Shopping. Or Not

So, we bought a house!!! I'm really excited. Since being married, we have been cooped up in small-space apartment living. And now we are going to have TONS of space. I cannot wait to sprawl out and enjoy our roomy digs.

I can hardly wait to move in. I am going to creatively explode all over our home once it's officially ours. Ben may subsequently explode, although in a more literal fashion, as he seems to think all of my creative ideas for interior design are foreign and, subsequently, tragic. It could be one big explosion after the other. Let's hope the house (and the couple) survives the impact.

Oddly enough, Ben and I made a point of getting RID of stuff for our move. This was in an effort to not pay to move crap we don't really need/want, and in an effort to not own stuff like that. :) But the funniness of the concept comes in as the two of us realize we have enough stuff to furnish the basement of our home (maybe) and that's about it.

As we're up-sizing, this new home makes us (and our stuff) seem very downsized by comparison. For some reason I really like that. And it's possible this relishing of downsized-ness and downsizing won't stop at the furniture.

We have had our stuff in storage for the last month and half. Along with our furnishing, kitchen supplies, books, etc, this also means about 1/2 (at least) of our wardrobes are also inaccessible and in storage. And, believe it or not, I kinda like it. This is a very unlikely conclusion for a girl like me to come to. It's dangerous to say it, really. Good thing Ben doesn't read my blog.

To put things in perspective, I'll admit that I have limited needs for a wardrobe since we have moved to the land of Wisconsin. I telecommute to work from my couch, don't have parties to attend, ya know ... it's been kinda low-key. So maybe it's a false indicator. And, as a result, I promise not to do anything rash or prematurely brand this as my life-long mantra for wardrobes. This is more just perusing an observation of the current state of things and hypothesizing about it's implications for the future. And so far, from what I can tell, there have been perks to having less stuff in my closet. While there is the downside of having fewer options, I find that I am more creative in putting those options together and less flustered when I look at my closet. And this seems to outshine the downside. So maybe less is more?

Have I lost my mind in Wisconsin? Well, maybe. But maybe not. I also have fewer shoes right now. In addition to some being in storage, I permanently parted with a third of my shoe collection before we even left Ohio because the shoes weren't worth bringing along (they either injured my feet or were so dinged up and worn out that the needed to be retired). This event may or may not have caused me to be on the brink of hyperventilation. And while I'm really into downsizing a lot of stuff, this leopard has not completely changed her spots. I've noticed even recently that I "need" some new shoes. And come warmer climates  and fancier parties, I will wish for several of my storage-ridden shoes back. So, there is some proof that I still have access to oxygen in Wisconsin and that there is some normal brain function happening here.

But, at least to some extent, I am starting to think I can dig a life, and closet, with less stuff. And I conjecture that when we get our stuff back, we'll get rid of belongings, even as we slowly identify and purchase other belongings that suit our new home. My wardrobe COULD be one of my biggest targets for divestment. Ironic, now that I will have a huge closet. Very ironic.

But don't get the wrong idea. I'm still all about more. At least when it comes to space. And shoes. Yin and yang, right?

Updates From My New Home: Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

You read that right. I now live in Wisconsin. Ben got a job in West Bend, WI and we moved up here on Oct. 15th. I am still telecommuting to my job with the University of Cincinnati while they seek my replacement and I seek to replace them. And that's where we are.

So, how did the move go, you ask? Well, it wasn't so bad. Once we figured out HOW we were going to move, the process was relatively seamless.  We had about a month's worth of warning. So, we did a lot of packing on the weekends and on the Friday of our move, we hired two fabulous, professional movers to load all of our stuff into a storage bin that was dropped off the day before. My suspicion at the time was that we had way more crap than would fit into at 16 foot storage container and that we were kinda screwed since I'd only ordered one. To my amazement, however, the movers were descendants of Houdini (I can only assume) and they magically fit everything we had in the container, with a full 3.5 feet left over for the odds and ends we hadn't packed yet and/or actually might still need. It was awesome-- the best $400 I ever spent. It also made me feel slightly guilty and incredibly aware of the hack job of packing we had attempted to do when having helped other ward members move in the past. Oh well. The bright side -- we did not charge for it.

The news of our fast and expedited packing was not pleasing to all. The ward missionaries came over later that afternoon to help us move and were dismayed to see we had very little for them to do. Fear not! We found a way to make them useful and had them help us vacuum, dust windows & closets, etc. They were awesome. Then we had the mutually beneficial exchange of dumping all of our perishables on them that we would have otherwise had to throw away, and bequeathed them an old, beat-up office chair that we were about to send to DI. Happy scripture studying on that!!! :) And thanks for your help. It was great to see you before we left.

Saturday -- we just had to finish our cleaning, pack up the last few things and then we were out of there! We thought we were going to be out of there early. Boy were we wrong!!! I underestimated the time it takes to deep clean a kitchen. :) We started working on things at around 8am and didn't get out the door until 4pm -- a full day's work. But it got done, and it was just fine since we weren't really on a schedule. We locked up the container, left it there, and then proceeded to caravan up to Wisconsin, with me in the Subaru and Ben driving the Jeep right behind me. We drove up halfway to our final destination and stayed overnight in a hotel off the highway just north of Gary, Indiana after 6 hours of driving. The gym at the hotel was rather pathetic -- a broken treadmill and an elliptical machine in desperate need of some DW40. But it was otherwise delightful.

Sunday -- we finished our drive and arrived safely in Germantown, Wisconsin. Since we were weary travelers in a new place, and incredibly hungry, we broke the Sabbath and ate at a nearby Cracker Barrel (yum!) before we met the landlord of our short-term furnished rental. We were delighted to find that Germantown is a pretty populated place and the condo we would be staying in was surrounded by shops, restaurants and other handy amenities. The landlord met us right on time, gave us keys and we've felt right at home every since.

So, you see, easy peasy. Of course, our stuff is still in storage (at least everything that didn't fit in our cars). And we're in the depths of house hunting, which has been a fair amount of torture over the last few weeks. But it does keep us busy and entertained -- no small feat for being in Wisconsin in the beginning of winter, where we have no friends (yet).

Bright spots--

Chicago is only 2 hours away and I already can't wait for a Saturday trip into town! MK's, I will be making a reservation for truffle fries & cream and your lush desserts post haste! :)

I hear there's a cool little vintage shop area called Brady St. in Milwaukee (20 min's from here). I have some exploring to do.

Found a fun cafe to eat at on my b-day. The restaurant scene is not completely absent

I think we may have found a house. And if we get it, please be aware that my Four Seasons accommodation promise will be more than fulfilled and we will be accepting guest reservations year-round.

Here's to adventures, new friends and a new chapter! We've waited for this for a long time. I'm glad it's finally here.

You Don't Say

Last week Ben asked me to take the Dry Cleaning in and he promised, if I do, he would then go pick the Dry Cleaning back up later. I oblige. Now, I give you this morning's conversation. 7am, in our  warm cozy bed:

Ben: Can I bribe you to go get the dry cleaning?
Long silence
Sharon: If you're going to bribe me, you actually have to offer me a bribe.
Ben: If you get the dry cleaning, when we get a new car, I'll let you  get one with a heated steering wheel.
Sharon: You're the one who gets to drive the new car. Why would I agree to that?
Ben: You can get a new dress coat.
Sharon: But I'm already getting one for my birthday.
Ben: Oh.
Another long silence
Sharon: Ben, you're kind of bad at bribing.

I acknowledge that I will probably have to go get the dry cleaning anyway. But if he's going to start trying to bribe me, I might as well help him along in the process so I can actually get something good out of it. Tragically, it appears I have my work cut out for me. :/

Rantings from My Desk in Pajamas Part 1

Who are they?  They are those who believe that no one has anything to do except worry about them...and they are so incessantly obnoxious about it that it warrants a rant, a rave (but not in the good kind), and perhaps a little public shaming.  I'm a lawyer, I deal with obnoxious people all the time, but somehow this one takes the cake.....I think?

So, I have a client (I know shocking), and they got into a little bit of a scuffle with one of their previous clients.  Fine, no big deal, happens all the time....especially in my world.  So, I find out about this on Tuesday at about 3pm from my client....no big deal.  We talk on the phone, discuss the issue, yada yada yada, we decide I should talk to the other side's lawyer.

I get an e-intro (via email) and am thinking we will talk the next day, as the e-intro takes place at 5pm Tuesday.....nope Ms. I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO WITH MY LIFE (who at this point by the way I think is very pleasant and just wants to start the conversation...but the title is deserving) decides we should talk that day, and we schedule a call for 6pm....fine....this is where it gets oh so bad.

For those of you non-lawyers, usually you start conversations with a brief overview of the case at hand, where you see things and go forward from there.  This conversation started with a 45 minute lecture on why her client is right and mine is in for a world of hurt.  Happy Tuesday evening.

It then progressed to 3 emails the next day with the last one stating "Since we spoke, I have sent you three e-mails regarding this case and have not received a response or acknowledgement for any of them."  Those three took place in less than 24 hours since our first conversation.  Now, maybe I'm crazy, but I don't watch my email inbox for emails from this lady, and I don't believe I have a requirement of less than 24 hour response times....especially when they don't pay my bills...just make larger ones for my clients.  Some times things take precedence (shocker that I have other things to do), and sometimes, I'm going to delay my response just cause you pissed me off.

So, being the quiet, patient, overly nice person that I am...I responded as follows:

"While your unrelenting dedication to this case is inspiring, I cannot always respond on the same day an email is sent.  I apologize that it has taken me nearly twenty-four hours to respond since your first email.  I will also be out of the office today, and therefore will not respond to any correspondence before tomorrow.  I appreciate your professional courtesy in this matter."

I wonder if she caught my sarcasm?  Mind you, this was instead of the following choices 1. Not responding at all; 2. Telling her to get a life with four letter explicitives; and 3.  Indicating that I won't respond unless under court order....ahh the joys.

Shockingly or not, none of her emails have since been nearly as demanding or as over the top....and exchanges have been on a much more professional level.

So, there you have it...rantings from my desk in pajamas.

Long time since posting

So, Sharona has been doing the publishing on this little blog, and it a little searching I realized that 1. I have done very little; 2. She is much more ambitious with her online profiles (namely multiple of them) and I should learn from her; 3. I really hate routine (shocker I know); and 4. I should blog more.

Why you ask?  Well, I will tell you....because I have all sorts of philosophical questions that need parsing and while my wife, as dear and sweet as she is, does indulge me, I feel bad forcing her to banter about the weird and ridiculous notions that fly between my ears.  Also, I have been accused by more than one person as not being very expressive, so maybe blogging will help with that?  Not to mention, that if you are reading this blog, well, I'm not sure what to say about you..but thank you regardless!

So, what has been running through my brain as of late, more than I can summarize, but I will attempt to list some things on this little blog that have happened in my life and things that may happen sometime in the future.

As many or none of you may know, I run my own business, a law firm.  And it has done a wonderful job of providing me with opportunities, given me the flexibility and freedom that I so desire, and above all that, it provides me with a decent paycheck...go figure.  It was started with what some may argue is hard work, a lot of patience, a lot of spiritual reflection and expression (may be interpreted as thought and prayer), and a whole lot of luck (we won't talk about what luck really is, but I may have an argument that it is an answer to prayer).   Anyways, after the last...almost 5 years (I know, crazy right?) I was thinking I needed an change.  So, I wondered what that change would be and how it would come about...and I still don't know..but I went down a windy path.

I started looking at merging my firm with other firms.....that seemed interesting....afterall, new environment, more people around me to bounce ideas off of, potential for cross-polination, all that bigger and better stuff....so I interviewed with a bunch of firms. (Wow that is a long sentence). And of course, I had a few siblings doing the whole interview thing, so why wouldn't I? After interviewing with 4 or 5 firms, all of them expressed an interest in my practice and what I do.  But in the end....none of them seemed like the right fit.  Either too little money, the feeling of being more of an employee and less of a partner, or the notion of not being able to take vacation when I wanted to just seemed like an odd mix of not enough benefit for the negatives.

In the end, after a few months of checking out other firms, Erika and I decided that it would be best to pass on the merger idea...what's next?  I don't know...for now, I'll stick with the firm and see where it takes me.  Afterall, I have some great clients, and not too bad of a work/life balance.
More to come...hopefully.

Adventures in Job Searching

As you are probably well aware by now, I finished my MBA in December 2011. Armed with my fancy new credentials, I have been looking for a new job and Ben and I have been hoping to move from Cincy. Considering I started applying for jobs a couple months before I even graduated, I think it's fair to say it's been a long haul. 

Granted, it hasn't been a completely dry market. I've been incredibly grateful to have received a few offers thrown my way during that time: one in Minneapolis and two here in Cincy. The tragedy in it all is that the offers weren't that great. So, I declined.

Of course, the tragedy highlights my fortune as well: job searching while I already have a job means I can afford to do that. Literally. Rent will still be paid. 

I am still not sure I'm wise to decline. At this point, it feels like a bad habit and that it's more likely I'll say not to a job than yes. You'd think I didn't want to leave my current job. But I promise, I do. Not because it's awful, but because I need something more (in compensation and experience) and they are not able to offer it. 

An argument could be made that I should not have turned down these offers. They all have offered better experience and better pay than what I currently have. Just not as good as what I still hope for. 

I'm a total tease. But we already knew this, right? Let's just hope I find the right one before I have absolutely no more stamina left to keep looking. 

In related news -- I have been sucked of my motivation to do any form of exercise aside from walking for almost a month (with the exception of about 3 days). Drudgery and disappointment will do that to you. But I am going to power over this hump and promise to do better.

In unrelated news -- I was quoted in an article on USA Today about couples who look like each other. And they included Ben and Mine's picture in their subsequent photo gallery. We both look awful in the picture. And we look alike. And I'm going to ignore the implications in those two adjectives and assume the first is totally circumstantial. You can see the article by linking here.The photo gallery is here. 

Call Me Self-Indulgent

No, really. I think you should. I submit to you the following facts to substantiate my claim:

I don't just like to travel. I like to travel a lot and try to go somewhere every month (or so, as schedule permits).

I don't just like ice cream. I like the GOOD ice cream. And I eat it almost every day.

I don't just like shoes. I LOVE shoes. And I allow myself to buy ridiculous shoes that no one could ever need and yet I could never do without.

I could go on, but that could be a little TMI. And I think you get the idea. Ironically, while there are a lot of words that have been used to describe me over the years, we all seem to have missed this one. At least I can't recall anyone making such an accusation. And I don't know how we did as it seems so obvious now. In regards to the things I love, I put almost no limits on how much I am allowed to consume of them. And it turns out I'm capable of consuming A LOT of the things I love. Furthermore, I haven't found a good reason not to. And I feel absolutely no remorse or guilt for said consumption.

Is there a support group for this? Hello. I'm self-indulgent. And I see no reason to stop. Would you like a bit of my ice cream?

Our Trip to Washington DC

Ben and I just got back from a FABULOUS trip to Washington DC. It was a little spur of the moment, in that we left for DC on Sunday morning and we hadn't even thought about going to DC until Saturday morning the day before. That being said, we DID schedule vacation time for ourselves beforehand, so it was not 100% spontaneous. But it was as spontaneous as two people with commitments to their jobs can manage. :) And, for whatever reason, that made it all just a little more fun.

We flew in Sunday afternoon, checked into our hotel, and then we found a place to grab some food -- The Thaitanic. It was a great little hole-in-the-wall near our hotel and it was delicious. Then we went to the West Lawn at the Capital for the National Memorial Day Concert. It was lovely. At least it was until they told us they were ending the concert due to inclement weather. We enjoyed a good 40 minutes of it and then we hitched a taxi ride home to get out of the rain that inevitably came. We'd complain, but the concert was free, so... it really wouldn't be right.

Ben at the concert

On Monday, we slept in and then left our hotel to find some yummy eats. This led us to what I consider to be the best eats of the trip -- Founding Farmers. If you ever go to DC, make sure you eat here. Trust me. You'll LOVE IT. After food, we took a very needed walk over to the area where they were going to be having the National Memorial Day Parade As luck would have it, that brought us by the White House, and we got to see snipers (up to 4 at at time, but usually 2) on the roof as there was a motorcade of vehicles preparing to leave the estate for some event. This ended up being pretty awesome to watch. And the parade was great fun. I would get a little emotional every time I saw an older veteran walking down the road. I also saw lots of marching bands and wondered why almost every high school thought it would be a good idea to put their students in hot, wool, mummy-coverage-style uniforms in black and march them down a road carrying heavy instruments in 90 degree weather. Anyone care to explain this?

The White House

Snipers at the White House

After the parade we disappeared into the Smithsonian Museum of American History -- fun, but I wasn't feeling so hot, so we only stayed a little while and then we tried to find dinner. Finding dinner was a bit difficult because most restaurants were actually closed on Memorial Day. But we lucked out and found The Grist Mill at one of the hotels near where we were staying. Comfort food. It was very comforting, indeed. This was our 2nd best find of the trip. And the executive chef & waiter were insistent on giving us a free piece of red velvet cake to take back with us to our hotel (we were too stuffed to eat dessert there). And, how could we refuse them?

On Tuesday, I went up to the pool (it was on the roof of the hotel), finished reading my book, King Peggy, (I highly recommend said book) and got a little bit more sun than I had been hoping for. After Ben & I both cooled off in the pool, we ventured out for lunch again, this time at a restaurant called Chop't. It's a chain there ( we don't have it here in Ohio) and it was awesome. We especially were delighted to see that they offer Boylan Soda for fountain drinks. The Cherry flavor was SO GOOD. Can you tell food is an important part of traveling for me? I think it's my favorite way of experiencing places. I know you may not guess to look at me, but it's true.

After lunch, we stumbled upon the Smithsonian National Portraits Museum. We got lost in there for a good several hours. It was awesome. While I enjoyed the American History Museum, I have to say I absolutely LOVED the Portraits Museum.

Dinner that night was ruined because I got the address for the intended restaurant mixed up and we ended up on the wrong side of town, so we went to a forgettable tapas restaurant for dinner. But the eating experience was saved when I called room service back at the hotel and ordered chocolate cake. Mmmmm. By the taste of the cake and ice cream, I would say we should have just dined in. Oh well.

We came home Wednesday morning and stopped at the outlets on our way back from the airport to do some shopping. I am now wearing a new pair of lovely steely-grey-blue capri pants that I got for 20 bucks.

Here's to great vacations that let us forget about everything at home and focus on enjoying our time and our family. It was a great way to celebrate Memorial Day. I feel quite refreshed. Thank you DC. I needed that.

Holding My Breath

I've been silent for so long! Sorry about that. I don't know that I have a lot I want to blog about, but at this point I think I'd better just suck it up and give an update or, who knows. I could never blog again.

I know what you're thinking. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! What would I do without your rambling, random, sometimes incoherent and at-other-times overly personal and awkward posts?" Have no fear. I won't let it happen. I'm here for you. Ok, so I'm here for me mostly and you a little. But you get the idea.

My lack of posting is not for lack of life happenings or activity. Why, Ben and I just took a delightful trip to Minnesota for Easter to hang out with Jon & Anne and their kids. Jeff & Erika came up as well, so we had a really good time doing what we do -- eating, chatting, playing games and otherwise making merry with family while doing nothing particularly productive. It's one of my favorite ways to spend time.

Actually, I can't say I did nothing productive. I did help Anne stuff envelopes for the Republican candidate she is caucusing for in the race for US Senate. This is very nice of me since I don't normally make a practice of helping Republican candidates. But I do help sisters-in-law. So, he got lucky due to a caveat. Just like a politician.

I mostly haven't blogged because there is news and happenings I would LIKE to share with you, but I can't because the particular news and happenings I'd like to tell you about have yet to transpire. I'm just waiting for them. And they're taking so long. I get frustrated a lot these days, waiting for things to come together.

It's not all bad news though. The dress business is a bright spot in my dull canvas called life. I will have two styles of dresses available for purchase for the Summer 2012 season -- just weeks away. Crazy huh?! I'm really excited about that (when I'm not overcome with anxiety about it. You can read more about that here if you desire.) So, I should have more good news on that front soon. Rest assured, you will hear about it EVERYWHERE when the dresses are available. I will mercilessly self-promote once they're on sale. You've been forewarned.

But that's really the only big thing going on right now. Granted, it's big, but I'm a demanding sort of person and I was hoping for more. So, stay tuned. There could be more on the way. I certainly hope so. Aand please don't take this to mean that an announcement that we're having a baby is impending. I hate to dampen your spirits by telling you this is not what we are waiting for, but, well, .... it's not what we're waiting for.

January Update

It has been about 2 months since I finished classes. I have yet to receive my certificate in the mail that officially declares I graduated with my MBA, but the lack of anxiety from looming tests and projects seems to be good enough evidence to convince me. It's really over.

And life without homework and finals is just as lovely as I remember it. It's also still just as busy! I knew there were things I had been neglecting! Now that I am back to EVERYTHING ELSE, Ben has finally realized the truth about me -- I like to stay busy. What can you do?

But this year comes with lots of things to look forward to. I hope. First, I am hoping it brings a new job. I have had a few interviews already and hope there will be more, one of which will HOPEFULLY turn into a lovely new job. And I'm even more hopeful that said lovely new job will be in another state, within close proximity to someone we're related to. Because the truth is, we get lonely down here in Cincinnati sometimes. And we think 3 years of missing out on spending time with family is sufficient. But, we could always end up staying. So, we'll see what happens. I'll let you know if any big developments come up.

Along with that, I like to daydream about buying a house. Finally. A fixer-upper, actually, because I'm just so picky. And I figure, if I know I'm going to have to redo it anyway, why not start with something that desperately needs redoing? How awesome would THAT be?! I daydreamed about it for the entire car-ride home yesterday. I had 3/4's of the floor plan on the 1st level worked out by the time I rolled into the parking lot.

I am all aglow with the prospects of traveling to Europe as well. Either France or England. Or both. I don't know yet. But we're going sometime this summer. And I always love crossing the pond.

These are a few of my dreams for this year. I have more. But I think this list is good enough for sharing for now. Sometimes, I think my life is good just because I like to look forward to things so much. I'm a dreamer, for better or worse. And whether or not they come true, my dreams make me happy all the same.