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If you turned down a job as Sebastian Rudd's secretary, no one would blame you. No matter how much the position paid.
Rudd wasn't just given the name "Rogue Lawyer," he earned it. His clients and practice are, shall we say, a bit unorthodox. The kind of stuff that you'd see in a movie or TV series. The kind of stuff you'd like to see in a movie or TV series.
Action, violence, corruption and a bit of everything that happens in between.
John Grisham's latest novel is sure to delight both Grisham fans and all fans of legal mysteries. Told as several different stories, the book is fast paced, eye-opening and a lot of fun.
In bookstores and online now.
"Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. He works out of a customized bulletproof van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, fine leather chairs, a hidden gun compartment, and a heavily armed driver. He has no firm, no partners, no associates, and only one employee, his driver, who’s also his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddy. He lives alone in a small but extremely safe penthouse apartment, and his primary piece of furniture is a vintage pool table. He drinks small-batch bourbon and carries a gun."
"Rogue Lawyer" by John Grisham
I don't know what it is about turning the page and starting a brand new year that gives me hope, but at this point, I'll take it.
I have to admit it, I've been pretty run down over the past few months. I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say that the legal industry has changed quite a bit. And legal secretaries have taken on a whole new role with a different set of expectations and job descriptions.
That's not to say that it's a bad thing, but it's different. And exhausting. As firms cut back and technology changes, it's easy to feel that you have to "outshine them all" to prove your worth. It's no secret that corporate America is looking for the most bang for their buck. This often means hiring assistants with little to no experience straight out of college and training them on the job.
It's not necessarily a bad thing but it can be a bit, how can I say, "scary" for old-timers who are either consciously or subconsciously trying to "prove their worth."
But there's something that happened, for me anyway, when the New Year began. Perhaps it's just getting a little bit of reprieve from a grueling workload when attorneys took their holiday breaks, but I feel like I can compete with the best of them.
This year, I want to spend more time talking here about ways to improve our workspace, our quality of life and our attitudes toward change.
My motto this year, "Change is good. Change is inevitable. Embrace it. Change with it."
Here's to a wonderful fresh start.
I've been so busy working that I haven't had time to blog.
Good news = I'm still employed
Bad news = I've missed blogging!
Here we are right smack dab in the middle, nearing the end of the annual office party. It's a little late for my "reminders" about what to do and what not to do at the company party, but just in case you haven't celebrated yet - some general rules are "If you don't want to regret it on Monday morning, know your drink limit."
Now for the holiday gift giving tips. Firms may or may not give holiday bonuses this year. But, hey, at least it's not 2008. And if you're reading this, you're probably employed. So, that's the "up" side of getting yet another box of chocolates.
And finally, 'tis the season but all things in moderation. When your vendor sends you a can of cookies, it might be a good idea to share them with your office services people and other co-workers. It's better to give than to receive and I, for one, have no room for the extra pounds!
Who needs a Louis Vuitton? Oh, sure they're nice. Very nice. But my infatuation with totes is not influenced by price. I look for durability and overall functionality.
I carry a tote to work every day. And often on Saturdays. You could call my bags a "security blanket" of sorts.
Abusy secretary never knows what she might need in the course of a day. Not to mention all the "stuff" I have to bring to work just to get through an 8-hour day.
There's newspapers, magazines, a kindle, postage stamps, snack bars, yogurt and an umbrella. And that's just the stuff I can "disclose" here.
Totally digging my newest addition. This big boy from Bayside is sturdy, big and roomy and has nice curves.
Law firm life is not easy. That's why I make sure I'm "armed" and ready. Pun intended.
The first thing that caught my eye was the cover. The title alone was my clue to the storyline. "A Window Opens."
The saying goes, "When One Door Closes, Another Opens." But I've also heard, "When A Door Closes, A Window Opens."
I knew this would be a book about change. So similar to my own life in many ways that it was hard for me to read in the beginning.
And now that I've finished the book, I'm not sure if the book has what I would call "a slow start," or if it made me think so much about my own life challenges, including dealing with a sick parent, a change in income and relationship circumstances that it was personal for me.
Then there's Alice's husband, Nicholas, who like many husbands/men we know is facing change in his own work and life.
The three kids. Well, they're doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing, growing, learning and looking for guidance.
It's also quite relatable for those of us who find ourselves to be among, how can I say, the "more experienced" people in the workforce.
One thing is certain, the author has shaped a character in Alice that is hard not to like. She's funny, she's loyal and she works really hard. Plus she loves, loves, loves her family.
Last, but not least, there's the family's nanny, Jessie, who is a "superwoman" in her own right.
Can women have it all? Maybe. Maybe not. Elisabeth Egan sheds the spotlight on what "having it all" really means.
*The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book for the purposes of preparing this review. The opinions expressed are solely mine.
I'm not sure who came up with the term "Stormy Monday," but they should have perhaps modified it to say, "Calm Sunday before the Stormy Monday."
Just about 4 p.m. on Sunday evening is when I start to get the "Monday Morning Blues."
Don't get me wrong. I'd feel much worse on Sunday nights, if I had nowhere to go on Monday morning.
But, who doesn't wish they had just one more day to sleep in late? Even though I can never sleep in late because my dog wakes me up at the same time on the weekend because he doesn't know his days of the week.
Any-how, I'm thinking that maybe I should start trying to figure out a way to turn around the Monday morning blues and make it the day of the week I look forward to instead of Friday. Who am I kidding? That will never happen. But, I can change my attitude.
So, instead of sitting around waiting for "The Good Wife" to come on and signal that the work-week is upon us, I decided tonight to bake a cake. That's right. I'm "celebrating" the beginning of a new week, new challenges, new things to learn, new routes to work and being lucky enough to have a place where I can earn a decent living to support myself.
Maybe instead of calling it "Stormy Monday," I could call it "Magical Monday."
If we can believe it - we can achieve it, right?
At least, I'll have cake to go with my coffee.
From the author of the “sweet, airy novel” (Publishers Weekly) The Color of Tea comes a resonant new book about a woman starting over following the tragic loss of her fiancé.
Frankie is a runaway bride. Or rather, she is running away from her fiancé’s funeral, the unthinkable event that has thrown her entire life into crisis. Frankie and Alex were high school sweethearts and each other’s first loves. They should have been together forever. But Alex died in a surfing accident, and now Frankie is walking away from her family, driving north and east, letting her body do the thinking, all the way into the Cascade Mountain range.
At Alex’s family cabin, Frankie can give in to her grief and think about nothing. There are no aunts trying feed her just a few polpette or just a taste of affogato, despite her lack of appetite; none of Alex’s family around to look questioningly at her left ring finger, no one there to perform for. Except for Jack, the cabin’s caretaker, who has been tasked with forcing Frankie out of the property that isn’t rightfully hers. And except for Bella, Frankie’s wild-child younger sister who deserted the family years ago only to reappear at Frankie’s lowest moment to dredge up painful memories from the past.
But Frankie learns she can’t hide—not from her family, not from the past, and not from truths about Alex she’d rather not face. The seasonal magic of the forest and its welcoming residents remind her that everything—flowers to bud, bread to rise, a heart to heal—takes its own time. This stunning novel, from the author of The Color of Tea, is a feast for the senses, with a message of forgiveness, hope, and the many ways to find and give love.
See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Season-of-Salt-and-Honey/Hannah-Tunnicliffe/9781451682847#sthash.OaHMoDws.dpuf
