A Christmas Star...

Or, at the very least, an Advent star in the warm night tonight as I strolled around the neighborhood in Mickeyville. Quiet. Dark. Not even the usual dogs barking as I pad by their yards. Truly, a miracle. Either that, or they can sense more rain coming over the ocean.

I have been remiss in my walking and have not been to the gym much at all since the time change. It's dark and cold in the morning and I usually toss and turn until about 3:30, then drift into a restless sleep until about 4:50. Then I plunge into a comatose state which the alarm clock barely punctures. I find myself in banana slug mentality on these mornings, in that I move slow and seem to ooze fluids of undetermined origin. Some call it drool; I prefer to think it's an evolutionary thing designed to get me across the rough forest floor.

Still, the dark and cold of the mornings serve to convince my body that only a madman would be getting out of a warm cocoon to face the uncertain trials of running one's own law practice. My body, I'm convinced, is much smarter than I am. Nonetheless, I finally respond to the call of duty and rouse my tired old body for another legal round. If I actually had a job, rather than a practice, I could tell myself that I only have eleven more years of rousing in the morning before I can retire on that sweet, sweet Social Security money and drink coffee and read books all day. Alas, I work for myself, and my boss is a real tight-a. Wants me to work on time, wants me to work on stuff during the day instead of playing that vital game of solitaire which will determine the fate of the globe...

I put myself through it by daydreaming. Today not a hard thing to do: I played last Saturday night at Plaza Design for Arts! Alive! in Eureka, the coveted Christmas spot. I was a last second replacement, which was still good because this is the Arts! gig to have. I set up without microphone and amp, as the Eureka Plaza Design has the acoustics of a church. Sure enough, everyone heard everything I did and I got many ego-boosting compliments and nary a single complaint. One young woman said, of my rocked-up version of "Angels We Have Heard On High" (Or, as I like to joke, "Angles, we have heard, we're high!") "Best Version Ever." They even loved some of my own songs, such as "Christmas Eve," the song about me pausing while wrapping presents for my sleeping child.

It's always nice to step out of the haze of the law to feel the warm bright light of music. I was asked for an encore this Friday night at Plaza Design in Arcata. You've been warned.

In the meantime, I'm back in the courts this week, to do a little of this and a little of that. Some frustrations--such as the person who owes me $1700 and now wants another hearing on custody (I had to tell her, "If you can't pay the army, you can't fight the war." I'm not sure she understood) or the guy who demanded I come see him in custody and said "I told my father to pay you the rest of your fee only after you come see me." I see my clients when they ask, no bribe necessary, thank you.

You can see why I daydream of a different life while shuffling through the papers on my desk. Only eleven more years to go...