Birthday Celebrations

Today I turn 26. Yesterday I made my first appointment to get my hair highlighted. I am so sick of it just getting darker and darker. I used to be a blonde! I guess I must be getting old.

Well today is my last day at work for 12 days so I am very excited! But I have to work the whole day (even though I was hoping I would be able to get away a bit early).

J&I are driving up to the Christmas cottage this evening and then the rest of the fam will join us tomorrow. It is going to be a great Christmas!

Hope you all enjoy your holidays.

All our love and best wishes, love K&J

12 Days of Christmas

Sorry I missed a week last week, I came down with the death plague that has been going around. I missed 3 days of work (shocking!) and cancelled my driving lesson. But started to feel better towards the end of the week. It has left me with a gross smoker's cough though. Lovely!

J and I have decided to join an amateur dramatics society in Upminster. They needed a pianist to play for their panto this year, so there we are. We are performing "Dick Whittington" the last week in January. We have been to 3 rehearsals so far and it has been amazing how welcome we have been made to feel by the other members. As I have always found in these types of things, the pianist plays an integral role and I think they are so happy to have the commitment from the two of us. Looks like we'll make some really nice friends and memories from it.

Christmas came early for me this morning when I got into work and had an email saying that the litigation proceedings I had been working on like a dog had been settled last night at a mediation! There is still a lot of work to be done to finalise everything, but that just made my year! Plus we're taking my other case (which we lost in the Court of Appeal) to the House of Lords - the equivalent of the Supreme Court in the UK. Little ol' me will be marching up to the steps of the Houses of Parliament with our pleadings in just over a month. Fantastic!

Well, I have sent out our Christmas cards, but didn't have everyone's address. Email me your address if you want one. Otherwise, I wish you and your families the Happiest Christmas ever!

Christmas is coming....

Well, I decorated our flat for Christmas today. Usually it's a struggle to get Justin to help (why are men such bah humbugs?) but this year I didn't even bother. You can see he was a real help while playing the Wii....... Anyway, I put the tree and lights up, decorated everything and then wrote out all our Christmas cards! Very productive and nice to get into the spirit of things.

This year we have booked a cottage in Norfolk with Justin's family for a week. We will be gone the 21st-28th Dec and I am really looking forward to spending time together. It will be the first time we have gone away with Justin's family but I'm sure we're all going to have a great time. Watch this space!

Work was hard for both of us again this week. Not fun getting back into it..... but at least we know we just have 3 weeks to go before a nice long break again.

Thanksgiving in the Lake District

The Parents are coming!!!

Well I've just about made it - just have 3 more hours of work to go. Again I have recorded 60 hours this week, so it has been stressful.

Our witness proofing session went well on Monday and was interesting to see the process. But it has taken me all week to find the time to write up the attendance note and get the changes into the witness statement. I still don't think it will be done by the time I have to leave this evening - but at least we were granted an extension and do not have to file the statement until after Christmas :)

I also had to take a test on the Lloyds market yesterday - which I didn't really start studying for until Saturday...... nevermind. I'm just hoping I passed - it will be really embarressing if I don't.

But all of that will not be on my mind over the next week cuz Mom, Dad and Spencer are all coming to visit!!!!! I cannot wait to pick them up from Heathrow tomorrow. It is going to be great.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Witness Statement

This week I recorded 48 chargeable hours. (My target is 32.5). When you add the non-chargeable hours I also spent in the office (12), you get 60. It would have been more but I had to leave at 6pm on Wednesday to go to a concert (more below).

It's official - I am becoming a lawyer.

I would say 40 of those hours were spent writing a 60 page witness statement from scratch. The witness statement is going to be used in one of the biggest pieces of litigation going on in the UK at the moment - basically a class action-type case against hundreds of law firms. Probably every professional negligence litigator in the country is going to read this statement.

This is not a normal task to ask of a second year trainee (not even qualified as a lawyer yet). Needless to say I have been stressed. Poor Justin took the brunt of it.... and I think I lost about 10 lbs cuz I didn't eat anything. Not sure I'm ready for that stress.

Of course the statement is going to be revised and redrafted by more qualified lawyers and barristers before it is lodged in court, but I got the words and concepts on the paper. I must admit I am proud.

Anyway - Wednesday Justin and I went to a concert of Ludivico Einaudi at the Royal Albert Hall. He is a fantastic Italian modern composer and I really enjoy playing his stuff. You can go here to find out more about his music: http://www.myspace.com/ludovicoeinaudispace

It was so nice to have 3 hours to sit and listen to beautiful music and relax (although I must admit it was hard to get work out of my mind). I really need to start learning how to cope with the stress and pressure. Otherwise I don't think I'm going to last too long.

Weald Country Park

Today we had to get out and enjoy the autumn sunshine. I swear it has been warmer this autumn than it was over the summer. Pathetic! Anyway, we drove (in my Mini!) to Weald Country Park, which is just in the next town over called Brentwood.

They are going to host the mountain biking there at the 2012 Olympics. And what better place!?! It is gorgeous. I swear the trees this year have been spectacular. We always get the nice fall colours that Californians miss out on - but this year, with the warmer temps and the lack of wind, the leaves have just stayed on the trees and turned gorgeous shades of red, orange, yellow, brown. Amazing! I think we could give the northeast of the US a run for its money. (Don't tell anyone though, I don't want them all flocking to Essex and ruining our peaceful walks through the park).

I just can't believe I forgot my camera.

Court of Appeal - Part 2

Today was better than yesterday. Our QC seemed to get his footing in responding to the other side's reply. I think we're going to win on two minor points, but unfortunately, it looks bleak for the main point. I think our client is going to lose on that. But nevermind, we never expected to win. And at least with this attitude, if we do win, it will be amazing!

Now it's back to the normal deskjob for the next few weeks until my parents and Spencer come for Thanksgiving. I can't wait (17 days to go). I think I will be very busy doing a supplemental disclosure list, a witness statement, trying to settle a few matters, attending a Case Management Conference.... etc. etc. My life is so exciting, isn't it :-P

Court of Appeal

I have been in the Court of Appeal today and I am exhausted. I wasn't even the one making the arguments, but I am still completely drained. I don't think it was going too well either - we just seemed to go round in circles with our arguments.

But it was so exciting to be there! The barristers and judges wore their wigs and robes - which they don't normally do in the High Court anymore. You have to go that step up to the Court of Appeal I guess. This is why I became a lawyer - to have all these complex arguments about the law and really be influencing how the law is interpreted. Really neat.

It was a bit embaressing because all last week I had been preparing supplemental bundles for the judges as the barristers came up with new authorities they wanted to use. I lodged all the new authorities at Court last week, within the relevant deadlines. And did they have the bundles all ready to refer to today? Of course not - apparently their clerks never gave them the new authorities. So there was some scrambling around in trying to get 3 copies of everything for the judges.... I tell you - can't get the staff these days!

We're in for another day of it tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes.

Seagulls

Today is gray day. I am sitting up in our spare bedroom (the cat's room), catching up on everyone's blogs. The kitties are asleep in their beds. All the sudden about 50 seagulls started flying around the garden outside the window. Tipsy perked right up and started making that bird noise.

Does anyone know what I mean? You know that noise that cats make when they see a bird? Kinda like a chirping noise. Anyway - she likes watching the birds, but seagulls are just as big as her so I hope she doesn't go out there and start chasing them.....

We live about 20 miles from the mouth of the Thames Estuary/English channel. We don't get a lot of seagulls where we live, but I think they come inland if there is rough water. It is kinda windy today, so I guess we're in for a storm tonight.

What a perfect fall weekend!

Bad weekend for England

Well it's been a bad weekend in the history of English sport.... first the brave efforts of England's rugby team just not make it in the Rugby World Cup final with South Africa.... and then Lewis Hamilton's dire performance in Brazil at the F1 World Championships.

But it was so English. They always get their hopes up, without trying to show it. Everyone was so surprised that England even made it to the World Cup final... everyone said that South Africa was going to win (heaven forbid the English actually show some confidence in themselves). And then when South Africa won... oh... the disappointment. But nevermind. We still applaud their "bravery" and "hard work".

If this was the US, we would have been shouting them on all the way - never doubting that they would win. Maybe that little bit of confidence is what those rugby players needed - not just bravery and a stiff upper lip - but actually the "we are the best in the world and no one is going to beat us" attitude that we grow up with in the US.

In any case, it would have been more interesting to watch.

Mini-love

I am in love with a car. We bought this car on ebay last week after test driving it and Justin (who knows a bit about cars) giving it the all clear. It is a 1994 Mini Mayfair and seriously, it is the coolest car in the world.

It is very zippy and loves to go around corners. It can fit into any small space that these English roads may throw at me and best of all it is an automatic!

Now, I am still planning on getting my licence in a manual car (cuz if I don't then I will be restricted to only driving automatics and I would have to do the test all over again to get a manual licence). But there is a silver lining to know that once I have that little card - I have freedom to drive my beautiful mini to my heart's content.

I have never had a car before that just the thought of makes me walk around with a big smile because I am having so much fun.

It doesn't have power steering or brakes - so you really feel like you are in control and operating a machine. But it does have a tape deck that I can use my adaptor for my ipod - the speakers are great - so I am all set!

It loves doing 50, is comfortable doing 60 and can get up to 70 (but you feel it). But it will get me to the gym/grocery store/mall no problem (and is especially fun driving down the country lanes on a sunny day).

I know you guys are all so jealous!

Professional Skills Course

This week I have been on a training course that I have to complete before I can qualify as a solicitor. Mon-Wed I had training on advocacy. I had to prepare an interim application for an injunction in about an hour on Monday and then present it in front of the group and the tutor. The tutor was acting like a real judge would and interrupting to ask questions. It was pretty intense.

Then on Tuesday, we had to practice examinations-in-chief and cross-examinations. If you are doing "eics" you are not allowed to use leading questions (because it is your witness and it would look like you are the one giving the evidence as opposed to them). Let me tell you it is very difficult to only use open questions! And we were divided into two teams (prosecution and defence) and the other side were very quick to yell "Objection!" if you asked a leading question of your witness. It was pretty fun though.

Then Wed, we had to put it all together and we had a mock civil trial. My team was for the defence (the whole thing was about a case in nuisance against my client who was a farmer. His new neighbour was complaining about him using tractors and spreading muck on his fields.... really - the nerve.... on a farm!) So we were trying to prove that he was not causing a nuisance and that the claimant was just being over-sensitive and unreasonable (she did live in the country after all). Again, I had a major cross-examination of the claimant that lasted for like 30 minutes, which was actually quite fun because in CE you can ask as many leading questions as you want to try to make the witness look silly or to discredit their evidence. In the end, our team lost because it turned out our client was being a bit malicious and trying to annoy the claimant. But the claimant didn't get everything she was asking for (so I guess we won that bit).

Anyway, it was so much fun having a mock trial, even though I probably will never actually question a witness in court in real life.

At the end of this month, I have a real hearing at the Court of Appeal on a case that I have been working on since April. We first had a hearing in June at the High Court, and our client lost (starting to see a pattern). But they have now won the right to appeal and the appeal judge said it was a matter of importance because there is no law decided on this point yet. So the hearing has been expedited and is being heard by the Master of the Rolls (one of the most importance judges in the country). Very exciting stuff!

Driving a Manual

I have been learning to drive a manual car so I can get my driving licence in the UK. So, besides getting used to gear changes, I also have had to learn to deal with the narrow roads, faster pace of driving, and left side of the road! Needless to say, it has been an experience and I have gradually been building up my confidence with my driving instructor over the summer.

As of 1 September, I was insured to drive J's baby - a Seat Leon Cupra, Turbo fast thing-a-mi-jig. So this month, J has been patiently helping me practice too. (Our marriage is just surviving....) But it has all paid off, because I had my lesson this morning and my instructor thinks I'm ready to book my test now!

Just need to practice a little more on the country roads as well as my reversing around a corner and parallel parking. (Can you believe that two lane country roads through the forest have a speed limit of 60 mph here?!?! If you don't get up to at least 50, they will mark you down....) I miss the wide roads of California.

Holiday in Devon

So, to escape our summer blues and get ready for the autumn, we decided to take a week off and spend it walking in Devon. Now, when the British say 'walking', they really mean 'hiking'. Which is exactly what we did!

Here is a pic of the beautiful Devon coastline.







And here is me in my fabulous new wellies!

Summer Bank Holiday

So we had a Bank Holiday this weekend. That just means it's an official day off work. And for once we actually had some sunshine! I know from this blog it must seem like we get plenty of sun because just below you can see us at the beach. But believe me, since then it has been raining straight for the past two weeks! What a way to spend an August..... indoors, at work, in the rain. But when the sun does come out, we do know how to enjoy it!

On Saturday, we went to a Summer Fruit Festival at this lovely orchard in Kent. We tasted fresh fruit, watched a falconry display and gawked at the Morris Dancers.

And today we went to the London Wetlands Centre to see the ducks and beautiful scenery. We all enjoyed going in the hides to see the birds in their "semi-natural" habitats. And we got almost as much of a kick out of the birdwatchers and their gear! We definitely were not as prepared as they were.

The Two Cats

So, the theme of the blog is a "flat" and "two cats", therefore, we should introduce them.

Firstly there is Tom, he is 7 years old. He is quite a character with a short temper. He certainly does not like to be picked up and held! However, he does love his mummy (adopted)....... Don't be fooled by the picture, he will simply try and tear your hand/arm off if you try to touch him.

Secondly we have Tipsy who is apparently Tom's sister (but we have no proof of this). Again, she has quite her own character and is quite a sweet heart. They both have quite different personalities. Tipsy can only be held by Justin.

They keep our lives interesting with their little fights and needs. Both have had quite extensive dental work being British. We love them so much they are insured, chipped, have their own room and beds...........who knows where any children will go! They thank us by clawing our carpets, leather sofa, beds, wallpaper............. being sick on everything...... and leaving fur all over.

Isn't "parenthood" great!

A day at Margate

Last Saturday (11 Aug 07) we went to Margate given it was a glorious sunny day (does happen often!). Upon arrival we went to the Shell Grotto (http://www.shellgrotto.co.uk/) which was quite amazing. No one knows who created it or its purpose.

Following this we went to the beach for the remainder of the day having good old british fish 'n' chips for lunch.

First Post

Welcome friends and family to our blog!

We always enjoy checking out the blogs of our friends and recently a good friend asked me whether we have one... So here we are!

We hope you enjoy keeping up to date with our lives and we would love to hear any comments you have!