Cuenta y verás...

Sometimes it overwhelms me to look at my life and realize how completely blessed I am. Last week, utterly out of the blue, I got a call from a friend with whom I haven't had contact in over a year. He tells me that his law firm is looking to hire a new associate, and asks me if I'm interested in interviewing for the position. Yes, I was definitely interested. The interview was on Friday, and on Monday evening I got a call from the hiring partner telling me the job was mine if I wanted it. Better pay, benefits and the opportunity to try my hand at something new. I took several days to think it over, and when I decided to accept, I found myself in the unenviable position of having to break the news to my current boss. My current boss is quite possibly the coolest person alive. He gave me a shot right out law school, has been a great mentor and is a fantastic boss. If the pay were better and the work was something I'm actually interested in, I'd probably stay here indefinitely. When I went to tell my boss that I'm leaving, his reaction was not one of annoyance or anger, but of excitement for me, at having such a great opportunity fall into my lap. He said he was sorry to see me go, but that the door would always be open to me if I decide to return. No guilt trip, no ploys to get me to stay, no pressure. So I'm moving on to a new job, new skill set, new co-workers and a new adventure. Scott is also in the process of obtaining new employment, and though it has been long and arduous (and promises to remain so for a while), things appear to be falling into place for him as well. Taking stock of my life really helps me keep things in perspective. I have had the opportunity to accomplish everything I ever set out to do. I have the privilege of sharing those amazing experiences with the person I love most in this world. I want for nothing. And I am grateful.

MLIA moment

One of my favorite time wasters online is the fabulous site, My Life Is Average.com. It's a site where people congregate to swap little affirmations about things that happen in their lives that make them "average." In reality, while some of the postings are truly mundane, most of the postings are not average at all, and the apparent goal is to have the most random/awesome/unbelievable thing happen to you. As you read it, you're fairly certain that an occurrence like the following would never happen in real life:

"Today, I was at my friend's house and found duct tape in his kitchen. Naturally, I tackled him to the ground, duct taped his hands behind his back, duct taped his mouth, and sat on him. His sister walked in. No, she did not high-five me. She just looked confused and awkwardly walked away."

Yesterday I was leaving the office, carrying a large notebook full of exhibits for an upcoming arbitration hearing. I had to make a pit stop before heading to my car, and as I went to wash my hands, I realized the entire counter was wet and there was nowhere to put my notebook. So I set it down on top of the paper towel dispenser, which is one of those motion activated contraptions that shakes ever so slightly as it lowers each paper towel. I washed my hands, activated the dispenser and wiped my hands dry. Just as I did, I noticed my notebook was starting to wobble. I threw away the paper towel and held out my hands, just as the notebook fell into them. I looked around for witnesses to my awesomeness, but alas, there were none. At that moment, the only thing I could think was, "My life is average," as I put on my sunglasses and went home.

The great escape

Still no word on the outcome of my job interview, but by this point, I'm not holding my breath. Moving on. Since there is no avoiding the tangible reality of my job dissatisfaction, the next best thing I can do is try to maximize the enjoyment I get out of the eight waking hours of the day when I am not tethered to my desk. The list of activities includes daily runs on the trail behind my house, nightly walks with my best guy, ballroom dance classes, Wii boxing matches in which I am occasionally the winner, Daria on dvd... and books. Oh, books. I have always loved to read, but law school effectively made reading a dreadful chore of the worst kind, and it has been years since I fully indulged my love of the written word. This summer, armed with my library card (is there anything better than "free" access to books?), I decided it was high time to rediscover pleasure reading. I started out with an offering by F. Scott Fitzgerald, not only because I like his style, but because his flowery prose actually requires me to slow down and think about what he is saying, rather than just speed reading for issue spotting and main ideas. It was wonderful to actually be able to sit with my book, reading at my leisure and not worrying about whether my interpretation of the author's intent would conform to that of a professor. However, while reading a book which offers some degree of mental calisthenics can be fun, as the summer has worn on, my interests have begun to sway towards stories into which I can really just escape. Yesterday I finished reading The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, and it was absolutely phenomenal. I could not put it down. If you haven't yet read it, get to the library right this second and check it out. The best part about being wrapped up in a story to that extent, is the fact that, while I was vicariously experiencing life in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, I didn't have to fully resign myself to life in boringly functional suburban adultville. It's like those horribly cheesy posters that line the entrance of the library. "Explore new worlds. Read." Here's one for you: Escape the monotony of grown up responsibilities and routine while you're saving up for your next big vacation. Read. Oh, books. How could I ever have let myself forget how wonderful you can be?