Exact Approximations

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Estimating Lunch Conversations

I got my vehicle loss estimate today. Rounds out to near $4,000 worth of damage incurred in the accident. Fortunately, I only have to pay $1,000 of this - but I'm suprised, I thought the damage would be more... Geico posted pictures of my wrecked car online. It brought back the whole experience and nearly gave me a panic attack.

In other news, The Boss has taken both Paralegals out to lunch over the past week or so...? They both had recent birthdays, and I'm told this is the reason. But somewhere inside of my lies deep suspicion, thinking these luncheons must be in order to discuss my ridiculous number of recent absences and my future at the office. I mean, I didn't get taken out on a birthday lunch. Sure, we were in the midst of a trial, but still. I didn't

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Crunch, Crunch, Crash

I crashed my car Tuesday. Big time. I was driving in the rain and hydroplaned, spun a 720, broke through a barb-wired cattle gate and ended up in a deep puddle of mud. It was one of the top three scariest moments of my life. The fourth is the thousand dollar deductable that I will have to find in order to get all the damage fixed. Daughter and Boyfriend were with me, and Daughter screamed the whole way through. It was the worst. I'm still a little freaked out about it, two days later. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Unfortunately, the damage wasn't enough to constitute a total loss that might get me out of car payments.

Freaky.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

A Boy Named Sue

There's a strip club next to my work called "Bandaids"

Friday, August 11, 2006

And I Thought I Was the Token Office Liberal

Although he's on vacation, it's been reported that The Boss believes yesterday's foiled terrorist attempts are a veiled right-wing conspiracy. The idea was to deflect American attention away from the economy, pissiness over Iraq, etc and get our thoughts back to where they should be: Republicans and their foreign allies are the only ones who will keep you from getting blown up by terrorists. Vote for your local Republican this Fall.

Seriously. This is more something I would expect to read on a sign from the crazy Chinese guy that stands in front of Cal with a huge cardboard with writing all over it and screams out "happy, happy, happy."

I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand, makes me think The Boss is a little loony, which is frightening because his logical abilities so greatly impact my economic and professional future. On the other, it makes me think The Boss is a super-liberal nutbar, which is really pretty awesome.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Breaking Even

I don't buy lottery tickets. My theory is that the lottery is a tax for people who are bad at math.

Today I saw a scratcher with advertising reading "win $250,000".

"Well," thought Lex, during a momentary lapse of reason, "that would solve all my problems."

I bought the ticket for a dollar.

I won a dollar.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Take Your Eggs And... Keep 'Em

Turns out I am not a good candidate for egg donation. The reasons include, but are not limited to:

- history of OB-GYN disorder(s) (hey, I figured if I can't use 'em, someone should)
- family history of Multiple Sclerosis (in fairness, I've been told it could have been all the coke dad did)
- history of depression and anxiety (Unfair. I think everyone has this history, it's just that only some of us have been treated)

It's B.S. really. Why can't they balance these factors against my "pros." I went to college. I got through law school. I'm semi-pretty. I have a relatively high IQ. I would think potential parents would be willing to look past the negatives and be like "someone just give me an egg already." Apparently not.

Looks like I need to find another way to make money.

Friday, August 04, 2006

If Only I Lived a Simple Life, Like Those People in the Middle East.

So I quit smoking cigarettes. It's just not monetarily feasible. I'm on Day 1 and I want to bite off something's head, like that one guy did last week when his pet rooster attacked his pet pigeon...

Anyhow, I am having a financial crisis and am trying to figure out what to do to fix the situation.

First is the possibility of giving up my car. Last September, I bought a car and am making monthly payments on my beloved Allie the Altima. But I figure if I went without the car payments and the corresponding insurance, I would be better off. My concern is this - I have put 30,000 miles on the car, caused some minor cosmetic damage (as I am a really bad parker). But I am wondering, and if anyone knows, please tell - what happens when you surrender a car you are making payments on? I'm only a year into the payments, so I'm still basically just paying interest. I haven't paid enough on it to create a situation where I could sell the thing off or find someone to take over payments. I owe way more than the value of the vehicle. So I'm wondering, if I give up the car - will the financing company sue me for damages for the decreased value of the car? Am I going to be making lawsuit payments of equal value of the damn car - only without the damned car...? Anyone have any knowledge on this subject?

The other thing is worrying about the future of my job. I'm seriously concerned that I failed the bar again. If that happens, I don't know whether The Boss will fire me, but I do know that he definitely won't give me a raise. So part of me thinks I should start looking for a new job now - sending out applications with "waiting on July 2006 bar results" in my cover letter. That way, if I can sell out and get a big firm to hire me, they might keep me around if I do fail and let me try again come February. But if I do pass the bar, The Boss will give me a raise. And I would much rather stay with The Boss. I also feel like a complete asshole for even considering bailing on The Boss after he invested in me after I failed the bar the first time. But if I wait it out and it turns out I did fail again, I get no raise. And then, after knowing I failed, I'm in no position to go out and get a job at another firm. So the question is - do I risk it and wait out the results of this July's bar exam, or do I look for a new gig now, while I can still say "I sat in July and I've got a Berkeley J.D."?

Questions, questions...


Also, CECU, would you hate me forever if I sold my piano? I've been selling things off left and right to get by and am thinking I might have to sell off my most prized possession. I don't know what I would do without a piano, it would break my heart not to have it. But it will really break my life not to have electricity.