Monday, December 29, 2014

Happy New Year 2015

It's the time of year to make New Year resolutions.  My list is short, because I want to preserve the possibility I can actually accomplish them.

1.  Query my first book, Not a Mother -- I hope to accomplish this goal by February or March.

2.  Seems like a must-have on all resolution lists -- lose weight.  I want to get back to my weight in 2012 when I got laid off.  I'm a stress eater and I ate a lot and gained back a lot of the weight I'd lost in 2011.

What about you?  Did you make any resolutions?  Or are you playing it safe and not making any this year?  And how often do you actually accomplish them?

Monday, December 22, 2014

Merry Christmas!

I'm wishing all my blog readers a very Merry Christmas!

I support our troops, for many reasons, not the least of which is my oldest son serves in the Navy.

This season, I want to remind my readers that NORAD tracks Santa on Christmas Eve.  If you'd like to join the fun, go here -

NORAD Santa

Happy tracking and Merry Christmas.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving

I'm deviating from my usual posting subject to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.

I have much to be thankful for.  My father's cancer treatment went well and he's currently cancer-free.  My parents are reasonably healthy and doing well for being in their 70s.  They have just decided not to move from the house they've lived in for the past 35 years, at least for another year or so.

My brother's son was valedictorian at his high school and obtained a full scholarship to the university of his choice, and his daughter is in high school and driving her parents nuts [in a good way].

My oldest son has been in the Navy for almost two years and he just "made rank", promoted to the next pay grade.  He's now a Petty Officer Third Class.  I'm so excited for him.  But I have informed him I will NOT salute him or call him sir.

Thank you to all my blog readers, who take time from your busy day to come visit this piece of the internet.

God is good.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Small Claims trials can be head shakers

One of the dubious benefits of having been a licensed attorney for more years than I can count on both hands is I can sign up to be appointed a temporary judge.  This means that for payment of "resume fodder" [no monetary compensation but I can indicate on my resume that I acted as temporary judge in X county], I would be assigned to preside over traffic and small claims hearings.  [Because I am a plaintiff's eviction attorney, I am disqualified from hearing eviction cases.]

One day I was hearing small claims cases.  Plaintiffs were homeowners who had contracted with defendants to construct a concrete patio in their backyard.  I don't remember why, but for some reason defendants could not complete the job on the day they had scheduled.  However, they had already set up delivery of the cement with a sub-contractor, who appeared at the residence with one of those mixing trucks.  Defendants, not able to do the job that day, and obviously not wanting to pay a rescheduling fee, told their sub-contractor to "just leave the cement in a pile off to the side here."

So that's what the sub-contractor did.

Needless to say, plaintiffs/homeowners terminated their contract with defendants, and hired another contractor to remove the huge pile of hardened concrete from their front yard, probably with jackhammers, before completing the patio in the backyard.

Plaintiffs provided me with a photograph of the pile of concrete in the front yard -- it was nearly as large as a small car.  I showed the photo to defendants.

Me:  "Is it supposed to look like this?"

Defendants:  "Um, no."

That was one of the easiest trials I ever decided.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Happy Grandparents' Day

Yesterday was Grandparents' Day, one of those minor holidays that doesn't even show up on most calendars.  But my #3 son always knows when it's Grandparents' Day, even though I didn't because it isn't on my calendar, and insists we go to his grandparents' house to swim and visit.

And of course the grandparents don't mind this at all :)

Regular post next Monday.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Happy Labor Day!

No blog post this week.  Had a wonderful weekend in the mountains and my Navy son is coming home today for a one-week leave.

Hope you all have a happy day!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

It's time for me to enter the 21st century and have a blog

Just checking out what this looks like.  Please bear with me as I try to figure out how this works.  :)