The End of an Era

Chloe has been captured. Well, humanely trapped actually. And it only took a month, even though they said a week. That Chloe is a smart one. But there is more. We have squirrel babies. Trapper is coming over tomorrow afternoon to capture those and then they will be reunited with their mom in some perfect squirrel location. A nice ending to quite a saga. And if anyone is interested, my trial for tomorrow is officially resolved. At 2pm, the day before, when the offer has been on the table for 2 weeks. I love my job, I love my job.

I hate people

I have been waiting for a phone call for a week now telling me that a trial I have tomorrow is off. The attorney told me last week we would settle and he would fax me a document. No document. I have left 3 messages for him, no phone call. I have witnesses that want to know what is going on. In all honesty, if this trial is going to happen, I need to prepare for it. How unprofessional is this behavior? Could you get away with it at your job?

My 2 year old fashion expert

I woke up early this morning and showered and dressed before Michael woke up because I had to be in court early. When I went into his room to get him, the first thing he said was "I like pants." I said, "Michael I don't know what you want, show me." He grabbed my skirt with his hands through the crib slats and said "I like pants." I think he was telling me I should wear skirts more often.

My first blog book review

After I posted this, I was approached by Karen Steede Terry to read her book, and if I liked it, to blog about it. I agreed and Karen, as promised, sent the book right away. I am a big time reader. I read constantly. I am normally reading 2 or 3 books at the same time. So I thought great, I can read a book and blog about it, no problem. And then it took a month to get to it because I was so busy at work and at home, which is exactly what the book is about. Karen's book, Full-time Woman, Part-Time Career, is a guide on how to launch a part-time career that pays the bills and also leads you fulfilled and allows time to spend with your family. Sounds great right? What we are all looking for? Let me start off by saying this is a good book, from a purely book standpoint. It is well written and very interesting and not at all dry. The women she cites as case studies are relateable and you can find someone similar to you and your career path. She gives very useful tips, which I wish I knew for the brief time I was self-employed. Things like SEP IRAs and tax deductions that you need to know, before tax time and you meet with an accountant, which is how we found out. I would recommend this book for anyone who is thinking about launching a part-time business. It is a quick, easy read with practical, straightforward advice with no gimmicks. This is not a work at home stuff envelopes scheme. It is a way in which you can take your career, what you already do, and make it work by working for yourself, not working for someone else. When Michael was first born I quit my job and was hired to do contract work doing the same job I was doing before, but at home unless I needed to be in court. And a year later my boss talked me into doing a different job and coming back to the office part-time. I knew in my gut I shouldn't do it. I knew in my gut I wouldn't like the job. But I let the fear guide me. "What if they cut contractors?" "What if I don't get work?" I made a mistake. I know I did. And while I'm not sure I'm brave enough to quit my job and go completely off on my own, I'll keep this book in case that time comes.

Weekend Recap

Girls spa weekend was a blast! Massages and facials, great food, and really good company. We stayed up late, drank, gossip, ate junk food, and slept in. The real adventure started when we woke up Sunday morning to 6 inches of snow, and decided to leave right then! 5 girls in an Extera, 1 girl in a little Acura, another in a pick up truck. Cars were spinning out all around us, and visibility was poor. Luckily we all made it home alive, although looking back that was one of the stupidest things I ever did. I was so concerned that I had to get home because if not, Doug was going to have to take off of work on Monday to stay with Michael. And what exactly did I think Doug would have had to do if I died in a car accident? We really should have just stayed put. But, I'm glad we went and I was greeted with hugs and kisses from Michael and Doug, who did an outstanding job as Dad on his own (like there were any doubts). But, an hour later Michael realized it's Mommy who has all the rules and announced "all done Mommy." Stay tuned, because there are big things happening at Jodifur this week. On Thursday it's the blog exchange and on Friday it's the start of the big party!

So I'm Off......

In 10 hours it's Girls Weekend!!!! Spa!!!! Wine!!!! No boys!!!! No kids!!!! No computer (Ohmig-d, what will I do?) But before I go I'm hosting playgroup this morning, and I still need to pack, and do some work, and a hundred other things. (Have a nice weekend, carry on without me.) Edited to Add: Why won't Michael nap on the days I have a ton of stuff to do? It's like he knows.

Labels: Random Friendness, Random Travelness

Enough Brittany Spears

I can't be the only one sick of this, can I? I love celebrity gossip, I really do. I read the Celebritology blog, e online, and people online daily. I listen to E on Sirius satellite radio (when I am not listening to the Broadway channel that is). This is absurd. I don't need to know Brit's every move. She's in rehab, she's out of rehab, she's shaved her head, she's in rehab again, nope, she's out of rehab, now Kevin has the kids, wait, she's in rehab again! Enough!!! I get it!!!! She's a mess, move on. Can we talk about American Idol? Grey's Anatomy? Jennifer Aniston? Anything as long as it's not Anna Nicole Smith.

Top Ten reasons why I'm a bad mom

10. That 1 hour a day TV rule has completely gone out the window on some days. 9. There are days were I count down to bedtime, which is at 7:00 pm. And some of these days are days I have worked and only seen Michael for a few hours. Shouldn't I want to put him to bed later so I can spend more time with him? 8. There are days I think, what if we had waited a little longer, would we have been able to go to Tuscany first? 7. The amount of wine I consume on a weekly basis. 6. I have not started, nor even thought about, potty training. 5. I do not make Michael wash his hands before eating. 4. I yell, too much. 3. We have already talked about this one, but we do not eat dinner together. (In all fairness, lately Michael has not really been eating dinner.) 2. I sometimes forget to take his coat off before putting him in the car seat. And the number one reason I am a bad Mom- This weekend I am going away with my girlfriends to a spa. No husbands, no kids. And I am so looking forward to it.

If it's a sentence, it's my coffee

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We go there most weekends, and Doug and I both hit it separately a couple of times of week. Michael even loves Starbucks, he sees the outside of one and starts asking for a cookie. He loves their scones, but I just call them cookies because it's easier to say. When the weather is nice we walk to the one in our neighborhood, with Michael and Foster.

I know most financial experts talk about the "latte factor" and the best way to save money is to cut out Starbucks. My feeling is, Doug and I budget a certain amount of fun money a week, and if I want to spend that on coffee, or on shoes, who cares?

My drinks are always so complicated. I try not have caffeine, so it's always decaf, skim, and then sugar free of some kind, no whipped cream. Doug never knows what I order, but he always says, "It's a sentence, it's your coffee." He can never order for me either. In the summer, when we walk with Foster, I have to go in and order, because he can't remember all the components to the drink.

This post has a point, I promise. Go here for a contest to win a shirt with your drink on it. And you can make one of the cool buttons I have up top. (Doug made it for me, but I had to tell him what was in my drink).

More Memey fun

My friend Beth, in response to being tagged for a Meme, invited the internet to ask her questions. After answering five of those questions, she told her readers to answer the question that the reader asked, as well as pick 4 other questions that were asked to answer. Since I always do what I'm told, here goes- 1. My question to Beth was, what was your most embarrassing moment? I honestly don't know what my most embarrassing moment was, (there are way too many) but I can tell you my most recent one. Colleagues were complaining about Judges we regularly appear in front of at a recent Bar Association Event, and I mentioned a particular Judge by name and I then realized that her husband was in the group I was talking to. And I knew that, I knew they were married, they share the same last name. 2. Where were you when you lost your virginity? In a hotel room, I am a prom night statistic. 3. Name a "bad" thing you did as a child or teenager that no one ever found out about. When I was in college I drove from Hartford, CT to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and skipped a week of classes. Thank G-d it was before the age of cell phones and caller ID because I called my parents from pay phones and to this day they have no idea. They would kill me if they found out. My mom just found out I skipped some days of my senior year of high school and she tried to ground me. I was like, Mom, I'm married, I have a baby, and I'm an attorney. I think the statute of limitations have expired on that one. 4. Name an item you secretly covet, but haven't told anyone about because it doesn't make any sense for you to want such a thing. Anything Burberry. I have no idea why. It's so trendy and expensive and not at all practical, but I love the plaid. I do wear the perfume though:). 5. Tell us about something you said or did as a child that your family won't let you forget. I was the first female ringleader in the kindergarten circus. I have a picture of that somewhere. I should scan that in. That actually wasn't too bad, I managed to avoid all the sex questions. Is there anything I missed? Ask me anything, I won't promise I'll answer every one, but I'll answer some.