Legal Quandary

Not Currently Answering the Mail

2011-12-21T20:25:00.003-05:00

So...it's been a while (approximately 2 years) since I last posted.

In the meantime, I've been busy. I've had a few more JAG jobs and moved a couple of times.

Unfortunately, what I *haven't* been doing is checking my LQ@gmail account. Imagine my surprise and embarrassment when I realized that a number of people have been emailing me in the last 2 years and I haven't been answering. My sincere apologies! (Although after looking at Roster, I realize that some of you are JAGs and doing just fine without my sage advice, so I guess things have a way of working themselves out.)

At any rate, the point of this post is to say that I am not currently answering questions via LQ.

Best of luck to anyone applying to the JAG Corps. If you have questions, there are several individuals at AF JAX (the recruiting folks) who are both extremely qualified and - more importantly - helpful!

Thanks for reading!

Facebook

2009-01-28T15:46:00.002-05:00

Sometimes Facebook makes me laugh - especially when it suggests people I might like to be "friends" with.

For example, today my former brother-in-law was one of the people Facebook thought I might know. Ok, so I wouldn't expect Facebook to know I used to be married to his brother, but did he come up because we have several friends in common? Nope. It said I might know him because we went to the same university.

Weird.

Ever Have Someone In Your Office

2009-01-08T21:21:00.002-05:00

Who is so incompetent that it would actually be easier if he never did ANY work because you spend more time correcting his errors than it would take you to do the project yourself? And sometimes, if you're very lucky, you'll get to make corrections TWICE because he only made some of your corrections the first time around.

Yeah, I Don't Know Why This Amuses Me...

2008-09-07T23:01:00.002-04:00

But it does.

23

Created by OnePlusYou - Online Dating Service

Ignore the online dating ad link. I just like to delude myself that I could handle Lil Q plus 22. Maybe I AM ready to take on a dozen youngsters at her 6th birthday party next week.

How To Make A Million Dollars

2008-08-26T22:16:00.003-04:00

Develop a secure online program for school websites which allows parents to access their child's information with a username/password. Parents should be able type in information ONCE to fill out the approximately 600 forms that are required to be filled out EVERY YEAR on the first day of school. Allow for digital signatures and for parents to be able to update information (like contact numbers) if it changes at any point during the year. Have the information transfer directly to school district databases - this will allow families who don't move to just update or re-certify their information.

If the schools insist on actual signatures, at least make the forms available for download so parents can just print and sign instead of spending hours filling the stupid forms out by hand. EVERY YEAR.

Of course...now that I think about it - we had something very much like this in law school! If the universities can implement it, why can't a regular school district? You would think a program like this would pay for itself with paper/printing cost savings alone.

Where Do All The Scissors Go?

2008-08-25T22:39:00.003-04:00

The kids start school tomorrow, so in true LQ fashion, I was out doing the back-to-school shopping tonight. In my defense, the shopping list depends in part on assigned teachers, and we didn't find that key bit of information out until late.

At any rate, I realized that once again, I have to buy scissors for Lil Q. I've bought scissors for the kids EVERY SINGLE YEAR they've been in school, so I'm really starting to wonder what happens to all the scissors?

I'm not balking at the idea of providing some school supplies for the kids. Crayons? No problem. Pencils? Of course. Kleenex and/or baby wipes? Sure. But are the kids really that rough on scissors? Because I sure as heck never see a pair come back home at the end of the year.

LQ's Tip Of The Day

2008-08-24T08:07:00.002-04:00

If someone honestly believes that Merlot should be served chilled, they probably also don't know much about picking out said Merlot. It's likely to give you a headache.

I'll Bet You Thought You Were Rid of Me

2008-05-29T16:12:00.002-04:00

But no such luck. I've just been busy with work and/or out of town for the last couple of months. Alleghenyman asks the following question:

Can you try to describe social life on base? I'm a little concerned about moving every two years and not making many friends in sleepy places like Arkansas or Dayton OH where I don't know anybody. I may be married going in, to a nonmilitary spouse, and wonder what it will be like for her too.

Social life just sort of depends on where you're stationed. Some bases are much more close knit than others. For example, every person I've ever known who was stationed at Minot has RAVED about the sense of community on base. I've heard similar things about overseas bases like Kunsan, where there just isn't a ton to do off base. (Hint: if you ever ask people about a base and their response is either 1) do you like to hunt & fish, or 2) they have a great fitness facility, this is code for the weather is bad most of the year and there's nothing else to do.)

Your individual office will also have a lot to do with your social life. For example, even though our office doesn't socialize together a whole lot outside of work, we have weekly PT sessions or team building exercises, so we actually get to know each other fairly well. Plus chances are that you'll find at least one or two people you "click" with in just about any office.

There are also a wide variety of organizations on base that try to encourage you to get to know people. One of the best organizations for a new JAG, if you can find the time to participate, is the Company Grade Officers' Council (CGOC). Not every base has a great one, but this is usually a good way to meet other people who are about the same age and have similar levels of military experience. I'm not currently a member of the CGOC (I don't really fit the mold) but have been at my previous bases. I can't tell you the number of times just knowing the lieutenant or captain who runs the __________ office has made my life easier. PLUS, some of the lieutenants and captains you meet will eventually grow up to be the commanders you'll advise later in your career. Other options are the various church groups, running clubs, tennis clubs, etc. on base. On some bases the spouses clubs - either through what used to be the Officers' Club, or through the unit, etc - are very active. Check at the Family and Community Support Center, the Chapel, or the Services organization on base - all of these tend to have some good information available, especially for families.

PLUS, all the military members are pretty much in the same boat, so in most offices you're "part of the family" as soon as you hit the base. You'll also be appointed a sponsor to help you get settled into the office and the community. Also - don't neglect the civilians working in your office! They can usually give you great information on neighborhoods and schools and are a great resource.

There are times that moving around every few years gets old. For one thing, every time I move, I have to fill out a new Dependent Care Plan, which details who will take care of my kids if my husband and I were both gone at the same time for some reason. One of the requirements of this form is that you list someone who could take care of your kids with less than 24 hours notice. It's always fun trying to decide which of the people you've known for less than a month you should entrust with the wellbeing of your offspring!

That said, one of my favorite things about military life is that know people almost everywhere I go. I recently took a trip to San Antonio - one of my bridesmaids lives there. After that, I went to Montgomery. A guy who left my office about a year ago is there now PLUS one of my best friends from my first assignment is there. Additionally, you'll go to JASOC (JAG training) with between 20 and 70 other JAGs. Chances are good you'll keep running into your classmates, and occasionally working with them, the rest of your career.

I know this may not totally answer your question. I apologize - I've been traveling a bunch lately and am, in fact, hopping on another airplane this afternoon, but wanted to get some kind of answer out there! Follow up questions?

You Know You're Really A Lawyer When...

2008-05-18T17:51:00.003-04:00

You're amazed when otherwise fair and rational people ask you questions like "How could you ever defend someone who is on trial for Crime X?!!!"

It's a purely academic question for me at this point since I'm a prosecutor, but I've been asked this question twice in the last week - and both times I was completely flabbergasted. Primarily because neither of the people (both of whom I like and respect) ever considered that just because a person is accused of a crime doesn't mean he or she actually committed it. They both also seemed to assume that the defense attorney always "knows" their client did the crime and is somehow manipulating the system to get their client off on "technicalities."

Did I used to think that way too?

How Many?

2008-05-11T23:46:00.002-04:00

Lip Sticks, Balms, Glosses, and Elixirs does a girl really need to carry in her purse.

Apparently, in my case, no less than EIGHT.*

Which goes a long way toward explaining why my purse is always so damned heavy.

* Also - three packs of gum, a pedometer, two sets of nail clippers, 6 pens, a pack of Post-it notes, and a rosary.

Delinquent

2008-05-05T21:41:00.003-04:00

Ok...so I know I haven't written much in forever. This isn't really going to change that because I've got the start of a cold coming on and need to get to bed.

BUT...a quick question:

Have you ever met someone who, from the moment you first shook hands with them, gave off an overwhelming vibe of being a whole bucket o' crazy?

Discuss.

Your PSA For The Day

2008-03-24T22:53:00.001-04:00

Whaaaa???

2008-03-10T20:47:00.003-04:00

I had to contact a client at home this morning to touch base about some changes she wanted made to a document I'd prepared.

When I called around 11, it was obvious she'd been sleeping when I called. I offered to call back later, but she insisted on continuing the conversation. Ok, fine.

A few minutes later, we're engaged in a conversation about what certain legal terms mean...when I heard a toilet flush. In close proximity to the phone.

I guess it's theoretically possible that it was just a Kleenex or something going down, but still...wouldn't you wait until you were done with your phone call just so the person on the other end didn't wonder whether you were doing your business while talking on the phone???

And Another Thing....

2008-02-25T23:11:00.003-05:00

Please send all your good vibes this way for Mr. Q. He's got a big day tomorrow!

Thanks!

UPDATE!!!

Sorry for not posting earlier - I've been out of town the last few days (which also explains my lack of Scramble-playing...)

Mr. Q's Big Day (aka his Thesis Defense) went GREAT! He's just making minor edits to the written portion now, but other than that, he's DONE!!!

When he finally graduates, it'll mark the first time in nearly five years that one of us hasn't been enrolled in some sort of higher education program. Time for a little vacation...if we can only find the time!!!

Mail Call!

2008-02-20T20:11:00.003-05:00

An Anonymous Poster asks the following questions about husbands and pets:

My husband (an accountant) would like to continue to have a professional life, how difficult is it for JAG spouses to have civilian careers considering that they also have to pack up and move with you every 2-3 years? I really don't want him to end up dragging him to strange places where he will have to sit at home all day and watch paint dry...

My pet (a dog) is pretty easygoing as long as we're around but I know that some countries have restrictions on importing pets and impose quarantine requirements. It sounds cheesy but dog is definitely a member of our family and quarantining her for 2 months in a strange European kennel would be like quarantining a child (ok, not that bad, but close). Regardless, the whole quarantine thing is expensive and I don't expect to be rolling in the dough working for JAG. So, do JAGs have pets? Does the AF try to send you places where it's possible to bring your entire family (including dogs)? (Note - coincidentally I adopted dog from a rescue that found her abandoned on a military base, so that's prety much my worst fear, that she'd be abandoned or lost again b/c I was transferred somewhere strange.)

Let's deal with the husband question first. This is sort of a tough one because it all sort of depends on your husband's field. Let me say up front that I know absolutely zero about how the accounting world works. While it would seem to me that an accountant would be able to work almost anywhere, you (and your husband) are likely to know more about whether this is the case, and whether it's possible to have any sort of upward mobility if you're switching jobs every few years. I would ask around in the accounting world to get a feel for this. You could also check what kind of career opportunities some of the larger defense contractors have for accountants - you might be able to find a company with multiple locations, so that your husband could move with you AND stay with the same company for more than 3 years. I've known several AF wives who have been able to make this sort of arrangement work. A couple of them have even been able to continue working from home when the company didn't have locations near their husband's base.

Civil service might be another option for your husband. You can find out what jobs are available at www.usajobs.com. A lot will depend on your husband's background and experience level. I believe that military spouses are usually given a higher priority for hiring. In the interest of full disclosure, I also have a friend stationed at a small base in Japan, whose husband has extensive business experience and an MBA. He's currently working at the Hobby Shop on base, and is fond of saying he's the most highly educated picture framer in the Air Force. (That said, I'm pretty sure he's also taking and teaching classes, really likes his job, and loves living overseas.)

Most of the married JAGs I know have spouses who are either 1) other military members, or 2) stay-at-home parents. That isn't to say that military spouses aren't able to have careers - some are quite successful - but the reality is that there's a certain amount of sacrifice to make it work. Of course the same is true of the "mil-to-mil" couples, where one spouse's career usually takes priority over the other's.

As for your pet question - LOTS (most?) of us have pets! I have two cats. Another JAG in my office has two dogs. Many of our paralegals have various pets. My boss has two dogs and a cat but I think she'd have an entire menagerie if her husband would only let her! My friend in Japan has 2 dogs but I think she did have to go through a fairly extensive quarantine process to get them there. Even though the Air Force does ask for your input for assignments via your "dream sheet," there's not really any sort of emphasis on being able to bring your whole family. Keep in mind that as long as we have bases in Korea, England, and Japan, there will have to be JAGs at those bases, so ultimately, it will come down to the "needs of the Air Force." Most times you'll be able to be assigned with your family (human and furry members), but there may be times you won't. Overseas assignments aren't really as common as they used to be, but at least for Korea, you probably won't be able to bring your husband either.

Hope this helps - feel free to write back if you need more clarification on either of these questions!

In Other News...

2008-02-13T21:50:00.002-05:00

I finally seccumbed...and set up a Facebook account. Which, I have to admit, is just as addictive as Blogger was initially. Plus my whole family seems to be on it. (And THANKS to all of you for not inviting ME, I might add....)

If you're one of my friends and haven't already been spammed on the basis of your email address being in my address book, drop me a line and I'll add you to my "friends" list.

LQ Answers the Mail

2008-02-13T21:45:00.002-05:00

An Anonymous poster asked the following question:

For the GLP, what $3,000 incentive were you talking about?? I have never heard or read anywhere that allows you to get a 3k incentive. If you point me to the direction of where you found this information, I would greatly appreciate it. I am currently considering applying for the GLP.

If you take a look at the governing instruction, AFI 51-101, you'll see that paragraph 5.2.1 states:

Cadets in the Graduate Law Program are eligible for a monthly stipend and students under 30 years of age may also be eligible for a Professional Officer Course Incentive (POCI) of $3,000 for each academic year.

Note that the AFI says "may" be eligible - but it's always worth asking the question! Hope this helps!

Why?

2008-02-10T23:26:00.000-05:00

Why do people presume they know my kids and my situation better than I do?

It's been about 2 years since Mr. Q and I purchased our current cell phones. Since they weren't exactly "high tech" to begin with, this means they're pretty dated. We've been batting around the idea of switching service providers, but are running into a roadblock with keeping our old cell numbers. Yes, there's a law that says you're supposed to be able to switch cell phone providers without losing your number but there's a hitch.

Wireless local number portability (WLNP) allows wireless subscribers to change service providers within a given location while retaining the same phone number. Wireless consumers who wish to port their phone number must contact the prospective new carrier, who will start the process of porting by contacting the consumer's current carrier. (From the FCC's Page)

Therein lies the rub. Our numbers are in an area code that's 2000 miles away - and although everyone assures me that they could START service within that area code, I get mixed responses as to whether I'd be able to keep the number I already have.

Anyway, I went in and talked to a rep for our current service provider, who looked at my phone and assured me that it was a big part of why I sort of hate CSP. So she just about had me sold on a new PDA/phone, when she noticed EC. And she asked whether EC had a phone. I laughed and said no, because I'm a firm believer that 13 year olds should NOT have cellphones. Then the rep launched into this pitch about how cell phones are great when kids have "extracurricular activities" and how "you can limit their calling" and such.

I'm still 110% certain that EC is not getting a cell phone. She is involved in several extracurricular activities, but there are landlines anywhere she's likely to be. I know two of her friends have recently gotten cell phones, and one of them complains that the other is constantly texting her - most recently at 2am. It just irks me that a total stranger would seriously try to convince me that my child needs what amounts to an expensive toy even after I made it perfectly clear that there was no chance in hell she was getting one.

Also, based on EC's abysmal performance on her last couple of Geometry tests, I'm not certain she can be trusted with a radio - let alone a piece of equipment which both receives and transmits.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

2008-02-07T23:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

Mr. Q even brought Chinese food home for dinner tonight!

I swore off fast food for Lent this year, so I'm going to tell myself that any place without a drive-through doesn't count as fast food. Let's hope God agrees.

Some Days Work Feels A Lot Like Law School

2008-02-07T22:10:00.000-05:00

I'm seriously considering carrying a backpack to work. You know, for all my homework.

Tonight I came home with a 7 inch (yes, I measured) stack consisting of 2 binders, 5 documents to be reviewed, and a book. OK, so the book was the FAR and accounts for an inch and a half on its own, but still...

It feels like I'm always schlepping heavy stacks of stuff around. Part of the problem is that I work in a different building than most of my co-workers, so if I want to discuss a case with my boss or one of my colleagues, I have to carry all my papers with me. The other part is that even when I'm at my most productive at work, there's still plenty left to do, so I end up bringing work home at least a couple days every week.

Somehow I thought these days were over once I graduated from law school. Or at least when I finished JASOC. The sad part is that I have a very nice briefcase - but my stuff won't all fit in it! (Also, carrying a briefcase in BDU's makes you look like a complete tool.)

I Sent A Man To Jail This Week

2008-01-10T19:11:00.000-05:00

Seriously.

My first punitive discharge with confinement.

Now that I've had some time...

E. McPan asked if the result was a good thing. I think I can honestly say it was - now that I've had a couple of days to reflect.

At first I was feeling a bit conflicted because, well...I sent someone to jail. It's all well and good when you're in law school or doing moot court exercises and asking the "jury" to "punish" someone. It's different when you do it in real life and the jury comes back with a sentence, the confinement folks come and put on the handcuffs - and you realize that you played a role in changing someone's life forever.

So for the first day or so I had mixed feelings about the result. BUT then...I was discussing the case with someone from my office, and after I detailed everything I realized that my role in the events leading to jail time was only incidental.

And I *did* totally rock my closing argument, if I do say so myself.

2008-01-06T22:04:00.000-05:00

Actually, this is a bit scary. I used my real name for this one and am a little taken aback at how dead on this is. Well, not the power part, really (I'm still working on getting that!), but the rest is pretty accurate.

What Your Name Means

You are influential and persuasive. You tend to have a lot of power over people.
Generally, you use your powers for good. You excel at solving other people's problems.
Occasionally, you do get a little selfish and persuade people to do things that are only in your interest.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.
You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.
You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily.
You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind.
A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Now compare to my LQ alterego...

What Legal Quandary Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life.
You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone.
Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

People see you as a complete enigma, and only you truly understand who you are.
You spend most of your time introspecting and seeking truth.
You're a very interesting person... but not many people know you enough to realize it.

You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way.
And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life.
You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.
You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.
People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.
You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.
You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Weird.

Why Aren't There Any Clever Quotes Involving Hot Chocolate?

2007-12-10T20:36:00.000-05:00

I trekked to Fort Wayne to check on the house this past weekend.

In addition to lopping off several inches of my hair, I went out to dinner with a distant cousin. After dinner, we went to one of the DeBrand Chocolate shops. I'd been there on previous visits to purchase gifts for family members, or little treats for myself (I HIGHLY recommend the coconut truffles), but I'd never had one of their hot beverages. I went for the "skinny" hot chocolate because it seemed like it would be less sweet than some of the others - though I don't know how "skinny" it was once they covered it with whipped cream, but I do know it was the best hot chocolate I've ever had. Seriously.

And these are pretty freaking cool too.

Going to Hell Purgatory For Sure.

2007-12-03T23:14:00.001-05:00

I'm not quite sure what to make of this...other than perhaps I'm just getting old.

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	High
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	Moderate
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Moderate
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Moderate

Take the Dante's Divine Comedy Inferno Test

h/t The Watchers Counsel

LQ Answers More Questions!

2007-12-03T21:06:00.000-05:00

JAG-To-Be posted the following question:

Deployment seems to be volunteer-centered, so how do JAGs become aware of the opportunities to deploy? Is it simply word of mouth or does the Judge Advocate General handpick who he presents the opportunities to? Also, I am wondering what you know about deployments to the Middle East.

I don't know that I would say that deployments are totally volunteer-centered, although there are some deployments which you can volunteer for. The way things typically work is that once you arrive at a base, you'll be assigned to an Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) number. Basically, the AEF is a concept that came about approximately 8 years ago when the Air Force realized that its folks were deploying pretty regularly, and hey, wouldn't it be cool if they could give their folks some sort of advance warning and predictability? And voila - the AEF system. Essentially everyone who is on "Mobility" status (more or less anyone without serious health issues) is assigned to an AEF "bucket." So, let's say you're in the current AEF - this means if any taskings come down during the 3 month window of the AEF, your name is in the hat for the opportunity to go. The great thing about the AEF system is that many of the taskings are made well in advance, so you're able to plan. It also helps that you generally know your AEF from the first month or so that you're on base - so there's really no reason not to be prepared. This isn't to say that the system is perfect. Things happen. People get sick, break legs, get pregnant, etc., so sometimes people who weren't assigned to a particular bucket wind up getting tasked. OR the mission changes and where we planned for say, 10 people, for a bucket, we end up needing 25...and people who weren't assigned wind up getting tasked. And sometimes the Air Force will take over another service's tasking. Any way you look at it though - it's definitely better than the old willy nilly system the AF used to have.

With regard to your question on how one becomes aware of opportunities to deploy, there are several different ways this can happen. As I mentioned, the AEF planners will know how many people and what skill sets they'll need to meet the requirements for the upcoming AEF. They'll match these up against the names of the people assigned to that particular AEF. In an ideal world, these will all match up, but sometimes they might need more people with, say, Military Justice backgrounds, and another time they'll want folks with contracting backgrounds. In those situations, the word might go out through the various headquarters channels that certain skill sets are needed and/or you might see it posted on the JAG Corps website that volunteers are needed. Also, sometimes your base Staff Judge Advocate might get a call directly asking either for a particular person by-name, or for a Captain with x number of years of experience. At that point your SJA may ask for volunteers or come up with the short list and handpick someone to go. (Word to the wise - it's almost always better to volunteer than to be "voluntold." If you hear about a deployment you think would be cool - or at least cooler than some others - by all means volunteer!)

And yes, to a certain extent TJAG does personally manage some deployments.

I don't have any personal experience with Middle East deployments...yet. That said, I know several people (JAGs and non-JAGs) who have been, are, or will be deployed to various locations. Although I think that most of them would say it was hard work at the time, as well as a valuable experience, a lot depends on both the location and the job itself, so it's hard to make any sort of generalization about what to expect.

Keep the questions coming - the more you ask, the more I write!

LQ Answers Your Questions!

2007-11-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

...and proves she hasn't fallen off the face of the Earth.

A reader stumbled across some of my JAG thoughts and posted the following:

I have been in private practice now for 5+ years, but I am seriously considering applying for a JAG position. My only hold up is that I have a wife and 2 little girls...ages 5 and 19 months. Are there many "family" JAGs? If I decide to go this route, I am doing so with the intention of putting in my 20 years. My fear is dragging my children all over the country from one assignment to the next during that time. What is your experience with the relocation aspect of JAG service? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Good questions. First, there are lots of "family" JAGs. My office is about 50/50 as far as married/unmarried. Most of the marrieds have kids.

I don't have any personal experience moving as a JAG...yet. That said, I've PCS'd (Permanent Change of Station) once in my previous Active Duty life and three more times as a spouse. This in a span of just over 12 years, including one assignment that lasted only 13 months.

If you're thinking of going the JAG route, you're going to move around. In fact, you're probably going to move more often than a lot of other junior officers. I've heard rumors that they will start trying to keep first assignment JAGs on station for 3 years instead of the customary 2 years - but I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that this is actually happening. The reason our assignment cycles are different is that the JAG Corps is the only career field whose assignments are not centrally managed by the Air Force Personnel Center. Why? The UCMJ says JAG assignments have to be at the Judge Advocate General's discretion.

In a nutshell, if you go the JAG route, I would plan on moving every 2 years for the first 4 years you're in. This gives you a chance to see two different bases and get some good experience before you'll be looked at for promotion to Major. After that, you might be able to spend 3 years at a base for your next 2 assignments, but be aware that once you're promoted to Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel, you'll probably start moving more often again.

I have to admit that I sort of like moving around. (The actual moves always suck. Always.) I really enjoy having the chance to live in different places. We've lived in California, Seattle, Nebraska, Ohio, and Washington, DC. Each of those places has had very different things to offer our family and I can't imagine NOT having had those experiences. I'm hoping that our family will have the chance to live in Europe or some other part of the world. That said, my older child is definitely tired of moving and actually burst into tears when we told her we were leaving our last home. It didn't help that we found out we were leaving only 4 months after we'd gotten there...

Also, you should plan on deploying and/or a remote assignments. Deployments are ranging anywhere from 120 days to 1 year right now, and you'll almost definitely have the opportunity to deploy. (And yes, I do actually look at it as an opportunity. While there's obviously some danger involved, deployments expose you to all kinds of issues you'd never encounter in civilian practice or at home station.) A remote assignment is typically an assignment away from your family for over a year. Generally this means Korea, and usually they try to assign people who volunteer for these assignments. Why would someone do that, you ask. Well...sometimes single people try to do it early in their career to get it out of the way. Young married people will often do the same thing to get it done before they have kids. BUT sometimes even happily married people with families will volunteer because you usually get your choice of follow-on assignment. For example, let's say you're stationed in Japan and you really love it. Or maybe you're married to a Japanese national and your kids are in Japanese schools. Volunteering for a remote might get you another assignment in Japan (though almost definitely at a different base.)

A long answer to a fairly short question - but you can't say I didn't try to give a complete answer!

Thank Goodness For Gmail!

2007-10-29T00:33:00.000-04:00

Gah!

Lil Q has another "Star of the Week" thing due for her other school! (Yay! More homework for me.) You know, there's such a thing as taking a good idea too far....

Considering I remembered this all of five minutes ago, I have to say I love how Gmail lets me search for the pix I sent out of the kids instead of having to sort through the files on my computer. Which I transferred to Mr. Q's computer. Which is slow as mud.

If I emailed them out in the first place, chances are good they're the better pix anyway.

Lil Q Is A Red Sox Fan

2007-10-28T23:56:00.001-04:00

Mr. Q is a devoted baseball fan. He really likes the A's and the Mariners. Sometimes the Cubs (though that might be for my sake.) Other than that though, I sometimes have a hard time figuring out which team he wants to win. Take this year's World Series for example. I've seen him cheer for Boston in the past, so naturally I assumed he'd be rooting for them to win it this year.

Nope. I asked him for a reason, but couldn't really follow the response. I think it had something to do with the team's division, whether the Yankees were playing, and who was the underdog. It might have also involved chicken entrails and tea leaves, but I can't be sure.

Lil Q decided early on that she was cheering for the Red Sox, and despite the fact that she pasted a picture of a baseball onto her "dislikes" box when she was the "Star of the Week," she's insisted on watching all of the games. More accurately - she's insisted on watching the start of all the games. She'll watch for about an inning, cheer for the Sox, and then roll over and fall asleep after murmuring "Red Sox." Now there's a real fan, who can confidently declare that her team will be victorious and immediately fall into an untroubled sleep.

She's a funny kid. But apparently also better at predicting the outcome of games than her dad.

The Stories Nobody Told Me

2007-10-27T20:41:00.000-04:00

Several weeks ago, Mr. Q and I were cleaning out the laundry room of my grandmother's house when we came across a file of newspaper clippings. It contained stories about various family members, most of them like the one about my grandmother taking college courses in her 70s or the picture of my uncle when he was appointed to his position with the city government.

But there was another clipping from 1962 that was different. It still mentioned a couple of family members, but it wasn't one of those human interest stories. Instead, it detailed how my great-aunt and great-uncle were held hostage at gunpoint.

My great-uncle Walt was a manager in the big local (and now defunct) department store. Apparently a disgruntled former employee felt that my uncle had been directly responsible for getting him fired, so he put on a Halloween mask and camped out in the bushes next to the garage to wait for Uncle Walt to come home. His thinking was that he could intimidate Uncle Walt into giving him some money. Unfortunately, Aunt Bea noticed someone in the bushes when she was taking out the trash and, thinking it might be my uncle, called out to him. The gunman came out of the bushes, and forced Aunt Bea first into the car, and later into the house. I guess he wasn't planning on her being there because he kept apologizing that "she wasn't part of his plan."

Eventually Uncle Walt came home and the gunman made both Walt and Bea get into the car and drive downtown to the store. He made Bea lay on the floor of the car, but let her go once they arrived at the store. Luckily a janitor saw what was going on and notified the police. When the police got there, the gunman was sitting next to the open safe with a pistol pressed against Walt's head. It took about an hour for one of the cops to finally talk the gunman into letting Walt go.

Uncle Walt died about 15 years ago. I attended Aunt Bea's funeral earlier this week. Although this all happened years before I was born, I'm just amazed that I'd known these people all my life, but didn't know this story. This was probably the most exciting thing that EVER happened to anyone in my family, and I had to find out about it by cleaning the laundry room.

Grrrr...

2007-10-27T20:13:00.000-04:00

I hate when cities mess with Halloween.

Halloween is October 31st.

Unless there's a snow storm or something, it should be celebrated October 31st. That means trick-or-treating should occur...you guessed it...October 31st. I *might* be willing to consider shifting it if it meant the kids could trick-or-treat on Friday or Saturday night, but moving it to a different random weeknight is just crazy.

Oh...and another thing...the name for the day is Halloween. (Hallowe'en or All Hallow's Eve *might* be ok. I said MIGHT.) For the record, I don't subscribe to this whole "Beggar's Night" aberration.

Part of me is tempted to take MY kids trick-or-treating on the CORRECT night. Just out of spite.

Nice To Know

2007-10-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

That I'm not completely off-track...though I'm pretty sure politics is not my calling. Is it possible to change the world one cupcake (or cookie) at a time?

You Should Be a Politician

Confident, assertive, and dedicated - you know what you want in life and how to get it.
Stubborn and opinionated, you can stand your ground... even if it's unpopular.
And while you have strong views, you never overwhelm people with your opinions.
A true charmer, you subtly influence people into seeing things your way.

You do best when you:

- Work according to your own rules
- Can change the world with what you do

You would also be a good lawyer or talk show host.

What Should You Be When You Grow Up?

Congrats!

2007-10-23T21:25:00.001-04:00

Yesterday while I was getting ready for work, I was starting to feel a little bummed out about the fact that I seem to have reached an age where I go to more funerals than weddings.

This was no doubt brought on by the death of one of my great-aunts over the weekend. (In all fairness, I guess when you consider the fact that many of my relatives are in their 80's and 90's, I should count myself lucky to hail from such hardy stock.)

At any rate, just when I was feeling sorry for myself, I received an email and a "Save the Date" card from 2 different friends announcing their upcoming nuptials. So that shows you what I know!

Anyway - congrats to both my friends! You know who you are!

Blogs (And Other Stuff) Explained

2007-10-23T21:20:00.000-04:00

Video Here.

Ever Feel Like

2007-10-17T23:25:00.000-04:00

The only thing working out really does is fluff up your fat cells?

And unlike laundry, my fat cells and I don't even smell good afterward.

Long Time, No Post

2007-10-16T19:45:00.000-04:00

So, it's been awhile. And when I say awhile, I mean almost 3 months!!! I was shocked when I saw that!

For the couple of folks still reading, here's what I've been up to. (Just for Mr. Q's benefit, no, I'm not whining - I fully deserve for my readership to drop into the negative numbers!)

- I was attending a long and somewhat boring class when I wrote my last post about tickets to the B-52's concert. The pre-concert reception thing featured weird food (some good, some not so much) and some weird drinks - but what did I expect? It was a B-52's concert! The only downside to the concert was that it was an outdoor concert, so the torrential downpour that started 5 minutes before the concert was supposed to start delayed things. The opening act was a Motown Tribute band. Nothing like a very white crowd singing along with a very white lead singer in a 'fro wig to "Play That Funky Music White Boy." The B-52's part was fun too, though the girls have both gotten a little chunky and Cindy's skirt was so short she was about to flash the crowd! EC was mortified that people (her mother included) actually got up, sang along, and danced during the concert.

- I have a new boss at work. She's who I want to be when I grow up.

- We had a big inspection/visit. In JAGdom, there's a thing called an Article 6 visit - it gets its name, strangely enough, from Article 6 of the Uniform Code. Basically it says that every service's Judge Advocate General "shall" make frequent inspections of the legal offices. Anyway, we had our visit and it went extremely well and was very educational, but it was a lot of work.

- I went back to TVPNU city for a class. It was a short trip, but I managed to sneak in a visit with E.Spat and "the boy." The boy cooked paella. I completely approve - of both the boy and the paella!

- I've descended into FOIA hell. I was surprised to find that not only did most of my colleagues not take Admin law, but of those who did, NONE of their profs covered the Freedom of Information Act. At any rate, our office reviews eleventy billion (give or take) FOIA requests a year, and I think I've done at least a quarter of those in the last week, being as I'm an "expert." OK, maybe it was only 4 or 5, but it FEELS like eleventy billion!

- I started swimming again a couple of weeks ago. EC made the swim team this year and her coach suggested she could benefit from the additional practices offered three days a week - at 5 am! I've been tagging along and sitting through the practices, then jumping in for a solid 45 minutes while EC gets ready for school. I swam in high school and was pretty decent, but never great. By contrast, I am now old, fat, and slow.

- Mr. Q and I have been watching a lot of Alias. We've checked out Seasons 2 and 3 on disk from the library and have been slowly working our way through them. We've also managed to go to the movies TWICE without the kids in the last month. Once for Superbad, which was, in fact Super Bad, and once for the Kingdom.

- Mr. Q and I went to see David Sedaris. Mr. Q gave some money to the local public radio station to get the tickets, so we also got to go to another fancypants reception. The food was substantially less weird than the B-52's concert. I used to be a big NPR listener, but have sort of drifted away from it. My commute is only about 10 minutes, and lately I've found myself listening to the intellectual musings of the Bob & Tom show. (Highbrow, I know.) At the reception, one of the public radio staff members came over and introduced herself, and then started introducing us as "BIG supporters of the station." I felt like such a fraud since before that moment I couldn't have told you a single one of their names.

- Lil Q was selected as the "Star of the Week" for her school. This means that she gets to bring in all kinds of stuff about her this week. On Monday, she had to bring in a poster with drawings of herself, her family, pictures of stuff she likes and hates, and a drawing of what she wants to be when she grows up. Today, she had to bring in a photo collage. Tomorrow, it's something for show & tell. I forget what Thursday is, but on Friday, she gets to bring in treats for the whole class. Though it's nice for each one of the kids to feel "special," I somehow resent that Lil Q's school is giving ME homework, because let's face it - those cupcakes or cookies are not going to bake themselves Thursday night.

- On the plus side, decorating baked goods gives me a chance to use my new "skillz." I went to a cake decorating class a couple of weeks ago and this could be my new love!! I made some beautiful cupcakes, included one with a mauve rose and little green leaves. I would have posted photos, but EC smushed it the following morning when she dropped a sieve on it.

Folks Linin' Up Outside Just To Get Down!

2007-07-24T23:15:00.000-04:00

Woot!

I just bought tickets to a B-52's concert!

EC is coming to town and then we've got tickets to her first real concert.

I fear that I'm going to spoil her - I splurged and bought the fancy schmancy tickets where you get to go to the pre-concert party and meet the band!

Why? Because I really like them and I've never seen them in concert.

List of things to do this weekend:

Drive to major metropolitan area
Meet friend for lunch
Shop for freaky clothes to wear to concert
Pick up child from airport
Take child to concert

Good Vibes

2007-07-23T21:51:00.000-04:00

Going out to all the bar takers!

To pass along a bit of wisdom one of my friends passed on to me...

You'll never know as much about the law as you do right now.

I remember wanting to crawl into the fetal position and whimper at that thought, but apparently it was true.

I did fine, and so will those of you taking the bar this year.

And one year from now, you too can sit at a lovely outdoor restaurant on a warm summer night eating panini and sipping red wine, and think

Damn! I'm so glad I'm not taking the stupid bar exam!

Best of luck to all of you!!

A Rare (For Me) Law Geek Moment

2007-07-18T23:22:00.001-04:00

Emails from the ABA don't usually do much for me. Every once in awhile, one will contain a bit of information that I might pass on to some of the other captains in my office. (Or more likely, I'll THINK about passing it along, but won't actually do it.)

So I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I actually got pretty excited by a book announcement for "The Judge Advocate General School's Guide to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act." It's put out by the Army JAG School, but is available online through the ABA here. Since the only people who might even be remotely interested in this book are probably active duty military personnel, you'd be better off calling 800-285-2221 and getting a copy for $9.50 instead of the normal price of $20.

Since I field questions on this statute pretty regularly and our class on the SCRA at JASOC consisted of reviewing the statute section by section (not really that helpful), I actually plan to order a copy for myself.

And that will be the first law related book I've purchased since law school. Proving I'm not really that much of a law geek afterall.

Whew.

Update 7/23/07:

I just found out today that all this information is available for free from the Army JAG School itself. (Available in .pdf form here.) The ABA gets the materials under FOIA and then sells it to its members.

Legal, yes. But I'm pretty sure that's not what Congress had in mind when it enacted the Freedom of Information Act.

So. Un. Motivated

2007-07-17T20:11:00.000-04:00

Work has been kicking my fanny lately.

We're down a couple of folks for various reasons, but the work just keeps on coming. This keeps me on my toes pretty much all day, and lately I've started bringing work home with me again.

I hate bringing work home!

At any rate, I have a full day's worth of work packed into my backpack just waiting for me. And you know what?

I don't feel like doing any of it.

Missed Opportunity?

2007-07-09T22:51:00.000-04:00

Years ago, when I was newly divorced from Roundboy, someone set me up with "Toby." He was originally from the town where I now live.

Toby was a nice enough guy, I suppose, but a little on the personality deficient side. He also had this incredibly high blink rate, so having a conversation with him was a bizarre experience in itself. Oh, AND he made the mistake of insulting my cooking the first (and only) time I cooked for him. So, let's just say that Toby and I didn't hit it off. At all. And that he really didn't get the hint and kept calling me months after I made it clear that Mr. Q and I were dating exclusively.

Anyway, there's a mortuary that I pass by fairly regularly, which shares Toby's last name. I can't help but wonder if he's the heir to the Mortuary fortune, and given my interest in all things having to do with funerals, if I somehow missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime. Can't you just imagine the fun I would have had quizzing his family???

But no, mostly I think that a lot of things make perfect sense now.

Why Is It?

2007-07-02T23:34:00.000-04:00

That in the days of online scheduling, you can go online and see that a hotel is completely booked BUT, if you call and actually talk to someone, they can still manage to get you a reservation?

Not that I'm complaining, but it seems to defeat the purpose.

Wardrobe Malfunction

2007-06-27T21:50:00.000-04:00

I was up late last night doing trial prep work. When I finally got around to getting myself ready for bed, Mr. Q was already dreaming blissfully.

I was doing the whole bedtime routine and had just flushed the toilet when there was a huge crash that sounded like it came from the wall where the pipes to the toilet are. I fully expected water to start gushing out...or something. Mr. Q woke up and came running into the the bathroom asking, "Are you ok???" (Maybe he thought I was this lady.)

Anyway, no water erupted from the walls. Lil Q hadn't fallen out of bed. And there was no one banging on any of the doors to our house. We chalked it up to random freaky noises and just went to bed.

This morning, as I went to grab my shoes out of the closet, I saw that one of our closet maid shelf/hanger thingies had ripped right out of the wall! (Guess we loaded it a little heavy. Though I still say it was only partly our fault - the closet is designed in a way that makes it impossible to make that particular system structurally sound enough to hold much weight.)

What we heard was all of our stuff falling onto the closet floor.

Aaaarrrrghhh!

2007-06-25T23:58:00.001-04:00

I've been working on direct examination questions all evening to prep for an upcoming trial. I thought I was done and was headed to bed, but apparently through my own stupidity, I failed to save the MOST IMPORTANT set of questions.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!

*sigh*

Guess I'll be up for awhile if anyone wants to IM me.

Weight Watching

2007-06-25T22:48:00.000-04:00

Mr. Q and I took the kids to Disney World last week. I noticed a couple of things. First, I'm not wild about either Epcot or MGM - I really feel Disney should combine them and make one decent park instead of 2 mediocre ones. Second, I've put on some weight since our last trip 4 years ago.

How do I know this? Mainly because I'm "thrifty" and haven't really bought new shorts since then. (Hey...we lived in Seattle - not exactly known for shorts weather.) Anyway the shorts I bought 4 years ago are more than a little snug these days. Which is sort of sad because that was the summer AFTER I had a baby but right BEFORE I went to law school.

The moral of this story? Law school is worse for your waistline than childbearing.

At the risk of drunk-blogging...

2007-06-24T00:20:00.000-04:00

Just a quick Happy Anniversary, Kirby!

Love,

Mildred

Basketball Blues

2007-06-13T21:40:00.000-04:00

One of the perks of Air Force life is that you're literally ordered to go to the gym 2-3 times a week. What happens once you get there varies from unit to unit, but where I work, we have one day a week where we show up for "mandatory" PT. At some bases, this means doing stretches and calisthenics together and then running in formation (boo!) Here, it means we show up, do our jumping jacks (or as the Army likes to call them...side-straddle-hops), sit-ups and push-ups, and then we're free to go do our own thing (yay!)

Normally I run a couple of miles on the treadmill, punish myself on the elliptical for 15-20 minutes, and if I have time, slack off on the bike for a bit before hitting the showers.

Today, I decided to be "social" and play basketball. Two observations.

1) I suck at basketball.

2) I really, really hurt after playing.

So Ya Wanna Be A JAG, Part 2

2007-06-12T00:29:00.001-04:00

Several months ago I posted something that E.Spat and I wrote about some of our thoughts on becoming a JAG. This is a continuation of those thoughts and will focus on how people who are interested can get there. It is completely Air Force centric, since its the only system I’m at all familiar with. Once again, this is just me, lil ol' LQ, passing along what I know or think I know. None of this is endorsed by the US Air Force and although I’ve tried very hard to be accurate, I sometimes do make mistakes.

For those of you interested in the sister services, I can only refer you to that service. (Army, Navy, Coast Guard.) I’ve tried and tried to find a good link to the Marine Corps JAG recruiting page, but haven’t been able…if you know of one, please send it along and I’ll update the link.

So…You Wanna Be An AF JAG?

Air Force Accessions are governed by AFI 51-101. (An AFI is an Air Force Instruction. You’ll still hear people refer to them as “regs,” though this is technically incorrect.)

There are several routes to becoming an AF JAG. Although there are ways for licensed attorneys who are already serving on active duty, either in the Air Force or in one of the other services, to become an AF JAG, you’ll have to read the AFI yourself for information on those programs. I’m going to focus on the 3 most common routes here. The initial Active Duty Service Commitment (ADSC) for both Direct Appointment and AF ROTC is four years. This means that once you go through either of these programs, you owe the Air Force four years of service.

1) Direct Appointment (DAP). This is by far the most common way of becoming an AF JAG and the route I went, so it is also the one I’m most familiar with. Most people apply at some point after their second year of law school, but lots of people also come in this way after practicing in the civilian world. You’ll fill out a lengthy application package and go through an interview with a Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) in a base legal office. The AF holds boards in August, October, December, February, April, June, and your completed package will be due to JAX (that’s the three letter office symbol for AF JAG Accessions) by the first of the month for the board you plan to meet. Be aware that interview spots with some of the SJA’s fill up very quickly, so have your application package ready to go well in advance – you’ll need to bring it with you to your interview. For the most part, the interviews are pretty low key, but I recently spoke with someone whose interviewing SJA made him stand up and give a 2 minute argument on the issue he’d submitted as a writing sample, and THEN had him go “off-brief” for 2 minutes. I would say this pretty far from the norm. Conduct yourself as you would in any other interview and use the opportunity to ask questions. Most likely you’ll also be escorted by a Captain or First Lieutenant before your interview. Use this time to ask questions about what they actually do on a day-to-day basis – plus all the “dumb” questions you don’t want to ask the Colonel! And for Pete’s sake – dress like you’re going to an interview! We had one person show up in a truly bizarre get-up. The military is pretty big on dress and appearance – knowing what to wear (a suit!!!) is part of the interview!

Two additional thoughts on the DAP route. 1) If you're unsure about whether JAG life is for you - why not try it out for a summer? There are internship programs available. You'll need to call 1-800-JAG-USAF for the details, but I know several people who have gone through the program. Not only did they get to see first-hand how the legal office works - warts and all - but it appears to have given them a leg up in the selection process. 2) DAP tends to be a program where persistance pays off. Although I was selected on my first board, I've met JAGs who applied 3 or 4 times before being selected. If you interview, don't get selected, and the SJA you interviewed with "strongly encourages you to re-apply," they're probably not just blowing smoke. If you're still really interested, thank them, ask them if they have any suggestions for strengthening your package, and then use whatever they tell you when you re-apply.

2) AF Reserve Officer Training Corp (AF ROTC). There are three routes to go within this category – the One Year Law Program (OYLP), the Graduate Law Program (GLP), and the Educational Delay Program. Selection for all these programs is on a “best qualified” basis, which means you too will have the opportunity to interview with an SJA and meet a board. The AFI says that the deadline for these programs is 1 April, but I recently heard that this was incorrect – if you’re interested in any of the ROTC programs, call either JAX (1-800-JAG-USAF) or any of the base legal offices. The deadline may actually be as early as 1 February.

- You can apply for OYLP after either 1L or 2L. You’ll need to be attending law school (and getting decent grades!) at or near a school with an AF ROTC detachment, and meet the basic physical fitness standards. You’ll attend a 5-week Field Training the summer before you start attending ROTC classes, which you do in addition to your regular law school coursework. As long as you meet all your requirements, you’re guaranteed a spot as a JAG – once you pass the bar and meet all your licensing requirements. Most people are eligible for a small monthly stipend AND you know you have a job when you graduate, which definitely helps lower the law student stress level!

- In the GLP, you do your ROTC coursework over the course of 2 years instead of one. If you’re under 30, you can receive a small monthly stipend and may be eligible for a $3000 a year incentive. In addition to interviewing with an SJA, you’ll need to interview with the local ROTC Detachment Commander (usually a Colonel) during the Spring semester/quarter of 1L. Other than that, OYLP and GLP are pretty similar. Again, if you’re picked up, you’re guaranteed a JAG slot once you pass the bar.

- Educational Delay. Let’s say you’ve gone through ROTC during undergrad and decide that you’d really like to be a JAG when you grow up. This program lets you delay the active duty commitment you incurred during undergrad until after law school. This program requires 2 interviews – one during the Spring semester/quarter of your senior year through your local ROTC Detachment, and another interview with an SJA during your final semester/quarter of law school. Your summer breaks during law school will be spent working in a base legal office as an intern. But here’s the thing…under this program, you’re NOT guaranteed a position as a JAG. I knew one person who went through this program and for some reason took an extra semester or year to graduate from law school. Although he was allowed to finish school, he went into a whole different career field after he graduated - not into JAG. This can be a great program, but be aware that if you don’t finish law school, get lousy grades, bomb your interview, or otherwise somehow disqualify yourself from being a JAG, you still retain the active duty service commitment you incurred during undergrad.

3) For officers already on active duty, you can apply for the Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP) or the Excess Leave Program (ELP). I won’t dwell on these much since people who are eligible are pretty darned likely to already be aware of them. Both are very competitive. Although the AF says no more than 25 students can start this training in any fiscal year, the numbers are actually MUCH lower. I think there were 6 ELP students picked up this year and 1 FLEP - my understanding is that they’ve done 6 and 6 in previous years. The big difference between the two programs is that FLEP pays for all of law school PLUS pays you as a Captain while you’re in law school. You earn leave while you’re in school and your summer breaks are spent interning at a base legal office. Most likely, but not always, that legal office will be close to where you go to school. Under ELP, you are essentially on an extended leave of absence where you pay for school and don’t get a paycheck. You also will spend breaks interning at a base legal office, but you earn pay and leave during these times. If you’re selected for ELP, you can continue to apply for FLEP while you’re in school to try to get your second and third years paid for. The ADSC will vary according to which program you are selected for, and how many years you spend in that program.

Questions?

Just Desserts

2007-06-06T22:37:00.000-04:00

I brought muffins in to work one day last week.

A day or two later my boss came in to talk to me. We discussed a couple of projects I was working on, and then the conversation went something like this.

Bossman: OK, so more importantly - those muffins you brought in the other day were the best muffins I've ever eaten. Seriously. If you had a bakery and sold those, I would drive out of my way to pay $2 a piece for them.

Me: Thanks. (haha) Maybe someday I'll get around to the whole bakery thing...

Bossman: You should! I've always wondered what you were doing here and why you're not out selling muffins and coffee.

I'm pretty sure that whole exchange was meant as a compliment - I do make a mean apple muffin.

I must admit though that there's a tiny part of me that wonders if maybe my boss is also trying to tell me nicely that I'm a better baker than I am a lawyer. Sadly, this is probably also true. Of course I've also been baking a lot longer than I've been lawyering, so maybe there's still hope.

Kitty Heaven

2007-06-05T20:35:00.000-04:00

I had to have my cat Lancelot put to sleep this evening. He had advanced kidney failure and was really starting to decline - even after we had started treating him with a human medicine and hydrating him through an IV once a day.

Lance was 14 and I know he lived a pretty good life, but that was one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make.

6/6/07. Thank you to everyone who expressed their condolences, and especially to E. McPan, who gave me a little pep talk last night. I was still pretty weepy this morning when I told a couple of my co-workers, but I'm starting to feel better about my decision. I knew when I took Lance in yesterday that this was probably going to be the result, but somehow that didn't make watching him die any easier.

She MARRIED Kevin Banister!

2007-05-03T21:07:00.000-04:00

Last week Mr. Q and I attended a social function for his Master's program. We knew pretty much no one - this was very awkward, but is more or less the story of my life.

We eventually struck up a conversation with a girl who it turns out attended one of the same high schools I did. I only went to that school for about 4 months and didn't know her although I was there for part of the same time she was. We did the thing that everyone does and compared the lists of teachers we had and people we knew. Did she know Steve? Mike? Ryan? Nope, nope, and nope. Then as an afterthough, I threw out the name of a guy I had kinda dated. Let's call him TJ.

I always sort of wondered what had happened to TJ. He was super cute, but not all that bright. He was in my Physiology class and was the first person to introduce himself to me. He introduced me to all but one of my other friends. He wound up being my lab partner and we dissected a cat together. I did most of the work (I told you he wasn't that bright), but that was ok, because there's nothing more romantic than being up to your elbows in a formaldehyde steeped dead animal together.

Anyway, it didn't last because I left only a couple of months later. We went out for ice cream once when I returned for Christmas my Freshman year of college. By then, he was dating a girl named Jen. I never met her, but was told she was livid that TJ even talked to me. TJ went off to school somewhere in Alabama, and we eventually lost contact.

The girl we were talking to last week knew NONE of the other people I hung out with at school, but apparently she and TJ got to be GREAT friends soon after I left. To the point that their parents even struck up a friendship and do stuff together to this day.

And TJ? He and Jen got married and are expecting their 5th child later this year. Somehow I think it would be best if I DIDN'T call and say hello.

An Easter Quiz!

2007-04-07T14:59:00.000-04:00

You Are a Chocolate Bunny

A traditionalist, you secretly want to dress up like a bunny. And not just on Easter.

What Easter Candy Are You?

That sounds about right - I would have been appalled if I'd come up as a marshmallow Peep! (They're just yucky.) Just for the record though, I MUCH prefer Lindt chocolate bunnies over the one shown above.

Also, I'm not so sure about the dressing up bit.

Happy Birthday Dear Jetta!

2007-04-03T19:33:00.000-04:00

Happy 100,000th mile!

Yes, I've been driving the same car for quite a while. I bought it used in December 1999 with 20,008 miles on it. My Jetta has now "lived" in 4 different states, and been driven here, there, and everywhere.

Oh yeah, it's also paid for.

I SAID "Step Away From The Uniform!"

2007-04-01T00:54:00.000-04:00

Dear Air Force Uniform Board,

It's me again. I thought I covered this issue in excruciating detail about this time last year.

Yet despite my sage advice, you apparently persisted in your quest to revamp our current service dress, which I'll freely admit, makes us look a little (ok, a lot) like airline pilots.

But this is the best you could come up with? Really???

Question of the Day!

2007-04-01T00:31:00.000-04:00

How do you pronounce voir dire?

Is it:

a. vwahr deer
b. vor deer
c. vor dire
d. voy dire

I'm an vwahr deer girl myself. That's how my three years of high school French would lead me to pronounce it, and how all my law profs said it. Imagine my surprise this past week when I heard several of my colleagues use pronunciations "b" and "c." One tried blaming it on being a Baylor grad, implying it was a Southern thing. Which doesn't quite work, since another one of the "vor dire-ers" is a Harvard grad.

Note that Black's lists the first three as acceptable pronunciations with no indicatation as to whether "a" requires a pretentious accent. I personally choose to omit it.

Discuss....

Lenten Stress Eating

2007-03-29T23:21:00.000-04:00

Why is it that it takes all foods orange to compensate for the itty-bitty amount of sugar I normally eat?

Cheetos. Chili con queso and chips. Easy Mac.

Oh, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

So, this is what it comes to - Easy Mac? Really? Me?

Hahahaha!

2007-03-10T15:26:00.000-05:00

You Are 83% Burned Out

You are extremely burned out.
You work too hard, and you're not getting the results you deserve.
It's time for a life change, as soon as you can manage it.
You're giving away most of your energy to something you don't even enjoy.

Are You Burned Out?

Ok, as true as this is (and I'm a little surprised it's not a higher percentage), I want to emphasize that the reason for my burn-out right now is just temporary. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Bitter.

2007-03-10T15:21:00.000-05:00

The hotel I'm staying in has no hot water today. This very much sucks.

Hiatus

2007-02-19T17:42:00.001-05:00

Expect little to no posting for the next couple of months.

Not that anyone is reading anymore anyway. :(

Sweet Home Alabama

2007-02-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's just the channel I'm watching on TV, but wouldn't you think that the ad agencies could de-conflict the songs they're using? There's at least 2 (and maybe 3!) commercials using the Lynyrd Skynyrd standard. Since it's network TV, this means this delightful little ditty is playing approximately every 2.3 minutes.

On a somewhat related note...why does Wendy's think that "Blister in the Sun" is a good song to promote food? It's a rocking song and all, but Blisters aren't exactly appetizing. Sun-drenched or otherwise.

So THIS is what happens when my generation gets to be in charge of stuff.

How Could I Have Been So Wrong? And For So Long?

2007-02-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

I made a trip to the cosmetics section of my local department store to pick up my Lancome mascara today.

Things were a little slow and I had a bit of time to kill, so I started wandering around looking at the perfumes. I'm VERY picky about smells (surprise!) and immediately hated about 90% of what I sniffed. I'm usually very careful not to let anyone spray anything on me because, well, I know I'm likely to hate whatever it is - sometimes to the point where it will actually make me physically ill. It's no wonder that I've been wearing the same perfume for the past 11 years. So some of my relationships with toiletry items have outlasted many of my relationships with people, what of it???

I guess I was feeling either a little reckless or nostalgic this afternoon, because I spritzed a little Estee Lauder Beautiful on my wrists. Aside frome an extremely ill-advised and short-lived experiment with White Diamonds during Officer Training School, this is the only perfume I wore before I started my current long-term fragrance relationship.

Blech! Pfui! What the HELL was I ever thinking??? This stuff is AWFUL and I can't get rid of it now! I've washed and changed clothes, but I think it got on my gloves and the sleeves of my coat, so I'll either have to do (more) laundry or just put up with it - aarrgh!

I think I'm in olfactory hell.

Does It Sound Terribly Elitist...

2007-02-09T22:07:00.000-05:00

...to lament the fact that we've starting holding concerts and other events in the same venues as basketball games and tractor pulls?

Because apparently no event is truly complete unless you have access to chicken strips, beer, and the loud and non-stop narrative of the person sitting behind you.

So, You Wanna Be A JAG?

2007-02-08T18:54:00.000-05:00

About this time last year, the ever-fabulous E.Spat (may her blog rest in peace) sent me an email with the following proposal for a post. I emailed back some opinions, we chit-chatted about boys a bit, but in the end, we both got busy and this it never got posted. Lately, I’ve started getting questions about my experiences, so I figured maybe the time had come to put this out there. Also, now that I AM a JAG, I might have some additional insight into the process. I’m posting E Spat’s original comments in their entirety first, followed by my own thoughts. I’ll probably also go into more detail in later posts. Somehow the links that were in her original email also disappeared, so I’ve tried to add in as many as I could, but I’m not promising perfection.
Although we both tried to provide links to the other services, this is going to be VERY Air Force-centric, since that’s what E.Spat and I both know. As an additional caveat – this post consists of our PERSONAL opinions, and shouldn’t be construed as official guidance in any way, shape, or form.

I get emails occasionally from folks who want to know about JAG, about the military, or sometimes about my opinion on either of the two. And, since apparently there is some interest in the topic, I decided to turn it into a post.

As a disclaimer, let me say that I am not now, nor have I ever been, a JAG officer. However, I spent four years as an Air Force officer who, in the course of my job, worked daily with JAG officers. I did quite a bit of legal work within the military since the military law system allows commanders to impose punishment for many infractions. For instance, if someone was caught underage drinking, breaking administrative rules, being involved in domestic violence, etc., then it was my job not only to read them their rights and question them, but it was also my job to decide what their punishment would be and, in conjunction with the JAG officers representing both the individual and the interests of the government, impose that punishment. In essence, I was a cop, lawyer, and judge all rolled into one. So, now that you know my quasi-qualifications, here's my two cents.

If you want to be a JAG, here are the websites for each of the services where you can read more about the actual process. ARMY, AIR FORCE, NAVY, MARINES (you have to navigate this one a bit). I won't go into specifics here because it's mostly just about putting together a package and meeting a board and doing interviews…the type of thing you would do for any job, except in law school if you want to meet with a military recruiter you might just get your first experience in people judging you because you're interested in joining the military. [If there's interest, I’ll probably do a separate post on the whole AF application package, because it is a bit more involved than your “typical” civilian job – ed.] Get used to people judging you, because as much as every person you meet tells you they "support the troops" very few of them know or comprehend what it means to agree to potentially give your life to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Oh, the one "special" requirement for joining the military that is *totally* unlike a regular job is that you have to pass a physical that is fairly in-depth and intensive, you have to meet height/weight standards, you usually have to meet some level of physical fitness, and you will have to be able to get and maintain a security clearance, the level of which will depend on where you are assigned to work. If you have difficulty with your weight, the military has the potential to be a long and tedious journey for you…think about 20 years of your job depending on maintaining a certain weight.

So, on that uplifting note, here are my thoughts about joining the military in general, whether you want to be a lawyer, or anything else.

One thing that every service will tell you, at some point, is that before you are a lawyer, or a personnel officer, or a logistics officer, you are a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine. In other words, you are first and foremost a military officer, and then you're a lawyer. Think about that carefully. Every once in a while I talk to someone who is interested in being a JAG and they tell me "Well, I'll be a lawyer so I won't have to deploy/shoot someone/go to war/etc." I would challenge that assertion by pointing out that, like every other career field, your primary function as a military officer is to support wartime efforts in any way deemed necessary and lawful. Attorneys regularly deploy to combat areas to advise commanders on issues such as targeting, the Law of Armed Conflict, interpreting U.S. foreign policy and international law, and application of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, amongst many others that I'm sure I'm missing. Will the vast majority of JAG officers spend their entire career out of danger, working on what would be considered "normal" legal issues? Of course. But, being ignorant to the possibility of deployment, or thinking it can NEVER happen, is both unwise and a disservice to yourself and to the people who count on you to be prepared to follow through on your obligations as a military officer.

Speaking of obligations, you will take an oath. You will swear to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and to obey the lawful orders of the officers appointed over you. Part of your oath is obeying the Commander in Chief. Right now that is George W. Bush. Regardless of how you feel about Bush, he will be your boss until someone else is elected. And, guess what? That someone may be better in your opinion, but they may be worse. I think that military officers are fairly diverse politically, but you will likely find that what becomes important in a Commander in Chief when you are active duty is probably a little different than before you went in. Pay raises? Yup, those are important, especially when you see your troops living in poverty. Deployment rates? Yup. Who wants to be gone nine months out of every year? Spending policies related to national defense? Oh yeah…no one wants to be the person in the unarmored tank. You can vote just like everyone else, but you have to be prepared to be understand that you support the Constitution through the President, and that person may not always be someone with whom you personally agree politically. If you don't think that you can rise above the political fray and put "service before self," the military may not be the career for you.

As an aside on the above topic, you need to be prepared to enforce policies with which you may not personally agree. The two that come immediately to mind are Don't Ask/Don't Tell; and Conscientious Objection. I only worked on one Don't Ask/Don't Tell case in four years, and the person was pretty clearly excited to be getting out of his service commitment, but my impression was that the JAG officers handled those with somewhat greater regularity. The policy may change with a new administration, but then again, it might not. I also had one conscientious objector, right after the start of operations in Afghanistan. I had absolutely no problem working on that case, but everyone is different. And, along those same lines, I would say that if you are considering joining the military you should be prepared for the fact that some people will think that the policies of the military, whether internal or through the Commander in Chief, are *your* policies. My first week at law school someone asked me about Don't Ask/Don't Tell and then directed a tirade at me, the essence of which was "you are homophobic and horrible and anyone who could enforce that policy is an awful person." Sometimes there's no way to explain to someone who doesn't want to hear that the policies are not your own, and that you have absolutely no choice but to follow a lawful order.

You will give up some of the freedoms that you take for granted right now. Your right to free political speech will be somewhat restricted. Your right to act any way you want during your off-hours will be very definitely restricted. You will not be able to have close personal relationships with certain people (think fraternization and unprofessional relationships). You will have to understand that even when you are in civilian clothes you represent the military and, as an officer, you represent the values that go along with that. You will be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which will be unique and unusual to people who have no military background. Most people with no military background that I talk to are somewhat shocked by how restrictive military life seems. It is definitely not as bad as it sounds on paper, but there are sacrifices that must be made for the good of the service.

I think that joining the military can be an incredibly personally and professionally rewarding career choice. But, I also think that it's a decision that is not to be made lightly. It's a commitment. There is no quitting. If you don't like it, guess what? That's right, you still get to spend four years doing it. So, even more so that a regular legal job in private industry or government, it's essential to do lots of research, talk to as many people as possible, and do some real soul-searching before you take that oath.

LQ's Turn: For the most part I haven’t really been hit with angry tirades about military policies. Obviously there are military policies that some people disagree with, but my experience is that most people more or less understand that I don’t make the policies, nor does my service necessarily mean I agree with all the policies. That said, I think there are lots of folks out there who haven’t had any experience with the military and just don’t understand how things work. For example, the number one question I got during law school was “can I just tell them that I don’t want to deploy or won’t go to [insert name of undesirable location here]?” I hope readers here would understand by this point that the answer is “no.”

One point E. Spat and I might disagree on – she said that the majority of lawyers would probably spend the bulk of their careers out of harm’s way. I’m not sure that’s really the case any more. I know several attorneys in my office who have either been or are going to various hotspots around the world. I have friends who are JAGs in the other services, and I get the same impression from them. And it makes sense, really. Anywhere you have lots of young troops, you’re going to have people getting into trouble. If there are operations going on, lawyers are very often involved in deciding whether a target is lawful or unlawful. If the military needs to contract with local providers for services, lawyers are often involved. Environmental concerns? Check. Limited legal assistance to the troops? Sometimes.

The other question I get a lot is whether you can choose the bases you’re assigned to. By now, any good law student should anticipate the answer…it depends. How much experience do you have? In what areas? Are there any positions available for you to move into when it’s your time to move? Are you due for promotion? Do you have a special need to be in a particular area? (At least in the Air Force, you may be able to request a Humanitarian Assignment to be stationed as close as possible to a family member who is terminally ill. Or if a member of your immediate family needs medical care that is only available in limited areas.) For the most part though, you’ll be given the opportunity to have input into your assignments by filling out an assignment preference worksheet – better know as your “Dream Sheet.” This lets you rank order the types of jobs you’re interested in, specific bases, and general regions of either the Continental United States (CONUS) or overseas. Your Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) will also review your preference worksheet and add comments about what kinds of jobs would be ideal for your career development. The “rule” for AF JAGs seems to be that you’ll spend your first 2 assignments getting base level experience (General Law, Military Justice, and Claims, primarily. Maybe with a smattering of Contracts, Environmental or Labor & Employment thrown in.) But even this is subject to change depending on your circumstances. Bottom line is that although the Air Force will consider your input, the “needs of the Air Force” are always going to prevail.

I also want emphasize some of the positives of military service. I’ve been a JAG for all of 2 months. So far, I’ve met with close to 100 clients with all kinds of issues ranging from the very simple and easy to fix, to the truly horrendous. To a certain extent, every day is like a mini bar exam, because almost ANY issue – other than criminal - is fair game for legal assistance, and here the answers count. I’m heavily involved with one of the largest Ethics programs in the Air Force. I research and write on questions in this area of the law every day. Some of it is fairly straight-forward. Much of it is pretty arcane. There are extensive training opportunities. Before I even go to my formal school, I’ll have attended a week-long course (and picked up CLE credits!) in a fairly specialized area of the law. When I return from my JAG training, I will very likely be representing the Air Force in actions against on-base civilian offenders. I will definitely be prosecuting cases. I don’t know of any other legal job where you get this many hands-on experiences in so many different areas this early in your career.

All of this, and I haven’t even mentioned my favorite thing about being a JAG – the people. But at this point, that’s going to have to be a whole different post!

Questions, anyone?

Lash Attack!

2007-01-28T18:05:00.000-05:00

I'm asking for mascara recommendations.

I've been using L'oreal Voluminous in its various forms for several years. I like almost everything about it - how it goes on without clumping, how it lasts all day, etc. What I hate about it is that no matter what kind of make-up remover I use, or how diligently I remove it, I wake up with black smudges under my eyes. Quelle Horreur!

About a month ago, I decided "enough is enough" and tried L'oreal's Lash Architect. (Obviously without reading these reviews.) It was mostly ok. While it went on a little clumpy, I figured this would diminish after I used it awhile. I didn't have issues with it flaking, like the 2 reviewers did. I liked that it really did "build" my eyelashes up. BUT...the day I made a dish that required many sliced onions convinced me that this was NOT THE MASCARA FOR ME. I didn't notice that I had black rings all around my eyes until Mr. Q walked in the kitchen and bust out laughing. I wasn't really crying, but the amount of tearing up that I did obviously caused the mascara to completely dissolve. All over my face.

Anyhoo - does anyone have ideas on a mascara that strikes a happy medium? I like waterproof just because I swim and work out, but I don't want it to be so waterproof that I have to use a heavy duty solvent on my eyes to get it off. Thoughts?

Things Which My Heart Pitter-Patter Make Go

2007-01-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

My birthday/law school graduation/passing the bar gift from Mr. Q's family: The KitchenAid 6 Quart Professional 600 in Cayenne Red.

Ok, so it might not make YOUR heart go pitter-patter, but it certainly does mine. Even though I didn't even register for a stand mixer when Mr. Q and I got married, I've since started cooking and baking in large enough batches to make a one worthwhile.

There'll be waffles for breakfast tomorrow chez Quandary!

Many thanks to all the Quandary's for a truly awesome birthday present!!!!!

Of course, these (from Mr. Q) weren't bad either....

A LQ Year in Review

2007-01-23T19:37:00.000-05:00

Another Birthday...another year gone by. Considering that this time last year I was in Germany helping my mom arrange my Oma's funeral, I'd have to say this birthday is MUCH better.

Of course, birthdays just sort of naturally call for a little reflection on the events of the last year.

During the course of the past year I:

- Lost both my grandmothers. My Oma technically died the day before my last birthday, but I'm counting it anyway. Both ladies were over 90, so I'm hoping they passed the longevity gene on to me and I'll have many more birthdays to conduct this little exercise.
- Lost a much-loved pet.
- Graduated from Law School.
- Took (and passed!) the Bar Exam.
- Moved to a new state. Again.
- Took 2 trips to Germany, 3 to Seattle, at least 5 to Fort Wayne, and 1 to Lake Tahoe. I am far too lazy to post links to each of those.
- Started a new job. Which I love. I'm working my tail off these days, but learn lots of new things every day. Early feedback also indicates I might even be good at my job.

"Experts" say events like births or deaths in the family, divorce, moves, travel, and the beginning or end of a career are all major life stressors. In retrospect, I think those may have been intended as examples and not a checklist.

Anyway - Happy Birthday to me!

Fulfilling My Potential Could Seriously Cut Into My Sitting Around Time*

2007-01-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

Now that I've regained some of my sitting around time by graduating from law school, I find myself in need of some TV recommendations. Whether or not graduating constitutes "fulfilling my potential" remains to be seen.

Last year, Mr. Q and I started checking out whole seasons of shows we've missed the past couple of years. We've really enjoyed Alias (seasons 1 & 2), Veronica Mars, Arrested Development, and Boston Legal so far. But when we watched the pilot of Six Feet Under last night...I have to admit to being underwhelmed. So far the funniest parts have been the fake commercials for hearses and sundry mortuary supplies. (Which everyone knows are near and dear to my heart.)

Can anyone tell me if this show ever gets better? If not, Mr. Q and I will give it to the end of the second DVD before we decide it's not worth our time.

Recommendations for other shows also appreciated. Please keep in mind that we are ~~cheap~~ frugal and only want the ones we can get from the libary for FREE.

* Apologies to Maria Bamford.

Dear Mitch,

2007-01-17T23:08:00.000-05:00

Remember me? We spoke last March?

I'm sorry to say that you obviously weren't paying attention. Because, guess what? The Indiana BMV process is still screwed up.

Yeah, yeah. I know you've got these spiffy Self Service Terminals in place, so you'll never have to provide actual customer service again. What would be even cooler though, is if any of these actually worked. Despite the inflated claims of your website, which somehow managed to give the impression that these terminals would be up and running after the first of the year, this was sadly not the case. I checked. At two different locations. In the rain.

Seeing as how I live and work outside the fine state of Indiana, driving several hours to come see you personally during the work week just isn't a viable option.

That's probably a good thing for you.

Validation!

2007-01-09T21:35:00.000-05:00

Last Friday was another one of those insanely busy days in the office. I wasn't scheduled for Legal Assistance, but still wound up seeing 4 or 5 clients - as did all the other attorneys in the office. Considering that LA is only for 2.5 hours on Fridays, that made for a pretty hopping morning! Including one super intriguing case which, obviously, I can't tell you about. Damn those client confidentiality rules!

Anyway, during one of the appointments, a retired couple had me review several documents to determine whether they were still valid. Although they were, I ended up drafting new wills for them because they wanted to make a couple of minor changes. Nothing complicated, but I felt like I was doing a good job for them. After I walked them out to set up an execution appointment, I was called away to answer a quick question for one of the paralegals. As I came back around the corner, the lady was remarking to the man, "She was really good!" And he agreed with her.

A small victory, I know...but it was still really nice to hear.

You Mean I'm Supposed To Go Home When It Gets Dark???

2007-01-04T22:46:00.000-05:00

Mr. Q was dubious about my re-entry into the professional world. Why?

Come closer...it's a secret...

I'm a workaholic.

Even though I'm the least experienced, least knowledgeable, and definitely least busy attorney in the office, I find myself staying later than a lot of my colleagues. Some of this is because Mr. Q's schedule right now allows me to put in a little more time. But mostly it's because I'm always writing "one last email" or seem to forget that if I walk away and lock the door, chances are excellent that the legal fairies won't just come and do the work for me. Also - because I don't want to look like a slacker.

On another note - I'm starting to see a pattern as to which law school classes were actually useful. Family law, Property (I wish we'd done more landlord/tenant stuff in school and not just bar review!) , and Wills and Trusts top the list. I'm sure I'll add to that list as I progress through some of the different areas.

I am a little surprised by how much I remember from my classes. Or maybe I'm just surprised that some of the weird stuff I remember is actually useful.

A Gentle Rant

2007-01-03T21:57:00.000-05:00

So, this note is for clients who come in with children in tow.

I'm not talking about those of you who bring in an older, well-behaved child to a quick 1/2 hour appointment. Or even those of you who bring along a baby in a carseat. Mostly this is directed to those who come in with between 1 and 4 children under the age of 5. To execute your will.

The way our base operates is that we set up two will appointments. One to draft the will, and one to execute it. Because of the sheer number of wills we do, the executions are only done one day a week in largish groups. We also ask people to come in 1/2 hour early to review their will and make any last minute changes or corrections. This means a will execution appointment can last anywhere up to 90 minutes. And they are B-O-R-I-N-G.

Look, I'm a parent too, so I totally understand that childcare is sometimes challenging to find. (This might be a good time to mention that there's hourly care available on base at reasonable rates! Just make an appointment!) Would you bring your child to, say, your OB/GYN appointment? Will execution is just as important and about as exciting.

Did I mention that there are lots of other people there reading their wills too? Wouldn't it be more courteous NOT to turn the waiting area into Romper Room? And wouldn't YOU be better able to focus on THE IMPORTANT LEGAL DOCUMENT you're about to sign if you didn't have Junior tugging at your sleeves?

As an added bonus, since my office is right next to the waiting area, I'd be able to get some work done.

Thanks for listening. Love,

LQ

Break Down

2007-01-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

I broke down today and purchased a Sam's Club membership.

For the last 8 years or so, we've lived in Costco country. And I do love me some Costco, but now the closest one is almost an hour away. Just not worth it for the sake of cheap cat food.*

It's not that we actually buy that much at either place - just that they tend to carry certain items we *do* really like in bulk. Also, because it's much easier to think about buying toilet paper every 3 months than every 3 weeks.

What really sold me on the Sam's Club membership was that one of my co-workers told me attorneys qualify for the Business membership. That's $5 off the regular membership per year PLUS extended shopping hours, so if I plan ahead, I can dodge the crowds.

Mr. Q laughed because 1) my business name is Legal Quandary, Esq., and 2) he shows up as my employee. I see nothing funny about either of those.

* On the other hand, Costco carries both farmed and wild salmon - including Copper River salmon when it's in season. You can more or less bet that when that time comes (late May), we'll be buying a couple of hundreds of dollars worth and hauling it back in coolers. Because, yes, it really is that much better.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T21:38:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone was able to celebrate at least a little! The Quandary's wound up playing board games at one of Mr. Q's classmate's house. I would like to think that if it weren't for the kids, Mr. Q and I would have had a wild night on the town, but I'd probably be fooling myself.

When I was waiting tables during undergrad, every so often the restaurant would be understaffed and we'd get slammed. The people would come pouring in, and you couldn't stay ahead - or even keep up - no matter how hard you tried. I used to get these bizarre dreams that I was waiting on a whole baseball stadium and that everyone was mad at me becuase I kept forgetting their iced tea.

That was sort of what Friday was like for me. Because of the holidays, there were only a couple of attorneys and 2 paralegals in the office. Although we'd posted notice that there would be no legal assistance, a couple of people still wandered in with some bizarre questions - which also required quick answers. Since I was the only military attorney on the 1st floor, I got to field them. The issues weren't all that complex, really, but I just didn't know the answers or even where to start looking for them. Add that to an already full day AND the fact that we had to re-schedule all our legal assistance appointments for Tuesday because of the National Day of Mourning for President Ford, and the one paralegal on my floor and I were pretty busy little chickies! Everything worked out in the end, but that day just couldn't end soon enough!

BUT...when the day was finally over, EC and I had a rock-climbing lesson! (Our Christmas present to her.) There's a place in town that has turned an old church into an indoor climbing center. For under $100, we got a 2 1/2 hour private lesson on how to tie ropes, belay, and climb. I'd never climbed before, but we had a great time. My only complaint was that the special shoes we had to wear were too small and made my feet cramp up a couple of times. Not so bad on the ground, but a little scary when you're hanging onto a wall by just a couple of hand and footholds. (Ok, AND the ropes, but who really wants to fall off the climbing wall??? Especially when it means admitting you can't keep up with your 12 year old!)

That's all from Quandaryland for now. Wishing you all a fantastic 2007!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T18:17:00.000-05:00

Before it's too late -

Merry Christmas to everyone...

With special thoughts and prayers to my deployed friends, neighbors, and co-workers spending the holidays away from their families and friends. May 2007 bring you home safe.

Most Important Thing I've Learned This Week

2006-12-23T12:54:00.000-05:00

Be very careful which (if any) clients you give your direct office number to.

Especially if they give any indication that they're likely to be the clingy type who will call you every.single.day. (You'll know.) I'm not saying don't be responsive. Just that some people don't understand that you need a little bit of time to do research, draft documents, and talk to other people in order to help them.

If your office has a centralized number - use it. This prevents your phone ringing off the hook when you're with your other clients.

Whew!

2006-12-22T16:18:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that a mere 6 months ago I was celebrating graduation from law school and stressing out about taking the bar exam. It truly seems so long ago.

I've been working for exactly 3 weeks now and I'm surprised not only by the sheer volume of work I've been doing, but also by the diversity of it.

So far this month I've...

- Worked 2 landlord/tenant issues.
- Had a client cry because I didn't give her the answer she wanted.
- Fielded questions on divorce, annulment, and child custody.
- Worked on 2 legal reviews for ethics issues.
- Worked on 1 legal review for a military personnel issue.
- Been assigned my first additional duty.
- Observed an Article 32 investigation. (Think of a preliminary hearing/grand jury.)
- Drafted about 15 wills. Executed 2 wills. And served as a witness for approximately 2 dozen more. This taught me that my name is too darned long to write that many times.
- Gotten into a tussle with a Squadron Commander and his deputy.

I'm still loving my job. I learn new things every single day. But I have to be honest. I'm glad it's a long weekend.

Lawyers Taking Themselves Too Seriously? Never!

2006-12-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

I went to a staff meeting today where my boss expressed his intense dislike for lawyer jokes. I've heard this view before, most recently at graduation, when our entire graduating class was yelled at for the shame we would bring to the profession at some future date.

On the flip side, one of the Staff Judge Advocates* I knew long ago, would either lead or close with a lawyer joke when it was his turn to talk at Wing Staff Meeting.

To be fair to my boss, he was addressing a recent and very serious ethics issue. One which has the potential to make us the target of lots of jokes of the "lawyers are all liars and cheats" variety.

But I'm curious what other attorneys, law students, and non-lawyers think about the subject. Personally, I think tasteful humor is a good way to humanize lawyers a bit - to show we can laugh at ourselves. Especially in a military environment where the only thing people seem to associate with lawyers is prosecution. Your thoughts?

*The SJA is the senior attorney in the organization. The other military lawyers in the office are Assistant Staff Judge Advocates. I think it's analogous to many Prosecutor's offices.

Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That

2006-12-06T23:17:00.000-05:00

Q: What's blue, white, and silver and goes "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! ONE! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! TWO!"?

A: Why, it's a gym full of people doing 4 count jumping jacks (or flutter kicks or sit ups) while wearing the new Air Force PT uniform, of course!

Don't get me wrong. I actually like the idea of a PT uniform. I saw the Army's version a couple of years ago and thought it looked sharp, so I was excited to hear that the AF was introducing its own version. When I saw it, it also looked sharp. And then I felt it. And heard it.

Instead of comfy and breathable fabrics that you might actually want to work out in, someone decided that 100% nylon was the way to go. Which probably means it'll keep the wind out, but it's also incredibly stiff and LOUD. I work out in the gym, so wind is not a big factor for me. Also, it appears that someone failed "Fabrics 101" by deciding to make the t-shirt out of 100% polyester - a fabric which does not breath - a fact I can personally attest to, having worked out in it.

Captain Quandary gives the new PT uniform an A for effort, but a C- for execution.

The Littlest JAG

2006-12-05T22:42:00.000-05:00

I felt like today was my first "real" day of work. Although some of it was taken up figuring out which office I wanted, meeting with my boss, and trying to get my email account set up, I also got to sit in with one of the other attorneys for Legal Assistance - where we take clients either on a walk-in or by-appointment basis.

By far, the most common reason people come in is to have a will drafted. Military folks more or less have it beat into their heads that YOU NEED A WILL. Especially when deploying. This base has people come in for 2 separate appointments - some bases do it all in one appointment. Here, the first appointment is to go over a standard worksheet to identify issues to allow the attorney to draft the will. The second appointment is to execute the will. I have one will to draft tomorrow as a result of the intake appointments I sat in on today. (They gave me the easy one.) I'll also get to do an execution early next week.

Other things we might handle include document review, landlord/tenant disputes, and divorce. Although Air Force JAGs can't actually represent the military member (I think the Army does,) we can advise them about things like what state to file in, potential financial pitfalls, and Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) issues.

Legal Assistance might sound a bit mundane and I know a lot of JAGs kind of hate it. Maybe I'll get there one day too, but for right now, it's kind of cool knowing that someone walked into my office and I made their life just a little bit better - even if it was just to act as a sounding board.

CINC* Social

2006-12-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

I received my first assignment today.

Am I researching a novel problem? Learning how to write a will or power of attorney? Interviewing witnesses for an upcoming case?

Nope.

I got tagged with setting up the office Christmas party.

Seeing as how it's the 4th of December and nothing has been done on this so far, I'm hoping that expectations will be realistically low.

I just knew that being a Protocol officer was going to pay off one of these days!

* That's Commander IN Chief for you non-military types.

Eternal Damnation Assured?

2006-12-03T23:20:00.000-05:00

EC's Chorus teacher said she was a soprano.

Will the fact that I curse this person at least once daily seal the deal on my eternal damnation?

Maybe Law School Is Finally Out of My System

2006-12-03T10:57:00.000-05:00

I was chatting with a friend a couple of nights ago. During the course of conversation, he mentioned that one of the girls from TVPNU failed the CA bar - did I know her?

Yes, sadly, I knew "Doreen" pretty well. She had been in my 1L small section and seemed to go out of her way to make my life miserable. A snide comment here, a blatent exclusion from a conversation there, insinuations that I wasn't smart enough for law school thrown in for good measure - that kind of thing. Early on, Doreen and I were talking and she told me "well, YOU were military, so you probably think "X" about this issue." I remember that really rankled me, because although I did indeed think "X" about that particular matter (I forget what it was,) it isn't as if they issue all military members a handbook of opinions to espouse. There are lots of pretty key issues some of my other military friends and I disagree rather sharply on. Bottom line was Doreen wasn't very nice to me and she was one of 2 people I spent the rest of my time at TVPNU avoiding.

And yet, my initial reaction was not my standard "It couldn't have happened to a nicer person," but to think how disappointed Doreen and her family must be.

Mr. Q was somewhat less generous, just saying "What comes around goes around."

For any 1L's out there, my message is this: There are some people in law school who will go out of their way to be nasty to you and to make you feel "less than." I'm certain that Doreen did much better in her 1L classes than I did. But in the end, it didn't make her any better prepared to be a lawyer than it did me. As you're approaching this first batch of finals, don't let the bastards get you down.

First Day

2006-12-01T23:50:00.000-05:00

The cookies were a big hit.

I met pretty much everyone in the office and although a couple of people seem a little quirky (they're lawyers - at least a couple of them have got to be downright weird), most still seem very nice.

Aside from that, this was the second strangest first day of work I've ever had.

I can't really go into details, but let's just say that it was not as strange as my first "first day of work in the Air Force," when I showed up in full dress blues and then somehow ended up attending a pig roast for lunch. I speak from experience when I say there's nothing quite like trying to eat a plate of greasy pork without getting spots all over yourself.

So it wasn't like that at all, but it still wasn't your typical first day. Not bad way - just not what I expected.

Ready, Aim, Fire

2006-11-30T22:07:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day - I’m finally going back to work. I know it’s weird to start a job on a Friday, but I picked the 1st of December without looking at a calendar, so there it is. At any rate, it gives me a chance to meet everyone and get an idea of where I’ll be sitting so I can show up bright eyed and bushy tailed on Monday.

I’m pretty sure I won’t really be doing much other than setting up computer accounts and filling out paperwork, but somehow I feel like I’ll finally “be” a lawyer.

I’ve spent hojillions of dollars on uniform items over the past couple of weeks. And many hours obsessing about the tailoring and appearance of said items. To the point where EC can readily identify the smell of boot polish as it wafts throughout the house.

I have to admit to being a bit nervous too. This job is the whole reason I even went to law school What if they hate me??? I’m trying to prevent that by bringing cookies.

Everybody likes the girl who brings treats, right? Right???

Safe Travels and Happy Turkey Eating, Y'all

2006-11-22T08:27:00.000-05:00

Lil Q and I are about to hit the road for Fort Wayne and the Quandary-Turkey-Fest-O'Rama. Mr. Q and EC will follow later this evening.

One of my great aunts has been hosting Turkey Day for the past decade or so - we're all headed over there. The feast is all ordered from a local grocery store and supplemented with whatever people want to bring. I'm bringing the famous LQ chocolate cupcakes. So what if they're not traditional Thanksgiving fare - they're awesome.

Anyway - drive safely if you're hitting the road over the holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

First Day of School! First Day of School!

2006-11-21T09:43:00.000-05:00

Ok, not really.

But I did go into my new office a few days ago just to say hello and get an idea of some of the basics (duty hours, where to report, office phone numbers, etc.) I was a little disappointed, but not totally surprised, that they had no idea I was coming. At any rate, met some of my future co-workers and my future boss. Everyone seems nice.

I think I stumbled on an Air Force lawyer urban legend when I asked what uniform to report in. I only asked because when I first came in, the rule was to report in service dress. For my non-military friends, this is equivalent of showing up in a suit on your first day. Anyway, I say this used to be the rule because I came in 1) as a 2nd Lieutenant and you make 2Lt's do lots of things you'd never make anyone else do, 2) during peace time. Things have changed a bit since 9/11 and the new rule is that pretty much everyone wears the camouflage Battle Dress Uniforms (BDU's) all the time unless you have a good reason to be in blues. So, when I asked whether BDU's were ok, the captain I was talking to said that was fine and added "just don't let anyone tell you to show up in Mess Dress. Ha-ha."

Right. Mess dress, for the uninitiated, is the military equivalent of a tux.

I chuckled politely and went on my merry way. Then yesterday, a different captain called me to let me know that they now OFFICIALLY knew I was coming and that he was going to be my sponsor. We chitchatted for a while and I confirmed a couple of details - including the uniform bit. And he again said BDU's were fine, paused, and added "just don't let anyone tell you to show up in Mess Dress. Ha-ha." EXACTLY THE SAME THING the other captain had said.

Is someone out there teaching that "somewhere" in the Air Force "someone" thought it would be a great joke to tell someone to show up for work in a tux? And that "some poor schmuck" actually fell for it?

Thoughts

2006-11-17T22:52:00.000-05:00

Today would have been my dad's 64th birthday. Right about the time he got sick, my dad started asking if there was a chance we'd move to where we are now. He was talking about retiring and he planned to move to the house in Fort Wayne - only a 3 hour drive away from us. I can't help but think that if things had been different, the kids and I would have jumped in the car this morning and headed out to celebrate with him.

Those of you who've been hanging around LQ for a while know that my relationship with my dad was pretty rocky for much of my life. I ran away from home at 13. And stayed in a foster home for 3 years. My parents didn't attend my high school graduation. Or my college graduation. Or my first wedding. I didn't speak to my father for nearly 3 years. Then he advised me, after showing up unannounced on the afternoon of EC's birth, to leave Roundboy. I didn't even tell my father - a retired Air Force Major - that I was joining the Air Force. He found out from my mom. But we reconciled enough when he paid a surprise visit to me during Officer Training School that he even returned to commission me. Something I couldn't help but remember when another Air Force Major swore me back into the Air Force last week.

The thing is...none of this matters now. My dad is gone and over a year later, I still really miss him. He drove me crazy and could me madder than anyone else on Earth, but I still wish that my kids could have known him better. For that matter, I wish I could have known him better.

Happy Birthday, Daddy
I love you and miss you

Just Call Me Auntie Q

2006-11-09T13:57:00.000-05:00

It's a girl!

Congrats to G & J and welcome to the newest member of the Quandary clan, Baby M! Born the 7th of November at 11:42PM. (Yeah, so I'm slow in posting - wanna make something of it? Also, what else is new? - Ed.)

Though technically I've been an aunt before, I divorced Roundboy before the kids were old enough to have a clue as to who I was. Their loss - I would have been a super cool aunt and corrupted them just like I have my own children.

Mr. Q is stuck with me, so I guess I can enjoy aunthood this time around. Let the corrupting begin...

To Answer Your Question

2006-11-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

In the comments to the previous post, Butterflyfish asked "So, now that you're all done, are you going to go the way of other grads and give up the blog?"

Even though I haven't been posting much, I don't plan to give up LQ altogether. At least not right now. The lack of posting has been largely due to having my mom in town and being very busy with things that no one on Earth would really find interesting.

I've enjoyed working the gym back into my routine the last couple of months - but you all don't really care how much I'm lifting or how fast (or in my case, slow) I can run. So I don't write about it.

I've started going to a Catechism class. It meets once a week, but so far I've only made two of the meetings because of my crazy out of town schedule. I have some thoughts on the class, but again - nothing I think you all would really be interested in. Plus, I've never intended this blog to be religious. I figure that I have my faith, you have (or don't have) yours - and that's fine with me. I'm happy to discuss my faith and practices one-on-one, but for the most part I'd just as soon keep that part of my life private.

The kids have been taking swim lessons. EC is really pretty good, but didn't get picked up for swim team. I think mostly because she was out of practice for "try-outs" which consisted of a length of each stroke. So, she's working on her skills for next year - maybe. After all of this, she may not end up doing the Y swim team because it takes up 2 hours every day after school, and would mean she couldn't participate in any other activities. I think that's a valid concern and I'm glad she's mature enough to recognize that she might not want to make that kind of commitment. Lil Q has gone from not ever wanting to go into the big pool to being a little braver than I'm necessarily comfortable with. She shocked the heck out of me the other day by launching herself into the big pool, bobbing right back up and then holding onto the edge so she could show me her kicks. When she first went in I was sure I was going to have to go in after her. Shows you what I know. At any rate - swim lessons aren't terribly entertaining (for me, or presumably for you), but take up a heck of a lot of my time.

Even though my dad's estate has been closed out, there's still correspondence to deal with and the IRS to placate. Even I don't want to hear about that.

See...I told you there was nothing really interesting going on. But...I have been thinking about several other posts - many of them family related and similar to the Cuckoo's Nest post.

Oh...and my orders came in the mail the other day. I start work on the first of December. This means that I might have actual law-related stuff to write about soon. Until then, expect light posting.

Back

2006-11-02T22:26:00.000-05:00

I'm now a sworn-in member of my state bar. Official order still pending.

Whirlwind trips to Seattle and Chicago within 1 week = muy tired.

Saw King Tut (still dead) and multiple dinosaurs (also still dead) at the Field Museum.

Carved 2 pumpkins, painted 3 more, and Trick-or-Treated with the kids. Very cold. Warmed up with some Mexican Hot Chocolate. Got a Molinillo and a package of chocolate as a gift. Very cool.

Mom is safely back in Germany. We made it safely back home. Mr. Q had roses for all 3 of us - he's the coolest. He also had bars of Godiva AND tickets to a fancy schmancy wine tasting tomorrow night for me. =)

Drank 3 glasses of a very nice Pinot Noir tonight. I plan to sleep very well very soon.

Quick Update

2006-10-23T00:43:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm still here.

My mom leaves in just over a week. While I enjoy having her here, it's also somewhat stressful. My mom is a lot more laid back than I am, so sometimes I'm worn out just getting everyone out the door. I've also discovered that I need a certain amount of solitude everyday - something that just doesn't happen when your mom and your 4 year old accompany you everywhere. It also means there's not a lot of time left over for blogging.

I'm being sworn in as an attorney later this week. Thus necessitating a whirlwind trip to the Emerald City. I'd tell you to expect radio silence for a couple of days, but lately that seems to be the norm around here. I'll work on that - after I get back.

Actually, the day after I get back I'll be driving back to Ft Wayne enroute to taking my mom to O'Hare. I'm yanking the kids out of school for the trip and we've got tickets to go see King Tut at the Field Museum. OK, maybe not the "best" parental decision I've ever made (EC's Algebra teacher told her he was "surprised" she'd be out for 3 days), but still.... We'll be staying with my aunt over Halloween. She lives in a pretty ritzy neighborhood so I have high hopes for Halloween haul. Lil Q is quasi-allergic to peanuts, so bring on the Snickers and Baby Ruth bars!

Last week my employment plans got moved up significantly. I thought I'd get to slack off between now and late February. The Air Force had other plans, so it looks like Captain Quandary will ride again on or about the 1st of December. This is a GOOD thing and I'm WAY excited, but it also means that all the doctor, dentist, and orthodontist appointments I thought I'd have several months for must now be crammed into the next 4 weeks. Also - I have a boatload of paperwork to fill out.

I had some bizarre muscle spasms in my back this morning. I chalked this up to stress and had to do some immediate retail therapy. I ended up with this groovy little sweater.

Expect more posting in early November.

The Cuckoo's Nest

2006-10-17T00:53:00.000-04:00

My Grandma and Grandpa had a Cuckoo Clock hung just inside the front door of their house. Although my Grandpa died when I was pretty young, I can still picture him winding the clock every night before bed. Either Grandma or Grandpa would wind the clock again during the day, but I'm pretty sure Grandpa always wound it at night.

My father sent the clock to my grandparents while he was stationed in Germany. I'm pretty sure it wasn't something he would have picked out for himself since we never had one in our house, but I think he knew that it was a gift that his parents would enjoy and treasure.

After my Grandpa died, the clock remained in the same place. Somehow I never noticed that my Grandma never wound the clock, and that its hands were forever frozen at 5 o'clock. I guess initially I was too young or busy to pay attention. Later, I just figured that the Alzheimer's caused her to forget or just that she just physically wasn't capable anymore.

When my dad died last year and I started to clean out the house, I asked my aunt if she would mind if I took the clock. She asked me if I was sure I wanted it and then told me the story of why the clock was never wound.

Although we usually traveled to Fort Wayne as a family, my dad drove from Omaha alone as a surprise for Grandpa's 65th birthday. As far as I know, the birthday celebration itself went fine, but my dad and Grandpa argued bitterly the night before my dad was supposed to leave. As is so often the case, no one really remembers what they argued about. That night, my Grandpa wound the clock as usual. When my father stormed out of the house at 5 am the following morning, he slammed the door so hard that the clock stopped. Grandpa predicted that he wouldn't see my dad again. He didn't wind the clock that night or any other night before he died a few weeks later.

In nearly thirty years, no one else wound the clock either.

Until now. My father and both my grandparents have died. I would like to believe they've resolved their differences by now and would be happy to know that the clock now hangs just inside MY front door and that I wind it every night. And that if I don't, it's only because I forget and not out of anger.

Minimum Competence

2006-10-09T19:47:00.000-04:00

Results are out and the news is good! At least according to the website...

Thanks to everyone who sent good wishes, encouragement, and prayers!

WOOT!

It's Official Now!

The letter came in today's mail and apparently the web folks weren't mistaken. Looks like I'll be headed back to the Evergreen state sometime in the next month to be sworn in. After I take a 4 hour "pre-licensing" course and pay my bar dues, that is.

Even so - better than a trip back in February to re-take!

Thanks for all the nice comments - maybe I'll even try to start posting more again!

Stress Bunny

2006-10-06T15:19:00.000-04:00

I guess Bar Exam results are in the mail today.

Even if there was a snowball's chance in hell that they would get here before the Columbus Day holiday, I won't be here to get them since we're leaving in a couple of hours for Fort Wayne. Although the cheesecake is still in the oven, so how soon we leave is still kinda up in the air.

I also baked Irish Apple cake. I made one with nuts and one without, and as I placed the pans onto the cooling rack, the rack collapsed and the cake with nuts slid off onto the floor. I'm not ashamed to say that my mom and I picked it up, brushed it off, and enjoyed a couple of largish slices of it (strictly for quality control, you understand) since we could no longer serve it.

Let's just hope that flying baked goods are not some sort of an omen of my bar results.

Dear Tim Hortons,

2006-10-02T22:48:00.000-04:00

Please be aware that someone in your corporate chain has decided that the combination of your made-from-a-powder-push-button-machine-hot-chocolate and drip coffee should be referred to as a "Cafe Mocha."

This person should most likely be shot.

Pfui.

The Face of The Earth

2006-10-01T22:53:00.000-04:00

No, I haven't fallen off it. I've just been busy with stuff that very few people would find interesting.

A quick update on the past 10 days:

- I've joined a cooking club and attended the first meeting. Some of the ladies seem to think that preparing a Tastefully Simple mix counts as cooking, so this might be interesting. Even so - adult interaction = a good thing.

- I watched my Cubs lose to the Reds in the Great American Ballpark.

- I drove to Chicago and back. I was gone for just over 72 hours. In one 24 hour period I drove from Fort Wayne to meet a friend for breakfast, picked up my mom from O'Hare, met up with a different friend for coffee, and drove back to Fort Wayne. My car is so due for an oil change before we drive back to Fort Wayne this coming weekend for our family's annual Weenie Roast.

- I met with the lawyer to file the paperwork to close my dad's estate. Finally.

- I've eaten ice cream at 3 different places in the past week. Friendly's (which was merely so-so), Ritter's (which I like a lot, and is the only place where I prefer the vanilla to chocolate), and my new favorite - Graeter's. I highly recommend the Hazelnut Chip (Friday's selection), but the Chocolate Coconut Almond Fudge (Saturday) was pretty yummy too. The Pumpkin ice cream is not my thing, but EC loved it. Yes, it tastes a lot like Pumpkin Pie, but the consistency is all wrong.

- I've discovered that I really like being a temporary stay-at-home mom. If this lasted more than a couple of months though, I can understand why a lot of women might take up drinking.

- I've been reading a ton of books. If anyone has any other recommendations (I read everything you all suggested last time), please leave them in the comments.

- Bar results come out this week. I was mostly ok with this until this morning when I convinced myself (yet again) that I failed. I've been flip-flopping about this all summer. On the one hand it'll be nice to know one way or the other. On the other hand, I really don't want to go through that particular experience again. Also, apparently results will be mailed out on the Friday before what is a 3-day weekend for the post office (but not for the State Bar Association) and results are posted on the website on Monday, so chances are good that I'll find out whether I passed or failed via the internet. Send good vibes this way, please...

All Those Bad Things I Said About Dell?

2006-09-25T09:31:00.000-04:00

I might take some of them back.

I sent my laptop in for repair last Tuesday and it came back fixed this morning. I've only had it up & running for about 15 minutes, but I think all the things that have been annoying me about my laptop for the past 2 years might be taken care of. Which would be really cool, because although we *could* have bought a new laptop for me, the plan was actually to buy one for Mr. Q, since he's a student again now.

Whe-woo! Now to get our own wireless system up and running again so that I don't have to rely on the unwitting generosity of my neighbors anymore....

Still A Cat Owner!

2006-09-21T18:24:00.000-04:00

Lance came home!

My next door neighbor knocked on my door a little earlier and said he'd seen a cat out by our garage that looked like Lance. After about 45 minutes of hunting around the backyard (he'd run when the neighbor tried to catch him), we found him hiding in the bushes.

He's lost a lot of weight, but he's home safe!

Tomorrow's assignment: Give Lance a bath and get him tags!

Thanks to everyone who sent good wishes!

Another Boring Update Post

2006-09-18T08:51:00.000-04:00

I've been busy trying to finally get the house settled and the family on some kind of routine. Within the last week...

- We have a home telephone again. You wouldn't think this was a great accomplishment, but apparently the phone companies hate us, and it was a minor victory when our phone finally worked on Thursday. Email me if you need the new number....

- We have home internet access again. I think Earthlink has finally pushed me over the edge. I wound up talking to someone in the Phillipines to try to figure out why the cable company in Ohio didn't come out to install our cable connection when they were supposed to. Turns out Earthlink didn't completely update our address and this particular cable company doesn't provide service in Seattle (you know, where we lived a couple of years ago), so the order was rejected.

- My laptop finally went Tango Uniform. I spent over an hour on the phone (using up my cellphone minutes!) with someone in India trying to trouble shoot what I knew to be a hardware issue. It's hard to trouble shoot a laptop that won't even turn on - I don't care how many times you remove the battery and hold the power button for 20 seconds. I'm sending it in for service and they've promised to return it to me in working condition, but I'm not holding my breath. I'd welcome any recommendations as to which laptops to consider as a replacement.

- I have developed an extreme hatred of companies who outsource their technical customer service to other countries. Yes, it may be cheaper for the company to route these calls to New Delhi (or wherever), but I DON'T LIVE THERE! If calls must be outsourced, please try to do so to a country with a sense of urgency. It should not take nearly an hour to tell me what I already knew: My laptop's busted.

- Because I trust Dell so completely, I bought a hard drive enclosure to try to transfer the important stuff off the laptop hard drive and onto the desktop. This was impeded by the fact that I am a technological idiot and had no idea that I needed to/ how to remove the adaptor from the hard drive. Also, the sales "dude" from Best Buy - less than helpful. Did I mention I'd be buying a new laptop? Yeah, well there's no chance in HELL that it's coming from Best Buy given the level of customer service from Nick, the computer sales guy.

- Lots of time has been spent obsessing about the fundraiser for EC's choir. The school was "proud" to announce the return of this "popular" fundraiser. Popular with whom? As a parent, I'd really much rather just write the choir a check for 35 bucks and call it good. As a consumer, I've really never felt the need to pay $8 for a roll of wrapping paper just because some company has figured out how to reduce their overhead and con my kid into peddling their wares - in exchange for the chance to win some cheap "prizes," and the promise to share a portion of their pure profit with the school. Did I mention that I hate these damned things?

- I've spent an extraordinary amount of time looking for our cat, Lancelot. He apparently escaped the night before we left for Tahoe. We've gone door to door. We've driven around and around the neighborhood. I've called and visited all the animal shelters. He's an old kitty, so part of me is a little afraid that he just went away to die somewhere. But if you see him, could you let me know? Thanks.

And Bingo Was Tomato*

2006-09-12T11:08:00.000-04:00

We're back from Tahoe. We were there for a family wedding, so we didn't get to explore nearly as much as we would have liked. Partly because it was such a short trip (Thurs-Sun), and partly because we squeezed Lil Q's "Cinderella Birthday Party" in, since she turned 4 the day of the wedding and we thought it would be fun for her to be able to invite her cousins to her party. We also made a last minute drive to Carson City because EC managed to forget her shoes for the wedding. In true pre-pubescent form, somehow this became my fault.

We eventually found some shoes, and had a great time at the wedding. It was a beautiful day. The groom wore a kilt. The flower girls wore fairy wings. There were bagpipes. Karaoke was sung (though not by me.) Much wine was consumed.

I guess we'll just have to go back sometime. Oh well... =)

*Lil Q's version of the popular children's song B-I-N-G-O...