Decade in Review: 2000 - 2009

As I sit in my livingroom, looking out over the city in the dying winter light, I must reflect on the events that brought me here. To be sure, the past decade will be deemed dark & grim to historians: the terror events on 9/11/01 & subsequent Al Qaeda attacks around the world, two wars, the Bush administration, the Hurricane Katrina debacle, Wall Street's economic meltdown.

But for me, it's been a really fantastic decade. I sit now, ten years later, very close to where the decade began for me--on Vancouver Island. At the end of 1999, I had recently left missionary work & was living with my parents, working part time. I had very little going for me & hoped for better in 2000. And better it was! In 2000, I moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I started dating & started college, doing more of the former than the latter. Eventually, in early 2002, I wised up about school, moving to Tampa, Florida in order to get away from my partying friends & really buckle down.

During my Tampa years, I developed a very close friendship with an old acquaintance, met my future husband, did very, very well in school, got a scholarship to Oxford & got married.

In 2007, Monster & I determined to make another big change: moving to a city for law school. But what city? We decided on Vancouver because of its proximity to my parents & sisters (who were beginning to have families of their own), its inexpensive quality health care, its environmental responsibility & its beauty. I started law school & went through lots of ups and downs on the way.

And here I am, poised to graduate in the Spring, with my marriage strong, building a stronger relationship with my family, about to begin a fulfilling career & thinking about my future aspirations.

As it turned out, this decade couldn't have been better. My hopes & dreams were fulfilled & expanded. And now, on to the next!

The Daily Squishy--Christmas Edition

Fifteen months.

Christmas 2009

We spent Christmas Adam (what I like to call the day before Christmas Eve) shopping for last minute prezzies and enjoying the city. So, we didn't leave for Vancouver Island to see my parents until early in the morning on the 24th.

One of the many great things about living in the heart of Vancouver is that you can easily imbark on a long journey car-free. We walked out of our apartment building, up three blocks & got on a bus that took us directly to the ferry--all before the sun rose!

The ferry was packed but we got there early and were able to get great seats, right in the back of the ferry with a beautiful view of the water & snow-capped mountains. After breakfast, we stretched out, read and listened to our iphones (Monster got me the new Susan Boyle CD on itunes--it's terrific!). In an hour and a half, we were in Nanaimo & my little sister Gina was right on time to pick us up. We did some last minute alcohol-related shopping (after all, we were about to spend quality time with the 'rents!) and then went to my parents house.

After a delicious homemade carrot soup & pizza bread lunch, we decided to take a walk to the bay. My parents live on the side of a mountain and very close to nearby waterways. We walked and talked and walked and talked until we came up to the bay, where we noticed a sign for fresh osyters. $5 a dozen! Hello!

The funny thing was, there was no one at the marina to take our money. Instead, Monster and Gina found two boxes on a boat. One full of bags of osyters (with their registration attached--farmed) and one red lock-box for depositing the money. The honor system! It was so cool, we couldn't believe it!

We happily paid $10 for two dozen oysters & brought our bounty back home, where we ate raw, fresh osyters and then watched "Angels & Demons" between wrapping presents & sneaking stocking stuffers into labled stockings by the fireplace.

All it all, it was a sweet family Christmas. We missed our two sisters who weren't there, though, and--of course--we missed our little Squishy.

Old Pictures are Fun!

Now that I'm away from school, I have time to go through old photos. Here are a small sampling.












This is me at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe in 1999. Someone call the fashion police! Seriously, who thought this outfit was a good idea?!

While in Africa, I had bit of an identity crisis and decided to go blonde. Without the help of professionals or know-how, here is how that worked out:


















Unfortunately, after taking my hair from dark brown to blonde many, many times using cheap dye, this is the bright yellow, damaged mess that resulted:



















I wore it up most of the time in a bun. (I still do, tho' I am always trying to break the habit.) Dancing on the table of a Greek restaurant, Miami, 2001.













Black & white is my friend! Topsail Island, 2002.











And one with my sisters!











And then I met my Monster! This picture is from a few years later, our engagement party, 2005.

RIP Brittany Murphy

Her song, "Faster Kill Pussycat" was a huge hit in Europe.

The law firm which is giving me my first real job had a Christmas party on Saturday. They hired out a cozy little Italian restaurant only a few blocks from my apartment. It was so much fun. I felt at home pretty quickly and called out actions & suggestions to the improv players entertaining us alongside everyone else. I felt like I belonged.

When I was in law school, there was one message contantly repeated to students from the faculty, the administration and guests from the first day of first year--that the only way to find a fulfilling legal career was to get the best grades & go to the biggest corporate firms in Vancouver. We were constantly told failure was just around the corner for us if we played the game any other way. Because we were going into debt to be in school & because we all wanted to succeed so much, this news was terrifying.

But I knew in my heart I didn't want a big firm atmosphere. I felt that my talents were best reflected in a smaller firm, where I could take on additional projects & where my initive would be noticed. (And I don't think I'm wrong about that--a friend of mine who has been at a big firm for a few years told me that one of her main duties remains making photocopies for senior lawyers & sitting quietly in the corner during conference calls, taking notes.)

But, even though I was looking for a progressive small firm, the particular firm I ended up with for articles was not on my radar. They are an established firm in a very discrete area of the law and, as a whole, are hip, technology-loving, cool cats. But I wasn't aware of their existance throughout my first two years of school. We just kept missing each other (I signed up for the law school's mediation competition but they hosted an arbitration competition that kind of stuff).

That is why I am so beyond thrilled that we found each other. I was talking to a senior partner at a house party yesterday and liked him so much--he travelled through North Asia a few months ago & remains committed to social justice both here & abroad. The fact that I even get to sit with a senior partner at a house party is beyond what I ever hoped.

I don't know if they will be able to hire me on after I finish my articles in 2011. But I know I will learn so much from them & I'll have the opportunities to work really hard to prove myself. Everything I was told in law school about 'how to find a firm' pretty much doesn't apply to my situation and I wish I had remained true to my own worldview during my first & second year of law school, instead of allowing myself to be manipulated into freaking out in order to live someone else's dream.

The Daily Squishy

About thirteen months. Giving us the 'Isaac' from Love Boat.

A Taste of What We're Missing

As I have widely proclaimed in this blog, I have a crush on Rachel Maddow and I was thrilled when she got her own show on MSNBC. I am less thrilled with the rest of MSNBC, which, although it proports to be the 24 hour news station with a 'liberal' bias, in reality has very little liberal bias but rather reflects the same media corporatism that the other 24-hour news stations adhere to. But anyway, back to RM, who truly is liberal and DOES consitently reflect my progressive values.

So, here she is interviewing a behavioral 'therapist' (unlisenced and kicked out of his professional affliation for fraud years ago. This therapist is gay but hates gay people. It's a problem for him, as you might imagine.

Anyway, he has started his own unlicensed practice where he helps 'ungay' people who come to him for help. He also writes books about getting rid of gay tendencies (which he assert come a variety of factors including divorce & race). He, alongside many other American conversatives, has flown to Uganda to influence Uganda to bring forward new legislation introducing the death penalty for those found engaging in homosexual sex (this afternoon, the death penalty was removed but prison sentences remain within the law.)

In fact, the Uganda bill was heavily influenced by American religious policy makers. Think about that for a minute.

Back to Rachel. I love her commitment to research, her intelligence and Monster & I thoroughly enjoyed this interview when we watched it this morning.




Glenn Greenwald discusses her interview here. His point is that, although the interview is satisfying to watch, it also reminds us of what we so often don't see when people with power get interviewed: a real interview with hard hitting questions and follow-ups.

My Proud Distinction as the Law Rep for UBC AMS Council

I don't know what else to say about this.

Some Blub!

While I do not consider President Obama a progressive president & I continue to be unsure if I will vote for him again, the following picture assures me that my vote in November of 2008 was not in vain.













This picture conveys more than words can ever say on how the election of a non-white man opened up the Prisidency of the United States to a formerly excluded group of people. This picture truly encapsulates hope & change in a way Obama's policies have not yet mirrored.

[President Barack Obama bends over so the son of a White House staff member can pat his head during a family visit to the Oval Office May 8, 2009. The youngster wanted to see if the President's haircut felt like his own. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)]

The Best Thing to Come out of the 2008 Election: Senator Al Franken

It is no secret I am disappointed with the politics of President Obama. His arguments for "real change" turned out to be neither real nor change. This week's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan to fight Al Queda (although his staff admits most of Al Queda is in Pakistan) just serves to punctuate my frustration with him.

But there is good news. I assert that the most progressive new political actor stepping forward from the 2008 election (although he was held up in a recount for six months after the election) is the junior Senator from the State of Minnesota, Al Franken, former head writer and actor on Saturday Night Live.

Policy for policy, he has proven himself to be throughly progressive: in lobbying against arbitration-only clauses for rape-at-work victims (so that rape victims can go to court should they so desire), in supporting health care reform and the end of overseas wars. Here he is articulating his views on the state of U.S. health care. As always, he is measured, articulate, fact-driven and resolute.



Senator Franken: because he's good enough, he's smart enough, and...gosh darn it! I like him.

Small, Unexpected Victory

Throughout my first year of law school, I continually sparred with a certain guy in my class over sexual assault. Whenever a sexual assault case came up in class (be in Tort or Criminal Law), he would always pipe up with some version of "sexual assault is not a big deal." Invariably, I would raise my hand and make the case for why sex without consent was an assault. A physical assault on a human being. By the end of first year, I thought he would give in or at least not make any more infuriating comments, but he always did. At the party marking the end of first year, I told him over a beer how deeply his comments had upset me but he just shrugged.

Cut to yesterday. We are both now in third year and have had very little contact with each other other than both being executives in student goverment. So, we are eating lunch in our office, waiting for a meeting to begin when he tells me that he wants me to know he has changed a lot since first year. He didn't elaborate, and there were many people in the room that weren't privy to what he meant, but I was elated. I never expected him to say anything concillitory, much less for him to bring up the issue himself--albeit in a roundabout way.

It was a really great little moment.

On Labels & Stereotypes

Are Americans petty and nosy? This is the theme that popped up on a facebook thread yesterday and I wanted to address it further here. My argument against Americans being more (or less) petty than any other nation was that being an American is not something one can choose. It is an innate characteristic, something one is born with, and therefore should not be included in stereotyping.

Of course, as my mother pointed out on that same thread, many people do become Americans after birth. I checked with the Department of Homeland Security and approximately 1,000,000 immigrants arrive in the States each year. But this only accounts for 0.03% of all Americans at any given time.

So yes, some people do choose to be American after birth, just as some people choose to change genders after birth. But the percentages of these are very low. Therefore, my point remains the same: I believe that innate traits (female, male, black, hispanic, caucasian, etc) should not be included in stereotyping because of the vast array of diversity within that group.

Turning to other groups that are diverse (democrats, capitalists, Christians, Muslims) the argument was made these groups also cannot be qualified. I disagree. What we are looking in these circumstances are groups that has self-selected their own membership. While negative stereotypes are unfair, I do think these sorts of groups should be held to give account for their actions and their group's actions, based on the voluntariness of their membership.

After all, if one joins a pre-existing group, shouldn't one also be willing to answer for the policies and beliefs held by that group?

[Update] In thinking further, I realize that some of these groups (the religous ones) have this accountability explicitly written into their holy books. Both the Bible and the Qur'an discuss believers being able to "give account" and be "a witness" for their beliefs. So, when these groups were organized, their leadership did regard that membership as something which should be held to account, for the good of all believers.

Hillary Headband Moment

Last week: It's like the '90s all over again.








She used to wear those frikin' things everywhere!

What I Like to Do in My "Spare Time"--be Humiliated in Front of the World

Back in February, I was growing weary of leading the feminist groups at the law school. I was exhausted by club duties and wanted to expand my sphere of influence outside the law school. So, it seemed logical to run for a position for the entire university's student body.

Here, I thought, I could make a difference on issues that were important to students. Silly me, thinking I would be consulted! Our president, Blake Frederick, filed a human rights complaint to the United Nations today against the governments of Canada and British Columbia for failing to remove financial barriers in the form of tuition to entrance into post secondary institutions.

Pretty much alone, in association with Tristan Markle, he demanded that the UN investigate the matter and hold the government accountable to Article 13 (c) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. This Article commits the government to provide accessible higher education, but which further stipulates that this is “on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means”.

I, nor the rest of the AMS Council, was not consulted in any way. No UBC students were consulted. In fact, the only person who may have been consulted was VP External Tim Chu.

Oh, the backlash! This resolution was a ridiculous waste of student funds and makes us look by spoiled brats by equating human rights abuses like slavery, traffiking, and hunger with tuition increases! Tomorrow, I am attending an emergency Council meeting where Frederick will be served with a notice of impeachment, as well as separate motions requesting his resignation, and a motion to retract the complaint to the UN.

Wish me luck. My constituants are livid, I am humiliated and angry.

We were making the news. check out more here.

Oh, and looky here, we made it to the fail blog.

Ooh! I Just Realized that I have a Week's Worth of Daily Shows to Watch!

Since moving, I have not had time to watch my favorite show, "The Daily Show." I will have to catch up tonight but I found this cute poster online.


see more Political Pictures

Perched in Our Nest on Top of the City

We live here now. On one of the top floors! When we spent our first night in the apartment, Monster looked out our ceiling to floor windows and declared that we have a $2M view! And I concur! From our living room, we can see the waterway and bridges in the east, then a full scan of downtown Vancouver (and Richmond in the far distance), then the snow-capped mountains on the west.

Our space is small but so cozy. Right now, we are waiting for our couch to be delivered and haven't determined if we want to put a table and chairs or an island in the open concept space around the kitchen. So, its just us and our bed. Monster called our situation a nest on top of the city. It is! Just a little perch by which to observe the world.

And so accessible to everything we need and want! Yesterday, after cleaning and organizing our little home, we walked a few blocks over to see Jim Carrey's "A Christmas Carol" in 3-D. On our walk home, we stopped at the grocery store and bought french bread, Havarti cheese, raspberries, grapes, nuts and chocolate. I had some champagne from the retreat that I was saving for a special occasion. We spread our bounty out upon our bedspread and had a picnic while looking down on the busy streets below. Christmas lights are going up everywhere and the view is festive!

Last night, we even slept with the blinds up and woke up periodically to watch the sky turn from clear to foggy to clear again, with a full moon sweeping through the window.

This apartment is a symbol for us of the rewards for following our dreams. We started out in a very suburban area in the Southern U.S. We knew we were unhappy as homeowners in the 'burbs but didn't know how to fix it. Driving to work, driving to the grocery store, driving everywhere was normal--everyone did it. So much driving that Monster and I each had cars and car payments and it seemed we were always on the road.

Then, I spent some time in England and travelled to London every weekend. I feel in love with London and I knew that I wanted to live a city life, where all the best shops and cafes are right at your disposal and you can walk to work and to activities instead of driving. Monster felt the same way after visiting me.

So, we decided to move to a city--but which one? It took some time to come up with what we now know was the most logical choice all along--Vancouver.

Our move to Vancouver was hard--so hard--and so many, many things went wrong. For awhile, we were the poorest we had ever been: living in a run-down apartment, me in law school, Monster not even able to enter the country, sending money back. The U.S. dollar was worth less than Canadian and we seemed to lose out at every turn. But we stuck it out.

Now, here we are, two and a half years later, living our dream of urban dwelling. I am so proud of us for sticking it out, for following our hearts and going through all the disasters and heartbreaks it took to get us here in our little nest uptop the city.

Gah! This Dress! Love!

This is pretty much my favorite dress ever. I wish I had a fancy enough event to go to so I could copy every detail. From the earrings, to the dress (with the silver sequens sewn on to make a floral pattern), to the shawl, to the arms to the updo. I want it all!

One of My Role Models: Hillary Clinton

Yes, it is exam time. But even the most studious law student needs a brain break every few hours. I spent one such brain break reading Vogue's online article on Hillary Clinton. You can find the article here.

What I loved about this article is the way the author (a dude!) was able to understand and successfully articulate how Madam Secretary Clinton could be both a strong leader and a feminine care-giver, without each role taking away from the other.

This really spoke to me as someone who aspires to leadership myself. While my leadership positions will always be modest, I stil struggle with how to appear strong and in control and also be myself. I am afraid of looking "weak" by being too personal, too open in communication, too interested in the comfort and happiness of those around me.

But lately, even before reading this article, I have been asking myself, "What would Hillary do?" The first time I ever did this was a few weeks ago when I was communicating with someone over a misunderstanding. The other person was openly derisive and rude and it startled me. I wasn't sure how to react. But, cliched as it may sound, I did ask myself how Hillary would react and all in all, I handled myself very well. Later, when looking back at this exchange, I chortled to myself about how unprofessional this other person was but didn't let it get to me because I knew I handled myself like a competent adult.

That is just one small example, and a rather silly example at that, but it shows me how important role models are in our day to day goal-setting and interactions. I am lucky enough to live at a time when more and more women are taking on leadership roles and I can look to them. Not because male leadership isn't valuable--it is very vaulable--but there is something about life experience as it relates to someone of your same gender that impacts you in a whole different way.

Flu is Interupting My Life

I have some kind of weird virus I caught yesterday. I've been so tired, dizzy and unable to work these last two days. And dammit! Exams are rolling around soon, I have two papers to finish and we are moving on Wednesday. I don't have time to be sick.

But I have set up a life trajectory where that is always going to be true, so I might as well rest and concentrate on getting better. My guess is I will be able to put a few hours work into my papers this weekend and maybe even finish one.

All in good time. Happy, positive thoughts are going to get me through this.

Day in Review

I have been working all day on my magical term paper--that is, a paper that, no matter how many hours I devote to it (and I have spent entire weekends in the library working on it, weekend after weekend) never gets longer than 30 pages. I write and revise, write and revise. Rinse and repeat.

And the sad thing is, I have no interest in the topic of my paper. Oh sure, I was interested in succession issues when I thought I would be able to get my hands on substantive social justice statistics. But now that I realize those juicy statistics literally do not exists and I'm left with flimsy journal artices that I'm trying to cobble together into an analysis--it's F'ing torture!

After working from 9 - 4 today (and 8 - 6 yesterday), I finally put the Term Paper of Doom aside. When I get stressed, I make risotto! I decided to make four veggie shrimp risotto and experimented with cayenne pepper. It was delicious--subtlely spicy and cheesy, rich and warm.

Now, I am watching Al Gore on Larry King live while I sip the Miller Genuine Draft my sweet Monster brought home, so thankful that the day is nearly done.

Tomorrow, I take my grad pictures! I have the obligatory white blouse (but with glorious box pleats around a high neckline--thank you Banana Republic!) pressed and ready in my bedroom I don' have time to go to the salon tomorrow but I'll be getting up early to book my personal training program and style my hair (I'm thinking soft waves). Then, after pictures (when I see my classmates all dressed up in regalia, I'll know we really, truly are graduating next year) its back home to work on a practice exam for Evidence.

Exams are coming closer! I am trying to learn to love the hum of anxiety that fills my soul!

Score for Me!

No one else came to boot camp class this morning, so I got a one-on-one session. So good! And, to top it off, my trainer rewarded me with another free training session. I think I'll do it next week. It will be really good for my form to have another personal session.

At the same time, I'm excited about finding a gym downtown, maybe one with a pilates studio! When I'm a busy lawyer, I still want to get my workouts in--even if it means working out at 6 AM!

Why Are You So Interested?

I just returned from a fantastic women trial lawyers retreat. I have only one complaint--why did so many older women deeply and thoroughly question my decision not to have children? It started in the shuttle from the ferry to the resort and continued in slightly different forms all weekend.

I would like to ask these women a few questions, if they are finished asking questions of me. First of all, do you believe all women make great mothers? Do you believe that every woman's life is enhanced by motherhood to the exclusion of all else?

Because there are a lot of problems with unhappy children who do not get enough attention from their parents. It seems to me that happy children come from happy parents. And if two people fall in love, get married and decide they are not those happy parents, isn't it better they don't procreate?

And finally, in a world of over-population, where environmental damage makes resources short, how is it selfish of me not to have kids? Aren't I freeing up resources for you and your future generations? Aren't I stepping aside so that your decendants can profit from available natural resources?

What the hell is going on with these women?

America & The Freedom to Torture Uninhibited

A decision came down yesterday in Arar v Ashcroft from the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal. This case was about an innocent Canadian man (of Syrian descent) who was detained in the U.S. while changing planes at J.F.K. airport.

Apparently, the story is that TAA got word from the Canadian goverment that this man was a member of Al Qaeda (he wasn't), so the U.S. detained him for eleven days--tortured him--then sent him to Syria by way of Jordan for another few months of torture before finally releasing him.

Arar successfully sued the Canadian goverment for $9M for its role in the torture. The Canadian goverment owned up to its culpability and the Canadian courts have determined they have a role in overseeing the goverment's response to supposed terrorists.

The U.S. goverment, on the other hand, not so much.

Not only will the U.S. government not admit any wrongdoing in torturing an innocent man but the Circuit court, in its reasoning, decided that since there were no specific laws against torture, it would not intervene on this victim's behalf. "Not withstanding prolonged public debate, Congress has not prohibited the practice [of torture], imposed limits on its use, or created a cause of action for those who allege they have suffered constitutional injury as a consequence."

Outrageous! So, not only is the U.S. in a situation where its legislators deliberately and criminally deny victims' relief against their torturers, but the courts are looking to the neglect of Congress to determine that they, too, are not obligated to regulate how the U.S. treats torture victims!

The Court determined that, in theory, there was a right under the Constitution to allow victims denied habeas corpus (and subjected to heinous abuses) to claim relief, but they set the bar so high as to effectivly cut off anyone ever being successful at court.

The Court determined a victim must KNOW THE NAMES OF HER/HIS TORTURES in order to establish a claim against tortures. As the only dissenting judge pointed out, effectively the court was telling tortures to not disclose their identities to their victims in order to protect themselves from a civil claim. What a sad, sick, horrible decision. And yet, so abt to describe where America is at these days in terms of its priorities and its commitment to human rights.

Glenn Greenwald has more.

Ever Learning, Hopefully Eventually Coming to a Knowledge of the Truth

Today, on the way home from the drugstore, I texted Monster that our fridge was pretty much empty and asked him what he wanted to do about dinner. While waiting for his reply, I suddenly noticed that I didn't tell him that I preferred going grocery shopping tonight. Why couldn't I just tell him what I wanted to do instead of hoping that he'd mention it?

This has caused a lot of frustration in our marriage as I often don't approach things head on but rather try to manipulate my husband. And the thing is, I often don't even realize I'm doing it.

Why am I like this? I think it stems from all the years I spent living communally where I didn't feel I could ask for the things I needed or wanted, so I would try to create a situation amenable to getting that thing in a roundabout way. It's really sad that I still do this, though, and I wanted to be present in the moment so I can recognize and stop it,

Presidents

While watching the Kennedy assassination episode on this week's Mad Men, I thought about the men who have been my presidents. That is, presidents while I lived in their country.

1. Gerald Ford (President of the United States for a bit more than a year).
2. Jimmy Carter (I have a vague memory of my mother taking me to a polling station in Georgia to vote to re-elect Carter. I remember her trying to explain to me the idea of voting for him over Reagan. Of course, Reagan won.)
3. Ronald Reagan.
4. A bunch of Canadian Prime Ministers (a Prime Minister is not a President.)\
5. Bill Clinton
6. Boris Yeltsin
7. Nelson Mandela
8. George W. Bush

The Daily Squishy--Halloween Edition

Lil' Bunny.

We're Moving!

Living on campus has been pretty good to us--we have a cozy little townhouse in a beautiful locale. But we have been discussing our move downtown for months now. And as I get closer to graduation, it makes sense to live close to my new firm (especially with the hours I'll be working.)

Monster has generously agreed to take over the heavy lifting part of our move: finding a place, negotiating the contract, hiring movers, etc. I am so excited! As rough as it may be to pack and plan for a move right now, it's really our best option and a great leap forward for us.

The Daily Squishy

At thirteen months.

The Daily Squishy

Slightly out of chronological order because, at this point, I have to use whatever pics I can get my hands on. :) This is the Squishy with her daddy at nine months.*

*[edited correction.]

This is the Kind of Litigator I Aspire to Be

In the 2008 election cycle, Rep. Alan Grayson took the seat in an pretty conservative district of Florida, Orlando. He has an impressive backstory: born in a tenement in the Bronx, he grew up to attend Harvard Law (and, in his four years there, got his law degree with honors, alongside a Master's from Kennedy's School of Govermnent and a Ph.D.) The man is a brain factory, basically.

He has made a lot of money for himself and his family through his legal work (he started his own firm) but a few years ago began to make a name for himself as a whistleblower against Halliburton's profiteering in Iraq. Once he joined Congress, he has been unstoppable force for the good of the common man. He was the Representative a few weeks ago who said on the House floor that the Republican health care plan was to stay healthy, but if you get sick, to die quickly.

But while I love his quick wit, when I watch him, I specifically hone in on his style: he is direct, forthcoming, he knows his stuff and he does his research. (Did I mention he also clerked for Supreme Court Justices Rehnquest and Scalia and defunct-nominee-to-the-Supreme-Court Robert Bork?) He has conviction and honesty and he will not be intimidated. I could really learn a lot from him in my own future legal practice. As a future lawyer, I must discipline myself to always be thoroughly prepared for my clients, to fight for their rights vigerously and not be intimidated.

Below is a short clip of Rep. Grayson asking Rep. Brown (R-Georgia) about Bills of Attainder (a Constitutionally prohibited piece of legislation that punishes people without trial) in relation to defunding ACORN.

Jewerly I Like

These are from Shy Siren (http://www.shysiren.com/). So cute. They are flirty and romantic. Even though I tend not to wear jewerly (except for my engagement ring), I think I would made an exception for these little beauties.

When You're Feeling a Little Down in the Dumps...

Taking a break after three straight days of working on a paper of mine that going sideways. Things are going pretty well: I am keeping up with my homework (my papers are another story), going to all my meetings and spending time with my husband. I have also managed to keep our little dorm apartment clean and tidy, cook, and enjoy multiple workouts a week.

I wish I was spending more time outdoors but I am realizing that I won't get a lot of chances to be outside when I'm practicing law. It's just one of those trade offs. But the weather is so beautiful, the leaves are changing, and I crave comfort foods and snuggling.

I guess my life is pretty good. Don't give up!

The "Peasantization" of America

One of the professors at my law school, Joel Bakan, wrote a documentary called "The Corporation.
It is about, you guessed it--corporations! And their impact on the resources of the earth.

In the 1800's in America, right after the 14th Amendment freed African Americans from slavery, corporate lawyers used the 14th Amendment to successfully argue that the status of personhood should be awarded to corporations. In fact, out of the few hundred instances where the 14th Amendment has been invoked in court, it has been argued in conjunction with an Afrian American complainant a handful of times, the rest of the time, the complainant (or applicant) has been a corporation looking to profit.

Practically speaking, this means that corporations are awarded all the rights of personhood but only one legal obligation: to make as much money as they can for their shareholders. Bakan's film goes through the ramifications of corporate personhood and compares a corporation to a psychotic--a corporations "personality traits" match up exactly to that of a psycho. psycho>, including extreme selfishness, an emphasis on short term rewards over long term benefits and a disregard to the welfare of others.

The thing about corporations is that they become so large & monolithic that they are unstoppable. Because of the current laws in the U.S., corporations are allowed to spend millions of dollars to send lobbyist to Washington, D.C. and influence the public policies of that nation. With disaterous results for average Americans. And nothing is done in the U.S. without their approval, as seen by the recent appointment of Goldman Sachs management leeching into the highest public office.

I took a corporations law class last year, coincidentially at the same time as the financial meltdown in the U.S. In Canada, we have corporate regulation. But what amazed me was how little regulation we have and how easy it is for corporations to opt out if it. It basically amounts to a few default positions and the ability of courts to step in should a shareholder with standing be able to convince them the situation is grossly unfair. That's it. So little, and yet, enough to keep Canada from having a similar meltdown to the States.

What struck me when I took this class was how greedy corporations are and how they get away with their nutty, nutty greed. They lobbied congress in the States to take away even these few small restrictions against short term profits. The requirements in Canada on corporations are not onerous, and yet America removed even those few safeguards. And then, when the unsustainable growth of corporate profits showed themselves to be unsustainable, instead of fixing the issues that brought American finance down to its knees, nothing was done. Nothing except forcing every taxpayer in America to become unwilling shareholders to these giant corporations through the bailouts.

I have been reading some pretty accurate commentary as of late on the problem of corporate greed, such as this article discussing last year's corporate takeover. and this amazing article by Matt Taibbi.. In his article, Taibbi explains the phenomenon we see so often in the US now, where its all left v right and blue state v red state. There is so much anger and hatred directed at Americans from other Americans. They blame each other as the cause of their problems but refuse to get angry at the corporations that are the real cause of the decline of wages, the polluting of the atmosphere, the denying of basic health care coverage and the growth of the national debt. It is why tea parties gathered to protest health care but not the bailouts, why ACORN gets more media coverage than Goldman Sacks.

Finally, we have this movie. I haven't seen it yet but was struck by something Matt Taibbi said about the film:

"The reaction to Michael Moore’s new movie, Capitalism: A Love Story, reinforces a suspicion I started having a few years back: that most of us Americans are much better at being movie and TV critics than we are at being political organizers. When we come out of a film like this, we find ourselves focusing on the flaws in Moore’s moviemaking and not on the film’s content, which just happens to be the reality of our own day-to-day political existences.

We’re not thinking about how to fix our lives, in other words, but how to fix the movie about our lives."

I don't know if watching Moore's movie will make Americans (or the world) more wary of the extreme negative effect corporations have on something so basic as our very continued existence on this earth. It could be that corporations have just grown to large and powerful to be stopped. But become aware of their influence on our lives is a good start to crawling back our dependence on them.
Anyway, it's a start.

Crisp Autumn Days on Campus

It's a gorgeous day on campus!







I got up early, before dawn, to make my 7am Boot Camp class, then walked through the falling leaves to the law library for a whole day of paper research. I love days like today--when the leaves have changed color, the sky is bright, the weather is crisp but breezy and everyone is so..optimistic.

This is get out your knee-high boots weather, soft cable knit sweater weather, hot chocolate on a park bench weather. When my mind starts to wander a bit, I take a break and walk around campus: the snow-capped mountains, the ocean, the red and russet leaves. Our campus is so, so beautiful and I am so happy to spend the day reflecting on my paper, feeling the breeze through the windows.

This is my last autumn as a student and it feels.just.perfect.

I'm Making THIS for Dinner!

Thanks, Pioneer Woman!





Back in late 2006, I had quit my job to study for the LSAT. Theoretically, since I had the time, I should have also been cooking Monster dinner every night. But I had no inspiration to cook and so our usual pattern of eating out or grabbing take out continued. We both cooked a little but had a very small menu selection (mostly chicken and fish), so it got boring really fast. Actually, full disclosure, I learned how to cook from scratch as a teenager in Puerto Rico but never really felt like cooking--so I didn't. Brat!

Anyway, around this same time, fall 2006, I started to watch this show called Top Chef . Their cooking contests made preparing food seem new and fun. I remember watching an episode and then rooting around my cupboard for the first time to add sauted minced onions and garlic to my prepackaged mushroom soup. Baby steps.

A year later, I started law school and didn't cook at all-not one meal--for an entire semester. This was due to the fact that I was hardly home & also Monster was back in the States. However, the summer after first year, Monster's aunt told me about an internet browser download called "Stumble Upon" where you can plug in your areas of interest & push a button to be transported around various unknown parts of the internet universe.

Through Stumble Upon, I discovered this amazing menu website. It was built by a homemaker rancher's wife in Oklahoma who takes the most beautiful photographs of each stage of the cooking process. Slowly, I began following the recipes and I noticed that creating these dishes at the end of a long, stressful day actually decreased my stress levels. Especially risotto--making risotto melts away my stress, all that stirring and broth absorbing, not to mention the glorious, glorious rice toasting. Last night, I made a carrot risotto with butter poached cod and it was just delightful! Seblime! I was so proud of myself and so happy I had found such a productive hobby.

Here in Vancouver, there are so many specialty markets and farmer's markets that the very act of grocery shopping inspires me to experiment with food. I never thought I would pick up cooking in my mid-thirties. After all, if you don't cook throughout your twenties and early thirties, what hope is there?

Quite alot, as it turns out.

Some of the recipes I will try this year: biscuits & gravy, : baba ghanoush,: bacon wrapped jalepenos, and enchiladas.

On Sexual Relationships with Your Boss

Last night, David Letterman discussed an attempted extortion plot based on sexual relationships he has had with his employees. Now, I don't know what happened in Letterman's particular situation and I don't really have a comment on his sex-life, per se. But I have been in work situations in the past where the Big Boss (the top dude) has made sexual comments in my direction. In one situation, I endured the inappropriate comments for years while I worked my way through my undergrad. When I graduated, I quit. In another case, in my first week at work,the Big Boss pulled me into a room with him and shut the door. He only wanted to explain to me that I should like him, that he was a good guy, and not to listen to my co-workers who thought he was an asshole. I felt uncomfortable about this exchange and told H.R. But he was the Boss--what could they do? His name was on the building. I worked there another six months and then quit to start law school.

It is my opinion that in a relationship where the power disparity is so big--like in the case of me and my bosses & Letterman and his staff--that it is impossible to have a truly equal relationship with the person who could fire or promote you. No matter how many romantic feelings there are between the two, the extreme unequal power dynamic is always there. And, with the boss holding the real power, the other person may feel compelled to do things they are not comfortable doing, whether it be keeping the relationship quiet, exposing it, whatever. The decisions are made by the boss, both in and out of work.

Also, I think boss/employee relationships are uncomfortable for the non-intimate employees. Should they become aware of the relationship, it changes the dynamic of the team as a whole in a negative way.

The only boss/employee relationship I ever saw work out was the one where the employee quit her job as soon as the romantic interest developed. She became the girlfriend, and had an equal voice in a relationship that lasted for years. So, it can work, but there must be a way to equalize the power, otherwise it can never be truly consentual.

The Daily Squishy--First Birthday Edition

Darling Gabrielle, I do not know what the future holds for you, what sort of life you will be drawn to, or how you will create your destiny. All of this lays out in front of you like like an invisible thread. What I do know is that you are loved very, very much. I know your parents cherish each moment they spend with you and I know you have aunts (so many aunts!) that want nothing more than to help you as you figure out this crazy world you've inherited.

No matter what adventures lay in your future, you are a very lucky girl because you have so many people that care about you. And we promise, we will be here for you, to listen to you, to see you for who you really are, to encourage you whatever way we can. We waited a long time for you and now that you are here, we are exploring the world through your eyes and remembering how pure and good life can be.

Thank you for being our little Squishy who loves books and balloons and exploring the vast terrain of your life.

Happy birthday.

Sweet Things My Husband Does

I came down with a slight cold this morning, enough to keep me in bed all day. While fretting over wasting a day where I could be writing articles, doing homework, researching papers, answering emails, I suddenly remembered the Pearl Jam concert. It's tonight. But going to this concert would wipe out any energy reserves I may still have. But I didn't want to not go, as I knew how fun this concert would be for my husband.

Monster came home twenty minutes ago and told me he wanted to sell the tickets. "You're health is more important. If you stayed sick all weekend, you wouldn't be able to get any work done." He was more concerned with my health and happiness than his own. Even though, fifteen years ago, he bought Pearl Jam tickets and then, at the last minute, his date bailed on him. He never went to the concert.

History may be repeating itself with the Pearl Jam tickets, but this date is certainly not going to bail on him. Ever.

Pictures of Me--with Screaming Red Hair

I wanted something different...

The Chador & Women's Bodies

Last week, I noticed a woman across the street. I think she lives in the university housing complex opposite ours. I noticed her because of what she was wearing--a black chador that covered her from head to foot. Walking behind her, I unexpectedly felt vulnerable myself. It was as if, by covering her body completely, I felt the sexualization of her presence and it projected onto me, another woman. I felt embarrased for myself, angry that I was embarrased and angry that this stranger in front of me provoked so many complex and unexpected feelings.

This is why I have chosen to research the laws of hijab for my Law and Religion class this term. There have been a few cases in Canada (and in Europe) where cases have been fought in court over whether or not women have the "right" to cover their bodies. Like the sex-selection abortion debate (where embroys are aborted if they are found to be female) that plagued me earlier this year, I am determined to use this research opportunity to decide where I stand on the issue. On the one hand, I believe criminalizing or forcing a woman to uncover is wrong. On the other, I believe forcing a woman to cover is wrong. Writing a paper last term on sex-selection abortion really helped clear up where I stand on that issue, and I hope to come back to this blog at the end of the semester with my thoughts on the issue after I write my Law & Religion paper.

Stay tuned.

iphone as Messiah

Really. It's that good. :)

Third Year Blahs

I didn't think it would happen to me, but I am already bored and apathetic as I begin my last year of law school. Today, I attended a few meetings and did some readings, but didn't really dive into school the way I assumed I would, the way I had the past two years.

I need some inspiration.

The Daily Squishy

Torture's Justification

Vice President Chaney is right. If torture works, then it is justifiable.

The Summer is Ended and We are Not Saved

Barack Obama has been president for six months. During that time, he has allowed special interests and the howlings of Fox News-ites to dominate his policy decisions. For what reason should I continue to support President Obama?

1) War: I don't agree with continuing any war in the Middle East (Afghanistan or the illegal Iraqi war).

2) Torture: I don't agree with the decision not to pursue charges against those who tortured prisoners, from the criminals who actually carried out the brutality, to former VP Dick Cheney (the mastermind behind the torture policy), Rove, Bush, John Bybee (who wrote the Torture Memos, making up legal rules as he went).

3) The Bailout: bailing out corporations and banks with taxpayers money made American taxpayers unwilling shareholders of these corporatoins. The Bush and the Obama administrations took money from hard working taxpayers in order to fund and keep afloat greedy bankers and corporations. Once these corporatoins were solvant again, they used their levity to penalize and abuse those whose used their services with extra high interests rates and banking fees.

4)Health Care: over the course of the summer, the Obama administration has basically given away the entire package, allowing the non-sensical bleatings of the Repubs to drown out any serious discourse on this very, very serious issue. Single payer was never on the table and the public option is all but destroyed. The only real question left is, how much of a profit margin will health insurance corporations and pharacuticals continue to make? How many more families will lose everything they have ever worked for--including each other--because of health care costs? How many insured Americans will be dropped by their insurance company due to illness or injury?

This administration has promised changed but has backed down on every issue important to Obama voters. Instead, Obama has turned out to be a typical politician. He lied about bringing change, he has continued to befriend Republicans who seek to his utter failure and the distruction of his administration.

President Obama campaigned for two years. During that time, he made a lot of cynical people believe in him. And he has thrown it away for the usual conveniences: corporate influence, lobbying, compromising with those who refuse to participate in compromise.

Naked & Stranded

On Friday, I decided to go to the gym.

Due to all the events at work to commemorate our final week, I hadn't worked out since August 30. What I didn't know was that the gym had given away my locker in that time. At the beginning of August, the gym staff started posting notices on lockers whose rentals were soon to expire. But I didn't have a notice on my locker and my gym membership didn't expire until December. I had been with that gym for nearly two years, and I was familiar with the process of renewing my locker, but this time, no notice. I thought I was safe.

Until my locker wouldn't open. I tried the combination over and over and then went up to the front desk at the other end of the building to find out why. As I am walking over, it occurs to me that my locker may have expired. "Nah," I think, "if my locker were to expire, I would get notice beforehand, like last time." Except, not. It turns out my locker did expire, was emptied out and given to someone else. All without me finding out.

I was upset but recovered. The gym had my stuff in a plastic bag in the back and it was all there. So I took the opportunity to rent two new lockers (one for my school books as the law school will soon be torn down and our swing space won't have lockers for us). The combinations for these lockers (the gym also provides the locks) were very similar. To keep track of them, I wrote them both down in my iphone since I always bring it into the gym with me.

After a long workout (which went a long way to sooth my nerves), I changed for the shower, but remembered to bring my iphone with me at the last moment. I didn't have the combinations memorized. "Wouldn't it be horrible," I thought, "if I didn't have the combination and was stuck here with just my towel?"

When I came back from the shower, I oponed the notes section of my iphone and...the combinations were gone. Gone! The entire note was erased. Later, I found out from Monster that if you jostle or shake the iphone in any way--even accidentally--when the notes are open, it erases the note. Just.Like.That. That is a demonic feature.

So, my note with the locker combos was erased and, try as I might, I couldn't remember either one of them, as they were so similar and kept blurring in my mind.
After five minutes of trying, I started to panic. I am dressed only in a towel and flip flops and desparately do not want to make my way across the entire gym to get to the front desk.

I just sat there for a minute contenmplating my next move. Should I venture out in my towel and flag down the front desk? Should I wait here and hope someone from the front desk wanders in to check the bathrooms or something? That is when some poor random girl walks into the locker room. I immediately accosted her and begged her to run over to the front desk for me. I don't think she spoke English very well but my desparation was universal, I guess, because a few minutes later the girl who works the front desk came in and I was saved.

Funny how you're worst fears can come true. And then be resolved.

Postsecret Awesomness!

I totally agree.

Summer Job Musings

Yesterday was the last day of my summer job. It was four months of working five days a week after nearly two years away. Working in a semi-legal field this summer taught me a lot...mostly about myself.

Where to start? For one, I used to think of myself as someone who could work in any environment. After all, my teen years and early twenties were all about being flexible. You had to be flexible to survive! I thought I was very good at it and that I would always be adaptable. However, after a few months of cubicle living in an open space, I learned that being able to control my immediate environment is important in controling my mood and general contentment at work. There were many, many days I wished I could close my door and just work in silence, without my co-workers conversations, emotions, and general gabbery permiating my space.

I also learned that I am not a good suck up to my boss. This should be good news--stickin' it to The Man and all. But, I am at the early days of my career and envision a lot of ass-kissing ahead of me. I don't think there is a way around it. The problem is, I am just not sure I'm up for it. A few things happened this summer with my manager and I gradually lost respect in his leadership. After that, while I would discuss work-related issues with him, I had a hard time making small talk and didn't even sign the "Thank-You-For-Being-Awesome" card that was making its way around the office. I didn't even want to mingle at the end-of-summer party the Board threw for us. I just.couldn't.be.bothered. I tell myself that if my summer job had further career possibilities, I may have worked harder at networking. I hope so. Networking is important and I like to think I am good at it. But this summer? Not so much.

The third thing I learned about myself is what a hard worker I can be. Seriously. I ended up as one of the top decision-writers at the office and I owe it all getting to work on time, working from the moment I sat at my desk until I left for the day, setting goals for myself and keeping track of my daily progress. Maybe I can do this law-thing after all!

Finally, I learned that how I dress for work is important. I tried to make an effort everyday to wear office-appropriate clothes, tailored and pressed. I wore my hair in a low bun and kept my assessories tasteful. While my personality may be a bit wild at times (I make up songs and dances and perform them for my co-workers) I was shocked when my co-workers described me as very refined. Refined!! It has just gotta be the clothes, no question.

As Monster & I Begin Our Seventh Year As a Couple

I got you, Babe.

The Daily Squishy

Goodbye, Senator Kennedy

Ted Kennedy was a senator for the state of Massachusetts for 47 years—six months longer than the life span of his older brother, John. During his time in the Senate, Kennedy championed many causes, such as a federally mandated minimum wage, health care and immigration reform. However, this weekend marked the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and its devastation on New Orleans and on Black people, in particular.

Of all the campaigns and bills introduced by Kennedy, what stands out to me this particular weekend is how he, in 1964, was the man who, in the face of resentment from many whites, delivered on the promises his brothers made to help end segregation and pass the Civil Rights Act.

John F. Kennedy attempted to pass the legislation during his lifetime but had a difficult relationship with civil rights leaders — particularly the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. But after his death, Bobby and Ted pushed forward with the bill and under President Johnson’s mandate to memorialize JFK, it was signed into law.
Four months after the assassination of JFK, Edward Kennedy, then a 32-year-old serving his first term in the Senate, gave his first major speech and chose civil rights as the topic.

"My brother was the first president of the United States to state publicly that segregation was wrong," Kennedy said. "His heart and soul are in this bill. If his life and death had a meaning, it was that we should not hate but love one another; we should use our powers not to create conditions of oppression that lead to violence, but conditions of freedom that lead to peace. It is in that spirit that I hope the Senate will pass this bill."

Kennedy became a friend of Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s wife, after MLK’s death and even helped to create a federal holiday established in her husband's honor. More than two decades later, when Senators Clinton and Obama were battling for the Democratic nomination in 2008, Kennedy threw his weight behind Obama and gave his campaign needed momentum.

Ted Kennedy was a man of privilege, born into a privileged family. A wealthy, White male with access to all the best in life. He sometimes used that privilege for selfish ends and sometimes he did not. He was a complicated man without a tidy rap-up. But he will be missed.

The Daily Squishy

Edward Moore Kennedy

I wrote a eulogy for Ted Kennedy a year ago, during my bored, early summer days in Tampa, Florida while we waited for Monster's permanent residency to come through. I saved a draft for the day the news came that Senator Kennedy died. I knew that day would come relatively soon, as he was diagnosed with malignant brain cancer a few months before. But when it did come, last night, I opened the draft to...nothing. No document. And so, I'll have to try to recreate it this weekend, when I have time to think it all through. Because Ted Kennedy wasn't a Disney character, he was a complex and complicated man.

For now, here is Teddy's eulogy for his big brother Bobby in 1968. I think it captures some of the Kennedy spirit, the idea of legacy and reputation for fevered representation. This weekend, I want to touch on the good and bad that was Ted Kennedy, the way he wielded his privelege to help and to hurt.

But today, this brilliant eulogy is my goodbye to a man I have admired, despite his many faults and demons. While there are and will be many other Kennedys in the public eye, Senator Kennedy's passing is the end of an era that stretched from my grandparents lives to my own. And he will be missed.

Freedom!

When life let's me down, I find this video on Youtube. I like to think the different models are myself and my sisters, rockin' out to the sound of our FREEDOM!

P.S. I'm the Christy Turlington character.

I figure, Maria is the Naomi Campbell character,
Gina is Cindy Crawford,
Angie is Linda Evangalista
Becca is the blonde tall girl (can't remember her name, Tatiana something)
and Lilly is the boy? Yeah, I guess I haven't thought that through.

Week in Review

Climbed a mountain with my sister on Sunday. We had SUCH a good time but then I got shaky and sick on the way home. It took two bowls of miso soup for me to recover enough to finish the journey home.
Work was work. I had a goal of writing another five decisions and don't even remember if I made it. I think I did. We had a sushi day on Thursday and I ate too fast, so fast that I couldn't bare the thought of eathing anything but sushi for the rest of the day.

Thursday, I worked out for the first time since the mountain climb on Sunday. I had a long, tough, soothing spin class that melted away all resistence.
Friday, after work, me and my girls went sample sale shopping. This involves an adventure where the three of us pile into E's car and, instead of going home, we follow aprinted-out map and my iphone google maps all the way to a warehouse. Inside, we find top quality clothing discounted by 50% or 75%. I found a pinstrip pencil skirt with a buttery soft lining for 1/3 of its regular price. It's perfect for my practice and I felt so powerful and sophisticated in it!

All week, Monster and I have been watching the third season of "Dexter". We are both enjoying it so much, it's like watching a great movie in small installments.
Today, Saturday, I worked on an article I'm writing for an NGO I've been volunteering with since last summer. I finished it, did laundry, cleaned and straightened a bit, organized my summer clothes and brought some jeans (sample sale finds) to the tailor to be hemmed and taken in.

I also watched three Meryl Streep movies from the '80s and '90s ("A Cry in the Dark", "Sophie's Choice" and "Postcards from the Edge.")

The Ladies of "Mad Men"

"Joan" Dress!

In honor of the "Mad Men" dress up day I organized at work for this Friday, I think Mrs. O would be a wonderful Joan. Gah! This dress! Love!

"I Wanna Rock Your Gypsy Soul"

My early years were rather unconventional--traveling with my parents and younger sisters in a small caravan, bathing in streams, sleeping next the the ocean as a young teenage in Puerto Rico, floating on the Volga river in Russia and sleeping under the stars in Zimbabwe. My childhood and early adulthood was all about moving on to the next place, the next adventure, and that hasn't really left me.

And there's the rub: even while I prepare for my future life in the law and settling down to the seriousness of firm work, I can't stop my gypsy mind from wandering. There are so many places to see, so many adventures to have!

Still, I think I have found a pretty good comprimise. In a lot of ways, the of study of law is a constant adventure, delving into areas you have never yet been, ways of being that you have never thought of before. It's a mental adventure.

And, since we are not having kids, in theory we could spend our holidays exploring the world. I know Monster has a list of places he'd like to visit and so do I. I also know that constant travel, in the end, is not sustainable. And that part of my life, I just have to face it, is over.

But I can still embrace the spirit of adventure I had as a child and that can lead me to awesome adventures.

But there will always be an wanderer in me, and I think that is a good thing.

Life with Sisters as Siblings

It is unusual for families to consist of six siblings, much less that each of those siblings be female. So, it's quite a unique thing to be one of six sisters. Since moving to Canada, I try never to take this unique opportunity to be close to my siblings for granted.

Even though a few of us live in the same city, we sisters don't see each other very often (case in point, two sisters are missing from the picture below.) When we can get together, we enjoy each other's company so much. One of the things I most admire about my sisters is their independence and intellect. Each of them have varied career paths and goals, but they remain open and interested in so many things. We always have lively discussions and, because we are so comfortable and open with each other and because my sisters are so well-read, I never stop learning from our conversations, especially on political topics.

I think we challenge and support each other and my relationship with my sisters is one of the most positive relationships in my life, where I get support and encouragement but never a free pass.

The Daily Squishy

With Mommy. 10 months.