Anniversaries Aplenty

 

Ahoy, readers!  After an informal hiatus (yet again), I’m back to post!  When I started this blog, I wasn’t planning to take this long to write individual posts.  Since most of my life these days revolves around confidential work, I haven’t had anything interesting that I can share.  However, as December 2021 rolls around, I’m coming up on several major milestones that I thought were worth reflecting on through writing.  So, with the new year coming up, let’s look to the past and see how far I’ve come.

First, there’s the obvious one: as of October 3, I have now officially been a lawyer for 2 whole years!  Though my swearing into the Oregon State Bar was 2 Octobers ago, it still feels like only 2 months since I took the oath, pinned on my shiny new Oregon State Bar lapel pin, and immediately started panicking about finding a job in the oversaturated legal market.  Two years later, I’m running a small law office and haven’t been disbarred; I guess I’m doing something right!

A photo of me solemnly taking the oath needed to be admitted to the bar.

A not-very-solemn photo of me showing off my new lapel pin.  I still have this pin and wear it from time to time, but I've now got a collection I like to cycle through.

 

On a less dry note, October saw a very lovely anniversary; I have now been in a relationship with Cthulhu for 6 years!  Our relationship has seen some interesting obstacles throughout the years: we’ve both gone through law school and spent over a year separated by COVID-19 distancing requirements.  Despite these challenges, our relationship remains strong as ever; I till take the time to see them in Salem, Oregon every weekend, taking an hour and a half to get there (it used to be 2–3 hours, but some road work completion has made it a shorter journey).  I look forward to many more years of hitting up farmers’ markets together, enjoying our usual haunts together, playing video games together, and bonding over our law-dominated lives. :)

Speaking of the 1.5-hour journey, I celebrated my 2-year anniversary with Tillamook County this November.  As a city kid at heart born in New York City, raised partially in the suburbs of Kailua, and educated in Salem, Oregon, moving to a completely rural area isn’t something I predicted happening in my lifetime.  Nonetheless, I’ve now spent 2 years in the Dairylands, including an entire year where I was restricted from leaving thanks to COVID restrictions.  I’ve had my share of adjusting over the months; I no longer notice the faint smell of manure in the air, I’m used to seeing cows urinating/defacating/humping at the side of the road, and no longer feel conscious about being the only person in a suit as I walk down the street.  I don’t know how much longer I’ll be in Tillamook, but I have no doubt that I’ll continue to see new things (especially now that the COVID-19 pandemic is winding down) and stepping out of my comfort zone.

One thing I’ll continue to do in coming months is representing clients in court, which I have now been doing for 2 years.  While there are times where I still feel like a rookie, I’ve changed over time.  I’ve gone from misdemeanors and probation violations to major felonies over the course of 24 months (though I have yet to come even close to a murder case).  I’ve gotten much more confident with time; I no longer get phased by hostile clients, even when they’re yelling slurs at me over the phone.  I’ve seen convictions, acquittals, and a whole lot of plea negotiations.  The ebb and flow of court procedures has taken getting used to, but, like living in Tillamook, I’ve done a fair amount of adjusting.  No matter how tough things get, I don’t back down, I keep a strong smile on my face, and I keep up the good fight—defending the guilty, protecting the innocent, and sticking it to the man.

Finally, there’s one anniversary that I can’t help but bring up here.  The blog you are reading—Benjamin Fischberg: A[pprenti]ce Attorney—is now 2 years old.  This is a longer blog than I’ve written before; my prior blogs only covered a few months each (shameless plug: http://benfinlondon.blogspot.com/2013/08/theresa-half-packed-suitcase-in-my.html http://benfinsalem.blogspot.com/2014/04/here-we-go-again.html).  This blog has been a bit different in another major way; I haven’t had that many adventures to write about.  Part of this is due to the confidential nature of my work, and part of this is being housebound for over a year due to COVID.  I’ve wanted to write more, but it’s been hard to find the time to write and things to write about.  Still, I plan to keep up when I can and write as much as I am able.  To close off this vague promise to be better, here’s the return of an old feature:

 

GREAT MOMENTS IN TILLAMOOK JURISPRUDENCE

*insert sophisticated music*

Episode VII: Accusations from the Accused

Judge: Have you reviewed this petition with your lawyer?

Client: Yes.

J: Has Mr. Fischberg answered all your questions?

C: Yes, he has.

J: Have you had any problems with his representation?

C: Actually, yeah; he cheated me out of a thousand bucks.

*beat*

C: *breaks into huge smile* Nah, I’m just kidding; he was great.  No problems with his representation.

[court hearing continues and concludes with no further difficulties]

 

Hair

 

Hello, everyone; your favorite blogging lawyer (I hope) is back with a new entry!  I would write more often, but relatively little has happened in my life for the past 3 months (at least, little that I can legally or ethically write about).  The most notable thing to mention is that the COVID-19 pandemic has flared up again here in Tillamook County.  In part thanks to some people insisting on not getting vaccinated, there have been several deaths in the county, a few government workers got sick, and the court has resumed everything by video.  My trials are therefore getting pushed back yet again, my parents had to cancel a long-awaited visit, and I once again find myself in splendid isolation (though I have been able to eat at restaurants on occasion and visit Cthulhu on weekends).  Grrrr, lousy pandemic…

Alright, I don’t want to focus on the negative; time to get positive!  A lot of the troubles I had in June have now been resolved thanks to some hard work and a little bit of luck.  I also hit some milestones in my career, trying my first felony trial this summer.  However, the arguably biggest change I recently underwent was, of all things, finally getting a haircut.  Before the pandemic hit, my hair was already a little on the long side (for me, anyway).  Just when I was getting ready for a new haircut, I found myself staying at home and yadda yadda yadda, 18 months without a haircut went by.

 

Pictured: results of 18 months without a haircut

When the pandemic first started showing signs of receding, I thought I would finally have my chance to get a prompt haircut.  Unfortunately, car troubles and overbooked barber shops conspired to keep my hair long and shaggy up until late July.  Delays and complications overcome, I finally got my long-awaited haircut and ended my tenure as a scruffy-looking nerf herder.

 

That's better.

You might be asking, “if you got a haircut in July, why did you wait until now to write about it?”  Well, hypothetical reader who is somehow interested in my mundane life, I wanted to give my hair a chance to grow in before showing it off for the interwebs (that and me constantly being busy/lazy).  Enjoy my new and fresh lawyer look!

 

Much better!

Random side-note 1: I recently got a nameplate for my office door.   Just looking at it makes me happy. :)

 

 

Random side-note 2: Rosh Hashanah caught me off guard this year.  Thankfully, my landlord has been recently keeping the kitchen regularly stocked with apples.  Shana Tova, everyone!

 

Pride Along

 

That’s right, it’s time for a new entry!  I can’t even remember the last time I completed two entries in one month, but writing this blog gives me a sort of control over my life, no matter how chaotic things can get.  As such, it feels good to be writing something that isn’t a motion or work email for once.

June has been a mixed month for me.  The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wind down, which means more restrictions are being lifted.  As such, I’ve been able to restore more elements of my pre-quarantine life.  I’ve been hitting the gym every week, I’ve been able to eat out more, and I’ve even been talking to my parents about arranging a long-awaited visit—either here or in Hawaii.  Normally, all this news would mean that life is on the up-and-up.  Unfortunately, every yin has a yang; for each thing going right, there seems to be something going wrong.  Be it computer troubles, phone troubles, car troubles, insomnia, civic duties, workplace difficulties, or trials coming up, there always seems to be something going wrong or breaking down.  So far, I’ve been able to endure it all with relative grace under pressure.  While things can sometimes get extremely difficult, I keep up to the best of my ability, adapting as necessary and seeking relevant help whenever pertinent.  With a smile on my face and my eyes on a stable future, I’ll continue to conquer every challenge.  Having faced a global pandemic in the near past, I have no doubt I’ll be able to straighten things out in the coming weeks.

Still, no matter how rough things get, some things continue to brighten my days.  I’ve been able to see Cthulhu on a semi-regular basis.  We’ve hit up restaurants new and old, tried to revive our social lives, and generally have been there for each other through life’s trials and tribulations.  During one such visit, we attended a Pride event in Keizer together.  As an ally of the LGBTQ community, it’s a little weird that I’ve never been to a Pride event; it was time to rectify that!  The event was a low-key and casual affair, so there wasn’t a major parade or display.  Nonetheless, it was a pleasant and welcoming experience.  In some ways, it felt like a harbinger of things to come; with a dwindling pandemic, new and wonderful events are on the horizon, and I’m ready to embrace them.

 

The event had rock painting; I took part by painting a rock with some of my favorite colors.

Chalk art at pride.

Denny's shortbread pancakes drizzled with caramel: my go-to dinner for rough days at work.

Switcheroo

 

I’m back, everyone!  I’ve been out of the blog game for most of the year, but I finally found the time to take a breather and take stock in what the f*** has been happening recently.  To be honest, a whole lot has happened since my last post (where, if you might recall, I observed that not much had changed from last year), personally and publicly.  A full list of everything could be a little time-consuming/Russian novel-length/TMI, so I’ll stick to the big picture.

One major shift (which provided me inspiration for the post title) is that after months of hesitation and Wii U gaming, I caved and bought a Nintendo Switch during President’s Day sales, purchasing half a dozen games to go with it.

 

I expect quarantine (or what’s left of it) should be at least a little more entertaining.  I’ve already put some of these games to good use (while still experimenting with computer modding and mobile gaming at various intervals), and I plan to get back into gaming as I try to restructure my schedule going forward.  In a way, this whole experience is getting me to get back to my gaming roots; most of the games I got are remakes from my youth, including one special virtual download: Star Wars: Episode I: Racer, the very first video game I ever played (which I downloaded onto my Switch on Star Wars Day).  The circle is now complete, and I am now born again as a gamer.  Once more, I shall collect stars, hunt bounties, catch them all, and become King of Mario Kart!

 

Whether it's the Tillamook County Jail or the Oovo IV Detention Center, I frequently find myself conducting business behind bars

(For those that don’t know, I once won a Mario Kart 8 tournament in college.  Wins can sometimes go to my head).

However, the biggest switch to my life by far in recent months is one for the books: I am now fully vaccinated from COVID-19!  It took a while for me to find the opportunity, but thanks to my constant working at the county jail, I was able to get on the list of people prioritized to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  After 2 shots and 2 weeks, I’m fully vaccinated and able to move around more than I have in months.  Case in point: I’ve been hitting up my favorite local restaurants and I even made it down to Salem to see Cthulhu a few times!  After over a year de facto confined to Tillamook (specifically, home and workplace-centered), being able to travel, even for a little, feels like a massive relief.

Shot 1

Shot 2

Denny's, I missed you

                                                  

Tora Sushi Lounge, it's good to be back

                                                                                   

The familiar Golden Man greets me in Salem

 

With the ability to go outside, and a strong incentive to stay inside, 2021 is shaping up to be better than last year.  I’m still ironing out a fair amount of kinks: I’ve got to clean my room, I’ve got various appointments to catch up on, and I’m still working remotely on most days.  With any luck, life will return to normal (or some semblance of normal) soon enough, I’ll be able to enjoy my hobbies in peace, I’ll be able to continue my journey as a growing attorney, and I won’t wait 5 months to post my next blog entry.  Fingers crossed!

New Year, Old Problems

 

Happy (Extremely Belated) Holidays/New Year, everyone!  I hope everyone’s 2021 is off to a decent start.

Despite the best efforts of health authorities everywhere, COVID-19 is still very much a serious problem.  This made the 2020 holiday season a bit less jolly than usual and kept celebrations to a minimum.  Ironically, this didn’t make a huge difference for me, as I spent most of the previous holiday season indoors and alone as well.  Still, I did what I could: I called my loved ones, kept my little electric menorah lit, and gorged myself on peppermint bark.

As December came to an end, so did 2020.  This was a doozy of a year that just about everyone was happy to see go (including yours truly).  The United States had a toxic presidential election where partisanship was prevalent as ever.  Police brutality (already a massive social problem that I occasionally run across at work) escalated to horrific new levels in response to peaceful protests and frightening riots alike. The West Coast became an inferno triggered by wildfires, leading to apocalyptic orange skies and hellish storms of smoke.  Worst of all, the COVID-19 pandemic threw the entire world into disarray and fear.  I was not immune from these troubles: I haven't been with Cthulhu since March, I spent most of summer devoid of personal human contact, the wildfires in Oregon caused me no end of fear, and I've been handling a variety of serious/unpleasant cases since becoming major felony-certified. Still, as troubling as this year was, it had a lot of significance for me in one major way: this was my first full year practicing as a lawyer.  I tried cases, learned the complexities of running a law office, interacted with a wide variety of clients, became major felony-certified, and gained no end of experience.  Although I won’t have the fondest memories of 2020, it was undoubtedly an extremely important year for me and my career.

Although 2021 is shaping up to be a year where things could get a lot better, it started with an unpleasant bang.  On January 6, there was an ugly riot in Washington, D.C. that almost escalated into a full-scale insurrection.  I won’t go into detail here (as previously mentioned, serious political discourse is outside the scope of this goofy slice-of-life blog; look this up in your search engine or newspaper of choice), but I will mention that that particular day was agonizing.  I spent most of the afternoon trying to stay calm and praying that a civil war wouldn’t break out.  Eventually, the chaos subsided (though the aftereffects will be felt for quite a while).  I was so shaken by the events, I was actually relieved to have an extremely uneventful birthday.  As with last year, I was far away from friends and family on the day in question.  Unlike last year, a deadly virus was on the loose, so I didn’t have the means to eat out or to leave the county for a birthday celebration.  As such, my birthday celebrations were limited to reaching out to friends/loved ones, playing computer games from my youth, and gorging myself on cake.  It wasn’t an ideal way to spend a birthday, but it works just fine for me in the shadow of civil war and disease.  I still have my friends and loved ones, I’m still a practicing attorney, and I’m still alive—that’s certainly worthy of celebration, no matter how small-scale.

Revolts aside, this year has a lot of the same issues as last year so far.  My room is still a mess, finances are as complicated as ever, cases are as complicated as ever, new technology is as complicated as ever, Donald Trump is still the President (for future readers not paying attention in history class, Donald Trump was a controversial real estate tycoon elected President in 2016 who lost re-election in 2020—now please pay more attention in class), crimes are still committed, everything is in lockdown thanks to the pandemic, I still sleep too much on weekends, and I’m still figuring out how to be a competent lawyer.  I’ll address these old problems as I did last year: a combination of determination, support, and gorging myself on ice cream.  With any luck, my second full year as an attorney will be smoother than my first.