Recaps and Surprises in Book Six: Trying to Hold On 2019

Yesterday was busy! After the morning of freaking out, preparing, and planning… I had the afternoon of hearings and arguments and such. After work, it was Working Out (which killed my arms) and work around the home. Wife is stating to put pictures up which I take as a good sign. She likes artwork on the walls and, while I like it too, I would go months and months before even considering it. Wife’s natural inclination towards the artistic makes it more of a priority for her and I appreciate that. Of the 5 “things” I had on my list to accomplish last night, I only got through with 4. So… 80% complete is good, but I always want to hit that 100% number. Last night ended with a weird electro-shock thing. The only thing my Wife got me for Christmas this year was a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation). And after the exercising yesterday, I needed it. It was weird. And will never actually “work completely” as relieving pain in one area sends it to another. But it was still interesting. Though, I’m going to personally blame it for my series of nightmares. All night I had nightmares about my pain which doesn’t usually happen… so not sure what that is about.

When I got up this morning, I must not have been totally awake. Instead of a black or grey suit coat (to go with my grey suit pants, grey shirt, and black tie) I grabbed my Navy Blue Sport Coat. Instead of my Business Shoes, I grabbed my workout tennis shoes. So, I’m at work looking quite mismatched! Which concerned me as I was to have 4 hearings today… until I got my e-mails. Apparently… no hearings today. Hearing One: Disappeared off the schedule entirely. Hearing 2; Defense Counsel requested that I withdraw the amended charge to re-assign the case. There hasn’t been a ruling on that, yet, but I would be surprised if my motion is denied. Third Hearing, Defense Counsel has informed me that he is going to try to get it taken care of on paper. Again, we have to discover whether the judge will accept it. Fourth Hearing, cancelled. So… that is (yet another) reason to like working Government rather than Private. In Private Practice… if hearings are cancelled… you just went from 4 hours of pay to ZERO hours of pay… just for doing your job well. In Government Practice? You aren’t punished for preserving judicial efficacy… God Bless Salary Pay.

For something completely different… I’m constantly surprised and dismayed at the Human penchant for believing firmly that my ideas and no one else’s have merit. Granted, after yesterday.... I can understand that perspective, as I am surprised when certain long held beliefs of mine are challenged… but even then, I have the ability to say “Your ways are not our ways.” In this case, I specifically refer to people’s feelings about Police. Due to my present feelings about the GOP, I get sent a lot of Left Wing Content. Some of it, I read and deeply appreciate. Some I read and think “Oh go fuck yourself, Snowflake!” Some I read and think, “This can’t be considered logical and rational.” Today I have received an absolute mountain of Anti-Law Enforcement Content in my inbox. Everything from “Cops are militarized brute forces sent to oppress the people” to “Fuck Undercover Cops, They Deserve to Die” to “Drug Stings Are Unconstitutional!” And here I sit thinking… you really can’t see the middle road, guys? I mean… I won’t pretend to be ignorant and I won’t pretend I’m not privileged. I can certainly see why minorities would be angry at police officers given that our country hasn’t exactly done a great job on Racial Profiling, Civilian Unjustified Homicide, and Internal Affairs Investigations into Wrongdoing. I understand why people would be pissed. What I don’t understand is why the outrage is allowed and encouraged to encompass ALL of one group when, in many cases, the outrage is being shared by people who are demanding that people NOT consider them one large homogenized group. I suppose it is human nature; but one I’ve always bristled against. If my viewpoint is “I don’t want to be seen as a Rapist just because I’m a white man.” I can’t, then, turn that around to say, “But I do get to view all Black Men as criminals.” That is inconsistent, intentionally ignorant, and tragically ironic. The very model of “I don’t want to be a victim of generalizing stereotypes; but I want to be able to rely on my own generalized stereotypes.” Here’s the deal… are there bad cops? Of course. They exist. It sucks. We need to do better. But does that mean that we shouldn’t have police? According to some of the content I was sent, yes… that is what they want. Does the existence of a few bad apples mean that we shouldn’t care if a Police Officer dies? According to some of the content I was sent, yes… that is what they are advocating. Does the fact that some communities don’t care about drug problems mean Cops are bad for Drug Stings? According to some of the content I was sent, yes… that is what they are advocating. And I sit in stunned silence thinking “How short sighted, stupid, and shallow can you be?” My officers have been in an Armed Stand Off Involving Hostages. Their weapons and riot gear were not “an abuse of militarized might” but were the only things that kept any innocent civilians from being killed. Fuck Undercover Cops? Really?! Undercovers are a key part of stopping Human Trafficking and Child Pornography rings. Are you actually claiming you hate police so much that you want MORE Human Trafficking and Child Pornography rings?! And drug stings? Bitch, please. Yeah, I get it… for Marijuana, you think “waste of time, waste of resources.” But what about the officer trying to keep Meth out of the schools? What about the officer trying to stop kids from dying due to Rx Drug Abuse? Fuck those guys because you hate cops?
I guess my bigger underlying element? I get it. For many people, Police have never been a positive. They arrested your dad. They killed your friend. They hassle you because of your skin color. I understand why you’re upset. But to respond to that by claiming NO police would be better? I’m left thinking that you’re either very young and immature; or an adult with no education or wisdom.

Circling back around… with my hearings being cancelled, it gave me the opportunity to look ahead. I now have everything scheduled for the next 3 weeks. I can tell you the hearing date and case details for everything from now until January 25. And yet there are still 7 hours of my day still. This is the problem with being trained in Omaha, I think. Working Pretrial Release, I’d see 40 to 60 cases some days. At present location, not including my Juvenile cases? I have 35 cases within the next 3 weeks. A considerable difference in volume. Not that I’m bitching necessarily!! If I were swamped to high heaven with no ability to figure out what I was doing… I’d be a mess. But… the converse? SO much “down time?” Also not great. Methinks I’ll study some Supreme Court Law to at least use my day productively. Though… truth?
Scenario 1: Were I somewhere else with no access to Video Games or Television and still in a position where I had to be behind a computer screen? I’d try to write something saucy for my Adult Explicit Content Book. Hell, if I’m not living it, I might as well document and fantasize. However, that feels… inappropriate for a work place environment.
Scenario 2: Were I “working from home”, I’d likely be in the basement playing video games.

I suppose for now I can do that survey that’s been going around:

Is there a rail line near your house? If so, is it noisy and bothersome?
There is a rail line very near my house. I would certainly call it noisy but strangely- not bothersome.

What’s your favorite flavor of potato chip?
Either BBQ or Nacho Cheese

How far do you live from the nearest international border?
Roughly 500 miles. You’d take 35 to Duluth then 61 to the border.

Do you know anyone born on the 29th of February?
Yes, as a matter of fact. T2 was a LeapDay baby

What’s the tastiest thing inside your refrigerator right now?
Right now? Probably Apple Juice.

Do you have a name that can also be used for the opposite sex?
Yes but only if you use the shortened form, “Chris”

What model of car do you drive?
2012 Honda Accord… I think.

Have you ever dated someone you work with?
Nope, I’m super strict about stuff like that. Especially if I am in a leadership role, I don’t even visit colleagues socially. This became a problem once when I was working in a Movie Theater. A colleague was a tall, pale, natural redhead that I was certainly attracted to. But she was a co-worker so the idea of asking her out never crossed my mind.

Who was the last person to call you?
Technically… it was a voicemail at work from a victim who stated that seeing her abuser again would cause a total mental breakdown so please try to resolve the matter without a hearing.

Do you have a lock number or pattern for your phone?
Both. Attorney issue; heightened security is required.

Is your pantry messy at the moment?
No because Wife has some OCD tendencies. One of the big reasons why, despite our parents saying “Are you sure you need this much space?” about our house… the answer was yes. Wife needs space and she needs it to be open space as a relief from her mother’s hoarding.

List all of your siblings’ middle names.
Kenton

How are you feeling today?
Tired. Bored. Anxious to get the basement closer to finished. Frustrated that exercise and diet have not been as effective as I would have hoped.

What’s your favorite type of juice?
ALL juices. I’m a juice fiend.

What was the last present someone gave you and what was the occasion?
My Uncle, the one who is a retired math teacher and hippy, read a Native American Spirituality Book that he says “Changed his cosmic perspective” so he sent me an autographed copy

Do you ever let your phone go completely flat before charging it again?
Almost never. I simply plug it in at night to make sure it doesn’t die on me. I need it for my alarm.

When was the last time you left the house? Where’d you go?
I left to go to work!

Are you in any sort of physical pain right now, even if very mild?
HA! Am I in pain? Well, not as much as some days but duh yes. My legs, my arms, my back, my neck are all feeling various levels of consistent and unpleasant pain.

What was one of your favorite movies as a small child?
Top Gun, Big Trouble in Little China, Three Amigos

Do you know the middle name of the last person you texted?
Technically no as the last person I texted was the Furniture Delivery Scheduling Coordinator.

Do you have any food intolerance’s or allergies?
None to food but two to medications

Is there any cereal in your house? What kind?
Wife typically keeps Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheerios in the house

What’s the most number of people you’ve ever lived with?
Tough question as the rules aren’t established. In college, in one suite, we had 5 guys. I suppose I’ll limit it to that.

What is in the drawers beside your bed?
Underwear, Black Socks, and Gym Socks

Where’s your favorite place to be when you feel depressed?
Either in bed asleep; downstairs playing video games getting drunk and streaming porn, or on the couch at my parents’ house with the dog

Are you currently looking forward to tomorrow?
Not exactly. I mean, hearings and working out… rather the same ol’ at this point

Have you ever faked sick?
Never really. But then, nausea and illness and fevers and the like were damned common place for me growing up.

Have you gone to a coffee shop within the past week? [i.e. Starbucks]
I have not

Have you ever slept in a tent, indoors or out?
Yes, indoors, outdoors during the summer, outdoors during sub-freezing temperatures, outdoors during downpours… scouting.

Last three texts on your phone are from?
Furniture Delivery Scheduler, Wife, and a Prosebox User I’m friends with on FB

Are you afraid of flying?
Not really. I find the process rather stressful but only because of schedules

Do you have freckles?
Not really

Do you have plans for today?
After work, I must print out some insurance forms then move our new furniture into the basement, try to call the In Laws about bringing us a table for the basement, submit some State of Iowa Attorney Practice Paperwork and Dues, and buy Weird Al Concert Tickets

Would you rather date someone five years older or five years younger than you?
I don’t have great reference for this. In High School, Aoife was a year younger than I… Aku was 2 years younger than I… and my Wife is 4 years older than I. Honestly, at this point age isn’t that much of an issue. Would I rather date an interesting, attractive, intelligent and fun 39 year old or an interesting, attractive, intelligent and fun 29 year old? Frankly… I’d love to try one of each and let you know after.

What were you doing at 7:45AM this morning?
Every weekday at that time of morning, I am on the highway driving to work

Are you usually awake at midnight?
Sometimes. Rarely is it intentional.

Does it get really cold where you live?
Some years. Some years the windchill factor combines to make the earth here feel like -40 F. But not lately.

When you get home from school / work do you change into your pj’s right away?
I like to sleep naked so I rarely wear “what I wear to bed” around the house. But if I don’t immediately switch into Workout Clothes, I might switch into sweatpants. Depends on what is on schedule for the day.

What is the temperature currently in the town you live in?
39 F or 4 C

What is one thing in the room you’re in that reminds you of somebody?
I am in my office with no personal items really to speak of.

What is the last thing you plugged into an electrical outlet?
An extension cord

The last time you went to the mall, what did you go for?
I don’t often GO to malls but I suppose the last one I was in was to grab Jodie Whitaker’s Dr. Who coat from Hot Topic for Wife.

Hrm… that survey seemed tame. Anyone have a racy survey or something that may be more fun?