Grown-up Life

What I thought I'd look like as an attorney.

I've decided that being a grown-up can sometimes be fun. Sure, there's all of the bills, paying rent, and buying things like health insurance, but it turns out there are a lot of fun things too. Sam and I are enjoying married life. It's been almost a year since our wedding, but we seem to like each other even more than we did then.

One part of this new grown-up life is having real full time jobs. I've been in school so long I got use to a certain lifestyle. Sam started working as an attorney for a social security disability firm. She works long hours, but enjoys the close contact she gets with her clients. She hears some heartbreaking life stories but she has a chance to help people. I, on the other hand, am a financial compliance attorney for Wolters Kluwer Finacial. I'm working on a research project for the company. It's only a contract position so I'll be looking for work again in September. However, we are making enough money to meet all of our expenses and even put some away in savings.

What I really look like as an attorney. 

My family is coming to visit this summer. We're both looking forward to that. We're also thinking about going on a road trip for a few days for our anniversary. Sometimes it's nice to be a grown-up.

Job hunt, wedding plans, and a law school diploma.

I have two big things in my life right now. Searching for a job and planning a wedding. The wedding plans are going well. Sam and I have put together an invitation list, called the temple, found a dress and suit, and have even picked the place for out honeymoon. We are both getting a lot of help from family and friends, and the process hasn't been too stressful. Sam's dress is beautiful. My mom and sister were a little shocked that I saw a picture of the dress, but Sam and I aren't very traditional. I decided to wear a suit instead of renting a tux, so Sam and I went shopping on Friday. We tried three different places and found a good suit at Macy's. Sam's dress and my suit together cost less than $600.

The job hunt is not going well. I've had six interviews in the last two months and haven't been able to get a job. I get rejections letters almost daily. I just received one that hurt a little. It was an entry level position as a publishing assistant. They told me I didn't have enough experience, but I guess I thought an entry level job didn't require much experience. It was sad because I think I would have enjoyed the job. I'll have to keep looking, but I am getting frustrated. I had hoped that a law degree would help me get a job, but nobody seems interested in it. They all want someone with experience, and I can't figure out how I'll ever get any without someone taking the chance and giving me a job.

On a happy note, my diploma arrived this week. It is a pretty piece of paper. It's comforting to know that I did, indeed, graduate from law school. Now I have proof.

Engagement and Wedding Plans

Sam and I officially got engaged on January 29th. We both knew it was coming, but Sam thought I was waiting until I had enough money to buy a nice ring. Unfortunately, the job hunt isn't going well and I realized if we waited until I had enough money we might have to wait a long time. I bought a relatively inexpensive wedding band and planned on giving her that as a place holder.

That evening we had plans to go see the Minnesota Orchestra in downtown Minneapolis. Since we would both be dressed up and going to a nice event I thought this would be the perfect time to propose. I picked Sam up and drove her to a park near the law school where we used to go on warm days. There is a particular bench in the park that we liked to sit at and where Sam also told me she didn't want to date me. I thought it was fitting to propose at the bench. When I pulled over at the park Sam knew something was up and she was nervous.  We couldn't make it to the actual bench because of the deep snow, so I stopped nearby on the sidewalk. I knelt down, pulled out the ring, and asked her to marry me. Sam started talking really fast and saying things like, "I can't believe this is happening" and so forth. All the while I was kneeling in the snow and my knee was quickly getting wet. However, she did say yes and the ring was too big. She liked it anyway. In fact, she liked the band so much that we found a nice, expensive one on sale and that's all she wants. Just the band without the diamond. It's a nice ring and I think if fits us and our relationship better than a big, gaudy thing.  I know Sam has gotten a few surprised looks from people when she tells them this is her ring, but she likes it so I'm happy.

The big day is August 13, 2011 in the Portland temple. There will be a reception that night in Roseburg, one in Logan, UT the next week, and an open house in St. Paul for all of our Minnesota friends soon after.

Torts Class

I'm actually sitting in my Torts II class as I type this. Each student in class found a wrongful death case on Westlaw and we are now sharing. It's kind of a depressing day. Also, I'm sitting by Sam and she seems a little disturbed that I have a blog and I write about her on it.

Sam's new friend

Swing dancing

Dancers

Sam making a move on Tiger woods.

Kristy, Sam and me.

Halloween

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Something about the pumpkins, costumes, and the generally craziness is some of the best fun of the year. This year was especially fun because I spent it with Sam. We went to a church Halloween dance on Saturday night, Oct. 30th. It was a costume dance, but neither Sam nor I had a costume until the last minute. I came up with what I thought was a pretty lame idea, run to Target and buy a Coke and Pepsi shirt and use those as our costumes. Sam was Coke and I was Pepsi. Before the dance we used makeup to give ourselves black eyes. I wasn't great with the makeup so Sam had to help me. At the dance there were a lot of creative costumes, and I thought people would just laugh at ours, but people really thought it was funny. I guess there is a commercial about a Coke guy and a Pepsi guy fighting on TV right now. People kept asking me if that's who we were, and I finally admitted to the third person that I had never seen the commercial. The only kind of dancing I know how to do is swing dancing, so Sam and I did a lot of that.

Halloween night was great. Sam and I went for a walk and saw a bunch of kids trick or treating. We went back to Sam's house and watched, "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" with Sam's roommate Sarah, her boyfriend Tom, and my roommate Chris. We had dinner, hot chocolate and waited for trick or treaters who didn't come. Sam lives on kind of a dark dead end street. It was great night.