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.

Why Ryan Loves Me (it's not anything you think)

Ryan's favorite thing in the world is when I get all kinds of obsessive about things.  One day, I'm happily going about my business, the next I'm overtaken by the urge to, let's say, hypothetically speaking, get a puppy.  Now. Get a puppy right NOW.

Of course, in this hypothetical, Ryan would have mentioned the three tan beagle/hound puppies that are at the Lakeland shelter where he got our precious darling Isabella.  It's possible I then kept looking at the puppies and pictures of beagles, even after he told me his family's vet recommended we not get one because they might be inclined to howl.  I may have even sent him a few emails and/or text messages he immediately get me a puppy because I was already picking out her harness and bows for her hair.

Today, it might have reached a new level of insanity when I saw the cutest pictures of those two little beagle puppies.  Yes, now we're down to two puppies because obviously someone saw the other one and took her because she was the cutest thing ever.  Naturally, I emailed Ryan a picture then sent him a text message telling him the check his email.  Now, of course, Tiffany is gone.  The calmer dog is gone.  We're down to one beagle puppy here, folks.  So I texted Ryan again and told him to get Maxine.  The text messages might have included things like "I know you're golfing with your friends" and "turn your car around, drive to Lakeland and get me that puppy."  I may have even threatened to quit my job so I could go get the dog.  It's possible I told him that he "can't ignore crazy because it just gets crazier."  Again, hypothetically speaking, of course.

Clearly my most endearing quality is the obsessiveness and he must love the text messages about the fact I will not be ignored, no matter how hard he tries.  I mean, what guy wouldn't want 10 text messages and 3 emails from his significant other, demanding he get her a puppy, while he's trying to golf with the guys?  I'm only asking because my friend wants to know.  It's not like I'd ever do anything like that.  But, if I was asking for me, it would be his fault anyway because he's the one who told me about the puppies to begin with.  Right?  Right.

Lost

Today I was informed my one of my co-workers that she never received an invitation to the wedding. WHAT!?!?!?!

Postal service, this is why you're going out of business.  She is the second person to tell me an invitation has not yet arrived.  I also just got an invitation sent back to me as undeliverable.  I Googled the address and it exists.  It's an apartment building.  I type in the address to the USPS website without an apartment number and it gives me the zip code I have on the invitation.  I add an apartment number, and suddenly, the address ceases to exist.  The address came from the woman's ex-husband and they're not on bad terms.  FedEx recognizes the address.  Why can't the postal service?

I thought maybe it was just me.  Maybe while I was stuffing envelopes and taking Percocet, I checked some off as being finished and in the stack when they weren't.  I already know I forgot to give someone a response card.  Whoops.  But two envelopes?  On two different days?  When I have very distinct memories of both envelopes, including a debate about whether the calligraphy on one of them was good enough?  That's not likely.  And I'm not taking any pain pills now and the address on the envelope mentioned above is right. 

Plus, one of my dad's friends said he thought he sent his response card back almost as soon as he received his invitation but it hasn't arrived at our house yet.  That has absolutely nothing to do with me and whether I've taken a pain pill or two.

I am not a happy camper.  How many other invitations are lost in the mail?  How many response cards won't be returned?  Why is the postal service trying to ruin my life????

Okay, that might have been a bit dramatic.  But I'm still not happy.  Guess it's a good thing I bought extra invitations.