<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar/8807210?origin\x3dhttp://mindlessrant.blogspot.com', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>

Lifestyles of the poor and nameless

Thursday, November 24, 2005 at 4:04 PM

Happy Thanksgiving

I finally got to do some cooking this year :-). I think we made too much food though....despite the fact that my cousin randomly appeared with her daughter and their two empty stomachs, demanding to be fed. (You know, there really ought to be some rule like "if you're going to crash someone's thanksgiving, you should at least bring something for the table." Sure, we had alot of food, but we'll also be giving away a bit to sick friends and folks who couldn't cook.)

Anywho...I was watching the news last night about turkey preparation and I heard of something called Turducken. Apparently, it's been around for a while, but I hadn't heard of it before. It's a Turkey stuffed with a duck, a chicken (and sausage stuffing for flavor). The cross sections look kinda sick, but I hear that it tastes really good.

Chef Paul Prudhomme is considered a "turducken guru" of sorts and has put together a little recipe and step-by-step picture guide for creating your own hybrid bird. Check it out.

Bon appetit!

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 at 9:24 PM

Office Space

I'm getting used to work slowly but surely. Today I had a breakthrough with a co-worker named "Rob". He's an older gentleman whom I first met during the interview process. I got the distinct feeling then that Rob wasn't too excited about me and probably voted not to hire me when the panel met for deliberation. Nonetheless, they hired me and now he has to deal with me.

He's one of those people that seems nice, but you never really know what to say to him....too many awkward silences in the conversation, you know? I've managed to avoid him until today, when I was assigned to work on a contract for him. He came into my office to discuss it and found me furiously twirling my pen through my fingers (GC, you remember how kids used to do that in H.S.?). He asked me if I ever played drums, because that's a common drummer move. He pulled up a chair and started telling me about how his dad used to play drums and he always wished he had a chance to learn it. I even got him to laugh a few times. Woo hoo!

There is a co-worker that I haven't met yet, "Roy". He's been with the department for at least a year, but he's out sick this week. Unfortunately, Roy doesn't know that changes are being made this week and we'll be moving next week. Even more unfortunate is the fact that I will be moved into Roy's corner office (my new, permanent spot) and Roy will be moved to a makeshift office in the library until construction in another wing is finished. I feel pretty bad about this, but there's nothing I can do...I don't want to meet Roy as "the person who is taking over his nice corner office permanently" :-(. Back to the drawing board.

Monday, November 21, 2005 at 10:16 PM

Newton's Laws of Motion

"Every object persists in its state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it."

I was never too good with Physics when I was in school, but I came across this law by Newton recently and I started thinking about how it applies to my life.

Today was the first day of work. Ack! Although I am naturally work-averse, I was actually excited about the job. I have my own little office, with a real name plate on the door (not the bootleg paper name tag I had at my old place). I have a brand new Pentium 4 computer (although I can't log on yet, it still beats the heck out of the ancient Windows NT comp at my last gig). I have office supplies galore and a functional, competent secretary to share with the other 7 attorneys. I don't have to copy or fax anything because there's someone to do it for me?! I don't know if I will ever get used to that.

One of the attorneys ran down the littany of new hire info that I needed to know. The only thing I really remembered was the bathroom code. Then came a stack of papers, aka "the new hire hazing process" for me to read. After that, I got another overview of the Department's function and my role in it. "blah blah blah blah as Assistant General Counsel, you'll be responsible for ...." Screeech! Say what?! You mean I'm an Assistant General Counsel? Stop playin'!

I spent the next 10 minutes relishing the title, then I got scared because there's alot of responsibility and it's not like I'm an intern anymore. What if I mess up? Yikes. I started mentally backpedaling...like whoa I'm only 25, I can't do this. Too late now though, I gotta go through it. Awww man, suits everyday? No jeans and sneakers? *Sigh*

The job is actually better than I thought it would be. I will be exposed to more types of law than I expected: contracts, employment law, torts and whatever else comes down the pike. Had this been another job, uniform motion would have had me plotting my escape already; taking notes for the new resume that I would produce in a couple months, and imagining where I could send it. But now, I'm digging my heels in and I'm going to give this at least a year and a half before I even think of shopping around.

So here's to suits/business-wear everyday and no more casual fridays; here's to growing up and taking responsibility (or trying to)....

Day 2 awaits.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at 10:30 AM

Brother's grades---the sequel

Thanks GC for reminding me to talk about my brother's grades. It went a little something like this:

Brother said he was going to show my parents the grades on the Monday after I left. He did not. The next day was election day and he had the day off but still went to school anyway. He came home very late (around 1 a.m.) and my mom started screaming at him about how he always comes home late and doesn't have anything to show for it. She said she would go to the Registrar's office the next day and get the grades. He relented and showed her a printout of his grades.

She was so offended by the grades he showed: C, C-, C+ and F from his summer courses, that she forgot that he hadn't shown grades for the spring semester either. Fortunately for him, because the spring semester was about the same as the summer (except that there, he threw in an "incomplete"--- for spice, you know?)

Anyway, from what I hear, she wailed and yelled, but there wasn't much that could be done about a semester that was already gone. So now she just prays that he gets out with at least Cs.
Brother seems to be somewhat in denial of the whole thing. He had always said that his plan was to go to medical school, but it will be difficult (at best) for him to get into med school with grades like that. Right now, he's just plodding along with no direction. We'll see what happens.

Monday, November 14, 2005 at 4:32 PM

Back to the world

I came back from Vegas on Saturday. And you know what? I brought you a gift. Yeah you! First you gotta give me $10. For what? Hey...I lost money out there and I was gracious enough to bring you a share of the losses, so don't ask for what? Lol. Yeah I'm buggin'.

The trip was good. I got carded everywhere...ID for all drinks and table games because they swore I was underaged. Goodness, it's only a 99 cent margarita. Let me live!

I took a one-day tour to the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam. I've heard people say that "the Grand Canyon visit is a very humbling experience". I now understand what they mean. On the one hand, it's just a huge hole in the ground...rock ledges and trees everywhere. On the other hand, it's breathtaking...To stand at the top of it and just look over and see all these different rock formations for miles and miles...it's hard not to feel closer to God or something. If I lived near there, I'd be out there all the time with a notebook just thinking about life.

The hotels were amazing. Everything has its own theme. I stayed at 3 different hotels while I was out there: Stratosphere, the Palace Station and the Palms Resort. None of them is on "the Strip" aka Las Vegas Blvd, so there was quite a bit of cabbing, walking and bussing going on, but it was cool. Each was a unique experience. My fave was the Palms, but that was also the most expensive. Coincidence? I think not. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to stay there more than one night, but someday I'll go back. :-).

I'm glad that I took the trip. I didn't realize how much I needed to get away until I was gone. It probably would have been better if I had a friend or 2 to share the experience, but all in all, it was still a vacation and I'm glad I went. I actually feel relaxed and semi-ready to start work next week. I've got travel fever now. I'm already looking forward to next year's getaway ;-).

*I'm slowly uploading some pics from the trip to my flickr page.*

Monday, November 07, 2005 at 11:19 AM

Viva Las Vegas


If you thought I was bad about updating before, you'll be sorely disappointed this week. After much nail-biting and planning, I'm embarking on a solo vacation to Las Vegas. I'll be back on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the weather forecast says that there will be coulds and/or rain until late Wednesday but what are you gonna do? I've managed to snag the folks' digital camera for the trip, so I should have some decent pics when I get back. You can amuse yourselves with the archives in my absence ;-).


*Given the fact that my brother is scheduled to announce his grades to my parents today, I'm especially grateful that I can escape to another coast while the drama unfolds. Say a prayer!*

Wednesday, November 02, 2005 at 4:30 PM

Requiescat In Pace

One of my former co-workers called me today to tell me that "Janet" (of Survivor Round 4 fame) passed away on Saturday.

She had once proudly volunteered that she was 53 years old and had her retirement all planned out. I remember guiltily thinking that due to smoking and constant illness, she looked much older. One of the bosses in my hallway used to talk about her because she scratched her head with scissors and other assorted office products when she thought nobody was looking. But Janet was cool. She could talk forever, and even though you didn't always want to hear what she was saying, she was still a sweet lady who shared my hate for the job. Her pride and joy was her multi-talented granddaughter, and she brought said granddaughter to work on several occasions. She used to tell me stories about how she slipped her granddaughter extra money/secret gifts when the mom was away. She made me wish I could have known my grandparents. I was saddened for that granddaughter when I heard the news.

Earlier this year Janet was hospitalized for several weeks due to a respiratory ailment that was induced by smoking. She returned to work and promptly began smoking again. She'd cough heartily on her way out to the courtyard with the rest of the smokers. I don't know the details of her final moments on Earth, but I hear that her lung collapsed. All I could do is shake my head. Such an avoidable and untimely demise. *Sigh* It only reminded me of why I hate smoking so much. People, please let go of the cancer sticks. R.I.P. "Janet" Stokes d. October 29, 2005.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005 at 11:14 AM

"Peter pays for Paul and Paul pays for all"


My youngest brother is 19...almost 20. He's a smart guy, but he makes dumb choices. Case in point: free ride to Howard U. from my parents and he neglects his school work so much that they make him come back home and go to community college. He claims that this is for the best because he didn't really like it there anyway.


Summer 2004 finds him at the local CC and he actually does well there. Fall 2004 rolls around and he does OK. Not great, but OK enough to keep my mom from squawking and prevent my dad from giving him the cold shoulder. That was the last semester he brought grades home. He spends alot of time at school....leaving around 9am and usually not coming back until about 8 or 9pm. He says he has extra-currics and he stays after to study.

Mom's been pressing him about showing grades from Spring and Summer 2005 and he always comes up with some excuse not to. ("I forgot", "the office was closed when I went", etc.) Mom has threatened to go down there and get the grades herself. I know that grades are available online, so I told him to just print them out at home. He conveniently forgets every time. Well...mom's patience is wearing thin, and I'm tired of my sleep being interrupted by her screaming about the grades, so I cornered him this morning and made him give me the info I needed to look them up online. (He didn't go down without a fight. First he told me that he didn't know the website offhand and it wasn't working the last time he checked---one google trip later, I had it and it looked fine to me--- then he said he didn't have the password. I suggested we try his SSN. What do you know? It worked.)

So I checked the grades and find out that the boy is .05 away from academic probation. F's, C's and incompletes all over the place. If he gets less than a C in any major class this semester, it's curtains for his academic career. He must have known about this the entire time, but if confronted with it, he'll act like he didn't know. The messed up thing is that our other brother is taking all these med school classes, doing well, and could have tutored him, but he refuses to take advantage of the help. I am not going to be the one to tell mom/dad about this, but he can't hide this forever. Even if he escapes without showing grades for now, mom needs to get a letter from his school every semester to show that he's in good standing, so that he can get insurance. He's going to be !#$$%^&.

But it's not just his problem. Somehow, when they're mad at one of us, they become mad at all of us. So she may start yelling at him, but somehow my other brother and I will get lumped into the "you children don't listen to your parents" and we will all end up in trouble. *Sigh* I need to start this new job so I have a place to escape to when it all goes down.