306 in Book Four: Ichi-no-Tani 2017

The interview went well; but before I outline that… the following:

I left work and headed to the gas station. The plan was to fuel up, grab a bite, drive to Des Moines, get my haircut, and have the interview. That is not what happened. What happened was that I drove to the gas station; and my fuel thing wouldn’t open. I drive a 2009 Honda Civic so access to the fuel input is tied to a lever on the floor of the driver’s seat. I pushed on that lever for a solid ten minutes and nothing happened. Finally, the lever broke entirely proving that it was no longer connected to what it was supposed to be connected to. Grrrrreat. Because, in their genius foresight; the company did not include a manual point-of-access release for access to the fuel input. So I drove home; hoping I could catch Wife and just use her car. She was not present. Shit. So I grabbed our small flimsy crow-bar like device and spent another ten minutes prying the fuel thing open. After I succeeded, I drove back to the gas station, fueled the car, and left.

The drive felt long because… tired… and long boring drive. More proof that I was not cut out for a lifestyle where a social life depends on an hour’s drive with no traffic. At a few points, I was in that strange place between worlds where I can see and react to the road and the drive but simultaneously I’m overlaying a dream onto the landscape. Frankly, my ability to go into that kind of thing is what got me through law school. Still, though, not something I feel is safe when it comes to driving!

I got in to Des Moines at 2:20 p.m. Even if the haircut was going to be quick; that would push me to 2:40 at the fastest. I didn’t want to risk being late to the interview. BUT anticipating a haircut with lots of hair falling all around; I was wearing a “Theater Make Up” shirt that would allow me to change into my suit shirt/tie/suit coat after the haircut. So I pulled into a convenience store and changed in the bathroom. I always feel like a schmuck when I use a convenience store bathroom without purchasing anything, so I grabbed a Kickstart and went to the counter. The attendant complimented my shirt/tie combination (which is always good) and I was off to the interview.

I parked my car in the 5th St Parking Garage (one I’m extremely familiar with from my numerous years in Des Moines) and walked around on street level. Everything was like going home… but not just “home to my city” but “home to my dimension.” It was like a full dimensional shift and I was finally back on the correct Earth. I then went up to the skywalk. For those unfamiliar with Des Moines; several of the businesses criss-crossing downtown are connected via an elevated closed skywalk. Essentially, hallways that connect buildings around downtown but elevated so as not to block traffic. An ingenious and valuable part of downtown. And the interview place was well connected via the Skywalk. Street level; it is a block away from where Wife and I had our wedding reception. Skywalk level; it was a stone’s throw from the Downtown YMCA. So… theoretically, if I got the job… I would be seconds away from a fully functioning work out facility. A huge perk.

The interview itself was promising. Relatively new attorneys but well experienced. They claimed a heavy focus on team work, training, and making sure that paperwork was filed promptly and correctly. So either, it would be a fun experience where I learn a lot. Or an intimidating hell-scape where I get fired after three months. Honestly, though… if I get the job and do get fired… at least we’d be in Des Moines? LoL. But the firm covers most of Iowa and most of law. International Business, Immigration, Divorce, Custody, Crime, Contract, Juvenile. They don’t do a lot with adoption; but suggested if it was a revenue stream I was interested in, it could be worth looking into. They have cases in Des Moines, Iowa City, Ames, Cedar Rapids. And in private practice; drive time gets to be/can be billed. But even more… those are all cities I’ve applied to before because I would be great living there! The only question I feel that I really fucked up on was the question about pay. I hadn’t even THOUGHT about pay. Like… at all. Any job I’ve ever had anywhere had a salary… even when I was selling shoes, we’d get base salary plus an “encouragement” commission of 3% per sale. But… private practice? Shit, lots of options. Do you take a salary from the firm and all income from cases goes to the firm? Do you charge a flat rate per case? Do you charge based on commission? If you charge based on commission; what kind of percentage? How about the differences between aiding a Named Partner versus First Chairing your own case? Yeah… I had no friggin idea. EVEN STILL… that was the most promising interview I’ve had since I graduated law school. Honestly… not sure if I’m a fit for the firm… not sure if I’m competent/capable enough for the job. But the interview was promising.

The drive home was… equally tiresome and sucky. When I came home, I felt like I could sleep for hours. But that was also likely because I needed food. Wonderfully and surprisingly, Wife had dinner cooked and timed it for my arrival. Even when she has the day off, she doesn’t do that… usually waits until I’m home and asks me what is for dinner. But she had dinner ready. And then we watched Halloween 3: Season of the Witch… one of the worst John Carpenter movies I’ve ever seen. Truly terrible in a “boring, pointless, unfunny, un-scary” kind of way. Then bed. It evolved slowly. Very slowly. But… we actually had sex. And it all makes sense. The food, movie, sex combination? Wife was feeling hopeful… she could taste the return to Des Moines. I, perhaps mistakenly, figure it was her way of openly saying, “I know it’s been rough; but in Des Moines, we’ll be okay.”

Today has been… meh. Woke up, dressed, work. Juvenile Court Morning. And returning to the office at 11 (a quick juvenile day), I am told the internet is out for the building. Not a surprise as investment in maintenance and function are low priorities around here. But, the internet is almost certain to return before 1 p.m. today, so I’ll have to pretend to work again.

That is something I think about especially at the moment. Here… yeah, there’s work I could do. But even if I had a PRESSING EMERGENCY that came out in Juvenile Court today… I have until March 3rd to take care of it because that is when Juvenile Court re-convenes. Meanwhile; almost everything else is a waiting game. Waiting on Attorneys, waiting on officers, waiting on… everything.

My dad texted me just now. Says he told the dog that I was coming to visit tonight. In my dad’s words “I told Rocky you were coming and he went nuts!” LoL.

For now, I think I’m going to get food. Come back and try to figure out what work I can/could do today, then it is off back to DM.

That is everything from Giant Boy Detective for now. Have good weekends!