Patient? Me?

After months of informational interviews and soul searching I finally landed a lawyer job. After a few weeks at this firm, I hate it. I know that the first two years of any legal career are the hardest. You don’t know what you’re doing and you are not an asset to anyone. However, I really hate it. My boss degrades me, the work doesn’t interest me, and perhaps most disconcerting, I completely despise the legal system itself.

I hope it either 1) gets better, 2) I find a new job, or 3) I win the lottery.

New Challenges, First Year Associate Style

When I was in college, law school, particularly the first year, was the scariest, hardest thing I could imagine combating. Maybe that’s because I watched The Paper Chase and read One-L. The thing is, life…and the law…aren’t that easy. I’m coming to realize that life isn’t just one mountain we climb. We don’t get to the top and then get to float down. Instead life is on a track. We keep going around and around, some things seem familiar…but we have to clear the hurdles. Some of the hurdles are small, some are big, but we have to clear them all the same. You can just push the hurdle down, but new hurdles will appear.

I finally have a job. A LAW job. It feels good to say that I’m an associate attorney who is practicing. It doesn’t feel good to realize that the hard part is just starting.

What non-lawyers do not understand is that lawyers don’t learn how to practice law in law school. We learn how to read and write and “think” like a lawyer, but we don’t anything about actually practicing law.

So, I’m trying my best and working hard to figure out this “practice” of law.

CONCLUSION

Well, my personal challenge — at least the documented part — has come to an end. If you’re curious, I spent approximately $1800 the month of May.

That includes close to $400 on pets alone (Sheba’s diabetes will put a dent in my budget), $100 on bar/dining (that was pretty low compared to month totals in, say, law school), $250 on groceries (surprisingly low), $331 on a plane ticket to a wedding in Des Moines (necessary), $375 on rent (necessary), $50 on internet (necessary), and the rest divided among prescriptions, clothes (only $40!), transportation, and coffee and snacks. While being pretty thrifty I need to do better: no clothes, and only $200 on groceries…and no more visits to the Plaid Pantry! The good news is I only spent $80 on gas which was only due to hiking trips and driving around Mt. Hood. I am actively trying to sell my car to supplement my savings and pay for all things feline diabetes. I only make like $2200/month after taxes (Oregon has a high income tax to make up for the lack of sales tax) so spending $1800/month leaves little for the savings.

Due to Sheba’s diabetes and the blow my roommates and I received yesterday (we have 30 days to vacate*) my personal challenges for June have changed. My quest for fresh food is the same, but the search will be limited to Safeway — not more expensive food co-ops (unless I can find some cheap items there). I think this will be a better challenge: how to eat healthy and environmentally-friendly on a shoe-string budget. In addition to finding good, inexpensive food my challenge will be finding a new place to live…and creative ways to make money (spoiler alert: I’m doing some preliminary research into grant writing).

*We have a month-to-month tenancy so our landlord is only obligated to give us 30 days notice. He lives in the basement and wants to move back upstairs. We were hoping for more notice…but instead we got a letter. Sweet.

DAY THIRTY

Sheba was formally diagnosed with feline diabetes so we returned to the Vet clinic and I learned how to administer insulin and what to feed her, what to watch for, etc. She is now on a special diet (Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d Feline) and the Vet actually wants her to lose another pound or more. She thinks that if we get Sheba’s insulin regulated and weight regulated, there is a chance Sheba could actually overcome diabetes. The insulin is pretty easy to administer – a small dose (with a tiny needle and syringe) twice daily: 6am and 6pm. I hope she starts to feel better soon.
Cost (food, insulin, syringes, office visit): $127.90

At work I spent $0.50 on coffee. After work I spent $1.00 on a doughnut at the opening of the new Voodoo Doughnut in NE PDX. There was even a donut march from the current store downtown, over the Burnside Bridge to the new store. We were 10 minutes late and somehow missed the march completely. Who knew Voodoo Doughnut organizers were so punctual. We reached the new store just as the drum group was finishing and then joined the giant line for doughnuts.

Total spent: $128.90

DAY TWENTY NINE

Adrienne and I are like the same person. Looks like we’ll both be blogging about food in June. THE MADNESS CONTINUES.

I took Sheba to the Vet this afternoon. This cost $202.80 ($45.00 for the exam, $141.90 for lab tests, $14.95 to draw blood, $0.95 to dispose of bio hazard waste, and $0.00 for tender love and care (although I think that was included in the exam fee)). I used this vet last summer when I lived here, and while it’s now a bit out of my way (I had to DRIVE…and to the neighborhood I used to live in…) but I really like the vets there and the staff is really nice. I will know for certain tomorrow when the lab results come back, but my vet is almost certain Sheba is diabetic. This means I will likely have to return tomorrow so that they can teach me how to administer insulin. This is actually good news because he said in a few weeks she should be back to her old self again — or at least not drinking and urinating all the time.

I ate some pop tarts and drank 3 cups of coffee this morning at work: $2.50.

I checked more into the food coop store here in Portland – People’s – and I think I’ll check it out this weekend.

Total spent: $205.30

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT

Wednesday.

Nearing the end of this blogging experience.

I think I’ll keep it up, however not on a daily basis. Maybe it’s because I’m still accustomed to school, but I’ve found that I fare better with “official” challenges than just attempts to do better. June’s challenge? Eating healthier, fresher, and smarter. I intend to check out local food co-ops and maybe even attempt COOKING for myself. I actually did tonight: I marinated some tofu strips in soy sauce, fried them, then put them on a bun and ate it like a BBQ sandwich. Actually, it was pretty tasty. Tofu is a superfood: it goes in any dish, it soaks up the flavor of whatever you cook it with, and its healthy. I also intend to eat more fresh foods (including vegetables) and limit my processed food intake. All of course while maintaining my sustainable lifestyle.
So, in sum, June’s Sustainability Goals:
1) Shop at Local Food Co-ops and Farmers’ Markets
2) Buy vegetables!
3) No junk food!
4) No pop (or soda if you can’t handle “pop”)!
This will be a challenge because Safeway is close, cheap, and accessible and buying fresh and buying local can be a bit spendy. However, I think it balances out as long as you cut out the unnecessary junk food and learn to be creative with the ingredients you have. I don’t think I’ll be able to cut out Safeway completely, but I’ll check into it.

Today I picked up breakfast at Plaid Pantry and spent $5.30, then spent $1.00 on coffee at work. I’m hoping tomorrow’s vet visit isn’t too expensive. More importantly, I hope that Sheba only has an infection or at least something easily treatable. I’ve made myself sick with worry about her. I wish I’d taken her to the vet when I was in Kansas or at least before it progressed to this point. Hopefully I’ll know more tomorrow.

I listed my car on Craig’s List and put some “For Sale” signs on it. I don’t use it and I need the money, so it’s time to get rid of it. Unfortunately I’m not the only in Portland trying to sell a car, so it may take awhile.

Total spent: $6.30

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN

I spent $2.25 on coffee and pop tarts at work this morning.

I will be spending quite a bit of money at the Vet on Thursday. There is something wrong with Sheba and I think it is related to her kidneys or bladder. Either way, she has been drinking an unusual amount of water for the past couple of months and I’ve noticed weight loss — but not in her stomach. In the past couple of weeks she has urinated on herself as if she simply cannot hold it in or get up, and now has mobility problems. She can only walk a short distance and can no longer jump up on furniture. It’s quite painful for me to watch my beloved Sheba and not know what is wrong. I thought at first she was just adjusting to Wink (my Boston Terrier who flew here from Kansas in March) or that maybe it had something to do with age (she’s seven), but I realize now she has the signs of kidney disease or something similar. This morning she again messed on herself, and I knew I needed to call the Vet. Her appointment is Thursday afternoon so hopefully we will know more then. Fingers crossed and happy thoughts for Sheba!

Total spent: $2.25

DAY TWENTY-SIX

I didn’t spent any money today.

DAY TWENTY-FIVE

Today was supposed to be a cheap day. I had even intended to only spend $0 today. It rained most of the day, so hiking was out. Instead Adam and I finished watching some DVDs I’d checked out from the library. Despite being a seemingly lazy day, it was an expensive day. Expensive because I paid for some necessary costs: prescription re-fills and a plane ticket to Des Moines. Oh, and various snacks. I spent $16.37 on snacking alone (P.S.: Golden Oreos suck). Food will be an issue of discussion when I have more energy.

The refills were $62 (my new health insurance doesn’t kick in until June 1st. I will rant about the U.S. health care system also when I have more energy. Spoiler: I don’t like it.) and the plane ticket was $330 (inc. fees). About the plane ticket: my friend Emily is getting married in Iowa in August. Not only am I her personal attendant, but also I am her friend and it will be a Drake Law reunion…so it is worth the expense. I was going to wait for my economic stimulus check to book a flight, but the plane tickets have been fluctuating so drastically lately and with the high price of oil, I decided to buy as soon as they were back down in my range.

Total spent: $408.37. Unnecessary snacks were $16.37 of that. I need to re-evaluate my snack costs. Another post…

DAY TWENTY-FOUR

Saturday was supposed to be a great day to go on this 18 mile hike down the Salmonberry River near the Coast. The entire hike is train tracks and the reason it would be 18 miles is because it’s an out-and-back and I really want to hike the 9 miles from the trailhead to Enright, a small ghost town accessible only by hiking in. I was going to channel my inner Woody Guthrie and hike on down the tracks. But no. The weather report Friday night said it was supposed to rain Saturday afternoon. No good for a full day hike. But of course, Saturday ended up being a beautiful day (until around 8 when we were hit with a thunderstorm). Sunday is rainy and gloomy so I think I’ll just clean. Boring.

Yesterday morning Wink and I walked to the NW Healthy Pets store to pick up some new cat litter for Sheba. Sheba is having some problems with the litter box, and with life in general as of late. Note: if anyone knows anything about cats who suddenly walk like raccoons, let me know. So we picked up a bag of Nature’s Miracle, an alternative to clay that boasted high clumping abilities. I’ve tried natural kitty litters before, and they never clump as well as clay, but with Nature’s Miracle I think I’ve found my new litter. It clumps well, it smells great, and Sheba isn’t tracking it around. I’m sold. At the pet store I also picked up more biodegradable doggie bags for Wink. Total: $23.98

For lunch Adam and I decided to take the bus downtown to Saturday Market. Adam spent his cash on a new wallet (he seriously needed one) so I bought lunch at the Jalisco Natural Foods stand – we both had tasty quesadillas and later an elephant ear. Total: $15.00

After hanging out at the Waterfront Park and eating our food we boarded the bus to head home, but took a slight detour to Hawthorne Ave. because there was a secondhand store I wanted to check out (I am on the hunt for sundresses. I’ve discovered that they are the best thing to wear in the summer.). There we found mecca at the House of Vintage. It’s huge and is part antique store, part vintage furniture store, part thrift shop. I picked up two dresses and a shirt for $24. Adam picked up a pair of shoes and a lamp for $35. I will return to this place.

To pay me back for lunch and have a friend to go with, Adam took me to the Iron Man movie. I’m not a fan of the comic book-turned-movie genre, with the maybe the exception of Batman, but Iron Man was okay. Mostly Robert Downey Jr. is just a good actor. With tickets, popcorn, and pop I think Adam spent close to $35. That’s TWO people, one medium popcorn, two medium drinks, and one sub-par comic book movie. When I drag him to Sex and the City I’ll wait until it comes out at the cheap theaters.

Total spent: $62.98