...so, Friday I got sworn in! And other than that, it's been all work, all the time. On Friday night, friends from the office were going out to celebrate a birthday and also to drink to my swearing in, if I felt like joining them, but I was so tired from a week of work that I went home and was in bed by 7:30. Really!
It's hard to explain why it is so exhausting - there's almost no physical activity involved (I do take the stairs rather than the elevator, and occasionally we walk to lunch or the courthouse) - it's the mental effort that wears me out. On Friday, for instance, by boss said "I need you to write an opposition to this motion. It's due today, and you're swearing in at 4:30, so you'd better have it done by 3 so you can make changes before you leave." And that was at 11 or 11:30, on issues of law I had almost no experience with. I skipped lunch and got it done - and I was actually pretty happy with the end product - but it just takes tremendous focus to accomplish that kind of thing. That is exhausting.
My boss and my coworkers are fantastic. I feel incredibly fortunate to have this job at this time, because the boss in charge of my unit is very good at teaching and training. He's really tough on us in his unit, but it's with the goal of making us into good lawyers. At one time he was actually a professor in the local college, and he trained police officers, and now he is training (and carrying a caseload, and doing appeals) in the prosecutor's office. So for me, it's like I'm getting paid to go through a super intensive law school with a criminal focus. I haven't heard of anyone else with that kind of experience in their first job.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Guam bar welcomes two new attorneys...
http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8827:guam-bar-welcomes-2-new-attorneys&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156
...one of them was me!
...one of them was me!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Not much of an update...
Well, I started work on Thursday! And I wrote a nice long blog post about it, but Nick told me that it wasn't sufficiently flattering to the Office of the AG, so he suggested that I shouldn't post it. Anyone wanting to read it, email me and I'll be glad to share - in the meantime, know that it is exciting and exhausting work with some admirable attorneys... and all is well!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Best news on the web...
From now on, Wiki US News will be my first-consulted news source!
Here, for example, is their coverage of some recent political news - I was trying to grab an apposite excerpt, but really you just have to read the whole thing:
OBAMA INTENSIFIES ATTACKS ON CHAMBER
The room adamantly denies that external assets are utilised in its U.S. election efforts, accusing Democrats of orchestrating a wondering smudge crusade during a fearless semipolitical year.
President Obama, speech at a feat in Philadelphia, said “the dweller grouping merit to undergo who is disagreeable to displace their elections” and upraised the existence that foreigners could be resource his opponents.
“You don’t know,” Obama said at the feat for senate politician Joe Sestak and another Democrats. “It could be the lubricator industry. It could modify be foreign-owned corporations. You don’t undergo because they don’t hit to disclose.”
The remarks are conception of a volley of past attacks by Obama and another Democrats on questionable external impact within the politico caucus, whether finished hold for outsourcing jobs by field U.S. corporations or finished external money making its artefact into the coffers of GOP-leaning welfare groups.
The comments also become as Democrats endeavor to manage with an operation of autarkical semipolitical playing aimed at bolstering Republicans, such of it oxyacetylene by donations that do not hit to be revealed to the public. The outlay has additional to a semipolitical surround in which Democrats are in danger of losing curb of both the House and Senate.
David Axelrod, a crowning Obama adviser, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that info semipolitical donations to the room and another groups bear “a danger to our democracy.”
Axelrod also took the extraordinary travel of occupation on the room to promulgation interior documents championship up its disceptation that external money is not existence utilised to clear for U.S. semipolitical activities. Democrats hit seized on a inform by a progressive journal alleging that dues from chamber-affiliated playing councils could be utilised in that way.
“If the room opens up its books and says, ‘Here’s where our semipolitical money’s reaching from,’ then we’ll know,” Axelrod said. “But until they do that, every we hit is their assertion.”
The room has vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing them as conception of a fearless strategy to split soured a party takeover of Congress. The playing tap has vowed to pay up to $75 meg on the test elections, primarily in souvenir of Republicans.
Chamber grownup evilness chair blackamoor Collamore titled the Democratic attacks “a conspicuous endeavor to refrain a earnest communicating of Americans’ crowning antecedency – creating jobs and ontogeny the economy.”
The Democratic National Committee began transmission ads over the weekend offensive the room as “shills for bounteous business” and claiming: “It appears they’ve modify condemned external money to pay on our elections.” The ad also attacks Karl Rove, past Dubya brass semipolitical adviser, and Ed Gillespie, past politico National Committee chief, for their ties to dweller Crossroads, an autarkical assemble also outlay bounteous on election ads this year.
You don't know. It could be the lubricator industry. Look out for the Chamber Grownup Evilness Chair Blackamoor!
Here, for example, is their coverage of some recent political news - I was trying to grab an apposite excerpt, but really you just have to read the whole thing:
OBAMA INTENSIFIES ATTACKS ON CHAMBER
The room adamantly denies that external assets are utilised in its U.S. election efforts, accusing Democrats of orchestrating a wondering smudge crusade during a fearless semipolitical year.
President Obama, speech at a feat in Philadelphia, said “the dweller grouping merit to undergo who is disagreeable to displace their elections” and upraised the existence that foreigners could be resource his opponents.
“You don’t know,” Obama said at the feat for senate politician Joe Sestak and another Democrats. “It could be the lubricator industry. It could modify be foreign-owned corporations. You don’t undergo because they don’t hit to disclose.”
The remarks are conception of a volley of past attacks by Obama and another Democrats on questionable external impact within the politico caucus, whether finished hold for outsourcing jobs by field U.S. corporations or finished external money making its artefact into the coffers of GOP-leaning welfare groups.
The comments also become as Democrats endeavor to manage with an operation of autarkical semipolitical playing aimed at bolstering Republicans, such of it oxyacetylene by donations that do not hit to be revealed to the public. The outlay has additional to a semipolitical surround in which Democrats are in danger of losing curb of both the House and Senate.
David Axelrod, a crowning Obama adviser, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that info semipolitical donations to the room and another groups bear “a danger to our democracy.”
Axelrod also took the extraordinary travel of occupation on the room to promulgation interior documents championship up its disceptation that external money is not existence utilised to clear for U.S. semipolitical activities. Democrats hit seized on a inform by a progressive journal alleging that dues from chamber-affiliated playing councils could be utilised in that way.
“If the room opens up its books and says, ‘Here’s where our semipolitical money’s reaching from,’ then we’ll know,” Axelrod said. “But until they do that, every we hit is their assertion.”
The room has vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing them as conception of a fearless strategy to split soured a party takeover of Congress. The playing tap has vowed to pay up to $75 meg on the test elections, primarily in souvenir of Republicans.
Chamber grownup evilness chair blackamoor Collamore titled the Democratic attacks “a conspicuous endeavor to refrain a earnest communicating of Americans’ crowning antecedency – creating jobs and ontogeny the economy.”
The Democratic National Committee began transmission ads over the weekend offensive the room as “shills for bounteous business” and claiming: “It appears they’ve modify condemned external money to pay on our elections.” The ad also attacks Karl Rove, past Dubya brass semipolitical adviser, and Ed Gillespie, past politico National Committee chief, for their ties to dweller Crossroads, an autarkical assemble also outlay bounteous on election ads this year.
You don't know. It could be the lubricator industry. Look out for the Chamber Grownup Evilness Chair Blackamoor!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
perfect tens
Yesterday morning, Nick went to the grocery store for a couple items. The bill? Exactly 10.00.
Later we went to Kmart for some things we needed around the house. The bill? Exactly 100.00.
The date yesterday? 10/10/10.
Later we went to Kmart for some things we needed around the house. The bill? Exactly 100.00.
The date yesterday? 10/10/10.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Seven months!
Ha! Yesterday was our seven-monthiversary. Over halfway to a year! A funny seven months, here on Guam, where every day looks exactly the same. A good seven months. The best seven months yet!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
more certain yet
After a few weeks of not hearing much from the potential Employer, yesterday I got a phone call saying "your drug test is this afternoon at 3:30." So, I took the drug test. This is good! As far as I know, that is the last step before getting a start date.
Last night Nick and I thought we'd get dinner out to kinda-celebrate (without tempting fate) the kinda-certainty that it looks like I'll actually start working. I had a ramen restaurant in mind, but it started pouring down a terrible rain, so we decided to go to the closest place, a bar and grill that brews its own beer and makes a pretty decent gumbo.
When we got there, something fortuitous happened - we went inside and saw one of the newer prosecution hires, a guy who seems really nice but whom we'd never really gotten the chance to talk to. He invited us to sit by him. He was in the middle of a jury trial, and he was really communicative and really gracious - I have had all kinds of questions about prosecution, and he was more than willing to answer them for me. He has been doing criminal law for many years, though (like me) he had a different track picked out when he started law school. But talking to him it is clear that he's a great prosecutor. He gave me a few pieces of really excellent advice and made me feel more certain about prosecution than I've ever been before.
Last night Nick and I thought we'd get dinner out to kinda-celebrate (without tempting fate) the kinda-certainty that it looks like I'll actually start working. I had a ramen restaurant in mind, but it started pouring down a terrible rain, so we decided to go to the closest place, a bar and grill that brews its own beer and makes a pretty decent gumbo.
When we got there, something fortuitous happened - we went inside and saw one of the newer prosecution hires, a guy who seems really nice but whom we'd never really gotten the chance to talk to. He invited us to sit by him. He was in the middle of a jury trial, and he was really communicative and really gracious - I have had all kinds of questions about prosecution, and he was more than willing to answer them for me. He has been doing criminal law for many years, though (like me) he had a different track picked out when he started law school. But talking to him it is clear that he's a great prosecutor. He gave me a few pieces of really excellent advice and made me feel more certain about prosecution than I've ever been before.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
All is well.
After I posted that poem on Sept. 22, Nick and I were told the very sad news which anyone reading this already knows. It was too sad to write about, but too important to write about anything else, so I just had to give this blog a break for some time. This was made easier as we started a new housesitting assignment in a place with no internet, telephone or TV. It's a small, peaceful house on Guam's pristine east coast, and staying here has given Nick and me a chance to relax and reflect.
So, all is well. They just hooked up phone, TV and internet service, so now we're online and it's time to get back in touch.
As for news from Guam? There isn't much, really. My paperwork is still in being processed by the department of administration, but I had a phone call from them last week which makes me think it might be done this week; I'm tentatively hoping to be able to start working next week.
A snafu in the AG's office has resulted in Nick taking on a second court calendar day; he's going to be twice as busy as before, but I don't think he is too worried. Anyways, there is no court this week, so it won't really be an issue until next week.
We're still waiting on the Other Car's insurer to get back to us with our claim - I think Nick plans on calling them today. The poor crumpled Alfa is in its parking spot, just where the tow truck left it. Nick, I think, is pretty well recovered from the accident, but my sprained hand and strained neck/shoulder are still giving me pain.
And of course, the Saints and Michigan both won their games this weekend, so we are pretty satisfied with football these days.
In two days we'll have our seven-monthiversary, and four days later will mark one year since we became engaged. I think it will take another post to share our thoughts on what an extraordinary year it has been, so I'll close this one for now.
So, all is well. They just hooked up phone, TV and internet service, so now we're online and it's time to get back in touch.
As for news from Guam? There isn't much, really. My paperwork is still in being processed by the department of administration, but I had a phone call from them last week which makes me think it might be done this week; I'm tentatively hoping to be able to start working next week.
A snafu in the AG's office has resulted in Nick taking on a second court calendar day; he's going to be twice as busy as before, but I don't think he is too worried. Anyways, there is no court this week, so it won't really be an issue until next week.
We're still waiting on the Other Car's insurer to get back to us with our claim - I think Nick plans on calling them today. The poor crumpled Alfa is in its parking spot, just where the tow truck left it. Nick, I think, is pretty well recovered from the accident, but my sprained hand and strained neck/shoulder are still giving me pain.
And of course, the Saints and Michigan both won their games this weekend, so we are pretty satisfied with football these days.
In two days we'll have our seven-monthiversary, and four days later will mark one year since we became engaged. I think it will take another post to share our thoughts on what an extraordinary year it has been, so I'll close this one for now.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sept 22
In Guam beneath the harvest moon the heavy raindrops fall
upon the trembling palm-fronds as the taotaomona call;
In Michigan the air feels brisk, the green leaves start to turn;
the windows shut, and on the hearth a fire begins to burn.
In cool Carmel the evening mist comes creeping on the land,
the restless gray Pacific breakers crashing on the sand.
Seattle gloom: no moon shines through the everpresent clouds,
as on the sound great vessels loom and slip through foggy shrouds.
New Orleans' streets, dark mysteries and lonesome spirits roam,
but in the bars, they'll party 'til the Saints come marching home.
And down in Houston, summer's heat still clings to street and wall,
but through the oaks a soft breeze whispers hints of coming fall.
Now Guam's first autumn sunset, and the moon begins to wane:
how many months will pass until we see you all again?
upon the trembling palm-fronds as the taotaomona call;
In Michigan the air feels brisk, the green leaves start to turn;
the windows shut, and on the hearth a fire begins to burn.
In cool Carmel the evening mist comes creeping on the land,
the restless gray Pacific breakers crashing on the sand.
Seattle gloom: no moon shines through the everpresent clouds,
as on the sound great vessels loom and slip through foggy shrouds.
New Orleans' streets, dark mysteries and lonesome spirits roam,
but in the bars, they'll party 'til the Saints come marching home.
And down in Houston, summer's heat still clings to street and wall,
but through the oaks a soft breeze whispers hints of coming fall.
Now Guam's first autumn sunset, and the moon begins to wane:
how many months will pass until we see you all again?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
