Sometimes I get lazy. For example, I haven't been to yoga in several weeks. Part of it is that I now have a radio show on Tuesday mornings which means I can't do Tuesday class at Blooma, but that's mostly an excuse since I know the basic sun salutations and I have a Yoga Shakti DVD that I can do any day of the week. I hate that I'm not doing it and I am changing the day of my show post Labor Day so I can go back to my Tuesday class. But, in the mean time, this laziness has to stop.
Back in 2003, before I was in law school, I was doing pilates regularly at the Calhoun Beach Club. Then, one day, I showed up to the 6:30 am class and it had been cancelled. It disheartened me so much that I never went back. Yeah, I know, weird.
I've been riding my bike some this summer, but not the long rides I was envisioning, and not as often as I was when I first bought it.
It's kind of a circular problem of tiredness- if I get into a pattern of not working out, then I feel very tired and then I feel very tired so I can't drag my ass out of bed in order to do yoga or bike or walk before work.
Today Johan and I went on a 5 mile, brisk-paced walk. Well, I walked and he sat in his stroller eating oranges and pointing out various animals along the way. I know it's not running a marathon, but I felt awesome all day - while Johan was napping, I read my book and did laundry and organized the house. Tonight I still feel good and am hoping that my long walk is the catalyst to getting back to the mat/bike/paths.
One of my facebook friends (the Mister of my good friend Sarah) had a status update a few weeks ago that is apt and is important for me to remember:
"And to think I almost skipped yoga this morning due to tiredness. That would have been like skipping one's favorite meal due to hunger."
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Fiscal Year
Well, Friday at work was just about one of the worst days at work I've had in a long time. No one single thing was disaster, but a bunch of annoying and unpleasant things added up to one bad July 9th.
But fear not.
It was the end of my fiscal year, because, see, on Sunday I had a birthday. So, July 9 was my last day as a 28-year-old lawyer. Today I started anew. A new fiscal year. A new settlement; a new kind of hearing (fighting to get my fees paid after winning the substantive case); and then wine with Brianna.
I don't do New Years resolutions much, but I do feel contemplative at my birthday. I like to think about the year ahead- things to change and ways to grow. Or whatever.
Here's what I've got so far for age 29:
- Stop fidgeting. This include clicking pen tops and unraveling paper clips. Immediately.
- Get regular pedicures. Shallow, you say? Then you haven't seen my feet. This is $40 well spent.
- Do new stuff in my practice. Done! What? On the first day of the fiscal year 29, I already did it! I had an attorney fee hearing which is a Work Comp hearing I'd never done before. So, now for the next 363 days, it's time to try out some more. Go.
- Teach Johan to write his name. (that might be in the 4th quarter of my current fiscal year.)
Let's vamos! Time to seize 29.
But fear not.
It was the end of my fiscal year, because, see, on Sunday I had a birthday. So, July 9 was my last day as a 28-year-old lawyer. Today I started anew. A new fiscal year. A new settlement; a new kind of hearing (fighting to get my fees paid after winning the substantive case); and then wine with Brianna.
I don't do New Years resolutions much, but I do feel contemplative at my birthday. I like to think about the year ahead- things to change and ways to grow. Or whatever.
Here's what I've got so far for age 29:
- Stop fidgeting. This include clicking pen tops and unraveling paper clips. Immediately.
- Get regular pedicures. Shallow, you say? Then you haven't seen my feet. This is $40 well spent.
- Do new stuff in my practice. Done! What? On the first day of the fiscal year 29, I already did it! I had an attorney fee hearing which is a Work Comp hearing I'd never done before. So, now for the next 363 days, it's time to try out some more. Go.
- Teach Johan to write his name. (that might be in the 4th quarter of my current fiscal year.)
Let's vamos! Time to seize 29.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
7 Weekends
1) Carla Emeott's wedding + Jamie's bridal shower.
2) Brianna's cabin in Glenwood, MN. Tubing behind a speed boat? Why, yes, thankyouverymuch!
3) My 29th birthday + Sarah in Minneapolis!
4) 6th Wedding Anniversary + Sylia in Minneapolis!
5) Mille Lacs with Addie, King, + Johan!
6) River boat cruise and mini-vacay in Stillwater for Mom and Roger's 25th Anniversary!
7) Jamie's Wedding!
So...if you want to hang out, how's mid-August?
2) Brianna's cabin in Glenwood, MN. Tubing behind a speed boat? Why, yes, thankyouverymuch!
3) My 29th birthday + Sarah in Minneapolis!
4) 6th Wedding Anniversary + Sylia in Minneapolis!
5) Mille Lacs with Addie, King, + Johan!
6) River boat cruise and mini-vacay in Stillwater for Mom and Roger's 25th Anniversary!
7) Jamie's Wedding!
So...if you want to hang out, how's mid-August?
Sunday, June 20, 2010
It was time...
...for Sarah's dad to be on his way home.
...for me to update the Johan stats.
...for summer to start with a bang featuring Johan running across the lawn with a couple of neighbor kids for 3 hours last night.
...for me to discover Minneapolis' dueling pianos bar. Awesome. Pretty sure I want to celebrate there again very soon.
...for me to discover Great Lakes Brewery.
...for the sun to come back.
...for me to celebrate my husband as father...whatever disagreements he and I have, he sure is a great dad and I do love to watch him with Johan.
...for me to get a Father's Day gift for my dad that I think he is really going to love (I'll let you know tomorrow!)
One last thing-
it WILL be time for me to post some new pictures of Johan. One of these days.
...for me to update the Johan stats.
...for summer to start with a bang featuring Johan running across the lawn with a couple of neighbor kids for 3 hours last night.
...for me to discover Minneapolis' dueling pianos bar. Awesome. Pretty sure I want to celebrate there again very soon.
...for me to discover Great Lakes Brewery.
...for the sun to come back.
...for me to celebrate my husband as father...whatever disagreements he and I have, he sure is a great dad and I do love to watch him with Johan.
...for me to get a Father's Day gift for my dad that I think he is really going to love (I'll let you know tomorrow!)
One last thing-
it WILL be time for me to post some new pictures of Johan. One of these days.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Schoolyard Drama - International Edition
I haven't been blogging and it's mostly because I've felt like everything and anything I would say would be trite in light of my best friend Sarah's dad's situation. If you aren't aware, you can catch up on my facebook page but he is currently imprisoned in Rwanda for words written and spoken in conjunction with representing clients. Rwanda is a police state and there is no love lost between Peter and the current regime.
I have also felt like I haven't wanted to write too much about his situation for a few reasons 1) I don't know enough background on Rwanda and Peter's work to speak with any authority on it; 2) it's not about me and what I would write on my blog would be about me; and 3) I sort of hate Rwanda right now.
It's crazy, really, to hate Rwanda. I guess better said, I hate the government that has so little regard for human rights, free speech, free exchange of ideas, due process, an independent judiciary, the presumption of innocence, and all other sorts of things I like.
And at a very basic level, I hate the Kagame regime because of the way it has caused an upheaval in Sarah's life. I mean, she's my best friend. Remember the intense feelings of loyalty to a friend in elementary school and how that loyalty would become even mroe pronounced when some mean kid started picking on your friend? And remember those primal feelings of anger and detest for the mean kid-even though he wasn't picking on you directly?
Imagine that, but on a greater scale. This time the schoolyard bully is the Kagame regime. And I kind of want to punch his lights out to defend my best friend. (Note to self: this probably counts as a threat to Rwandan national security- do not ever travel to Rwanda so long as current laws still exist.) And this time punching his lights out means cutting off U.S. aid to Rwanda until they start respecting international law and human rights standards.
Zero dollars of U.S. aid to Rwanda? How would that affect Rwandan national security, huh?
I have also felt like I haven't wanted to write too much about his situation for a few reasons 1) I don't know enough background on Rwanda and Peter's work to speak with any authority on it; 2) it's not about me and what I would write on my blog would be about me; and 3) I sort of hate Rwanda right now.
It's crazy, really, to hate Rwanda. I guess better said, I hate the government that has so little regard for human rights, free speech, free exchange of ideas, due process, an independent judiciary, the presumption of innocence, and all other sorts of things I like.
And at a very basic level, I hate the Kagame regime because of the way it has caused an upheaval in Sarah's life. I mean, she's my best friend. Remember the intense feelings of loyalty to a friend in elementary school and how that loyalty would become even mroe pronounced when some mean kid started picking on your friend? And remember those primal feelings of anger and detest for the mean kid-even though he wasn't picking on you directly?
Imagine that, but on a greater scale. This time the schoolyard bully is the Kagame regime. And I kind of want to punch his lights out to defend my best friend. (Note to self: this probably counts as a threat to Rwandan national security- do not ever travel to Rwanda so long as current laws still exist.) And this time punching his lights out means cutting off U.S. aid to Rwanda until they start respecting international law and human rights standards.
Zero dollars of U.S. aid to Rwanda? How would that affect Rwandan national security, huh?
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Shopping
Johan: This store smells like poop.
Me: Is that because you just pooped?
Johan: Don't worry about it.
Me: Is that because you just pooped?
Johan: Don't worry about it.
TR Part 2
It's been a good break. I've been doing a lot of reading. Last weekend Johan and I were up at Mille Lacs with my dad. It was wonderful.
Before my last post that had the TR quote, I'd found myself becoming extremely negative about some aspects of my firm; or not really the firm itself but some of the people. This was sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy - the more negative I was feeling about things, the more I noticed the things that bothered me. And then I realized that I was becoming hypercritical about this entity and a job that I absolutely love. And what for? Nothing is on the brink of collapse. On the contrary, there is so much GOOD going on at my firm that some days I can't wait to spring out of my house just to get started. Yep, I am that lame.
So, I stepped back. I realized that me being hypercritical about some things I want changed is not the way to do it. I have been practicing law for 3 years. And I have had an ownership in this business for 5 months. That's not very long. I am not an expert.
Except for that I might be an expert on how to finagle my way out of questions about my clients' social security numbers in Depositions (Q: What's your SSN? A: The same one I had when the employer hired me. Q: Well, what's that? Me: OBJECTION! Asked and answered. Also 5th Amendment. Move on counselor.)
Just a little Saturday afternoon tangent there. OK, but the point is that my boss/partner has been running this law firm successfully for many years. So hypercritical me needs to chill out. This doesn't mean ignore the ways we could improve- in order to remain relevant, successful, and profitable we always have to be willing to modify and reinvent ourselves. That's just what this business is like. But change takes time. And patience. Patience?! As you may know, patience is not something I am an expert in. But I am trying.
And just as I was realizing all these things, there was the TR quote. With that, I decided (perhaps narcissisticly) that his words were spot on with respect to my situation and I promised myself to stop criticizing and being so harsh on every less than perfect situation. I still want and am pushing for the changes I think will help our firm prosper. I love this firm. It is great for what it has been, what it is, and what I think we are on the cusp of becoming.
So I decided to change. The change is not so much outward, but within me. It's a mental shift. It's recognizing each of our strengths as well as weaknesses, and being grateful that where one of us has a weakness, the others can pick up the slack. It's acknowledging how much good this law firm does and how fortunate I am to be excited to go to work (almost) every day; how lucky I am to feel like I am helping people, doing good and making bad situations better. I think that meaningful work is one of the keys to contentment in this life, and it is not commonplace. So, I'm trying to be the man in the arena- doing, acting, creating, making change. And it's working, which is just fantastic.
Before my last post that had the TR quote, I'd found myself becoming extremely negative about some aspects of my firm; or not really the firm itself but some of the people. This was sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy - the more negative I was feeling about things, the more I noticed the things that bothered me. And then I realized that I was becoming hypercritical about this entity and a job that I absolutely love. And what for? Nothing is on the brink of collapse. On the contrary, there is so much GOOD going on at my firm that some days I can't wait to spring out of my house just to get started. Yep, I am that lame.
So, I stepped back. I realized that me being hypercritical about some things I want changed is not the way to do it. I have been practicing law for 3 years. And I have had an ownership in this business for 5 months. That's not very long. I am not an expert.
Except for that I might be an expert on how to finagle my way out of questions about my clients' social security numbers in Depositions (Q: What's your SSN? A: The same one I had when the employer hired me. Q: Well, what's that? Me: OBJECTION! Asked and answered. Also 5th Amendment. Move on counselor.)
Just a little Saturday afternoon tangent there. OK, but the point is that my boss/partner has been running this law firm successfully for many years. So hypercritical me needs to chill out. This doesn't mean ignore the ways we could improve- in order to remain relevant, successful, and profitable we always have to be willing to modify and reinvent ourselves. That's just what this business is like. But change takes time. And patience. Patience?! As you may know, patience is not something I am an expert in. But I am trying.
And just as I was realizing all these things, there was the TR quote. With that, I decided (perhaps narcissisticly) that his words were spot on with respect to my situation and I promised myself to stop criticizing and being so harsh on every less than perfect situation. I still want and am pushing for the changes I think will help our firm prosper. I love this firm. It is great for what it has been, what it is, and what I think we are on the cusp of becoming.
So I decided to change. The change is not so much outward, but within me. It's a mental shift. It's recognizing each of our strengths as well as weaknesses, and being grateful that where one of us has a weakness, the others can pick up the slack. It's acknowledging how much good this law firm does and how fortunate I am to be excited to go to work (almost) every day; how lucky I am to feel like I am helping people, doing good and making bad situations better. I think that meaningful work is one of the keys to contentment in this life, and it is not commonplace. So, I'm trying to be the man in the arena- doing, acting, creating, making change. And it's working, which is just fantastic.
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