it makes me feel sad and patriotic at the same time

Somewhere, someone plays "Taps" at 2300. I don't know if it only started recently, but I noticed it yesterday, too. I don't know if it's for a special person, or maybe it's going on at Arlington Cemetery. But just now I walked out onto my balconey and heard a strains of a bugle filling the air. It's so poetic, the last-quarter moon hanging in the clear night sky, the gentle breeze, the unseasonable 60 degrees. There aren't many places where one hears "Taps" at night. Maybe it's in preparation for Veteran's Day.

it's the witching hour

I considered wearing a costume to work today. Kelli said that I could wear one, as long as I wasn't arguing. Since I haven't passed the bar, I'd definitely be in the clear. But I had to go to a LexisNexis database training session this morning. I didn't feel like walking into a professional setting as a member of the undead. At the courthouse, it's one thing, but at the OAG office, that's important stuff.

Yesterday was a typical Monday. In the morning, I worked in Kimberly's office, entering the rest of her cases in ProLaw. I'm getting better at that program but still really have no idea what I'm doing beyond about three pages. That's ok. I'm sure I'll get better training when it matters. After that I sat in court for a little while. Then Kristi, Kelli, Janese, and another attorney, Sarah, and I went to ABP (Au Bon Pain) for lunch. (Mmmmm white chocolate latte.) I came back the Intake Center and did some filing.

I got home around 5 and checked my email. Our field trip tomorrow is to the Islamic Center. The women have to be completely covered, including our heads. I have no scarf-like item in my wardrobe, so I set off to Pentagon City (nearest mall) in search of one. About an hour later, I was wandering into stores I remotely thought would be useful, as my search had thus far been fruitless. I happened upon United Colors of Benetton. Jackpot. I've never bought anything there before, but I purchased a lovely blue scarf/shawl. Now the only challenge will be figuring out how to wear it without looking ridiculous. At first I was a little pissed off that we had to alter our dress to visit this place. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how selfish that was. We're to be their guests, yes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't show them the utmost respect. Besides, a part of me (not the feminist part, of course) likes the idea of women covering their heads, in the context of protecting their honor. It seems that many American's have forgotten the meaning behind that word.

(Note: edited by the author 11/9/2006.)

catching up

I admit it, I'm a slacker. Here's what's been going on.

Friday:
I got to work a little later than usual. But I was having a great hair day. Swaying Guy was on my train, though he wasn't dancing as much as the last time. I worked in Kimberly's office in the morning, entering her cases into ProLaw. Since I'd only received training on the program in the form of Kimberly showing me the day before, it took me a while to find my way around. I also got to fax the subpoenas I'd typed up for Cecelia. The fax machine at work is the same as at switchboard, which makes me feel better. Except that I have to dial 9 to get an outside line, not 7. There is much redialing. In the afternoon, I went over to the courthouse and did some filing. There wasn't much to do, though, so I ended up leaving before 3. (I like these shortened days.) I went home and changed my clothes. Then I went to Ballston Common and saw "Saw III." It was the saddest of the three movies. But I won't give away the ending, in case there are any other horror fans out there. I got Panera and came home. I cleaned up the living room and rearranged it. Tiffany's sister Tara was flying in at night, so I wanted the place to look presentable. I went to bed relatively early because I had to get up early the next morning.

Saturday:
I woke up at 4:45 to take a shower, then went back to bed, then got up again at 6:30. It had stopped raining overnight, but it was still gloomy outside. Scott was waiting in the hallway and we walked to the Metro together. We had to take the blue line all the way to the end, Huntington and then catch the REX bus to Ft. Belvoir. We were going to help the USO assemble care packages for the troops overseas. It was an adventure, figuring out the bus route, and finding our way around the base. It was a little eerie, actually, walking around. It was like everyone could tell we were civilians, that we didn't belong. But volunteering was fun. There were over 200 people there. It was pretty inspiring. On the way back home, as we were on the Metro, I looked at the city flying past (because that end of the blue line is mostly above-ground) and thought, 'I'll miss this city when I leave.' I'm really starting to love it. When I got back, I took another shower and took a nap. There was a costume party hosted by another girl in the program. We all got dressed up and went. I didn't stay too long. I keep forgetting that I don't like very many people in the program. So I came back home.

Sunday: I haven't done so much today. There was a "House" marathon on today that I was watching. I've done some homework. Now Lori, Alyssa and I are watching "Fever Pitch." Desperate Housewives is on in an hour. (It's so sad that I'm addicted to that show now. And Gray's Anatomy.) Hopefully, this week is exciting.

(Note: edited by the author 11/9/2006.)

I wrote some subpoenas today

They were for this intervention case I've been helping Cecelia with. It was pretty saftisfying to be able to type up the subpoenas, after having worked hard to gather the information for them for the last couple weeks.

Yesterday we had a field trip to the Organization of American States. Sorry, folks, but that was possibly one of the most boring places I've been. The architecture was very nice, but the content was not so good. And neither was the tour guide. I don't have too much interest in the Americas (well, like Central and South America), despite my interest in international law. The OAS doesn't peak my interest either. At all.

But it was ok. I had some good conversations with Kellie (the LCWC internship coordinator, among other things), especially about Harry Potter. I had to hand in again a paper I wrote about the congressional hearing I attended. I don't think Dr. Joyner appreciated the artistic license I took with it. (It was like Mrs. Dobus and the essay to get into AP English 10 all over again. That's another story, though.)

(Note: edited by the author 11/9/2006.)

that was a little unexpected

I've been reading Jackie Spinner's book "Tell Them I Didn't Cry" for my Tuesday night class. Spinner is a Washington Post correspondent who spent a tour embedded in Iraq. Her book is about her time overseas and the triumphs and difficulties she goes through. As I was reading the chapter for tonight on the Metro ride home, I was struck by the feeling that I could relate to her. I obviously don't know what it's like to survive in a war-torn country.

But I do know what it's like to be in a foreign place, where I don't know anyone. She goes back home occasionally, on leave, but it feels different, weird. The pace is all wrong. I know exactly what she means. The last part of the weekend was good. I got to spend some time with my Chicago family. I got to go to church at Christ Oak Park, got to talk to my pastor at the coffee hour after the service. I really miss that place. Stopped off at the Jewel as per usual following church and got a seven layer salad. Ate lunch with Lisa. I went over to Barajaz's (now a Corporal!) room and she, Tina and I watched "Rosemary's Baby" and "Saw." It was the first time I'd seen "Rosemary's Baby." It was pretty good, but not really scary ( I was a little disappointed by that). Monday morning I was planning to stop by school and look in on some of my friends there. But, being me, I overslept and couldn't. I walked to the Harlem/Lake El stop, which took a while because I was practically dragging my overstuffed suitcase (the wheels were off-kilter a little). But I made it. And then there was a huge accident at the Ashland stop. It took me almost an hour and a half to get to Midway. I was rushed, and not a little annoyed. I didn't have time to check my suitcase, but then I forgot I had all my shower stuff in it; lost all of that. I eventually got back to the apartment, just beating the rush hour traffic.

And now it's back to the grindstone. Back to life in the fast-paced city, learning my way around the legal system in the District. I wonder what it'll be like to go back home in December. It'll be hard to adjust to life in River Forest, at least for a few days. I won't have to walk so far or so much (mostly because I'll have my baby Clytemnestra back!) I've already lost some weight from walking about so much, I don't even realize I'm doing it anymore.

But it'll be nice to be with my family in Chicago again. It seemed a little surreal to be back, but maybe that's because I knew that I was going back to WDC. I don't know. Guess I'll just have to wait and see. But I think I'll miss the days when my major accomplishment was discovering that John Sullivan, Esq. is the man I need to subpoena for electric records. (And that's after only about 4 hours of researching and holding on a phone.)

it's over. well, at least the wedding is.

I've just gotten back from my godsister Jade's wedding. The wedding itself was very nice. The pastor was nuts; he kept trying to micromanage and began to freak out a little last night at the rehearsal. I'd never met Jeremy, Jade's husband before. He seems nice. (I'll let the ten year age difference speak for itself. Yeah. She's 18.) Amberleigh and I had to sing. I made the decision that if I ever marry, I don't want to have anyone under the age of 18 in my wedding party, and I don't want anyone singing. I think a nice string quartet would be lovely.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about my 18-year-old godsister's being married. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I was against it. Sometimes I feel like the only uniform thing I stand for in this life besides my faith in Jesus Christ is my unfailing romanticism; I'm always willing to stand up for love. If I can support two old men living happily ever after, why can't I support this union?

Maybe it scares me a little. Jade and I are so different. She has always wanted to be a wife and mother; she practically helped raise her siblings (of which she has 5 younger, ranging from 6 to 15). Obviously, I am career-oriented. I almost became physically ill when the pastor gave his message, about how the woman should lose herself in her husband and that individuality in marriage is a myth. At 21, that is not something I desire at all. I don't really see myself desiring it any time soon, either.

But it's been nice to see my family here. I spent some good time with my friend Cathy and her boyfriend Jake. She lives in Florida, so I rarely get to see her. Tristan came with us, so I got to spend time with him. My mother has taken to calling him her "adopted son." His presence is now accepted at all family gatherings; my father assumed he was coming on our family summer vacation. But anyway, at the first reception (don't ask why there were two), the photographer was trying to arrange us in a "family picture" (don't ask why we had to take family shots at the reception). He gestured to Tristan and I said that he was my brother. The photographer said, jokingly, he thought Tristan was my boyfriend. (I think he was confused.) But a few minutes later he told Tristan he was blocking "his sister" (Amberleigh). We were all highly amused. So now it seems as though I have a brother. Without anyone having to sign any legally binding contracts.

willkommen, bienvenue, welcome

Tonight was "Cabaret." I can't remember being so moved, not only emotionally, but politically and ideologically, by a musical. The only other time I've seen this show was the 1972 movie with Liza Minelli. I saw it in high school, but didn't really like it. I didn't understand it. I understood it this time. A little too well.

The dramaturg notes pointed out the similarities between the rise of Nazi Germany and the current state of the nation. It's positively eerie. I've been sort of despairing about the way our country is headed recently. I read an article about Russian people for my Allies and Adversaries class last week. The article showed that Russians are more than willing to surrender their "fundamental" rights, like freedom of speech, the press, etc., for safety and security. Isn't that what we're doing now? I don't want to turn into Russia. I don't want to surrender any more rights.

One thing that struck me throughout the musical was how unfair it is that we can let so easily let other people dictate how we show love. There are many types of love in this world, many types of expression of love. People are always looking for connections, connections with other people, with loved ones, with strangers. It is ridiculous when complete strangers can say one way is wrong, and the rest of the pack follows suit.

The whole cast did a wonderful job of bringing 1931 Berlin to life. The idea of a cabaret from that time is sublime; satirizing current and political events. That's my type of gig. Near the end, when the Nazi rule has taken over the Kit Kat Club, the male lead, Cliff, gets dragged off by two SS officers. Another one came up with a camera and shot a few, a little poignant nod to Abu Ghraib; it was magnificent. Throughout the second act, I was tearing up. But was really got to me was the finale, when the swing members came out wearing gold stars, some of them were wearing pink triangles. I thought of my friends, and began counting how many would be in line for a train to a camp for their choices in life.

And then I thought, would I be on a train, too?

double feature today

Even though I got about 7 1/2 hours of sleep last night, I still woke up tired. I read a chapter of HP#5 while waiting for Tiffany to get out of the bathroom. (She takes a long time.) Trains were crowded this morning. I don't really mind. I listen to The Fray (everyone go out and buy "How to Save a Life." it's excellent.) and have a grand old time.

I was actually occupied the whole day today, except for lunch, when I took a break and read "Sanguinarium." (For those of you out there not obsessed, "Sanguinarium" is a 4th season episode of The X-Files. One of the best sites on the internet is www.insidethex.co.uk. There one can find [sometimes commentates] transcripts of the entire series, including the movie, The Lone Gunmen series, and the Simpsons episode "The Springfield Files." But I digress.) (Stop mocking me. I know you are.)

When I got to work, I was going to work on the tape transcription for Kristi's trial. But I couldn't find the tape. I called Janese and left a message, wondering where it was. In the meantime, I prepped some cases. A little while later, Kelli came in and told me that Kristi needed me to sit in a trial and take notes so that Kristi could go meet with a client. So I sat in a probate hearing, taking notes on testimony. I've never done that before. It was pretty cool, and I felt important. Then Kristi came back and relieved me. I went back to prepping cases. Janese called back and said that the tape was in Yvette's office. So I walked across the street to the office to get the tape. Came back to the courthouse. Finished prepping cases. Then it was lunchtime.

After lunch, I set to work on transcribing the tape. It was slow-going. The tape was pretty poor quality. The petitioner had tape-recorded some phone conversations with the respondent. Then there was some random stuff on it. I'm not sure what some of that stuff was about, but whatever. Just as I finished that, Kimberly emailed me and asked me to come back to the office to help her out. So I went over there. Kimberly, Kristi and I sat in Yvette's office for a while, and the four of us talked. Then I helped Kimberly with some filing. Then I went home. It was a good day. I'm kind of excited to go home and see Chicago on Thursday. Yea home.

My friends Nanci and Tom got married on Saturday. Yea!!!!

4 am came way too early. I pulled on my coat and shoes and Lisa and I set off for the Metro stop to find a cab. There were no cabs. I suppose that makes sense; the Metro was closed, nobody coming out. So we stood on Wilson and eventually flagged one down. We said goodbye and I trudged home and back to bed.

I woke up about 2 hours later than planned, unfortunately. I guess I was tired. I got dressed and made spaghetti- I have to admit it was tasty, though I don't think the noodles were cooked all the way. (A little too al dente.) After lunch, Crystal, Beth and I set off back to the city. We decided to hit the Mall and check out some Smithsonian museums. Air and Space was first. It was really cool. I remember the last time I was here, in 2000, my mom and I went to the Archives while my sister and my daddy went to the Air and Space Museum. I wasn't interested in that stuff then. I touched a moon rock. It was a lot smoother and a lot less dusty than I thought it would be. We saw a bunch of planes suspended from tension wires. (Hopefully very strong and thick wires.) There was an exhibit about planes and WWI. It's a wonder people don't consider the present a "war-time" like they did in the World Wars. Granted, that was larger scale warfare. But we're still sending soldiers to a far-off country to die. All of these memorials and exhibits this weekend has really made me think about my attitude toward war and patriotism. I feel very patriotic about our troops and want to support them as much as possible. But I'm also a dove. I could never in good conscience support sending men and women my age to die for someone else's problems.

That being said, the rest of the museum was pretty cool. I wanted to see the planetarium. But not for $8.50. Yeesh. We still had some time before we had to be back at the apartment for Crystal and Beth to catch their plane, so we decided to go to another museum, this time Natural History. Also very cool. We saw the Hope Diamond. (*Mine. Mine. Mine.*) A lot of dinosaurs. Fossilized dung. Really old plants. There was an insect zoo. A lot of hand-sized tarantulas. And a creepy huge centipede (definitely not a fan of those). Learning can be fun, too! We walked to the nearest Metro stop, Federal Triangle and went back to Arlington. Crystal and Beth got their stuff together. They said they could handle walking to the stop themselves. We said goodbye. Goodbye, Chicago. I'll see you Thursday.

I saw George Bush today. Seriously.

My chicas Crystal, Beth, and Lisa B got in yesterday (yesterday as in Friday) around 8. I brought them back to the apartment. Then we decided to go and see "The Grudge 2" in honor of Friday the 13th. We went to Union Station (yes, there is a movie theatre there. There's everything there.) The movie was surprisingly engaging. I haven't seen the first one, but I enjoyed the second one. It actually made me jump in a few places. Then we came home and talked for a little while, and went to bed.

In the morning, we woke up and went to Starbucks. We decided to take a tour of DC, because Lisa has to leave tomorrow morning, and she wanted to see the monuments. We went to Arlington Cemetery, toured that. The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns was especially heartwrenching; we witnessed two separate wreath-laying ceremonies. As usual, I cried. Then we finished the Cemetery tour and went into the city. We saw the Lincoln and Korean War memorials. There was a dedication ceremony for the new Air Force memorial by the Pentagon, and Crystal really wanted to see the air show that was supposed to happen at the end, at 1:30. We decided to walk over to the Arlington Memorial Bridge so that we could see the memorial across the river, around 1:30. Nothing happened for quite some time. The Coast Guard pulled over a few boats on the river. A couple helicopters flew by. Nothing was happening. Around 2:30ish, we saw two police SUVs drive by, toward Virginia. Then we noticed that the traffic on the bridge had stopped. A long line of motorcycle cops came whizzing by. And then, there was the presidential limosine, flanked by a small army of Secret Service thugs. Laura was waving out the window; George wasn't paying attention. It was pretty cool. I may not support the guy in a lot of his current decisions, but he is the leader of the free world. Well, sort of. Finally, after 3 there were a few maneuvers done by some cool looking planes. A stealth plane flew over, a couple older planes. Then George and Laura drove back the other way across the bridge. He was waving this time. Very cool.

After that excitement, we went back to the Vietnam Memorial, ran our hands over some of the many many names of beautiful men and women who went to a strange land and died to stop the spread of ideology. There is an inscription in front of the Korean Memorial that says "OUR NATION HONORS HER SONS AND DAUGHTERS WHO ANSWERED THE CALL TO DEFEND A COUNTRY THEY NEVER KNEW AND A PEOPLE THEY NEVER MET." Does that idea bother anyone else? But enough of my propoganda. After the Vietnam was the WWII. Then we picked up the tour bus again and rode to Union Station. We got off and headed toward Mecca, I mean, the United States Supreme Court building. I got goosebumps looking up at the 4 beautiful words carved above the majestic pillars: EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW. My love.

Next stop was dinner. We took the Metro to Metro Center. Then we decided to go to Chinatown, at 7th and H. We picked a Chinese restaurant (surprise, surprise) and tucked in to some scrumptious grub. A little while and several to-go cartons later, we set off back to the apartment. We picked up some beer and a couple movies ("American Wedding" and "Paycheck") on the way and sat down in the living room. It was a great night. Got a little tipsy. Played a few drinking games. Went to bed around 1 finally. It was going to be a short night. Lisa had to get up at 4 to get to the airport on time, but more on that later.

commuting to Judiciary Square

This morning was a particularly random commute, and it made me want to put down the joy that is living in Virginina and working in Washington.

This is a map of where Rosslyn, the Metro stop closest to my apartment is. Because of copywriting reasons, the map is in unflattering tones of gray. But you can see the Metro stop. My apartment building complex is right where the "Get the full-color, etc." writing is. It's not very far away. I take the elevator down to the basement and leave out the loading dock door. I cut through the ABC news van parking lot and onto Fairfax/N. Lynn Ave. The ABC news building is right next to our complex. I walk past the CVS, and a couple restaurants. Then I get to the intersection of N. Lynn and Wilson. I have to get to the diagonal corner, so I have to cross the street twice. The walk light comes equipped with an annoying chirping noise for the seeing-impaired to get across the street. In the morning, there are usually cars blocking the intersection, heading toward the Key Bridge (at the top of the map), which leads across the river and into Georgetown, and the city. I cut across the parking lot of the Orleans restaurant on the corner. There are usually buses and taxis coming and going on N. Moore St, where the station is, but they usually yield for pedestrians.

Then it's into the station. In the mornings, there is a stand set up for Express newspapers, a little abbreviated paper for the commuter to read what's going on in the world. Sometimes I pick one up, sometimes I don't. Sometimes there's a homeless person trying to make some change by playing an instrument. Once there was an older Chinese man playing a stringed instrument; I'm not sure what it was, but it was beautiful. This morning I was surprised by a mass of children. Ok, they could have been in high school. It looked like they were on a field trip or something. They were in the way. Past the turnstiles is a set of impossibly long escalators, two for up, two for down. Sometimes I walk down the escalator, sometimes I don't. It depends on my mood. People who stand are on the right side so that people walking can pass on the left. Five minutes later, I reach the platform for the orange/blue trains going toward the city. (New Carrollton and Largo Town Center are the last stops, respectively.) There are signs on the platforms that show how many minutes away the next three trains are, a very helpful idea.

This morning, I had a few minutes to wait on the platform for the next train. I was standing there, listening to The Fray (my new favorite band). A man walked up to the platform. He was late-30s, early 40s. Had shoulder-length dark reddish brown hair. He kind of reminded me of the prince from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, well, if he were older. He was listening to music on headphones, too. And he was dancing. Well, sort of swaying, really, to the music. Hands and everything. And he was singing. Oh, the singing. Another commuter caught my eye and we sort of smiled at each other. That guy was great.

The train came. Sardines doesn't even begin to describe it. On this particular run, the train was going fast, then would jerk quickly to a stop. I almost fell over about five times. Sometimes the trains have to stop on the tracks because they move so close together, and there's another one ahead. Sometimes it's really a stop-go-stop-go process, and it takes about 10 minutes to get the the next stop, Foggy Bottom-GWU (the first station in the District of Columbia, the Voice on the speaker says). It wasn't too bad this morning, except for the almost-falling-over part. Swaying Guy was in my car. He was still swaying. After Foggy Bottom are two more stops, Farragut West (near the White House), and McPherson Square (where I get off to go to church). Then comes Metro Center. I get off here to transfer to the red line. I go up the elevator and go to the platform for trains headed toward Glenmont. These trains are usually less crowded than the orange/blue line trains; I usually get a little two-seater to myself. Today, there were more people, probably because it was later. I only go two stops though; Gallery Place/Chinatown, where you can connect to yellow/green lines, and then comes Judiciary Square.

I get off the train and join the mob scene trying to get up the first escalator. Then through the turnstiles. It only costs $1.35 to get from Rosslyn to Judiciary Square. If I've picked up an Express, I toss it into a special container for discarded newspapers. Then it's up another escalator. This exit takes me to literally in front of the OAG office. If I'm working in the office, I just turn left and walk about 30 feet to the front doors. But I'm usually at the courthouse. So I walk straight. There are several vendors along 4th St NW, on Judiciary Square. Some of the courthouses are under construction; actually, almost all of the courthouses on 4th St NW are. There is a homeless man who has a little shoe-shining operation at the corner of 4th St NW and Indiana Ave. He's got a variety of supplies; I get the impression he's been there a long time because he gets a lot of business, and probably repeat customers. I cross Indiana Ave and walk past the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Department. In the morning, there are a lot of uniforms out and about. This always makes me smile. There are a lot of attractive male cops in DC. This morning, there was an older Asian couple collecting acorns in plastic bags. I'm not quite sure what that was about.

I rarely enter the courthouse through the main public entrance on Indiana Ave.

This is because the line, on both sides, through the metal detector is usually down to the street. So I cut through the John Marshall Park and go in the back way, on C St NW. On my way, I walk past the Canadian Embassy, one of the only, if not the only, foreign embassy not on Embassy Row (Massachusetts Ave). There's usually a very short line at the back, so I get right in. I usually take the escalators up to the first level, then, if I have to change shoes, make a quick stop to the ladies' room to do so before going into a courtroom. This morning I took the elevator up to the 4th floor, where the Intake Center is because I had to transcribe a tape for Kristi's trial next week. Unfortunately, the tape recorder is not working. So I came across the street to work on some stuff for Cecelia. But she's not here today, and I can't find the file I was working on. So now I'm hanging out until 1, when I have to go to Robert Spagnoletti's (the current AG) final swearing-in ceremony. Kimberly's getting sworn in. It should be interesting. I wonder if I'll be able to duck out after that. I want to go grocery shopping before my chicas come tonight.

I hope you enjoyed joining me on my morning commute with Swaying Guy and Acorn-Collecting Couple. Life is never dull here.

Mrs. Bennet's nerves ain't got nothin' on me

The morning started off promising enough. I was sitting in Motley's courtroom again. (Madame Clerk came up to me and asked what case I was there for. I told her I was just observing. Seriously, the woman sees me 2-3 times a week for hours at a time, just sitting there. I guess she doesn't pay attention.) There was a hearing, a joint CPO, where two former lovers were fighting, with their 6 month old son in the middle (I'd also like to add that he was married with two daughters already, and his wife graciously accepted the son). There was testimony and exhibits and cross-examination and closing statements. I've been seeing a lot of actual trials lately. It's pretty cool.

So, after sitting downstairs for a while, I went upstairs to rendezvous with Kelli and others for lunch. I checked my email and saw that Kimberly had some things for me to do. I pulled a CPO case from the clerk's office to get an address. Then she wanted me to go to the MPD 5th District to pick up a police report. I checked the Metro site and discovered that I had to get there by Metro, then bus. I've never actually taken public bus by myself before. (In fact, the only time I can actually recall doing so at all was in Paris. But I had Abdel with me.) So I set off in search of a police report.

Getting on and off the Metro was easy enough. I found the bus stop all right, too. Of course, I ended up waiting for half an hour, but I got on. Then I realized I didn't know the bus stop route, so I wasn't exactly sure what stop I needed. But I figured it out. The station was there, a step in the right direction already. I got inside and talked to the little girl behind the counter. She looked for about 10 minutes, then declared the report was not there. This was news to me, since Kimberly had called the station the day before to verify that it was there. So I went there for nothing. It was a little touch and go getting back to the Metro; I ended up getting on on another stop, but it was ok. I spent three hours doing nothing. When I got back to the OAG office, I told Kimberly. Naturally, she was peeved. I called the records department to see if the report was there. It was. Kimberly asked me to pick it up. Where do you think the records department is? At the MPD Headquarters. Where do you think that is? Right between the courthouse and the OAG office. So I walked about 100 ft to the building and figured out where I needed to go. Then I spent about 10 minutes arguing with the woman there; she kept telling me that I needed to fill out this form and pay $3, and I kept telling her that I worked for the DC OAG. Eventually she let me take the copy without paying. Sometimes the incompetency rampant in our government(s) scares me.

It's turned colder here. It's supposed to be in the mid- to lower-60s this weekend. Lisa told me that it snowed at home today. I guess DC is a little more south...er... (*shrugs*) than Chicago.

I'll just pretend I know what I'm doing

Yesterday was pretty interesting, work-wise. I watched court in the morning. It was Yvette's birthday on Monday, so I went to CVS to get her a card from all of us. Then we went out to lunch. It was a really nice day out, and it felt good to sit outside and talk. At 2, Kristi had a preliminary hearing, so I went to that. It was pretty cool. She was trying to show that a respondent had violated a TPO (before the long-term CPO had even been granted). There were two witnesses who testified. There was cross-examination, and redirect. There was even evidence: the plaintiff had tape-recorded a phone call the respondent had made after he'd been served. Kristi played it for the court. It wasn't the best quality, but you could still here things like "I'm gonna get you," and "crack-head bitch." Apparently, he's not a nice guy. (Janese said that someone will have to transcribe the tape for the court. She patted my shoulder. *sigh*) After the judge found probable cause that the TPO had been violated, he set the trial date for next week, along with the CPO hearing.

I went across the street to the OAG office to help out Cecilia, our attorney who mostly deals with adult neglect/self-neglect cases. She put me to work on a case for a client. She handed me a couple subpoenas and said she needed rental records and phone bill records and electric bill records. Then she sent me to Janese's office to use her computer, since Janese was at the Intake Center. I sat there a little while, looking through the client's file, trying to figure out where I was even going to start. I found a number that looked like it might go to the management office of the apartment complex and started there. I guess sometimes being an attorney is being a bit like an investigator. I wouldn't mind it, if I knew what I was doing. Eh. *shrugs* I guess on-the-job training is the best kind.

I had class tonight. I don't know how I stay awake for it, but somehow I manage to keep myself occupied. I slipped and fell on the way last night. Tore up the knee that was almost finished healing. What is it with me and falling lately? I look like I got worked over by someone.

that's it... I give up traveling

Monday morning was pretty eventful until a water company truck showed up in front of our house. My mother saw it and went outside to talk to the guys. They were shutting off our water, apparently. My mother was livid and got on the phone to the water company. One their tenants had an outstanding water bill, so the water company decided to transfer the balance to our address. After she hung up with the water company, she called her attorney, Pat (he's wonderful). Then she called the Morning Journal and demanded the story run front page. I love my mother.

I said goodbye to Tristan and Amberleigh and my mother drove me to the airport. I had a direct flight, so that was supposed to be easier. The flight back to Baltimore was pretty short, too, which was good because I got the middle seat. When I got off the plane, I went to baggage claim to get my suitcase. The little screen said the bags from Cleveland would be at carousel 12. I watched and waited at 12. For a while. So long that they shut off the belt. I started to get a little nervous. I had a lot of important stuff in my bad. I decided to check out some other conveyor belts before I had a cow. And there it was, on number 11. For the record, I loathe Delta/Continental.

I had to catch the shuttle to get to the train station. Unfortunately, I ended up taking the wrong one, to the daily garage. I figured the shuttle would just loop around and I could get off at the spot I got on, and wait for the right shuttle. That idea was working out well, until after the driver had dropped everyone, he didn't go back to the airport, he went back to the shuttle parking lot. After he parked, I explained what had happened. I think he was mocking me in his head. He told me that he'd be going back to the airport in about 10 minutes. He called me "Ma'am" a lot. Finally I got back to the airport and got on the right shuttle. I got to the station and... MARC trains weren't running on the "holiday." So I had to buy an Amtrak ticket to get back to Union Station. It was pretty comfortable, but I was stilled annoyed about having to buy another (more expensive) ticket. I managed to get to Union Station ok, and to get on the metro and off at Rosslyn. It wasn't raining as I walked back to the apartment, so that was good. No one was home when I got there. Lori and Alyssa were at class, and Tiffany hadn't gotten back yet. It was nice to enjoy a little bit of quiet before everyone came in. Which they did relatively soon.

It was nice to be back to where I don't have to travel for a while. (At least for two weeks.) But I, surprisingly, was sad to leave Ohio. I think I overestimate my stamina when it comes to my ability to be by myself. I don't know. It was really good to spend time with my family, all of it. This weekend's going to be great when the girls come up. But I'm also really looking forward to Thanksgiving, when I'll be in Ohio for a whole week.

a few short stories...

I didn't post on Thursday because I was packing to leave Friday morning, which turned out to be a hellish day and I just wanted to sleep before my parents' anniversary party on Saturday. Randomly, I have three mosquito bites. It's already October. *shrugs*

thursday: an unintentional gaslighting

Thursday started much as my workdays do. I didn't get to work until 9:30. I should really work on getting to work closer to 9. I kind of feel bad. Kind of. When I got there, Kelli was downstairs and told me that Kristi had an errand for me to run, if I felt comfortable enough. She wanted me to take a service affidavit to the 1st District MPD substation in NE. She gave me a map, too and told me to go to the OAG office to get some metro cards from Janese. I had to go to Union Station and then walk about 4 blocks to 500 E St NE. I got a little lost when I got out of Union Station, but I found an officer and he pointed me in the right direction. (He didn't know where the station was; I think that should have been my first clue.) So I eventually got there. And I found myself in a townhouse neighborhood. There was a middle school. That was the only non-residential building. I called my dad, who got on the internet to double check the address for me. I even went into the school, thinking maybe the station was a little desk in there. No dice. So I called Kristi; she wasn't answering her phone. I figured she was in court, and I told her that I couldn't find the station, so I was going to find my way back to the main 1st D's station in SW, since my dad had given me the address. Kristi called before I'd gotten too far and double checked the address; she didn't want me to go all the way to SW. So she called them and verified the address, 500 E St. The guy at the station was telling Kristi that there was a park across the street, and a church. I was looking around and definitely not seeing it. It took us about 5 minutes to realize that the station was in SE not NE. So I had to walk about 10 blocks, past East Capitol, which is like a mirror in the middle of the city to get to 500 E St. SE. But I finally delivered the paperwork and trudged to the Capitol South stop to go back to the courthouse. (According to Google Maps, I walked about 2 1/2 miles. Good thing I was wearing moderately comfortable shoes.) Needless to say, I was a little tired when I got back. I ate lunch and spent the afternoon typing up closing letters for Kimberly, letting her clients whose CPOs expire in October and November know that, well, their CPOs are expiring. At the end of the day, at 3:30, we all went to a little speech event for the Disabled Employee Month (or something liket that). Yvette was introducing the main speaker, an associate judge at the DC Superior Court. She told us that she was making a joke about how he wasn't a Cowboys fan. Or something. When the joke came up, we all laughed. I laughed a little too loudly and we kept laughing for a while after that. Kelli and I left after the speech and I went home to get ready for class. It was pretty uneventful. I had to pack that night because I had to leave early the next morning.

friday: next time I'm hitchhiking

Friday morning I woke up at 6:15am. I managed to get out the door close to 7. Luckily, it was pouring rain. I got to walk to the metro in the rain and got soaked. I had to go to Union Station (again) so I could catch a MARC (Maryland commuter) train to Baltimore to catch a shuttle to BWI. I arrived at US a hair late and had to wait another half hour to catch the next train. I left the city at 8:15 (mind you, flight leaves at 9:30). Didn't get into Baltimore until almost 9. I was starting to freak out a little. I finally got to the airport almost 9:10. Then I found out the flight had been delayed to 9:45. That made me feel better. Now, I always carry-on my makeup because I don't want to lose it if my checked bag gets lost. Silly me forgot about the ridiculous new procedures for liquids, besides the fact that the "terror alert" was raised to orange. So I had to throw out my foundation, concealer and mascara. Needless to say I was pissed. I finally got to the gate. The plane was delayed further; we didn't actually leave until almost 10:30. This wouldn't ordinarily be a problem, but I was flying Delta (don't ever do that) and had a connection in Atlanta leaving at 12:30. I touched down in Atlanta a little after 12. Then I had to find the gate for my connection. It wasn't on the little departure screen. A little Delta guy had to look it up on the computer. Several minutes later he figured it out and I had to go to another concourse. I made it on time, but lucky me, the flight got delayed. We didn't leave until 1:15. I was squished between the window and a large man who didn't smell very good. I got into Cleveland around 3. I was so happy to be there. I'd been traveling for 8 hours. My parents and my godparents, Mark and Simone, picked me up from the airport. We went to SouthPark mall for a little while. Then home. We had lasagna for dinner. It was tasty.

saturday: it's a party, right?

I got my hair cut on Saturday morning. As I was explaining my last horrific haircut, Karen was looking at my hair, comparing the length and whatnot. She said, I cannot even understand how that woman cut your hair. It turned out that one side of my hair was longer than the other. She fixed it for me. I feel so much better. After lunch, Simone, my aunt Jeri (who is actually my mom's best friend from college) and I went to the hall to finish decorating. We put yellow roses in bud vases on the tables and sprinkled confetti. It looked pretty good, too. When I got back home (ps, I got to drive- Yes!) Amberleigh and Tristan were there. I was so glad to see them. I didn't realize how much I missed even my sister. My father's best man and his wife, my uncle Rich and aunt Karen came soon after. Then we all went to see my new house. (My parents are selling the house I grew up in and building a new house. I grew up in a ranch. The new house is a colonial with a full basement. Weird.) I liked it. It'll be fun to decorate, though I will miss home-home. When we got back, we got ready for the party. It was a lot of fun. A bunch of people that I had to meet and shake hands with. My Aunt Karen came. I hadn't seen her in a while; I'm glad she came. The food was good. The DJ was... questionable. But there was karaoke. My dad sang "I Saw Her Standing There." It was hi-larious. Amberleigh and I gave sappy speeches. My anniversary present is that I'm coming home for a week over Thanksgiving to help with the move. The party started at 6 and ended at 11. On the way home, Tristan, Amberleigh and I stopped at Taco Bell. We all stayed up a little longer and talked. Then the three of us crashed in the family room. Mark and Simone are staying here too, but are staying in my room.

sunday: eh... i could eat again...

I had to run to the store before church to get the fixin's for french toast casserole. I put it together and then we all went to church; Tristan, Mark, Simone, Jeri, Jonathan (her husband), my parents and me. Suzanne came over while we were at church and made brunch for us. We got home and she stayed and ate with us, 10 people crowded around our dining room table. After brunch, my parents drove Jeri and Jonathan to the airport to fly home to Kansas. The rest of us vegged for the SVU marathon. Then the "adults" went out to dinner at Cheesecake (feel the envy). Then they came back. And are now opening their presents. Cheesecake is soon to come. Even though I've been picking and snacking all day. But, eh, I could eat again.

Tomorrow is back to DC at 4. It's a direct flight, thank goodness. I'm already looking forward to two weeks from now, when I'll be home to Chicago for my godsister Jade's wedding. I haven't seen my godparents for awhile. I almost forgot how much I miss them and love spending time with them. Of course, next weekend, Lisa, Crystal and Kasprovicz are coming to DC. That'll be great.

danger's my middle name

We went to the International Spy Museum today. I think I've decided to change professions.

Just kidding.

The museum was really cool. I wouldn't mind going back just to look at everything again. There were displays about disguises, and picking locks, and the atomic bomb, and the Cold War. There was a big display about code-breaking, too. There was an authentic Enigma machine. It was all very cool. The exit movie was about espionage in today's War on Terror. There was footage of the second plane hitting, and then when the first tower fell. I physically reacted when I saw it fall. I don't think it'll ever not affect me.

In other news, I'm having a little bit of, I don't know, cold feet, concerning my impending legal career. I'm starting to wonder whether or not I would be happiest going to law school. I'm starting to wonder if I wouldn't make a better psychologist. It's making me a little crazy. But maybe I'm just nervous about taking the LSAT in two months. I don't know.

lemon drops and gum drops

I saw my first real trial today. A real one, with swearing in the witnesses, and testimony, and cross-examination, and opening and closing statements. The lawyer on our side was Cecilia, who I met for the first time today. She's been on vacation for a while and usually works only on APS (adult protective services) cases. This cases was pretty depressing. Cecilia was trying to get a guardian appointed to an 89-year-old woman. She had been living with her "godson," who was basically mooching off of her. Whenever her case manager would visit, she'd be in soiled clothing. She was wheelchair-bound and couldn't care for herself. It was so sad. Cecilia made her case and the judge appointed a guardian. It was pretty cool, circumstances of the case notwithstanding.

Meanwhile, life and work goes on as it ever has. This weekend I'm going to O-H-I-O for my parents' 25th wedding anniversary party. It's going to be quite a party. I think my mom said that there'll be about 50 people there. Amberleigh's driving from home with Tristan and Orlando. It'll be a fun weekend, I think, despite the troubles I've given my mother (unfortunately, but unintentionally) over the travel plans. (I forget that I have to arrange travel to and from the airports, neither of which are within reasonable distance.) But anyway, it'll be good. I'm taking a long weekend; I won't be back until Monday. But it's Columbus Day, so I won't be missing work. Thank you, Government, for taking gratuitous days off.

Edit: For some unknown and ridiculous reason, I've forgotten to mention how wonderful Dr. Hayes was this past weekend. He bought me steak for dinner and two mouth-watering bottles of Sam Adams (I'd almost forgotten how good good beer was.) It was so great to see someone from home, to have a bit of normalcy after a month of crazyness. Thank you, BH. I appreciated it. A lot.

I feel like I've been hit by a bus

One of my favorite movies is "Someone Like You." One of my favorite lines from it is after Ray tells "D" about his and Jane's relationship. Jane's talking to her best friend Liz on the phone when she sees Ray. She tells her, "Liz, I gotta go. He looks like he's been hit by a bus." And then Ray walks into Jane's office, sits down and says, "I feel like I've been hit by a bus."

Maybe it's funnier to see it. At any rate, weekend was punctuated by incessant nose-blowing and coughing, and me accidentally banging my knees against something. (They look like they were hit with a baseball bat.) Friday night I stayed in. Dr. Hayes called and said we might get together when he was finished seeing some former students in Alexandria, but by then he was too tired, having been up since 5am. I fed my Shahruh Khan fix and watched "Veer-Zaara."

On Saturday, I slept in (as usual). Alyssa has been getting calls from some guy she doesn't know from a "Private" line. He's left a couple messages. They've been benign, but strange, 'hey, wake up,' 'pick up.' He called again on Saturday and Alyssa answered, trying to find out who it was. He started talking about sexually explicit acts. He wouldn't respond to her when she asked who it was, just kept talking in a soft, monotone voice, all the things he wanted to do to her. She was understandably disturbed. I was disturbingly intrigued. (I think he is a telephone scatologist; he becomes aroused by making obscene phone calls.) Anyway, later I went to the student/board member reception and saw Dr. Hayes. We made plans to meet at the Orleans steak and shrimp restaurant in Rosslyn for dinner. He went back to meetings, I went to the National Book Festival on the Mall. It was pretty cool, seeing all of those people walking around, talking and listening about books. In such a technological age, it's a big comfort to know that there are still so many who are interested in words on a page. I stayed there for a little while. I didn't recognize any of the authors who were speaking, so I decided to go to the American Indian Museum. It was pretty cool, but the layout was a little weird.

Sunday afternoon was mostly spent watching the Law and Order: Special Victims Unit Season 7 (Part One) Marathon on USA. (I have a small tiny complete obsession with that show). I managed to do most of my Tuesday class homework, too, which was good, too. All the roommates got together to watch "Desperate Housewives," a show which I have unfortunately begun to like. It could be worse, I suppose. I'm not sure how...