tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39005812011-04-21T23:56:23.996-04:00Sometimes it takes a trainwreck to make you realize you should be riding the bus.Sallenoreply@blogger.comBlogger1121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-73003787520568134532007-06-04T17:14:00.000-04:002007-06-04T17:30:52.369-04:00

Every once in a while, I check the log at sitemeter to see what sort of traffic comes my way. For the past year or so, it's been somewhat of a test to see just how long people will keep checking for new content. From the looks of things, it's not so much that people who know and like *me* are checking up, but rather people who know and like my friend Joe, as it appears that the vast majority of

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1142385115784909732006-03-14T20:09:00.000-05:002006-03-14T20:11:55.796-05:00

It is my esteemed determination that someone needs to offer me the following option for the remainder of the semester: I get to abdicate all responsibilities for Securities Regulation, Partnership Tax, and Anatomy of a Deal. I, in turn, will gladly fill my days by fulfilling the responsibilities associated with my other two classes, reading wedding magazines, and eating Cadbury eggs. Sound okay

Sallenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1141867457517292542006-03-08T20:22:00.000-05:002006-03-08T20:24:17.526-05:00

J and I got engaged last Saturday in Chicago!Wedding date TBD, sometime between taking the bar and starting work next year.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1141011863108043562006-02-26T22:33:00.000-05:002006-02-26T22:44:23.120-05:00

1) I am increasingly bothered by the way Turk's new facial hair makes him look strikingly like LeVar Burton as season five rolls merrily along.2) The word 'cremains' is really, really funny. Both for the way someone just stuck the c from cremate onto remains to describe the product of the process, and for the way it reminds me of craisins. Don't mix them up though, one is a nasty snack. pre-3)

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1140825525099725052006-02-24T18:56:00.000-05:002006-02-24T18:58:45.110-05:00

Can you guess what's more fun than getting the flu the day before spring break and having to skip the trip to NYC with boyfriend and friends so you can stay home and be feverish?[pause]Congratulations--we will accept any answer given. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some TheraFlu to sip and a nose to wipe.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1137449830919266232006-01-16T17:13:00.000-05:002006-01-16T17:17:10.926-05:00

As of last night, I am now an aunt! My nephew's name is Jonathan, and my dad reports that everyone is doing fine. It's times like this I'm sorry I'm so far away. At least I'll be there this summer for my other stepsister's wedding.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1133648431274700402005-12-03T17:11:00.000-05:002005-12-03T17:20:31.283-05:00

It's now squarely December, and that means exams are but moments away. I really dislike this time of the semester, even though this year in no way resembles last year in terms of volume or intensity of both work to be done and nerves. Still, I'd much rather just be done with it all and not have these stupid half-done outlines hanging over my head every time I want to read Dear Abby. If you

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1133053873569463482005-11-26T19:39:00.000-05:002005-11-26T20:11:13.580-05:00

I sincerely hope this is the last Thanksgiving I spend alone in Ann Arbor. I mean, yeah, two isn't exactly a pattern, but it's a bit sucky here this time of year. This wasn't really the plan, but things happened (mom's family decided not to do the get-together I was planning to attend, but didn't make this call until the flight to Sarasota with J was totally full). Aside: here's another of my

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1129301424881872612005-10-14T10:14:00.000-04:002005-10-14T10:50:24.890-04:00

I installed a sitemeter on this thing about a year ago, and it's a neverending story part II...no, wait, no Jonathan Brandis....it's a neverending source of mild amusement during the all-too-frequent times when I sit at my desk running through every bookmark I have instead of, you know, doing work. Anyway, my favorite part of sitemeter's reporting services is the fact that I can see every

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1127941710498852202005-09-28T17:04:00.000-04:002005-09-28T17:08:30.500-04:00

...And I don't like it in my comments, either. Sorry for the new character verification thingamabob in the comments section, but I got a comment yesterday promoting something about British music and the difference between blogging and dogging. So my first thought, upon reading all nonsensical spam like that, is to wonder who the hell thinks that's effective or eliciting anything other than

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1127878477768752502005-09-27T23:21:00.000-04:002005-09-27T23:34:37.776-04:00

Oh mah gah...are you still reading this? I never post anymore! S'anyway (as Joe would say), want to know what I did this afternoon? If you're thinking to yourself something along the lines of no, not really, because I'm sure it's something like 'I went to ethics, came home, made dinner, and did nothing but homework until passing out in a pint of low-fat Ben and Jerry's,' then you're wrong.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1120452091193398042005-07-03T23:54:00.000-04:002005-07-04T00:47:23.620-04:00

After nearly three months of not posting, I figure this post will be surprise morsel for the ever-faithful who continue to check back in hopes that I'll eventually get off my robust ass and post something.The working part of the summer is more than half over for me. It's been a great time so far--Firm #1 was an absolutely awesome experience, and I was a little (okay, a lot) homesick for it during

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1113348501543986642005-04-12T19:15:00.001-04:002005-04-12T19:32:42.446-04:00

Counsel would like to enter the following as state's evidence 45723A that law students, in concentrated form, are unforgivably lame:[from the unmoderated listserv]"The difference between using "coke" generically (disclaimer: I did this when I was young) and kleenex/band-aid is that when you ask for a kleenex or a band-aid you don't really care if you actually get a kleenex brand tissue or a

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1109611033564589692005-02-28T12:12:00.000-05:002005-02-28T12:17:13.566-05:00

There's an ice pick in the basement near the washer and dryer. I want to write my brief about as much as I want to ram that ice pick through my foot.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1109457551968407352005-02-26T17:37:00.000-05:002005-02-26T17:43:14.730-05:00

The following is a short piece I wrote for a soon-to-be-launched section of the admitted student website. Okay, so I'm double-dipping with my own work, but I have a brief to write and it's been another chunk of forever since I posted. *******I fully believe that somewhere in the inner recesses of The Powers That Be in Ann Arbor, there’s a handbook of stock responses to calm people’s fears about

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1108861698256889532005-02-19T20:06:00.000-05:002005-02-19T20:08:18.256-05:00

When you're making oven cinnamon toast under the broiler, use extra care while reaching into the oven that you don't touch the oven mitt to the broiler itself. It may, studies suggest, catch on fire a little.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1108614399844532402005-02-16T22:58:00.000-05:002005-02-16T23:26:39.850-05:00

I would like the record to reflect that I am posting before a month has lapsed since my last post. Whoa...I was just unconsciously inclined to capitalize the "my" in that sentence. Weird. I mean, I've always known I'm self-involved, but that's ridiculous.What to say--the front end of this semester is really loaded with work in our writing/research class, and on top of the 5th class (elective),

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1106097341161439972005-01-18T19:57:00.000-05:002005-01-18T20:15:41.160-05:00

So I've done a fair amount of flying in the past several weeks, and I observed an unsettling amount of inconsiderate, rude, and just plain petty behavior on the planes and in the airports. I wonder to what extent the travelling situation brings this out in people, or if this is just a nice place to do a case study on the way we all really treat each other when left to our own devices. I hope

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1105498163226605042005-01-11T21:37:00.000-05:002005-01-11T21:49:23.226-05:00

When it's in casebook form, a lot. I bought books today for the semester...pale waltzing lord it was expensive and heavy. That's what you get for picking Trusts and Estates for the 5th class, rather than something seminar-y with lots of xerox packets. Let me put it this way: the stack of books is almost taller than my laptop screen when it's open. And to think--on MTW, I have to have all of

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1105000004239913252005-01-06T03:21:00.000-05:002005-01-06T03:26:44.240-05:00

I left my dad's house at 6:15 (mountain time) this morning....er, yesterday morning....January 5. I arrived in my apartment at 3:15 am (eastern time) on January 6. The interim was made up of a royally shitty melange of sitting in various airport/airplane venues. Chicago? Is a fucking mess right now. Highlights of the day include screaming children, old people with small bladders, and United

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1104601183199650582005-01-01T13:26:00.000-05:002005-01-06T12:44:41.896-05:00

My first post for 2005 will be decidedly mediocre, as absolutely nothing of interest wants to strike my little brain right now as I sit in my dad and stepmom's living room listening to dad snowblow the driveway. It's New Year's Day, the cinnamon rolls have been consumed, I'd really like someone to make another pot of coffee but can't be arsed to do it myself, I slept on a totally awful sleeper

Sallenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1104600386214558682004-12-23T13:18:00.000-05:002005-01-01T12:26:26.213-05:00

And so ends another semester, in ways both similar and different than others. As usual, I was in a rush to get packed and out of the house to make my flight. The 5 or so inches of snow that dumped on A2 the night before I left didn’t help the errands and such which required me to move the car. I especially appreciated the snowplow that came along just as I had parked at a meter by the law

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1103591359888781642004-12-20T19:59:00.000-05:002004-12-20T20:09:19.886-05:00

Contracts exam's a'comin'. Comin' at me like a runaway bus. There's a whole lot of learning to be done before 8am Wednesday. Gah. I do love, though, that I just got another goddamn email from UT-Austin...telling me that they've received my FAFSA application but that they can't tell me anything about financial aid just yet because I haven't been accepted. Okay, for the zillionth time: I DON'T

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1103474101699787332004-12-19T11:30:00.000-05:002004-12-19T11:35:01.700-05:00

Bad It is fucking cold here. My Christmas shopping is nowhere near done. My Contracts exam is on Wednesday and I'm so unprepared it's tragic. Good There are cinnamon rolls in my kitchen. I have an interview next month for a (paying!) summer job in H-town.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1103127209401423472004-12-15T11:02:00.000-05:002004-12-15T11:13:29.400-05:00

It's a good thing the majority of the people who read this are in some sort of professional school, as I don't feel bad for falling deep into finals neglect. Finals is as Finals does....but man, I'll be glad to get on a plane next Thursday and leave it all behind to be graded. Crim was yesterday, and I can now say I know substantially more about homicide charges and their various defenses than

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1102658586609393582004-12-10T01:47:00.000-05:002004-12-10T01:03:06.610-05:00

Today was the last day of classes for us--first semester is officially over except for exams. One could argue, of course, that this means we're actually quite a ways from being done. Fine, fine, but there's still something kind of simultaneously weird and cool about the end of classes. Like, I just got uesd to the idea of it being November, and here we are done? Crazy. The professors put

Sallenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1102549455506654502004-12-08T18:38:00.000-05:002004-12-08T18:44:15.506-05:00

You may recall that I sent out a bunch of resumes and cover letters on Saturday in an attempt to get a job for next summer. I sent them out Saturday. Today is Wednesday. Count those days. Counted? Okay. I got three ding letters today! I'm not rattled by the fact that they're dings--paying summer jobs are scarce for the first summer--but I'm a little bit amazed that I can give the letters

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1102381320226543662004-12-06T19:55:00.000-05:002004-12-06T20:02:00.226-05:00

Three things they don't tell you about Ann Arbor: 1) There are a lot of skunks. During the warm months, there's a totally bizarre issue with skunks that get hit by cars and smell up your street. I'm not kidding...happens often enough that I stopped considering it out of place by, like, the second week of September. 2) There is fog that makes one feel as though walking around with either

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1102218644257087792004-12-04T22:43:00.000-05:002004-12-04T22:50:44.256-05:00

In the past 36 hours I have: 1) Been an unwilling participant in a rousing round of Waltzes of Stupid at the local Kinko's. 2) Hid Max in his carrier in the bedroom while the landlord showed my apartment to a prospective future tenant, hoping like hell Max wouldn't protest audibly while they were here. 3) Printed and assembled 45 cover letters and resumes for summer job apps 4) Come full

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1101613752831259612004-11-27T22:34:00.000-05:002004-11-27T22:49:12.833-05:00

Travesty has been averted--I found the disk of all my documents from my old job. At present, I only care about one of the documents--my most recent resume--but it's nice to have the rest of it, too. As December 1 approaches faster than a runaway bus full of gospel choir members screaming "praise JesuSAH!," I desperately need to get a resume ready for the large mailout to come. As if we didn't

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1101499049774103552004-11-26T14:32:00.000-05:002004-11-26T14:57:29.776-05:00

So I made the horrible mistake of starting The Da Vinci Code Wednesday night before bed. Ack. I've had a copy since August (through some book club folly, my mom ended up with two; gave me one), but only just got around to picking it up. This was a bad idea for two reasons: 1) I scare pretty easily, so Wednesday night and Thursday night were somewhat sleepless (though, to be fair, the book was

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1100974971468540212004-11-20T13:05:00.000-05:002004-11-21T16:37:17.836-05:00

I need Jennifer and Bob at AOL member services to know something right now: my decision to cancel my service (both times!) isn't in any way intended to be construed as a personal attack on you, so stop acting like it is. Look, I only signed up with AO-hell out of utter laziness in February. Your shitty dialup is incredibly overpriced, but the disk was free at Target. Good move there, because I

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1100669112515532742004-11-17T01:09:00.000-05:002004-11-17T00:25:12.516-05:00

One of the biproducts of law school is a cyclic feeling of frustration with the people who animate some of the cases we read. To wit--I read a property case this evening regarding covenant enforcement in an Albuquerque neighborhood (Hill v. Community of Damien of Molokai, 911 P.2d 861 (N.M. 1996)). A non-profit corporation who provides people with AIDS and other terminal illnesses places to

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1099972313056575982004-11-08T22:28:00.000-05:002004-11-08T22:56:01.650-05:00

By no means do I attempt to actually provide the Hominuh of the Week every week. I feel it would cheapen the greatness of HOTW's absurdity to let the calendar dictate my selection rather than the serendipity of coming across something worthy. [Edit: the limits of my html skills prevent me from formatting these so they fit nicely on the template. Suffer along.] Today's HOTW entry takes us to

Sallenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1099812425113991132004-11-07T02:26:00.000-05:002004-11-07T02:27:05.113-05:00

I went to the library today and came home happy. Not the law library, the real library. The public library. You know, the place with books whose pages are filled with more than cases. I am now a card-carrying member of the Ann Arbor District Library, and the happy borrower of a few books, some music, and part of the seventh season of Friends on DVD. If you haven’t been to your local

Sallenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1099022117735428542004-10-28T23:49:00.000-04:002004-10-28T23:55:17.736-04:00

The following is an editorial written by a colleague of mine. Give it a read, give it a thought, and whatever conclusions you reach, please vote. This is your chance to be part of the process...and a lot of people in this nation's history have given greatly so that you and I can have that right today. Use it. ************** I believe that the President has been horribly wrong in both his

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1098901312443302982004-10-27T13:55:00.000-04:002004-10-27T14:21:52.443-04:00

Ack. After several weeks of diligent posting, I've fallen a bit off track again. It's been somewhat intentional and somewhat unintentional. The latter is a result of being a little busier with various things, and the former is a result of my horrid tendency to start narrating everything I do in my head as if I were preparing a blog post. It happens when I start posting too frequently, so I'll

Sallenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1097809831577733902004-10-14T23:08:00.000-04:002004-10-14T23:10:31.576-04:00

You may have noticed the absence of a notes transcript from the third and final presidential debate. Sorry to disappoint, but I just couldn’t be arsed to do it. Face it, this debate was boring. My network connection was faking seizures (which, by the way, you might be surprised to hear was an incredibly common practice among patients I saw during my time as an EMT. Well, that, and me

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1097292438997577532004-10-08T23:05:00.000-04:002004-10-08T23:30:06.826-04:00

I started listening to the debate tonight on the radio--no TV in the apartment (no, I'm not one of those...I just feel that the act of paying for cable while in my first year of law school is an unwise turning of the knob to the door of Things That Prevent Work From Happening). About 20 minutes into the thing, I happened upon a live webcast with commentary from NYTimes political correspondent

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1097178546795662172004-10-07T15:41:00.000-04:002004-10-07T15:49:06.796-04:00

An open letter to the University of Texas: I do not attend your institution. I have never enrolled in a course of study at your institution. I did not accept your offer of admission, as noted when I expressly and explicitly stated my intent to accept neither said offer nor an offer of financial aid in a letter dated April 12, 2004. It follows, then, that the barrage of student-oriented mail I

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1096941471324883132004-10-04T21:56:00.000-04:002004-10-05T13:16:34.900-04:00

My new favorite flash thingamabob. I have not the words. Also, I would like to clarify that it was not arse racing that almost made me late for Property this morning. No, it wasn't. However, I hear betting on the underdog gets you nothing, and the post-race music is trippy.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1096818265335697182004-10-03T11:39:00.000-04:002004-10-03T11:44:25.336-04:00

There are many things to get upset about in one’s day-to-day goings-on—large scale, small scale, everything in between. More often than not, I find, the source of the upset can be traced back, in some way, to someone who has chosen to be an asshole. Maybe that’s not correct—I think there are some people who can’t help it, in the same way that some people can’t help it that their toes point in

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1096509582637116992004-09-29T21:35:00.000-04:002004-09-29T22:07:48.983-04:00

Five Things Phoebe Needs Me to Know Right Now: 1) Whatever that shit I forcefed her this morning was, it wasn't anything resembling reasonable or civilized. 2) Pursuant to number 1, petting, kissing, or other "friendly" contact is entirely out of the question at this time. 3) Hiding said shit in yogurt worked once and only once. 4) Whatever that fish business on the plate this evening was, more

Sallenoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1096294957292951252004-09-27T10:13:00.000-04:002004-09-27T19:33:32.956-04:00

So...what's going on here? This guy--we'll call him Trent (doesn't he look like a Trent?) has gleefully volunteered to demonstrate, um, something involving a duffel bag's less-attractive cousin strung up on a giant clothes rack. In no way does this look like something I'd use theraputically, as the website would like one to do. I like this sequence a lot; it's as through Trent really

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1096293225401148412004-09-27T09:36:00.000-04:002004-09-27T09:53:45.403-04:00

I just remembered a dream I had last night in which I was trying to find a polite way to complement the Republican baby room decorations someone was showing me. It was an entire wallpaper/bedding/toy/furniture scheme that was supposed to be "baby Republican." I remember one thing on the mobile was a tiny, stretchy London Stock Exchange building. Yeah, I've got nothing to explain this either.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1096213666824270612004-09-26T11:31:00.000-04:002004-09-26T16:28:38.843-04:00

Last night at a friend's house, I told the story about the time my roommate managed to create total, fiery disaster in the kitchen by trying to steam live crabs in three small posts (as opposed to the one, large pot she couldn't use because it belonged to our Kosher housemate) and managed to a) lose one the of crabs several times on the floor, b) light a plastic grocery sack on fire, and c)

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1096131377182534712004-09-25T12:56:00.000-04:002004-09-25T12:56:17.183-04:00

In the past week, I've crossed a threshold I'm not too proud of. I've become That Girl who dresses up her cat. It started when I found a random bandana in my apartment (I think my dad left it here when he helped me move). On a whim, I folded it into a triangle and tied it around Max's neck--like people do for their dogs. Much to my surprise, he didn't try to get it off. In fact, he loved it.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1095951255539653892004-09-23T10:15:00.000-04:002004-09-24T19:29:27.290-04:00

...I prefer not that of the unforgiving sign of rain. It's okay, you can reread that as many times as you want and it won't really make sense. It's a line from the opening of my new favorite "editorial," found in the fall issue of The Undergraduate Quarterly. The UQ is edited and published by a UCLA alum whom I knew of from last year's University of Chicago Law School Applicant Board (UCB, to

Sallenoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1095616722897676612004-09-19T13:56:00.000-04:002004-09-19T13:58:42.896-04:00

I'm going to go ahead and be a bit of a bitch here, and say that if your study materials include a high school chem text and an SAT prep book, you have no business in the law library reading room. I know, I'm a real hardass about weird things, but come the hell on.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1095609313004715892004-09-19T11:52:00.000-04:002004-09-19T11:55:13.003-04:00

As I went through my application process last year, I remember several people--either then-students or recent law school alums--telling me that law school was remarkably like high school...and they're right. But they're right in the best way: law school is, as far as I can tell, like high school...only it's the way I think we all wished high school could have been. It's the institutional

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1094652613886086212004-09-08T10:02:00.000-04:002004-09-08T10:10:13.886-04:00

The Lawyers know too much So says the Carl Sandberg poem I'm supposed to read for Legal Practice today. With one day down, I can say that law school is exceptionally fun so far and I'm incredibly glad to be here. I'll admit, I had a moment or twenty on Monday night where the crazy dial was set at filter-rupturing levels...somehow I was letting my lack of knowledge about

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1094477400413774392004-09-06T09:22:00.000-04:002004-09-11T21:40:41.393-04:00

Weekend/holiday mornings remind me of one silver lining aspect to the cloud that comes with living among 40,000 undergrads: they like to sleep. In A2, you'll find a very peaceful atmosphere if you can rouse yourself before 9 or 10 on weekends. The regular traffic of adults driving in their cars...wherever they go...is essentially absent, and the same group that was shouting in the street the

Sallenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1094351366973478702004-09-04T22:27:00.000-04:002004-09-11T21:41:09.010-04:00

I can say with full certainty that you are a complete and utter assclown if you play a David Gray cd from your front porch at full volume for all your neighbors to hear. That is all.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1094349110959003122004-09-04T21:51:00.000-04:002004-09-04T22:33:01.886-04:00

I should be doing work right now Today was the first Michigan football game of the season (v. Miami-Ohio, we won), and the first home game for which I’ve been in town. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be—definitely a lot of traffic, but most of it on foot since there’s hardly any parking near the stadium. As I walked to Zingerman’s and the farmers market late this morning

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1094001095577419922004-08-31T21:10:00.000-04:002004-08-31T21:11:35.576-04:00

What a long, strange trip I’m typing this post from my living room in Ann Arbor, on my new and lovely IBM t41. After a bizarre and sometimes difficult month of packing, traveling, and moving, I made it to school in one piece with minimal scratches on my furniture and even more minimal trauma to the kiddos. Despite all my planning and efforts to obtain tranquilizers to

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1091247665135236352004-07-30T22:58:00.000-04:002004-07-31T00:21:05.136-04:00

That's that For all practical purposes, today was my last day of work. I'll go back in for one more (partial!) day later in the month when my vacation runs out, but this was basically it. Three years, one month and twenty-six days doesn't sound like a tremendously long time, but it feels like my first day was a lifetime ago. After all the agro and all the

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1090963284839818062004-07-27T17:19:00.000-04:002004-07-27T17:21:24.840-04:00

Don't ever get them wet                      Intuitively, it seems like suburbs are a safe zone outside the dangers realm of the city.  Pretty stucco-exterior homes with sweeping driveways and zillions of bedrooms punctuate tree-lined streets, families stroll to community pools with bouncy children, and runners make their merry way through well-manicured greenbelt trails.  It’s that last part

Sallenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1090857428351148942004-07-26T11:55:00.000-04:002004-07-26T11:57:08.350-04:00

In other news                                  I decided the half-marathon idea is a bad one.  I'm going to train for a triathlon instead.  Oh hey--there's one in Ann Arbor in June!  Hooray!   

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1090856099800918102004-07-26T11:29:00.000-04:002004-07-26T11:34:59.800-04:00

Take it from me                               Those who know me well know that I struggle often with the challenge of having hair that is neither straight nor curly.  Not even wavy.  I guess it’s mostly straight, but with horribly frizzy and somewhat bumpy tendencies.  A few years ago, a coworker gave me a bit of Biosilk to try—and it was awesome.  Sadly, a 6oz bottle retails for about $30, and

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1090613526947070822004-07-23T16:11:00.000-04:002004-07-23T16:12:06.946-04:00

Good things                                   Thanks to all for the kind words and thoughts for my mom.  Her surgery was Tuesday (exactly 2 months after the original date, weird) and everything went very well.  I spoke with her doctor that evening and he seemed very positive about the procedure.  She goes back to have it programmed in 5-6 weeks.  Nifty, nifty little device. There’s only one more

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1089394291051168502004-07-09T13:25:00.000-04:002004-07-09T13:32:03.353-04:00

Items of Non-interest A few things that have punctuated the last 10 days or so: 1) Lizards don't belong in my bathroom. 2) Breakups are wretched, no matter how well everyone behaves. 3) Intense boredom has an uncanny way of amplifying one's tension and feelings of malcontent. 4) I really need to clean out both my fridge and my car. 5) I need school to start, like, now.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1089138559706814562004-07-06T14:27:00.000-04:002004-07-06T14:29:19.706-04:00

At Long Last The insurance people finally caved and approved my mom's cochlear implant surgery. HOORAY!! It should take place sometime in the next few weeks. Thanks to all for the kind words and warm wishes.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1088612425622394842004-06-30T12:19:00.000-04:002004-06-30T12:21:56.980-04:00

That for which we are thankful I had a crush once on a guy who I helped stage manage a play during the spring of my senior year in high school. His name was Torrey, and, in looking back, I recognize now that he was just one of many not-so-sane and exceptionally dismal men I’ve been attracted to. He flaked out on work—both things that paid and things that didn’t. My mom sold

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1088177574755826882004-06-25T11:30:00.000-04:002004-06-25T11:32:54.756-04:00

It's the little things that make this place fun After weeks of fielding whines from my coworkers, I decided to indulge them today and wear the must-requested Papa Don't Preach sweater. I'm so caring sometimes.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1088106690994919042004-06-24T15:50:00.000-04:002004-06-24T15:51:30.996-04:00

'Tis a gift to be simple It’s been a long, long time since the last time I put together the Lists of Things I Like and Things I Don’t Like. I think I stopped doing them for two reasons: a) sometimes the justifications portion of the lists take longer than my hurry-up-and-wait work day allows, and b) I’m intensely lazy and entitled. Sooo….I’m bringing back the Lists, with

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1087825491266235062004-06-21T09:43:00.000-04:002004-06-21T09:44:51.266-04:00

Counting, Betting, Complaining, Inviting After today, I have 5 weeks and 4 days of regular work left. There was a time (a long time) when I seriously considered working through the first week of August. It seemed like it might be a good idea to get one more week of pay, to leave 5 more days of training my successor, etc….not so much. The money—feh, I’ll figure that part out. It looks

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1087397768020151972004-06-16T10:54:00.000-04:002004-06-16T10:56:08.020-04:00

Comments, please! So, like, yeah...the new template. What do you think?

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1087241727930862172004-06-14T15:33:00.000-04:002004-06-14T15:36:09.740-04:00

Meet you by the swings in fifteen When I first heard about the proposal before the AMA requesting an endorsement for physicians’ refusal to treat medmal attorneys, I was really, really steamed. In what way does that make anything resembling ethical sense, I thought. After long consideration (okay, medium consideration), I’ve changed my mind. Read this, then see my comments:

Sallenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1086968281037550002004-06-11T11:21:00.000-04:002004-06-14T15:36:25.526-04:00

The Waiting Game If you happen to know anyone who took the April MCAT, give them a little (or medium, or big, or whatever strikes you) hug this weekend--scores should be out early Tuesday morning. For my fellow law school applicants, folks, we've got nothin' on the med school peeps in terms of waiting hell. It's been nearly 8 weeks since they took the damn thing,

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1086642213415141632004-06-07T17:02:00.000-04:002004-06-07T18:02:16.330-04:00

Shoes and Schadenfreude: an Unholy Pair My shoes are too big. They’re too big today, they were too big the day I bought them, and they’ll be too big for all time and eternity. I understand this, fully and completely, yet I continue to wear them every few months. I have no idea why. Do I think my feet will grow half a size? Is it that I think I might have been a little wrong all the

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1086127171162508972004-06-01T17:56:00.000-04:002004-06-01T18:01:44.653-04:00

I’m not very good at this No matter which way I approach the matter, the truth is that I’m not very good at returning movies on time. And of course, by “not very good” I mean “essentially incapable.” In the days when I patronized Blockbuster, I think I managed to put three or four employees’ children through college and graduate school with my many, many late fees. It’s

Sallenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1085505056214840812004-05-25T13:10:00.000-04:002004-05-25T13:10:56.216-04:00

Random Generators, part 2 LOOK OUT!ïòðBria is a radioactive squirrel!!Username: From Go-Quiz.com

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1084998539898546192004-05-19T16:28:00.000-04:002004-05-19T16:28:59.896-04:00

Another Denial: The Good Fight Update I received word from my mom yesterday that the insurance company denied her request for pre-approval again, so no surgery this week. Perhaps most infuriating is that they claim there isn’t an appeal process for pre-approval—that she should go ahead and have the surgery and appeal their decision afterwards. My issues are as follows: Item, the

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1084821276710509722004-05-17T15:12:00.000-04:002004-05-17T15:15:39.993-04:00

It could be worse Oy...speaking of insurance nightmares...from the Salt Lake Tribune: A woman's months long fight for insurance coverage to pay for skull-replacement surgery has ended after her mother's insurer agreed to pay the bill, her mother said Tuesday. But while Briana Lane's medical problems appear to be ending, she now faces criminal charges

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1084804610531977642004-05-17T10:36:00.000-04:002004-05-17T10:38:45.660-04:00

Insurance people like crazytalk Thanks for all the kind words and thoughts about my mom. She spoke with an attorney late last week, and they have a pretty sound plan in place. The first step—which may be all that’s necessary—was to have her doctor write the insurance company a letter explaining why the procedure is medically necessary. It’s pretty damn compelling. If that

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1084506303987635462004-05-13T23:42:00.000-04:002004-05-13T23:45:03.986-04:00

Whatsa matter, chuckles? I think I need to call people by their actual names less frequently, and use semi-condescending, generic pet names more. Pally, chief, chuckles, and lollipop are definitely in order. It’s both dismissive and twee, and I kind of like that. If you look at it that way, it’s sort of like being Republican. Since I’m heading off to be a poor and

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1084484062034881652004-05-13T17:33:00.000-04:002004-05-13T23:47:38.413-04:00

Take your policy and shove it. Is there anything more heartbreaking than knowing that your mom is really, really sad and you’re too far away to do anything but call and email? For those who don’t know, my mom is profoundly hearing impaired and tackles the difficulties of being a university professor despite her hearing loss with a daily, Herculean effort. She has about 16%

Sallenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1084253708826243652004-05-11T01:34:00.000-04:002004-05-13T23:49:02.670-04:00

Hee. Random generators are fun. Your Homocidal Rampage! by crash_and_burnYour name:Weapon of Choice:NapalmYour Favorite Target:People named "Steve"Your Kill Count:864,071,328Your Battle Cry:"I got mad skillz, yo!"Years You Spend in Jail:6How Much Money In Damages You Cause:$116,802,020,190,618Your Homocidal Insanity Level:: 98%Created with the ORIGINAL MemeGen!

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1084250625720671662004-05-10T22:58:00.000-04:002004-05-13T23:50:15.076-04:00

Color me surprised I was a little surprised by Bush's show of support for Rumsfeld today. Seems pretty ill-advised, since this kind of kills the possibility of spinning a Rumsignation into a free-from-the-poisoned-limb celebration for the Bush camp. My calendar tells me that as of this Friday I'll have 11 weeks left at work. I know that's starting to count

Sallenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1084154180631071112004-05-09T21:55:00.000-04:002004-05-13T23:52:09.560-04:00

It's my party and I'll have it if I want to. If I have one goal for the rest of the year, it’s that I’m going to have a damned birthday party if it kills me. Last year, I had this awesome plan ready for a happy hour at my favorite pub in Houston—spent a long and agonizing week working on the guest list, carefully crafted to bring together a blend of people from the various facets of my

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1083601757867790682004-05-03T12:29:00.000-04:002004-05-11T09:45:21.840-04:00

Life is good. As I was walking across the parking lot of my apartment complex this morning, having just pulled in and parked after an evening furlough at Pete's house, I was struck by the truly delicious weather. It was somewhere in the upper 50s, sunny, crisp...very fragrant air. Wearing shorts and sneakers without socks, I felt like I was going off to do something active and summery--like

Sallenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1083261770987987532004-04-29T14:02:00.000-04:002004-04-29T14:07:01.670-04:00

A few truths for a Thursday (NOT in order of priority): 1) I do *not* want to teach tonight. Not. One. Bit. 2) I am freaking out about finding a place to live in Ann Arbor for the fall. 3) The word of the day is Pete, and that makes all things substantially better. Re: the first item....I'm kind of sleepy and definitely not in the mood for the Herculean labor it takes to get the Thursday kids

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1083017479234140802004-04-26T18:11:00.000-04:002004-04-26T18:15:26.106-04:00

I used leverage as a verb yesterday, and now I feel unclean. Ewwww....how could I? In the April 20, 2003 list of Things I Don't Like, I discussed my dislike for Eminem and made a few derogatory comments about the nonexistent levels of his genius. The time has come for me to amend such statements. It's not that I particularly like his stuff, but I have a new appreciation for him and his

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1082521254011501792004-04-21T00:20:00.000-04:002004-04-21T00:24:53.123-04:00

Sometimes I watch The West Wing to get excited about my own job. In a sad, sad stretch of my overexuberant imagination, I like to think that the staffers on that show are in some way similar to me in my day job. I’m wrong, of course, but sometimes it helps me feel charged about being a handler. Then again, sometimes it just depresses me. Why can’t I work for Martin Sheen? My mom saw him in

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1076734631639968392004-02-13T23:57:00.000-05:002004-02-14T00:00:56.123-05:00

I sent the link to this blog to a bunch of new folks this week, so perhaps I'll revive my posting habits. The frequency with which I posted during the last half of 2003 is pretty sad, but sometimes that's how it goes. As my voice mail says, you'll just have to keep livin' your life. Wouldn't it be helpful if people would wear teeshirts that told you on sight what sort of person you're about to

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1074788333249672582004-01-22T11:18:00.000-05:002004-01-22T11:21:16.936-05:00

Sometimes, the greatest literary pearls pop up in everyday conversation. I have to log this one, because someday I'm going to work it into a great essay, play, or other bit of genius prose. "You took up smoking, I took up Mormonism...everyone tries ill-advised things when they're young." Seriously, someday I will parlay that into something that smacks of genius.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-1061917682402016122003-08-26T13:08:00.000-04:002003-08-26T13:08:02.413-04:00

Yeah, I haven't posted in a million zillion years....and this isn't going to be a big one to make up for the past several months. I'm really only posting at present to ask a simple question of whatever I have left of a readership: What is WRONG with boys? Seriously, What. The. Hell. Alrighty, I can get on with my day now.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-919394412003-04-03T16:55:00.000-05:002003-04-03T16:55:15.810-05:00

Ahem. Greetings…and apologies. I have no idea why I haven’t written anything for the past month. Sometimes it be that way, I suppose. Anyway, here I am, renewing my commitment to post on a semi-regular basis…furtively hoping my absence hasn’t drive away my entire audience. Such is life. Have you ever had one of your habits held up before you as being weird or different, but you never would

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-900743972003-03-03T17:49:00.000-05:002003-03-03T17:49:44.513-05:00

Greetings, campers. I am returning to my (self-imposed) Monday posting-mandate. Since I skated out of last week without any gesture towards a list, I feel strongly compelled to post one now. I haven’t been kicking around much in the way of material for this list, so I have no idea what direction it will take. Things I Like • The recently-renovated fitness center at my apartment. It

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-896687522003-02-24T17:10:00.000-05:002003-02-24T17:10:43.763-05:00

Yeah…so I never got around to posting last week. I tell you, those Monday holidays are nice but they sure screw up the rest of my week. Then again, I’ve had trouble keeping track of what day it is since about Thanksgiving, so that’s probably a pretty invalid excuse. I just noticed that my desk chair makes an inordinate amount of squeaking and creaking as I shift around in it. It’s probably

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-889896192003-02-12T15:14:00.000-05:002003-02-12T15:14:00.696-05:00

So...since my eyes were going buggy looking at this page, I decided to switch templates for a while. I can't decide yet if I like this one, but at least the font is bigger. We'll give a few weeks...

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-888708692003-02-10T16:24:00.000-05:002003-02-12T12:38:59.000-05:00

Check it out…I’m actually posting on a Monday! This isn’t the longest list I’ve ever posted, but it’s here and it’s on time, which has to be worth something. Things I Like • Hans Blix. Actually, I haven’t completely formed my opinion one way or another on Mr. UN Inspector…but I really and truly dig his name. Hans Blix…say it, you’ll feel nifty. Hans Blix! Some people have those names you

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-886027592003-02-05T13:57:00.000-05:002003-02-05T13:57:26.416-05:00

**********BONUS MATERIAL********** In addition to today's normal post of this week's list (see below), I'm adding a special essay that has been in the works (and admittedly on the backest of back burners) for several months. I'm so damned glad about having finally forced myself to finish it that I can't wait to post the thing. Here it is, approximately a year in the works if you can believe it.

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-885972092003-02-05T11:57:00.000-05:002003-02-05T12:01:58.000-05:00

I promised last week that a good list would be forthcoming. I’ve been kicking ideas around in my head ever since, and have in deed produced a list…though its quality is a fairly subjective thing, so please bear with me. As a side note--I have no idea what's going on with my archive list. I know it would make sense for things to be listed in chronological order, but that doesn't seem to be in

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-882224132003-01-29T14:51:00.000-05:002003-01-29T14:51:10.883-05:00

I know, I know…it’s been twelve days since my last post, which was merely a rant at that. Life has managed to take over for a spell, but things are back in balance again and I’m fulfilling my posting duty once more. But I digress. Here’s a little-known fact about the White House press office, which makes me really like them. At the end of the daily White House briefing that they fax to a

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-876109062003-01-17T17:16:00.000-05:002003-01-17T17:18:06.000-05:00

And so ends another week, which has been surprisingly busy. Monday was my only obligation-free lunch day, which practically never happens. Sadly, having lunch appointments every day of the week doesn’t mean a week of great food. All I can say is that the bar really can’t get much lower for large-event catering in this city. Twice in one week I found myself a luncheon where I was denied the

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-873600902003-01-13T12:09:00.000-05:002003-01-13T12:09:33.306-05:00

Happy Monday! As another week rattles off to a riveting start (cough, sputter, chortle), I continue to ponder the possibility of attending law school. I’m considering becoming a certified mediator to gain some perspective into conflict resolution and all that jazz. I think I might actually be quite good at it since the challenge of applying reason and compassion without (or in spite of)

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-871833402003-01-09T16:29:00.000-05:002003-01-09T16:34:31.000-05:00

Monday was several days ago and I’m just now getting to my weekly entry. Deal with it. My dad came to town and I was out of the office until yesterday. We had a super time—no horror stories of any sort to report (and to those of you who were willing it to happen so you’d have something interesting to read, shame on you.) This week, I’m furtively plugging away at my on-going quest to figure

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-868462842003-01-02T17:09:00.000-05:002003-01-02T17:09:24.593-05:00

Today is definitely gearing itself to be a contender in the top ten slowest days ever. I think I’ve been here at my desk for just about an eternity, clearly longer than a workday, yet it isn’t even four yet. Amazing. I think I’ve aged markedly in what the clock claims to be the last three hours. More like three days, if you ask me. Actually, this rate of aging is pretty good, because I’ll be

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900581.post-867152832002-12-30T17:55:00.000-05:002002-12-30T17:55:07.763-05:00

Well then! I’m back from the wilds of the Montana, and I’m sorry to report that there wasn’t any snow. At least it wasn’t excruciatingly cold—only in the teens and twenties. It was a lovely trip and I got plenty of much-needed rest. Getting out of town, however, was less than simple. After a lengthy and bloody battle, I admitted defeat and decided Phoebe would stay home rather than be

Sallenoreply@blogger.com0