The Menagerie

It wasn't the picture I set out to take, but I'll take it

Eden at almost 10 months.

Not again!

Matthew has a cold.  So far, Peach and I haven't succumbed, and I'm hoping that means he's just getting something we've already had or that it's a sinus infection which we won't get.  Fingers crossed.  I've actually been not-sick for a little over a week, which is feeling pretty close to good health.

There really isn't a lot to report on.  Peach is crawling, cruising, and babbling like crazy.  She's a bit of a daredevil, like her father (I am much more risk-adverse), and I am living in fear of her climbing out of her crib; the mattress is on the next to lowest setting, and we'll move it to the lowest soon. 

I know I mentioned before that Peach is scared of bubbles.  Not in the tub, but the kind that come out of a bottle.  I have been working on desensitizing her by (ineptly) blowing bubbles while she is eating in her high chair.  She no longer freaks out or whines, but is very serious and watches me intently.  I have gotten her to pop a couple of bubbles with her fingers when I "catch" them and hold them out for her.  Progress.

The weather has been crappy - unseasonably cold and dreary - so I haven't worked in the garden or on re-purposing the china cabinet (painting it a bright pink).  I have done quite a bit of contract work, which keeps me happy.  The last two memos really wrote themselves, and I *love* it when that happens. 

I had an adverse ALJ decision reversed for my client - great news, ordinarily - but it wasn't on the merits, it was because the ALJ didn't record the hearing, so there was no record to support the decision.  I'll take what I can get, but redoing the hearing?  Maybe we'll get a different ALJ. 

Because Matthew is sick, and because he usually takes out the trash Sunday night/early Monday morning, we missed garbage pick up.  I had a nightmare that the reason we missed garbage pick up was because we were doing Trading Spaces, and then when the garbage company did show up, they were pissed that the garbage bins were full of old clothes, which we'd had to strip off of the walls because Hildi had done our room.

Note to self 1: no more Trading Spaces before bed.
Note to self 2: order dumpster. 

Today

• I should find out if I'll have a niece or nephew in September;
• I am doing the work I love best: a response to a summary judgment motion in a child sex abuse case;
• I realize how weird that last one must look, but allow me to say that it's nice to be completely sure I'm working for the "right" side and to make very technical legal arguments;
• I am feeling incredibly blessed, even though
  • It's gray and dreary outside;
  • I am really tired;
  • I have a migraine; and
  • Peach is cutting a tooth (the first - finally);
• I would like to be painting squares of green chalkboard paint (clearance at Freddies - $4!) in the computer room;
• I need to buy bubbles to desensitize the Peach;
• I am listening to my iPod while I work;
• I weigh 4 pounds less than I did last week; and
• I am running out of things to list. 

Back to work!

If you needed another reason to hate Wal-Mart, try this one

They're suing a former employee who signed up for the company health insurance -- so that the corporation can recoup the health care expenses she incurred after she suffered catastrophic brain damage in an auto accident. The woman can't even remember that her son died in Iraq and her husband had to divorce her so she could get more support from Medicaid, but Wal-Mart apparently needs the settlement money more. 

Low, very low.  Via CNN.

My balancing act

Saturday I downloaded the free trial version of Life Balance, a piece of software (for Palm, PC, and Mac) which is a sort of project manager/ultimate to-do list/graphic representation of where your time and effort is going. 

It's a very useful tool.  It was interesting for me to look at my to-do lists and realize just how much of my time, thought, and effort goes to work -- much more than I'd originally thought -- as opposed to doing the things I enjoy.  (No wonder I never have time to practice the cello.) 

A recurring challenge for me is maintaining my motivation during a big project.  I have so many more demands on my time now that any interruption can derail me completely.  By forcing myself to make these detailed lists (and to prioritize and schedule tasks), it's much easier for me to pick back up where I left off.  "Where was I?" doesn't take ten minutes of retracing steps - I just look at where I was on the list of tasks. 

And that's the key for me - the real magic of making lists and putting everything down is giving myself the power to forget - if it's not rattling around in my brain, then I'm that much clearer on the tasks I am trying to focus on.   And by "that much clearer" I mean "able to work."  Between the baby and being so ill, it's been impossible the last couple of weeks to accomplish much of anything.

The magic of the software is in the way the task lists are categorized - by where you will accomplish that work, how often the work recurs (daily, weekly, or whatever), what priority level the work should have (from no effort to maximum effort), and the neat pie chart showing you what a balanced task list would look like, vs. the way your task list looks.

It's simple software (though not always intuitive, though the help is actually helpful) but it does what it does beautifully. 

The software is spendy -- $80 -- but there's a free 30-day trial.  I'm giving it the old college try for the next couple of weeks, but if it continues to be this helpful, purchasing a license is a no-brainer.  (And the trial download comes with a reminder to purchase the software.  Naturally.)

Could've been worse...

...this child molester could have been a pediatrician. 

(Not that child sex abuse is ever OK, but a part of me that still hurts from losing our first baby feels Schadenfreude that it was NW Perinatal the guy worked at, since that was where Matthew and I learned things had gone horribly wrong.) 

Not quite ready for bed

Cross-posted at Eden's Garden.

Please bear with me

If anything will drive me to self-hosting this blog using Wordpress, it will probably be the lame Typepad themes.  I actually pay money for this service every month, can you believe it?  If only I had the time to do figure something out on my own...

One for the casebooks

One of the saddest things I hear about as an attorney are cases of the elderly being taken advantage of by opportunists.  It's becoming so common, and in watching my grandparents age, I can see how easily it could happen. 

This case, decided by the Court of Appeals today, has an amazing set of facts - if it doesn't get you to remember what undue influence is, I can't imagine what will. 

How not to interview for your dream job

1. Have very flushed complexion, because the stupid steroids give you hot flashes;
2. Cough up half a lung during the interview, because the residual bronchitis just will NOT give you a rest;
3. Have to ask for water during interview, because just can't stop coughing;
4. Get almost no sleep the night before; and
5. Forget 75% of the brilliant and insightful things you wanted to say.

Other than looking like Richard Nixon in the Nixon/Kennedy debate, I thought it went rather well.  It's very odd - I haven't interviewed for a job in 9 -- count 'em, 9 -- years.  However, after law school, trial court appearances, and oral arguments in the Oregon Court of Appeals -- and you know, growing up -- it wasn't nearly the terrifying experience I'd remembered. 

I do apologize for blog silence, but seriously, did you want to hear about the third antibiotic they're trying on me? 

In other, more interesting news, Peach hugged me.  I was on the phone, sitting on the floor in her room, and thought she was just trying to climb up me.  I absently supported her while she put one arm around my shoulder and the other arm around my neck -- and rested her head on my chest.  A few minutes later, I realized that no, she wasn't sleeping, she wasn't climbing, and she wasn't on her way somewhere else - she was just enjoying leaning against me and holding on.  It was awesome. 

For Sarah

Not a great view of the Pob, but it was hard to hang onto Peach when she decided to start jumping!

No senate subcommittee necessary

After feeling almost normal yesterday (no naps, much accomplished), this morning I was back to feeling as though my left ear had filled with water.  So, back to the doctor I went (third time in a week), and emerged this time with a prescription for a steroid to reduce inflammation in my ear.

We'll see.  So far I'm just fidgety and irritated, but if I pitch a no-hitter or lie to Congress, I'll let you know.

It's a small thing, but when the young physician came in the room, shook my hand then immediately picked up my book with interest and asked "what's this about?", I was very gratified when I managed to pop out with, "A social history of England in the decades prior to Victoria.  Scenes of Hogarthian debauchery, that sort of thing."   The impressive bit isn't the words, but that I spit the words out just after his opening the door woke me up from a ten minute doze.  Normally I'm confused on my name after waking up.

I didn't mention that it annoyed me that the book's author looks much younger than I do (and is), and, for that matter, so did the physician.  I only call the young ones "Doogie" in the privacy of my  home.   (Slate's reviewer commented that the dust jacket photo makes Wilson look 14.  This actually kept me from reading the book for several months after I purchased it, but I'm glad I got over it.  It's really very, very good.)

Speaking of old British things, I did manage to get to the salon yesterday - and had my hair cut in the style of Victoria Beckham.

Professional consultations

The Eliot Spitzer thing just boggles the mind.  Not the facts, but the scandal.  So...a man who prostitutes himself to get elected consorts with a woman who prostitutes her body for money -- what's the big deal?  People are surprised by this?

I'm not much of a Byron fan, but I'd love to read his take on this 21st century cant. 

March 11 Reviewed

Still sick, still exhausted.  Not sure antibiotics are helping with the ear infection but really, really don't want to go to the doctor again.  House trashed beyond belief.  Can't be bothered to think or do anything about the mess. 

Pluses: well-wishing calls and emails easily taken in bed, Matthew brought home yummy ice cream cake and sang "Happy Birthday," and I beat my best time at Mah Jongg.    

Uncle

So this morning I woke up feeling crappy.  Fearing I had the flu, I went to urgent care.  (And had, for once, great timing - only one person ahead of me.)  After an interminable wait in the exam room, the doctor came in, looked at my ears, and said, "You have a raging ear infection."  I blurted, "But I'm on amoxicillin!" (Remember the strep throat?)

Apparently I have an amoxicillin resistant infection raging in my ears.  More antibiotics later, and I am home.  I'm back to having extreme pain every time I swallow, but now it's in my ears instead of my throat. 

I give up.  Somebody wake me up when cold/flu season is over. 

Get...a...life

I had to run out to Walgreen's last night when Matthew had an Afrin crisis, and was the fifth person in line.  The first person was arguing with the checker over the price of NERDS. And she was attempting to use a coupon for the Nerds. This took several minutes of my life that I will never get back.  Jesus.

Enough already!!!

Sick of being sick.  Sick of taking care of sick people.  And really, really tired.

Current tally:
Matthew: Influenza.  Down for the count and unable to help much with the parenting right now.
Shelley: recovering from strep throat, developing new cough.
Peach: recovering from ear infection, coughing, projectile vomiting brought on by coughing. 

And the 35th birthday party I was supposed to put on tonight?  I canceled it.

Gah.

It might never be the same

Today the Peach figured out that if she crawled over to the iPod boombox and touched it, music came out.  (OK, not quite so easy - she worked at it for a while.)  No matter what I did, I couldn't distract her away from the iPod.  And the song that randomly popped up?  Baby Hold On.

Oh -- I forget to mention she's creeping, crawling, and sitting up on her own?  She put it all together and is quite mobile -- lots of babyproofing in our immediate future (after getting over our respective illnesses). The belly crawl cracks me up -- she looks like a marine landing on the beach.

Got to run - she's making a break for the iPod again. 

Note to self

Dear Self:

Straightening the house, organizing work files, doing laundry, putting away laundry, and returning phone calls?  Too much to do while sick back when you were in your twenties.  Really too much to do now, and dripping sweat and feeling faint?  The house isn't worth it. 

Ta,
Shelley

Look at the noggin on that kid!

This was a long, whiny post about how I now have strep throat and feel really awful, but I deleted it.  Wah, poor pitiful me.  OK?  Done.

More interesting was the Peach's 9-month pediatrician visit: 19 pounds, 7 ounces, 26.6 inches, and I can't remember (and don't want to go downstairs to get) the measurement for her head, but her head is in the 95 percentile, while her body weight and height are 50th and proportional.  I've been telling everyone that she has a huge noggin, but yikes, it's a huge noggin.  And she is already bigger than I was at 12 months, according to my baby book. 

She also has a small ear infection, and is on amoxocillin.  I wasn't expecting her to get any, since neither Matthew nor I did as kids (I had my first ear infection in law school, during my very last set of finals -- good thing I didn't really care about grades at that point).  But now I'm wondering if it's a blessing in disguise - with her and Matthew on antibiotics now, I don't have to worry about them getting it.  I do know I'm looking forward to the river of greenish snot coming to an end. 

Giving amoxocillin liquid to ferrets was much easier than it is to give to a baby.  Unfortunately, babies don't have a scruff to hold onto.  On the positive side, she doesn't shake her head and get pink gunk all over my clothes, either.