Team Dyer Straits

Tonight we played in a 3 on 3 tournament at my brother's high school. It was a fundraiser for his high school basketball team.  They also had an alumni game and L. played in that too.  The original Dyer Straits is an intramural inner tube water polo team at BYU founded by my siblings that has won a bunch of intramural championships.  I never played intramural inner tube water polo, but I know my siblings have had a lot of fun on that team.

L., who put together this team, used the same name because there were supposed to be at least three brothers playing.  Our team was pretty stacked. Brett L. and I are both 6'3". My brother L. is 6'6" and A. (aka Thor) is 6'9". It was fun playing with those guys because they're all good basketball players and play smart.

Here's a quick video showing our teamwork in action:

Plus, it's always fun to play with my brothers. I was disappointed that S. was a last minute no show because he couldn't get his work schedule changed.  Even though L. is  tall, he has an outstanding jumpshot:

I also managed to get a shot of L. dunking before the alumni game.  He makes it look pretty easy:

I also managed to put down a few:

(thanks to Brett L. for directing traffic out there!  :-)

We won all 3 of our games--the first two were blowouts (15-2 and 15-4) and the last was a little too close for comfort. We won by a score of 15-13, but were down 13-9 after they hit a few surprise 3 pointers. We cranked up the "D" and put the game away though. 

Here are some pics from the festivities...

Pre-game warm ups.

Brett L. shoots a 3.

A. shows his mid-range game.

My miracle nephew.

L. goes in for the dunk. 

Brett L. hits a layup.

L. catches a pass.

L., A., and Brett L., it was fun playing tonight.  I'm looking forward to next year!  (S., we need you next year too!)

The Batch: Snow White and the 25 Dwarves

Snow White: The Batch's Latest Princess?

After casting such forgettable characters as Caveman (Ben Flajnik) and Ashley Hebert, ABC decided to leverage its Disney synergy by going deep into the vault to cast Snow White as the latest Bachelorette.  After all, who doesn't love a Disney princess?

Meet Desiree Hartsock.  While she may not be the "real" Snow White, she's pretty much a dead ringer for our cartoon princess.  After seeing the first episode of the season, I'm convinced that the Batch casting team is a big fan of hers, because they really did bring us 25 dwarves to star alongside Snow White/Desiree this season.  I don't know if I've ever seen a more perplexing, mixed-up, creepy, crazy, desperate, awkward, pathetic bunch of Batch contestants in the history of the show.  Hopefully by season's end, one of these bachelors will rise above the shortness of stature (figuratively speaking) of his comrades to win Desiree's heart.  It should make for a very interesting season...

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

Let's recap some of more awkward moments from the first knight (we'll deal with him in a bit) night.

Top 3 Worst Limo Moments:

Doc aka Scary Larry

Larry actually is a doctor.  He came out and wanted to show Desiree a cool dance maneuver.  Only, it didn't go so smoothly.  At its best, it looked  pretty awkward.

"When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip..."

Then Larry went for the dip and Desiree tripped on the back of her gown.  Oops!  (Luckily, he kind of caught her.)

Then Larry spent the rest of the evening apologizing and obsessing over his slip-up.  He would have been better served to have just laughed it off and move on.  Instead, he swore as he walked off and the camera bleeped it out.  Way to stay classy, San Diego!  Desiree was not that impressed.

As if that wasn't bad enough, his one-on-one conversation with Desiree was kinda disturbing and downright stalkerish.  He alternated between psycho intense and desperate.  The conversation went something like this.  "I definitely watched Sean's season....You were my favorite...You looked like really hot....I'm excited its you.."  Desiree could only laugh nervously.  You know it's not going well when Desiree told him that he looked "Sleepy."  Seriously.  Maybe she had dwarves on the brain as well.

Diogo the "Happy" Knight

The sight of Diogo alone getting out of the limo was pretty dang awkward.  The pic above makes him look pretty decent in that suit of armor.  Trust me, seeing him slowly clank and clang from the limo up to Desiree did nothing to validate the iconic knight in shining armor from the fairy tales we all read as kids.

The best line of the night may have been when one of the other contestants warned him not to get too close to the water because he "might not float."

Unfortunately, when he got eliminated at the end, he wasn't so happy as he moped to the confessional camera about giving "everything" to come on the show and not knowing where to go from here.  "Sir" Diogo...please collect both your dignity and man card on your way out.  This was one night of your life...you will survive.

Micah Made His Own Clothes...

...that's just "Dopey."  Notice how Dopey's clothes don't really fit him all that well?  Neither did Micah's.

He tried to explain that he made his own clothes just like Desiree made her own dress for her first appearance on the show.  The difference is that Desiree looks good in the clothes that she made.

Yeah, it might not be the best subliminal message to send to your potential future spouse by showing up in a garish, hodge podge, hobo suit that you made yourself.  And check out the weird letters that Micah put on his suit across his chest...Is it just me or do they spell the word "HIDE?" I have a feeling that that was exactly what Desiree was thinking when she saw that awful ensemble.

It's one thing to try and stand out from the crowd.  It's quite another when you literally brand yourself with a scarlet letter or letters in this case.  It just didn't work.  And heaven knows that I am no expert on fashion, but even I could tell that it was a fashion disaster.

The Creeper

In my prior Batch preview post, I called this guy the "Stand-In Guy."  I can't dishonor the beloved Dwarfs by even attempting to give him a clever nickname.  He is simply the Creeper.

He notes for the confessional camera at one point in the episode that his "Mom thinks [he's] good looking and my love tank has not been depleted for years.  It's just been steadily depleting.  We're looking at a very big love tank."

Well at least his Mom thinks he's good looking, but does that really tell us anything?  I'm not really sure what he means by "love tank" but I'm pretty sure that I don't want to see it or look at it.  :-/

He started off by trying to give Desiree a room key moments after he stepped out of the limo.  She told him that she wasn't that type of girl.  Yay Desiree!

Later, during the cocktail party, he tried to maneuver her into some dark room so that he could "kiss Desiree on the mouth."  He literally told the camera that as well as the other contestants.  Desiree managed to escape his clutches for a second time.  You know it's bad when even Scary Larry is dissing you for being weird (which actually happened).

Finally, as if he hadn't done enough damage, and perhaps fueled by more alcohol, he tried for a third time.  Three strikes and you're out buddy.  Desiree sent him packing even before the Rose Ceremony.  Which makes me wonder if he was gone before the group shot was taken and that really was a cardboard cutout of him in that shot!

#hashtagguy

Kasey is a hot shot advertising executive.  Apparently, all you need to do to be a social media ad wiz is to throw the word "Hashtag" in front of everything you say.  #hashtagthis #hashtagthat

#listeningtohimsaythewordhashtaginfrontofeverythingthathesaidwasreallyannoying

Honestly, can we stop already with the overuse of the word "Hashtag?"  It's probably most annoying to hear him say it over and over again--especially when it doesn't mean anything.  (At least if you're using it on Twitter or Instagram it performs some sort of function.)  Even something that might have been clever like saying: "#shrinkage" (pronounced "hashtag shrinkage") when the shirtless guy jumped into the cold pool was annoying because it was so overdone.

I'm not sure much more I can take of this guy.  #sendhimhomenow

Shirtless Guy

Zak W.

You know how some single guys have an online dating profile where they claim that they look younger than they really are?  Like they look like they're 30 even though they're really 45?

Well, Zak W. is the opposite.  He's about 30, but looks way older than that.  At least his face does.  Yes, he does have great abs, but it seems like maybe there's not much more to his personality than the chiseled abs.

I'd love to report to you that his "courageous" act to forget his shirt (Desiree asked him if he'd forgotten something when he got out of the limo) earned him the first impression rose.  Well, he did get a pre-Rose Ceremony Rose, but I got the impression it was more of a Pity Rose than anything else.

He stripped down to his skivvies and jumped into the cold pool by himself.  By the time he got out of the pool, Desiree and all of the other bachelors were gone.  Later, she saw him shivering in the house and--almost as an afterthought--decided to give him a rose for jumping in the pool.  We'll see how long he lasts.  I won't be sad to see him go.

Future Villains?

Ben and James

Keep your eye on these two as I think that they are the best candidates to bring the drama this season.

Ben showed up with his kid popping out of the limo, but the previews lead us to believe that his Baby Mama may show up to confront him later on in the show.  Desiree seems really taken with him.  Or maybe just with his cute kid, but he seems a bit smarmy.

James is shown in the previews crying to Desiree about some other guy hitting him.  Someone needs to pull his man card.  As Tom Hanks once proclaimed: "There's no crying in baseball!"  The same holds true for the Batch.  You need to maintain your dignity.

The previews still hold out the promise that this will be THE MOST dramatic season ever of the Batch.  At the end of the the episode, Desiree had handed out her roses and this is how we stood:

How NOT To Do A Half Marathon

Today was the Laguna Hills Half Marathon.  I did it for the second time in 3 years.  When I did it two years ago, it was the longest race that I had ever done.  Today when I did it, I was wondering why in the heck I had decided to do it again!

The Course Elevation

The course is unique because it basically runs downhill and then finishes with its last 4.5 miles going pretty much all uphill.  Fun!

Here are 10 Steps on how NOT to do for a Half Marathon:

1. Preparation - This starts early.  Do a half Ironman about 3 weeks before the race.  Then go running exactly once before your half marathon.  This will ensure that your legs are well-rested and plenty fresh.
2. Nutrition - Don't carbo load the night before.  Who needs all the extra calories?  Also, don't really drink any extra water.  You can get all the water that you need at the aid stations along the course.
3. Sleep - One of my specialties.  You'll probably have a 5:30 a.m. wake up call, so you probably don't need to get to bed before about 2 a.m.   3-4 hours is more than adequate.
4. Procrastination - Don't bother registering early, you might decide not to do the race at the last minute and then you've wasted your hard-earned cash.  You should have plenty of time to register if you get to the race about 15 minutes before the gun goes off.  Of course, they'll have run out of t-shirts and medals, but those are for suckers.  They claim that they'll mail them to you, but do you really need "another" finisher medal to add to your collection?  
5. Stretching - See Procrastination above.  Don't worry about stretching.  That's what the first 2-3 miles are for.  You're not going to have time for it anyway.
6. Equipment - Slip some high tech inserts into your running shoes because they're scientifically guaranteed to make you run faster.  Realize about about mile 6.5 that they only thing that those high tech inserts are "making" you do is getting blisters all over both feet.
7. Brain Function - See two people that you know along the course.  Call both of them by the name of their brother/sister instead of their own.  Ignore the puzzled looks on their faces.  Blame it on the fact that your body is diverting all available oxygen to your legs, rather than your brain.
8. Photos - Carry your iPhone with you even though by mile 4, it feels like it weighs as much as a brick. Don't bother to take any pictures of yourself.  You don't want to remember what you look like at the finish line anyway.  Trust me, it's not good.  You're just glad you're still breathing and ambulatory.  Tell yourself that even the professional photos turn out even halfway decent, you'll consider paying $30 for one single shot.  Try to spy those professional photogs early and remember to smile.  Even if you feel like you'd rather collapse and die, fake it and make it look like you're having the time of your life.
9. Volunteers and Spectators - Be prepared to thank them for the many thankless tasks they're doing so that you can have a fun event.  Handing out water, picking up discarded water cups and other trash, and cheering for you.  Be amazed at how much energy you draw from some the cheering of random strangers.
10. Expectations - Be willing to lower them, if necessary.  Listen to your body telling you that it wants to stop and start walking about about mile 4.  Realize that despite everything above and the feeling that you "want" to stop or start walking, you don't actually "need" to do so.  Maybe you're training hasn't been as hopeless as you thought.  :-)  You manage to run the entire race without stopping or walking.  Be excited about that and call that a "success."  Redefining expectations has been the secret shortcut to success for eons. 

Camp Pendleton's World Famous Mud Run...

I can't wait for my next race.  After today's effort, it should be a piece of cake!  ;-)

The Best $600 I Never Spent

About 2.5 years ago, my car developed a nervous tic.  The front passenger blinker went out.  I swapped out the bulb, to no avail.  My local garage claimed that they didn't know how to fix it.  Finally, in desperation, I took it to the dealership.  The dealer claimed to have found the problem and were happy to fix it, but wanted $600.  They also claimed that they needed a full day to do it, which meant that I would have to bring my car back.  Frankly, I didn't have the time.

Since then, I've been annoyed at my non-functioning blinker signal, but not annoyed enough to spend $600 to do something about it.

Fast forward to about 2.5 months ago.  I was minding my own business while driving down the freeway.  I looked up to see a semi truck stopped in the middle of the freeway in front of me:

It kinda looked like this but bigger...

My life literally flashed before my eyes as I braced for impact.  I resigned myself to the inevitable, but I made a desperate maneuver at evasive action as I slammed on the brakes.  Miraculously, it worked.  Mostly.

I knew I'd hit something, but I didn't know what and I didn't know how bad.  The semi sped off--unharmed. I doubt he even felt me.  I pulled off at the next off-ramp to assess the damage.  Here's what I saw...

Ouch!

Somehow, I had managed to shatter my headlight--leaving nothing else damaged.  The headlight still worked even!  I felt like I had dodged a bullet.

I went online and was able to order replacement parts at a fraction of what the dealership would have charged me.  Initially, I planned to have my local mechanic install the replacement for me, but they refused to do so since I hadn't bought the parts from them.  

Two weeks ago, I finally found some spare time on a Saturday to get around to fixing the problem.  I got R. to come out and be my assistant on the project.  I felt like it would be a good way to help teach him how to use tools and also have some good bonding time.  It reminded me of doing lots of projects on the car with my dad when I was a kid.

The project went so smoothly that I'm a little embarrassed that I (a) waited so long to finally fix the headlight and (b) was willing to spend up to $100 to have someone else replace it for me.

As a side benefit, the replacement headlight assembly fixed the turn signal problem that I'd been having.  It was a nice little silver lining.  Apparently the dealership had no idea what the problem was because their "solution" was to fix some other electronic part on the car.

All better!  :-)

The end result was great--the car looks (and works) better than ever!  All in all, despite the moment of terror, it all worked out and I'm sure glad that I didn't pay the dealership all that money to fix something on my car that wasn't even broken.  Considering that I got an additional bonus of doing a fun project with my son R., I'd say that was the best $600 that I never spent!

Batch Preview: The Usual Suspects

Desiree Hartsock Holds Court

Boy time flies!  It seems like just the other day that Sean was finding his true love on the Batch and he and Catherine rode off on an elephant into the Siamese sunset together.

Well, for all of you wondering what to watch to fill the void on Monday nights after FHE is over, worry no more.  The Batch is back!  ABC recently released the above pic to help us "get excited" for the new season.  After 25 seasons (and how many successful marriages?), I guess it's worth getting excited for this new season since the show renews our faith in true love we all love watching the train wrecks that the contestants turn into and it's summer and there's really nothing else on tv.

I know nothing about any of the contestants (but don't worry, I won't let that stop me from blogging about them) and very little about Desiree--except that she was in Sean's season and the poor contestants can only hope that Mike Fleiss and Chris Harrison keep Desiree's brother far, far away from them.  Of course, knowing the Batch's formula for "success," I'm pretty sure Desiree's brother will be making an appearance or three at some point in the season.

Judging from the group shot above, it looks like as far as the contestants go, Fleiss, Harrison, and the Bachelor Casting Crew have brought back the "Usual Suspects" to try and win Desiree's heart.  Let me point out a few...

The Gimmick Guys:

Standouts?

These guys obviously decided that they needed a gimmick to stand out from the crowd.  This type of maneuver is not without precedent.  Who can forget Jeff Holm skating up to meet Emily Maynard on that fateful first night?  Or Lindsay Yenter--the? tipsy, wedding gown wearing substitute teacher--who nearly won Sean's heart away from Catherine.

Of course for every Jeff H. and Lindsay Y., there are countless other gimmicks that don't go over so well.  For  (And I'm not even referring to the one memorable would-be bachelorette who famously shrieked about how her "eggs [were] rotting" after she didn't make the cut on the first episode of her season.)

Speaking of eggs, do you remember "Horton" the Egg Guy (Travis) or "Name-Tag Guy" (Brent)--both from Emily's season?  Of course you don't!  Brent gave himself a name tag so that Emily wouldn't forget him that first night  He didn't get a rose.  Horton/Travis lasted a little bit longer...

Or how about the Man in the Iron Mask (Jeff from Ashley's season)?  He took the mask off and POOF!  He disappeared that very episode.  (I guess it killed the mystery for Ashley...)

Back to the two guys above.  All I know about one of them is that he apparently shaves his chest and probably fake bakes.  The other guy looks like a cross between a doctor (wearing a lab coat) and an extra from the movie "That Thing You Do."  Either that or he's on his way to audition for a role in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

They are going to need more than a gimmick if they expect to last more than an episode or two.

The Stand-In Guy:

Stand-In?

Is it just me or does this guy look like he is just a cardboard cutout stand-in?  Like the type that you use to take pictures with at the White House?

No Batch season would be complete without a contestant or two that seem to pop up out of nowhere halfway through the season only to get eliminated with hardly any screen time.  We're all left wondering who in the heck they were and where they've been all season.

I don't even know this guy's name, but hopefully (for him) he'll make a bit more of an impression on Desiree.

The Empty Suit Guy:

Suit of Armour

Sure, I could have put this guy with the Gimmick Guys, but that would have been way too obvious.  I'm not sure what this guy's deal is, but I'm sure he has some interesting explanation for his costume.  I'm betting that his backstory is that he is a recently, "de-elected" Washington D.C. politician, who has made his share of mistakes, but has made it his life's mission to fight for the middle class.  His stint on the Batch is meant to drive up his favorability ratings nationally and show America that he's worthy of a second chance and is more than just an empty suit.

Either that or Kasey Kahl is finally over Vienna (Sausage) and is taking his vow to "Guard and Protect" someone's heart way too seriously!

The Bow Tie Guy:

Every season some joker has to show up in a bow tie to let us know how cool he is or as a desperate cry for attention.  I wonder how many of them actually know how to tie a bow tie.  At least this guy looks like he's wearing a tux (but why???).  Which is the only time that I'd ever wear a bow tie!

The Token Minority Guy:

So much for diversity.  I could only spot one minority in the group photo.  The Batch franchise actually got sued last April by a couple of African-American men who claimed that the tv show discriminated against people of color.  The suit got tossed last October.  I guess Mike Fleiss and ABC et al. aren't too worried about a flood of copycat lawsuits.

The Hipster Guys:

Too cool for school?

Jeff H.--the ultimate hipster--became a sensation when he won over America with his cool demeanor and engaging dialogue.  He then managed to win Emily's heart too before the wheels came off the "reality" show romance last Fall.

These three look to be following in Jeff's footsteps.  They've got either the "no tie" look or have that tie undone a bit.  Facial scruff?  Check.  Good hair?  Check, check.  All the better to signal that they don't take this show--or themselves--too seriously and that they're not trying too hard.  From this picture it's impossible to tell if they also went with Vans tennis shoes and Bermuda shorts.  But on second thought, maybe Jeff H. is the only Batch contestant to successfully rock that look.

Heard any good hipster jokes lately?  Two hipsters walk into a bar.  The first one did it before it was cool and the second one did it ironically.  :-/

Or how about this one...How much does a hipster weigh?  An Instagram.  :-)

The Short Guy:

Every season, we get the short guy.  Big heart and warm, feel good story.  But still short.  Who can ever forget "The Weatherman" from Ali's season?  Well, I actually forgot his name, but I do remember that his season didn't go so smoothly for him.

He obviously didn't end up with the girl, but I think that the worst part was that the show could not have done anything to help poor Weatherman's on-air career.  Honestly, did anyone out there think that Weatherman's stint on the Batch added anything to his on-air gravitas (remember his kissing problem, which he later claimed to have been faking acting)?  It certainly doesn't seem like he's turned out to be the next Walter Cronkite--or Al Roker even.

I was curious to look up this guy's name.  It's Nick.  He looks shorter than Desiree in the group shot, but then again, she's probably wearing heels...His online bio makes him seem like a real charmer.  I confess I couldn't get past the first line:

I not sure what a "HMLW" really is, but I'm not sure that broadcasting the "W" word twice in the first line of your online bio is the best way to introduce yourself to America.  Way to keep it classy!  I predict that Nick may not "stick" (around that long).

Who Will Bring The Crazy?

The Tierrorist

One thing I can't tell from the picture above is who is going to bring the crazy?  Anyone seen Tierra lately?  Where is this season's Michelle Money?  Where is Bentley?  (Speaking of those last two...are any of these contestants from Utah?)  You know that someone in that picture is going to have at least one meltdown and probably several.

Despite the cast of Usual Suspects above, I have no doubt that Mike Fleiss and the Batch Storyboard Editors will manage to wave their magic wands and make this season THE MOST DRAMATIC Batch season in history!

My Flower Girl

E. During a Recent Excursion to Legoland

I know next to nothing about raising girls.  And I can't say that E. has made it easy on me.  She is sassy and opinionated.  She is also a total Momma's girl.  She's also not afraid to express her opinions.  I have often wondered whether I'm having any impact on her at all.

But despite my doubts, I know that I have to keep trying.  And hope that eventually I will be able to break through her "tough" outer shell.  It helps that she's adorable.  Or at least that I think that she's the most adorable four year old girl that I've ever met.

E. at R's Piano Recital

I try to consistently let her know that she's cute, that she's smart, that she's special, and that she's loved.  I also try to do stuff like making sure that I give her a kiss and hug every morning before I leave for work and letting her know how excited I am to see her when I get home from work.

I think my efforts are starting to pay off.  E. likes to tease me in the mornings by pretending that she doesn't want a kiss and hug, but then when I head downstairs, she will run after me to chase me down.  She also has started walking me out to the car every morning (which is really cute) and telling me about her big plans for each day.

A White Rose From Our Neighbor's Garden

Today was even better.  As I loaded up the car, she yelled for me to wait for her in the driveway and to not leave.  Then she dashed off down the sidewalk.  I tried to pretend that I didn't see her stop at the neighbor's rose bush.  Then she was back--almost as quickly as she left--with the rose from the picture above in her hand.

"Here Dad, this is for you!"

Even though I'm not normally a big fan of receiving flowers, I was really touched by E.'s sweet gesture.  The fact that she did it all on her own made it even more meaningful.  Sometimes being a dad to a little girl can be a lot of fun...even if I'm still not sure that I know what I'm doing.  =o)

E. Helps Take Care of Her Little Brother--Love That Cute Toothy Smile!

To My Mom...

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."

--Abraham Lincoln

Dear Mom--

That quote is for you.  I know it is one of your all-time favorites and that you love it.  I have come to love it too, not because Abraham Lincoln said it--but because it reminds me of you and what you mean to me.

I'm not sure how you managed to put up with me.  Or that you somehow managed to juggle so many kids at the same time.  I still remember being surprised during high school when I'd look up into the stands and see you in the bleachers at some half mostly empty gym at some podunk school in the middle of nowhere.  Now that I'm a parent, I realize what a sacrifice it was for you to make a trek like that to almost every game.

I also realize how your faith has shaped me and helped to develop my own testimony.  You taught me about the power of prayer--not because you told me about prayer--because I actually saw you on your knees praying.  You prayed with us and you prayed for us.  When I had a big test or an important interview, you would want to know when it was and you would find time to pray for me at the exact moment that I was taking my test or having that interview.  

As a child, I questioned your parenting methods.  As I got older, I grew to appreciate them.  Now that I'm a parent, I realize what I genius you were and I consider myself hopelessly ineffective as a parent when I compare myself to you.  You would read to me at night or sing me a lullaby to help me get to sleep.  I love being able to do the same thing for my kids.  I am constantly asking myself: "What would my mom do?" on virtually every single parenting question.

Mom, I love you and I wish that you were closer so that I could give you a big hug!  Thanks for being such a great example to me.

Love,

Me

Typical Tuesday

My Tie Yesterday

One of the things about my job is that my schedule is not always my own.  It can change at the drop of the hat and is subject to the whims of clients, colleagues, judges, partners, and family demands.  I often wonder how I can anything done given the myriad of different things I find myself doing on any given day.  Yesterday was an example.

I got to work and began working on an emergency motion that had to be filed before noon in federal court. As I crafted my strategy for the document and began drafting it, it dawned on me that everyone had overlooked a key weakness in the opposing party's position.  The defect meant that we did not even have to file any document with the Court.  I called my co-counsel to explain my strategy and then we called the judge's clerk.  The clerk agreed with us and confirmed that we did not have to file anything.  I just saved my client and the Court a bunch of time.  Case closed and chalk one up for the good guys!

Then I turned my attention to my two other federal court filings that I had to complete before noon.

At noon, it was time to start preparing for my 2 p.m. hearing on a motion I had drafted.  I sent the Court's tentative ruling on my motion to my client and conferred briefly with my co-counsel up in Los Angeles County.

A little after 1 p.m., I headed over to the courthouse for my hearing.  I had about 10 minutes extra, so I decided to swing by the County Recorder's Office to get a copy of my son's birth certificate.  When I walked into the Recorder's Office, they told me it would take 15 minutes to get the birth certificate.  I told them I had to be in court in 10.  Luckily, it only took 5.

Not necessarily a model of efficiency...

I think I can type a lot faster than the average person who uses the self-service computers in there.  It also helped that I paid cash for the birth certificate ($23).  I can only imagine how much time it would have taken to get a check processed (write the check out...show ID...etc. etc.) or for them to run my credit card (do they even take AMEX--you know, for the miles!).  You know how painfully slow government bureaucrats can be!

Then it was off to court.  I got a couple of funny looks from the homeless people lining the Civic Center Plaza as I stretched my legs by sprinting back to courthouse--files (and birth certificate) in hand.  I did notice that those homeless people might not have had much other than their shopping carts and their bags of aluminum cans (that they turn in for recycling), but they all seemed to have matching blue tarps to protect those shopping carts from the rain we'd had the night before.  Funny how new and uniform the blue tarps looked, but I'm sure they worked great.  I wonder if my tax dollars paid for those tarps?

As I walked through the metal detectors into the courthouse, one of the sherriff's deputies complimented me on my tie (see above).  He asked me where I got it.  I'm not really noted for my fashion sense, so I have to enjoy these moments when they happen.  (The tie was made by "Chaps" in case you're wondering and I have no idea where I got it or who I got it from.  I'm assuming I didn't pick it out for myself if I was getting a compliment on it!).  I took that as a good omen.

Not my judge, but you get the idea...

It took over an hour before the judge called our case from his busy docket.  I always enjoy hearing the other cases and it gives me a chance to gauge the judge's mood and thought process before I have to argue.  In this case, there was a fascinating back-and-forth involving a woman who tripped and fell over a hidden stump in a planter box at a local Costco.  Whatever you may think about frivolous lawsuits and whether or not someone should be able to file a lawsuit if they hurt themselves because they leave the sidewalk and hurt themselves while taking a detour through a landscaped planter box, the exchange was fascinating.  The judge was 100% right on the law.  The attorney not so much...

 The judge didn't comment on my tie, but did grant my motion.  I wish I could say that it was because of my brilliant oratorical skills--but it wasn't.  Since the judge had agreed with my written logic, I knew enough not to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  I think the only words I might have uttered were: "Thank you, Your Honor" when he granted my motion.  He was obviously a very wise and astute judge!  ;-)  I'm glad I won because my clients had surprised me by showing up to court.  I walked my clients out and headed back to the office.  It was now after 3 p.m.

Pho Bac...It's way better than it looks!  :-)

I actually stopped to get some lunch and then got back in the office--almost in time to leave for my son's Little League baseball game.  The game was at 5 p.m., but he only has two games left in the season so I felt like I needed to be there.  Don't worry, I made good use of the 30 minute drive time to the game by calling co-counsel on one of my matters to do some strategic planning.

At about 5:45, I left S.'s baseball game to go to R.'s baseball game.  The only problem was that R.'s baseball game was 20 minutes in the opposite direction.  I managed to pass the time by making some phone calls about the Scout activity that we had planned for that night.

Remember my prior posts about Little League baseball?  Well, I'm not sad to say that the season is almost over for both of my Little Leaguers.  But R. got on base and scored a run in the 6th inning of his game last night when his team came from behind to go up by two runs 6-4.  They ended up winning!  Yay!  R. was on cloud nine!

This type of play happens all too often in Little League...

The game didn't finish until 8:30ish (making 3+ hours of Little League in one night), which meant that we missed R.'s Scout meeting.  He was supposed to get interviewed for a rank advancement to Tenderfoot.  Looks like that will have to happen another time.  By the time we got home, it was after 9 p.m. and I had been through another 12+ hour day.

I put the kids down and then was faced with a quandry...do I crack open the laptop to do some more "homework" or do I go for a run.  The question became academic when I crashed and collapsed into bed.  I think it's the first time I've gone to sleep before midnight in a long time.  I have no idea why I was so exhausted...it was all just pretty much a typical Tuesday.  Can't wait to do it again?  :-/

Imagine Dragons - Radioactive