - I read the chapter from start to finish, and then go through it again, fashioning a rough outline and making notes on the cases. We’ll see if I’m able to keep this up through the semester - it’s a bit time consuming, but it helps me to type things out to get them into my head.  I need to get a better setup at home for study - I really wish I had room in “my room” for a desk.  I might have to take out the rocking chair I have in there and put a desk in instead, but it would be super-cramped.  I really do need a permanant place to spread all my stuff out, though.

Tonight is our first “official” class.  I’m looking forward to starting - we have Torts, CivPro and Legal Reasoning this semester.  I can already tell that CivPro is going to bore me to tears, but Torts is always interesting.  Legal Reasoning is nice, since it’s all writing assignments instead of a midterm/final exam, so that should be a relatively easy boost to the GPA.  Hopefully.

I am not dead yet
I can dance and I can sing
I am not dead yet
I can do the Highland Fling

I am not dead yet
No need to go to bed
No need to call the doctor
Cause I’m not yet dead.

Really - I’m not dead.   Just mostly dead.

Things that have happened in the past six months:

• I’ve become addicted to iTunes.  Seriously.  I’ll be sitting at my desk at work and think “Wow, you know, I’d *love* to have ‘California Dreamin’ easily accessible”, and with 2 clicks and 99 cents, I can have it.  I had to stop when I realized that in 3 months I had spent $50 on 99 cent songs.  Ooops.
• Closed down my business, although there are still a few account left to clean up.  I am SO looking forward to having that monkey off my back.
• As of this month, I’m officially employed full time in the legal field.  It’s a little weird - I had been self employed before that, so this is a heck of a change.  Luckily, I’ve found a position that will work with my school schedule, encourages me in my law school aspirations, and doesn’t mind if I wear formal shorts and long tunic shirts to work.  (Yes, formal shorts.  The folks at ‘Go Fug Yourself’ would have a field day.)
• Got married.  Weddings eat your soul.  I’m blissfully happy about the marriage, but the wedding planning sucked balls.  I can’t believe some people actually try to do that while in school.  Psycho, they are.
• Did I mention school schedule?  Because, yes, I got into law school!

Yep, after all the worry and wait of last fall, I did get into school.  I ended up applying to four programs, and got into three out of the four - not a bad track record at all!  Although I did get accepted into my boss’ alma mater, I ended up choosing a different program.   Not naming names here, but the school was listed on Vault’s “Top 25 Most Underrated Law Schools”, and is semi-frequently listed as a great value for the money.  The school has a decent reputation locally, and the night program (which is what I chose) has a really good reputation.  So…. the plusses are:

• Night program!  I attend classes three nights a week, while still being able to work full time.  In talking with others who have completed this program, the workload is tough but manageable.  I’ve spent this spring clearing out my schedule and taking care of any other obligations on my plate so I can start with a clean slate.  July is dedicated to taking care of the last few obligations from my old job, and by the time school starts in August, I should have that all taken care of.
• State school - so the tuition is *very* reasonable. 
• Did I mention that I can still work?  And I now work with an attorney who just went through all this, so it’s fresh in his mind?  And he’s willing to be flexible with my schedule to give me time around midterms/finals for study?  And he’s already planning on getting me in the courtroom once I hit the three-year rule?  Yeah, my boss freakin’ rocks.
• Low tuition + working through school = minimal debt.  I’ve worked *hard* to keep my debt level low over the past 5 years, and I’m glad that I can continue that through law school.  

Minuses:

• The administration seems to kinda suck ass.  My second choice was about $20K more expensive than the school I chose, but the administration was lovely.  Here?  Not so much. 
• Since it’s a PT program, it takes four years instead of the traditional three.  Including summer courses.  So I’m going to be in school for four years, straight, with only small breaks between the semesters.  So  much for having a social life.
• 45 minute drive each way - although I was going to have that no matter what school I chose.  The problem is that I drive a small SUV - it gets great gas mileage for a SUV (about 20 MPG), but it’s far from fabulous.  I just paid it off last fall, though, so I’m leery of trading it in for something new and having a car payment every month.  I will admit to totally coveting the Toyota Yaris (liftback version, natch!).  http://www.toyota.com/yaris/ In electric blue.

So - if there’s anyone still out there, chime in and say hello.  It should be an interesting ride. ;) 

Wonder of wonders, the DHL guy actually brought my glasses to me on Friday, when he said he would. Here’s the breakdown:

Turnaround time: Excellent. I placed my order in the evening on 8/1/06. It was marked as ’shipped’ on 8/2/06, and on my doorstep on 8/4/06. They are based in NY, so even if I hadn’t ordered 2-day shipping, they still should have been here on Friday.

Communication: Excellent. They have an automated email system to let me know that the order has been received, that the order is in process and that the order has shipped with tracking information.

Delivery: They DO use DHL - which, as we all know, sucks royal donkey ass. But I was lucky this time. Product: So far, so good. The prescription seems to be spot-on, and the lenses are clear with no scratches.

The frames are pretty much what I expected, except the ‘plum’ is really much more brown than the website indicated. I actually thought they had sent the ‘mocha’, except these are labeled ‘plum’ on the inside of the frame. I chalk it up to monitor differences and probally not the world’s best photograph. They seem to suit my face pretty well - especially considering that I didn’t try them on beforehand.

I would definitely use them again - and feel more comfortable ordering a more expensive pair in the future. (I didn’t get the upgrade anti-reflective coating or the super-thin lenses, since those would have bumped my price up to around $100 - and I wanted to be sure the company was good before I ordered something that expensive.) The glasses came with a free hardshell case and a microfiber pouch.

Overall, I’m pretty darn happy with my purchase. I would *highly* reccomend that you know what style looks good on you - a trip to LensCrafters to try on glasses beforehand might be well in order. Final conclusion: Yep, I’d reccomend ‘em.

I have been in *desperate* need of new glasses for the past… two years? Three years? I’ve lost count. I usually wear contacts, but like to have glasses for backup just in case. My most current glasses are at least six years old, and have pockmarks on them from when my dog got a hold of them as a *puppy* (she’s 6 now), and scratches from… someplace. I think they got knocked onto the floor face-down and then nosed around by one of the critters until they were totally scratched.

Yeah, so new glasses were a must.

I got my eyes tested back in February - and just now got around to ordering glasses. I ordered these, and think they’ll look good. I tend to look pretty nice in the cat’s eye frames, and the plastic frames look nerdy-chic, which I think is kinda cool.  The fiancee dosen’t like them (he said they’re too cat’s-eye), but you know what?  He can bite me.  I think they’re cute, and they make me want to go out and buy lots of black clothing, a beret, and go to poetry readings in smokey nightclubs.

Theoretically they should be here by the end of the week. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve never ordered from these people before, but I’ve heard good reviews. In the grand scheme of things, even if they’re totally hideous, they’ll still be a backup pair that are current, and I’m only out about $50. (I had to pay a little extra because, well, I’m blind as a freaking bat.)

*fingers crossed*

I think the stress of the past year is finally starting to catch up with me. I was doing my LSAT prep last night, working through a particularly difficult problem, and rubbing the small of my back. It felt… bumpy.

My entire torso is dotted with some sort of hives. I haven’t switched to a new laundry detergent, soap, or moisturizer… so the only thing I can figure it is, is some sort of stress-related reaction.

So last night was declared clean sheet night (just in case that was the trigger) and I lay in my clean bed, feeling like I had a million tiny bugs crawling all over me. Fun, huh?  Needless to say, I didn’t sleep well last night.  I bought benadryl and oatmeal bath on the way home tonight - the benadryl has been taken, and the bath shall be taken after dinner.

In good news, I did get an A in my accounting class. So I’ve kept up my 4.0! Granted, it’s a 4.0 at a really crappy community college, but still…

In other news, I am a copy machine and mail merge goddess. As stated earlier, OddFellow took on a bunch of collections accounts about a month ago, and we’re finally getting our processes in place to get them started. I’ve learned more about the individual county property tax websites than I ever thought I’d need to know. Last Wednesday I wrote the complaint, merged in all the data, and prepped the packets. Today I was a copying fool - three copies to send out to the clerk of court, one for our files, and one for the collection agent so they feel like they earned something for the filing fees they advanced us. Although theoretically it should have been easy to copy everything, most of the state forms are double sided… and our copy machine dosen’t do double sides automatically. But it DOES collate, so the complaints and affadavits could all be run through all at once.

Packets are all put in their envelopes with SASE’s. All OddFellow has to do is sign the cover letters tomorrow, write the checks for the filing fees, sign the letters and bring them all to the post office. If they aren’t in the mail when I get there on Wednesday, I shall cheerfully throttle him. I think I would be justified since I stayed there until 7:15pm to get it all done.

Home is good. Now I need to try to tackle more LSAT prep, and try not to scratch my skin raw.

Law and Mommyhood recently made a great post about the most embarassing songs on her iPod.

So, in the interest of full disclosure… here are my top 5 8:

1. The ‘Doom’ song - Invader Zim. When my iPod is not on shuffle, this comes on immediately after a rather rockin’ version of ‘Queen of Argyle’… so whenever tha comes on, I immediately break into the Doom Song after it’s over. Drives the boyfriend batty.
2. A wide variety of Fraggle Rock songs. I’ll admit it, I’m a total Fraggle Rock nut. I was at the perfect age when this was originally on HBO, and I’ve now watched season 1 (now on DVD!) at least 50 times. You know, I should be ashamed of this, but I’m really not.
3. ‘Fools Rush In’ - redone by *sob* the A*Teens.
4. ‘Ooops I Did it Again’ and ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’. Britney. Yes, I’m going to hell.
5. ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ - Def Leppard
6. A metric butt-ton of Jethro Tull
7. A metric butt-ton of ABBA
8. Air Supply’s Greatest Hits

Yep. Any cool points I MIGHT even remotely have earned have now been washed away.

So, faithful readers (all, like, two of you!), lay it on me. Spill your dirty secrets. At least keep me mildly entertained for a few minutes.

(Oh, ALS? Which ‘Evita’ soundtrack - London, Broadway, or Madonna? There is no shame in Madonna, since Antonio Banderas is phenomonal. I have that one memorized, too.)

But it’s nice to know that I’m famous, at least in the women’s health world.

Women’s Health News  quoted me in their post about the Victoria’s Secret breastfeeding protest, saying:

Legally Brunette says, “I hate that *these* women claim the label of feminist - it makes the rest of us look whiney,” and thinks women who want to breastfeed in public are acting out of a sense of entitlement, being a “pain in the ass,” and that women should only be able to breastfeed in public in other places where eating occurs. Ouch. Commenters are trying to set her straight.

Wow.  Nice to take my post totally out of context.  Welcome to the wild and wacky world of blogging, Legally Brunette.

Nothing really new to report.  We headed out of town over the 4th of July holiday for a family wedding in the Deep South, which was hot, humid, but overall rather lovely.  Cute touch - instead of throwing rice or blowing bubbles as the couple headed out, we all had sparklers.

In *really great* news. the three courses I’m taking for fall semester are all offered as online courses.  When I started my paralegal’s program just over a year ago, I chose this particular school because they stated that we could take the majority of our courses online.  Between work, keeping up with the house, and trying (in vain) to have a social life,  I figured this was a good option.  Soon after, though, the school cut back on it’s online courses, and I have been forced to make the 45 minute drive there and back twice a week for the past two semesters.  This did NOT make me a happy
Brunette.

So, next semester: Real Property, Wills & Estates, and Criminal Law/Procedure.  I’m especially looking forward to Wills/Estates, since that’s an area of law that I can actually see myself getting into in the future.

A few folks have asked me why I’m continuing with the paralegal program now that I’m planning on going to law school.  Well, from talking with some new attorneys, I’ve come to the rapid conclusion that, at least in our area, the law schools do a wonderful job at teaching theory, logic, and reason.  These attorneys are wonderfully adept at reasoning out the finer points of the law.

Doing a title search at the courthouse using the mid-80’s in-house computer terminals we have access to?  Not so much.

Paralegal school, for me, has become both a way to prep for law school and a way to get some good, basic skills that they don’t seem to teach you there.  Title searches, forms to use, etc.  That, and it keeps me on my toes and is giving my brain a much-needed workout.  I finished college in 1998, and my brain has turned to mush since then.

Ah well - time for breakfast, coffee, and brain-mush-inducing work.

Later.

I read this on one of the local community message boards I read this morning:

Victoria's Secret is making news with a series of incidents regarding breastfeeding women. On at least three seperate occasions at different stores across the country, women have been refused the right to breastfeed their children in the store. Most recently, a woman in Boston was told that breastfeeding was "unsanitary" and to take it to the outside restroom. Because VS makes money from selling products for women's breasts, yet has such a negative view of the act for which they were designed, a staged "nurse-in" is planned for stores around the country for this Saturday, July 1, at 1:00.

Although I don't generally wax poetic about it (especially in this blog - which is really more for my professional/school issues), I am pro-breastfeeding (if, of course, the mother is able to produce milk). I don't think that women should be ashamed to feed their infants, and they should not be relegated to public restrooms which are, frankly, gross and unsanitary.  Many newer shopping centers have "nursing rooms" - quiet, clean places where nursing moms and their families can get away from the bustle of the mall to feed their babies. 

However, the idea of a "nurse-in" as means of protest seems kinda crude/rude in my never-be-humble-opinion. Although the alleged comment by a VS employee that breastfeeding is "unsanitary" is disturbing, I have no problem with them asking the nursing mother to take it elsewhere.  From a legal perspective, most VS' don't have 'waiting areas' with comfy chairs - so, theoretically, these women are either A) taking up changing room space, or B) precariously perched on ledges or displays where they should not be loitering. 

I've often been asked by retail store employees to leave my food or drink out of their shop. Hell, I've done that myself when I've worked in retail clothing. Even the most careful person can trip and spill a soda and ruin expensive merchandise. I have no problem with breastfeeding in public parks, restaraunts, or anyplace else that allows everyone to eat and drink freely. But I know for a fact that VS is pretty picky about allowing people to eat and drink in their stores (with good reason!). Why shouldn't that apply to babies, too?

It's the "Whatever! I'll do what I want" (to quote Cartman) attitude that negates their argument. It shifts them from "noble activist" to "whiny SOB".  I hate that *these* women claim the label of feminist - it makes the rest of us look whiney.

I *do* think that women should be allowed to feed their children, tastefully and discreetly, in a place where *everyone* can eat. Grassy field in a city park? Fabulous! Chili's Restaraunt while the hubby eats his burger? Wonderful! Airport terminal? Great!

Victoria's Secret? Not so much.

Yeah, I know I'm opening up a can o' worms. But it disturbs me to watch our society's sense of entitlement grow so rapidly. There's a fine line between fighting for what's right and just being a pain in the ass. In my never-be-humble-opinion, these ladies are crossing that line.