The Return of Little Miss Law

Hello, old friends!

As those of you who used to read this blog may recall, I stopped posting 3+ years ago.  I started a new blog, then another, until I gave up having a blog altogether.  I decided at that time that it had been wonderful and entertaining and therapeutic, but that I was done with sharing personal details of my life and that it was just too time consuming anyway.  A lot of wonderful things have happened in the past 3 years, which I will share in a moment.  But one thing hasn’t changed in that time – I still love to write, and I still don’t have an outlet that quite fulfills my need to write the way this blog did.  So after some consideration, I’m back!

So here’s the life of Little Miss Law over the past 3 years, in a nutshell (and yes,  just because I can never resist: “Help!  How do I get out of this nutshell?”)

1.  After many months of being in a funk and not feeling like myself, in 2008 I started seeing a therapist, who I saw for over a year.  I had always been reluctant about therapy, but she was terrific and it really helped bring me back to feeling…well, like me.

2. After many, many first and second dates with various eHarmony, Match, etc prospects that went nowhere, I met an amazing guy, who we’ll call Mr. Law, through mutual friends in September 2008.  (He’s a litigator like me, at a small firm.)  Words don’t suffice to describe this, but he is everything I’ve always been looking for.  We hit it off and our relationship took off quickly.  In May 2010 we got engaged and we’re getting married in July!  (Yes, this blog is likely to contain many wedding-related posts.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

3. After looking at 60-70 houses starting in January 2010, in September Mr. Law and I bought our 1st house, a 98-year-old Craftsman in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.  We both fell in love the first time we saw it and, even though homeownership can be daunting and scary, not a day goes by that we don’t comment how lucky we are to have found a place that is so perfect for us.

And now for the things that haven’t changed:

4.  The infamous Noodles is still around (in fact, he is sitting partially on my arm as I write this!)  He has mellowed out substantially since the days of the vicious attacks, and he and Mr. Law have even grown to love each other.

5.  I’m still at the same firm practicing litigation, and now more than ever (as a 6th year associate) I feel like I’m at a crossroads where I need to decide where to go from here.  (More on this to come too.)

6.  My same friends who I mentioned previously on the blog are all still very much in the picture and, in most cases, will be in my wedding.  But those friends are also almost all married and some have kids or kids on the way.  Three years has definitely caused a huge shift in that regard!

This is a short post, but I promise you, dear readers (if I have any now), to make my blogging regular again and not leave you hanging for another 3 years!

Till next time,

LML

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Before getting to the meat of the post, dear readers, I just had to share this comic that my dad called and told me about tonight:

The only thing that confuses me is…does this mean that Little Miss Law isn’t a published author????

Anyway, today I experienced for only the 3rd time in my career the joy that is mediation. As you lawyers and non-lawyers alike probably understand, civil litigation is…well, not exactly warm and fuzzy. In the best case scenario, the relationship between the plaintiffs and defendants’ counsel is cordial; in the worst-case scenario, it’s World War III. Or there is the lethal combination — nice to each others’ faces with a vicious letter-writing campaign. (It’s much easier to be nasty in a letter when you have time to think about what snarky, well-phrased thing you want to say.) In this adversarial environment, mediation creates that glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, the parties may overcome their disdain or outright hatred of each other and come to some sort of agreement.

Most cases settle before they get to trial; but most cases get very close to trial or arbitration before settling. In our case, there was a mediation provision in the purchase agreement, so absolutely nothing has happened in the case apart from us filing the complaint. In this type of situation, the chances of settlement at this point are slim. In our case, the chances were virtually non-existent. Our mediation brief asked for hundreds of thousands of dollars; the other side’s mediation brief threatened a malicious prosecution action and sanctions against us. Even our mediator, a seasoned retired judge who successfully mediated a different case for our (difficult and unruly) client, told us that when he read the briefs, he said to himself, “Oh, shit.”

Isn’t that encouraging?

Suffice it to say, we spent the morning in separate rooms with the mediator shuttling back and forth, spending about 15 minutes total (if that) discussing the case with us and the remaining time trying to soften us up — chatting about anything and everything. He couldn’t get the parties to settle today, but to his credit, he would probably have had an easier time if we had asked him to preside over the Middle East peace talks. The other side’s generous offer in the mediation brief was to “allow” us to walk away and waive their malicious prosecution claims. After the mediation, their generous offer basically changed to “F— off, see you at the arbitration.” (As they trot off to seek sanctions.) Now that’s what I call progress.

Does anyone have any fun mediation stories to share?

Little Miss Law in Training?

First of all, dear readers, let me comment on how many hits I received in the past day on my post about Jane Austen! I must say, I expected to get more comments in the vein of “What are you talking about? You’re not a spinster!” and I am very pleasantly surprised to find that nobody went in that direction, since that wasn’t the point of my post. (My mom did, however, email me with this excellent point: “Spinsters are pretty lucky these days because they have the internet……” Very true.)

Also, I find that my blog readers appear to be quite literary, seeing as how this post drew more attention and commentary than many of my more seemingly juicy posts about dating.

Anyway, one of my favorite things about the blogosphere is finding other kindred spirits out there, whose blogs reflect the same things I think about, worry about, dream about. I have found several — they’re the people who often comment on my blog (along with my “real life” friends) and whose blogs I read daily. It’s funny because even though I haven’t met these people and don’t even know their real names in most cases, I find myself routinely checking to see what’s going on in the worlds of Karalina, Jem1896, etc. When they write cliffhanger posts about a fight with a boyfriend or a worry about work, I find myself becoming anxious, waiting for the resolution.

Then a couple of days ago I got a comment from this blogger, a law student who is brand new to the blogosphere. The first post I read of hers was about the incestous and ill-advised nature of law school dating — totally spot-on, based on my one dating experience in law school. Then today I surfed onto her blog again and was astounded to find just how kindred of a spirit this girl is — first, writing about an unpleasant conversation where a non-lawyer tells her how bad law school is as a place to meet people, she says, “He continued on for awhile and by the end of the conversation, I had decided that I might as well buy a few more cats.” (As my readers may know, I have occasionally contemplated getting Noodles a sibling, but have never taken the leap because I determined that more than 1 cat per bedroom or per person may be pushing it.) Then, her post goes on to mention spinsterhood.

Ok, maybe this isn’t the world’s biggest coincidence. Cats and spinsters tend to be discussed together. Still, my friends, this is a girl after my own heart. And soon to be a lawyer, no less. I think I’ll keep reading!

Let’s See How Far We’ve Come

A quick aside, dear readers, before I get into the meat of this post– I have noticed that my posts that use song lyrics seem to get a lot more hits than the other ones. I guess it’s sort of cheating…all these unsuspecting fans of a certain song (tonight, Matchbox Twenty’s latest — yes I listen to Star 98.7, what’s it to you?) coming to look for the lyrics of the song and instead they stumble upon Little Miss Law’s latest ramblings. Welcome, Rob Thomas fans, welcome. Take off your shoes and make yourselves at home.

Anyway, the real topic of this post has been inspired by the trip I’m about to make up to see my family for Thanksgiving. Even though I graduated from high school and moved away close to 10 years ago, whenever I go home for the holidays I feel like I’ve been magically transported back to 1998 or earlier, sleeping in my old room, looking through old photos, seeing old friends, and just having general flashbacks to how it felt to be the angsty, teenaged version of Little Miss Law.

So, how far have I come in the past 10 years? In some ways, I’m definitely not the adult that I expected to be. If you had asked 17-year-old LML what she saw her 27-year-old self doing, I guarantee I would have envisioned myself married, maybe with a child, living in a house in the ‘burbs. I would have said that 27 year old me was certainly either a teacher or a social worker, certainly using my Spanish, probably living in Oregon. If someone had looked into a crystal ball and told me that I’d be a lawyer living in Los Angeles, working for a corporate law firm, I would have scoffed. That was so far afield of what I could have envisioned. Not to mention, if you had told me that I wouldn’t meet the love of my life in college, I think I would have been crushed. (Actually, I thought that my high school boyfriend was the one well into my freshman year of college.)

All through college and even in law school, whenever I’d go back up and see my friends, I felt the need to bring my cutest clothes, dress trendy, prove that I’d come out of my semi-nerdy shell from high school. Now I don’t do that anymore. First of all, let’s be honest, I’m still a little nerdy and not incredibly stylish. Also, I think I’m finally at a point where I can say that I’m happy with who I am, and I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.

The true test of that will be my 10 year high school reunion, coming up in ’08. For a while I was thinking that I wouldn’t want to go because everyone else would be married with kids. The last thing I would want, I thought, was for people to look at me with pity because I’m single. Then a lightbulb went on. First of all, as I said, I’m very peaceful with my life. Also, everyone has their own neuroses. Some people will be worried about being single, some people might be divorced; some will be unhappy at their jobs; some will have gained weight since high school; and on and on. And I’m sure that everyone will be too busy either thinking about themselves, or enjoying catching up, to be judging the other people. In fact, at my 5 year college reunion people were really impressed that I’m a lawyer, which I found funny (since almost everyone I know these days is a lawyer, it just seems so unremarkable to me) , but I bet I’d get a similar reaction at my high school reunion.

I’d love to let go of all the insecurities and neuroses of the 17-year old LML…but I’d also like to hold onto parts of her. The innocent, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed part. The undyingly optimistic and romantic part. Maybe it’s getting older, maybe it’s the last 10 years of experiences, maybe it’s the logic that comes with practicing law…but those parts can feel hard to hold onto sometimes.

At any rate, with that navel gazing I will wish my dear readers good night and Happy Thanksgiving!

PS. Since one of my most loyal readers (ahem, Mom) complained to me the other day that I tend to leave my readers hanging, I should share that I met my cyber-crush, and yes, he translates quite nicely in real life. 🙂 More later…

Cyber-Crushing

Is it actually possible to have a crush on someone you’ve never…well, actually met?

I posed this question to T. today in the context of the new guy I’ve been emailing with, and she reassured me that yes, if it’s acceptable to have crushes on celebrities, it is definitely OK to crush on a guy you have actually talked to (albeit only online and once on the phone). Whew. Glad I’m not completely crazy.

This guy’s passion is writing, so it’s no wonder that his emails are nothing short of excellent. Witty, cute, unpretentious, sly movie references — what’s not to like? Sending lengthy emails back and forth, though, tends to create this odd feeling, where you feel that on the one hand you know part of this person’s life story (way more so than someone you meet at, say, a bar) but on the other hand, again, you haven’t actually met them.

Anyway, after a week of emailing, I am ready to take this out of cyberspace and into the real world, and on Sunday we are meeting up for coffee. (Or, as I suggested to him in my last email, maybe we could just go eat a bunch of caramels. See, I can make sly movie references too!!) Here’s hoping that he is as fun & cute in person as he is over email & phone. When we talked on the phone, we were discussing writing and I mentioned my blog. I almost — almost! — made the lethal error of revealing my identity as Little Miss Law, but thankfully bit my tongue. Talk about him knowing my whole life story before he meets me! (Also, then I couldn’t write about him, which is just too fun.)

Noodles is snuggling up to me so close that I can’t even type anymore, which is a clear sign that he misses me and that it’s past our bedtime. Till later, dear readers, have a fantastic weekend!

Bloggity Bloggity

Apropos of nothing: is there a cuter TV couple than Jim and Pam on The Office? Yes, I know, how very 2 years ago. And yes, I know that in real life, John Krasinski is rumored to be somewhat of an ass. (Stop breaking my heart!) But I was just watching them quip with each other and laugh together in that sweet way and it made me smile. Shmoop, shmoop.

After a rough night last night in which I had the worst stomach pain I’ve ever had (once the pain eased up, I pulled the classic and ill-advised move of Googling my own symptoms, and I even called Knittikins and asked her what her appendicitis felt like), and a rough day in which I had to shlep up to court in Glendale still feeling icky, I am now feeling more like myself. I have almost survived to the end of the week and, more importantly, I am beginning to put things into perspective. It’s easy to get bogged down with the details of my job and forget to see the overall picture of my life and all the choices I have, so getting to step back is a very nice thing.

A couple of words on my court appearance in Glendale. First of all, Glendale might as well be Egypt for as long as it took to get back from there. Coming up on the 405 interchange from the 101, I saw a hideous lineup of cars, and thought, Ah ha! I’ll beat all these suckers by getting off the freeway, making my way down to Ventura, cutting back to Beverly Glen and taking that over the hill and right back to the office. Of course, everyone else had the same genius idea….

Anyway, what really struck me about my time in Glendale is how much power judges really have over their cases. By way of background, in L.A. there is a mediation program in the superior court system. Mediators volunteer ther time, parties don’t have to pay for it, and mediation is all but mandatory. This case I appeared for today isn’t one I have worked on, but both the partner and the associate were on international vacations (lucky ducks) so I got to take one for the team. It went something like this:

Judge: How do the parties feel about mediation?
Little Miss Law: Well, your Honor, we have explained all of the ADR options to our client, and she isn’t interested in pursuing mediation at this time.
Judge: Ok.
(pause; Little Miss Law breathes an internal sigh of relief.)
Judge: But, that really isn’t up to her. I’m referring the case to mediation. So go downstairs and pick a mediator.

Al righty then!

This weekend promises to be fun and relaxing — a mellow birthday celebration with Knittikins, the sisters and the Baron tomorrow; my friend D.’s big gala on Saturday night (finally, another chance to wear the gorgeous dress I bought for my firm’s holiday party last year!) and on Sunday, a wind-down with Knittikins at Burke Williams. Exactly what I need…ahhh.

I’m also planning on ordering one of the many books about legal and nonlegal career options for lawyers, and I welcome any inspiring ideas from you, dear readers!

Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away

It is a Saturday night in Los Angeles, dear readers, so why is Little Miss Law at her computer writing a blog instead of out on the town? Excellent question, my friends. This weekend my parents are visiting, but they like to head to bed at about 9 pm, so after dropping them at the hotel I returned to Noodles and my quiet apartment. I’m sure I could have found something fun to do tonight, but frankly it’s been a long tiring week and I am content to sit here in scrubby clothes and glasses instead of getting dolled up to go out. Also, tomorrow night I’m going to the annual soiree for my favorite nonprofit, so I’m relishing my mellow weekend night today instead of Sunday.

Anyway, enough excuses about my social life. Tonight, I’ve decided that it’s finally time to write about my last relationship. I have avoided doing so up till now in part out of respect for my ex, and partly, I admit, because I was still relishing a small ounce of hope that we would have a reunion tour (as my friend D. puts it). Now that I know it is truly over, I feel it’s time for the catharsis of writing about it. Sort of a blog Feng Shui … removing all the dust bunnies and old photos from under the bed, so to speak.

My ex and I met online, which in itself could be its own blog. (Los Angeles Magazine did a hilarious article about online dating in LA in the September issue – a must-read. Did you know that The Onion had an online dating site? Me neither!) Anyway, that is beside the point– after the first few weeks (when he insisted on telling his friends that we met at a cheezy Sunset Strip bar, while I was upfront with mine) I often forgot how we met because it was unimportant.

I will save anecdotes of the relationship for a different time if at all. But the bottom line is that this guy really got under my skin in an unusual way. Usually for me, when my relationships end it is fairly cut-and-dried. One person breaks it off, the other person is hurt, we don’t talk for a while, eventually we become friends or else we just forget about it and move on. For example — my ex-fiance was very clear when we broke up that we couldn’t talk, which we didn’t for a long time and we are out of touch again. With A., we didn’t talk for a few months and didn’t start really talking again and hanging out until recently.

Not so with this one. I was resolved not to talk to him until I was over it, but then he would send me a chatty email or a funny article and I would give in. Or even worse, I would demand that he stop contacting me and then, days or weeks later I would miss him and initiate contact. (I know, I know — mixed messages much?)

I told myself all sorts of different things about why I was doing this, but I realized recently that, at the heart of it, I thought I could get a different outcome. Sort of “Choose Your Own Adventure” style. Except that 1) I didn’t choose for us to break up in the first place and, even more importantly, 2) I knew intellectually (and still know) that nevertheless, breaking up was, in the end, the right outcome.

The problem has just been getting myself to feel that. I kept feeling that there was something there that was really strong — call it chemistry — and I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to replicate it. Now I’m not saying that I was or am afraid that I’d never find someone. I’ve never believed that; Little Miss Law is, above all else, an optimist. But I was afraid that I wouldn’t find that particular sort of inexplicable connection, at least not quickly.

I think I was also frustrated because it wasn’t something I could fix. It’s a weird blow to the ego — I may recognize all the ways in which we’re not compatible, but how could he not want to be with me?

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss him or think about him. I do. L.A. can be a lonely city, and I do wonder what he’s doing, who he’s meeting and whether he thinks about me, too.

But I know from experience that every day without someone it gets easier to be without them, and I know this will be the same. Simultaneously sad and reassuring. And, as I finally told him, not being with him when he doesn’t have those feelings for me can only bring me closer to finding someone who does.

With that, I’ll leave you, dear readers, with yet another song I have been listening to on repeat these days:

The Reason Why (Rachael Yamagata)

I think about how
it might have been
We’d spend our days
travelin’
It’s not that I don’t understand you
It’s not that I don’t want to be with you
but you only wanted me
The way you wanted me

So I will head out alone,
and hope for the best
We can hang our heads down
as we skip the goodbyes
and you can tell the world what you want them to hear
I’ve got nothing left to lose, my dear
So, I’m up for the little white lies
But you and I
know the reason why
I’m gone, and you’re still there
I’m gone, and you’re still there
I’m gone, and you’re still there

I’ll buy a magazine searching for your face
From coast to coast, or whatever I find my place
I’ll track you on the radio
and I’ll sign your list in a different name
But as close as I get to you
It’s not the same

So, I will head out alone
and hope for the best
We can pat ourselves on the back
and say that we tried
And if one of us makes it big
we can spill our regrets
And talk about how the love never dies
But you and I
know the reason why
I’m gone, and you’re still there
I’m gone, and you’re still there
I’m gone, and you’re still there

So, steal the show, and do your best
to cover the tracks that I have left
I wish you well,
and hope you find
whatever you’re looking for
The way I might’ve changed my mind
but you only showed me the door

so I will, head out alone
hope for the best
We can pat ourselves on the back
and say that we tried
And if one of us makes it big
we can spill our regrets
And talk about how the love never dies
But you and I
You and I…
You and I…
know the reason why

Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world…

The title of this post is not completely on-point, but I do love Journey, don’t you?

It is a lovely Friday night at the end of an incredibly hectic week, dear readers. Despite the fact that it’s only 9 pm and I am tempted to go to sleep, and the fact that I spent approximately 12 hours on the computer today at work, I thought I’d do a little blogging. I know at least 2 people who are disappointed when I don’t post more often, so here you go (hi, M. & T.)

This week I had a whirlwind trip up to Seattle to attend a fundraising event sponsored by one of my firm’s biggest clients. It was a very positive trip and a great thing career-wise. I got to meet the 2 main in-house litigation counsel of our clients, who I talk to on the phone a lot; tour around their offices (a pretty office park, but the cublcle-ness was a bit reminiscent of Office Space); and spend lots of QT with one of the big partners at my firm. He’s an incredibly impressive man who somehow is able to manage the firm, be one of the highest billing lawyers at the firm, and have a family life. (He doesn’t sleep more than a handful of hours a night, I guess that helps.)

Aside from all that, it was really nice to be in Seattle (albeit for only 24 hours) and I started to think (again) about what it would be like to move to a different city. When you get right down to it, I’m a Pacific Northwest girl, and so, even though I have never lived in Seattle and haven’t even visited it that many times, being there felt like coming home. The feel of the morning air, the trees and the river, the intangible something I can’t describe. On Wednesday night I went to a Mariners game, and being outside as it got colder, everyone bundled up in coats and watching the game, I remembered going to football games in high school, even when it was cold, even when it was raining, it was always so fun. I looked around at the crowd and I felt, for lack of a better word, like myself. There is some fundamental way in which I still feel, even after 10 years of living in Southern California, like L.A. isn’t really “me.”

This is going to sound ridiculous, but at the game sitting in front of us was a guy. He was an all around average guy — jeans, flannel shirt, darling smile, glasses. He talked baseball a bit with the men I was with, but I didn’t get much of a sense of him. Still, I had a strange thought: maybe this is the kind of guy I should be dating. A regular, attractive guy who likes baseball. Someone uncomplicated. Someone who doesn’t work in the entertainment industry. Someone who doesn’t wear designer jeans or spend as much time getting ready as I do. Do guys like this exist in L.A? I guess I won’t find out till the mancation ends.

But I digress. Anyway, I found myself imagining what my life might be like in Seattle. Perhaps I would get a job at a law firm in downtown Seattle and live in a condo and keep living the big city life. Perhaps I would leave the firm life and live outside the city in a real house. I could do anything, really. And being within driving distance of my parents woud be so nice!

Then I think of the reality of what such a change would mean and it’s terrifying. For starters, I’d have to (assuming I want to keep being a lawyer) take another state’s bar. Yuck. Maybe even more daunting, I’d be in a city where I don’t know anybody. Now, I’m a social person, but the friends I have in L.A. are friends accumulated over a decade: college, law school, work. Even with all the friends I have here, I am still lonely from time to time. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to start from scratch.

Then again, if I’m going to make a change, now is the time. Yes, I have a great job and fantastic friends. But I have no BF/husband, no mortgage, no real problem with tying up loose ends, loading up my car and driving off into the sunset, just me and Noodles.

Dear readers, what do you think?

Honing my Dating Skills, on the Job

Dear readers, I apologize for my lack of blog-ness recently.  My recent lack of a computer at home has made blogging difficult (as I can’t bill this time to anyone!) but hopefully I will be buying a shiny new laptop this weekend.

I know what some of you (ahem, Knittikins) are going to say about my post title.  “But Little Miss Law, you’re on a mancation!  What is this talk of dating??”

Relax, dear readers.  The mancation remains in full effect and there is no dating to speak of going on.  However, I have discovered that I can somewhat maintain my dating skills in the meantime, and get paid at the same time!

How, you ask?  Three words:  Summer Associate Recruiting.

If you really think about it, dating is a lot like interviewing for a job.  You suss out your date/interviewee for potential red flags and make a mental checklist of pros and cons, all the while trying to put your best face on and appear attractive to this person that you may not even like.  You make sometimes engaging and sometimes banal chit-chat.  With some people, the time flies, and with others, you want to stab out your own eye.  Of course, the criteria you use are different depending on whether you are interviewing for a future boyfriend/date/life partner or interviewing for a future co-worker/lunch buddy/research slave.  But the process is essentially the same.  As one summer recruit put it this week as I ushered him from office to office for a series of 20-minute interviews, “This is a lot like speed dating.”

Dating has its advantages over interviewing.  For example, it often comes with a meal.   Then again, if I had to sit over a meal (even free) for two hours with some of the recruits I have interviewed, I might have to fake a death in the family and run away before the entree, so the advantage of interviewing is that typically the (potential) torture only lasts for 20 minutes.

At any rate, over the past two weeks I have been given a crash review course in how to: listen to boring speeches; smile and nod encouragingly at asinine comments; ask thoughtful questions; and be generally perky with a complete stranger.  I feel that once the mancation ends this may serve me very well when I re-enter the world of First Dates.

Things that are complicated about dating that recruiting helps with not at all:

1)   Picking out the first-date outfit.  Especially disastrous now that I have no roommates and hence no one to approve or veto.

2)  Dealing with the X factors.  Does your date drive like a maniac?  Drink like a fish?  Write on his Crackberry during dinner?  Who knows! 

3)  How to meet potential dates in the first place.  Online?  In a bar?  Set-ups?  Blech, blech, blech.

I could regale you, dear readers, with a series of stories of bad dates and bad interviews that would make your head spin.  For instance, the date who took me to an obscenely expensive restaurant, ordered an obscenely expensive bottle of wine, and then made me split the tab with him.  (My HALF was $260.  I was a first year law student.  I wish I were kidding.)  But I’ll save those stories for another day.

Until then:  bill, bill, bill.

Litigation is scary.

So this week, Little Miss Law’s laptop (aka the laptop she borrowed from work a lifetime ago and never returned), has managed to become infiltrated with a number of computer viruses.  (NO, I was not looking at porn!  Sheesh!)  This means that either I blog at work, which isn’t so good for the billable hours, or I don’t blog at all.  Since I hate to leave my dear readers blogless, I wanted to write a few words before heading out.

Tomorrow marks my first ever oral argument in court.  It’s sort of late in the game for me to be doing this for the first time, but every other hearing I have been scheduled for was either decided on the briefs, or else we submitted on the Court’s tentative ruling (in other words, I drove all the way to federal court in Riverside to say “Thank you, Your Honor”).  But tomorrow will be a real live argument in front of a real live judge.  Very scary.  Cross your fingers for me!!!  My biggest fear is that the judge will ask me a question and I will say “uhhhhhh…..” and blush bright red and not be able to spit it out.  This is unlikely, since I drafted all the papers and I know my stuff, but still.  Also, I never sleep well the night before I go to court, even if it’s just for a case management conference, because I think I will oversleep my alarm.  (Luckily I have my backup, the cat alarm.  Meow!)  So tonight I expect to wake up every hour, on the hour.

In other news, the countdown to the Emmys has officially commenced!  I am recycling the same dress I wore last year (part frugality, part laziness and lack of desire to shop) but my friends and I are renting a cheap limo, so it’s going to be oh-so 80’s prom.  And while I am going to attempt to keep my celebrity stalking in check, you just never know what might happen…