Law Students

Save the Monkey

Posted on May 28, 2009
Dan and I showed Becca Aladdin a couple days ago. She only noticed two characters, though. Becca: Monkey! MONKEY! Me: Becca, who's this? (Points to Rajah the tiger.) Becca: Grrrrr. (Aladdin and Abu get in big trouble in the Cave...

Justice Sotomayor

Posted on May 26, 2009
Let the old dudes with the talking points insist that being moved by biography proves we don?t care about intellect and that we should avert our eyes from inspiration based on identity. Today I saw a biracial president nominate a...

It's Time

Posted on May 24, 2009
Bleh....I've been avoiding this for months (and stalling on publishing this post for 3 days), but in about a week, I'm going to password protect Peanut Butter Burrito. I'm not moving to another address, I'm just putting up a little...

Baby Love

Posted on May 20, 2009
I was hanging out on the couch with Becca tonight, who was nearing her bedtime, meaning she wasn't running around the living room hollering and spinning in circles. It was just us girls because it's budget time at the State...

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Pre-Born

Posted on May 18, 2009
Let me take a break from my usual subjects to talk about everyone's favorite water-cooler subject: abortion! No, actually, this is just a criticism about political buzzwords. What is going on with some parts of the pro-life community using the...

Haircut Airlines

Posted on May 16, 2009
After a couple of home trims, which I don't have any talent for, we finally took Becca for a real haircut. We figured we might as well go all out and take her to one of those goofy kid places...

RBG

Posted on May 14, 2009
At jail (or in the car) all day yesterday. In court this morning. I've been doing a little of everything, and it feels like the list of weird things I might be doing keeps getting bigger. Today I added reviewing...

Drop in the Ocean

Posted on May 14, 2009
Today I got the loveliest letter from one of my detained clients, thanking me not for winning his case, but merely for filing a habeas in federal court. Some nice correctional officer must have let him loose on the word...

Mother's Day Hijinks

Posted on May 11, 2009
Thanks for the Mother's Day wishes. It was a pretty uneventful weekend - pancakes, Thai food, heated discussion about what we've been learning about mortgages, fees, and yield spread premiums. I got a pedicure at the mall and let the...

Back in the Saddle

Posted on May 09, 2009
Today Dan and Becca took me out for Mother's Day pancakes, at my request. I have a weird thing about not liking to go out to eat for a holiday ON that holiday because I am convinced the crush of...

Suddenly For Sale

Posted on May 07, 2009
For those of you who haven't seen this elsewhere: The Norton short fiction anthology that I'm included in is available for pre-order, and I stumbled across the listing and the gorgeous cover art a few days ago. The description of...

Pink

Posted on May 06, 2009
Yesterday evening I got off the T in Harvard Square and saw a tall white guy in a button-down shirt, shorts, loafers without socks, and a backwards baseball cap. I rolled my eyes, but whatever. Then I realized he was...

Milk

Posted on May 01, 2009
Dan went on a quick trip to the supermarket last night and bought a tiny chocolate cake for us to have after dinner. Then he went into the little wine shop attached to the supermarket. He stared at a few...

Problem Solved

Posted on April 29, 2009
It took a couple days, but I fixed the case I messed up. I went in my boss's office and told her it was solved, and then I teared up because I am a big baby. I had learned about...

Cars and Trucks

Posted on April 27, 2009
When I picked up Becca at daycare today, she grinned at me, but then toddled over to climb aboard a baby-sized truck. The daycare provider said, "Oh, she loves cars and trucks." For whatever reason, this made me really happy....

Being A Grownup Is Scary

Posted on April 24, 2009
Today was a day that reminded me that I am really a mother and a lawyer, and those are pretty powerful jobs. At work, something unfortunate happened in a case that I can't get into that was partly my fault,...

Skinny Baby

Posted on April 19, 2009
An update for those who follow for baby news: At 15 months, Becca is 31 inches tall and doesn't quite weigh 21 pounds. The pediatrician isn't worried about her, but did say she should gain weight and recommended we feed...

Help Wanted

Posted on April 13, 2009
The recession's hitting the legal market as hard as any other sector, and from inside my organization, I'm seeing it in all different ways. Our 3L interns looking for public interest jobs still haven't found any. Our former intern who...

Happy Passover and Easter

Posted on April 11, 2009
I've been meaning to blog about this for a month, but Dan and I have gone to a Reform Jewish temple for Shabbat services a few times lately. After a lot of waffling about whether or not he wants to...

Weekend Off

Posted on April 06, 2009
OK, here's something that's not about a national quiz show or money: My mom was here all weekend and today, which meant I took an extra day off work and bummed around town with her, including trips to Dan's workplace...

Easing Back In

Posted on April 01, 2009
I've been trying to blog about something other than THE MONEY for a few days, and it's harder than I thought. Part of it is that we've been in a flurry of paying off loans and figuring out our taxes...

Uncle Merv Griffin's Money

Posted on March 29, 2009
A few people have asked the big question: How are we spending the money? I'd definitely want to know if you won that kind of money, so I thought it was only fair to share, since we've been happily discussing...

And Then...

Posted on March 28, 2009
Monopoly bank error in our favor? Giant glitch in B of A tracking software? Decent Photoshop job? It's almost impossible to believe it's not. The check came yesterday. And everything changed, again. I....ACK!! It's been kind of a weird week,...

Jeop Cake

Posted on March 26, 2009
From our Tuesday watch party. How marvelous is this? Thanks to the multi-talented Wendy. I promise to post actual thoughts and stuff this weekend. We've heard that TOC checks come right away, so we're trying to mentally hold it together...

I KNOW

Posted on March 24, 2009
He won. I know. 18 months ago, I thought he was going to come in 3rd in his first game and go away with $1000 and a fun experience. But. He didn't. He won 9 games. 3 1/2 months ago...

Dan on Jeopardy: TOC FINALS

Posted on March 23, 2009
The Press: Gloucester Times: Jeopardy champ? A couple blog posts: The Thicket (blog of the Nat'l Conference of State Legislatures) and Kitten a Go-Go (expressing the theory that Dan is 'part robot') The Preview: What's left to say? It's go...

Star Sightings

Posted on March 22, 2009
Last time Dan was on Jeopardy, he only got recognized a couple times in public, including by a bus driver who wanted to know why he was still bothering with mass transit. Ha! This time around, his fan base has...

How's Work?

Posted on March 21, 2009
...you might ask? The quick roundup: It's really good. On the tough side, my supervisor is going on maternity leave SOON, so I'll kind of be running our side of operations and our joint cases over the summer. There's also...

Dan on Jeopardy: TOC Semifinals

Posted on March 18, 2009
The Press: Gloucester Times: Tarr aide advances in 'Jeopardy' champs tourney Cape Ann Beacon: UPDATE: Tarr legislative aide moves ahead on 'Jeopardy' The Preview: Sometimes casual Jeopardy watchers assume that the show purposely tailors the categories toward the contestants, or...

14 Months

Posted on March 15, 2009
Becca is 14 months old today. She likes to walk around the house hugging things. She also likes to take objects out of the pantry and the recycling. Sometimes these interests combine... She's my funny, joyful, curious, and (mostly) mellow...

Ask the Champion

Posted on March 14, 2009
I asked Dan to write "a few lines" about why he made such a small bet ($201) in his quarterfinal game, since a couple people have asked, and he got a little carried away, but I'm going to post the...

Dan on Jeopardy: TOC Quarterfinals

Posted on March 10, 2009
The Press:-Jeopardy.com: Tournament of Champions site, full of photos and awkward interview clips!-Boston Herald Inside Track: We Hear... (small item in their entertainment blog where they call his boss a Rep. instead of Sen. (HERESY!) and get his winnings wrong...

The 2009 Jeopardy TOC Field Preview

Posted on March 08, 2009
It's HERE! Yay! Regular PBB programming will not be suspended, but will be limited for the extensive Jeopardy coverage you all seemed to tolerate well enough last year. So it seemed right to start by telling you who's playing in...

Civic Duty

Posted on March 05, 2009

Neato Writing Update, and Links

Posted on March 01, 2009

Curiouser and Curiouser

Posted on February 25, 2009
Last weekend Dan, his brother, and I took Becca to the Museum of Science. It didn't hurt that they had a nearly-complete triceratops skeleton, which Dan enjoyed much more than his daughter did. She was too young for most things,...

Frustration

Posted on February 24, 2009
I'm not going to write the 5000-word post I probably could write, but the current national conviction that Obama's homeowner rescue plan rewards nothing but "bad behavior" is making me apoplectic. I feel like as of a few weeks ago,...

Vocabulary

Posted on February 24, 2009
On a light note, I didn't post a Becca letter for turning 13 months old, since I told myself I didn't have to, but as a memento, here's a list of her complete vocabulary at this particular moment in time....

Name Changes

Posted on February 21, 2009
I just found out that one of my favorite-named organizations ever, Stop Prisoner Rape, changed their name to Just Detention International. What a disappointment. The new name is OK, but sounds like it could be a private prison company or...

Work Goals

Posted on February 19, 2009
Stolen from CM. I have the luxury/curse of a fixed amount of time in this job - 18 months more, to be exact - so it seems smart to remind myself what the goals are: Don't let the fact that...

Signs of Affection

Posted on February 17, 2009
Apparently when I was a baby and I couldn't talk, I used to bite my mom on the shoulder. The doctor told her this was because I loved her and couldn't tell her yet. Cute. Dan finds this story adorable....

Big Picture

Posted on February 16, 2009
Recently a couple other bloggers have written about the detail work they have to do in their law firm jobs. And last week my supervisor and I were talking about business immigration, something I've thought about learning at some point,...

More Detention Clippings

Posted on February 11, 2009
The Globe did a nice thorough article on Monday about how much money immigration detention brings to Bristol County, and general concerns about the expansion of detention. My director is quoted in it (and even got an anonymous nasty phone...

Movin' On Down

Posted on February 09, 2009
I talked to my mom yesterday, and she confirmed that she's retiring at the end of next school year. More than 30 years in the L.A. public schools - and not the nicer ones, either. What a career.I don't know...

you're doing it wrong

Posted on February 06, 2009
A few days ago I was feeding Becca her dinner, which was cheese pieces and a vegetable mix of peas, green beans, carrots, corn, and lima beans. She picked out the green beans first, then the peas and carrots and...

Press Clippings

Posted on February 05, 2009
Here are the write-ups on my asylum case, for those who haven't seen them on Facebook:Providence Journal: She finally finds a safe haven (includes video clip!)Via the wires: UPI: U.S. grants asylum to abused woman (contains bizarre factual inaccuracies) SouthCoastToday/AP:...

Insufferable

Posted on February 03, 2009
Last night's episode of How I Met Your Mother involved immi...wait for it...gration law. I missed the first 10 minutes at my panel so Dan had to fill me in before bed.Dan: They brought up Robin marrying a U.S. citizen,...

Rules for Being on Panels

Posted on February 02, 2009
1. Stop talking at some point.That's it. That's the only rule.I have been on a LOT of panels in the last 5 months - I keep volunteering at work, Harvard groups know I'm a sucker for career stuff, and Teach...

The Game's Up, Scarlet

Posted on January 30, 2009
Last week I bought two six-packs: Sam Adams for Dan and Smirnoff Ice for myself, since it'd been a really long time since I had it and I was nostalgic. We drank them over several days, and on Sunday I...

Great Progress

Posted on January 28, 2009
Things are rolling along after Friday's win in court. Yesterday my client got free of the hated, painful electronic ankle bracelet she'd been wearing for six months. She nearly danced a jig. She's getting her work permit and going to...

Baby Becca: Month 12

Posted on January 25, 2009
Dear Becca,Well, kid, we made it, the three of us. I've been writing you one letter a month, explaining your new abilities and favorite things, so that you, Daddy, and I could look back and remember what a joyful, tiring,...

Your Big Chance

Posted on January 24, 2009
This is a public service announcement to remind you that the Jeopardy! online test is next Tuesday (if you live in EST), Wednesday (CST/MST) and Thursday (PST). They only do it once a year, It takes less than 15 minutes,...

Safe

Posted on January 23, 2009
We WON.And then I cried.Not as much as my client did. But that seems right.Remember how I've been writing about how this job takes a lot out of me and I need a win? I got it. Someone is safe....

First Trial

Posted on January 22, 2009
I have been slow about blogging lately (including a 1-year letter for Becca) because of my impending trial tomorrow morning. I called it my first asylum hearing (as opposed to asylum interview, which is in an office instead of a...

Happy Birthday to Me

Posted on January 19, 2009
I may delete this post and repurpose the pictures into Becca's 1 year letter, but I couldn't keep them hidden away until then: The above is what she did as we were all singing to her. No explanation needed.

Ups and Downs

Posted on January 19, 2009
I have my first asylum hearing in court on Friday. I'm going to be ready in the sense that I will know the record and have my questions prepped, but I can't help wishing that I had, oh, watched one...

One Year Old

Posted on January 15, 2009
One year ago: Now: Happy birthday, my sweet monkey.Edit: If you can't see the video, try going here. I don't know why it shows up for some people and says it's too recently uploaded to show up for others. I...

Real Life Returns

Posted on January 12, 2009
We're back from Vegas, jet-lagged, and both buried under work. One day you're drinking at the Wynn's fancy lounge in the middle of the night, and one cramped plane ride later you're doing 3 hours of court prep with a sniffling client, or in Dan's case, staying at work 3 hours later than usual filing bills...

Countdown to Vegas

Posted on January 04, 2009
Last week Dan told our daycare provider that his brother would be doing drop-off and pick-up while we were in Las Vegas. Then he told her why. She seemed puzzled."Jeh-pah-dee? What's that?" she said. (She is a native Chinese speaker,...

A Horse Named Dog

Posted on January 01, 2009
As I've mentioned before, Becca has been "saying" a few words for several weeks, especially "DA-DEE", "HAI!" and the occasional "MUM-MUM" and attempts to mimic something you just said. But they aren't clearly directed at the right object, so we...

Happy 2009!

Posted on January 01, 2009
2008 was a pretty great year for us, what with the winning money on TV, graduating law school, and starting a good job. But the real event of the year was meeting this young lady. Feliz Año Nuevo!

New Superchamp

Posted on December 30, 2008
This guy is big trouble. And not only because after a two-year drought of contestants who could win more than five Jeopardy! games, Jim just became the third in a year to win six or more. He's trouble because he's...

Nochebuena

Posted on December 24, 2008
Today started off pretty great, since I got Dan Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on DVD for the holidays and this morning we watched the all-musical commentary track (best song: Nathan Fillion's "I'm Better than Neil" [Patrick Harris]). I was going...

Happy Hanukkah

Posted on December 21, 2008
Last month I told Dan that now that he has kids, this would be a good time to decide if he wants to teach them Jewish holiday traditions. He thought about this and said, "Yes." So we're officially a Christmas-Hanukkah...

Baby Becca: Month 11

Posted on December 21, 2008
Dear Becca,You're going to be ONE next month. WHAT HAPPENED? I'm only planning to do one more of these letters regularly before I lapse into updates whenever I have time. I can't believe we're getting to the end, and closer...

Orale Hilda!

Posted on December 19, 2008
Both Dan and I have been given a snow day, so while I'm still sick, things are looking up. As a follow-up to my last irritated post, I would like to give BIG UPS to Rep. Hilda Solis for being...

Disgruntled Democrat

Posted on December 18, 2008
Add me to the list of people feeling bent out of shape about the Caroline Kennedy coronation, I mean, possible appointment to the Senate. I'm one of the many who felt inspired and refreshed by Obama's election and what it...

Dosage

Posted on December 16, 2008
I think maybe I just took a maximum strength Sudafed, forgot, and took another. Am I about to go on a wild Sudafed trip? Or more more likely, pass out in the living room while watching a Family Feud rerun?...

JFK and Vietnam

Posted on December 14, 2008
I'd like to read really good books about the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War, and since I always get good recommendations from my readers I'm asking again. The ideal book for each probably doesn't exist, but would be: authoritative...

Crazy Train

Posted on December 12, 2008
Aie! Aie! Aie!This was kind of a lot to handle at the end of a week.On Wednesday I had the most stress-inducing court hearing I could fathom, in which my client was running late on her trek from Providence, RI,...

Words I Thought I Wouldn't Hear For A While

Posted on December 09, 2008
"So about the urine sample, fill this cup, then fill the two tubes about halfway, then throw away the cup."Lovely. I finished the last part of applying for life insurance today, which meant a guy came to my workplace to...

From the Headlines

Posted on December 08, 2008
Over the weekend, the federal government decided to close down the immigration detention operation at one of the largest facilities in the region. This came after a federal investigation into a death that happened there this summer, one of the...

First Portraits

Posted on December 07, 2008
Last Sunday I finally got up the momentum to prod us to a picture studio. This was mostly because I could use nice pictures as holiday presents, and also because I was sick of thinking that we should do it...

quick daycare question

Posted on December 06, 2008
Parents: do you give your daycare provider extra money or a present at Christmas? We are new at this. The present thing intimidates me because I don't feel like I know their non-kid interests very well, and the house is...

TOC Fever

Posted on December 04, 2008
We are definitely getting Tournament of Champions fever over here. (Unfortunately, I am also knee deep in the asylum case I mentioned before and it kind of wipes me out such that I forget to blog.) Personally, I have it...

Strange Sights

Posted on December 01, 2008
I was getting on the bus home today, and an Orthodox Jewish man, wearing a white shirt, black pants and jacket, and sporting a healthy beard, stumbled aboard behind me. Yes, stumbled. The hair under his yarmulke was a little...

Vegan Gloves

Posted on November 29, 2008
Dan and I are both looking for decent non-leather gloves for winter. I found these, but does anyone have any recommendations beyond the knitted gloves you can get everywhere? Those aren't warm enough for me, but I would rather not...

My Big Litigation Career

Posted on November 26, 2008
Today I rolled into work late, knowing it was a short day because of the impending holiday weekend, and dressed in a cable-knit sweater and jeans, because it's not like I was going to see any clients, right? Checked my...

Turkey-Free Menu

Posted on November 25, 2008
On a lighter note, today at our staff meeting talk turned to our Thanksgiving plans and if anyone was going to eat anything out of the ordinary (several staff members are eating their family's ethnic food on top of the...

Criminal Aliens

Posted on November 24, 2008
From the Houston Chronicle:The exact shape of immigration reform may be subject to endless debate. But there's something close to consensus on what to do with undocumented immigrants already in our midst who commit violent crimes: Confine them to prison...

Baby Becca: Month 10

Posted on November 21, 2008
Dear Becca,OK, I have to post something for this month tonight or else I won't do it until you're two. I'm stating the obvious, but you're not a little baby anymore. You are a BIG baby - tall, sure, but...

Black Tea

Posted on November 20, 2008
I have an ongoing feud with this guy who works at the Dunkin Donuts near my work over my tea order. Two or three times a week, I go in and order a medium hot tea with sugar. If I...

Tough Day, Again

Posted on November 17, 2008
One of the reasons I have been blogging less isn't because I'm busier (although I am) or because I'm worried about job confidentiality (I feel good about my ability to not spill case details), but because it's been a tough...

Double Trouble

Posted on November 16, 2008
...in the law mom blogosphere today: Becca met K from Magic Cookie for the first time since she was a sleepy newborn. Cute, no? I wouldn't say they played together, exactly, but Becca had a great time eating his blocks.

Invited to the Dance

Posted on November 13, 2008
Yesterday Dan officially got the call from the Jeopardy! powers that be: He's going to the Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas in January. Prize just for showing up and not being too drunk to get on air: $5000. Prize...

On Her Feet

Posted on November 11, 2008
I just wrote a post about how Becca is learning to stand up and how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel and then the internet ate it! Now I do not feel warm and fuzzy.Short version: Yesterday, Dan put...

Deportation Numbers

Posted on November 07, 2008
Some numbers from the Boston Globe: Deportations from U.S., Fiscal Year 2007: 288,663 FY 2008: 349,041 Deportations from New England, FY 2007: 3,464 FY 2008: 3,836 Well, but I'm sure they're getting really bad guys, right? After all, Today, Todd...

Soup and Teriyaki Days

Posted on November 07, 2008
Thanks for giving me all those vegetarian blog recommendations a while back. I have used them well. After spending too much money for Au Bon Pain soup on cold work days, I decided we should make a big pot of...

The Work Begins

Posted on November 05, 2008
I never thought Barack Obama was Jesus. I do think he is incredibly intelligent, thoughtful, and inspirational. And that he is ready to get to work. And that's why I voted for him.This moment matters. I think a lot of...

Democracy Day

Posted on November 04, 2008
You know something is happening in this country when THIS was the scene outside my sleepy little polling place at 7:05 in the morning. (The line moved quickly. Look up your precinct number, Bay Staters!)VOTING, WOOOO. I even got exit...

The Bar!

Posted on November 01, 2008
I passed it!Dan wouldn't let me open the letter because I opened his 2 years ago. But he only read aloud the one relevant word: "Congratulations!"I beat you, Secured Transactions! I won!

Giraffe Girl

Posted on October 31, 2008
More here.

Scary

Posted on October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween! Becca will be a giraffe. There will be pictures. I'm home taking my first sick day on the job. Slightly sick, generally feeling out of it. Becca started crying both of the last two days she saw me...

Peace in the Motherland

Posted on October 30, 2008
It occurs to me today, reading LL and her commenters, that no one, not even once, has said in person or commented on my blog that there is anything wrong with my decision to have Becca when we did, graduate...

Translation

Posted on October 29, 2008
I was translating a declaration yesterday and realized that I couldn't really use the formal language "under the pains and penalties of perjury," because both pains and penalties are penas. Sometimes Spanish gets to the point better, I think. Like...

America's Next Top Baby

Posted on October 26, 2008
Becca had her 9 month appointmenta few days ago, where we learned that our supermodel baby is still really tall (2'5") but dropping to a lower curve in weight (18 lbs, 14 oz). I told her she's got to quit...

On A Mission From God

Posted on October 24, 2008
On Wednesday, I was at a jail finishing intakes with my team when one more guy came up to me, all worked up. He'd been waiting with our other staff insisting he had to talk to me in particular. I...

Seriously Guys We're Going to Win

Posted on October 22, 2008
Barack Obama is ahead. He's way ahead. He's ahead in states no one ever thought he'd be ahead in. He is, if advanced data collection means anything at all, and it does, going to win the presidency. So how do...

Baby Becca: Month 9

Posted on October 21, 2008
Dear Becca,Yeah, I'm a week late this month - things are getting much busier around here and I don't think it's letting up any time soon. So sorry if this letter's a little bit short. It's actually OK because you've...

No on 8: This Time It's Personal

Posted on October 19, 2008
Dan and I haven't made any political contributions since the primaries, because if one person does the other person will run and donate to their candidate, causing expensive Mutually Assured Destruction of political advantage. Too bad. I had to turn....

Daycare Lunches?

Posted on October 19, 2008
Parent readers, please comment!Becca is finally eating a couple things other than baby cereal, baby food, and yogurt, although that's still almost her whole diet since she refuses to sprout top teeth and so still can't rip or chew too...

back from D.C.

Posted on October 18, 2008
There is a LOT I want to say, and I also have a 9 month baby letter "due." So excuse the stream of consciousness.D.C. was great. Not the conference itself - that was mostly mediocre panels, mediocre vegetarian options, freezing...

Adventures in Arizona

Posted on October 13, 2008
And just like that, the Summer of Weddings came to a close. I remember sitting in my room in Houston five years ago as AR told me over IM that she thought she and her new guy were going to...

Triage

Posted on October 09, 2008
I mean to blog more than I do these days, but my days are full and tiring. That, plus I'm still trying to figure out how much I feel like I can say about work or immigration in general and...

The Better to See You With

Posted on October 08, 2008

Brought to You By the Letter M

Posted on October 05, 2008
My child, too, has progressed in her ability to call for me. Becca started saying "Mama." I know! Except, not really.Her first babble syllable, as I wrote earlier, was GA. Then she went for BA, and in a dramatic turn...

From the Inside

Posted on October 03, 2008
I spent all of Wednesday either trying to doze in a Honda Civic's backseat with two other women, or freezing my rear off inside a county jail an hour away. We spent the entire day at the jail, doing a...

Here We Go Again

Posted on October 02, 2008
The vice presidential debate is tonight. Will it be cringe-worthy in an entertaining, Office-like way, or cringe-worthy in a horrible, car crash way?Anyway the analysts were back at the old stand this morning:Susan Molinari on CNN: Sen. Biden has to....

Sign Ups

Posted on September 29, 2008
I underestimated what it would be like traveling cross-country with the world's wiggliest 8-month old, by myself. This is not an experience I will repeat. A small mercy is that I found an overpriced but indispensable strap that let me...

Change of Scenery

Posted on September 26, 2008
Today it was cold and rainy in Boston. So I hear, anyway. Becca and I are in Long Beach. I got off the plane and it was 85 degrees! The first month of my job has been quite an education,...

Neat

Posted on September 23, 2008
Every time I think I'm done using this tag for a while...I got a letter yesterday asking for one-time reprint rights for my short story "What Aunt Marta Did." They want to include it in an anthology used as a...

Fabulous

Posted on September 22, 2008
I asked Becca how I should dress for court tomorrow and how I should act when the judge addressed me. I'm taking her suggestions under consideration.

Emmy Question

Posted on September 22, 2008
I'm sure this is buried deep in the recesses of some TV article, but can someone tell me how Howie Mandel got himself nominated for Outstanding Reality Host instead of Outstanding Game Show Host? Deal or No Deal isn't a...

Working Through the Night

Posted on September 20, 2008
I had a dream that another Boston immigration lawyer and I went to a high school, which happened to contain some of my old students from Houston, and we were going to represent some of them in deportation cases. In...

Baby Becca: Month 8

Posted on September 17, 2008
Dear Becca,Now you're 8 months old, and a little whirlwind. I spend hours a day chasing after you as you crawl into every corner of the house and, when you think I haven't found you yet, stick my dirty flip...

We Can Quit Anytime We Want

Posted on September 16, 2008
It was the MA primary today, so Dan and I joined all of six other people across the state and voted. Dan's Republican "ballot" actually consisted of nominating ONE guy to run against John Kerry in the general election...and nothing...

mission complete

Posted on September 14, 2008
Back from a very successful weekend in Manhattan. There were a few setbacks, I have to say, starting off with horrible traffic and rain that resulted in me getting off the bus 50 minutes after my three-hour Friday training had...

27!

Posted on September 11, 2008
That's me!Just a regular day at work until Dan presents some dinner plans I have been kept in the dark about. I just called the regional ICE office. They have no voicemail if the receptionist is busy, and the menu...

Collecting Cards

Posted on September 10, 2008
I'm here! Just getting used to the new job and new schedule. Today I learned how to explain that I'm somewhere between student and lawyer in Spanish. Very useful. I also dealt with a Guatemalan guy whose criminal docket sheets...

Big Dan Salad

Posted on September 07, 2008
The Dan Salad was born in the dorm cafeterias of Claremont McKenna, when new vegetarian Dan often didn't like his options and had to rely on the salad bar to put together something edible and filling. When he made it...

By George

Posted on September 06, 2008
We had our first working-parents-with-a-sick-kid experience yesterday, when our daycare provider called to tell us Becca was sporting a 101.7 fever. Yikes. She'd slept an unusual 12 1/2 hours the night before and woken up feeling slightly warm, but seemed...

Three Years

Posted on June 12, 2008
Three years ago yesterday, Dan and I and our small entourage drove up to Springfield, MA to get married in a public park. A lot has changed. For one, that entourage included three unmarried couples. One is getting married on...

Getting My Name Out There

Posted on June 10, 2008
Today I learned that the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (and also the ACLU of Northern Cal) is filing an amicus brief in an appellate case on immigrant rights, and they want to cite...my 3L paper, which was sent to...

Love on a Stick

Posted on June 10, 2008
Yesterday was a particularly miserable day in the apartment; anywhere not within 5 feet of the air conditioner was uncomfortably humid, and for most of the day outside was worse, so I felt like a prisoner. A prisoner in charge...

That's Hot

Posted on June 09, 2008
Our apartment, that is. Leading to some creative sleeping arrangements, like Becca on the living room floor near the air conditioner, me in bed half the night and on the couch the rest. We had a small drama because the...

Don't Worry, I'm A Doctor

Posted on June 06, 2008
Here is where I say J.D.s are obviously not really doctors so M.D.s and Ph.Ds don't hate me. The robe was nice, though Dan points out that my mortarboard can never beat the velvet octagonal tam from his graduation. Three...

the gala

Posted on June 04, 2008
There was wine, and a live auction, and this teenager playing the violin who was SO good, but what really got to me was when a current fellow who's leaving in 2 months said, "You'll probably get that case. In...

Yikes!

Posted on June 02, 2008
There's a formal gala for my future organization tomorrow night. I either need same-day alterations or a new dress. Leaning toward the latter, going to the mall with Becca as soon as I finish my Corporations podcast. Have a hair...

She Likes To Hear Herself Talk

Posted on May 30, 2008
Bar study is going better than I thought; it's not interesting or anything, but I'm getting the job done and basically on the schedule I made up last week. Yesterday Becca and I took a walk around the neighborhood and...

Study Snack

Posted on May 28, 2008
A bowl of frozen grapes can make even parsing the different types of deeds bearable.

a new week

Posted on May 27, 2008
Back from a disappointingly gray weekend in California. Lots to say, but the basic thought is that I remembered why I used my family for so much inspiration in my writing. My 2L year, when I shared a novel chapter...

Westward Adventure

Posted on May 22, 2008
Becca and I leave tomorrow for a long weekend in California. I have no idea what it'll be like to fly cross-country with a 4-month old, but she's got her own window seat (for her carseat) and I think that'll...

Time Flies

Posted on May 20, 2008
Miss Rebecca, ages one week and eighteen weeks.

Bar Study Begins

Posted on May 19, 2008
The Massachusetts bar exam is in 10 weeks and 2 days. Today was my first day on the job. The BAR/BRI classes don't start until next week, I think, but today I cracked open Dan's 2006 Conviser Mini Review and...

note

Posted on May 19, 2008
The person who died last week was my Aunt Jeanne, an incredibly loving and warm-hearted person - and one of the best cooks and cake-makers ever - who even inspired some of my writing. We're all doing OK, and I'll...

Baby Becca: Month 4

Posted on May 17, 2008
Dear Becca, Guess what? You're still a great baby. You sleep well, eat quickly, and love books with things to touch and toys that are easy to grab and shove toward your mouth. You love Mommy and Daddy too, which...

Marrying Out

Posted on May 16, 2008
CM writes a post that reminds me what it was like to date my ex-boyfriend, who is Indian and whose parents expected him to marry an Indian girl of their particular ethnicity and religious denomination, although he had never shown...

A Happy Anticlimax

Posted on May 15, 2008
Okay, it's over. School, that is. I'me done going to school full-time, forever. I just emailed in my last paper. Now, the paper isn't that great. And Safari got stuck on me the first time I was sending it. And...

Careless Detention

Posted on May 13, 2008
The Washington Post has just put up part 3 of their 4-part series on health care in immigrant detention. It's absolutely stellar and I hope they win a Pulitzer Prize for it - they've got video, copies of every major...

short hits

Posted on May 12, 2008
- It didn't last. Becca woke up at 3 last night to eat, and yelped at 6, although that time her pacifier satisfied her. Oh well. She's not even 4 months old, so I'm not busting out the bells and...

Happy Mother's Day!

Posted on May 11, 2008
BEST PRESENT EVER: On Friday, Becca slept through the night. I woke up at 5:22 full of milk, checked on her, and found her sucking her fingers in her sleep. Yesterday, she did it again. Crazy baby! I also got...

good times

Posted on May 09, 2008
So yes, I tried out for Jeopardy on Wednesday. It was...well, it was weird, because I knew exactly what to expect, and I recognized the staffers, but this time it was for me instead of for Dan. It was great....

Occupational Hazard

Posted on May 06, 2008
On a much lighter note, yesterday I got a hickey for the first time in...eight years? Ten? FROM THE BABY. Becca has recently decided that everything near her mouth must be apprehended and sucked on, and she doesn't quite have...

More Tales from Detention

Posted on May 05, 2008
I have to link to the NYT's big story on detainee deaths, which includes the full list they got from their FOIA request and a disappointingly boilerplate statement from ICE. The stories are absolutely heartrending. Three years, 66 deaths, and...

Roasted Veggies on Whole Wheat Pasta

Posted on May 04, 2008
Dan and I went to Houston's recently to have the best veggie burger in existence, and when we went they had some sort of gas line problem that resulted in their fry-making doohickey being out of order, and so I...

Saturday Night

Posted on May 03, 2008
The graduation update is as follows: the 3L paper is submitted, and I've got two more 15-20 pagers due by the 14th. The good news is that largely due to Dan kicking me out of the house again today, the...

Baby Galactus

Posted on May 01, 2008
I will lick this planet first, and devour it later...

Tales from Detention

Posted on April 30, 2008
PT-Law Mom's post reminds me that I haven't posted about immigration in a while - spending all those hours writing my 3L paper about it kept it off the blog inadvertently. Although I did mention the general crappy state of...

Biking for A Good Cause

Posted on April 29, 2008
So for the charity portion of our Jeopardy spend-a-thon, we decided to take several thousand dollars and split it three ways: a joint donation and one for each of us. The joint donation went to Friends of the World Food...

Marrying the GOP

Posted on April 28, 2008
LL writes a great post in response to a question that has always bewildered me: "How can you be married to a Republican?" (People have asked me this question both while laughing and while seriously shaking their heads.) The short...

three good things

Posted on April 26, 2008
- The 3L Paper, for all intents and purposes, is DONE. It is 40 pages, 131 footnotes, of which 130 are perfectly composed and formatted. Footnote 77 is holding out on me. I can't find an appropriate official source for...

last law school class

Posted on April 24, 2008
One more thing over. I imagine the kind of fantasy kids who don't know anything about law school might have about it. Before anyone has told you about civ pro or statutory supplements or outlines. I'm going to sit in...

charity advice?

Posted on April 22, 2008
I know, 3 posts in one day, it's getting crazy around here, but I'll keep it short. We want to give Jeopardy money to a charity. Normally it'd be our peeps at Mercy Corps, but we're upset about the global...

followup

Posted on April 22, 2008
I hope it doesn't seem like all I do lately is talk about how my life is super awesome and perfect. Things have been great for us lately, but, I don't know, it doesn't seem that long ago that I...

Oliver Wendell Bones

Posted on April 22, 2008
The media frenzy never stops here at the P-S Experience. For the Record's April Fools' Day issue I enlisted Dan in the effort, and he wrote what I think is the funniest article in the issue, "Dean Kagan Hires Every...

Paper Schadenfreude

Posted on April 21, 2008
So now my 3L paper is now over 33 pages long, and it has 113 footnotes and only 10 of them contain the word "cite" or a question mark, but it's still not done. It's at that annoying stage where...

easy money

Posted on April 20, 2008
Hey, remember when Dan did this? That was awesome.

Baby Becca: Month 3

Posted on April 17, 2008
Dear Becca, On Tuesday you turned 3 months old, and I'm almost afraid to describe how wonderful you've been lately for fear that you won't do it any more. Frankly, you're one easy baby - given that you are still...

Not TOO Sensible

Posted on April 16, 2008
Celia called us sensible and wise on the last post. Thanks. We do try to manage our money well, no matter how much we have. But it's not all boring loan payments. We bought some plane tickets too. In August,...

How it Changed

Posted on April 15, 2008
First in a series of scattered posts about the money. I remember once, before any of this happened, thinking to myself, "What's the amount of money it would take for me to say, this will change our life?" And I...

And Then Everything Changed

Posted on April 14, 2008

Also

Posted on April 13, 2008
I would just like to note that my 3L paper is now 24 1/2 pages long and has 75% actually legitimate cites, and the deadline for one of my other papers got pushed back a week, and that means I...

Prenup

Posted on April 13, 2008
I remember once during 1L year my three roomies and I had a big discussion about pre-nups. One roomie was vaguely for, one was firmly for (I forget her reason, it was "to protect yourself" or "to be responsible" or...

rollin'

Posted on April 12, 2008
Becca just rolled over for the first time! The baby books said the kid would freak out when she did it, but Becca flipped onto her back and lay there calmly, looking at her play gym, like "I meant to...

At 50

Posted on April 10, 2008
I liked CM's faux-explanation of where she and her family will be when she's 50. In my case, Becca will be 24, finishing her stint in the Peace Corps or Americorps or what have you and starting grad school. Her...

how you know

Posted on April 08, 2008
One of my favorite books, Bob Harris's Prisoner of Trebekistan, has a lot of funny, self-deprecating stories about how Bob managed to know some random factoid because of a silly event in his life, as opposed to learning it in...

bend it like becca

Posted on April 06, 2008
Someone has figured out that pushing with her feet results in movement. I left her in her Boppy lounger for fifteen seconds and came back to her looking at me halfway upside down. I pull her back down by her...

It's Opening Day

Posted on March 31, 2008
Welcome back to baseball. I expect to have an adult conversation with Dan again sometime in October. p.s. how you like those UCLA Bruins?

80 Days

Posted on March 30, 2008
It has been 80 days since Dan's last Jeopardy show aired. Sony gives themselves up to 120 days to mail you a check. No one knows why this is. It made some sense in the era of live game shows,...

Through the Night

Posted on March 30, 2008
Our pediatrician said that babies being sleepy or running a mild fever after vaccinations wasn't as common as people made it out to be, but here's all I know: Becca fussed for most of the afternoon yesterday, had a small...

Baby Escalade

Posted on March 28, 2008
I was in a Kmart yesterday waiting for some incredibly slow employees to figure out how much a pack of dry erase markers without their UPC code cost, and saw a Power Wheels Cadillac Escalade in a huge box for...

Infertile

Posted on March 26, 2008
I am now. Today I got my very own Mirena IUD, which led the nurse practitioner to proclaim that I have now "graduated" from the OB/GYN practice. There was a dull cramp in my stomach for 30 minutes and now...

Happy Easter

Posted on March 23, 2008

Richardson Endorses Obama, Beards

Posted on March 22, 2008
No, I am not going to talk about how awesome this is politically, how I hope it helps Obama and he picks Richardson to be his Veep and they stir up a big spicy pot of black-Latino coalition across the...

Lullabies

Posted on March 22, 2008
(Becca is sleepy and fussing while Dan rocks her in the glider.) Me: Sing her a song, she likes that. Dan: Hush little baby, don't say a word...Papa's gonna buy you a rocking bird... Me: It's MOCKING bird - Dan:...

March Madness

Posted on March 21, 2008
We're all ready at our house. Go Bruins!

late night

Posted on March 20, 2008
My mom is visiting this week. As it turns out, Dan in the middle of his second late night of the week at the State House, so her being here is really nice. I forgot that my mom can do...

Be Very Afraid

Posted on March 17, 2008
I passed the Jeopardy online test. I got into an audition in May. It is on.

Baby Becca: Month 2

Posted on March 16, 2008
Dear Becca, You're two months old, and one sweet cuddly girl. In the last month our lives have felt a lot more manageable, largely because you now sleep five or six hours in a row every night, and you have...

Power Couple Crush

Posted on March 15, 2008
This weekend is HLS's first Celebration of Public Interest, which is kind of a combo alumni reunion/uber-conference. I spent almost all day there yesterday, and I'm going for another half-day today. Yesterday was a full-on SuperMom day: two different friend...

Cloth of Many Colors

Posted on March 13, 2008
Now starring in Rebecca and the Amazing Technicolor Washcloth. Go go go Becca, you know what they say...

Classmates

Posted on March 12, 2008
Spitzer resigned today. I was writing the Record's article for tomorrow's issue and what struck me is how many people are HLS grads. Spitzer's '84 ,and so is his wife. On TV, reporter Jeff Toobin's saying Spitzer was a clean...

Spitzer's Sorry

Posted on March 10, 2008
I'm pretty disappointed by the news that anti-corruption crusader Eliot Spitzer was a client of a high-priced prostitution ring. I don't like to be the kind of person who's incredibly cynical about politics and thinks everyone powerful is corrupt or....

Happy Girl

Posted on March 10, 2008
I got it on camera! Yaaaay!

conflict of interest 2: electric bill-aloo

Posted on March 09, 2008
This was funny when it happened last summer, but I'm not so sure now. I got invited by the Institute for Do-Gooding* to be on a conference call to talk strategy about a state bill dealing with immigration and employment...

Lies!

Posted on March 08, 2008
1. You will learn your baby's different cries for being hungry, wet, tired, etc. Er. It's been seven and a half weeks and they all sound the same to us. 2. Your baby will actually cry about her dirty diapers...

Goblet of Breyer

Posted on March 07, 2008
It doesn't get any stranger, or more awesome, than watching a musical stage extravaganza where one of the characters is...you! That's right: this year's law school Parody, "Harry 'Issue' Spotter and the Goblet of Breyer," included "Andrea News-Saenz" (the joke...

Peel in Purple and Green

Posted on March 06, 2008
I'm no photographer, and my kitchen has bad lighting, but I made pasta salad the other day while the baby was sleeping and liked the way my sink looked afterward. The salad is delicious, too.

One Great Day

Posted on March 05, 2008
Yesterday was crazy. I held it together all day along. I wore clothes and ate at normal times. Kristin came over to visit. We gave the baby a successful bath and Becca smiled and cooed like crazy at Kristin, which...

AKA

Posted on March 03, 2008
1. The Becca Baby 2. Rebecca Elisa "Super Baby" Saenz, da da da da da da da (sung to "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt") 3. Pretty Kitty (due to amusing meowing sounds) 4. Wiggle Bug (see here for evidence) 5. Starvin'...

The Baby Bill

Posted on March 02, 2008
We just got the bill from the hospital for Becca's birth and my recovery, which constituted two and a half days total with no complications. Are you ready? $13,000. But because we have health insurance, we paid $300. It's good...

la jefa de la migra

Posted on February 28, 2008
Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is coming to HLS next Wednesday. After the Gonzales situation last summer, she's got to know this won't be a love-in. I have to skip a once-a-week seminar to see her, but...

victory

Posted on February 27, 2008
We have definitely turned a corner on the sleeping issue. After the Six-Hour Miracle last Thursday, Becca's "first cycle" sleeping time (the time between when we put her down and when she first wakes up) went like this: 5:15, 4:50,...

The First Battle

Posted on February 25, 2008
We just started looking at how we can work childcare for Becca when I start work in August or September. This should be fine, right? I mean, she's six weeks old right now. I felt pretty optimistic when I discovered...

Wedding Season

Posted on February 23, 2008
This is a picture of our fridge, where we have wedding date cards from three of our friend-couples, and a blank space representing Rich and Wendy, who are also getting married. Four incredibly long-term couples, four weddings between June and...

fat and happy

Posted on February 22, 2008
First off! The baby slept last night! FOR SIX HOURS IN A ROW! Previous personal record, 4 hours. I am in shock. This baby gig is such a rollercoaster. I harbor no illusions about tonight. But still. Miss Rebecca also...

more beginnings

Posted on February 21, 2008
It didn't last. She had an okay night, but woke up before I was ready and fussed all morning, and I'm in hit-by-a-truck-god-I-need-a-nap mode. We went to our baby class today, Great Beginnings. Lots of great baby info, I think...

a brighter day

Posted on February 20, 2008
Having a tiny baby is all about small victories. Becca is now five weeks old. Last night, for the first time ever, she woke up not three times, but twice. Cue the choir! And cross your fingers for us. On...

Baby Becca: Month 1

Posted on February 18, 2008
Dear Becca, On Friday, you turned one month old! I can?t believe I?m writing a letter like this. I?ve read them on Dooce for years, and on Magic Cookie since K was born. This month we welcomed you into the...

Happy Valentine's Day

Posted on February 14, 2008
A small picture of the loves of my life. Mom sent us a big box of See's candies from California. Awww. We're not doing anything today, although Becca and I are about to head to school for her first encounter...

The Love You Make

Posted on February 13, 2008
The day of my Equal Justice Works interview, the one where that very night the fellowship woman called and told me they loved me and were willing to make me an offer, I was so doped up and high on...

working out

Posted on February 12, 2008
Today Becca is four weeks old. Woo! There are all manner of big changes around here. On my end, I've stopped bleeding from my stitches (thank God), I put my rings back on, and I'm down 20 pounds from my...

Happy Marriages

Posted on February 11, 2008
Oh no! Ken Jennings has visited the lowly pages of PBB, ganking my picture and calling me out for describing him as a dork! I say it with great respect, good sir. For a person who met her spouse in...

The Champ and His King

Posted on February 08, 2008
Ken Jennings had a book signing tonight, way the heck out in Newburyport, which is an hour with no traffic. And after work on a Friday, there is traffic. Naturally, I packed up our newborn, brushed the snow off the...

agent quest: one last update

Posted on February 07, 2008
My quest last year to find a home for my collection of short stories ended sort of anticlimactically. I sent a bunch of queries, got some very decent responses that ultimately didn't go anywhere, and stopped doing it, turning my...

someday soon

Posted on February 06, 2008
Another bad night - too much waking up, too much time to get her back asleep. She's catching up today by being out most of the day, which at least let me do some school work. My hair is all...

Super Tuesday

Posted on February 05, 2008
When it warms up a few degrees, Becca and I will head down to the public library a few blocks away and to the polls for the first presidential primary where my vote truly matters. Dan voted for McCain early...

Giants Win Super Bowl; Boston Cries

Posted on February 04, 2008
The impossible happened last night: those darn New York football Giants won the Super Bowl, defeating the 18-0 Patriots and breaking the hearts of everyone in this city. I mean, Eli Manning is a Super Bowl MVP. Heh heh. (Our...

staying in bed

Posted on February 03, 2008
I think some of my readers think I've handled the pregnancy/baby thing with slightly creepy confidence and ease. You just don't see me on my bad days. Friday was a really bad day. Thursday night was terrible - I got...

hey good lookin

Posted on January 31, 2008
A small homage to our friend K.

The Second Night

Posted on January 31, 2008
Went to class again last night, this time for two back-to-back seminars. It went well, although being away for five hours felt like I'd abandoned my family. My first class is right next to the nursing room and microwave, which...

you know you're a redneck when...

Posted on January 29, 2008
...you're two weeks old and you're already growing a mullet. ...you sell tickets to the gun show in your sleep.

The First Night Out

Posted on January 29, 2008
Last night I went to my first class of the semester, Housing Law and Policy, 5-7. It was only my second trip away from Becca since she was born, and the first time I would miss a feeding, so I...

meat guzzling

Posted on January 27, 2008
The New York Times has an article today, "Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler," that is so good I demand you read it. It is a greatest-hits version of every single reason I have to no longer eat meat, and believe me, those...

Coverage

Posted on January 27, 2008
One last hurrah on the Jeopardy! front: a nice wrap-up piece in the Sunday Boston Globe about Dan and the baby. Also a money shot of my new cleavage for the whole city to see. It's every woman's dream. Really...

Grades and Such

Posted on January 26, 2008
Still here. Very tired. All worth it. That'll be the short version of my life for a while. Fall grades came in last week - all except my Admin grade, since the dean didn't finish them yet. The three I...

up up and away

Posted on January 24, 2008
Becca is: a) Cheering on the New York Giants as they face the evil Patriots in the Super Bowl b) Remembering when she took a stand against racism at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 c) Returning to her arctic...

a jeopardy buddy

Posted on January 24, 2008
We pause the all-baby blogging to inform you that a friend of Dan's is on Jeopardy tonight! Murtaza is a nice dude with a super-impressive beard, and used to consistently out-point Dan in the Chicago Law trivia contests. He's also...

minor victory

Posted on January 23, 2008
Whoa, I did it! Got the baby in the Moby wrap without injury. Ten seconds later, I smelled POOP. Sigh. Changed her, stuck her back in. Made two sandwiches using both hands! Whee! Before the sandwiches could hit my mouth,...

A Day Without Daddy

Posted on January 23, 2008
Dan went to work today, leaving Becca and I to hold down the fort together for the first time. It's a one day thing - he's still got a week left on his paid leave - so we'll get to...

getting clean

Posted on January 21, 2008
Some of our friends voice strong objections to the practice, but our first foray into bath time went pretty well yesterday, as did the use of our requisite duck towel. I've set up a Flickr album for Becca pictures so...