Tuesday and Chlorine in Book Five: Working Through the Maze 2018

I’m not sure if I should feel bad for this or not. In a perfect world, I’d wake up with energy every morning and instantly grab my gear and head to the gym. But that isn’t exactly what I’ve been doing.

After struggling to sleep last night, I slept in this morning. Only to be awakened by my cell phone’s Text Message Alert. It was a good text. Wife was thanking me for everything I’ve been doing around the house. Granted… text message instead of in person and at work instead of in response to my actions.... but I’ll take it. Better late as an afterthought than never.

Then I checked my e-mail and was happy to see that my unofficial transcript was sent to me no fuss, no muss. Now all I need to do for that SSA job application is (1) go through every scrap of paper I own connected to my law career to find something from the bar association saying I’m an attorney; and (2) contact the bar association requesting proof that I am an attorney. This part of this application bothers me way more than it probably should. I suppose I understand that the employer needs proof of Bar Membership. But at the same time, I can’t help but think… shouldn’t the fact that I represented the State and have represented clients in the state for the last 2 years prove my Bar Membership? Ugh. So, if at all possible… my intention is to try to get that whole thing resolved before I go workout.

To that resolution? I e-mailed the SSA and said, “Yeah. Don’t have what you’re looking for.” To which they responded, “We just realized that not every state issues that. I don’t think Iowa does. So you’ll need something from the Iowa Supreme Court recognizing you as an attorney instead.” WTF? Seriously… you operate IN Iowa. Your offices are (strangely enough) two miles from where I went to Junior High School. And you asked Iowa Attorneys to give you something that Iowa Attorneys don’t receive. Yeah. More and more and more and more… I can’t help but think “Screw these people. Screw this job. I didn’t want this job anyway.” That being said? I did send a message to the Iowa State Bar Association inquiring as to how I may obtain something from the Iowa Supreme Court recognizing me as an attorney. ::eye roll:: I mean, I get it. I’m an attorney. Putting up with bureaucracy and bullshit paperwork is my bread and butter. But sometimes, it gets to be more annoying than “fun challenging.” Seriously. Like… the fact that I need to go to the Supreme Court to apply for a job? The fact that I need to get a Judicial Clerk to E-Mail me paperwork discharging me from a case so that I can get paid for it? The fact that I need to contact 4 different counties to ask, “Hey… that case that is closed… why won’t you file shit with the state?” The fact that, just to get insurance via the Marketplace, I need to contact a separate government office and set up a meeting so that I can then select insurance? Bah. This is too much dealing with Courts and Governments for someone who no longer has a law job, lol.

I FINALLY got the damned application thing “sorted” but… not as sorted as I would have preferred, I’ll tell you that! Apparently, I can pay $10 to the Supreme Court for them to issue a statement saying I’m an attorney. But that takes two weeks to arrive.

So, as Wife said… “It seems like Life just doesn’t want you to have this job!”

I’m glad I can hold my tongue. Overheard some Trump Supporters saying things like, “FBI did nothing with reports of that Cruz kid in Florida but they were more than happy to raid the President’s lawyer on the word of a porn star!” harumph harumph harumph. I get it. Not everyone knows the law, how the government works, or anything about anything. But this level of ignorance in the American Public is what leads us to such terrible outcomes. If you also think like these men may I offer the following:
A school child potentially having plans to shoot up a school is (technically) not a Federal Level issue. The local police have jurisdiction (and this is a good thing). If this is a matter where the local police had already followed up, checked in with the child and family, and then the FBI shows up that could escalate matters or make things worse. If the FBI were contacted, they should have followed up with the local jurisdiction to verify. The FBI made a mistake in this case because they were not diligent in making sure other law enforcement offices were doing their job.
The President of the United States is under investigation for treason, colluding with an enemy foreign power, and potentially illegally using campaign funds for personal use. That last one is a big deal in the Modern Age and that last one is what the FBI were looking into. The criminal misuse of campaign funds is a Federal Level jurisdiction issue. So already you have a significant difference between Florida and this. Further… Robert Mueller has been working this case for months. Nobody would have made a move against Mr. Cohen without first consulting Mueller. If they did not consult Mueller… FBI screws up again. But if they did? Mueller would have given them final authorization. So again… difference between this and Florida is “an active on-going investigation.”

So the legal differences are significant. But on a personal level? Honestly? The majority of people right now bitching about “Trump and the Porn Star” are the same ones that savagely went after “Clinton and the Intern.” You can’t poison the well and then complain after drinking the water. Bill Clinton’s “intern problem” was a matter of perjuring himself under oath during a different investigation. He lied under oath and that is what got him in trouble. Bill and The Intern is a matter of criminal perjury. Trump and the Porn Star is a matter of criminal abuse of campaign funds. A crime is a crime is a crime is a crime. The hypocrisy due to “which candidate you support” is what riles me up!

As to the actual swim?
Oh.
Balls.
When I was a competitive swimmer, my best 50 Yard Butterfly time was under 30 seconds. My best 100 Yard Butterfly time was 1 minute 9 seconds. I would do twice daily full workouts where 1500 yards was the warm up.
Today?
I got in the pool and instantly thought, “Wow. It has been a long time since I was in a proper pool.” But even with that, I thought “Lets see how much I can do. My midterm goal is 2500 yards per week, which would be 1250 yards per swim. I wonder how close to that I already am.”

The answer? I am not, sir. After 400 yards, I was just “I can’t use my arms. My arms no longer work. I will need assistance toweling off. Ouch.” I’d be a lot more disappointed in myself but I’m practicing self-compassion and understanding. Because it has been a long time since I genuinely and honestly tried to swim legitimate laps. It would be insane and offensive to expect me to be “in fighting shape.” First time in the pool? I was 4 laps away from a 500. I can deal with that. Provided I improve of course.

I got home about the same time as Wife did. She… didn’t immediately start bitching about stuff. Which is nice. She was able to laugh at my soreness and then said she wouldn’t ask for a hug if my arms hurt so much.

THAT has been my day, sadly. I still have lots and lots to do but… can’t right now.
THINGS STILL NEEDED
(1) Schedule Insurance Appointment
(2) Fix Electronic Data Master System
(3) Fix SPDO
(4) Find out what the delay on my car license plates are
(5) Do three days worth of Therapy Exercises
(6) Connect Work Laptop to Home Printer (which has not been working)
(7) Cook “from scratch” dinner
(8) This space reserved for the stuff I know I’m forgetting

That… is so much to do still! I’m going to have to try to write a schedule and stick to it (sticking to it is the insane part as anytime one has a schedule relying on others… that schedule WILL get fucked up quickly.)

8:00- Call Insurance Appointment Place to schedule Appointment
- Send White Boss an E-Mail asking for information
9:00- E-Mail or Phone Call Judge S’s Clerk to get that SPDO whole thing resolved
10:00- Phone Call other Various Clerks to see about EDMS
11:30- Verify EDMS work
12:00- Lunch
13:00- Car License Plate E-Mail and Phone Calls
14:30- Work Out
16:00- Therapy Exercises
17:30- Wife comes home from her therapy, so my night will be completely taken over

If I get all of that taken care of
On Thursday, work laptop issue, finish therapy exercises, write letter to Wife’s therapist, write LONG Overdue piece on “Personal Darkness” that I’ve wanted to write, hope to get properly giggity inspired to finish some draft entries, do the From Scratch Cooking thing (if I am unable to convince wife to help me do it tonight), go buy Red Stag and get crunk (lol).

We… will see what happens and what I can get done. Anyone who says, “But you’re not working. How can you be busy?” just doesn’t understand.

Oh, PS… something I realized today? I am no longer good at all with Small Talk of any sort. Apparently, two years of relative isolation (Tiny Town, Chinese Firm) have rusted that particular ability for me. Should try to figure out how to workout that muscle, too.