Happy New Year, readers and stalkers! Welcome to the newest season of Benjamin Fischberg: A[pprenti]ce Attorney! It’s a new year; what better way to kick it off than with a new blog entry?
The remainder of 2021 was emblematic of life in general for a criminal defense attorney: equal parts stress and relief. I had several trials set over the course of December. Due to the massive backlog the court was facing (and some continued COVID-related problems), only 1 was able to proceed to completion. The remainders were moved back a few months, where they would be problems for 2022 Benjamin to deal with. Conversely, 2021 Benjamin was able to take some breathers over December, steeling his resolve for 2022 (when not talking about himself in the third person).
Along with these respites from work, the conclusion to 2021 saw some other splashes of joy to round things out. With the holiday season upon us, Christmas cheer filled the air (alongside a small amount of Hannukah cheer left over from later November). Like many people, I spent my Christmas with loved ones; specifically, Cthulhu down in Salem. However, Cthulhu wasn’t the only one warming my heart then and there; Cthulhu also had a brand-new kitten (whom I will be referring to as Christmas Cat to preserve its privacy)! I spent most of Christmas day with Christmas Cat on my lap purring contentedly with Cthulhu hugging me from the side (in other words: Best. Christmas. Ever). The only thing nicer than spending Christmas this way was spending New Year’s Eve this way, as I of course returned the very next week. Between the lovely kitty cuddles, I also managed to find enough time (and outmaneuvered the increasingly harsh weather) to hit up Tillamook’s only movie theater to see Spider-Man: No Way Home, the best movie I’ve seen in a while. Regardless of how rough the year got for me, it was nice to round it out with a few weeks of leisure, pleasure, and feline affection. :)
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| My first meeting with Christmas Cat. |
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| After some bonding, Christmas Cat was comfortable enough using me as its personal grooming bathtub. |
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| A sign in the Tillamook Coliseum Theater. It's always good to keep a sense of humor in the face of crisis. |
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| The Christmas tree in the lobby of the Tillamook Coliseum Theater. Two years after The Rise of Skywalker, they still know how to rock Star Wars decorations. |
And on that cheerful note, the year 2021 has come and gone. With 2022 already here, the potential is great for this year. What will this year bring? Hopefully, this year will see continued professional growth, more blogging, and no insurrections to destabilize the government. May the year be fruitful to us all!
(As a little bonus, here’s the rough draft of a song I started composing in my head around Christmas time. I hope to refine and finish it by next Christmas.)
On the ninth day of Christmas the state disclosed to me;
Ten continued hearings;
Nine filed motions;
Eight electric candles;
Seven cows a-pooping;
Six months in jail;
Five plea bargains;
Four discovery disks;
Three COVID spikes;
Two booster shots;
And a trial by a jury.
