Stayin' Cool

We finally got some sun here in the Pacific Northwest and it was wonderful! No matter how much I thought my brain was going to boil inside my head, regardless of the fact that the sun was squeezing every nano-ounce of water out through my pores, and despite being seven months pregnant, I loved every second of our 90 degree day.

90 degree days in the Seattle area are a rarity. Maybe, if we’re lucky, we get one or two each summer. But today, I especially enjoyed the heat because we’ve just had two weeks of cloudy, rainy, chilly days. I was beginning to think that the sun had gone away forever and I was beginning to forget what sunshine felt like. Thank you weather for refreshing my memory!

I love the sun. And I have the pictures to prove it.

Yes, this is me swimming in the Puget Sound. Even on days like today, the water remains a stubborn 50 freezing degrees. But I grew up swimming in the Sound. Those with the guts, a little patience, and the ability to talk their mind into doing something insane will be greatly rewarded. As soon as the numbness overcomes you, swimming in the Sound’s frigid water is both fun AND refreshing. Just watch out for the seaweed. And the jellyfish. And the bottom dwelling crabs.

Ok, so maybe the life jacket was a little snug… I think even baby liked the water.

To the buoy and back!

In Re Estate of Fluffy

Interesting story about an animal rights case:

One day a dog jumped his fence and killed the neighbor's three-legged cat. The owner of the deceased cat filed suit against the owner of the dog on behalf of themselves AND on behalf of the deceased cat. (I can just see the case title: In re Estate of Fluffy v. Smith). Anyway, the case settled (duh, what kind of lawyer would let that go before a judge?) for a whopping $20,000.

True Story.

An associate at my firm told me this story- he represented the defendants in the case. I would love to take a look at the claims listed in the complaint. Do you have a claim for loss of consortium when a pet dies? I can see a claim for emotional distress but really, what other claims could be in there? And what about damages? Since they were represented by an animal rights lawyer, I doubt they claimed a property damages. An animal rights activists would NEVER admit to an animal being property, right? If a human death is called a homicide, what is an animal death called? We don't even have a special name for it in our local criminal code.

I'm all for the humane treatment of animals. I'm a huge sucker for those animal adoption displays at Pet Smart and the mall. Whenever I see little kittens, or even older cats for that matter, locked up in a cage, sticking their little paws through the bars in an attempt for human contact and love, I get all weepy and BEG my husband if we can take them ALL HOME NOW.

But something about giving animals legal rights and allowing them to bring a suit in court just seems ridiculous to me. Ok, it was funny in Bee Movie, but aside from the cinemas- nuh uh, no way. I mean, animals have their own set of laws, the law of nature. Of course people shouldn't be allowed to purposefully harm or torture their animals, but you know, such things should be left to animal control agencies. And when one animal attacks another animal on the inferior end of the food chain- who are we to jump in with our man-made laws?

Plus, I love my cat, but there is no way in hell he is worth $20,000.

30 Weeks

This week I enter the thirties! Well in terms of pregnancy weeks that is. On Friday, I will be 31 weeks pregnant! Although the pregnancy has mostly gone by fast, I thought that week 30 would NEVER come~!

I haven't really been able to keep track of my pregnancy in pictures because I can never remember to remind my husband to take pictures of my belly, I suck at taking one handed pictures of myself, and for the past month my husband loaned our camera to a friend. It's annoying that he hasn't given it back yet- doesn't he understand how much he is inconveniencing the charting of my belly growth? Rudeness.

But last week someone else took a picture of my belly. Since it's the only one I have since week 20, I'm proudly posting it!

So much for annonimity but I'm too lazy to edit out my face. Where did my waist go and who put that basketball in my shirt?

As we speak, my belly is in the awkward shape of a pointy cone. Baby Palmer is sitting funny right around my belly button so that my belly doesn'y curve nicely but juts out at a funny angle. It's so weird to watch my belly change shapes when he moves around.

The LAW Put That Hummingbird On Your Sex Toy

Last week I went to a girls-only Sex Party.

Ok maybe "sex party" is not the right word. Contrary to what I let my husband think, there was no nakedness, no inappropriate touching or sexual physical contact. Actually the politically correct term for the event was "Romance Enhancement" Party. It was supposed to be like the Pampered Chef of sex toys. I was skeptical and a little nervous about going- even wondered why I WAS going. But my cousin-in-law is pretty persuasive and she was the host. Or maybe it's these dang awesome pregnancy hormones...

The Romance Consultant at the party was pretty funny. She had all kinds of fun terms and analogies to apply to what might otherwise have been some awkward conversations. She told us that while men were a little like microwaves in that they turn on with the press of a button, women are more like slow-warming crock pots. Of course this isn't news to any woman that I know, but it was a fun way of putting it.

So some of the items that our Consultant let us look at were intriguing- scents that bring out your natural pheromones, edible lotions, etc., other things made me down-right blush. I'm not that familiar with sex toys. My roomates last year found out that I didn't own a single one and guess what I got for my birthday? A pink sparkly vibrating *ahem* toy. It just about scarred me for life opening it in front of them.

The toys at this party were borderline ridiculous. Some had crazy spinning beads embedded in them, some moved rapidly from side to side and could seriously be used as an egg beater. Others had "pleaure enhancing" attachments shaped like hummingbirds, rabbits, bulls, and flowers! This next part is for the lawyers out there: I found out these items had weird animal shapes (instead of a more practical, boring shape) for purposes of customs classification. Yep, that's right. The LAW put that hummingbird on your sex toy. It can be transported through customs more easily as a "novelty item" than as a regular sex toy. But it can't be classified as a novelty item without something unusual- like a hummingbird. Bet you didn't know that!

I survived the party and even walked away with a leftover penis cupcake for my husband- ok, he didn't get that excited about it. It was fun to hang out with a bunch of girls and just enjoy some good female company. Of course, being seven months pregnant, I was the spectacle of the night. I'm getting tired of being oogled, stared at and asked a million questions because of my pregnancy. But I felt safe and cozy in my cousin-in-law's house with a bunch of fun girls, even when they all wanted to feel up my belly- ok, so there WAS inappropriate touching- I lied.

I think I even convinced the Romance Consultant that next time she tries to sell "Coochy Cream" (real name of product, I swear) to a pregnant woman, she should throw in a free hand mirror.

Help From The Dr. Moms Out There

I have this awful pain on the right side of my stomach- just to the right and a little above my belly button. I can't figure out what it is or how to make it go away. I feel fine in the mornings but as each day progresses, the pain starts to materialize.

I asked my doctor and she said "it's normal" OF COURSE and then she said "it's probable the muscles in your stomach stretching and it will probably get worse before you deliver."

Ok, BUT it's only on ONE side. I have muscles all over my stomach, why do they only hurt in ONE spot. It's not that the baby is kicking me more there. AND, I can't let it get worse. Sometimes it's so bad that it makes me cry. It's just awful. My doctor didn't offer any advice about relieving or soothing the pain. This is the only pregnancy discomfort I have but it's bad enough to fill in for the back pain, swollen feet, ligament pain, headaches, etc, that I don't have!

Has anyone else felt this? It's driving me crazy!

Baby Names: There Could Be Hope

My favorite baby boy's name is Henry. I love it. It's classic and strong and I think it's even making a come back recently. But my husband never seemed crazy about it. I think his first reply when I told him I liked that name was, "meh."

So I took the name and stored it in the very back of my mind and at the bottom of my hopes. I thought that maybe I could talk my husband into using that name for our second son, a couple years down the road.

Since then we have talked about the name Nicholas. I love the name Cole and Husband thought Nicholas was nice- (Cole is an alternative nickname for Nicholas). Then I started having second thoughts about the name. One day my husband randomly brought up the name Jacob. I fell in love with Jacob immediately. I was satisfied that we had picked "the one" and started to call the baby Jacob.

THEN my indecisive husband threw Benjamin into the mix. We had discussed it before and both agreed that we liked it. We talked about using it for a future kid or as a middle name. But my husband found out that a recently married couple we know also like the name and he's determined to use it first. Typical guy-competativeness thing I guess.

So we had gone from Nicholas to Jacob to Benjamin. I stopped telling people that we had a name picked out because it seems to change as often as the gas prices in our city. We both decided that we would wait to see what Baby Palmer looked like before settling on a name for sure. I guess that's smart. I have this little delusion that he will pop out and we will stare into his eyes for the firt time and exclaim, "he looks like a [insert baby name]."

Then this morning, I started talking about our list of baby names when my husband suddenly says, "Now I kind of like the name Henry. Yeah. Henry Palmer sounds nice."

I started feeling warm and tingly and my breath caught deep in my chest. "Yeah it does sound nice." I'm just so excited that the name Henry is even a possibility -- I almost don't care that Husband only likes it because he thinks it was his idea all along.

Anxious

My belly seems to get bigger everyday. I'm a little concerned. I mean I still have two months to go and at the rate it's growing, forget waddling, I will have to roll up and down the streets. I'm ok with my body right now as it is. I wish I could make the growing stop! But I guess my baby needs to put on some fat, so ok, maybe I'll tolerate it.

I have so much do to in two months: for example- take a birthing class, register at the hospital, finish panting baby's room, buy a car seat, wash the new baby clothes, pack a hospital bag and convince my husband he likes the boy's name I like the most. Oh, dang, I almost forgot about diapers- I need to buy diapers. I didn't get ANY at my baby shower!

At least I don't have time to think about what will actually happen once I get to the hospital. I'm purposefully NOT trying to think about it. I just think about how wonderful it will be when my baby is actually here.

I had another OB appointment . They called last week and asked to change the appointment for a time later in the day. No problem. Then this morning, they ask if I can come in as soon as possible. Ok, still no problem, I understand my doctor has to schedule last minute c-sections. But when I get to the hospital early, they just make me wait around forever. That pisses me off. I went in at 10:30 and they took me to an exam room where I waited for almost an hour for my doctor to come in!

Before the doctor came in I started to get hungry. Then I started to think about the shot they were going to give me. I think the combination had an effect on me because I started to feel light headed and nauseous. Ok, I thought, I'll just put my head between my knees. Too bad I only got about halfway there before my big belly got in the way. So much for that idea. I ran out to tell the nurse I was feeling sick. She helped me lie down and propped up my feet. Seriously, they must think I'm such a wuss. I bet they're dreading the day I go into labor.

My doctor finally comes in. She does the routine stuff and asks if I have any questions. I shake my head "no." I learned long ago that all questions only lead to one answer, "that's normal."

"I can't poop"
"That's normal"
"I can't breathe"
"Normal"
"I get really bad side aches."
"Normal, probably because you can't poop"
"I poop too much"
"Normal- just hormones."
"I get fainty"
"That's normal"
"I'm bleeding marbles out of my eyeballs"
"Completely normal"

It's a little bit frustrating. So I learned to stop complaining. If I ever do have anything serious, I wouldn't know because I'd assume it's as normal as everything else.

Upgraded To Associate, Kind Of

I haven't had to think about law school for five weeks! It's been such a nice break. The summer before my 1L year, I started my first law school class- criminal law. Since then, law school has been the constant focus of my life, even during summer when I took summer courses.

Now it's odd to have a break. I don't even have to THINK about school until the end of November when I register for classes for January. It's not full relief and leisure though- because I know I have to go back eventually and when I do, it's not going to be so easy. I'll still be commuting 1.5 hours each way, but I'll also have a baby to take care of. While part of me is dreading to go back, the other part of me can't wait. I love being a student. I love chosing classes. I love first days of school. I love organizing notes and learning new things.

But I'm still in no rush. I love my job more than I love school I think. (definately the paycheck part!).

Yesterday I was just about to run up to my boss' office and beg him to assign me a new project (it's been a little slow lately) when he saunters right into my own office. I can always hear him coming from halfway down the hall. He has a super loud voice and he is so animated when he talks. He is either telling an almost unbelievable story, sharing a ridiculous thing that a client or opposing counsel did, or joking with an associate. Either way, his loud laughter or profanities usually enter my office before he does.

I hear him go into the office of the associate next door. He closes the door but through the wall I can hear him strategizing with the associate on a case. I hear him pelt one f-bomb after another. He never directs them at anyone, he just like to use the word when he's heated up. Yikes.

Then he walks into my office. I see he's wearing a collared shirt, jeans and his favorite pair of cowboy boots. He's always smiling it seems, even when things are hectic. So he tells me he has an assignment for me. A case actually. Seems like all the associates are swamped so the partners decided to give me my own case. OMG. I'm so excited. As he's explaining the depth of my responsibilities I'm trying really hard not to beam from ear to ear. My mind starts spinning with opportunity and ways I can prove myself.

Not until he leaves and a legal secretary drops a 30 pound stack of papers on my desk does it really sink in how much responsibility this is. Turns out the case involves a 300,000+ demand settlement and we're on the defense. I have A LOT of work to do...

Adventures, Compliments of Baby Bump

I went to the supermarket yesterday to satiate an intense need for chocolate. I walked down the candy aisle and carefully, after much consideration and debate, settled on a milk chocolate and toffee Symphony bar (i.e. I scoured the aisle for sympthony bars, greedily wrapped my hands around two and threw them excitedly in my handbasket).

I turned around to leave, quite satisfied, when my purse knocked over a box of M&Ms. Perhaps that was their way of getting back at me for abandoning them this week? A few packets of M&Ms went flying all over the floor. Great. Just when bending over is becoming difficult, I start to become more clutsy. (This weekend, I also dropped a gasoline pump on the pavement after I pulled it out of my car).

Ok. I took a deep breath, spread my legs wider apart and tried to crouch over to pick up the nearest bag without falling over or losing the contents of my handbasket. My fingertips brushed the very top of the paper. I reached a little farther and with a bit more extending of the arms and a bit more grunting, I finally catch it between my outstretched fingers! Ok, now the hard back the journey upward. Somehow in the process of trying to stand up, the M&M packet slipped out of my fingers and onto the floor, where it joined a dozen of its friends.

That did it. I looked up and down the aisle. Seeing no witnesses, I quickly fled the crime scene.

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one trip to the grocery store, when I got back in my car to drive home I realized I forgot sandwhich bags! I ALWAYS do that! Remember something I need when I'm driving away. So I ran back into the store but on the way in I was stopped by a man with shaggy hair hanging around the entrance.

He looked at me and without hesitating asked, "Do you have an extra cigarette I can borrow?"

Um...I have a basketball sized baby belly which is unmistakable and this guy is asking if I have a cigarette?! Well, to be honest, it's not too surprising for the city in which I live. Still, I don't think I look like the type of person who smokes at seven months pregnant...and if I did, do you think I would admit it to a total stranger?!

Repaying Debts

Literally.

I got my first paycheck last week from my new employer. The biggest single paycheck of my life. I could really get used to this full time employment thing.

Now I can FINALLY pay my bills, credit cards, and library fines. I hate the feeling of owing money. I hate that it looms over me like a big black cloud. Most of all, I hate living paycheck to paycheck while my credit card balance grows fatter. I was spoiled when I was still a dependant and my parent's medical insurance covered EVERYTHING. Ugh. No one tells you about the bills you begin to accumulate as a result of becoming pregnant.

But with my paycheck I was finally able to clear most of my debts (aside from the obvious and enormous law school tuition). Surprisingly, doing so almost feels as good as if I would have bought myself a brand new laptop or some other fun toy.

The past two days I have been getting missed calls from an 800 number. Whomever they were, they called me eight times in a 30 hour time period but never left a message even once. It was driving me insane! Apparently, they were one of the number of businesses or medical care providers that I owed money because after I paid all my bills, the calling stopped.

I feel so much lighter now. It's amazing. I think I'll go out and buy some chocolate. And pay cash for it!

Regarding Things That Are Growing: Baby Bump & Love

Nope, I don't waddle yet. When do pregnant people start to waddle? I expected to be at that stage already with just 2.5 months to go.

When I got pregnant, I read all the horrors that abound and plague people during pregnancy. I'm still quite amazed that I feel so great. It's a little awkward to bend over, tie shoes, pick up renegade skittles off the floor- but other than that, I feel normal. Oh yeah, except the expanding bulge at my waist.

And this baby kicks me all the time. It's funny to feel and watch as parts of his body circle my belly in the form of a lump, much like a shark circles a boat in cartoons. I always feel him moving around like crazy after I eat. He is mostly good and doesn't bother me at night when I'm sleeping.

People are really nice. Even strangers. They let me in the elevator first. They smile as I pass. They are extra vigilent about opening doors for me. Just as long as they don't tell me I "glow" because then I start to worry that I might be sweating or something.

I'm just so anxious to meet this little baby. I can't believe we will be growing our family by one more. I'm so excited to have someone else to take care of and love. Right now my life is already so full of love and I know the love you have for your own baby is just simply enormous. I can't fathom having so much love in my life. I can't begin to grasp or understand how much I will love everything about this baby. I have no special expectations for him to meet beyond the fact that he will exist. That's all it takes for me to love him.

Fitting In

It's sometimes difficult to focus when I'm at work. It's mostly because the office is full of.... "colorful" personalities.

I have my own office and I can shut the door whenever I want to but I hesistate to do that because I'm still trying to get to know people. It's hard enough when my assignments don't require any kind of human interaction. I can basically hide in my office all day and sit in front of my computer. So if I shut the door, I feel like no one would come say "hi" and I couldn't partake in the wonderful excitment created by my peers.

The two paralegals outside my office usually turn on their radio while they work. Sometimes they grace the office with sounds from Paula Abdul, Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie and yes, even Brittany Spears.

Today I discovered that the male paralegal has quite a special talent. He can lisp on command. He proceeded to talk (and even SNEEZE) in a lisp all morning. The amusement wore off about thirty minutes into it but I was practically rolling on the floor with laughter for the first part of my morning.

Two weeks ago, this man- a thin, wiry gay man- took a $75 bribe to attempt to grow a mustache. It took the entire two weeks but finally his upper lip grew some facial hair. When one of the attorneys filled it out with mascara from her purse and put a sombrero on his head (I have NO IDEA why there is a sombrero at our firm) he looked quite comical. Last Friday some people met in the conference room after work for a "Going Away Party" for the mustache. Apparently the ten minute shin-dig was complete with booze and dancing.

Then there is the lawyer with the office right next to mine. I can usually hear him answering his phone one of the following ways: "lay it on me" or "wuz up." When he isn't working furiously behind closed doors, he spends half of the day making random comments in his best Sean Connery accent. It's pretty close to the real thing. Sometimes I think Sean Connery has taken up residency next door.

So far, I'm the quiet one. I haven't found a way to break into their little conversations or amuse them with my own talents yet. I have to walk by the paralegals everytime I go to the bathroom or to lunch, but I can never think of anything interesting to say. Ugh. I feel like I'm back in highschool trying to fit in.

With the attorneys, it's another matter. I have no problem finding something to talk about. Two associates took me out to lunch last week and I had a great time. They were as nerdy as me!

Man attorney: "do you find yourself correcting other people's writing everywhere you go? For example, this menu has a misplaced modifier."
Woman attorney: "my pet peeve is the incorrect use of a plural possessive"

OMG, I BELONG HERE.

The Waiting Game

It's the time of year when grades start to trickle in. A solitary grade magically appears on my transcript one day. Another day or two passes before it is joined by another. This drags on untill all grades are slowly and finally revealed. It's a nerve racking phenomenon. Why can't professors just end our torture on one day?

I have four out of my six grades to date. I really can't believe it. This semester I got pregnant, surfed baby websites instead of doing homework, skipped half of my classes, slept through the other half, failed to complete even HALF of the reading assignments, then crammed like crazy the two weeks before finals. And so far (fingers crossed), this is my best semester yet!

So far, the less I care about grades and classes, the better I do. Either I've learned how to better and more efficiently prepar for exams, or I've learned how to bullsh*t my way through it all. I don't really care which it is, as long as the grades keep coming in the way they have been.

Unrelated note: I watched the movie The Firm last night. I was really looking forward to it because I read the book last week. The book was really good. The movie....sucked a big fat one. I didn't exactly mind that the plot differed significantly towards the end (ok, maybe I did) or the outdated fashion and furniture, what mostly got to me was the poorly delivered lines, that it moved too quickly through the plot and how freakishly boring it was.

The book is a thriller, a nail biter. I read it in three days. But during the movie, I was trying not to fall asleep. Ok and the ending DID make me mad. It didn't follow the book AT ALL. I thought the book had a great ending and I hate the fact that Tom Cruise was able to find a legal "happily ever after" way out. It was just ridiculous and unbelievable. The book was more disturbing (in a good way) and kept you guessing.

Small Things I Learned Today

Never eat chex mix you found on the floor. It may look delicious but its probably stale and covered in dust. Don't ask me how I know.

Never walk into a mini mart when you’re hungry. You will end up buying a king size package of Reeses peanut butter cups, a box of cheezits, a package of grated cheese, and bag of skittles.

Never sweat when you’re pregnant. People won’t stop telling you how much you “glow.”

Never marry a man. Men fart. Men are proud of their farts. Like the ability to fart loudly is some coveted skill. Disgusting.

Practicing Being A Lawyer

This week I really got a taste of what it feels like to be a lawyer. And...Gasp! I LIKE it. I really really do!

This is my third week at the new job. My first week I was pretty much a scared intern. Hiding in my little office. Huddling under the preoccupation of a zillion research projects. Last week I turned in my first legal memo. The scariest moment of my job so far. See, my boss is managing partner. And he has self proclaimed himself the toughest critic of legal writing and the "best damned legal writer in the firm." He also uses 2 inch think red sharpies to edit things- if that's not intimidating, I don't know what is.

I came out with singed eyebrows and minor scorch marks, but no burns. I can handle this! Apparently my legal citations are a little rusty. For legal writing I always avoided citations that required me to look to the Blue Book. Or I simply asked my professor and nodded as she showed me the proper citation, having no idea how she got there. But I'm becoming sharp now- honing my skills.

This week I also had to review my billing with my boss. Ugh, I like keeping track of my hours and trying to beat my own records for billing but I HATE how picky and exact you have to be. If I could only bill for the time it takes me to keep track of my billing.... I also I drafted a Motion to Compel. Is it just me or is drafting pleading the most satisfying thing in the world? I mean, that is really where your work and research pays off. And a Judge (or a clerk) will read every single word (hopefully)! Pleadings are like the official moves a warlord commands when he is in a high-stakes battle. They're part of the final products of your work and they are what you use to get your client what he or she needs.

Other lawyer experiences involved pulled big expandable files for cases and reading them front to end. Also, being included in developing strategies for trial and discovery. But, to top it all off, I worked late tonight! Nothing makes you feel more like a lawyer than staying after 5pm to finish a project with a tight deadline and billing more than eight hours in one day. I'm sure the novelty will eventually wear off, but for now, I am really enoying this profession. IT makes all my effort in law school seem worth every all-nighter.

I think I am already at risk for becoming a work-aholic lawyer.

Reading For Fun?! Who Woulda Thought.

The best part of my job is the commute. Ok, it's the exact same commute that I dreaded all semester long, but somehow 2 hours of ferry travel are so much more pleasant when it's a nice summer day and when I can read fun books instead of law books.

I used to be a huge reader. I distinctly remember one time in eigth grade when it was time to switch rooms, I walked down the hall WHILE reading a book. Everyone thought I was such a nerd. Frankly, I don't blame them. No wonder I had no non-imaginary friends. But through the tedium of highschool, the intense required reading of my undergrad days and the unparalelled torure of my first year of law school, "reading for fun" was uncomprehensible. I picked up a number of books for fun but never got halfway through a single one of them.

Somehow, I snapped out of it last summer- thanks to a handful of amazing novels. I managed to finish five books then, lazing in the summer sun after work. I read Kite Runner, Life of Pi, Namesake, Nectar Through a Sieve and a book titled Jasmine. The last three books dealt with the same theme- my favorite reading topic: life in South Asia or the experience of South Asian immigrants, transplants and their children dealing with culture differences in America.

This summer I'm already tackling my reading list. After the first week at my new job I had already finished two books. The first was A Thousand Splendid Suns. It was simply great. A literary masterpiece. I was pretty doubtful going into it because I loved the Kite Runner and didn't think it could be beat. Boy was I wrong. A Thousand Splendid Suns was amazing. I was captivated the whole way through. The end of this book was also more satisfying than the Kite Runner. I was not expecting a happy ending because the entire book, everything was going wrong for the characters. I know that nothing I read this summer will top this book.

My second book was The Beach and it was not that good. I only read it because my husband insisted. He loved it but I found it boring and slow. There were good moments and the author did some interesting things with the writing but it just didn't do it for me. The ending was kind of a let down. I was expecting the plot to lead up to something explosive. But it just trailed off. Plus, the whole video games, drug, backpacking culture wasn't my thing.

Last week I read Jhumpa Lahiri's new book, Unaccustomed Earth. I love her and have been waiting for this book for a long time. She captures human character so well. It's hard to imagine that she is writing fiction because her style is so detailed and exact and yet elegant and simple. She is a beautiful writer. The only bad part is that the book is a collection of short stories. I get so caught up in the characters that it's a little disappointed that their stories end after just 70 pages.

Last week I also read The Firm. I figured it was about time I started to read some of the good legal fiction that's out there. It's a pretty intense book. I hung onto every word of that book and plowed quickly through the chapters. I kept forgetting that I wasn't Mitch McDeere myself that I wasn't in his helplessly doomed situation. This thriller was so engaging, I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read some more of John Grisham, good thing his work takes up a whole shelf at the book store, I know I wont be bored this summer!

So four books in two weeks. Pretty good considering I only read a total of five last summer. I'm on a roll, I must be making up for all that lost time. All I want to do it get lost into a really good plot and get to know some more interesting characters. I think I'm addicted to reading again.