Weekend at the Lake

The family reunion and time at the lake was just wonderful. It was so great to get away and be with family while having fun. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera on the boat so I never got any good pictures. My mother has several, but she's in all of them and would probably disown me if she thought I put a picture of her on the internet.

The lake and resort were in Northeastern Oklahoma, and that area of the state is just breathtaking. I has mountains and valleys and mile after mile of luscious greenery and beautiful bodies of water. Oklahoma isn't really known for its views of nature, but boy they are around.

Have a great Monday!

Hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

Hey Friends!

I can't believe its been since Monday that I posted! You guys must be really bored of pink binder clips everytime you come to this site.

My first week in my new office was fantastic and I loved it. But, it was also incredibly long, exhausting, scary and stressful. I seem to have no problem getting clients so far which is really great. People in my community have been extremely generous with telling clients about me if they don't think they want to handle their case. As a new attorney, I don't really turn a lot of prospective clients down unless their case would put me in an unethical position, or they don't really have a case at all. I'm at a place where I'm eager to learn so I'm willing to take less money than someone that's been doing this 2 or 3 decades.

Casey and I are about to leave to go to the lake for a family reunion on my mother's side. I am very excited to go see everyone and spend time with them. I'll try to remember to take my camera and bring lots of pics back. The resort is in a beautiful area!

I hope all of you guys are doing well, and I wish you all a good weekend.

hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

Pink Binder Clips

This, this is how all consuming starting your own firm is on you. There are just so many tiny details to think about all the time. So, its natural that you would dream about it at night. Me? Well, I'm dreaming about it all right. Except, my dream involves pink office supplies.

My dream was that I was in an office supply store and there were rows and rows of pink binder clips in all different sizes. I was so excited to buy them, but didn't feel as if they were in my budget. Oh well, I could be dreaming about clients coming in...so I guess that means my stress level is under check!

I will get back to commenting more frequently on your blogs when I get the internet at my office. Until then I'm clocking at least 13 hour work days, and just am not making my normal rounds. Thank you for not forgetting me!

pink binder clips and chihuahua kisses

The Law Office of the Pink Chihuahua Princess

I am almost completely moved in to my new office. And, I have a client coming in tomorrow too. Tomorrow, Monday, will be my first actual day of being an official office, and I think I will likely meet the owners of the building my office is in as well. The owners were leaving for vacation the day after I viewed the office so I signed the lease and left my first month's rent with another attorney in the same suite.

The only thing I have left to do is put my law books on the shelf of my new bookcase. I found extremely excellent sells and was able to furnish my office with very nice brand new furtinure for only $150.00. I definitely feel God blessed me in that area. Of course my chi's are involved. Tzeitel will be my secretary and Belicia will do my financial books. ;) hehe.

I'll have some long work days until I get the internet installed in my new office. I have to be there all day, and then come home and research for a trial I have coming up. Thank you to everyone that has left me a wonderfully encouraging comment.

Hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

TT Absence

If you are here because I posted on your TT, please leave a comment on this post.

I will not be posting my own Thursday 13 today. I am in the process of opening my own law firm. I signed the lease on my office yesterday and moved in my desk. Later this afternoon my husband and I are driving to his law firm to get some chairs for my new office. My goal is to be up and running by Monday. I'm very excited about it because the rent is extremely cheap and includes all bills except telephone. I also already have my office furniture so I have a very, very low overhead which I hear is the key to a new firm's success.

hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

Belicia Loves Laundry Day

Ahhh....it feels so good when Mommy first takes those towels and t-shirts out of the dryer. They are so warm and soothing on my fur it makes me go right to sleep.

I love laundry day, Mommy.

Outta Here

Hey internet friends. I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend. Casey and I have stopped back by home to get some client's files and pay a few bills, and then we are going back down to stay at our "summer" home. His mother lives in Alaska during the summers and so she has a nice house all empty and just sitting here, and its closer to his office so we leave the teenie apt. behind and stay there off and on. Alas, she is not really into anything technical...at all...so there is no internet. I'll try to update from the office.

Talk with you all later.

Hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

The Cleanest Band Member's Bedroom

Although I'm not really a Fly-Lady fan (basically because that would cause me to have to commit to housework on a regular basis) I could have fooled any devote tonight. I really wish I had a before picture so I could show you guys the difference I made. As many of you know we live in a tiny apartment. Three people, two dogs...you do the math. Our bedroom doubles as an office, and as two attorneys work out of that room it seems that it is always cluttered with papers stacked in the floor. So, tonight I ended all that. You can walk in here now. Yeah! The chihuahuas don't really know what to do with all this space.

I'm really very proud of my accomplishment, but I must add that it was very simple because my husband is out of town tonight. Tomorrow he has a gig with the band he plays in for a nearby tribe, and he is rehearsing with a few friends before the official rehearsal tomorrow. I normally don't hit these gigs as we are now married. For those of you not married to someone in a band it goes like this. Before you get married you never miss, "ohhh, I love your music...you're the hottest one in the band. How lucky are we that we both are musicians so we can talk about music...yada yada yada." After marriage it goes like this:

Hubby: Are you coming to the gig?

Me: No, I'm just going to stay here with the girls.

Hubby: Okay. See you Sunday.

This time Casey really wanted me to come down to watch him play, so I'm going to go tomorrow. He'll be so excited to see the room in its new clean state. We still have a few law books I found at the bottom of the pile to pack away, but the problem with a tiny apartment is that it has tiny amounts of storage space. Good news for this problem though, I am in a huge throw away mood. I wonder if I'll pick up all the clutter in the living room this week, or if my Fly-Lady stage ends in the bedroom? But hey, I even did laundry.

A load of laundry? Gosh, that must mean I deserve some soy ice cream!

Hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

All Work and No Play...

...Makes for a dull Prince and Princess. This first picture is Casey and myself and the Fiddler Cast party after the show. This is the fun.



But, alas, work must come sometime. This is what Casey looks like right now in our living room because he has two briefs due tomorrow in Federal Court. Thankfully, Belicia is there to help him work. :)



Hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

Thursday 13

13 Things I'm Thankful For

For some reason I just felt like coming up with 13 things to complain about, so I decided to try to change my current outlook by doing a list of 13 things I'm thankful for.

1. My salvation
2. My husband
3. My parents
4. Little-Girl
5. The girls
6. I'm thankful that I have food everyday.
7. I'm thankful that I have a place to live.
8. I'm thankful that I can afford heat and air conditioning.
9. health insurance
10. I'm healthy.
11. I'm thankful that Wal-Mart has started carrying more organic and soy products.
12. I'm thankful that I've been able to visit NYC
13. I'm thankful that I live in America.

Get the Thursday 13 code here.

See other Thirteeners here.

Hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

Tradition!

Last night Casey and I went to see my favorite musical, Fiddler on the Roof. Although I have actually seen it on Broadway in NYC, I was thoroughly impressed with last night's performance. I have been obsessed with this musical since my high school did it when I was a Junior. Last night's cast, music, staging, directing, and costumes were phenomenal. And, since last night was opening night Casey and I got to go to the cast party after the show.

Casey and I both knew people in "the pit" from our musician days, and during intermission he went down to try to say hi to some of the people that he knew. Well, he got a little lost, and the next thing he knew he was backstage with the entire cast in full makeup and costume. He saw Tzeitel (my FAVORITE Fiddler character--hence the dog's name) and even talked to the woman playing the character of Golde. Gosh, I'm still jealous of that.

Before the show Casey took me on a date to a fancy restaurant here in town. I ate a curry dish, those are always some of my favorites. It was a wonderful night of Tradition, and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to see my favorite musical on stage once again.

Hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

Wedding Bliss

This weekend was my friend Lauren's wedding. It was a perfect affair, and both the wedding and reception were beautiful paling only in comparison to the gorgeous bride. I was very honored to man the guestbook for the bride, as she has a huge family. I always feel honored to be a part of anyone's wedding in any way. Its such an important day. The reception was purple and beautiful and the interior of the reception hall was breathtakingly beautiful. There was even a white chocolate fountain to dip fruit in. Yummy!

The town where the wedding was held is the home town of one of our best friends from law school. This friend's last name is "Booze" and he always jokes, as he is an attorney, "Booze will get you into trouble, and Booze will get you out." I always think that's funny when he says that. Casey and I spent the weekend with him and ending up going fishing in the middle of a pasture. No matter how you slice it, we're just country here. I mean really...how many people from major areas go fishing in a pasture until midnight? But, its so beautiful and peaceful and the sound of cattle hoofs thumping on the grass as the herd runs is so soothing.

Pics are below of the very fun weekend.

Thursday 13

Banner Courtesy of Phoenix

13 Things About my Alma Mater

1. The University of Oklahoma adds over 1.5 billion dollars to Oklahoma's economy each year.

2. The school colors are crimson and creme.

3. OU has both a law school and a medical school.

4. OU is has the largest number of National Merit Scholars enrolled in the nation.

5. OU is ranked in the top 100 of best college buys.

6. OU's Fred Jones Art Museum received the most important French impressionist art donation of any public university.

7. Our school song is recognized everywhere. Its the "Boomer Sooner" song.

8. When OU scores a touchdown two horses pull the Sooner Schooner across the football field.

9. While Oklahoma State University hates us tremendously, we really don't care about them. Any good Sooner will tell you that its the Texas Longhorns that we hate. Even old gray hairs have the long horns upside down on the back of their cars in this town.

10. It is where I received not only my undergradute, but my law degree as well.

11. OU ranks first in the Big 12 for number of foreign exchange study agreements.

12. OU's Western History collection holds historical writings such as Galileo's original handwritten notes. These are available for public viewing.

13. It is where I spent very happy years, and I'm very proud to be a Sooner!

Some information taken from www.ou.edu

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Hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

Clients

I currently work on a part-time contract basis with a state agency, and spend the rest of my time looking for a full time law job. But, with three law school in a scarecly populated state, even my excellent grades and incredible previous work experience are only landing me interviews, and not job offers. Since I'm looking for a full time job, and the type of law I currently do only requires phone meetings with clients, I don't pay for my own office and I work out of the home.

Clients often ask where my office is located and I made the mistake of saying..."I work out of the home so you can usually always reach me on my work cell." This was a mistake because some of my clients call me all the time. Others call and expect me to return their call immediately if not sooner. So, I have recently changed my "office" hours to those of a regular work day. This cut out evening and weekend calls. People are irate! Why, I ask you? When did I become a servant for them at a beck and call? Its partially my own fault because I am a young lawyer who didn't know any better. But, I refuse to take all the blame. Don't these people know common courtesy? For example, its really not necessary to call my work cell at 9:30 at night to find out if I'm still working on their case. Um...hello. Of course I am...that's how I get paid!

I guess, now that I'm writing it all down, I just think its rude. I know that I should have chosen different words, but people should also just know basic respect. I had one client that was upset that I took off for the 4th and didn't call her earlier. She called first thing this morning wanting to know the exact status of her case. Give me a break. I'm sure her husband took off for the 4th to be with them, and I wanted to be with my family as well.

Gosh I'm glad my clients don't know about this blog!

Hugs, love and chihuahua kisses

The Road Goes on Forever, and the Party Never Ends

Last night my husband went over to a friend's house to record some music. My husband was once a professional musician (pre law school), and he has a friend with a recording studio in his home. So I go with him thinking that its going to just be a few hours and that the home owner's wife will be there.

She was gone and didn't come back home until I had been there almost 2 hours. The recording just kept going on and on and on, and then there was a "surprise" dinner party. Yeah. I can't explain my excitement (insert sarcasm here). I had a horrible tension headache and all these people started coming over for dinner. It was horrible. And, even though I whispered to my husband how much I was ready to drive home during dinner he seemed to have not heard me. Thus, the band went back upstairs and started recording again. All in all, we were there over 7 hours.

Don't worry girls--the tension headache didn't stop me from giving hubby a good talking to in the car on the way home.

hugs, love and chihuahua kisses