Time for spring cleaning, so I have a new blog. It's at missyraffy.wordpress.com. So time to change all those bookmarks because I'm moving. :)
NOTE: It's at wordpress.com, not blogspot.com. Though I did take missyraffy.blogspot.com just in case I get bored with wordpress in the future. :)
Monday, May 12, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
Prayers Please.
Okay, so I know not everyone does the whole prayer thing, but thoughts are appreciated too, as are good vibes, chants, incantations, potions or the sort.
My cousin was seriously injured this morning in a car versus bike accident. Unfortunately, he was the bike. As in bicycle, not motorcycle. Here are the news stories: WTXL, WCTV, Tallahassee Democrat.
So please keep his health and recovery, as well as my aunt in thoughts and prayers. As I sure you can tell by the photo, I'm sure they can use them.
My cousin was seriously injured this morning in a car versus bike accident. Unfortunately, he was the bike. As in bicycle, not motorcycle. Here are the news stories: WTXL, WCTV, Tallahassee Democrat.
So please keep his health and recovery, as well as my aunt in thoughts and prayers. As I sure you can tell by the photo, I'm sure they can use them.
As a small soap box as an aside, this whole getting the public involved in the news by allowing them to comment on news stories in insane. I was reading the comments to these stories (very very bad idea) and they were infuriating and the ignorance just brought tears to my eyes. One guy actually said: "Someone needs to get the drunk homeless people off the streets!!!! They are always hanging aroung lake ella and it's a pain trying to drive. They walk wherever they feel like!!! Why don't cops give them j-walking tickets?" WHAT THE HELL!??!? Are you f'ing kidding me?!?! He was NOT drunk, is NOT homeless (while his home right now is the ICU at Shands), and he was NOT walking - he was riding a bike! These people are just insanely ignorant, and mean and horrible. Everyone is all for the world being more "green" and encouraging us to drive less and bike more and then they make comments like this. Stupid.
I swear. . . .
Another one bites the dust. Yesterday I was sworn into the Illinois Bar. While I had every intention of practicing in Illinois when I signed up to take the Bar Examination (my firm and my boss does IL work), between signing up and taking the examination I got a new job (which has nothing to do with IL law) and at this point the chances of me doing anything in IL are none and zero. But I'd come that far so might as well get it while I can.
So yesterday Cody and I took off work early and drove to Collinsville, IL for a cute little swearing in ceremony. The ceremony was what you would expect. Two fairly well-known, though boring, speakers on their thoughts and ideas for our futures, a mass "I swear" oath and then we were presented our licenses in alphabetical order. The speakers mainly spoke to "new" attorneys right out of law school, a category I no longer fit into, so I felt mildly out of place, though I would guess most of these people were working in Missouri and Illinois and taking both bar exams. After the ceremony there was a little punch and snack reception but we left that early because the most wonderful husband in the world had put together a celebratory happy hour.
While I know Cody is proud of me and loves me, he's not always the most verbal of people with his accolades or affection. The good thing is that's 100% okay with me as I'm not overly needing in that regard. But yesterday he was like a proud little parent. He was just tickled pink and so proud that I was getting sworn in and just went on and on with how happy and proud he was. So he even got together this happy hour thing. We had a good turn out - got to hang out with a lot of friends and catch up. The only drawback - the 8 hours of drinking. We got there around 4:30 and left around 12:30 - making for an 8 hour "happy hour." Needless to say neither one of us are on the top of our game today. Hence, I'm blogging instead of doing more intellectually challenging activities - like the practice of law. We're old enough to know better but it's still fun to hang out and let loose every now and then and I certainly appreciate Cody's overwhelming pride in something I found somewhat trivial - it's cute.
So yesterday Cody and I took off work early and drove to Collinsville, IL for a cute little swearing in ceremony. The ceremony was what you would expect. Two fairly well-known, though boring, speakers on their thoughts and ideas for our futures, a mass "I swear" oath and then we were presented our licenses in alphabetical order. The speakers mainly spoke to "new" attorneys right out of law school, a category I no longer fit into, so I felt mildly out of place, though I would guess most of these people were working in Missouri and Illinois and taking both bar exams. After the ceremony there was a little punch and snack reception but we left that early because the most wonderful husband in the world had put together a celebratory happy hour.
While I know Cody is proud of me and loves me, he's not always the most verbal of people with his accolades or affection. The good thing is that's 100% okay with me as I'm not overly needing in that regard. But yesterday he was like a proud little parent. He was just tickled pink and so proud that I was getting sworn in and just went on and on with how happy and proud he was. So he even got together this happy hour thing. We had a good turn out - got to hang out with a lot of friends and catch up. The only drawback - the 8 hours of drinking. We got there around 4:30 and left around 12:30 - making for an 8 hour "happy hour." Needless to say neither one of us are on the top of our game today. Hence, I'm blogging instead of doing more intellectually challenging activities - like the practice of law. We're old enough to know better but it's still fun to hang out and let loose every now and then and I certainly appreciate Cody's overwhelming pride in something I found somewhat trivial - it's cute.
Things that annoyed me this week.
1. They are raising the price of postage stamps - AGAIN. Unlike much of America, I enjoy writing and I enjoy sending things in the mail. I make every attempt to send my Grandma at least a postcard a week. While the raise is, of course, mere pennies, it's the principal - and that they do this far too often!
2. I get all my local news on one website (I use a consortium for national news) and they changed the website. While I'm sure they think it's "improved" I think it sucks and can't find anything I want. Basically I think they made news a lower priority then the "entertainment" and flash of the site, and moved up all the crap stuff (everything not real news) to be more prominent. It sucks.
3. I saw the other day a a judge that I've worked with for over three years who's always sort of given me no credibility (it's the young female thing). I told her I was leaving my current job and told her where I'm going. She said something to the tune of "That's a really hard to get, prestigious, coveted job - I didn't think you were that smart/bright/good enough. Wow." Then I suddenly gained all sorts of credibility and she wanted to chat when for years of practicing in front of her she hasn't given a darn about me. I apparently went from dumb and incompetent in her mind to intelligent and worthwhile. Annoying.
4. Rain. It's been chilly and rainy all week. Where's my sunshine? It's May! Don't "April showers bring May flowers"? Where are my damn flowers? Why is it still raining? On weather.com we've been under a Severe Flood Watch/Warning for 2 months now! Blah, stupid rain.
2. I get all my local news on one website (I use a consortium for national news) and they changed the website. While I'm sure they think it's "improved" I think it sucks and can't find anything I want. Basically I think they made news a lower priority then the "entertainment" and flash of the site, and moved up all the crap stuff (everything not real news) to be more prominent. It sucks.
3. I saw the other day a a judge that I've worked with for over three years who's always sort of given me no credibility (it's the young female thing). I told her I was leaving my current job and told her where I'm going. She said something to the tune of "That's a really hard to get, prestigious, coveted job - I didn't think you were that smart/bright/good enough. Wow." Then I suddenly gained all sorts of credibility and she wanted to chat when for years of practicing in front of her she hasn't given a darn about me. I apparently went from dumb and incompetent in her mind to intelligent and worthwhile. Annoying.
4. Rain. It's been chilly and rainy all week. Where's my sunshine? It's May! Don't "April showers bring May flowers"? Where are my damn flowers? Why is it still raining? On weather.com we've been under a Severe Flood Watch/Warning for 2 months now! Blah, stupid rain.
FOUR Years.
Boy is this weird to say - something I certainly never would have imagined coming out of my mouth - I have now been in St. Louis for FOUR YEARS (as of May 3rd)!
I absolutely cannot believe how fast time has passed these last four years. I've now lived in St. Louis longer then I lived in Gainesville. I still tell people "I'm new here" and "I just moved here" - I guess that needs to officially stop since often I know more about STL then the locals because we really make an effort to investigate and find new areas and new things, much more so then you would if you were from a particular area (for instance, even though I was raised in Tally the newbies probably know about a lot that I don't because they're exploring and I never really needed to or took the time because I kept to my same old things).
Four years ago I loaded up most of my belongings in a storage unit in Tallahassee and Cody flew down to meet me. My brother graduated from FSU on Friday so I wanted to wait to leave until I saw his graduation - not only because it's a great accomplishment but because I still felt bad for missing his high school graduation because Cody and I were out of town that weekend boating in Tampa with friends. He graduated on Friday, we said our good-byes on Saturday and left Sunday morning - me with my necessities packed in my little car (clothes, turtles, fish, etc. - left the cats with my mom and grandma for the time being) and him on his motorcycle that he was driving from Tally up to STL. After a day of on and off thunderstorms (when I was constantly frightened of Cody on the bike), we stoped for the night in Cadiz, Kentucky when it was so dark I couldn't tell Cody's motorcyles lights from the semi-truck lights in front of him. Upon getting the fish and turtles out of the car and in the hotel, we realized that during the drive one of the fish had babies (until recently we still had some of the babies but then with the winter power outage they all died). Fish eat baby fish so we had to scoop them out and put them in a water bottle for the remainer of the trip.
Monday afternoon we saw the Arch rising in the distance and shortly thereafter we arrived to my new home - Cody's smallish two bedroom apartment in the burbs. We had expected it to be fun but somewhat difficult adjustment moving in together, but it wasn't at all. It was fun, but the adjustment wasn't at all difficult like we had expected. We expected at least a few space disputes and stuff, but it was actually very natural and easy.
I got a job doing retail in May (had to pay that car payment and I hated the idea of Cody (or anyone) having to support me) while I studied for the Bar Exam in July. The cats moved up in September (Cody's been in love ever since) and I was sworn into the Missouri Bar in October. I got my law job in December and started in January. After paying off debt and saving every extra penny, we finally bought a house in June (I still consider this a great accomplishment) and I moved my storage unit stuff up here (furniture, etc.). The house has been a project, but a joy since. We got engaged that fall (still one of the coolest days of my life), went to the World Cup the next summer, and married the next spring. Marriage, while some say it's a lot of work, has been an absolute joy. Since then Cody's started school and has finished about 1/4 of his MBA. I've now got a new job, my dream job, that starts next month. While it seems like the four years have flown by, we've managed to fit a lot into them, I guess. On the other hand though, we've missed the birth of a niece and a nephew, haven't been there for any of their birthdays or milestones, haven't even met our niece (who turns one next week) and have missed a number of family events and celebrations. Everything's a trade-off in life.
I never in a million years would have guessed that we'd end up in St. Louis Missouri, but it's all worked out very well and I certainly can't complain about life (except the winter - I can always complain about winter). :) Four years down, how many to go . . . . .????
I absolutely cannot believe how fast time has passed these last four years. I've now lived in St. Louis longer then I lived in Gainesville. I still tell people "I'm new here" and "I just moved here" - I guess that needs to officially stop since often I know more about STL then the locals because we really make an effort to investigate and find new areas and new things, much more so then you would if you were from a particular area (for instance, even though I was raised in Tally the newbies probably know about a lot that I don't because they're exploring and I never really needed to or took the time because I kept to my same old things).
Four years ago I loaded up most of my belongings in a storage unit in Tallahassee and Cody flew down to meet me. My brother graduated from FSU on Friday so I wanted to wait to leave until I saw his graduation - not only because it's a great accomplishment but because I still felt bad for missing his high school graduation because Cody and I were out of town that weekend boating in Tampa with friends. He graduated on Friday, we said our good-byes on Saturday and left Sunday morning - me with my necessities packed in my little car (clothes, turtles, fish, etc. - left the cats with my mom and grandma for the time being) and him on his motorcycle that he was driving from Tally up to STL. After a day of on and off thunderstorms (when I was constantly frightened of Cody on the bike), we stoped for the night in Cadiz, Kentucky when it was so dark I couldn't tell Cody's motorcyles lights from the semi-truck lights in front of him. Upon getting the fish and turtles out of the car and in the hotel, we realized that during the drive one of the fish had babies (until recently we still had some of the babies but then with the winter power outage they all died). Fish eat baby fish so we had to scoop them out and put them in a water bottle for the remainer of the trip.
Monday afternoon we saw the Arch rising in the distance and shortly thereafter we arrived to my new home - Cody's smallish two bedroom apartment in the burbs. We had expected it to be fun but somewhat difficult adjustment moving in together, but it wasn't at all. It was fun, but the adjustment wasn't at all difficult like we had expected. We expected at least a few space disputes and stuff, but it was actually very natural and easy.
I got a job doing retail in May (had to pay that car payment and I hated the idea of Cody (or anyone) having to support me) while I studied for the Bar Exam in July. The cats moved up in September (Cody's been in love ever since) and I was sworn into the Missouri Bar in October. I got my law job in December and started in January. After paying off debt and saving every extra penny, we finally bought a house in June (I still consider this a great accomplishment) and I moved my storage unit stuff up here (furniture, etc.). The house has been a project, but a joy since. We got engaged that fall (still one of the coolest days of my life), went to the World Cup the next summer, and married the next spring. Marriage, while some say it's a lot of work, has been an absolute joy. Since then Cody's started school and has finished about 1/4 of his MBA. I've now got a new job, my dream job, that starts next month. While it seems like the four years have flown by, we've managed to fit a lot into them, I guess. On the other hand though, we've missed the birth of a niece and a nephew, haven't been there for any of their birthdays or milestones, haven't even met our niece (who turns one next week) and have missed a number of family events and celebrations. Everything's a trade-off in life.
I never in a million years would have guessed that we'd end up in St. Louis Missouri, but it's all worked out very well and I certainly can't complain about life (except the winter - I can always complain about winter). :) Four years down, how many to go . . . . .????
Baby Bird Update
Remember the baby birds that were flung from the warmth and security of their tiny nest in my hanging flower pot when I went to water the pot, took it from its hook, was scared when I saw moving fuzzy stuff and dropped the pot? Well, I'm incredibly happy to report that the mommy bird did return and did continue to sit on her kids. So much so that now the little bald, fuzzy creatures the size of my thumb are now growing actual feathers in with the fuzz and they are almost the length of my pointy finger. I am pleased they are growing and I did not kill them, though am also looking forward to the day they fly away so I can water my plant because it's looking rather dry and it doesn't get wet when it rains (which, I suppose, is why it makes an attractive site for a nest/house for the birds).
Friday, May 02, 2008
Multi-tasking
As our lives continue to become busier year by year and we seem to have less and less time to do all the things we ¨need¨ and ¨want¨ to do, I think we have all found ways in which to multi-task our lives better. Cody and I are masters of the multi-task. Since we don´t see each other as much now that heś in school we have to find new times and ways to keep in touch - for instance, we both try to leave work at the same time so we can talk on the phone on our way home/to school (yes, the highway patrol is going to be mad about this - but weŕe good driving on the phone - but doesn´t every moron cell phone driver say that?) because we hate to use work time chatting when we have work to do. Then we try to run together a few times a week - while Cody hates to run, itś a way to get in exercise and catch up on the day´s/week´s events and thoughts at the same time. We also don´t watch TV in our house. So when we do it´s a multi-tasking event. For instance, I am insanely addicted to ¨Gray´s Anatomy.¨ In case you haven´t seen it: (1) don´t start because itś addicting and (2) it´s basically an evening soap opera. So if I plan to watch Gray´s Anatomy (Thursday´s at 8 pm - if you call me during this time I will NOT answer my phone), I plan to either work out during that time (during the show I bike and during commercials I do weights) or do ironing. This week since I had already ran on Thursday, I tackled the ironing. I realized something about ironing - I really really really really suck at it. My aunt can iron like a professional - she´s even been known to iron blue jeans! I, on the other hand, did not get that trait and it´s all I can do to not wrinkle a shirt more when I attempt to iron it. Anyone have any good tips/websites on how to learn how to iron. I don´t think my mom ever ironed so I never really learned and there is no class at the community college on ironing (I checked - but there is belly dancing, basket weaving, golf, yoga, drawing, etc. - just no ironing). So my multi-tasking this week was pretty much a failure. By the time the show was half over I had given up, thrown most of the clothes that needed to be ¨ironed¨ in the dryer to get the wrinkles out and spent the rest of the show mending clothes (buttons, eye hooks, seams, etc.) - that I CAN do!
p.s. I told my girlfriend how happy I was that we had found all these ways to multi-task and she just shook her head and remarked that I just had no ability to relax at all and I didn´t know what I was missing by not taking a day to sit on the couch and watch a nice TV show or just nap or something else ¨relaxing¨ - while I certainly do not fault her at all for that, I told her I thought she was missing out on doing other things by not making ¨better¨ (in my universe) use of her time. So, to each her own, I suppose.
p.s. I told my girlfriend how happy I was that we had found all these ways to multi-task and she just shook her head and remarked that I just had no ability to relax at all and I didn´t know what I was missing by not taking a day to sit on the couch and watch a nice TV show or just nap or something else ¨relaxing¨ - while I certainly do not fault her at all for that, I told her I thought she was missing out on doing other things by not making ¨better¨ (in my universe) use of her time. So, to each her own, I suppose.
Pure sweet indulgence
Four hours. Four luxurious, indulgent, wonderful hours. Would have been more but Cody showed up and got antsy because he wanted to get to his take-home final (how fun is that?).
The only thing I ever spend four hours on these days is work, sleep and house projects. I don´t have too many four hour bike rides, four hour hikes, four hours of laying in the sun, four hour movie marathons, etc. But today I took a long, lovely four hours to check out one of St. Louis´s best events - the Metro St. Louis Book Fair. They shut down the ground floor of a parking garage at a huge mall, get over a million (per their advertisements) donated books and sell them cheap - most paperbacks (and a lot of hardbacks) are $1, though some are .50 and some are $2. I spent hours walking up and down all the aisles of tables reading all the titles and authors - and that was just the Fiction section. If I had a photographic memory I´d be insanely smart right now and could tell you almost any book in the English language and its author. I promised myself I would be in no rush and would really take my time and really enjoy looking at all the titles, see who has written what recently, look at the book art, look at the awards and who they went to and really enjoy all the books. I was on a mission, not only to find the regular good books that I´m always searching, but to expand on my collection of Pulitzer prize winning books. So I came prepared with my alphabetized list of Pulitzer winners and went searching. I actually found a good number of them and a good number of Oprah´s Book Club books. Before I am tarred and feathered for alleging to be an intelligent reader and also looking at Oprah books (which one would assume are stupid for the masses), theyŕe not as bad as you might think. I´m certainly not a ¨Itś 4 o´clock whereś everybody gone? Oprah´s on!" fan (does anyone remember that commercial?). I hold no special feelings for her nor do I hold any ill will to her. She comes on while I am at work, same as Judge Judy and The Price is Right. BUT I must say she (or more likely her staff of intelligent writers, producers and special ¨book club¨ marketing employees) does pick some pretty good books. Sure there are some ¨for the masses¨ crappy reads, but I think there are some of those on every book list ever. But for the most part, she does pick good books, with good social redeeming values (not John Grisham - while heś a nice, fun, easy read that I occasionally indulge in myself, I am certainly not a more intelligent or better person for having read those 600 pages). So, yeah, I found some new Oprah books too - she has Faulkner on her list for heavenś sake!
Anyway, after about four hours of my peaceful rambling, Cody showed up, helped me look for a few books (I put him on the hunt for Updikes´ ¨Rabbit¨ books) and then he drug me out of the cavernous Fiction section and we wandered the other 300 sections. He found some great business books and a few German books, as well as an entire Learn German tape set for $10 (more then I would have paid but he has a tape player in his car still). We came away with a ton of good finds - for CHEAP! Overall, it was highly motivational, relaxing and energizing all at the same time. So then, of course, I had to come home and rearrange our book shelves to fit the new books. One of my life goals is to have a ¨library¨ in a house one day. We sort of have that now - we have a living room that doesn´t have a TV so we just have couches and bookshelves - like an old formal living room or a sitting room - but I like to call it my library too. So the big issue tonight was what book to start on. I fail to mention that I have a miniature bookshelf on my dresser in our bedroom with about 12 books I am ¨currently¨ reading. I still picked out a new one for today. Itś not an Oprah book or a Pulitzer - itś The Memory Keeper´s Daughter by Kim Edwards - some lady that I was talking to looked at my books and said I might like this one so I bought it. We´ll see. . . . :)
The only thing I ever spend four hours on these days is work, sleep and house projects. I don´t have too many four hour bike rides, four hour hikes, four hours of laying in the sun, four hour movie marathons, etc. But today I took a long, lovely four hours to check out one of St. Louis´s best events - the Metro St. Louis Book Fair. They shut down the ground floor of a parking garage at a huge mall, get over a million (per their advertisements) donated books and sell them cheap - most paperbacks (and a lot of hardbacks) are $1, though some are .50 and some are $2. I spent hours walking up and down all the aisles of tables reading all the titles and authors - and that was just the Fiction section. If I had a photographic memory I´d be insanely smart right now and could tell you almost any book in the English language and its author. I promised myself I would be in no rush and would really take my time and really enjoy looking at all the titles, see who has written what recently, look at the book art, look at the awards and who they went to and really enjoy all the books. I was on a mission, not only to find the regular good books that I´m always searching, but to expand on my collection of Pulitzer prize winning books. So I came prepared with my alphabetized list of Pulitzer winners and went searching. I actually found a good number of them and a good number of Oprah´s Book Club books. Before I am tarred and feathered for alleging to be an intelligent reader and also looking at Oprah books (which one would assume are stupid for the masses), theyŕe not as bad as you might think. I´m certainly not a ¨Itś 4 o´clock whereś everybody gone? Oprah´s on!" fan (does anyone remember that commercial?). I hold no special feelings for her nor do I hold any ill will to her. She comes on while I am at work, same as Judge Judy and The Price is Right. BUT I must say she (or more likely her staff of intelligent writers, producers and special ¨book club¨ marketing employees) does pick some pretty good books. Sure there are some ¨for the masses¨ crappy reads, but I think there are some of those on every book list ever. But for the most part, she does pick good books, with good social redeeming values (not John Grisham - while heś a nice, fun, easy read that I occasionally indulge in myself, I am certainly not a more intelligent or better person for having read those 600 pages). So, yeah, I found some new Oprah books too - she has Faulkner on her list for heavenś sake!
Anyway, after about four hours of my peaceful rambling, Cody showed up, helped me look for a few books (I put him on the hunt for Updikes´ ¨Rabbit¨ books) and then he drug me out of the cavernous Fiction section and we wandered the other 300 sections. He found some great business books and a few German books, as well as an entire Learn German tape set for $10 (more then I would have paid but he has a tape player in his car still). We came away with a ton of good finds - for CHEAP! Overall, it was highly motivational, relaxing and energizing all at the same time. So then, of course, I had to come home and rearrange our book shelves to fit the new books. One of my life goals is to have a ¨library¨ in a house one day. We sort of have that now - we have a living room that doesn´t have a TV so we just have couches and bookshelves - like an old formal living room or a sitting room - but I like to call it my library too. So the big issue tonight was what book to start on. I fail to mention that I have a miniature bookshelf on my dresser in our bedroom with about 12 books I am ¨currently¨ reading. I still picked out a new one for today. Itś not an Oprah book or a Pulitzer - itś The Memory Keeper´s Daughter by Kim Edwards - some lady that I was talking to looked at my books and said I might like this one so I bought it. We´ll see. . . . :)
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