Return of the Sunday Night Blues...

So unfortunately, my return to the workforce has been accompanied by the return of the Sunday Night Blues.  You know what I'm talking about, that doom that sets in about mid-afternoon Sunday when you realize that the weekend is over and you have five long days of work awaiting you.  Even more depressing is that fact that I only accomplished 25% of the things on my to-do list. I sure got spoiled during my month off.

You're prolly wondering about my first week at the new job. I am happy to report that things are good so far, although 99.9% of my week was spent on various forms of training, meaning I don't really have a good indication of what work will actually be like.  The trip to New York was cool, but totally exhausting. One of the most important things I learned, however, is that I get to wear jeans every Friday. That deserves a woot woot. I've also learned my closet is completely unprepared for a business casual dress code.  I basically have super nice business attire and then suuuuuper casual weekend attire. Luckily I am back in Houston, where there are actually clothing stores to shop in!

I'm baaaaaack....

After what was too long of a hiatus, Beaumont Legal is back in business.  Although I guess I should consider a blog name change because I'm now back in Houston getting ready to start work at Big Firm on Monday (!!!).  But let's face it, I'm waaay too lazy to come up with another name for this blog, so Beaumont Legal it remains.

I'm (unsuccessfully) trying not to freak out about starting work on Monday, and it's definitely hard to say goodbye to the last month of pure leisure that I've had since I wrapped up my clerkship. But, there is part of me that is ready to get back into a routine fo sho.

Here's a quick run down on how I spent the last four weeks of work-less bliss:

• Sort of started an exercise regimen.  Despite the fact that I am most decidedly NOT a morning person, I am determined to work out regularly and for it to get done, it must get done in the morning.  This will require me to go to a FIVE THIRTY AM exercise class twice a week, plus one class on the weekend.  Can I do it? Time will tell.  But I did try out a few fun classes (held at a reasonable hour) over the past several weeks, including one today called Night Club Cardio.  This class consisted of doing dirty dance moves for 1 hour.  One move actually required you to spank yourself during a booty pop while the (homosexual) instructor yelled "bad girl! you shouldn't have had that pizza last night!" If you think I'm joking, well, you'd be wrong.  But it was actually a ton of fun.
• Mini Bro-union in the land of fruits and nuts.  A few of my law school bros and I went out to Los Angeles to visit our friend R, who moved there after graduation.  Such fun was had.  She had secretly become betrothed! I had the best drink of my life (take fresh basil, mint, lime, agave, vodka, ice and blend.  Then die.) We got silly playing board games (shout out to the F-blast - if you get it, then you get it). I didn't see any celebs, but I did explain to my compadres how every landmark we passed related back to a certain episode or storyline in Beverly Hills 90210.
• I moved. Twice. It was horrible, and that's really all I have to say about that.  But, I'm finally settled in my new home and I'm loving it.
• Developed New TV Obsession. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders - Making the Team.  If you like cheesy reality TV and judging other people (like I do), check it out.

Well, that's about it for now. I've got to go pack because tomorrow I'm off to NY for Big Firm orientation Monday morning. YIKES. 

Things In My Belly

Things in my belly on this Fat Tuesday:

Breakfast:
Boiled Egg
Orange
(pretty reasonable right? Well, it's all downhill from here)

Lunch:
Multiple pieces of pre-lunch bread. Buttered, natch. (This is mostly my boss's fault because she made me wait until after 12 to eat)
Beef Tenderloin Salad from Saltgrass

"Snack"
THREE (yes, you read that right) pieces of bavarian creme king cake
1 piece of ice cream cake from Marble Slab
(Four pieces of cake this afternoon, what's wrong with me?? The kitchen at my office is where diets go to die.)

Dinner:
cheesy tortilla
pasta with cheese
pb&j saltines

Yep, it's Fat Tuesday alright.

Oh, in other news, I'm watching the Biggest Loser on TV right now. Irony, I love it.

File This Under Things I Don't Understand

Why do we need these new McDonalds "chicken nugget bites," or whatever they are called?  Are Americans really too lazy to eat two bites of a regular chicken nugget?? Which, by the way, is - by definition - already small.  It's a nugget.

I just don't get it.

WTF, Universe

So, it seems like everyone and their mom has been getting engaged lately. Seriously, I can think of four ladies off the top of my head who've had a ring put on it in the last 30 days.  Add to that the fact that my ex - who I dated on and off for 10 years - just got engaged to a girl he's been with for about five minutes (comparatively, that is), and it's sometimes hard for a single gal to keep her chin up.

Remember those games you played as a little girl? Like the one where you wiggle the tab of the coke can back and forth and recite the alphabet, and the letter it breaks off on is the name of the person you are going to marry? Or when you are listening to the radio and you tell yourself, "ok, the next song is going to be the precursor for the rest of my life." So, I decided to play one of those games tonight.

I was unwrapping one of life's greatest pleasures - a Dove dark chocolate piece (the kind with the little messages on the inside of the wrapper) - and I told myself that the message on the inside would determine my "love destiny." (I know, I'm awesome.)

Yep, you read that right - CELEBRATE FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

What are you trying to tell me, universe???

***UPDATE - On further reflection, I realized this post may make me sounds like a bitter, negative Nancy.  It was mostly meant to be funny. But, I just want to make clear that I truly feel happy for all my lovely friends who've found their "person." I just also wouldn't mind finding mine :)

February Update

So, it's been a month since I've listed my resolutions. Here's an update.

1 - I have definitely been making healthier choice, with the occasional splurge of course. It helps that my coworkers have been trying to be healthier too. I'm drinking regular Green Monsters and just generally eating more fruits and veggies and less junk. And, I've had 2 random ladies (my dry cleaner lady and a lady in my neighborhood) tell me that I look like I've lost weight! Although the scales tells me that I have, in fact, not actually weight.

2 - I am VERY happy to report I drink 48 oz of water *almost* every day! I generally don't do as well on weekends, but overall I'm super psyched about my progress on this one.

3 - I am also doing better at keeping my house clean. Each weekend I've been picking an area to get--and keep--in order. That seems to be a good strategy for me.

4 - Haven't paid down any credit card debt, but I have cut back significantly on using my card. Yay.

5 - I've memorized three out of the five assignments in Ryan's Project Scripture. Woot!

Ok, so maybe I'll update on my resolutions again. But let's be honest, I probably won't. For now I'm trying to psych myself up for the weekend ahead! It's a busy one - coaching UH moot court team Saturday morning, helping to throw a wedding shower Saturday afternoon, and a bachelorette party Saturday night!  Then Sunday I have church, an interview with a family I may babysit for (yay for money) and a Superbowl party at my coworker's house back in Beaumont. I'm stressed about how busy it's going to be!! When am I going to be able to fit in what I like to call my "sitting around" time??

But we will be making these babies at the Superbowl party and I Can. Not. Wait. I've seriously been dreaming about them for 2 weeks.

My Sad Life

So I've discovered that my favorite snack is no longer being sold in Texas!

Y'all - this is really upsetting me!! You have NO IDEA how good these pretzels are. I first discovered them when I was babysitting for my neighbor. (The babysitting pantry raid - you know you've done it).  Anyway, I started buying them for myself.  Then, I was at this neighbor's house a couple weeks ago and she mentioned that she can't find them in stores anywhere. So, I went online and guess what?? No Rold Gold Cinnamon Raisin pretzels in Texas anymore.  And guess what else? I CAN'T FIND ANYWHERE TO BUY THEM ONLINE. (As an aside, what the hell?? You can buy pretty much anything on the Interwebs these days. Anything, apparently, except these delish pretzels).

The bag in my pantry is almost gone, I don't know what I'm going to do. And that makes me sad about my life - because who gets this upset about cinnamon raisin pretzels?? Another thing that's sad? I am blogging about this on Friday night.

Anyway, if any of my out-of-towner friends see these at their local grocery stores, pick me up a few bags. I'll really owe you one.

What's Up

So, last week-ish I was chastised again by my dear friend (hey KB!) about the fact that I never post on my blog.  I just don't feel like I have anything interesting to say! Because while my friends are doing things like buying new cars and arguing motions for summary judgment, I've been:

*Spending $225 to fix my washer & dryer (YES! The both broke at the same time. WTF.)

*Cleaning out my garage because it flooded and all the boxes that I have not unpacked since my move got wet (Yeah I moved in August 2010, what's your point?)

*Taking down my Christmas decorations (don't judge)

*Making a list of all the electronics in my office for our building management.  Why they need to know that I have a radio and a cup warmer is beyond me. As for my space heater, under the new building policy I now need to have a "doctor's prescription" if I want to keep that. Um... ok.

*Receiving a great birthday pressie in the mail today. Love these earrings. Thanks, LS!

*Buying this dress. I love it. But don't worry - it was 35% off, plus I had a giftcard, so I'm still working on that paying off debt thing.

That's about it I think. Alright KB, it may not have made you laugh, but it's a post and it's not a post about not posting. :)

Resolutions

So, Happy 2012! I haven't blogged in ... awhile.  Sorry. I'm hoping to do better on the blogger front this year.  I am pretty excited about this year - I have a feeling it's going to be full of good things for me! Not the least of which will be my full-time return to H-town! (Will I need to change the name of this blog? Something to think about.)

Anyway, in the spirit of the new year and because I saw my friend Per Stirpes do it, I thought I'd share some of my goals for 2K12.

1 - Make Healthier Choices - so I am shooting for being healthier rather than the traditional lose weight resolution. Things like eating more fruits and veggies, lean meats, not stuffing myself with sweets every single day at the office, not skipping out on walking my dogs, etc. Hopefully I'll also lose weight too. Ha!

2 - Drink at least 48 oz of Water a Day - This kind of goes with resolution #1, but I wanted to list it separately because I make this resolution EVERY year, and EVERY year I fail at it.  But this year I won't fail.  In fact, if I accomplish only one of my goals this year, I want it to be this one.

3 - Keep my House Clean - I tend to be a slob, be a neater person.

4 - Pay Down Credit Card Debt - This goal will mostly be accomplished in the latter part of this year, when I get a law firm job.

5 - Participate in my friend Ryan's idea for Project Scripture. Learn a new verse every week.

Ok that's it! Let's hope I can accomplish at least a few of these goals!

Cuteness

A conversation that occurred between me and the two cutest dogs last week.

So cute, right??

A Delayed Love Letter

So, as many of you know I sold my car earlier this summer. The Pathfinder, P-Finder, or Grey Ghost, as my dad liked to refer to her. (He is such a cheese ball). WARNING: Ultimate display of cheesy sentimentalism over a material possession follows.

Anyway, this was a difficult decision for me. I LOVED that car - it was my first car that I got new - and we'd been together 10 years. And when my dad bought it for me, it was totally top of the line. He let me get all the bells & whistles & gadgets and it was just so much fun. In the later years, it would often get really junked out, but then I'd get it washed and condition the leather seats and marvel at how freaking awesome the car remained even ten years and 140,000 miles after our relationship began. In the end, I was worried that, with my long commute to and from Beaumont, the girl wouldn't last until I got to my new job at the law firm and could afford another new car. So, I bought my dad's Prius.

Anyway, the P-finder and I shared some great, and some not so great, but definitely defining, memories. I can't believe I drove that car off the lot when I was 20 years old! She was with me though college, my first few years as a working girl, law school, and - now - to Beaumont.  I drove her to graduations and job interviews. She carried me through my parents' divorce.  She saw my relationship begin - and end - with my first and so far, only, love. I brought both of my dogs home in that car. I lived in seven apartments during her life span.

Oh yeah, and our first weekend together, my college roomie forced me to drive one of her very drunk sorority sisters home from a party. And that lovely girl promptly vomited alllllll over my backseat. The next day was really rainy, so none of the car washes were open. That was fun.

The first couple weeks after I got the car, I was driving around my high school friend, Sara, and she was making a fuss over how awesome my car was. I'll never forget what she said, "Sarah, I mean, when you are driving this thing around do you just feel like a rapper?" And I really did. (I was sort of ghetto fabulous in high school. I still love me some Fat Pat, Biggie, Puff Daddy (as he was known then) and Lil' Troy.)

The lady I sold it to bought it for her son, a college kid here in Beaumont.  It is his first car. When he test drove it, he turned the stereo way up and pushed the seat way back. I think they were a good fit. I am really hoping he has as many defining moments and wonderful memories with the P-finder as I had.

And now every time I pass a silver pathfinder on the road, I look and see if it's mine.

Baby James

If I can ever get my camera to work, I'm going to upload pics from my super fun vaycay to Michigan over July 4th weekend.

But today I want to share this blog about an inspiring couple who just lost their beautiful 8-month old son, James, to a brain tumor. I saw a link to their blog on facebook about 10 days ago, and I've had my mind on this family ever since.  Despite the loss of their son, this couple is an inspiring example of faith, and I was really moved by their story.  If you have any money to spare, please consider donating to the fund they established in honor of James. All contributions will go toward research on Rhabadoid tumors, which is what their son had and which is a relatively new tumor with a very low survival rate. I know I'll be making a contribution after my next payday.

Neglect

For the two readers that I may (or may not) have left, I realize that I have sorely neglected this blog. I promise I'll be back soon with a post full of fun pictures of all the fun things I've been doing.  In the meantime I leave you with my favorite internet finds of the day:

**All cards from www.somecards.com.

Adventures in Car Sales

So, last week I listed my car for sale (which is really sad, but that is for a different post). I've gotten a bunch of calls on it, but this one this morning has been my favorite so far.

Guy: "Yeah, how much are you asking for the pathfinder?" (Keep in mind this is listed prominently in my ad.)

Me: "$6,200"

Guy: "How about $5,000?"

Me:  "No, it's been on the market less than a week, I'm not ready to come down $1,200."

Guy:  "How much will you come down?"

Me:  "Ah, maybe $200-300."

Guy:  "Oh, so you're asking $5,900"

Me:  "Noooo, I am asking $6,200. I'm willing to negotiate down a bit."

Guy:  "I want to pay $5,000."

Me:  "Well, then you need to keep looking for another car."

Mind you, this was all before he had even looked at the car. Ordinarily, if you're going to try to negotiate with someone I think you'd first find out if they are willing to negotiate. Then, go see the car and point out to them all the little (or big) things that are wrong with it to talk them down. That's what I would do anyway. Selling you car by yourself is definitely an adventure!

Lately... In Pictures

So, I've obviously been neglecting my blog.  So much so that my friend posted a stern message on my facebook page calling me out for being a bad blogger. So, this one is for you, K.

I have been really busy lately.  Doing what? Well, I've been to two out-of-town weddings.  The first was in Austin, and my lovely high school friend S got hitched overlooking Lake Travis. Apparently these rich people on the lake own so much land and are so rich that they decided to build a  pavilion and rent it out to people for events. Oh, and they just had a camel roaming the property. No big deal. It was an absolute blast. Please excuse my sweaty self in this photo as it was quite hot out there. Oh, and the other highlights of the trip was getting (1) Mexican Eggs Benedict at Trudys Saturday morning before the wedding and (2) Torchy's Tacos Sunday morning after the wedding. For some reason my trips to Austin always revolve around eating. Oh, and I also got to see my lovely high school friend, A, and her daughter, who live in the land of fruits and nuts.

Then two weeks ago I celebrated another friend, (also) S's marriage. It was waaaaaaay out in Marathon, Texas, which is about an hour east of Big Bend. To get there I had to fly to Midland and then rent a car for the 3 hour drive west to Marathon. (My rental car was a white 2-door 'Stang!) It may have been a long trip, but it was totally worth it. It was an entire weekend of partying. And the wedding Saturday was like spending the afternoon in the Great Gatsby. S held her reception in a neighboring garden to the hotel and set up games like bean bag toss, ping pong, and face painting. Oh, and she had a ice cream stand. Then Saturday night her wedding party threw a "kids" only karaoke bash. Absolutely fabulous.

Then, over Memorial Day I visited A at the beach house she rented in Galveston. Had so much fun - I hadn't been to the beach in maybe like 10 years.  Saturday night we went and ate hamburgers at this little diner place nearby and I had what may have been the best hamburger I'll ever eat in my life.

This weekend I babysat pretty much all weekend for these cuties, who live in my neighborhood.

Let's see ... in other news, we had our first summer interns start work in chambers last week. I had NO IDEA how annoying I was as a 1L summer 'tern. They don't know a-ny-thing. Each of them got a pending motion to work on, and basically it's their responsibility to research it, figure out which way the court should rule, and draft an opinion.  And it's like they don't understand the concept of research. They keep coming to me and my co-workers asking, "what's the answer to this? what is the law on this?" Every single time I say, "I don't know, research it. Research it. RESEARCH IT." Ugh. 1Ls.

Thanks for hanging with me, dear readers. I'll try to post before another month passes me by.

Coming Fall 2012

                        photo from celebritystatus.com

Most of you have already heard me gushing about this but ... JAMES FRANCO IS COMING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL AT UofH in 2012!!!!!!! I love love love James Franco.  He is my number one celeb crush.

This just so happens to be the time I am returning to Houston full time as well. Coincidence? I think not.

I am thinking I am going to lurk around Montrose coffeehouses until I run into him. Then I will say, "Hey, James Franco, I think you are super hot and super interesting. Would you like to go get a drink?"* And he will say yes. And that, my friends, will be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

*I realize this is a rather lame pickup line, but luckily I have approximately 16 months to come up with something better.

Nostalgia

So I just got off the phone with my Friend (capital F) Kelly.  And I was feeling a little wistful and nostalgic before our conversation. But, man, the memories are a lot thicker now.

For a little background, I was pretty lame for about 7/8th of law school. I really only came out of my shell about this time last year and, you know, starting showing people that I truly can *dominate* at socializing and generally being awesome. And in the process I solidified a number of friendships that I hope will last forever.

Whether it was Nikhitapaloozaing or attending random Thunder Down Under after parties, I just can't believe that was a year ago. It doesn't seem possible, and I feel sad that those days are getting farther and farther away. (Disclaimer - I am a very sentimental person). And now we are all off on our own adventures, whether it is being a real life Demi Moore a 'la A Few Good Men or being so faboosh in L.A. that your own shadow needs a casting agent or ... watching bad reality TV in Beaumont. I never thought I'd look back so fondly at the summer I spent studying for The Bar. But I wish I could go back and put those days in a bottle.  I really do miss it.  And I miss you, bros.

My Lovies

So my life has been pretty boring lately. Hence, no blog posts. Dear readers, all three of you, I'm sure you've really been yearning to hear from me! Unfortunately, I still have nothing to say.  So today, cute dog pics.

                                             Penny Lane is a dedicated yoga practitioner

                                                    Oh yeah, and she's really pretty.

                               Finn is precious and likes hanging out with cute girls.

That's all folks. I'll try to put together a real post soon.

Ridiculous (Or, as I like to say, "Ridic") Things

So I just haven't had much to write about lately. So I thought I'd dedicate this post to ridiculosity.

Over drinks last weekend (to wish a dear friend well on her next adventure), I was discussing with my friends the persistent problem of my undershirt/camisole etc. that I inevitably wear everyday under my work clothes riding up. It's a real pain. Like, my shirt gets all lumpy. It's awkward to feel your undershirt up around your boobs while your "real" shirt is still properly in place, you know what I'm saying? Luckily, my dear friends were able to offer me a couple of suggestions.

The Essential Poplin Bodysuit, i.e., the button down that's also a leotard! This would certainly fix my problem.

Problem is ... it's a thong. Like, HOW could that be comfortable. I'm nervous just thinking about it.

And then there is ... drumroll please ... THE CAMI SECRET.  Really, this video is a must see.

All jokes aside, I may invest in the cami secret.

My Property Management Company is Worthless

Me, this morning before work:  "Hi, Property Manager, I am locked out of my house."

**By the way, this is after I have called the office approximately 35 times from my neighbor's house. "Our office opens at 8 a.m.," my ass!

Property Manager: "Oh no . . . Well, drive on over here and get your spare key then."

Me:  "Um, yeah, I don't have my keys???"