Ginger, please...

Did you know that I am surrounded by some of the most awesome people? On Earth? Ever?!

If my life were a television series (or a Dickens novel), you can imagine the supporting cast of characters that I interact with. How else to you think I come up with these stories? 'Cause let me tell you a secret...I can't make this stuff up. My imagination is good, but not that good.

For example..take this gem of a quote from my friend, Janet.

"You think you could pull off this outfit BETTER than me?!
Ginger, please!
You couldn't pull off a band-aid, let alone this outfit."

Janet was getting slack from a co-worker who...shall we say...does not share her slim physique and bold sense of style. But the co-worker thinks she does. It's an unspoken, running joke at Janet's office that her co-worker's wardrobe has much to be desired; her clothes are too young, obviously cheap knock-offs, and do nothing for her assets. Anytime Janet wears something new, the clueless co-worker speculates how the new jacket/shoes/etc will work in her wardrobe...

Janet, tired of the denial, finally snapped.

Janet also calls people "ginger" regardless of hair color. I'm not sure if this is intended as an insult to redheads or a Southern censorship-thing (like saying "fiddlesticks" or "shut the front door"). Poor gingers...they always get misunderstood...

Up and to your right, you'll notice the visual aid part of this presentation/blog-post. Someone brilliant (can't find the original citation on Pinterest) imagined if the Doctor and his companions had to trade their signature outfits. Obviously, Eleven got the short end of the skirt.
Do  you like what I did there? Wordplay. Nailed it.


[If you don't understand the Doctor Who reference, I feel sorry for you. Go to YouTube, search "Doctor Who", and watch everything that pops up. Or come back next week because I'm planning on documenting my obsession with a certain BBC show. It'll be a big blog of wibbly wobbly...time-y wimey...stuff.]

An Ode to Dresses (while wearing pants)

I wore a dress or skirt to work for seven days in a row. This is a new Cora-record!

No one would guess I was wearing superhero underwear...

I had a love-hate relationship with dresses throughout my life. For example, I wore a dress every single day in kindergarten. Then I flatly refused to wear anything but pants for the next 10 years (The only exception was wearing a dress to church. Because God shall smite women for wearing slacks. It’s the 11^th Baptist Commandment).  By high school, I resigned myself to the fact that dresses were required for graduations, weddings, and the occasional funeral. Sorority events in college also demanded that I buy more than one little black dress.

Then I moved to Boston. My daily uniform (jeans, tank top, cardigan, Converse low-tops) just didn’t fit in. Girls layered their summer dresses and shorts with leggings in the fall. Walking through rain and snow is miserable when you’re wearing jeans because it takes forever to dry. And frankly, guys notice you more.

In an office setting, I find dresses to be comfortable, professional, and feminine. When networking, I was certainly noticed and approached more when wearing a black dress and beaded cardigan.  The Russian kept insisting that “pencil skirts are the epitome of feminine power in a male-dominated profession”.  (Umm…yeah, about that...I disagree. When I see a girl wearing a pencil skirt suit, my first thought is “Damn, I wish I was that skinny” followed by “I bet she’s a witch with a broom stuck up her bum.”) I do think that dressing a bit more feminine and delicate made me more approachable. The Southern accent certainly helped.

Twirling isn't half as fun in pants either.

In all honesty, my sudden pro-dress stance has more to do with my pro-sleep philosophy. Anything that gains another 15 minutes of sleep always gets my vote! A dress is an entire outfit...in ONE article of clothing! I don’t have to worry about matching shirts and pants! The only thing I have to coordinate is dress to shoes, which is simple because black or silver heels go with basically everything I own. And a wrinkled dress looks more put together than a pair of wrinkled pants and an unironed button-up shirt. Go figure.

Considering the forthcoming heat wave (102*F on Friday), wearing a dress certainly makes life a little more bearable and less sweaty.

The downside of wearing dresses to work…can’t prop my feet up on the desk. Something about being “unladylike”…whatever that means. 

Working Girl

I'm back in Georgia for the summer. I took an internship with the law firm I worked for back in college; instead of being another numbered 1L in Boston, I'm getting lots of personalized attention. Rich has put me in charge of a couple of cases, have me draft responses and motions, and compile research. Lots and LOTS of research.

Also, I get to spend some time with Mom, Dad, and the Bro. I missed my Bro. Living with him was so fun and we became pretty close. Good times. I'm also a bridesmaid in an amazing wedding this summer! One of my dearest and oldest friends is getting married to an amazing guy. I'm so excited for them both because they deserve every happiness in the world. All the bridesmaids are in The Brain Trust, so every shower and party will be A-mazing.

And the bridesmaid dress is freaking cute, let me tell ya.

Anyway...I admit I did a piss-poor job of keeping everyone updated in my day-to-day life in law school. Hell, I didn't even attempt to update anyone about significant life changes this year.
In short: Life of a 1L is the worst experience of your life. Law school is Hell. If you care about the happiness, mental and physical health, and self-worth of your loved ones...discourage them from going to law school.

Which brings me back to this internship and my current day-to-day life.

This is my life

I come into work at 8:30 (give or take 5 minutes), plop my bag on the filing cabinet, and go to the office kitchenette for some coffee. They have a Keurig machine, but it doesn't make enough coffee for me; however, I feel it's rude to get seconds from the office coffee stash, so I just supplement a Coca-Cola around 10:30am. 

I may be an intern, but I prop my feet like a partner.



I check e-mail, facebook, blogs, and CNN.com until 9:15am when I cannot avoid the pile of work before me anymore. Then I start reading. I'm doing a lot of research of a handful of cases currently. The cases are pretty dry (fact-wise and legal-wise). They mostly deal with not-so-smart people making sketchy choices about lots of money, which they don't have, and then avoiding payment when whatever failed business or real estate venture fell through.

Yeah...awesome...



I eat lunch around 1pm. Because it takes most of my 30 minute lunch-break to drive through traffic and I'm broke as a law student with an unpaid summer internship, I brown-bag my lunch. Sometimes I eat with the other paralegals and receptionist. Sometimes I eat at my desk. The lawyers never eat; they just go out for another smoke break and eat a handful of pistachio nuts. I kid you not.

I prefer eating at my desk. Because I'm on my lunch-break, I don't feel guilty about more e-mailing, facebook stalking, and blogging. Or jamming to one of my playlists. Or taking an insane about of self-portraits with my iPhone.

Don't judge. You make the duck face, too.

Then I sigh, take out my earbuds, and log back onto LexisNexis. Rich may have me draft a letter or a motion which has to be mailed out TODAY. Or he may send me to any of the surrounding counties to file a document with the court. Otherwise, I read and watch the clock until 5pm.

My office is located in the back of the building. It's the former office of Andrew, an associate lawyer, who left last year. Then it turned into the dumping ground of old, but open, cases. Regardless, I have my own computer, printer, filing cabinet, and phone. I have a nice view of the trees and shrubbery. I have a coat rack which I'm excessively excited about. I keep a spare black jacket and a pair of black pumps in my office. I have two big desks, one with the computer and one to scatter my papers everywhere. And a big, blue leather office chair. 

Not a bad set-up if I do say so myself. 

So that's my day from Monday to Friday. It's plushy, structured, but not terribly interesting. Sigh Such is the life of a legal intern. 

Stay tuned for more office adventures! I'm contemplating a post about twenty-something fashion in the workplace and reflections of the South after a year in New England. So y'all come back now, ya hear?