Day 962: Bring on the Wonder

So....yeah.

Sunday was a pretty decent day. Didn't die on heels. Conducted Relief Society all by my sad lonesome, and for the most part it went pretty smoothly, but then I accidentally locked the missionaries' meal and team-up calendars in the Relief Society closet. My bad, I know - I know! I fail at life. But it wasn't bad. I arranged for a little visiting teaching this week, and then...ladies night! More like Granny Party. It was me, Korina, and Valorie at my place, crocheting, listening to Demetri Martin, and other fun things. Valorie got most of her hat done, I got the whole hat done, and Korina just watched because she has an injured wrist, but she's got the basics down, so it's good. We had a great time, drank cider and hot cocoa, and Valorie and I traded stories about our (honestly not really) wild youth. (I toted the undergrads to and from church. On the way to church, we had pleasant conversation about Mitchell's upcoming mission. On the way home church, they got to eavesdrop on my conversation with mom about tenants and me potentially being stalked by a ninja.) Val's an awesome girl, so it was good times.

Monday was...nerve-wracking. Spent most of the day fretting about the interview. Then the interview itself was...brief. And awkward. And I haven't heard back from the firm, which probably isn't a good sign, since they interviewed their final candidate yesterday (you think they'd have sent some sort of rejection notice by now). I suck at interviews, or at least, I sucked at that one. I was quiet (I know, right?) and shy and...urgh. It was pretty terrible. And I've seen those fancy law firms on TV, but come to think of it, I'd never been to one...not till Monday. But there you go. Afterwards I went home and fretted and crocheted and watched way too much Bones. Went to FHE, played the game, met some new people, and started character building for the Grimm game. I need to be more patient with Kile, but he is determined to be both helpful and annoying at once. That he knows the PHB inside and out is good when he helps others build characters. It's bad when he attempts to power-game. Grrr. But I try. I played the piano a little bit (and I want to do it more and more these days - I blame Cody, really), and then I took myself on home. It was all right.

On Tuesday Amber was a super sweetheart and helped me get sworn in down at the federal courthouse, so she called in the morning, and I went in the afternoon. A creepy dude with one of those tear tattoos held open the door for me, and the guards were a little bit suspicious on the day in, but the clerk was sweet and helpful and very nice, and I'm all sworn in now - have a shiny certificate and everything. The guards were much nicer on the way out (because I look all small and child-like, I guess) and then I took myself home. Got a call back for an interview to be a legal secretary but nothing from the fancy law firm, so there was more Bones and crocheting. Also training - mostly sword and unarmed forms, a little rope. It was good, though - I put in about an hour, and it felt pretty good. Went to training Tuesday night. Wasn't the only girl but I was the only one of my rank. Given how snowy it was I surprised that that many kids showed up, but it was good - we did some rank requirements as well as some combat techniques. I might finally have the whole hip throw thing down, and by down I mean I can do it without injuring my partner. I even managed a few distance dives before my shoulder acted up, so that's a good sign. Afterward I stuck around to keep an eye on some kids whose parents were a bit late picking them up (sensei and I couldn't leave them in the cold, after all). Sensei was surprisingly nice and chatty and pleasant, and even offered me a pleasant farewell before I took off. There was that one moment, like the kind you get in movies, after all the kids had been shuttled off to their parents, where we stood there in the snow and he was waiting for me to invite him back to my place or something, but I just mumbled about lawyer paperwork and fled. Not very brave, but there you go.

Yesterday was...cold. Odd. A little miserable. I did well at the morning interview, though. (The morning didn't start off so great, though - had no water pressure in the shower so I huddled under tepid water for a bit before giving up.) I was assertive and confident and friendly and even was prepared to ask questions. When I got back to my place I checked my email for the last of the paperwork I had to do (because apparently one must take a slew of tests to become a legal secretary - I didn't realize Central Filing was so flippin' scary), but two of the tests are PC-only, so I'll have to borrow Angela's computer. I also got a hit on the whole malpractice insurance thing, and there's a bunch of stuff I need to do before I can finish applying. (Mostly, I need a back-up attorney.) But I'm slowly getting my lawyer business together, I guess. I finished the baby sweater for Megan, and then...I ate. I moped a whole lot. I missed Cody so much that it hurt. He sent a nice thinking-of-you email on Tuesday, but yesterday...wow. It's never hurt like that before, hurt so bad I could barely breathe. But hey...I watched way too much Bones. Also watched Criminal Minds, and my heart broke for poor sweet Reid who's afraid he's going crazy just like his mother. Cody called me last night. It was sweet but brief, and then I hauled myself off to bed.

Today...today was a good day. I got out of bed early (as opposed to staying huddled in my blankets for warmth and imagining what it would be like if Cody and I lived in the same city) and showered, dressed. Took myself down to the courthouse to register so I can take appointments (the clerks in the court admin office were so nice), and I got my shiny lawyer trust account all set up. (Woohoo for weird grown-up-ness.)

Awesome moment of the day? I got a call-back from a letter I sent out back in December to be a deputy county attorney some place 200-odd miles from Omaha. But you know what? It'd be awesome experience - I'd get to be in court pretty much every day, and I'd learn so much, and it would be worth it. I could do it - I know I could. And, as if fate was telling me to go for it, my friend Matt from law school (one year ahead of me, a benchmate during 2L legal writing with Dickhute) called me up and encouraged me to go for it, said he'd picked up a similar position at a rural county and he was super excited. It was just the thing I needed to hear, especially after feeling lame yesterday and after still not having heard back about the shiny law firm gig. I could learn so much at that job, and it'd be amazing experience. I really, really want that job even though it's out in the middle of nowhere, because it'd be good for me, and it'd be good if I had a family too, and...yeah. I want that job. Almost more than I want the job in Salt Lake (which really doesn't seem like it's going to happen either). I know a lot of people are rooting for me to get a job, and I'm finally starting to get a good feeling.

There was a blue sky today, and it was actually warm outside - or at least it seemed warm, given what the temperatures have been lately. Also, I got a letter from Cody in the mail. It made me immensely happy.

I am so in love with that boy.

I applied for the federal public defender fellowship, and I trained down at the gym...and so far it's been a good day.

While I was down at the gym, a lawyer who works on the second floor came in and started using the stationary bike. I thought it was the weirdest thing ever. And then I finished my staff forms, picked up my sword and my rope, and left. (Yes, my perspective is now so warped that I think the lawyer using the stationary bike is the weird one.)

And now...Bones.

And maybe attempting to re-up on some novels.