Another month, another series of events. After hail-filled April, I expected/hoped that May would be a much calmer month. While the weather was certainly nicer in May, the month was something of a roller coaster that I’m still getting in order. Hopefully, writing about it will keep me organized…and sane.
The first big thing of the month was the OCDLA (Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyer Association) annual juvenile law conference. While I do not specialize in juvenile law, it is a pertinent area for me to brush up on. Best of all, I got to spend time in beautiful Newport, Oregon, complete with gorgeous beaches!
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| Check out this lovely beachfront view! |
…OK, so the weather wasn’t exactly beachworthy. Still, this conference was a nice break from the usual routine. When I wasn’t listening to lectures, getting depressed about the troubled teen industry, or trying to network, I enjoyed the amenities of the hotel, which featured some truly amazing food!
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| Am I really posting photos of food on my blog? |
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| Yes. Yes, I am. The food was that good. |
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| Looks like I may have a bright future in blogging food porn in the future! |
Unfortunately, for every positive, there is a negative. After driving back down from Newport and steeling myself for another week of work, I woke up the next day feeling sick beyond belief. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has still not ended (people: get. your. shots. already.), I was naturally a little anxious. Thankfully, since a lot of my work is on a database I can access from my home laptop, I was able to work from home, calling in whenever I was needed for a court appearance. In other good news, I tested negative for COVID, so this ended up just being a minor cold (albeit one that left me feeling in shambles). I just had to wait it out, spending a week recovering, working, and voting by mail in the local elections.
For those not in the know, Oregon conducts all its elections by mail. While not always perfect, it’s a pretty good system. You don’t have to completely readjust your schedule, you don’t have to deal with crowds, and you can take any time needed to research the candidates and initiatives on your ballot. This month’s election was relatively sedate on my end; nothing particularly scandalous happened here in Tillamook County. The same can’t be said everywhere else; in one other county, a hotly contested race saw an unpleasant incident where a candidate was attacked for–*gasp*–having connections to defense attorneys (and therefore having ties with criminals). Isn’t it wonderful knowing that, thanks to my work, I’m a convenient bogeyman for public servants to spit on and attack? J
A week of bedrest later, I’m fit as a fiddle and ready to resume regular working. After the relaxation afforded by conference and a truly wretched week, it’s time to jump back into the fray, buckle down, and continue doing a job that gets me vilified in popular elections. Tally ho!
