November

Ahh, the fall foliage has mostly blown away and now it will finally get cold. November also brings the best college football games, and at long last perhaps an Ohio State game worth watching (and considering I've seen every minute of the past 5 games in person...I'm expert enough to say that the last 5 weeks has been a bore-fest). It's been fun actually blowing out Big Ten rivals, but let's see how the buckeyes perform with a berth in the national title game and an outirght Big Ten title on the line against hated rival UM. Speaking of football, Ohio U is winning their division in the MAC now and I'm happy the Bobcats are finally worth cheering for.

I was all ready to write a blog article yesterday about how Halloween and October passes me by and I still have no job offers after 3 months (the Loyola Patent interview program was August 3-4). But then, a Halloween treat in my inbox. Wood Herron and Evans from Cincinnati gave me a job offer for next summer.

HALLELUJAH! (Happy dance and much rejoicing in the background)

If you had asked me before I went to the 8 firms which one I would cut first this would have been the one based solely on location...but a job is a job and this firm is the biggest IP boutique in Ohio so that makes me happy. Summer salary is higher than all non-Chicago and non-Dallas places too, so I'm more than likey accepting the job offer (plus being only 2 hours away this summer is convenient for its own reasons). I did notify the remaining three firms that they have one week to offer me a job, so Harness Dickey (Detroit), Leydig Voit and Mayer (Chicago), and Greenebaum Doll (Louisville)...you are on the clock. It is so satisfying knowing that I have a job next summer and I will be doing IP work and I will be officially done worrying about jobs in 6 days. Now I'll have even more time to focus on school, whatever that means.

Let's review quickly what I think of the firms left in the pool today:
1. Wood Herron and Evans in Cincinnati: The plus is I have a job offer (just kidding), but seriously they do pay better than the others and it's close enough for next summer and I get to see Reds games...the downside is still long-term location but that's not such a big deal anymore.
2. Harness Dickey in Detroit: I think these guys have the best overall summer experience to offer and really have a good IP firm going, but living a half hour north of Detroit sucks. The people were really nice though, and it seemed like I could fit. I do not know the pay for these guys.
3. Greenebaum in Lousiville: This was probably my best job interview after Fish in Dallas, but the one thing that scares me from this firm is that it is GP. I really favor IP boutiques now, and so this factor is crucial even though Louisville is one of the nicest cities I've been to.
4. Leydig Voit in Chicago: well let's see, they are in Chicago. That's about it (they are IP as well). The firm was not the greatest, their recruiting seems out of order, they did not confirm my interview until the day before, they did not get a hotel reservation until I was driving to Chicago the day of, and they were condescending on the phone when I told them they have a week to make a choice as of yesterday...hmmm, much as I love Chicago this has not gone well for this firm so far.

Bowling is going fantastic, and it has been a great season. Daniel and Brodie are crazy, and we do a nice job as a team of freaking out the competition or getting in their head with our antics. Everything from the Dr. Mario Virus dance for three strikes in a row to our mascot the creepy garden gnome to the weekly theme and outfits Brodie and Daniel (and sometimes I) wear...we wreck the competition. Everyone except for Brodie has a much higher average than last year, and we just keep on rolling. I finally made the bowling sheet for the first time last week for 2nd high average in the league at 153, so now we are taking over the sheet as well (Abbie's 187 is holding up nicely as a top game...187 = killed the other team = murder cop code = mens fucking rea). We started the season 1-6 but have ripped off 11 straight and stand at 12-6. I think we will be in first place tonight when the sheet is passed around the bowling alley, so all we have to do is hold serve this evening and we will be division champs. To hell with the playoffs...division champs would be sweet. Can you tell it's bowling night...?

I've successfully put off Appellate Advocacy now and I have 5 days to comeplete my brief. Thankfully all I have to do is minor repairs and mostly grammar, spell checks, and cite checks. One quick oral argument in 2-3 weeks and then that hassle is over. Just in time to start worrying about my 4 exams.

The Schottenstein Center here on campus has been jumping this week. Saturday night was a Daily Show cast and Jon Stewart event for the students at OSU, Sunday Barenaked Ladies played, and Monday Red Hot Chili Peppers played. That's the best three straight days ever at that crappy arena probably. Kelley and I went to see Jon Stewart, and it was a nice funny evening. They showed clips from previous shows, the highlight of which had to be when they followed around a Cleveland area reporter who is known for investigative reporting in a clip called "You Jackin It?" This reporter caught a college kid jacking off in a public library, and then proceeded to hound him and his family for weeks about it on the local news. Not to be trumped, the Daily Show hounded this real life reporter and libraries in the area seeing if they could find more people "Jackin It." Stewart and the gang are taping this week's shows on campus so they can be in the middle of the most important swing state during these midterm elections. Should be good times.

I'm playing a little online poker (down a little again since I talked to you last, but I'm sure the luck will turn around) and some Magic online now...it's nice to have time to play those games and not feel like I'm putting off something (other than App Ad). Also, if anybody has a copy of Mario Party 6 and a gamecue microphone they wish to sell...message me. I don't want to buy the game new and MP7 is good but would be better with a mic (and I think MP 6 which my old roommates have has better mini-games).

Shipman cancelled class today, hope he's doing alright. Especially since that's my primary job for next semester and my best reference until after this summer's employment. This is a good week, as last night we went out to celebrate my job offer, tonight is bowling, Thursday Dell is coming to fix my computer in my house (new motherboard and touchpad among other small things), Thursday night I'm watching Saw III with Tom and Heather and then the WVU-UL football game, and Friday night we are hosting poker and Thomas and Lisa will be down to stay the evening as well. Time for a little payback for Mr. Applebaum :-)

Anyways, class is about to start and I'm sure I've caught everyone up and all they want to know (and more than they ever wanted to know) and my life. To sum it all up...I GOT A JOB. WOO-HOO!