Long Awaited Update

It's been a while since we wrote anything here, so here's a brief update.

Since the bar exam results were released things have been sort of up and down here on Baker Street. Despite having a resume that "is very strong" according to the people at career services, the prospect of employment has been slippery. Leads are scarce to begin with, and most of the ones that are tracked down have mostly resulted in dead ends or professionals promising to "pass along" the resume.

The reasons aren't tough to understand. The economy sucks. Firms who were living the high life when things were good racked up tremendous overhead and when things went bad a number of associates were let go. Our recently graduated class is now competing with other potential candidates who actually have a clue of the ins and outs of day to day practice. In short they have something called "experience" which appears to often tip the scales away from a newly minted attorney.

Luckily the prospect of being a traditional lawyer was one I always considered just an option, not the only destination. I kept that perspective from the time I wrote my admissions essay to the time I graduated. Still, in looking around at other positions the nibbles and bites haven't come as quickly as would have been preferred. The advice I get from various support systems range from "it'll happen" to "when it's meant to be". It's a nice sentiment, but the truth is I'm pretty bored on a day to day basis and can't wait for something to happen.

Employment issues aside, we are gearing up for Christmas time. With most all of our non-essentials sitting in a storage building, we went out and bought a small tree and cheap ornaments to post in the living room. It's not the perfect set up, but at least we have some sense of the Christmas spirit despite spinning the proverbial wheels. After Christmas I'll head down to Orlando and will be met by Tracy on the 30th for our third straight New Year's in the Magic Kingdom. Then, in February we head to Las Vegas before going to St. Lucia in April. All in all the first quarter of 2011 will be pretty eventful.

Hopefully in between the various coming events we'll have a chance to update the employment status and finally start moving forward.

She's Also UnAmerican

So while in Greer I was looking on Facebook and see my wife update her status thusly: "Watching Aladdin...makes me feel like a kid again".

Seriously? You're watching a movie about a Mooslim terrorist on September 11th?

I apologize to all the real 'Muurkins out there who would be offended by this. She should apologize to all of you.

I think my wife is a light weight but not a doctor

Being a highly successful (read lucky) soccer coach has a few perks. While you get to travel all over the country yelling and flapping your arms about on the sideline, you also have to go to places like Greer, South Carolina.

As Tracy seems to prefer the trips to Las Vegas and Las Vegas, I am left to come to lovely Greer. It's a magical place really. Even has a Macaroni Grille. I ate there last night. The waitress sang. I had rigatoni. But the highlight of the evening was checking in on my lovely bride via the bluetooth speaker phone contraption in my car. With a few people riding shotgun. The conversation went like this:

Me: "How'd your day go?"

Her: (groggy, somewhat coherent voice) "I'm OK. I took a Ben...ben...Benadryl."

Me: "Ok. How did your day go?"

Her: "I took a Benadryl"

Me: "Did you wash it down with a bottle of gin? You sound drunk"

Her: "No, I'm just tired. I took a Benadryl."

In case you, loyal reader (or stumbling internet surfer) are wondering, she took a Benadryl which according to the Harvard Medical Journal is a cure-all. Can't sleep? Take a Benadryl. Congested? Take a Benadryl. Ebola? You guessed it, take a Benadryl.

This is the same logic I've noticed with things such as Tylenol PM or a "Mountain". If you ever have an upset stomach you should either drink a "Mountain" (for those of you who don't speak neck that's a Mountain Dew which is apparently brewed from fairy tears and unicorn hairs) or a "Diet". I suppose this means a diet soft drink of some variety, but haven't been able to figure out which species to date.

Those interesting sidebars aside, the fact is she took her magic Benadryl pill and it apparently was enough to make her sound as if she was sleeping in a cardboard box on the street hustling for another shot of hooch. This fact was apparently lost on her as she answered the phone, but not on the passengers of my car who are all now convinced that Benadryl has some sort of psychedelic element to it.

The Bar Exam IS DEAD

The news has come in. I apparently know enough law to practice in North Carolina. So says the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners. Hence the whole letter today congratulating me for PASSING THE BAR EXAM!!!

Waiting On The Results While Moving Forward....Sort Of

The bar exam results are less than two weeks away. I have no idea how I did. I studied. I put in the time. I know I got rattled in the morning and may have lost my way in terms of form. When bar results creep into my mind I wonder if I applied the facts to the rules. I wonder if I was making up law at times. I wonder if I expressed my thoughts as well as I could. Then on the multiple choice...did I over-think it all? In the end I only care about getting a scaled, curved, whatever score of 346.

European Vacation Provided Fun, Stress, and More

In the middle of my second year of law school my father decided that since we have some manner of familial roots from Scotland, it would be a good idea to take the family on a whirlwind tour of the motherland after I graduated from Elon. But before I took the bar exam. The wisdom of that logic won't be known for at least another week or so, but let's hope I passed despite taking 12 days off.

After flying from scenic Greensboro to Atlanta, we boarded a KLM flight to Amsterdam around 9:30 PM EST. Our seats were terrific (business class seats turn into a bed and have their own video screens), and soon after hitting 40,000 feet we were able to order dinner which was tremendous (lobster, steak, apple pie, etc). I don't remember too much else because I spent the majority of the eight plus hour flight sleeping. When we got to Amsterdam, we (John & Tracy) veered off to London, while Dad and his crew headed to Switzerland. We planned to meet up five days later in Scotland.

At this point we encountered some problems. We were not on the flight from Amsterdam to London despite having tickets. And when we inquired if our bags (which had been checked through from Greensboro) would meet us in England we were told "hopefully". They weren't. Instead our bags apparently loved Dutch hospitality so much they decided to stay an extra day or so.

We stayed at the Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel. A great hotel in the heart of the town of ...oddly enough...Mayfair. After getting showered and settled we walked around before heading back. The next morning came early as we headed to King's Cross Station to board a train for Paris. Initially I wasn't overly thrilled with the idea of going, but Tracy wanted to see the city and I gave in. I'm glad I did. Frankly I've not seen a more beautiful city than Paris. Just an amazing place. Historical, artistic, and just incredible. We did all the touristy stuff. The Eiffel Tower. The Arc. Shopping. Cathedrals. We also bought Tracy some designer bag that cost more than any one item I possess. Seriously, I had to sit in line for the privilege of spending an obscene amount of money for what I was getting. The kicker? The French lady seemed put off that I didn't understand such an opportunity. Oh well...we had a train to catch in order to get back to London.

The rest of our time in London consisted of bouncing around the city. We hit all the tourist sites, but our meals were mainly American. We ate one night in the room, one night at the Rain Forest Cafe, and so on. One day we did make it out to Windsor Castle which was terrific. I'm a big fan of the old kings and queens it was great seeing where the historical figures lived. Windsor is a place I could have spent another 3-4 hours. But then again I'm a history nut.

Similar to Windsor was our tour of the Tower of London. Got to see where Queen Anne lost her head before walking inside and seeing the real crown jewels. One dress was so bedazzled with gems that it weighed something like 65 pounds. The crowns and other ornaments looked like they were dipped in glitter from all the diamonds sparkling. We left the tower on our last day before heading to Scotland.

The tour of the country lasted five days. We saw a ton of castles and even more mountains and lakes. There's not a ton in Scotland which is why it's so perfect. If Paris' beauty is measured in the architecture, gold statutes, and so on... Scotland's is measured in it's natural beauty. Everywhere we ventured - from Loch Lomond to the Isle of Skye to Loch Ness and back down toward St. Andrews - offered amazingly scenery that now appears on my screensaver and desktop. There were three distinct memories of Scotland for us:

1. Riding Horses - we were able to go on a private ride for 2 hours. Neither of us is a huge fan of horses, nor experienced riders. Thankfully our mounts were out of shape and just content to plod along and eat. This allowed us time to look around the vast lands that weren't touched by man.

2. Playing Golf at St. Andrews. The British Open prevented us from playing the Old Course, but in the end we got to play a new tract called the Castle Course. I'm not an avid golfer, but I do appreciate the game. I think I played well enough and got to experience Scottish golf.

3. The accommodations. The first night we stayed on Loch Lomond which was OK. The second night we stayed at Inverlochy Castle. A real, honest to goodness castle. It was fantastic. Third night we stayed in the Isle of Skye in a "luxury hotel". Apparently that has a different meaning to those people. But, the town was charming. The fourth night we stayed at Culloden House - another castle like structure. Then, the fifth night, we stayed at the Rusacks Hotel overlooking the 18th green of the Old Course. Each destination offered its own charm, but NONE of them had air conditioning. That wasn't a big deal, but there was a heat wave gripping the country at that time and our rooms were up near 80 during the day. That's a small price to pay for the experience, however.

We've been back a little over six weeks and since then I've obviously been very busy. Part of me regrets that I was somewhat distracted throughout the trip (reciting rules of law as best I could remember them). I do know that we both would like to return to each of the three countries for extended vacations. And, most importantly, we had fun.

European Vacation Recap

I'll be posting a good deal more in the coming days, but we did manage to get over to London, Paris, and most of the country of Scotland in late June and early July. We had a terrific time and I hope to post a complete recap from the travel problems to the terrific memories to the sad return to studying for the bar exam.

I'm sure the millions....thou....tens....ok I am sure anyone who stumbled across this will be captivated.

The Bar Review Is Dead...Hopefully for Good

It's been almost a month since I last posted anything here. The reason? The bar exam was looming and I was drowning in a sea of mindless laws, study materials, and misery. It all came to a head on July 27th and 28th at the North Carolina State Fair Grounds where I was among 1100 souls who were subjected to two days of intellectual water boarding. And the best part? I have not a clue how I did. And won't for another three weeks at least.

Hopefully I passed. I put in a ton of time studying and knew something to write for each and every essay. What scares me is that I freaked out on a couple and that could have taken my already shaky form and style (which was bar exam specific) and regressed it into how I'd usually write. If I failed, I believe that'll be the reason. That and I have no clue how I did on the multiple choice because there were at least two right answers on each question and it was up to you - the lowly bar exam taker - to pick the subjectively "Most Right" answer. I hope there's a special room reserved in hell for the person who thought of that little quirk.

Either way, it's over. And I returned home for a wild celebration which consisted of taking a two day nap.

Since then I've contacted a head hunter in hopes of finding something for which my three years of time and six figure tuition can return some sort of gainful employment. So far there are some interesting leads, but nothing concrete. Yet. The economy is saturated with attorneys and most of them have some advantages on me. Trivial things like "experience" or fancy latin words that mean they lived in the law library 18 hours a day over the last three years and finished above me in the class rankings. Others have the benefit of parents who are somewhat influential in the world of lawyers and thusly were able to lean on the right people to hire their offspring.

As for me, I have contacts to find jobs, but they may or may not be lawyer jobs. And that's fine because I believe what I wrote over three years ago when applying to law school: A law degree is simply a key that opens many doors in many different arenas. Most people charge through the one right in front of them (i.e. practicing law). They are so sure that's the only way to be successful. I disagree. And I aim to prove my point by finding what one of my professors described as the "happy job". Without going into too much detail the happy job is basically a job that makes you happy. For me that is a job that is challenging and provides tangible output (i.e. not being a paper pushing drone for a big firm that likes its billable hours). It's also one that allows me to be at home and have a rewarding family life. I don't want to be away six of seven days. I don't want to leave before the sun rises and return when everyone has gone to sleep. That's simply not an option.

One highly placed executive of a well-known online college told me that such thinking was "small minded" and "severely limited" my ability to be successful. As I relayed to her: "I guess that depends on how you define success". I'm 29 years old. I've got, on average, 50 years remaining on earth. Five decades from now I really have no desire to be sitting here thinking that I really do wish I'd have spent time with those who meant something to me instead of logging that 100th hour of work for the week. But that's just me. It's not for me to say that lifestyle isn't rewarding for some. I assume it is. But it's not for me. Same way cauliflower isn't something I'd prefer to eat. I mean it is certainly one way to survive, but not an overly fulfilling one.

As the job hunt progresses I'm somewhat optimistic that I'll find something. Somewhere. I'm fortunate enough to be in a position that allows me to be selective, and I plan on utilizing that ability. I'm going to weigh the pros and cons of each decision that presents itself and go from there. I don't mind leaving our current location, but it'll have to be a good enough opportunity.

Regardless of where the path takes us, there is one thing I want to be sure of going forward....that I never have to take the NC Bar Exam again. So keep your fingers crossed that I some how manage to pass it and that results in a "good" letter arriving the first week of September.

Moving On...or at least leaving

Tomorrow we put the sadness and disappointment that has plagued us over the last however many weeks and board a plane bound for Europe. It's something that has been planned for more than a year. We're excited. And, probably, we need the distraction.

2010 is almost halfway gone and it's been quite a bitch...yes, I said it. What started off as another year with a positive outlook has since gone down hill. We've lost our home, our potential home, and I've lost my pet. There's been some positives as well. And those are what I choose to focus on, but at times that choice isn't easy.

Regardless we leave tomorrow afternoon for a great adventure. I am sure some of the sadness will be here when I return, but in the meantime I am hopeful to just let it all wash away as we see the sights and sounds of Europe. I'll post occasionally when I'm there as I'll be using late nights and early mornings to study for the bar exam and will thus be on the computer.

See you on the other side (of the ocean)

A Quiet Morning

For most of the last few years I had three alarm clocks. The first was my internal clock which prevents me from sleeping past 6:30. I'm not saying I didn't go back to sleep on some days, but no matter what I wake up at 6:30. The second was my trusty Sony clock radio alarm clock which has been with me since college. It's not overly pretty, but it's certainly effective. The third was the most effective, the most annoying, and the one that didn't go off this morning.

Wyatt would would sit outside the bed room door and voice his displeasure that we were not awake, that he had not been provided his morning portion of canned food, or that nobody had picked him up and given him some attention. It would start at 6:45. Without fail. This morning I was awake well before my internal alarm clock said I should be. Well before the Sony charmed me with it's harsh alarm chime. I was waiting for my third alarm clock to come. I was sure last night was just a bad dream. Sadly, reality set in. Wyatt is gone.

We called the vet and have made his final arrangements. I had to take him to the office this morning. I was OK until the lady asked if she could take him away. I don't remember saying "ok", but I must have. Because she took his box and carried him gently away from me. For the last time.

I paid for his arrangements. I don't remember what it cost. I came home. I was OK. Then I went to look in Wyatt's recent acquisition -- a left over box from the move that had been used to pack blankets, old soccer bibs, and other soft possessions. Wyatt had made a nest in there. For the last few weeks I had chuckled as I watched him hop up into that box. I had done the same as I would go over and look in and see what we called a "cat-ball" curled up, asleep. I know it's foolish and childish, but I looked in the box hoping to see him. No dice. At that point reality set in. My pet is gone. No more cat-balls. No more funny gymnastics. No more finding him in different perches or hiding places.

And no more alarm clock. Something I complained about until it wasn't there. But something I miss. Greatly.

I Just Lost My Best Friend

They say dogs are man's best friend, but I am not sure this tells the entire tale. I would suggest that your best friend is your pet. Be it dog, cat, lizard, or bird. There's something special about the bond between a person and their pet. Today I lost my pet.

Wyatt - a rescue cat from the Greenville, N.C. animal shelter in 2003, wasn't supposed to be anything more than a present for my new wife. However, he soon became much more than that. I'd grown up with dogs. And around all manner of animal. But Wyatt was my first pet. He chose me. Whenever I was sitting down, he would come up and curl up on me or beside me. Whenever I didn't feel well he would appear and purr. Some people think cats aren't affectionate. But mine was. My cat could fetch. My cat would come when called. My cat...... was my best friend.

Today I lost him. And I don't know why. There was no warning. There was no sign of him not being well. We had played this morning. He seemed to be his usual self. Then as I was cleaning up I realized I had left the storage closet open. I knew he would be in there. Despite my best efforts, I was never able to correct him of thinking he owned the place. And whenever there was a chance to find a new hiding place or perch to sleep on....Wyatt was there. I saw his tail between two chairs and immediately snapped at him to get out. He didn't move. So I reached in to get him to move or pull him out. At that point I knew that my friend wasn't going to wake up from this nap.

Wyatt had just turned seven years old. He'd been with me through thick and thin. Through learning to be a husband in those first months of marriage, through six moves, through law school, and many other of life's trials. He never judged. He was always there in his own way. Whenever a day went poorly, he was there. Whenever a day went well, he was there. It didn't matter, Wyatt always stayed steady.

Some of the things I miss the most already are the mornings where he'd make sure we were up because it was time for breakfast. I miss making him "dance" when a song would come on TV or the radio. I miss throwing rolled up ice cream sandwich paper across the room and watching him fetch. I miss playing "feather" and watching him dart around trying to capture it. I miss watching him climb his tower. Or the bookcases. Or sometimes the fridge. I miss feeding him shrimp or chicken or even crab when that's what we were having because, while canned food was good, nothing beat sea food. I miss finding him in a pile of blankets or in my chair. I miss watching him wrestle with our new puppy. I miss....my friend.

I can't believe the last words I spoke towards him were in annoyance. I wish I could take those back. I didn't mean it. I thought it was just another case of him claiming territory that wasn't supposed to be his. If I would have only known that he had tried to find a peaceful place to pass on. If I had only known he wasn't well. If I had only done more. Been more attentive. But wouldn't there have been signs? Was I too self-absorbed to notice them?

Last night he curled up with me while we were watching TV. I scratched his chin and he made sure he was as close as possible. About an hour later I got up to go to bed - making sure he was still comfortable. It was our custom. I wish now that I'd stayed up or would have been more attentive. Why didn't I play with him more today instead of forcing myself to focus on other things. Did he need attention? Did I not notice my pet was in trouble? Maybe there was a sign he didn't feel well. Maybe I missed something.

Regardless I have to be thankful that, if he was suffering, he isn't any more. And if he was going to pick a time to pass on he at least did it while I was home and in a place he felt comfortable. I wish he'd have let me be with him, but I guess he knew that would have broken my heart completely. I hope he wasn't in any pain and I hope I was able to give him as good a life as possible. God knows I tried. He was the first pet I ever bought on my own and the first one who ever decided that I was his pet as much as he was mine. I can't believe he's gone. And with so little warning.

I hope he's in a better place and I hope that one day our paths will cross again. Until then I will look forward to seeing my pet again. I miss him so terribly much already.

Farewell, Wyatt. I love you.

Leaving On A Jet Plane...But We'll Be Back Again

Maybe it's unwise, but we will be departing from bar study and life in general to head off on a European vacation starting Tuesday.

We'll leave from Greensboro and go to Atlanta. From there it's on to Amsterdam. Then to London. Then to Paris. Back to London. Then to Scotland. While in Scotland we'll do everything from playing golf at St. Andrews to cruising Loch Ness to visiting the Isle of Skye. Along the way we're sleeping in castles, visiting historic sites, and doing all manner of tourist things.

We return late on July 2nd with a lot of pictures. Then it is back to bar and studying.

Being Homeless Leads To Perspective

Previously I wrote about or impending move into a new house. Tracy and I were so excited. We were pre-approved. We were within our budget. We were living frugally and we were packing our lives away into boxes. It was a hassle. It was tough. But it was worth it. At least that's what we told ourselves as we continued our to work hard and continued to pack.

And then the bottom fell out.

Our mortgage lender informed us that all that solid footing she told us about didn't exist. She told us that the initial underwriting and pre-approval she had provided were not good. And so we went into panic mode. We transferred the loan to another lender who assured us we were fine. We went through the process again. We were pre-approved. Again. And then more of these "professional business people" dropped the ball. While it doesn't make any sense to recount gory details the bottom line was that we were told we couldn't afford to exist with a mortgage payment that was - literally - 45 percent of our current RENT payments. As in our rent is more than double what these people told us we could afford.

The reason? I'm self-employed and apparently a legal deduction for mileage to coach a soccer team that is taken with the consent of the IRS means I cannot afford a home. At least according to the new lending laws. I have no desire to get into a political commentary, but I feel like Tracy and I work hard. We have both built our own businesses. We enjoy a comfortable life but it's hardly glitz and glamour. We are the "poster children" for stated income loans according to one lender. But those loans are no longer available and because we fall into a couple of loopholes in the law it would appear as though we aren't currently capable of owning a home. At least not according to these lenders. Because of that we were forced to move our boxes into a POD (which, by the way is a great company) and our lives into a much smaller apartment.

I am sure we'll attempt to buy a home again in the future. But for now we're extremely soured on that whole idea and process.

Law Learning Is Dead...Long Live Law Learning

Since my last post I've been incredibly busy. It's a typical law student life post law school so I'm told. We had graduation and everyone was happy. We walked across the stage. We had our friends and family wish us congratulations. We even had an ice sculpture. Then it was time for every law student to go into a hole, cave, or jail cell. Why? Because a law degree means very little if you don't have a license to practice law. You achieve this by passing the state bar. To do this you must study. A lot. Like more than I've had to study in my entire life.

I don't mean to suggest I've been some kind of legal wiz kid. Nothing could be further from the truth. I was merely an average law student. I didn't earn any kind of fancy latin classifications with my degree. But I can honestly say that law school never really put that much stress on me. Sure there was some nervy nights during exam time. And there were some frustrating times when I was learning how to "play the law school game". And, make no mistake, there are games galore when it comes to law school. But, when it all ends, you realize you don't know anything.

Maybe it's me but I found that preparing for the LSAT only showed you how to take the LSAT. Law school only tells you how to do well in law school. The bar prep course apparently - I hope - teaches you how to pass the bar. Perhaps when you add it all up you learn to be a lawyer. I can't worry about that for now. For now it's between seven and 10 hours a day of studying and trying to figure out how to pass this monster of an exam. So far I've made my goals. Let's hope the trend doesn't stop.

The Battle Is Over. The War Now Begins

I walked out of school a few hours ago having just sat for (and hopefully passed) my last exam as a student at Elon University School of Law. It's been an interesting three years and though there were certainly times where I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, the time has generally flown by at an alarming rate.

I do remember my first day of classes at "boot camp". A couple of the teachers bought into the whole idea of acclimating us to life as 1Ls. But not Professor Kinsler. We did our first two substantive classes in his allotted times. I remember walking into "Issues and Leadership" class and thinking there must have been a better use of my time. I certainly remember going to the library for research scavenger hunts. All things that defined my first year. Of course it's impossible to forget the stumbling blocks as well. I remember not doing particularly well in Torts because I wasn't able to frame the issues in an elemental sense. I remember doing poorly in legal writing. Most of all I remember getting my first semester grades back and wondering what on earth possessed me to come to law school in the first place.

Since then I was able to right the ship and do well enough to make it through. I've certainly changed as a result of the experience. I'm more willing to tackle challenges. I'm less likely to hold my tongue. I'm also a bit more confident when it comes interjecting my two cents or looking for a solution. Maybe that's worth the amount of tuition paid and the hours spent working towards this goal.

One cool thing we did in the first week of school was write a letter to ourselves. To be opened after we took the final exam of our third year. Mine is dated August 20, 2007. Sparing the gory details, I will quote some of the relevant passages:

"When looking for jobs, don't use a shotgun approach. Go for what you like, and stay away from what you don't. Don't be motivated solely by money. Find something you love and something that excites you."

Maybe I was a bit idealistic, but I find that portion of the letter to be the approach I'm taking in both job searching and life in general. Maybe I was looking down the road. Maybe I was already making changes in my life. Or maybe I was full of it. Regardless I was somewhat surprised to see something that hit home as well as it did.

The last sentence of the letter really hit home. It's exactly the way I feel I've evolved and have begun to approach life and all it can throw at you. Most importantly, it's how I plan to spend the next few weeks and months as a series of terrific adventures kick off. In closing that letter, three years ago I wrote:

"...either way it's been a new and hopefully exciting challenge. Now, let's get going on the next one."

I agree. Let's go.

Less than 24 Hours To Go

And law school will be finished. No more teachers, but a hell of a lot of books. Over two feet in fact. And while I look forward to having a law degree, I am more eager to dive into the next phases of my life as they head down the road.

We close on the house in just over two weeks. We are trying to get a head start on packing, but so far it's going somewhat slow thanks to my schedule of exams and soccer stuff happening. Hopefully that'll be taken care of this week. On a happier note, we have some pieces for the house arriving this week in the form of bookshelves, bathroom accessories, and a heavy duty waffle maker. (I know, it's exciting stuff).

Before all that I have one more. Tomorrow afternoon - beginning at 2:15 - I will sit for my last law school exam. Ever. I don't think I've blown the doors off any of my previous three exams, but I've done well enough (I hope). My goal has shifted away from excelling and improving my class rank and GPA to just getting out and moving on. Perhaps that's a sad commentary, and it is certainly not something I'm overly proud of. But, it's the truth. I'm burned out on school and ready for a new challenge. Three years ago I was energized and ready to burn law school to the tune of grand dreams and life in the fast lane. It's kind of funny to think about when I look back on it. I'm a different person. Hopefully a bit better for the experience (not to mention the mountain of tuition). Regardless, life turns another page tomorrow. I wonder where it'll take us.

Equilizer

When it comes to blogging I am not sure that I am the best person to contribute. Now when it comes to my opinion I am always willing to say my piece. The only difference is now my grammar has to be meticulous. I do however love the name of the blog, Great Job John!!

Well anyway here goes.....

John and I have been together now almost 7 years. We do indeed have a dog (or as John refers to it, "a squirrel", due to his 9 pound frame.). Rigby is a Havanese that is almost 7 months old. We also have John's recuse effort - Wyatt a very spunky cat. All that aside we have learned/experienced a lot over the years. My husband is my best friend, and there is no one else I would rather spend time, talk to, or travel with. I trust and respect my husband more all the time. My love for him continues to grow with each passing year. I don't always share in his sense of humor but, he continues to impress me I look forward to what more may come.

We are starting a new chapter in our life with the purchase of a new home. We are excited to by homeowners again. It was hard for me with working in new construction to look past this home being a re-sale. With new construction I am used to everything being just so. With this home it is by fair gorgeous/big yard and in a wonderful neighborhood don't get me wrong, John and I just have big expectations on what condition we want the home in. Together we will make it our on.

As far as my job, I am a realtor and I enjoy what I do. I work with a new construction builder, it is like running my own business. The customers are wonderful (most of the time) and the homes are beautiful.

That is all for now, stay tuned there may be more.

T

A Little Help?

As most anyone can tell you, the market for employment sucks. And if you've just dropped six figures on a law school education, you're probably not too thrilled with your income prospects. Rather than dwell on my graduating class' employment percentage (which appears to be in the low teens if you are scoring at home), I have set out looking for alternative ways to use my soon to materialize J.D.

I've looked at operations, education, indoctrination, incantations, and even a bit of mutilation. Not one of those sectors is hiring at this point. It appears as though I'm going to set up my own shop with some highly capable friends. I think there's success in the future, but I learned long ago that putting all your eggs in one basket usually leads to disaster. Armed with such wisdom I am looking to supplement the earnings of a first year attorney with some side income. One such side job opportunity resulted in a meeting with a big shot in that field thanks to the efforts of my father, who was happy to leverage his contacts to get me in front of the "right people". Perhaps I'm out of practice in such interactions, but this meeting was an unmitigated disaster.

I arrived early and waited. No big deal I figured, this is playing the game. And it's better to be early for a meeting than late...especially when you are the one looking for the help. After this captain of industry arrived and dispensed with the random small talk, we got down to business. She asked me what I was looking for. I responded with the specifics (specifically a way to supplement my soon to (I hope) materialize income with some part time work). Apparently I was either being obtuse, shady, or maybe I was speaking another language. Why? Because for the next 25 minutes she sat there explaining how I shouldn't be running away from my profession just because of hard times; that I need to stop attempting to use other peoples' relationships for personal gain; and to read a book. (Side note: The book is called "What Color Is Your Parachute")

After absorbing the initial battery of unsolicited advice, I got the following gems: "You should look to move away from here, because you are putting a tight collar on your future", and "my nephew worked in Italy and France for two years and then came back and had a great market for his services. Maybe you should look into that."

Shortly after this motivational, intercontinental anecdote she abruptly gathered her bags and thanked me for meeting her and took off to [presumably] bigger and better things. I was left to sit and wonder what just happened. I went in hoping to get some advice on how to find some part time work to offset the risk of navigating a small business in this economy. Instead I got an audit of a life and character I'm not sure I'm living. Though - one way or another - I came away having learned a good deal.

Buying A House Feels Like 25 to Life

We're scheduled to close on our house later this month. Three weeks from Wednesday if my math is correct. After going through the home buying process over the last few weeks I feel like a convicted felon. Make no mistake, we're not going to be mistaken for a Trump, or anything close to it when it comes to silly things such as wealth, stature, hairstyle, or whatever else banks tend to put value on. But we do well enough and are able to enjoy a comfortable life style and work very hard for it.

So, when we went through the pre-qualification process somewhat swiftly I was encouraged. And then we got to initial underwriting and things have gotten a bit obnoxious. I fully understand and appreciate the fiduciary duty owed by mortgage underwriters and the various banking types to their shareholders, etc. But at some point it gets a bit ridiculous. An example would be with the credit report and plastic updating process.

I maintain an iTunes account on a credit card. It's easier this way in that it keeps activity on the account, but also is something that can be paid off each period. During this process we explained this to the underwriter who had told us to "live life as you've been doing". Imagine my surprise when a phone call (and subsequent email) came in asking why the credit bureau was showing a balance on this card. From the tone of it you'd have thought we bought the entire iTunes library or spent at least a few hundred bucks. Nope. The balance she was complaining about was a whopping $3.28. I don't think they sell anything on McDonald's Value Menu for that. And yet here was this lady frantic because I bought a pair of iPhone apps and a song.

By nature I'm somewhat of a private person (please disregard this blog's existence when reading that statement), and maybe it was the pressure of school, work, and other things hitting at once, but I was certainly not pleased she expended this much effort over something so trivial. Perhaps it was a validation exercise she needed to complete. Perhaps it was something else. But it's a good illustration of how we've had to live (at least in a self-imposed mindset) since we made our first offer on the home.

There is something to be said for living in a frugal manner, but when you are hammered over and over again by a third party for trivial things like this (and, yes, there are other examples) you often will find yourself over-analyzing every little expenditure. Maybe it's just because I dislike people looking over my shoulder in my private life, but I feel like this whole process could have been somewhat easier and not nearly as frustrating. Had there been a real problem I could understand it. But we've produced and documented everything required to close within moments of being asked for it. We could close tomorrow if the attorney had a spot. It'll all be over in a few weeks, but in the meantime I feel like Shawshank Mortgage Company could use some time management skills.

Why Baker Street?

Because 10 years ago I decided to make my hobby (the website) into something approaching an official business outlet. So I paid an attorney to make me into an LLC. Having my surname borrowed liberally by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for Sherlock's trusted assistant, it seemed only right that I borrow his address. That's how Baker Street Media came into effect. And since it's been somewhat successful over the years I figured I'd brand our blog in a similar fashion.

Welcome To Life On Baker Street

Welcome to the wonderful world of pointless postings, random updates, and a general look into the lives of us. After making somewhat of a living on the Internet for the better part of a decade, I've decided to enter the world of blogging and am somewhat hopeful that Tracy will jump and add her thoughts (or "balance") to this endeavor.

A quick update on where things stand at the moment for the handful of people who may or may not find this interesting...

After getting married in 2003, we moved to Greensboro after I graduated from ECU in May of 2004. Soon after we bought our first house and moved to High Point while I went to work in the financial services industry. In the winter of 2006-2007 I was sitting at my grandmother's house and she mentioned the new law school downtown. I had always had an idea that a law degree could be something worth chasing, but had resigned myself to the fact that having a house (complete with a mortgage), a full-time job, and other responsibilities would preclude me from heading to law school. None the less I put in an application to Elon University's School of Law for giggles after taking LSAT. Much to my surprise I got accepted.

Fast forward three years and I'm on the cusp of graduation and the inevitable summer of studying for the bar. In that time we sold our first house (just in time) and moved to Greensboro (again) to be closer to school. In the Spring of my first year Tracy finally found a job she loved and has been there ever since. We've decided to make a go of it here in the Triad area and are closing on our second home in late May. It's a sort of "do-over" on the housing front and comes after we've learned several lessons in that arena from the first time around.

Other than that I've been a youth soccer coach since 2005 and have enjoyed it for the most part. It's been a lot of fun watching these kids grow up. We've also purchased a dog (of sorts) in the last few months as well. So, in summary, moved to the Triad, bought a house and then sold it. Finishing up law school. Buying a second home. Have a cat, a "dog", and things aren't overly terrible.

All in all it's not a bad place to start.