The Days Are Just Packed

Playing in the background: The cheerful music of "Bookworm," the PopCap word building game
Meters swum today: None. 1600 yesterday.

Somebody please explain to me why I'm twice as busy since I got laid off than I ever was when I was workin'. I've got a to-do list that runs to two pages and only about a third of it has anything to do with finding work. I've got two frickin' dentist appointments this week (two! Who has two dentist's appointments in one week?!), my parents will be in town on Thursday, I've got more errands to run than I have gas in my tank and oh yeah, just incidentally, I'm trying to find a job. This morning I left the house at 6:15, got back about 11:30, worked straight through until Joan got home and just now wrapped up what I wanted to do with the day. In 45 minutes I get to go to bed, and eight hours from then I can get up and do it all a second time.

Course there was that interruption to watch President Obama speak. When I was a kid, watching the President address the nation on TV was Just What This Family Does, so I've pretty much done it my whole life. The first President I can remember watching was Ford, which tells you how old I am. The first President I remember liking was Carter. (I'fact my mother tells this story that I walked into a dinner party when I was about eight and announced I liked Democrats better than Republicans because they didn't wear suits and they were real people. I have no memory of this but it does sound like something I'd do.) I sort of got out of the habit over the last eight years or so for some strange reason, but I gotta tell you, I really really like watching President Obama speak. The guy may be a hopeless idealist, but he doesn't mince words, he doesn't say stuff just to sound good and he actually seems to think about his answers. What a revelation. In a second I'm going to feel guilty for voting for Hilary in the primary. Okay, second over.

Anyway, there's lots going on. I have a book to promote (get your copy now! See top right!), a garden to work on (going great guns, though there were some scary moments with the tomatoes earlier this week) and of course I have to find a job at some point. Today there were numerous emails from co-workers who have apparently just now figured out I'm not off on vacation or something. Imagine their surprise. So in hopes of keeping this short, here's my position-wanted ad, for your consideration:

Litigation paralegal seeks position in commercial or construction-defect firm. Complex multiparty litigation preferred. Large document reviews and productions my specialty; if you have boxes of documents, I'll dig through 'em. Advanced level Summation user, excellent legal research and writing abilities and mad skillz all the way round. Buddhist temperament, fun to have in the office, always smiling, loves kittens, bakes her own sourdough bread. Oh, and NALA certified, too, in case you were wondering. Please, no screamers, alcoholics or wannabe criminal attorneys. If you live in Dallas, call me. Oops, you can't because you don't have my phone number. Okay, reply to this post and I'll call you. Free copy of my book for the first ten replies, and if you end up hiring me I'll throw in some tomatoes from the garden. It seems only fair. I'm gonna watch the rest of "How The Earth Was Made" and go to bed now.