Frequent Citations

Spent

Today was one of those days where I sat at my desk, my phone didn't ring, I didn't get emails, and I didn't get up -- I just worked, straight through.  It was a very long day.  I got a lot of writing done, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if any of it makes sense.  Right now I'm just feeling a bit like a wrung out rag.

In other news:  one of my brothers is coming to stay and I truly and desperately need a housekeeper. 

Swallowed

What happened to the past month?

1. I worked.  You know how much.
2. I went to the doctor, who was less awful than I expected, but I was less cooperative than he hoped.  Stalemate.
3. One of my favorite people visited for a long weekend and helped me find the perfect outfit for a snazzy cocktail reception, with the added bonus of being wearable to work (if kept as separate pieces).
4. The kids started new semesters.
5. The Wolverines beat Notre Dame, just.
6. I got my driving record -- or rather, confirmation that I have no such thing.
7. I went up the river and saw Sing Sing.
8. I lost weight.
9. I failed to get my hair cut, among numerous other things I was supposed to do.
10. Three of my brothers had birthdays.
11. I saw a few beautiful sunsets over the river.
12. I moved offices, to the "noisy corner" -- and, it turns out, the stinky corner when one of the associates douses himself in cologne (by the gallon, I swear).
13. I thought of my grandfather, who would have loved to see what I'm doing now.

Reading Up

I've gone back to using Google Reader to keep up with blog posts.  I prefer to go to the actual blogs, but I'm bowing to the reality of my life and complete inability to actually keep up with the rounds.   This means I'm catching up and discovering things about my friends I should have known months ago.

It's good to have friends, but probably better if you can keep in touch with them.

Maximum Inefficiency

Somehow this weekend I managed to not do One Single Thing that I needed to do.  Except maybe buy some blueberries, but in the grand scheme of things that should have been a little lower on my list.  Alas.

Last week I had a flurry of summer-associate related activity: two lunches and a breakfast.  Egad.  The total for ten meals was about $460.  Sort of takes you aback, doesn't it?  Especially given that alcohol is (sadly, perhaps) out of the picture for these meals.

And in other (not entirely unrelated) news:  most summer associates I've met  have been great, and one or two have been utter twerps.  But I do feel for them--they weren't told if they were going to get an offer before they left and instead get to wait for a week for the news.  Ouch.  Of course, in the real world/normal professions, they'd never know where they'd be working upon graduation, much less know a full year ahead of time (or more, now, with the deferrals).  And they'd certainly never be paid handsomely for a few weeks of living a fantasy life and being fed like geese destined for foie gras.

In entirely unrelated news, TFL and I went to see 500 Days of Summer.  I recommend it.  Quirky, mostly likeable characters, and it got a zero-z rating from TFL.  He claimed that had something to do with the large coffee he consumed immediately prior, but you know that hasn't ever stopped him from dozing right off when he was bored.  Plus it has a great soundtrack, and I do not say that merely because we happen to have most of the songs in our library.

Me: Not So Diplomatic

Sometimes my people skills are less than stellar.  Sometimes they are downright stinky, especially when I'm functioning on four hours of sleep and I've been waiting for someone for 3 hours.  It might be that I get a little terse, and a little impatient.

Yeah, I need to work on that.

Also, and with all due modesty, I need to figure out how to diplomatically tell someone that when I give them a hint as to how to do something, they should bloody well listen up because I'm giving them a present, all gift-wrapped and everything.  Just ask my kids (who also ignore me on a regular basis, but who have perfected -- looking at you, Boy -- the smile-and-nod technique).

In other news, I got a ticket to VIP seating for the Symphony in the Park tonight.  I got there just as they were starting, and stayed for almost the whole thing.  The sound was lovely -- reminiscent, I thought, of the Chicago Symphony under Solti, warm and responsive and vibrant.  And I didn't even work the whole time.  After all, it got dark.

I'm very excited about two things:  fact discovery ends Friday (meaning that the work week might go closer to 60 hours than 80) and I'm going to visit friends in DC!  We may or may not do some fun shopping, but we certainly have no intention of doing anything "worthwhile" or "improving," and I will leave it to you, dear reader, to decide if that has anything to do with the fact that TFL will be staying behind due to a deadline.  We will miss him, of course, as we wander through boutiques and indulge in naps. 

Oh, and I haven't moved yet but I know it's coming.  I try to roll with the punches, but if they don't give me shelves and filing space things will Not Go Well.  I can cope with losing my Park view, and my fab office mate, and my perfect (no, truly truly ideal) location, but I can NOT cope with insufficient drawer space to hold my shoes.

And my files, I guess. Whatever.  Anyway, I foresee danger of lapsing into undiplomatic behavior again if I don't get proper furniture in the new office.  No one wants that to happen, especially those of you whose student loans I'm paying.

Guilty, So Guilty

Not Madoff or the Irani government or --well, them too, but I was speaking of myself.  Guilty of overwork, failure to post, abandonment of TFL and Dogness . . . and that's about it.  I've been working too much to be guilty of anything else.  No time for sin.

It's been a month of depositions, preparing for depositions, preparing witnesses for depositions, etc., etc., and so forth.

With a little mid-year review action thrown in, but they didn't escort me from the building or anything (so far).   What else?  Drafting motions for summary judgment, statements of fact, emails summarizing yet more research . . . and a RIDE!

Yesterday was the first ride since before all the trees had fully leafed out. How sad is that?  And we had to cut it short, because TFL and I both had to work -- boy.  We're in serious danger of becoming downright dull.  I'll have to think of something to do about that.  Maybe next month, because this month is all about yet more depositions, and preparations, and so forth.

Budget And Taxes

Brace yourselves:  some of you will find this post to verge on the pinko commie!

This article on the proposed budget is in line with other analysis I've seen (and is written in plain English, a bonus!). For historic income tax info, see this site.

But here's what you really want to know:  the top 1% includes only those families making over $388,000--and what the tax site's table doesn't show you is that most in the top 1% make far more than that (think many many millions a year).  ALSO:  the average tax rate for the top 1% is only about 20%.  When you see the numbers in the high 30s, that's their marginal rate--what they pay on the last dollars of their income.  That's (one reason) why the argument that raising taxes on the wealthy removes the incentive to become rich is absolute bunk:  you're paying exactly the same rate as everyone else on your first $250,000 or $388,000 or whatever, and only pay the higher rate on the money you make after that.  So would you rather have 80% of $10, or 80% of $10 plus 70% of $100?  Gee, let's see...  I'll take the $78, not the $8, thanks.

We're not in the top 1%,  but we probably will be within a few years (if--knock on wood--we both keep our jobs), which is precisely when these tax increases will hit.  So I'll be (I hope) working in a job I love in a city I love, making more than I would be anywhere else but taking home less than I would living almost anywhere else because of city taxes...  And I still think this tax reform is a darn good idea.  It doesn't solve the inequities and iniquities of our current tax system, but it's a step toward a less destructive system, and a step toward investing in some of the right priorities (such as education and benefits for veterans).

And that concludes my little tax rant, which I am sure is pretty much opposite to everything you hear on certain "news" channels (or from certain of my beloved family members).  But I will add this:  many of our current economic troubles can be traced, directly and indirectly, to the long-term transfer of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy.  Stopping that trend and redressing some of the past harm is pure national self-interest.

I don't think I'm a pinko commie and I'm very much in favor of making more money my own self (shoes to buy, people!), but once in a while I suppose my religious ancestry exhibits itself in this crazy streak of wanting fairness, even if it may cost me a pair--several dozen pairs--of shoes.

And The Best Part Is . . .

They were all on sale.  A really good sale.  So I spent less on the whole shoes-and-boots purchase than I was originally budgeting for just the boots.  Good, huh?

Now I'm back to being a little crazed at work.  This morning I woke up with my mind going a mile a minute on a project, and that always means things are starting to get intense.  Intense is good, just a little tiring sometimes, and I have a hard time getting everything done that I need to for life outside the office. 

Such as getting my cell phone fixed.  For some reason it's decided it doesn't like to speak to the system so I've got no signal.  I find that rather nonfunctional.

It's Not That I'm Eager For Winter

But I got a fabulous winter coat. TFL picked it out, actually, and insisted I buy it. I think it may be the first time ever he's done something like that. It is a beautiful coat, though.

And yes, Mom, it's black.

Now I just need boots and I'm all set for the wintry walk to work. I guess I can wait a few more months.

Interviewing Alums

Things are looking a bit ghastly, are they not? The market crashing and burning, the ugliness being stirred up at political rallies, the outrageously lacksadaisical blog posting.

But I'm not going to talk about any of that.

I took an interviewee from my law school out for lunch today. Fun! (Wickedly expensive as we blew right by the spending limits.) It's so odd to be on the other side of the interview table, so to speak. This girl has nothing to worry about--warm, friendly, on law review, interviews everywhere you could want. Not so much for people a little less lucky--she said some others are struggling badly to even get callbacks. My heart really goes out to those who have struggled to get into these top law schools and then are still having trouble getting a job, as they watch their student loan balances soar. Ouch. Really, anyone who's graduating or looking for a job right now is in for such a tough time. I'm thanking my lucky stars I got my job when  I did, and that TFL managed to land a job too.

No, our flat still hasn't sold. Know anyone who wants to rent a lovely vintage flat? Very roomy, just a block from the lake... I guess what I'm saying is that we have jobs and we're still going to be hurting from this catastrophe we call our economy. I don't think anyone's escaping without some pain.