Phew.

June 15th marked the last day I can celebrate a birthday with the number "2" in front of it and the end of another hectic period in my life.  Ryan and I finished our finals, went on our honeymoon, and as soon as we got back, I started working like a fiend.  We had a one-week jury trial in state court and getting prepared for and attending the trial was a whirlwind.  There are still boxes sitting on our conference room table and binders everywhere (I was responsible for making no less than 18 binders of exhibits, motions, deposition transcripts, and about a million other things), but it's okay because the trial is over and I'm back to a semi-normal schedule.  Normal for me is working 50 hours or less a week and having time to do things like see my husband, not just shoot him the occasional email.  To mark the beginning of normal, tonight I'm heading off to a vegetarian cooking class at Whole Foods with a friend I haven't seen since around 2009.  Color me excited.

WordPress

I've decided to switch on over to WordPress, mostly because I can and not for any very specific reasons, other than I know lots of people use it and one friend in particular strongly encouraged I make the switch.  I'm a little behind the curve on a lot of social media stuff.  I don't use the Twitter account I established for anything other than checking the soup specials at a local cafe.  I signed up for Instagram, but have no idea how people use it, other than to post pictures on Facebook.  Basically, I have far too many accounts, not enough time, I don't even know what various things are associated with my different emails addresses, etc.  So, I'm starting from scratch.  I'm changing my name/email with all of my accounts all over the place, I'm going to learn how to integrate things (a/k/a simplify my life), and it's going to take some time.

In other words, I'll be back, and hopefully better than before, just as soon as I finish my seminar paper and exams, and get back from my honeymoon with my husband.

Cookware and Crystal and Appliances, Oh My!

It's official - Ryan and I are married!  The wedding was amazing, if I do say so myself, but surreal.  We had a wonderful time celebrating with our family and friends, but it's officially time to get back to the real world.

On today's agenda is the return of some items we received and the purchase of some items we need, like pots and pans.  I know, I know, it's a pretty exciting Sunday.  Seriously, though, I'm pretty excited.  It's not every day you have enough gift cards and cash to buy your dream set of cookware or that VitaMix you've wanted since your freshman year of college but could never justify buying for your dormroom.  The problem is, I don't know what my dream set of cookware is. 

I've ruled out the copper cookware since the care is slightly more restrictive than other sets and we don't have that much in gift cards.  The All Clad, as glorious and shiny as it is, has handles and a weight to it that makes me feel like I'm going to break my wrist, and I really don't need another wrist surgery.  I thought we had settled on the Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Steel 8-piece set (with a double bonus) from Crate & Barrel, but now I'm not so sure.  Is stainless steel really the right choice for our family of three?  Isabella may not eat with us, but she's still a member of this family, and I may have t strt cooking duck and rice for her again if this itching doesn't stop.  Should I go with the non-stick cookware?  Do I forego a set of cookware and buy a mix of individual pieces?  These are real problems, people! 

Okay, maybe they aren't real problems.  We aren't starving, we have a china cabinet with beautiful crystal in it, and we have each other.  However, we do need something with which to cook our food and we've already given away most of our cookware to relatives who are either just setting up their first home away from home or are about to.  Plus, I dn't think I can convince Ryan that we will be able to survive with just our juicer, VitaMix, and All Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker, no matter how fancy those items may be.

Remebering to Breathe

This semester has been...busy.  Yes, I suppose that's the word for it, but it doesn't feel quit adequate.  It's a busier semester than last, despite the fact I started planning our wedding, was taking two more credit hours than I am now, I had two surgeries (one of which left me with a half-cast on mt right wrist for finals), another surgery right after the semester was over, and as soon as exams were over, Ryan an I both moved. 
I think I need a nap just thinking about last semester.

No time for napping, however.  Not now.  We're getting married in 17 days and I have vases that need a quasi-faux-mercury glass finish.  Work has elevated itself to a level of crazy that cannot be sustained much longer.  The guys still don't have ties for The Big Day.  I actually have to read for two of my classes this semester (the nerve of those professors), and at some point I need to write a 7,500 word paper.

In other words, I've been neglecting the blog and I still haven't sat down to figure out all the html stuff and make it pretty.  I will be back on a much more regular basis and will sit down and make the blog pretty just as soon as I take care of a few other things.  Like breathing and sleeping.  I've been told those are important. 

Hey, I've Been There

Tuesday we received a call from an attorney our firm has worked with in the past.  We served as local counsel for his firm and apparently the same parties that were involved in the last lawsuit are gearing back up for another fight over a completely diferent issue than last time.  He wanted to know if maybe we would be interested in helping them out again.

Wednesday the litigation partners (a/k/a my bosses) had a conference call with the attorney and there was discussion of filing a complaint, at least one motion, and serving a set of discovery on Thursday.  Please keep in mind this all really started to gain steam after 4 pm, I had to leave at a reasonable hour to make it to Mass (Catholic + Ash Wednesday = me skipping class to go to Mass because I couldn't get away from the office to go during the day), and I don't usually get into the office until 1 on Thursday.  Please also keep in mind that, in addition to being the formatting department, I'm also in the proof-reading department, the copying department, and the "hey can you get everything we need to file a complaint together" department.  In other words, it was going to be a busy afternoon.

And then I found out two of the parties might be Chinese.  And not Chinese as in of Chinese descent, but actually in China. 

Curses.  This is going to be insanely time consuming.

Thursday afternoon I got in a little earier than usual (thank you, magic traffic fairies), ready for the flurry of activity.  Luckily, everyone decided to wait until Friday to file everything.  I finished what I had been working on the night before, completed a couple of new projects, and got to work on researching service on foreign defendants.  Before I knew it, I was reading one of the Hague Conventions.  If that doesn't sound like a fun way to spend your afternoon, I don't know what does. 

Wait, maybe there is one thing - the Chinese don't accept this particular treaty as it was written so there were special rules involved.  Oh, yeah, and only one of the guys was in China, the other foreign defendant is in another country and that country has a separate set of rules too.  Hold on, the Chinese defendant is going to be in a European country soon so maybe we could get service there.

I found myself thinking about my summer and how much fun I had at The Hague...and wishing I was there instead of reading one of the Conventions at my desk. 

Hot Mess of Randomness

Because I know you've been wondering what's been going on in my head, here are actual thoughts I've had this week:

Should I get the small cookie scoop or the medium cookie scoop?  The small cookies will be 2" in diameter, the medium 2 3/4".  Decisions, decisions.

Calories in Valentine's themed desserts don't count, right?  I'm not talking about all desserts, just those vanilla cupcakes that have heart sprinkles and a plastic ring that says "SUGAR" stuck in the mound of white frosting.  I mean, of course I didn't eat one, I'm just wondering if I had eaten would, if the calories in it would have counted.  I vote no, so who's with me?

I'll take one of everything Williams-Sonoma makes that can be monogrammed, please.  I'm convinced All-Clad's copper-core casserole works better if it knows who it belongs to.

see link above or check out my Pinterest

Who wouldn't love a monogrammed knife?

see link above or my Pinterest

And hello, monogrammed china, where have you been all my life?!?!?

 

guess where you can find it?  yep, the link above, or here

Holy moly, I'm getting married in less than six weeks.  I really should pick a middle name.  Like pronto.  How else can I have things monogrammed?

Wow, I really have a monogram problem.  If that's my biggest problem, I think we're doing okay, so I'll allow it.

The semester is almost halfway over.  I should really sit down and figure out when things are going to be due and figure out how to get everything done in a week.  Thus far, I've just been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

So, that's all for now.  Now you know what a hot mess my brain is.  You're welcome for bringing you into the madness. 

Things You Don't Say To A Type-A, Nervous Bride

There's a certain type of bride that likes to have a little control over things.  Not just things pertaining to a wedding, but life in general.  She needs to know when meetings are scheduled, what the plan is for the weekend (okay, really, she needs to know the plan for everything), and when things don't go according to plan, it may throw her off a bit.  These people are the type that hate surprises.  This need for some sort of control may be magnified during the wedding planning process.  Also magnified during the wedding planning process is her anxiety.  You know what I'm talking about - that voice inside someone's head that's a little concerned something might not happen the way someone thinks it will and all hell will break loose.  If you know one of those brides, I would suggest avoiding saying the following things to her:

We don't have the proof for the rehearsal dinner invitations yet (47 days before the wedding).

Oh, yeah, the [wedding] dress is definitely too tight.  Honey, don't step down, I don't want you to rip it (49 days before the wedding, at the second fitting for said wedding dress, when the bride had previously insisted too much was being taken in, it needed to be made looser, and the bride has actually lost five pounds since the first fitting, thankyouverymuch).

I told a few extra people it was okay if they came/brought someone (55 days before the wedding).

There are a few fun projects I've been thinking we can do (again, 50 days before the wedding).

I really don't like the flowers you picked out for the reception.

I'm sure we can get that done the week before the wedding.

For your sanity and hers, avoid the above phrases at all costs.  She cannot be held responsible for her reactions to the above remarks.  You cannot blame her if she doesn't speak to you for a month but instead gives you nothing but death-stares whenever she sees you if you make one of the above comments.  Not that I speak from experience or anything.