With Much Haste

“We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.” - Fydor Dostoevsky

It has been a while since my last entry, a very common theme as of late. I just finished a three week long trial and I am beat. I feel physically and mentally drained, but it is such a great experience. The feeling of having a witness up there and having to ask the right questions to get the proper evidence is a good one. You always have to be on point and pay close attention. It reminds me that I like what I do. I haven't read much news, watched a lot of TV or kept up well with friends this past month. It feels like at times, why even keep a blog if I don't write in it anymore. I have notes that I have that I wanted to write about, but they are weeks old and I feel less motivated to jott them down at this moment. I'll skip most of them since I forget what is old and what is new. At least this entry will help me feel better about myself. I'm starting to get my head above water and as I go into a new week, I'm starting to see day light. I'm already planning my vacation.

Speaking of, I'm traveling to Washington, DC on October 30th for the Daily Show's Rally to Restore Sanity on the National Mall. I was sold when I heard, "We're looking for the people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive, and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voices shouldn't be the only ones that get heard; and who believe that the only time it's appropriate to draw a Hitler mustache on someone is when that person is actually Hitler. Or Charlie Chaplin in certain roles."

Hell, I might even check out March to Keep Fear Alive. I'm excited to visit with Mark, Ashley, Sam, Bob and Angie. I'm also hoping to see my other DC pals and Dan and Thea. It is going to be an awesome, yet reasonable time. It will be a short three day weekend, but I'm very much looking forward to it. It will be a good escape too. If you are going to be there let me know.

I don't know exactly how I fully feel about returning to DC for other admittedly irrational reasons. For the most part I'm extremely excited. Thank goodness for the distraction of the Rally though. Places have memories and feelings associated with them. It is hard sometimes when you see and experience things that bring rushes of memories pouring back that rationally don't make sense, but it is like your body is reacting. The good ones you miss, the bad ones you don't want to resurface. A cherry blossom means so much more than a cherry blossom, each metro stop has a story and even the supermarket aisles speak volumes. It is like hearing that old song that transports you to another time. Some songs makes you nostalgic and others make your stomach hurt. Time changes a lot of things though, and I've had a lot of that.

It makes me think of how much I would like to go back and visit Cornell. The thing is, unless I was going with friends, it wouldn't feel the same. All the same places, yet what really made the place was the people and friends. For me a trip there would be like visiting an alternate reality where none of us exist and people own iPads. That is why reunions are the best time to return I gather.

On Friday night, many many weeks ago now, Abram invited me to a BBQ at his friend's house. It was in San Marcos, and I haven't been that way in a while. I had a great time and got to meet some new and interesting people. The food was good and was cooked on a gas grill, something I have never seen. I know they are somewhat common, but I have always used a charcoal grill, so it was a neat novelty. We hung out outside and shared stories and some of us even traded barbs. We ended off the night with board games, which is always fun. There was one girl I met who I thought was really cool so maybe I'll get to see her again some time. I think life is cool that way.

At some point, I went to see a comedy show which I found to be very funny and another week I checked out a street magic festival. It was not as cool as it sounds. I guess I imagined some sort of cool David Blane type thing and instead it was glorified clowns doing tricks for kids. I've kept busy the best I can and somehow when I'm the most busy I'm the most motivated to try new things.

At another point, I learned about helping a friend get out of jail and learned that the whole bail bonds thing sucks. If only I practiced criminal law. There are still a lot of things I need to learn about being a lawyer. You tend to focus on what you do and I think it pays to be a generalist. This is a topic for another day.

Speaking of law, I just found out that two of my friends opened up their own law firms. I am very excited and proud of both of them. I have yet to have a chance to really talk to them about their decision, but man it takes courage and determination to just go out on your own and be your own boss. I'm not at a point where I could feel confident doing that, but if I ever did, I'd hope to do it the way they did. I can't wait hear about it and see how it goes. They are going to do amazing I'm sure.

Two weeks ago, I went to tailgate for the UT v. Wyoming game. Met up with my sister Ana. Rick hooked us up with some free tickets, which I'm super thankful for and we, being Abram, Norbert and I, had a great time at the game. I'm always amazed at the generosity of other people. This weekend I'm hoping to join them at the UT v. UCLA tailgate. They won the HEB tailgate award last week, so they are going to be on the Jumbotron. How awesome it that?

Well that is my summary, the part I'd like to put into writing of course, unless you want to know about my dentist and eye appointments next week.

visiting Austin

In Need of a Good Piano Bar

“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.” - Unknown

Usually my mind wanders and I try to take my thoughts and ideas and put them on paper to see where I'm focusing my energy. I didn't know that was the luxury of an idle mind because with things being so busy this summer, especially at work, I've had less time to reflect and evaluate. I'm more in the process of just doing. October is my month I'm hoping, I'll hit the pause button, take some inventory and see what goals I'm not actively pursuing. Sometimes you have to take the long look at things and say, hey, I haven't talked/hung out with so and so for months or what happened to your budget plan and least favorite, am I really eating the best type of foods that I can. Man the list can go on...why are those books half read, what should I do with this clutter, are my pets getting the proper attention and exercise, how is my grandmother doing (who I called today).

My motions hearing for work this week went well. I enjoy the arguing much more than I had thought I would. I had it in my mind that the writing was the part for me, but nope, it's the argument. I'm still keeping pretty busy, but I don't have to bring work home with me for the most part, so it is still ideal. I really enjoy my job I must say. Another week until the trial. I am excited, but too bad I'll be working on Labor Day. Hopefully I'll just make my own labor day in the fall. I am getting a lot of great experience and getting finally exercise some of my skills.

Tuesday, I had a golf lesson, but due to rain, my friend Azalea and I went to happy hour instead. She is so lucky to live in downtown Austin. I think if I lived there, I'd be at happy hour daily. We had some good chats and she helped me put some things in perspective. We see the world in similar ways in some respects and in completely different ways in others. I guess you are an accumulation of your experiences.

Sunday, is my friend Christina's birthday. I'm excited for her, since everyone loves their own birthday. We had plans to celebrate on Friday, but her family ended up coming into town instead. We will probably do something later. That sucks. She still has a few years left in her 20s, I hope she enjoys them. Her brother just turned 21 today, so she is getting to do a lot of celebrating this weekend.

I had heard about the Facebook movie and thought, what a terrible idea. I don't know what I thought, maybe that it was a movie about people being friends online or something. Then I saw the trailer. Wow, the story about how Facebook was created seems really interesting. I must say, now I'm actually looking forward to watching The Social Network. Here is the trailer below. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnamMtQs1fI]

The first real week of school is over and I'm hoping everyone is settling in well. My life isn't much different, but I'm sure yours may be. I'm glad I have all that behind me and don't have to worry about the parent part of it for quite some time. I remember thinking 12th grade would never come when I was back in 2nd grade. Little did I know, I had 7 more years after that. My trip to work is now much longer thanks to school buses and 4 schools zones I must traverse. Maybe I'll just get an earlier start.

I am very much in the mood for a piano bar. It has been too long since I have gone. I think that might be the welcomed jolt I need. Or maybe a good 80s cover band. That, of course, and a cold beer. I really should get down to San Marcos.

funny, cool with the lines

An Enigma of Sorts

“The best way to waste your life, ... is by taking notes. The easiest way to avoid living is to just watch. Look for the details. Report. Don't participate.” - Chuck Palahniuk

Last weekend, I took Abram to the driving range with me to hit some golf balls. He ended up picking up golf really quickly and doing much better than I am, and that is with my lessons. It made me want to work harder on learning the game and becoming adequate enough to hang. Part of me was jealous, but the other part was happy because I'll have someone I can play with when I actually start playing games. (Or do they call it rounds?) I even purchased golf shoes and a glove, so I'm in it for real.

On Tuesday, I had another golf lesson with my friend Azalea. I'm thankful to her for coming up with the idea. It was fun, we got to practice on two holes with the instructor. After, he let us stay and play on the course. We played until dark, and even though I did lose quite a few balls, I was happy with my improvement. I do wish I would have picked this up much sooner than I have.

I have been swamped at work. Due to our deposition schedule, I've been taking a lot of notes. I hope they are good because it is hard to improve on something if you don't know if you are doing it wrong. I was supposed to go to Houston again this past week, but I ended up staying in the office to work on some motions. I really enjoy writing motions, and though I usually hope to have more time to write them, I really thrive on the feeling of having made a strong argument. I have felt really valued added at work and I hope to keep up the hard work. I found out I'll be working on Labor Day, so after this trial I'm going to take a well deserved vacation. I just found out that there are cheap tickets to Puerto Rico, which would be fun, but I don't think I'm ready to go again just let. Maybe San Diego finally, so I can stop talking about it. My friend Oscar and his girlfriend just went and they had a great time.

My niece, Bekkah, starts college next week and I'm so proud and excited for her. She even got a car from her father, which was an expense I didn't foresee, but it makes me feel so much better that she will be mobile. I really hope she is safe, especially since she just recently got her license. The next four years will fly by and I will be the proudest uncle when she walks across that stage with her little sister watching as she is about to embark on her own college journey. The world can be a trying place and I want my loved ones to have every advantage they can to do well for themselves in a country that in many ways still rewards hard work. My sisters should be going up to see her when she moves in. It is an important moment. They went up when my brother went to college. For me, I was alone because Cornell was so far, but even memories of my parents driving me up to summer camps at colleges left an impression. I'm gonna let her settle in and then go and visit.

The new school year is starting. My nieces Sarah and Jamie will be starting high school. Talk about an experience. I'm excited for them. These 4 years will shape who they become, which if you think about it is kind of scary. Kids do grow up fast. All I can think about is how all the school zones I have to drive through in the morning are going to slow me down. For my teacher friends out there, I hope you had a great summer. I will forever be envious of your summers off. But not as much for the time you spend with misbehaving kids. I would love to teach, but not have to deal with the behavior stuff. A college professor is probably more up my alley. Man I go off on tangents.

Saturday night was a pleasant experience. I invited a girl out on a date and ended up having a much better time than I expected. I try not to talk about my personal life when I write, since it is best left to being lived, but after enjoying reading about seeclaudiadate.com 's adventures in dating, I feel like making an exception today. I will, of course, keep the true details to myself, but there were a few things I wanted to share. The plan was simple, dinner and drinks, a good old fashioned 1980s style get to know you date to determine if there were any common interests or even just friendship possibilities. When we meet up, I decide to pull an audible, and instead take her to Bat Fest. In Austin, we have the South Congress Bridge Bats, which fly out from under the bridge. There is a long story about them, which I've mentioned in my blog a year or two ago, but in short, it is pretty awesome. Each year they have this festival to celebrate this unique attraction and it had totally slipped my mind when making plans. Having a cheerful, relaxed and laid back attitude, she was happy to check it out with me, so we ditched dinner. There were bands playing, all kinds of stands and lots of people, especially along the edge of the bridge to see the bats. It was much darker than I expected and the bats flew out much later than I remember from years past, so they were harder to see, but the sight was still amazing to me. Here is a video I found that shows the bats so you can know what I'm talking about.



People were really friendly there and I had many conversations with people about the bats. After Bat Fest, we headed to the Warehouse District where I took her to a few of my favorite bars and chatted over drinks. We had a lot in common and the conversation was really easy. I'm usually pretty talkative, so I enjoy conversations, but she has some great stories. I felt a bit guilty that we had skipped dinner, even though the bats were worth it, so we finished out the night at a local pizza truck. That is a date with me, eating a slice of pie on the side of the street at 2am. It was good pizza. I liked how she folded her pizza like a Northeaster. No matter how things work out, it was an enjoyable summer night.

Sunday, I went to the driving range with my friend Oscar. I'm practicing and practicing, but I feel like I'm missing some fundamental that when I get down will change my life. Oscar if very good and plays a lot, so I'm always happy for his pointers. Practice makes perfect I keep telling myself. After, I did some shopping, mainly for items for my pets. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but they have fleas that I just can't rid them of. I have tried drops, baths, collars. But they are stubborn. While in the pet store, I bought Koki a cat cave and she loves it, which she better considering the outrageous price I paid. She had been using my hamper, so I figured I'd get her a real one. I bought Mia a cat bed that she enjoys.

Norbert's friend has been living with us for the past month or so. She has been a great house guest/boarder as I affectionately call her. If we had another room, she would be an ideal roommate, though I'm sure living with 3 guys isn't ideal. If I understood correctly, she will be moving out soon. I'm sure she will enjoy having her own room and some true privacy and her dog will enjoy not having my puppy jump all over him. It really was almost like she wasn't here at times. Such a nice girl. The guys are going to miss her PS3 with her streaming netflix I'm sure.

four points

30 Dates in 30 Days

"It is the woman who chooses the man who will choose her." - Unknown

My friend Claudia has taken on a new project which I find to be very interesting, and adventurous to say the least. In reflection of turning 30, she has undertaken the task of going on 30 dates in 30 days in south Florida during the month of August. Here is her website where you can track her progress: http://seeclaudiadate.com/. There is also an interview that was done of her on http://sexandthebeach.blogspot.com/2010/08/broward-woman-goes-on-dating-spree.html that I feel sums it up well.

All I can think is that the setting up the 30 dates must be the hardest part of the ordeal. As she has already started, I have enjoyed reading her entries about each date. I hope she doesn't hold back too much in an effort to not hurt feelings. I wish her the best of luck. As a guy, all I could think is that would be expensive if a guy did it. She is going to accomplish in a month what has taken me 30 years to do (less you know the last 15.)

I've written a lot about my work travels recently and I'll probably keep this up only because it involves travel and its still a new and novel experience for me. On Wednesday night I head out to Houston again for work and will be returning on Friday night. Then the following Wednesday I'll take my last trip to Houston and once again return on Friday. The three hour drive is pretty boring, I'd much rather be doing a 5 hour drive to the Valley.

This past weekend my sister Ana and Rick came up to Austin. I went on Saturday to play golf with Rick. It was my first time playing an actual game and I knew I was not prepared. We played in teams and even though I did terribly, they were all encouraging and I had a great time. I really think that if I practiced more I'd actually be able to play. It was a great first experience playing golf.

After, we went to a BBQ at Rick S.'s house. The Ricks always make great food and Ana made some really good rice, and I'm picky about rice. It was nice hanging out and hearing their stories about how they met and their old frat days at UT.

I spent the weekend setting up network attached storage at my home. It was a complex procedure, but I like the idea of having a place where I could back everything up in case my drives failed. I like it, but I don't know if I have it set up right exactly. I'm proud of my computer skills though I will say.

why does everything that needs motivation feel so much like work?