Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.

Hi everybody.  Thanks for the kind emails and messages while I've been away.  Here's a bit of an update for you:

Shortly after my last post, I was put on a trial team (my favorite type of assignment!!) for a case that was supposed to go to trial less than a month later.  As you can imagine, life got extremely hectic very quickly.  I don't like to post on the blog while on trial, because I have to assume:  1) opposing counsel is crazy and has researched everyone on our side; 2) they have found my blog; 3) every post I make during trial prep and trial is a window into how busy or not busy we are, which in turn is a window into our strategy.

The trial was grueling, but I did have a weekend or two during which I got to enjoy the city of Boston (where the trial was taking place).  Neptune's Oyster?  Holy geez, that place was incredible.  Plus, we were staying at the Ritz, so it's hard to be too miserable (even when facing down your third 20+ hour day in a row) when you can go "home" to a fluffy bed, a whirlpool bath, and free room service.

Still "trying" to lose the trial weight, but it was totally worth it.

Our trial concluded at the end of April (we won!!).  I made my way back home almost reluctantly.  Over the course of the last year or so, my six-year relationship, which had typically been very loving/functional/rewarding, had become difficult, rocky, and downright painful.  The relationship needed to end, which as you can imagine was an extremely hard and fraught decision to make after being with someone for so long and developing a shared future with that person.  I still struggle with whether this was the correct decision, and I don't really know what to do or how to act going forward, or whether to give in to the desire to try again, hoping that things might be different after the self-improvement work we have both done in the months of separation.

The closest I've ever come to posting my ex's picture on this blog.  (Incidentally, I TOTALLY recommend this bobblehead company if you are looking for an awesome gift for someone.  They were incredible to work with.)

Those of you who have ended long relationships with the person you thought was "The One*", how did you know it was time?  Did you ever try again with the same person?  How did that work out?  Was the other person able to change?  Were you?  Have you found new love since then?  How is it different?  Do you have some kind of clarity regarding whether you made the right or wrong decision in ending that previous relationship?  Basically, what do I need to hear, being in the place I am now?

*  I don't actually believe in the concept of "The One."  I don't think there is only one person who is the perfect end-all-be-all fit for us.  I think there are many people with whom any given person could have a happy and loving life.  I use "The One" here really to mean "[One of] The One[s]."

Despite the whirlwind incredible trial experience at my firm, I'd been feeling a growing dissatisfaction with the work since last summer.  See, I love trials.  Trials are the driving force that pumps my lifeblood and gives my work-life meaning.  And although my firm is notoriously awesome at giving attorneys trial experience (and indeed, I was on five trial teams, saw four jury selections, and three winning verdicts in my three years + one summer at the firm), the problem with a big firm is that you are never going to be the person giving the opening and closing argument in a big trial.  And even more, the hierarchical structure of a big firm means that for your first five or six years, you don't really get close to talking in court on a paying matter.  There's something about that process, in which the work you do is just pieces of a whole that were divided up and doled out by something else, that makes you start to atrophy in some ways.  You learn a TON by watching more experienced attorneys run these trial teams, but you start to lose that ability to see the whole forest, to think ten steps ahead, and to look at the bigger picture, because your more immediate job is on the smaller scale.

I have always wanted to be an Assistant U.S. Attorney ("AUSA").  It has been my dream job since at least the ninth grade --- or whenever I learned that the job existed.  AUSAs represent the United States, prosecuting federal criminals or defending U.S. agencies when they are sued.  AUSAs get to run their own cases, try their own trials, and enjoy all of the perks of federal employment.  These jobs are notoriously difficult to get, and for the past several years, a hiring freeze has been in place that made it nearly impossible to find an open position.  In fact, many districts began hiring Special AUSAs to work FOR FREE, and PEOPLE ARE STILL TAKING THOSE JOBS.

The hiring freeze lifted in December, and around February I started throwing out a few applications to various districts in which I could see myself living.  (Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Chicago, California...I almost threw my hat in the ring for the Virgin Islands but that just seemed way too extreme of a change.)  I didn't expect to get anything, since I'm still relatively junior and I lack some of the credentials I'm told are important for a position like this.

But sure enough, in March, I got an interview in Baltimore.  Everything about the position was perfect.  The position was in the civil division --- so I would get to practice the type of civil defense law I'd come to love at my firm (for example, civil division attorneys do a lot of medical malpractice defense and employment discrimination defense) --- but civil division attorneys are permitted to take small criminal cases in addition to their civil caseload, so I would have a taste of both types of law.  (Plus, criminal cases typically involve more court time than civil cases.)  The division was small, like my old firm, and filled with incredibly friendly and non-competitive people who loved that I bake pies and play poker.  It is close to D.C., so even though I would get the fresh start I craved in a new city with a lot going on within its borders, I would be close enough to my old town (~30 miles, or 50 minutes by car) that I would not have to say goodbye to any of my friends.

After three rounds of interviews, I was offered the job after a particularly brutal day during our trial.  My tears of frustration with the case turned into tears of gratitude and happiness that I'd had such an amazing experience at my firm, without which I surely could not have made this next step so soon, and that I would soon be starting a new adventure in my dream job.

I cleared my security check at the end of July, moved to Baltimore at the beginning of August, and now I'm starting a new chapter here.  Not only am I in a new city, making new friends and exploring a new life, but I've also said goodbye to my lavish law firm salary (this job was a 60% pay cut) and all of the associated luxuries.  I'm living in a house with two other girls now.  I have a huge living space to myself (I have my own floor of the house, along with my own bedroom, living room, and bathroom), but I'm sharing a kitchen and facing the fact that I have two mid-twenty-somethings roommates at a point in my life when I figured I would be married or engaged.  Ahhh, life, how funny you can be.  Luckily, my roommates (random craigslist people) are lovely and my house is comfortable, and it's only a fifteen-minute walk to work.  It is also only a fifteen minute walk from the new casino opening up in downtown Baltimore, which makes me sad to have my lush salary no longer.

But my new job has been incredible --- pretty much everything I hoped it could be --- which at the very least makes me feel validated in the choices I have made to get me to this point.

Anyway, there's a lot to share and a lot to write about.  I haven't figured out whether I want to continue writing or not, though; again, I must assume all of my opposing counsel have found this blog now that I'm the lead counsel (!!!) opposite them.  While I have not posted anything on here that is personally embarrassing or that I would not be happy to talk about in person, I have to rethink my online presence a bit.  Out of curiosity, are there any AUSAs or trial attorneys out there amongst my readers?  Do you have any thoughts on this subject?  Are any of you my opposing counsel?  :-D

I'm sorry to have left without a word so many months back.  There were so many changes in my life all at once, and some of them I'm sure you can understand I do not want to talk about in great detail on the internet.  My domain name comes up for renewal in a few months, so I guess I will make a decision about whether to continue by then, but in the meantime:  Hello, and I hope you are all doing well!

Snow Day

 

 

If you were thinking that today would be a good day to have matzo ball soup for lunch and experiment with a pork and lentil stew for dinner while working from home, you would be right.

What Jewish Girl doesn't like pork and matzo balls in the same day? What's this "kosher" thing of which you speak?

Do you guys have a snow day today? We've got what looks like six to eight inches here.

 

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The Zone of All Probability

Have you ever had one of those days that is so horrible --- just one bad thing after another --- that you arrive at a point when you think that nothing worse could possibly happen?  And then something worse happens?

Have you ever felt your tether to your own tragic reality break at that point, not in the sense of having a nervous breakdown or anything, but such that you no longer feel any sadness, fear, anxiety, or any other negative emotion, neither at the wreckage of the day already laid waste in front of you nor the possibility of yet another bad thing improbably finding its way into your universe?  You go from panicked and depressed to completely calm in a blink.

I have days like that periodically, and I had one of them yesterday. I felt that little "snip" in my brain when my thoughts go from "ACK THIS IS A TERRIBLE DAY" to "Of course this other terrible thing has happened, how entertaining."

Every time that happens to me, I think about this passage from A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which just so perfectly captures that feeling:

I pull up to a light, next to a bunch of young black kids.* Maybe they’ll shoot me. I’m in the zone of all probability. I cannot be surprised. Earthquakes, locusts, poison rain would not impress me. Visits from God, unicorns, bat-people with torches and scepters–it’s all plausible. If these kids happen to be bad kids, and have guns, and want to shoot people like me, it will be me, the glass will break and the bullet will come through and I will not be surprised. With the bullet in my head, I will drive my car into a tree, and as I am waiting to be pulled from the wreck, nearly dead, I will not panic or yell. I will think only: Weird, this is exactly what I expected.

Here's to a new day.


*  ETA, in response comments expressing alarm at this passage: To be clear, this passage is a piece of literature.  In the context of the book, the passage is discussing completely crazy and improbable things happening.  As the author describes it, the likelihood of kids shooting him in the head just because they are black is crazy and improbable, and in the broader context of the book is not a statement on race (i.e., it is not a commentary that young black kids shoot white people), but is rather sort of a tongue-in-cheek jab at perceptions of race.  I encourage you to read more about the book, the author (who does an impressive amount of work with youth in under-served communities), or to read the book itself (not an affiliate link).  It is a fantastic piece of storytelling and one of my favorite books.  If you're upset (or not upset) by the passage, I encourage you to discuss it in the comments.  Hopefully folks who have actually read the book will chime in as well on either side of that spectrum.

Welcome Back, Me!

Hi Friends! Apologies for the long absence; work has been busy and I've been in a bit of a funk. I took a loooong vacation in December and now I feel refreshed and mostly back to my old self. Here's a quick catch-up of what has been going on with me:

I went to China!

Work matters brought me there and I was able to extend my trip by a day to do a little bit of sightseeing! I went to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Hutong District (a traditional Chinese neighborhood). Plus, the amazing office manager of our China office took great care of me while I was in town, going above and beyond the call of duty to stay up late and take me out to various local restaurants pretty much every night!

The food was incredible. My favorite meal by far was a night of Peking Duck (not pictured). The duck was delectable and it was served with the most air-light pancakes I have ever tasted (similar to the pancakes that come with muushuu, but thinner). The Great Wall was probably the highlight of the sightseeing trip. Never in my life did I ever expect to see the Great Wall in person. Plus, did you know you have the option to take a ski lift down from the wall OR A TOBOGGAN? A TOBOGGAN. DOWN FROM THE GREAT WALL. OF CHINA. Who are these people who are opting for the ski lift in that situation????

Plus, I went to the "silk market" where I bought lots of fun stuff, including "Beats Audio" bluetooth speakers for $10, an "Alexander McQueen" scarf for $10, and "Hermes" wallets for $20! (Note the air quotes...)

Silk Market Sale Haul. Note that the bike helmet above HAS EARMUFFS BUILT IN!

I Went on Winter Vacation!

This Jewish Girl experienced her first Christmas in St. Louis, and then I went to Vegas to ring in 2014!

My favorite part of the St. Louis trip was our visit to the City Museum. For those who haven't been, it's this odd collection of stuff inside what is essentially an enormous playground. There are slides everywhere (including a ten-story slide!) and you can climb on basically everything. It's a great place to entertain your inner child.

Our Vegas trip was fun as always. No big wins to report, but I enjoyed staying on both the strip and Old Vegas. We checked out the new "Container Park" that's out in Downtown Vegas, and it is a very cool scene. If you want to get away from the strip and have a chill night outdoors, it's a great place to go! (The giant cricket above sits outside of the park.)

I BOUGHT A CAR!

Let's just consider this an early 30th birthday present to myself!

It's a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. I did a lot of research about this car before taking the plunge. It's diesel, so it gets amazing highway gas mileage (50 mpg!) and feels incredibly powerful to drive. Here's hoping the maintenance and repairs are not outrageous! (I read a decent number of horror stories on the internet, but I have a few years of warranty coverage to figure out how much I like the car/how high the costs are, after which I can sell at a small loss if necessary.) Diesel engines can last past 400,000 miles (although everything around the engine may have to be replaced several times over)!

What should I name it?  One of my friends suggested "Shirley," which I like because I secretly/publicly still drink Shirley Temples sometimes.  Another friend suggested I give it a German name, like Brunhilde or Astrid.  Yet another friend suggested "Firecrotch."  Thoughts?

There, you're caught up!  Now, please tell me what I have missed with you! I have not been reading anybody's blogs in my absense so please fill me in on the haps!

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International Freaking Business Class

What was I even doing with my life before this?

 

 

I'm on my way to China for a very short trip and this is my first time in international business class. My seat becomes a bed! I just finished a glass of champagne! Things like this, as shallow as they are, make me like my job more.

 

On the other hand, travelling poshly for work makes it that much harder to travel on my personal budget!

 

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Happy Paw-Nukkah!

The end of 2013 is in sight, and that means a few things:  gawking at the absurd price of holiday-time airfare, throwing plans together for what will surely turn out to be a lackluster New Years' Eve, and making charitable donations to reap the tax benefits in 2013.  Even corporations like to get in on the action, often offering to match the charitable donations of others made during this time.

Last week, on my way to work, I got an email from the Washington Humane Society (WHS), informing me that two foundations --- the Nelson P. Delavan Foundation and the Weir Foundation --- would be matching, dollar-for-dollar, all donations made to WHS before November 30.

Then, a day or two later, my law firm sent out an email, offering to match, dollar-for-dollar, all donations made before the end of the year, up to a maximum of $1,000 per employee.

I mentioned in my last post how much I love the fact that the WHS allows anyone with an interest to come in and play with the animals.  The dedicated staff and volunteers keep the shelter clean and do their best to keep all of the animals happy and healthy.  WHS is a no-kill shelter that accepts ALL animals surrendered in DC, so every pet that ends up there knows it stands a fighting chance.

This is a very generous offer and a great combination of events, as I can now make a modest donation to nonprofit that brings me the greatest joy and entertainment --- the Washington Humane Society --- and that modest donation will become a pretty decent one once it is matched by the Delavan and Weir foundations, and then matched again by my firm.  (Sadly, my firm's check will probably not arrive during the WHS's November 30 doubling period.)  My only regret is that I can't donate the full $1,000 maximum for my law firm matching program.

So, here's a crazy idea.

I get the sense from the comments on my previous post that we've got a couple of animal lovers around these parts.  What if I ran an online fundraiser for any interested parties?  If you feel like helping me take advantage of the fact that my firm will match any donation I make up to $1,000, here's what we're going to do:

*  Visit my fundraiser page over at YouCaring.com.  YouCaring is a free fundraising site that, unlike other sites, does not take a percent of your earnings to make a profit.

*  Make any donation you like, or none at all.

*  On November 27, the first night of Hanukkah, the fundraiser will end and I will donate whatever we raised to WHS.  I will post a screenshot of the donation once it is made.

*  Whatever amount we raise will be met by the Delavan and Weir foundations, and then matched again by my law firm (up to $1,000).  A $17 donation turns into $50, and $50 turns into $150. 

Note that even though my firm will only match donations up to $1,000, I will be donating the full amount raised through the fundraiser to the WHS, no matter how much it exceeds the $1,000 benchmark.

I'm excited about the chance to make at least a little bit of a positive impact for the WHS.  More money for them means more space, more supplies, and ultimately more animals who can find shelter and eventually permanent homes.

Absolutely no pressure to donate (aside from these heartbreaking animal photos).  I will only post about this three times over the next month:  once now, once a day or two before the deadline as a last reminder, and then once after the donation is made.  I just figured I'd let you guys know what I was up to in case you were interested in helping me reach that $1,000 benchmark.

Here's the link to my fundraiser again if you're interested.  Every little bit helps (and will become a big bit when all is said and done).  If you would rather donate directly to the WHS (which would be tax-deductible), you can do so here and your donation will be doubled by the Delavan and Weir foundations.

Witness my Food Shame

This soup is called "Cheeseburger Cheeseburger." Two cheeseburgers.

 

It consists of: a thick cheese base; small chunks of ground meat; small slices of onion.

And that's it. It's like eating macaroni and cheese, but without the macaroni and with small Progresso soup-sized globules of probably-beef.

 

The guys at Devon and Blakely actually laughed at me when I ordered it for lunch yesterday. Which, for the record, I don't do often but sometimes it just feels so wrong that it's right.

 

While we're on the subject, I also microwaved leftover weekend pancakes in the work break room this week. On three separate occasions.

 

I'm sorry, but only because I know I should be.

 

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Just Me?

"Normal People," I submit to you, are in fact Cylons.

OOTD: Getting Back into the Swing

In this Outfit:

Top by Pleione from Nordstrom Rack (M)

Anthropologie Sunblaze Skirt (by Yoana Baraschi -- she called it the "Tattoo Skirt" and I've seen it floating around in both black and white) (6)

Necklace from Target

Coach Pave Ball Earrings

Kate Spade Bangle Watch (here in white)

Michael Kors Large Charm Tassel Ring Tote

 

Coming back to work after being on trial involves somewhat of an adjustment process.  Trial requires every ounce of effort you can muster and improves your productivity by 5-fold because there are simply not enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to get done by sunup, so you cut out the blog-reading, your morning coffee-sipping becomes more like gulping, and you work.  It is a sprint.

Regular workdays, on the other hand, generally allow for a bit more flexibility.  I don't need to be in my chair by 8am.  There may be some time between assignments where I can turn off my billing clock and click on some random news articles I found through Facebook friends.  It's nice in the sense that the trial pace is not sustainable for longer than a few months, but some part of me misses that feeling of working at top capacity and doing a pretty decent job at the same time.

To help ease the transition, I have tried to focus on the aspects of my normal life that I love but let slip by the wayside when I'm working 70+ hours a week.  I've been visiting the farmer's market, getting back into a regulary exercise routine, and spending time with friends.  And trying to blog at least once a week :-)

Manolo Blahnik Pumps (gifted) (39.5)

One thing I have lost though, and maybe for good:  My regular morning jaunt through my Feedly reader list.  I used to spend an hour a day catching up on blogs, checking in with other bloggers who I have either become friends with IRL or with whom I feel that wonderful e-connection you can develop with a blogger you like.  Part of it is that the length of my unread entries list is now perhaps in the 10k+ range, and the other part is that I feel more --- what would be the word? --- unadulterated? --- without the massive influx of outside influence on a daily basis.  A lot of the blogs I read --- and probably all of the blogs of people I have actually developed some kind of e-relationship with over time --- do not have this effect on me, but I do notice that having skipped the blog-reading for a month or so now I have shopped less often for clothes, felt less crappy about what I eat, and exercised more (because I WANT to and because it makes me feel good, not because I feel guilty if I don't).

Perhaps this is just a sign that I need to follow fewer blogs, or that instead of reading ALL TEH BLOGZ everyday I should just check in with a couple people at a time as the mood strikes me.  I don't know.  Do any of you feel like this with your blog subscriptions sometimes?  Or do you just poke your head into websites periodically?

OOTD Catch-Up

Hi everyone! I got a major haircut last week, but before I show it to you I wanted to catch you up on a couple of outfits I wore in Vegas with my old hair. I'm trying a new format for today's outfits; let me know what you think. (I suspect that individual photos with product links are more helpful, but those are also more time-consuming and I am not always able to hunt down names and links.)

 

Random work outfit (work days are casual on the trial site):

 

(Also, I feel like the above photo is a perfect illustration of why I needed a haircut. When I "style" my hair for a month by pulling it into a messy ponytail I know it's time...)

 

Work Dinner:

 

Pool Outfit, plus some miscellaneous shopping bits:

L-R, top to bottom:

Pool outfit (free people dress, bathing suit, sunglasses from bonnaroo, Kate Spade tote)

New earrings from Anthro

Damn it Kate Spade, stop making such obnoxiously cute but impractical clutches that I will eventually be forced to buy on sale.

Debating which purse to buy at the Michael Kors outlet. I went with black, but I regret not buying the brown color, too! Buying the same purse in two colors is a mistake, right? Tell me it's a mistake.

 

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Catching Up

Here's what you may have missed in the life of Jewish Girl:

*  Only a few days after getting back from Bonnaroo, I moved out to Las Vegas as part of a trial team.  Trial began in late June, but then settled a few days into jury selection.  I've mentioned a few times in the last several months being SUPER excited about a work assignment that I couldn't talk about in detail --- well, this was it!  It was pretty much my dream come true:  not only did I get to go to trial, but I got to go to trial in MY FAVORITE DOMESTIC VACATION DESTINATION EVER.  Of course, there's not much spare time on trial, but Vegas is a great place to spend three spare hours a week.

*  Despite being SUPER bummed that the case settled (not only do I love trial and did I want to see the whole thing through, but I was also looking forward to spending my whole summer in Vegas), I took a week of vacation in Vegas and treated myself to a pool/spa day and a shopping excursion.

At the Wynn pool, which is beautiful and feels like sitting in the Italian countryside.

...It was my professional duty to go on with my life, you know?

*  After my two days of relaxation, I played in a $1,000 buy-in poker tournament at the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

A small glimpse of the room.

This was the biggest event I'd ever played (almost 2900 entrants with a three-day long structure) and it was the most I'd ever spent on a tournament entry by FAR, but playing in the WSOP was a bucket-list item and something I'd always wanted to do.  When my case settled, it was like the clouds parted and left nothing standing between me and this poker tournament.  Not only was I already in Vegas, but I didn't even have any other active cases at the time!  The timing was just too perfect, and I figured playing in the WSOP would be a cool enough experience that it would be worth my buy-in as long as I could last at least a few hours.

Me with my entry ticket, the day before the first day.

*  The tournament was SO fun.  I played with poker pros (many of whom I didn't recognize, but figured out were pros either because the poker news guys talked to them a lot, or because other players at my table seemed to care an inordinate amount about the random guy to my left or right) and minor celebrities (including the executive producer of Weeds, who was at my table briefly on Day 2, and the guy who played Marshall's dad in How I Met Your Mother (and who also voices Patrick the Starfish on Spongebob), who sat a few tables away from me on Day 1).

*  On the first day, I got my photo taken for this cool souvenir:

I asked the poker photographer to show up early because I had no idea how long I'd be able to survive, and she arrived at my table on the very first hand of the tournament!  It was a bit embarrassing to have my photo taken so soon but I love the result.

*  We made it into the money at the end of Day 1 at around 1:30 in the morning.  Right before we broke the money bubble (meaning that only one person remained to be eliminated before we would all make money), the tables all went "hand for hand," which means that the dealers only dealt one hand at a time before stopping and waiting for the other tables to finish.  Once the dealers were done with the hand, they had to stand up and wait for instructions from the tournament director.  It was crazy and chaotic in the best way; the mood was so amped up that you could feel it in the air.  I think I probably would have folded aces on the bubble just to make sure I made it into the money.

*  Eventually, the bubble broke (I think the bubble boy had pocket jacks, but I don't know what his opponent had --- I saw him walking away disorientedly and heard him tell someone, "I knew I should have folded those jacks") and everyone started cheering.  We'd all made our buy-in + 80% back, at least!  We played for another half an hour on day one and then came back for Day 2.  Despite accumulating a ton of chips on day one, I spent most of day two with very few chips relative to the blinds (or forced bets), so I mostly sat tight, waited for good hands, and then stuck with them as long as possible.

*  I sat directly in front of the poker news desk for all of Day 1 without being noticed, despite having a bigger chip stack at the time than several of the female pros who were being blogged about (note: the news updates focus entirely on pros and celebrities --- regardless of how big your chipstack is --- until you get down to the final few tables, when amateurs have lasted long enough to matter; the poker news services reported on tournament "chip leaders" who had fewer chips than less well-known players sitting at my very table, but the purported chip leaders were more visible pros).  Not that I was bitter --- I didn't mind flying under the radar and I figured, probably similarly to the reporters, that I could bust out at any moment.  However, I stayed in the game and very late in the day on Day 2, once we were down to four tables, the news guys asked for my name.  Shortly afterwards, I doubled up on a big hand and noticed this on the website:

Love the title!  (Also, now you know why I don't use my full name on the blog --- the spelling is unique enough that a first-name-only Google search will get you to me more often than not.  I like to maintain some anonymity here, to the extent possible...)

*  As more and more people got knocked out, I could hardly believe my eyes as we continued moving up in the payout structure.  After every few people, we all made a little more money.  It was so exciting!  Once we got down to three tables, we moved into a smaller, better-lit area to facilitate photography.

The new area had spectator seating!

*  Towards the end of Day 2, when we broke into the final two tables (20 people), the ESPN guys handed out this form for us to fill out, should we make it to the TV-table (final 9 people) on Day 3:

*  I was very short in chips at this point and felt the questionnaire would be a bit short-lived for me.  (Spoiler alert:  I did not make it into the final 9.)  But beyond my most reasonable expectations, I managed to make it into Day 3, and as Day 2 came to a close, I was greeted by this article:

"Two women, Dana Castaneda and [me], still remain and are both looking for a World Series of Poker bracelet to add to their collection of jewelry."

Hoping-to-Win-a-lot-of-Money-on-Day 3 OOTD?

*  I came into Day 3 with the shortest chip stack of the 14 remaining players and did not have supremely high hopes that I would last very long.  Luckily, I managed to double-up with a small pocket pair to stay in the game.

Great photo, no?  Also, you can see how small my chip stack is given that I am holding it in one hand.  Haha.

*  While my double-up was enough to take me into the next level of payouts (good for an additional $6,000!) I was unable to make the final table.  I busted out when my AQ ran into a pair of tens in the big blind.  My opponent's tens held up and the tournament went on without me.

Yes, this is the same guy who doubled me up when I had aces on Day 2!  Luckily, my chips did not ship in vain, as Jason went on to take second place in the whole tournament.

But $26,128!!  Not a bad payout for my first WSOP if I do say so myself!

I like to think that Hellmuth is holding up two ones for "11th Place."

And awesomely, the other woman in the tournament with me, Dana Castaneda, took first place!  It's very rare for a woman to win a WSOP bracelet in a "mixed" event (meaning both men and women), so this is an amazing achievement for her!

Overall, I had SUCH a fun time.  Winning money was obviously a huge plus, but just getting to play for longer than a couple of hours with such skilled opponents was fantastic.  I would love to do this again next year, work permitting.  I set aside some of my winnings already...

...and the rest went to student loans!

So, that's what I've been up to lately.  Now that trial is over, I'm looking forward to what I hope will be a more reasonable work schedule with more time for blog-posting.  I left the office in time to have dinner with a friend yesterday, and I realized I'd almost forgotten what it felt like not to eat take-out at my desk!

OOTD: The Politics of Jeans Day

It's jeans day in our office today.

In this Outfit:

Style & Co. Blazer; Anthropologie Blazing Top; Sold Denim Jeans; Seychelles Code Pumps; Thrifted Necklace; Kate Spade Bangle; Thrifted Earrings

This may come as a surprise to those of you who have been with me for a while and have borne witness for my love of pushing the boundaries of business casual, but I actually HATE jeans days.  I feel flat-out inappropriate wearing jeans to the office, and at our firm so few of the partners participate that it almost feels like a trap.  Sure, we are allowed to wear jeans (and we donate money to a charity in exchange for the pleasure), but aren't we still being judged for dressing down?

A blazer will cure all ills.

The last time our firm had a jeans day (many months ago), I skipped it and wore business casual.  That didn't solve the problem, though, since I felt just about as weird being one of the few associates not wearing jeans as I would have felt running into a business casual partner while sporting my denim.  This time, I felt I had to participate since today's jeans day is raising funds for a road race I am helping to organize.

Also, these thrifted earrings are super fancy-looking.

A friend of mine at a different firm offered an intriguing comment on an associate's duty to participate in a jeans day:

Hardly any of the partners do it in my group either, but if all associates do it they can't judge you, which is my point.  So do your part for your fellow associates.  Some of them may be like me and it is the only day all month they don't hate.

I'd never thought about jeans day as a class solidarity type of thing, but her argument makes a lot of sense, and ultimately persuaded me to wear jeans today.  Along with most of the other associates.  And frankly, it does feel a bit like everyone who is wearing jeans is sharing a wink and a smile today.

It still feels a bit weird, but I'll admit that I am super freaking comfortable.

What do you guys think of jeans days at the office, if you have them?

(Also, I'm wearing my new Kate Spade bag for the first time today!  I LOVE it, although I will fully admit that it is kind of ridiculous and I don't know how much I will wear it.  Which, wonderfully, was the reason I passed on it the first time so I feel somewhat justified in my initial decision (thus wiping out two years of agony) and at the same time I am happy with my acquisition (which was sweetened by said agony that clearly I still hang onto on some level).  Also, it holds a LOT of stuff.)