Monday, February 28, 2011

Penny for Your Thoughts

This weekend I had a lot of time to myself. Saturday, I got up and went for a run. Just like the first run of the season to show you just how out of shape you are. Although, in my defense, I do live in a hole, so it literally is uphill, both ways.

Anywho. On my way back, I decided to take a detour and ran into the neighbor next to mind that has a direct trail down into the lofts. I climbed down the hill, and started walking down the nature paths. I then sat upon a rock that borders river and just sat. I was thinking about my past year, what is going on now and the fact that soon I am going to have to bunker down and make a major decision. This truly is the turning point of my life. While I was out there, Sarah S. called and I told her what I was up, we discussed it for a while. Then, as if my brain had sent out some cosmic message, my  mother called.

I discussed with her the same things that were bothering me. Then, she went into freak out mode. Then, once more, I had to explain to her that things are different. There is a major generation gap between she and I. I told her to not compare her life to mine. When she was my age, she had been married for eight years and had two children. I had to explain to her that people are starting their lives later now, and not that I am acting adolescent or refusing to take the steps forward, but that I am still young. I have only been living out on my own for 7 years. Life takes a while to get use to before you can just jump in and take the reigns.

After getting off the phone with her, I scaled the cliff that is out on the trail. While I was up there, I happened to look down and found a penny. It seems someone else was thinking about me too.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

A Year With Me

Happy anniversary to myself! This weekend marks the weekend that I became free. I may not have noticed it nor wanted it at the time, but I am so thankful that it happened.

Today marks the day that I turned away and kept going. I can't lie and say that I didn't look back from time to time, specifically recalling the happier moments, but I always knew that I was better off. I didn't let a bad situation get the best of me and I certainly didn't let it hold me back.

I want to say thanks to everyone over the past year for their support, encouragement, and most importantly their friendship. This past summer would have been truly difficult without you all. The trips to the lake, Harry Potter, the pool, numerous baseball games, sushi, etc.

I needed to start putting myself first, for once, and I have.

Here's to another great year!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

What's that noise?

I was the first in the in office this morning, or at least up stairs anyhow. As I am putting my key into the door, I hear this loud buzzing. "What is that?" As I open the door, the alarm is going off. Here's the really odd part... we don't have an alarm! [pause for reaction]

So, I come in, place my things down on my desk, buzz Jacki, and then stare at the little square device that has never, never been activated since I have been here. I start pressing buttons like nothing else. Then Jacki starts pressing buttons like no one else, then I yank the damn thing off the wall. I then grab a screwdriver... don't worry, I didn't do it. I thought about it though, but the idea of death by electrocution stopped me.

Finally our maintenance man, Josh, came in. Flipped the breaker, after finding the right one. Then he left. About a few minutes later, I asked Christine when he was going to turn it off. "It is off."

"Then what is that noise?" After coming to my side of the desk, she heard it too. It sounds exactly like the alarm. Josh came back, heard it, and explained that it was the lights. He couldn't believe that I could hear it, and then I had to inform him of my unusual ears.

I have an odd sense of deafness. There are certain frequencies that I cannot hear. If you whisper around me or talk in a low voice, I won't know what you are saying. However, high pitches are my specialty.

When I was a kid, and of course growing up in the country, we had a lot of those "plug in" pests things. They make a high pitch sound that drive mice and other critters away. I could here them. I am not kidding. I was in the kitchen one day with my mom, and I asked her what that noise was. She had no idea of what I was talking about. So, I got up and started walking around the room trying to locate the source of my sound. Bingo, pests "plug in." She took me to the doctor the next day.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Ending on a high note

Last night was the first time in a while that I stayed at the gym for a full hour and did a complete workout. Cardio and all. My schedule has just been so busy lately. Plus, the added bonus that I am still sleep deprived and lacking some serious energy.

I got to the gym, learned that Wednesday is by far the busiest day there, and had to search high and low for a locker. Finally, a girl standing on the other side from me said, "There's one here." I rushed over there and thanked her. It always shocks me when someone does something nice for complete strangers.

Moving on. I changed, grabbed my stuff, refilled my water bottle and hopped on the first treadmill I came to. Following warm up, the aerobic room was jam packed, but I found a floor matt and went for it. Unfortunately all the 12 pound medicine balls were taken, so I was forced to grab the 15 lb. medicine ball. I was actually impressed with myself, and I will probably continue to use it in the future.

Then I did a portion of the workout that my trainer and I had done together last Friday. I hurt, but not nearly as bad as I had that day. Then I jumped on the elliptical for 30 minutes with the cross ramp at its max. All my old favs came on pandora. The best part, my favorite song came on as I was running my last two minutes. Great night, if I say so myself. Although, it did nothing for the fact that I am still beat from this weekend.

For this upcoming weekend, my top priority is sleep.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Officially Monday


I had completely forgotten about this picture until Mel sent it.
Cheese!
Last night was probably the best sleep that I have gotten in a long, long while. Apparently the secret is to get absolutely no sleep on Saturday night, get a 30 minute nap on Sunday afternoon, and pound your alarm 60 times the following morning. Needless to say, I dragged my butt into work this morning.

So, what happened this weekend? Cookout!

We decided to have a cookout for one of Billy's friends. It was her birthday the weekend before, and she had not celebrated it. So, Billy asked if they could stay, and I granted his request. Friday, they were suppose to come into town, but didn't. So, I went along and had my personal training session (which I am still in pain from), went to Wal-mart for some items including pillows for my guest, and then went home and finished cleaning. Later that night, I got a text from Billy...Maria wasn't coming. Too bad, on with the party!

Saturday, Billy came over around 2:00. We had lunch, got our items, purchased probane for the grill, and then sat on the wall by the river drinking Corona while the burgers marinated. How can you beat that? It was an awesome way to spend an afternoon if you ask me.

Five rolled around and people started to show up. I had Sarah N., Sarah S. and Nhut in the kitchen cutting and seasoning potato wedges,  and Darrin on the grill with the burgers and hot dogs. If you come to my house, expect to work. No free rides here.

After we ate, and had some of Melanie's muffins that she made for us (I love that woman!) we all grabbed chairs and sat out by the river drinking and shooting the breeze. Then Chris (Melaine's husband) came out to walk their new Dalmatian puppy. The girls went nuts and ran over there and played with her. Ena, the pup, got scared and hid. Poor little girl. The funny thing is that she and Mo have made great friends. They actually play together. It is the cutest thing.

Anywho. After that Mel, Billy, Darrin and I, decided to hit up down town. First stop of the night, Buddha. I had to get my bomb, had to, and it was delicious. Then we went over to 9d's since no one other than me had been there. They played songs that I had; (1) not thought of in forever; and (2) shockingly remembered all the words to. Then we headed over to see Hugh, who apparently doesn't work there anymore!?! I asked Paul what happened and he said that Hugh and his wife had split and that she still comes in the bar. Awkward to say the least.

Oh well, off to 8e's. It was a great time there. We danced, and danced, and danced some more. Then, Darrin and I couldn't find Billy, and apparently because he had snuck off the bar next door to use the restroom and ran into Junior. So, we headed over there and visited with him for a bit.

Finally, it was time to grab a cab. That was an interesting ride. The girl sitting in the front seat was telling guys off walking down the street. Two girls in the back seat sitting next to Billy passed out. All the girls had dropped and lost their phones under the seats, so we were using our phones and a flashlight to dig them out.

Finally we made it home where Chandler came and picked up Billy, because apparently their night wasn't over yet. The next morning though, Darrin and I picked him up at Dustin's, which I don't think Billy really remembers how he got over there. Dustin, Billy, Darrin and I then headed over to Transmet for a little pizza and topped it off with yogurt from Yoguri. In there they have little factoids on the wall and I had no idea that you could use yogurt rather than mayo. Learn something new everyday.

After an afternoon of the Hangover, relaxing and a nap, Darrin had to make his drive home. (Insert sad face). Then Billy and Dustin came over, had their Burger King, which I may have gotten a few fries from, and then I went to bed while Billy crashed on the couch. This morning, I couldn't get him to budge. So I left him the key and, again, dragged myself to work. I still got here early though. As an added bonus, the Girl Scout cookies that I order from my boss were on my desk. Yum!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Methodical Me

While in class, our professor constantly pushes the importance of being methodical when taking cases on. From the initial interview and throughout the entire litigation process.

Now, this professor I have had for several classes. I originally couldn't stand her. I first took her legal research class. She scared me to death! I would spend hours, hours on end in the library following class trying to complete the assignments. This was a night class mind you, so I wouldn't get home until about 10 or 11. She would usually, and still does, put me on the spot because I work at a firm. She would ask me questions, and I would usually give the correct response. However, one particular comment has stuck in my mind for the last year or so, even though we have kind of, sort of bonded. "Yes, Meredith, that is correct, but your approach is completely backwards."

This feedback rang true just a few weeks ago. We were discussing the initial client interview and she was explaining the importance of the funnel method. Ask open ended questions, and slowly, and methodically, fine tune them down the funnel. However, my brain works, as she said, completely backwards. That's right, instead of a funnel, I have a cone. I'd rather ask specific questions, determine whether there is a valid claim, and then elaborate more for the "narrative" of the situation.

My brain is methodical in that I can see the end result that I want, but rather I work backwards to eventually find out what my first steps should be. Does anyone else have this problem, or is it really just me?

Childhood Glimpse

I was making numerous copies the other day for production which seemed like it took hours on end. It probably was close to an hour actually. While I was feeding the documents into the scanner, I noticed a plethora of discarded staples on the carpet. I then proceeded to bend down and pick them up and place them into the trash. During this task, I had a flashback of my childhood.

I remember that when I was little, and I still kind of do it today, I would walk around staring at the ground. If I happened to spot something that I knew would present an issue, I grabbed it. An issue for what?

My chore was vacuuming, among other things. (Now you understand why I hate it so much and have since bought a robot for it). Every time that I would pull our dinosaur/Frankenstein monstrosity out my dad was sure to intervene. If the appliance made a noise other than its regular hum that his ear was so finely tuned to, he would immediately stop me. He would then, in the middle of the floor, take the entire appliance apart and pull the blockage out and dump it all over the floor. It was because of this that I would always wait until he either left the room or left the house, before even thinking about cleaning the carpets.

The worse part is, I have picked this trait up. A few weeks ago I was cleaning the upstairs of my loft. I keep roomba downstairs since it sees the most traffic and I have no problem just setting him lose. The upstairs however, is where I keep the upright. I was try to get at some of the cob webs that collect in the corners when I noticed that the hose was lacking in suction. So, I ripped the thing open, shoved my hand up its bowels, and pulled all kinds of wads of Mere and Mo hair out. Ewwww.

To make matters worse, apparently the vacuum had been clogged for a really long time I started pulling things out of there from when I cleaned the garage at my last house. Paper clips, safety pins, metal splinters. Not fun to say the least.

So, there it is. No matter how hard we try, we do eventually, become our parents. (Insert horror movie scream here).

Friday, February 11, 2011

Proof that I am not alone...

I was checking out my normal blogs and found something just for me. Y'all know that I am not the sappy, sap, syrupy type. (Going to be sick, bluh.)

Anywho, I found this at How About Orange.


There were some really cute other ideas for some V-day Love, and if I were a more warm and fuzzy kind of person, I would consider it.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Man Up

I have often said that I hate it when I man refuses to act like... a man. This has been the biggest issue I have faced in "getting out there."

Sarah and Katie had a person picked out for me that had been deemed worthy. Shortly thereafter, Sarah informed me that this individual was no longer a proper candidate. Apparently there were certain parts of his past that he had been keeping from his friends. The guy had a prior DUI which no one had known about, that is, until he received his second a few months ago. I can kind of sort of, if I stretch it a bit, put past the first DUI in the thinking that he was just a kid and perhaps he had learned his lesson. But a second, who is dumb enough to get a second, a second DUI?

I have learned as of last night that Katie and Sarah have picked out another. While telling me all about this supposed man, Alex (Katie's hub) brought a picture up on his phone for me. We shall see what happens with this one. In addition, Frannie has been on the hot pursuit of her future BIL. Every so often I will get a call, "I've met this guy that would be perfect for you. I like him better than the last one."

Then there is a guy that I have been friends with forever. I mean forever. He is the sweetest guy you will ever meet. Very respectful of others, yada, yada, yada. His major downfall... I am more of a man than he is. He is far too sensitive. Now, I do understand that I am going to need someone that can complete my "yin" or "yang," that is, pick up where I leave off in the emotions department. I will admit that I am a harsh person at times with impossible standards. However, I have always said that I never expect others to to do something that I couldn't do myself.

But, is it too much to ask a man to "MAN UP?" I don't think that this should be an impossible task. When Frannie met her husband, it was six months following Tara's death. He basically had to "deal" with it the moment that he met her. A guy I dated once told me that it was too much drama for him. So, basically he was telling me that I was a better man than him when I was 15, when Tara died, than he was in his adulthood. Wow!

Its because of this that I get so discouraged. I hate it when I go out with high, optimistic, expectations, and get sadly sort changed.

What does that say?

Sundays are usually, as probably with most, my relaxation day. The day to recoup from the weekend and to get geared up for the coming week. Its the day I get to sleep in, do laundry, cook breakfast for myself, and go to the gym. Normally there will be a movie playing in the background simply for some noise.

Today, while going about my normal routine I decided that I was hungry, but not enough for a full on meal. Snack time. So, I grabbed a banana and some fruit juice. While enjoying my treat, it dawned on me. I have no conventional snacks in my house. Last weekend, Billy stayed with me and stayed at my house while I went to work on Sunday afternoon and he just watched movies. When I got home, he was starving. I felt terrible. And I know that it is because he was sitting there, probably scouring my kitchen and pantry and found no, absolutely no, snacks.

What does that say about someone? All I have in my fridge are the ingredients for various meals, meats, juice, and cheese. That's it. I have no cookies, no cheese-itz, no candy bars, nada. I do have an unopened bag of chips leftover from a tailgate that I should probably throw away, but that's it. Bananas, cheese and crackers are the only things that would even remotely come close to "snacks." Further, my absolutely favorite "snack" of mine is probably celery and peanut butter.

Does that mean that I am utterly boring... or ultra health conscious?

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Um... There is no adequate explanation.

The last few days, I have been experiencing the oddest dreams. A few nights back, I dreamt that I had the cutest baby alive. The cutest. If that wasn't enough, he was super smart and did the funniest things. The odd part, aside from the thought of me having children, was that the father was someone that while I knew him, I could never, and I mean never picture myself having children with him. We would talk about, names, he would do the usual freak out, we're not ready for that, but all the while, I honestly couldn't picture it. So why is it that I am able to dream it, particularly now since this person has neither been a part of my life nor I have communicated with him in the longest time?

Then, last night, I had a dream that I died. That's right, I died, but not alone. I took someone with me. Oddly enough, me and the person from the previous dream had gotten into an altercation. I screamed my head off and then passed out. While falling to the ground, I hit something or my head did at least, and I died. I have no idea how he died, but trust me, he did.

What's stranger, is that I came back. I was a phantom and I was visiting my mother, like nothing was peculiar about that. I asked her what happened and she told me that I had fainted due to a syndrome. Apparently my subconscious mind creates new syndromes and names them. Its too funny. Then, I decided to see how this other person had died and tried to find him. Where did I? In hell. My mind had permanently condemned him to hell. A hell where all you do is make license plates.

The really disappointing thing is that when the dream was reaching its climax, in both instances, I woke up. When all was about to be revealed, and that it would all (hopefully) come together and make perfect sense, I woke up. I WOKE UP! Its the most inconvenient clock work; right at 3:00 am my eyes flew open.

Its like the Sandman from hell comes and visits me on a regular basis and broke my internal clock just for kicks and giggles.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Double Edged Sword

Last night in class, I hit a mental blockade. Something that I would have never thought would be an issue. My job is interfering with school. Now I know what you are saying: "But Mere, you are in school to learn what you already do." And you would be right. However, because I am so in tune with my job, one simple assignment is proving to be near impossible.

I have to draft a complaint. A routine task I use to do at my prior place of employment. I understand the importance of drafting a tight, no "extras," complaint. A complaint that will produce either an admission or clear denial. No wishy washy, "no knowledge sufficient" denials (fyi: they basically serve as the legal "foul ball.") I understand the purpose being so that if you receive a clear denial you can later nail them in the interrogatories. "Please set forth all facts which form the basis of you denial..."

Here is my problem... Because I have been working for a firm that specializes in civil defense, I have a hard time writing a tight complaint. My immediate thought is, "I can't put that in there. There is no wiggle room for the Defendant. How are they going to get out of that one?" I know that this is probably a bonus; that I could take my hesitations and flip them into a checklist per se. However, I have been at my job for so long now, that its against my programming. That's right, I am programed to provide you with little to no definite answers. If you want a straight forward, "Why did you" answer, you will not get it from me. Or at least not in writing.

I am trying to face this as a challenge. That after I write this "bear trap" pleading, I will have to really push myself to come up with some valid defenses for my Answer. Do a complete nose dive into OCGA and Brown's. Watch out law library, I am about to set up camp.

P.S. To my fellow P/L students... I actually used the word "conflate" in a depo index yesterday. Woot!

Formal UPL Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, form, nor fashion providing or soliciting to the readers of Wear Sunscreen legal advice. This is simply a restatement of personal experiences in connection with a completely fictitious matter that has no real bearing on anyone or thing (except my GPA).