Un-wined of the Week - This One's a Freebie

This week's wine is:

Domaine Alfred Pinot Noir

2006

I didn't actually choose the wine this week.  It was chosen for me, as it was the red wine served at my husband's firm event last evening.  It was nothing spectacular.  It was fine - full bodied, yet subdued, and non-teeth staining, despite its darker than normal color.  It went down easy.  A little too easy, in fact, as I ended the night on the dance floor - at a LAW FIRM summer event.  Never a good idea.  

Overall rating - 5/10

Some Summer Extravagance

In this blog I've detailed many of the things I miss (and don't miss) about being at a large law firm. The prestige, the pay, the use of an education, etc.  One thing I haven't talked about - the summers.

For any non-lawyer readers, law students (if they are lucky) typically spend the summer before their graduation as a "summer associate" at large law firms, with the assumption they will receive an offer for a full time offer upon completion.

This summer is full of long hours, stress, and pressure to see if you can really hack it as a lawyer.   (Actually, I'm completely kidding.)

These summers basically involve throwing a ridiculous amount of money at law students, some of whom have never had a real job, and none of whom are yet qualified.  In a nutshell, they do make work, have a three course lunch at a nice restaurant every day, and attend weekly happy hours, dinners, Broadway shows, cooking classes, segway tours, boat cruises, sporting events, cocktail parties, dance lessons, and anything else you can think of that involves alcohol and a measure of fun.  The only rule?  Don't get too drunk.  When this rule is broken, it usually is not pretty (to see some of the best summer associate drunken mishaps from back in the day, click here).  As a full time associate (aka, adult with a real job), you can still partake in these activities.  Though lets be honest, work usually gets in the way.

Pic of the Week - Surprise!

I have to be honest.  I was a bit stumped as to what photo I should use for the pic of the week today.  I decided to wait to post until I was inspired.  Little did I know, inspiration would come knocking on my door.  Literally.  

This morning a dear friend and her son came over for a playdate.  We were hanging out in the basement, when I decided to run upstairs to get some snacks for the kids.  I glanced at our front yard from the kitchen and did a double take.  This is what I saw.

Um, yeah, there is a large backhoe in my front yard digging up my lawn.  (Are you impressed with my knowledge of the term, "backhoe"?  I learned it from Braden).

I went outside and said something like, "Um, I live here.  Can you tell me what you are doing?"  Okay, maybe there was a curse word or two in there.  I can't remember.

Vacation Breakdown

Our vacation is now officially over.  Back to 100 degree DC humidity, bills, doctor's appointments, 5pm phone calls to my husband to ascertain his time of departure, and the forceful limitation of my alcohol consumption.

Sigh.

Real life will start soon.  For today, I'm going to bask in the reflection of my two week break.  Here's my vacation breakdown:

- Amount of money spent on vacation - Not yet assessed, but way too much.
- Number of pounds lost in crazy diet prior to vacation - 5
- Number of pounds gained on vacation - 3
- Likelihood that I will just accept this new weight rather than return to crazy pre-vacation diet - Likely.
- Sunny day to rainy day ratio - 14 sunny days/ 1 rainy day.
- The number of times the Cape Cod Gods have blessed me with amazing weather:  this summer, last summer, and our wedding in 2006.  I really am due for a hurricane one of these years.
- Average number of alcoholic beverages consumed each night of vacation - I'd rather not say.
- Average number of nights I would suggest we go to sleep early, but we'd stay up late drinking wine anyway - I'd rather not say.
- Average hours of sleep per night while on vacation - about 6.  It gets light in Cape Cod at effing 4 in the morning.  Why?  Why?
- Kids' milestones met whilst on vacation - Casey crawling, Casey pulling up, Casey clapping, Braden spending an impressive 45 minutes at his first movie and only asking to go to the potty 4 times in that time period.
- Paleness of skin on a level of 1-10 prior to vacation - 1
- Paleness of skin on a level of 1-10 after vacation - 1
- Number of times someone commented on the paleness of my skin after my vacation - 1, by my father in law, approximately 30 seconds after seeing me.
- Number of times I was asked my occupation while on vacation - 3
- Number of times I prefaced my answer with, "I recently quit my job as an attorney." - 3
- Likelihood that this answer will change in the near future - Very low
- Number of mean comments received on this blog over vacation - 1 (on the Betty post, very below the belt and not worth repeating).
- Number of comments deleted over vacation - 1
- Blog makeovers during vacation - 1 (it is still in progress - probably to be completed tomorrow, with darker font.  Do you all like it?)
- Number of votes on the Circle of Moms Top 25 family blog - 144 (and currently in 11th place!  If you want to be super nice you can vote for me here.)
- Number of times I pondered having a third child - several.
- Number of times my husband told me to shut up about it - every time.
- Number of doctor's appointments for myself on first day home after my vacation - 2
- Description of appointments - bone density scan and psychiatrist appointment
- Ricidulousness of being reminded of my ailing body and mental health immediately upon my return from vacation - Very high.
- Days before next vacation - 63
- Destination of next vacation - Santa Barbara, for a wedding - just my husband and I.
- Excitement level for a wedding in California with just my husband - Extremely high
- Overall rating of Cape Cod vacation - 10/10
- Likelihood anything in life is better than a vacation with two adorable boys and an awesome husband - None

Until next time.

The Best Video Ever

There will be no long, thought provoking post today.  Today is our last day of vacation, and I want to spend as little time on the computer as possible and relish every last moment in Cape Cod!  And pack.  And take Braden to go see Cars 2.

So, I figured I'd give you something far better than I could ever write.  Ladies and Gentleman, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps has come out with a new music video.  Kelly Killoren Bensimon and Jill Zarin also make an appearance.

The result is nothing short of phenomenal.  Watch it multiple times.  It gets better with each viewing.

Un-wined of the Week - The Big Bitch

When my husband arrived in Cape Cod on Saturday, he made a liquor store run to make sure we were well stocked on wine for the week.  He came back with six or so bottles (we have hosted a couple of family dinners, so not all the wine was for just us!).  Most of the bottles were in in the $12-$18 dollar range, and seemed to be decent.

But then there was the big bitch.

What is a "big bitch" you may ask?  A big bitch is one of those magnum bottles of wine.  You know, the ones that are the equivalent of two bottles and are generally cheap and mediocre at best.  It is just a small step above box wine, in my opinion.  The big bitch he selected was:

Woodbridge Merlot by Robert Mondavi
California, 2009

Last night we went to have a glass of wine before bed and realized that the aforementioned bottle was the only one left.   Ugh.  We each had one glass.  My review is as follows:

This wine is just disgusting.  Flat.  Cough syrup like.  Teeth staining.  Very bitter finish.  After a half glass, I could almost feel the headache coming on.  There really isn't much more to say.  Except that at this stage in my life, I shouldn't be drinking big bitch wine anymore, unless it is at some BBQ where someone else is providing the wine and I'm just trying to get drunk instead of enjoying my beverage.

Overall rating - 2/10

Something Between a Midlife and Quarter-life Crisis

It's not a quarter-life crisis.  Assuming I live to be a hundred (which is questionable given my unhealthy eating habits), the quarter-life crisis was seven years ago.  And its not a midlife crisis either - I thankfully am still quite a ways off from fifty.  I'm not sure there's a term for what I'm "in" now.  Maybe it's because most people don't have a "crisis" at this time in their lives?

I'm not really in crisis.  But after you read this post, you may think otherwise.

I am seriously considering getting a tattoo.

Weird, right?  This idea had come and gone for me around the age of 22.  I thought it was over.  But since the idea's new inception, it is mustering and lingering and gaining momentum.

Where did this idea come from?  Our neighborhood pool.

Pic of the Week - Swinging

Not as in the adult type of swinging.

As in the look at these two boys could they be any more adorable swinging next to each other kind of swinging.

Is It Really Worth It?

Last week a friend of mine forwarded me an article from Above the Law, regarding the recent death of a Skadden associate.  (To view the article, click here.)

It really is such a tragic story.  In a nutshell, a senior associate putting in insane hours died of a heart attack last week.  It is not yet apparent what the cause of the heart attack was, but it has brought up a lot of discussion about her work and stress level prior to the time she died.

The article is written by Elie Mystal, the editor of the Above the Law site.  He usually writes satirical articles or witty commentary, but this article is sincere, personal, and incredibly written.  He reflects on his own experience at biglaw working long hours.  An excerpt:

"On one case, a senior associate on the team . . . passed out in the office - right in the middle of the conference room everybody was working in . . . .  We had to call an ambulance and everything.  And when they carted her away, the rest of us went right back to work - because that's the mentality that had brought us through law school and into a job like that in the first place . . . .   When my colleague collapsed, I didn't think, 'Wow, there are limits.'  I thought: 'Oh nonononono, we're a man down.  I'm going to have to work even harder now.'"

Dear Husband

Dear Husband,

We are so excited for you to join us in Cape Cod tomorrow.  You deserve a vacation.  You have worked hard, long hours.  Your deal has now closed.  And though the kids have missed you this week, I can tell you that no one has missed you more than me.  I can't wait for you to really hunker down and get into our vacation routine.  Since you haven't been here this week, I wanted to give you a list of the things that you can look forward to taking over upon your arrival: