So I finally got the result from the negotiation that I did a couple of weeks ago. This time I came in third. Yea me! I went from the bottom quarter in the class rankings to the top 20%. Our pairings for the next exercise were announced at the same time.
During class (on Friday), my new opponent emailed me and told me that he wanted to get together Saturday at 6. As if I am going to let him steamroll me right off the bat. I told him Saturday was out, Sunday was a maybe, and he needed to think about the rest of the week. We are meeting at 4:00 today (Sunday). I could have played hardball and pushed it further into the week, but that would only have screwed myself because the rest of my week is packed.
This negotiation is a lesbian "divorce" with a child custody issue thrown in. It is much more complicated and the grading scheme is more complex than in the past negotiations. And I don't think this opponent is going to be as easy to deal with as the last one. So I suppose that I should quit blogging and start preparing.
3/26/06
3/21/06
My Name is LC and I am a Scrapbooker
This is not really a fact that I share with the law school crowd. Too mom-ish. It sounds like a bunch of women acting like kids, playing with their stickers and paper. And it is, really. And it's fun. But the real reason I scrap is because once a month or so I get to go hang out with my friends. We complain about our husbands and our mothers, we compare what our kids are doing, we gossip incessantly.
There are three of us who usually get together and this weekend is our monthly scrap night. But one of the girls just told me that we will have a fourth this month. I wouldn't care, but this particular person (we'll call her Ms. Whiner), is a big downer. She has scrapped with us before and spends the entire time complaining about her life, her problems, and how she has no money (after she dropped $90 in the scrapbook store!) It totally ruins the point--for me anyway--of getting to have a fun night out with my friends.
So should I go this weekend or not? I've have a ton of spring break pics that need to be scrapped. And I think that my friends will think I'm intentionally avoiding Ms. Whiner if I don't go which just makes me look like a big "its her or me" whiney baby.
Oh, forgot to add that the last time we scrapped, I made Ms. Whiner cry when we were debating gay marriage. (No, she's not gay and had no personal reason for crying. She was against marriage "because the Bible says so"). That's why I like my law school friends--nobody cries when we debate a difference of opinion.
There are three of us who usually get together and this weekend is our monthly scrap night. But one of the girls just told me that we will have a fourth this month. I wouldn't care, but this particular person (we'll call her Ms. Whiner), is a big downer. She has scrapped with us before and spends the entire time complaining about her life, her problems, and how she has no money (after she dropped $90 in the scrapbook store!) It totally ruins the point--for me anyway--of getting to have a fun night out with my friends.
So should I go this weekend or not? I've have a ton of spring break pics that need to be scrapped. And I think that my friends will think I'm intentionally avoiding Ms. Whiner if I don't go which just makes me look like a big "its her or me" whiney baby.
Oh, forgot to add that the last time we scrapped, I made Ms. Whiner cry when we were debating gay marriage. (No, she's not gay and had no personal reason for crying. She was against marriage "because the Bible says so"). That's why I like my law school friends--nobody cries when we debate a difference of opinion.
Stinky food guy is back
We had another lunch hour make up class today, and stinky food guy brought in another stinky sandwich. I guess he's not reading my blog.
In other news, I have the website blues. Although you can't tell it by the basic brown template of my blog, I actually run two websites, for my state and local mothers of twins group. We've been getting free web hosting for years now, but the company that has been providing it was sold, so now both groups have to cough up the cash to pay. They are both small sites, so hosting will cost less than $50/ year. I got my local club to agree without a problem. The state club, however, says they can't approve any spending with out a vote at the state convention, which is months away. The website will be gone by then, if they don't do something. I don't think the people making the decisions are tech savvy enough to get it. The state site is getting about 500 hits a month right now because everyone is downloading all of their forms for the convention. If that's suddenly gone its gonna be awfully hard to communicate with everyone in the state.
In addition to this mess, I inadvertently let my pointer domain expire on my local site (the .com version of the .org that is the actual site). Someone snatched it up, and have put up a site which bears our club name in three different places, but is just an ad-generating link machine. I've drafted a cease and desist based on common law trademark infringement, but its basically a hollow threat. From what I understand, and ICANN dispute starts at $1200. I can't file for an injunction, given that I am not licensed and don't want to do anything to keep myself from getting licensed. Our club has an annual budget of about $2500 and can't afford the ICANN dispute or the court costs and a real attorney. I guess worst case, we can sit on our rights for a year and half until I pass the bar and that can be my first pro bono case. At least we have put him on notice.
In other news, I have the website blues. Although you can't tell it by the basic brown template of my blog, I actually run two websites, for my state and local mothers of twins group. We've been getting free web hosting for years now, but the company that has been providing it was sold, so now both groups have to cough up the cash to pay. They are both small sites, so hosting will cost less than $50/ year. I got my local club to agree without a problem. The state club, however, says they can't approve any spending with out a vote at the state convention, which is months away. The website will be gone by then, if they don't do something. I don't think the people making the decisions are tech savvy enough to get it. The state site is getting about 500 hits a month right now because everyone is downloading all of their forms for the convention. If that's suddenly gone its gonna be awfully hard to communicate with everyone in the state.
In addition to this mess, I inadvertently let my pointer domain expire on my local site (the .com version of the .org that is the actual site). Someone snatched it up, and have put up a site which bears our club name in three different places, but is just an ad-generating link machine. I've drafted a cease and desist based on common law trademark infringement, but its basically a hollow threat. From what I understand, and ICANN dispute starts at $1200. I can't file for an injunction, given that I am not licensed and don't want to do anything to keep myself from getting licensed. Our club has an annual budget of about $2500 and can't afford the ICANN dispute or the court costs and a real attorney. I guess worst case, we can sit on our rights for a year and half until I pass the bar and that can be my first pro bono case. At least we have put him on notice.
3/20/06
I'm scared of busses.
More specifically, I'm afraid of my children riding on busses. And all of them are going to have the opportunity within the next month. Its field trip season. Oldest DD is going to the Aquarium. I am so not comfortable with that. First, its the City. Its big. There are bad guys there. One teacher can't possible watch over 20 kids. Second, its the aquarium--what if she falls in the shark tank? Mostly, though, I am terrified of her riding a bus for 30 miles, over a 5 mile bridge to get to the city. It is talking all of my willpower to let her go, but I don't want to stunt her socially by not letting her. Also, I can't go with her. I have a final that morning--no getting around that. So I guess I am going to have to suck it up and let her go.
But it gets worse. That same week her gifted and talented class is also taking a field trip. Also to the City--but this time 60 miles away. I just don't think I can do it. But I could go on that trip--my finals will be done. But even if I go, I can't ride the bus with her--school rules. So will my kid be the class nerd if her mommy drives her to the field trip? Probably.
Now the very worst. My sweet babies, my four year old twins are scheduled for a field trip to the zoo. In the City. They are just so little, and four year olds are so wild. I really don't see how their teacher can keep up with them. I do know that a lot of parents will be going along on this trip. I have class on that day. Actually its my busiest day, and I have three classes. I am seriously considering skipping to go with them. I still can't ride the bus with them, but at least if I drive them, at four years old they don't have the social stigma that my 7 year old would have. For goodness' sake, they still ride in car seats, and they are supposed to ride on a bus that doesn't even have seat belts?
I know I'm neurotic. I just know that no one else will watch over my kids as carefully as I do--and they manage to find plenty of trouble under my watch. Also I have bad bus karma. I totaled my car on a school bus in high school (the kids on the bus were all fine). But I'm afraid my bad bus karma will come back to haunt me via my kids.
But it gets worse. That same week her gifted and talented class is also taking a field trip. Also to the City--but this time 60 miles away. I just don't think I can do it. But I could go on that trip--my finals will be done. But even if I go, I can't ride the bus with her--school rules. So will my kid be the class nerd if her mommy drives her to the field trip? Probably.
Now the very worst. My sweet babies, my four year old twins are scheduled for a field trip to the zoo. In the City. They are just so little, and four year olds are so wild. I really don't see how their teacher can keep up with them. I do know that a lot of parents will be going along on this trip. I have class on that day. Actually its my busiest day, and I have three classes. I am seriously considering skipping to go with them. I still can't ride the bus with them, but at least if I drive them, at four years old they don't have the social stigma that my 7 year old would have. For goodness' sake, they still ride in car seats, and they are supposed to ride on a bus that doesn't even have seat belts?
I know I'm neurotic. I just know that no one else will watch over my kids as carefully as I do--and they manage to find plenty of trouble under my watch. Also I have bad bus karma. I totaled my car on a school bus in high school (the kids on the bus were all fine). But I'm afraid my bad bus karma will come back to haunt me via my kids.
3/19/06
3/17/06
Just in case you are really, really bored...
The Grocery List Collection
I came across this little gem when, in an effort to become a bit more organized, I was searching for a master grocery list that I can just check off as I run out of stuff.
I came across this little gem when, in an effort to become a bit more organized, I was searching for a master grocery list that I can just check off as I run out of stuff.
3/10/06
TGIF... and Spring Break!!!!!
This has been the week from hell. Thank God it is Spring Break, because I don't think I could keep going like this. I have pretty much seen my house long enough to sleep and shower and then it's back at it for another 14 hour day. (Gee, that sounds suspiciously like the life of a 1st year associate!) My plan was to come home and sleep for about a year. Ha! Oldest DD already has two friends over. I'm sure I will hear whispers of a sleepover soon. It's spring break for them too, and they're ready to party.
I can tell its spring because we are becoming the neighborhood hangout again. Last spring we built a giant wooden fort/swingset in the backyard that is part of the attraction. The rest of the reason is that I am the only mom on the block who won't let my kids out front unsupervised. So, if any of the kids on the block want to hang out with the kids at my house, they all end up at my house. It's ok--as long as I stay stocked up on juice boxes and snacks. I'd rather the kids be here where I know what is going on.
I can tell its spring because we are becoming the neighborhood hangout again. Last spring we built a giant wooden fort/swingset in the backyard that is part of the attraction. The rest of the reason is that I am the only mom on the block who won't let my kids out front unsupervised. So, if any of the kids on the block want to hang out with the kids at my house, they all end up at my house. It's ok--as long as I stay stocked up on juice boxes and snacks. I'd rather the kids be here where I know what is going on.
3/8/06
So my negotiation yesterday went ok.
I think I did pretty well, but then again that's what I thought last time and I blew. But this time I know that the other party left a lot of money on the table and that we settled for half of what my best prediction was. I feel a little guilty, though. My opponent was not a native English speaker. I'm not sure that she fully understood the assignment, and I have a hunch that she revealed information that she was not really supposed to reveal. (Each side had confidential information about bottom lines, etc). It's not much of a victory if it wasn't a fair fight. Then again, I still don't know if it was a victory at all.
Nothing exciting going on in the D.A.'s office. The capital murder that was supposed to start Monday got reset. No other trials went this week. I have happened to overhear some fascinating family law hearings. I just never imagined the ways in which people can screw up their lives. Since there was not much going on this week, I was charged with doing some civil discovery. Since the DA's office rarely handles civil cases, they aren't really familiar with how to do civil discovery. I have never done civil discovery either, but since I interned in civil court last summer and assisted with rulings on discovery matters, they decided I had enough experience to do the discovery. I guess we'll see if anything actually gets discovered!
Nothing exciting going on in the D.A.'s office. The capital murder that was supposed to start Monday got reset. No other trials went this week. I have happened to overhear some fascinating family law hearings. I just never imagined the ways in which people can screw up their lives. Since there was not much going on this week, I was charged with doing some civil discovery. Since the DA's office rarely handles civil cases, they aren't really familiar with how to do civil discovery. I have never done civil discovery either, but since I interned in civil court last summer and assisted with rulings on discovery matters, they decided I had enough experience to do the discovery. I guess we'll see if anything actually gets discovered!
3/7/06
How low is a low-ball offer?
I'm preparing for my 2d negotiation exercise. I'm meeting my "opponent" in about an hour. I'm nervous, I think because I screwed up last time. Out grade in this class depends upon the ranking of the settlement amount that we agree to. Last time I was in the bottom quarter. I'm going to have to play hardball this time. That's not usually a problem for me. If this were a true negotiation, I could do that and accept the consequences. But here, the true consequence is a bad grade (a failure to settle = bottom ranking), and I'm not willing to accept that consequence. We'll see what happens. It will probably be two weeks before I know anything.
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