The interview today went very well and the interviewer assured me that he would recommend me to round 2. Really liked the firm! The principals seemed like fun guys and all the paralegals I met could not have been more helpful, polite, and professional. The firm fairly screamed, "we have our act together!" Plenty of firms do not...

And that perfect job listing I mentioned the other day? They called to set up an interview. It is on Monday morning. Plaintiffs' side and the position would be be a lot of medical malpractice work. Fun stuff.

Keep the prayers/karma/rain-dancing/sage burning a' comin!

***
Usefulness of the day: No coffee grinder? The Magic Bullet works just fine.

prayer request and update

Baby Ben is doing great! He is out of the hospital and doing all the things a newborn baby should be doing...including being chubby and cute :)

I have an interview tomorrow; please pray it goes well! I also applied for a job last night that sounds perfect...praying that I get an interview with them, too!

prayer request

I have a promising interview on Wednesday morning. Prayer warriors, good-vibe senders, sage-burners, rain-dancers, etc...DO YOUR THING!

Update: Woohoo! Another one to be scheduled.

***
Usefulness of the day: Ever if you don't drink the stuff, vodka is a rather useful item to have around the house. Swish plain unflavored vodka to remove odors in a Nalgene. Put a little fruit-flavored vodka in a glass, shape a piece of paper into a cone shape and place the narrow end in the glass with the paper just above - but not touching - the vodka. Great way to send fruit flies to a boozy death! And I've never tried this myself, but I've heard that spritzing plain vodka on musty clothing will rid the garment of storage odors. And if you actually drink it...my new favorite drink is plain vodka, plain seltzer, and a few olives. Hey, olives are good for you! Heathy fats!

prayer request

This afternoon, I pulled into a gas station, thirsting for a cold beverage. I parked next to a red sedan and noted that the driver was asleep. I was not concerned - I know that I have caught catnaps here and there.

But walking back, I felt a sense of unease. I peeked in the car and saw a spent syringe on the driver's lap. Given the area, she was likely not a diabetic...if you get my drift. I phoned 911 while letting the station's manager know what was going on. 911 assured me that a team was on its way, and I asked the station's manager to check through an open window to be sure the driver was breathing. I spent good money of those CPR classes, yo. "She is just really, really, really high, I think," he said.

Non-responsive, but breathing. So I left. As much as I wanted to remain and know that she was ok, I knew that I would never know that she was, truly, ok. And, given that, my presence would only be of the gawker variety. No need for those. She was - is - a young girl. By her college sweatshirt and the college decal on her car, I assume she is a student. Please pray for her. I assume she survived her "high," but please pray that she survives. Please pray that she would know that her Creator loves her - dearly loves her - and that tremendous joy can be found in places other than a needle.

***
In other news, if you feel so inclined to pray that I land a job soon...it is also tremedously appreciated. Matthew 18:19 and all :)

Calling all prayer warriors!

Or rain dancers or sage burners or senders of good karma...

I had an interview this afternoon. It went very well. Loved the firm, loved the tye of work, loved the guy I'd be working under, loved the support staff, loved that the position comes with my own parking space (downtown parking is no fun), loved it ALL. The interviewer was honest and told me he is only considering me and one other candidate. The other has more experience, but trained under an attorney my hopeful boss doesn't like; hopeful boss is concerned that the other candidate has some very bad habits that are too entrenched to change. I have less experience, but my big selling points are (1) loyalty - unlike most of my generation, I don't want to job-hop and (2) I can bring (and have brought) in lots of business. The interviewer definitely loved that.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRAY HARD that I get this job! It would be a perfect fit.

Prayer request & update

Can you please pray that I find a job really, really, really soon? Unemployment is not good for my sanity!

Also, thank you for praying for baby Ben. A few days after the hospital told the parents he would be in the NICU for at least a month, he was discharged :)

Baby Ben update and another prayer request

From Baby Ben's grandma:

"Baby Ben is off the heart-lung machine and his little lungs seem clear. He had really good X-rays on Sunday and they tested him Monday and Tuesday to see if he could breathe on his own and then he passed all that stuff so they did the surgery late Wed afternoon to remove the heart-lung apparatus.

He is still going to be hospitalized for about a month, they think, to deal with the pulmonary hypertension and I guess they are sending a bunch of tissue samples to Johns Hopkins because they really have no idea what happened to this kid - but at least he is moving in the right direction."

***
And a prayer request for my sister, K, too. She is applying for graduate programs in a very specific area of study. She received a rejection letter from her "safety" school this afternoon. On her birthday. She is very much hoping to get into a program at UMass-Boston as it offers the exact studies she wants. Please pray she gets in! Oh, she also broke up with a long-term boyfriend a few days ago and is scrambling to find a roommate as she and her boyfriend shared an apartment...so life is a little stressful for her right now :(.

Update on baby Ben, snow, and American bulldogs

Baby Ben is in the ICU for under-developed lungs but he and his recovering mother are expected to be home in a few days.


Meanwhile...

This little girl? The one I was thisclose to stealing over Thanksgiving? She is likely looking at ear tubes due to constant infections.

And baby Ava's mamma just came down with shingles. Given her history of MS and location of the rash, it is rather concerning. So if you have a moment, all of the above would appreciate some prayers.

(Can I just say that I had shingles when I was 21 and it was, hand's down, the most excruciating pain ever?)

***

We're predicted to get slammed with a "nasty" storm tonight into Thursday and maybe even Friday. I did the obligatory shopping for toilet paper and salt, filled up the gas tank, and threw a temper tantrum. Assorted states of emergencies have been declared in advance and I've resigned myself to getting snowed-in tomorrow or Friday. Fortunately, I've discovered (1) hulu and (2) Teen Mom. That should keep me busy. Oh my word, how did I go so long without ever discovering these reality-type shows? Teen Mom makes me cry and want to run out and save the world...but I'm totally rooting for the Catelynn and Tyler. I think they'll make it.

***

Anyone know anything about American bulldogs? Because I have poor impulse control, I responded to my dog park association's call for a home for a youngish boy. Strictly for more information on his temperament with other boys, that's all.

Prayer request

Please pray for Julie and baby Ben, who is scheduled to arrive via a c-section tomorrow!

Prayer request

Please pray (or rain dance/burn sage/send good thoughts) that I find a decent, honest auto body repair place that (1) will accept an American Express gift card and (2) won't charge me that much because (3) the damage to my car is minimal :)


Actually, rain dancers can sit this one out.
Nearly a year ago, Jack won me a nice chunk o'change in AmEx gift cards that finally arrived about a month ago. Half was immediately spent on assorted necessities and the other half...well, hopefully, the balance will be taken by a repair shop. Before all this craziness, I was getting close to giving into temptation to use the funds on something funemployment. I came very close but backed out last minute, several times...and I am extremely grateful for that. Hopefully, that was God's way of saying "I'm going to lead you to a nice auto shop that will take an AmEx gift card."

Prayer request

Please pray for Wendy. She suffered a seizure yesterday and is presently undergoing tests.

as per request and a giveaway

Someone reminded me that I neglected to include a certain photo in yesterday's tribute.

I was gone for no more than 10 minutes. In that time, Jack opened my child-proofed cabinet, removed an unopened 5lb sack of flour, carried it all the way back from the kitchen area to the dog couch, and went to town.

Please note his little helper to the left, too.
He is a serious carb-a-holic, so I'm sure straight flour was like pure crack to him.
Getting that sticky paste of drool and flour off a cloth couch was Not Fun.
However, I submitted the below picture to the "Marley Has a Mischief" contest last year. Everyone thought it looked like he was giving me a smug little smile. He wasn't - if you know him, you know that is how he looks before a sneeze. We won! First place!


GIVEAWAY:
Part of the prize was money. (I kept that.) The contest folks also send a DVD of Marley and Me. I have zero desire to ever see the movie. It is rated PG and you can read why here. Enter by leaving a comment with a good name (or more) for...a puppy! Because there will be a puppy added to the zoo as soon as I get a job. Puppy will probably be a girl and either be a Dane or a mastiff because one Lab is more than enough, thank you. I'll pick a random winner at some point.

If you want to see cute puppy pics and you're a prayer/sage burner/rain dancer/positive vibe sender, it couldn't hurt for you to pray that I land a job soon :)

Speaking of names, I thought this was too funny not to share. Jack's name is Jack. He is a bad dog. He is a super-dominant Alpha dog which means I am constantly pulling him off other dogs at the park. (Contrary to the rating guidance, there is nothing sexual about it - it is strictly a way to assert one's pack position.) For years, I was yelling, "Jack, OFF! Jack, OFF!"

I've since switched to "Jack, NO!"

prayer request

After an interesting visit with the family, I am heading home tomorrow morning. Please pray for safe travels...I hate driving long distances, especially in the snow/rain that is predicted. Thank you!

Prayer request

Please pray for safe travel...I have a ton of driving to do this weekend, starting first thing tomorrow morning. Thanks!

Prayer request

Oy.

So, I started a new job about a month ago. It appears now that the firm is facing serious financial issues and that I will likely be let go. I was hired get their floundering personal injury department in order and, well, PI is an expensive area. Lucrative, yes...but there is a lot of money that must be spent on experts, etc., and in a contingency situation, there is no guarantee that any of those funds will be recouped.

Ick.

Please pray that I keep this job, or, in the alternative, that I find a better job really, really soon.

[To be honest, I'd prefer the latter...I am not happy at this job. Love love love the work. Don't have the same affinity for the way the firm is managed and organized. Of course, I realize that this is not to best time to find a job at a law firm...]

As for last week's requests:

Raymond had surgery and is recovering. I do not know how he is doing or his prognosis.
Annette: No updates.
Jill: No updates, though I expect she will start treatment soon. She has the same cancer my mother had last year (no blood relation; just a coincidence), and I imagine Jill is at least comforted by my mother's 100% remission and the fact that my mother can empathize with the unpleasant, painful treatment as she went though it a year ago.
Lisa: Still traumatized and in pain. I sent her the names of several sliding-scale therapists, and just pray that she will take the next step and make an appointment.

***
Usefulness of the day: If you are trying to drink more water throughout the day, consider spiking you water with lemon juice. Lemon juice is an astringent and will make you want to drink more.

Prayer requests

Please pray for Annette, who was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.

Please pray for Jill, who was very recently diagnosed with cancer.

Please pray for Raymond. He was treated for lung cancer last year and recently learned he has a brain tumor as well. Tomorrow, he is having surgery to remove a mass around his rib.

Please pray for Lisa, who recently gave birth to a healthy girl. Mom's physical health is fine, but she is traumatized to the point of flashbacks, anxiety attacks, etc. about the birth. She went from nothing to hard labor to baby in less than one hour with no time for an epidural and remains extremely traumatized by the experience of a natural birth. (Yes, I know that plenty of women have given birth naturally for...forever, and that some women even seek out a natural birth, but that is not the point here.)

***
Usefulness of the day: Party at Toys R Us on Saturday, September 26 from noon to 3pm.

Where I am and prayer request

1. I cannot, for the life of me, wrap my mind around Jesus. I'm really, really trying, but it just doesn't make sense that someone hundreds of years ago would die for ME. I can't fathom that someone would suffer and die for someone He doesn't even know. And am I even worth saving?

2. The last words I utter before bed every night are "God, please save me." I have absolutely no clue what it means to be saved.

3. God answers prayers. I don't know why, but He does.

4. I'd like to go back to when God set bushes on fire to get your attention. That would make everything much clearer, I think.

***
Please pray for Ray! Ray was diagnosed with lung cancer last year. He was treated and did very well. Now there is a malignant tumor in his brain. This man has so much life to live and has an amazing spirit and buoyant personality. Please pray that God would heal his cancers.

prayer request

Please pray for my friend SM. Her entire company is shutting down on Friday. Please pray not only that she finds a new job soon, but also that her cancer does not return. She is getting biopsied this afternoon. Cancer + unemployment + no health insurance = no fun :(.

(yet another) prayer request!

Please pray that I pass the bar exam. It is Wed and Thurs.

I promise, I'll do a give-away or something when I come back :) Um, the more you pray for me, the more entries you get! (Kidding! That is utterly disgusting. So is charging for prayers, but I won't name the website that does that..."if your prayer is extremely urgent, $75.").

In totally unrelated news, I don't wanna be a lawyer anymore. I want to be a SAHW with so many puppies you'd want to call me a crazy dog lady, but you wouldn't because I'd be so hip and cool. And be given boatloads of money to design and build my own home in the city. With a roofdeck garden and wide hardwood floors and a big island in the kitchen and a pedestal sink in the bathroom. Then when all that is done, I'd get bored and likely get myself into trouble because a pedestal sink can't compare to the thrill of, I don't know, having someone walk into your office with a scalpel left in his abdomen. Which ain't a bad thing, because I could represent myself because I am totally all brushed-up on crim law and procedure right now and could get a little ROI from my insanely expensive bar review course.

So...yeah. Guess I'll be stuck in lawland. Toaster explode? Surgeon cut off the wrong leg? Slip and fall in (hopefully) a hotel? Get hit by (hopefully) a limo or tractor-trailer? Your first lawyer screwed up your case and you wanna sue? I'm your girl.

Please pray that I pass the bar exam.

I'm off...

to take yet another bar exam. So I can (hopefully) be Esq. in 3 states.

While I am still in bar exam cram mode, I will kindly refrain from using such sexy phrases as "malignant heart," "holder in due course," "collateral estoppel," "real and personal defenses," "defeasible fee," and "long-arm statute."

I will not, however, refrain from making a whole bunch o' prayer requests...are you ready?

1. Please pray that I pass the exam. It is July 29 and 30 (Wed and Thurs).
1A. Please pray that I can focus and keep my anxiety levels down.
2. Please continue to pray for my dear friends, A. and S., that God would move S.'s heart back to A.
3. Please pray that my friends E. and K. find jobs soon.
4. Please pray that L.'s delivery (as in baby) goes well.

In other news...
Gardening
1. I think my cucumbers caught some disease. I harvested a half-dozen massive cucumbers, but the rest don't look so hot.
2. The tomatoes, in contrast, are starting to scare me. Right now, they're still green...but there are approximately 300 (seriously) large green ones with hundreds of little tomatoes coming in, too. And still growing! I don't know if the 14-ft support stakes will contain them.
3. My dear eggplants are doing quite well.
4. My green and banana peppers are also coming in, but the jalapeno plant is not.
5. I think the raspeberries are done for the season. I collected 4 gallons (from 6 plants), washed, and stashed in the freezer.
6. My attempt at corn was a fail.
7. The zucchinis keep flowering, but no fruit yet.

Kitchen adventures
I am cooking up a storm because I am s.t.r.e.s.s.e.d. Roommate is coming tomorrow and will stay in the house with Jack while I am away. I baked her 6 pizzas, a platter of fried green tomatoes, and this cake. Except my oven is broken, and I had to make it in the toaster oven in 2 batches, so...hello, layer cake. I did not follow PW's recipe exactly, and I'm glad I did not. I dumped 2 cups (instead of her 1 cup mashed) of prunes in the food processor with some water and maple syrup and a pinch of salt, then simmered it all down. This meant that I did not have to add any sugar to the batter. I added in a lot more allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, too. For the icing, I cut out some of the sugar with maple syrup and added in some allspice and cinnamon. This got good reviews last week when I made it for the office. Oh, and I'm dubbing it "spice cake" or "Christmas cake" instead of "prune cake."

Poor prunes. They get such a bad rap. I don't think the recent "dried plum" PR blitz fooled anyone, either.

Anxiety
I've been so insanely stressed and anxious that I can only keep down tomatoes and string cheese. Don't ask; I know tomatoes are acidic and I have no explanation. I made the mistake of trying toast the other night, and promptly regretted it. I know that no one enjoys throwing up, but - blame it on too much Jimi Hendrix or something - when I get sick I'm pretty sure I'm choke and die. Which means I bawl and nearly have a panic attack. When Roommate was around, she would give me a big hug and refrain from calling me crazy. Now that she's gone, I just have a dog who does everything possible to get in the way.