Monday, September 19, 2011

Monday Bleeting, brought to you by Daubert

- Sometimes I think shutterfly sends me discount code emails just to mock me. I made a photo book for each of Landon's first 3 years and now he's turned 4 and Claire's turned 1 without any photobooks forthcoming. But if I could make one this week, I'd get 50% off!

- I billed 8.5 hours yesterday to research and write a complicated, frighteningly important Daubert motion (i.e. winning the motion = tens of millions of dollars excluded from expert report and testimony). I worked at the office from 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. It is creepy to be the only light on in a whole building. A security guy walked by around 1 a.m. and scared the ever living hell out of me.

- I slept for 3.5 hours and then work-dreamt an idea on how to better organize my motion. I flew out of bed, took a 2 minute shower, and am now mired in the middle of my re-write. I'm feeling optimistic though, at least when I'm not overwhelmed by the cases and deposition transcripts surrounding me on all sides of my desk.

- At one point this morning JP--a JP who knew I got less than 4 hours of sleep and planned to sleep in this morning--popped his head in the bathroom with, "did you say you could take the kids this morning?" And my head exploded with, "NO OF COURSE I DIDN'T SAY THAT! I'M SUPPOSED TO BE SLEEPING RIGHT NOW! GET UP EARLIER WHEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE KIDS SO YOU DON'T ASK ME EVERY FREAKING TIME IF I CAN DO IT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO SAY NO AND IT'S IRRITATING TO HAVE TO." But I translated my #%*@#$(! to a simple "No." and he said "Okay, love you." and left with them. Sometimes I think that impulse to translate all the yelling to the simple answer is the basis of a successful marriage. Not that yelling doesn't ever have its place.

- In a fit of madness last week I ordered a pair of moccasins online. I haven't decided if I can pull them off, but ohmygod they are so comfortable. Never in my adult life have I owned a pair of shoes with nothing to offer except comfort. Usually, when I see other people in Comfortable Shoes it makes me wince (oh man are there some ugly ones out there; wide straps are never good people, never). They look like a pair of grandpa slippers, and they might be ugly, but they swaddle my feet in softness and light. The box remains under my desk with its return mailing slip hanging out the side. For $40 I really should keep them, even if I never wear them out of the house, but a little part of me feels like grandpa moccasins are just one step away from crocs and that's a cliff I can't jump off.

- We just got an invitation to JP's cousin's wedding in Florida. We have a legitimate conflict, which is good, because a wedding is probably an inappropriate venue to see his parents for the first time in 18 months. Though I'm sad to lose out on a chance to put Landon in a mini suit and Claire in a fancy party dress.

Alright, back to Westlaw, Daubert, and legal masterpiece-in-progress.

13 comments:

  1. Come to the dark side of Comfortable Shoes! (But really, there is some middle ground between 4-inch heels and grandpa slippers.) Maybe people are laughing and pointing at my sensible shoes, but when I'm seventy I'll still be able to walk.

    Sometimes I think that impulse to translate all the yelling to the simple answer is the basis of a successful marriage.

    Especially with a new baby, I keep so much sleep-deprivation-fueled suppressed rage inside, and our marriage is so much better for it.

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  2. Ha, yes. And I do have comfortable shoes- I'm wearing my gold glitter flats right now, I just don't have any shoes whose sole attribute is comfort. Usually it's more of a secondary bonus. Some people manage to make the moccasins + jeans + sweater look very cute, but I'm not yet sure if I'm one of those people.

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  3. Ugh, good luck on Daubert. I love the commentary on the in-the-head screaming. It's a common occurrence in my head, which makes me wonder how often B does it in his head as well. I say keep the moccasins! Just employ rules about where they are allowed to go...and do not cross over to the Crocs dark side!

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  4. Comfortable shoes always have a place - even Crocs (that place for Crocs is known as Walt Disney World, where you walk for miles and it's too damn hot to wear sneakers. Also, people wear fanny packs there. If you don't have fanny packs, you can still feel superior, even if you're wearing a Mickey shirt and Crocs. So I tell myself...) I would keep the moccasins and keep your rules about where to wear them - home, supermarket, target, etc. That's what I

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  5. Eventually age will make the shoe decision for you. Once I had no other choice but to ditch the beautiful heels, I didn't know why I hadn't done it sooner! I was so much happier! Now I just pity those poor gals shortening their achilles tendons for the sake of fashion! I just recently went off the "elastic waist band" cliff but I don't recommend that drastic of a change for someone so young! However, I have never been more comfortable in my life! Keep the moccasins and enjoy them!

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  6. Ugh. Daubert.

    You totally look like someone who could pull off moccasins & a sweater.

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  7. I just bought a pair of red patent-leather heals with a super pointy toe. (The red is the only redeeming thing about that sentence, in my world of shoe preferences.) So my out of character uncomfortable shoes will balance the universe and your out of character "only" comfortable shoes, and you can keep your moccasins. Shoe karma, see what I did there?

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  8. Shan, I love it! And every woman needs a pair of red patent leather heels. I have two :) (And I'm keeping the moccasins, I've grown quite attached to their grandfatherliness.)

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  9. I do not understand the shoe thing. I wear only comfortable shoes. Usually they look decent. Sometimes they look terrible. How much do I care? Zero.

    Today, my work outfit is jeans, a brown t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Because, why would I want to torture myself?

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  10. I work for a judge, and man, I love a good Daubert hearing. We have several (and by "several," I mean HUNDREDS) of asbestos lawsuits still floating around, and we just did a Daubert hearing on some crackpot doctor hired by the Plaintiffs.

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  11. I used to only wear comfortable shoes (fat strap, flat heel, wide toe box mary janes) until I realized that they were attractive to those tough-looking girls in ironic blue-collar shirts and low-riders. So... beauty in the eye of the beholder, right?

    Off topic- LL, do you exercise? Do you have time and if so, how/when do you fit it in? If not, how do you look so good? (Don't say it's the shoes. Fit flops my ass;)

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  12. I say go for the comfort (Just maybe not all the time)! My favorite comfort shoes (aside from cowboy boots which I have to say are the most comfy out-door shoes) are my muk-luk slippers. They have slipper socks and all kinds of styles. They are amazing. These stay strictly in the house for me but I think some days just call for comfy shoes.

    That morning convo "Can you take the kids today even though it's my day" sounds all too familiar!

    WNWL

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  13. Dude -- what about Ugs? I'm kinda obsessed, I don't care if people think they're fugly. Skirt + ugs + tank + hoodie = my winter gear;)

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