American Samoa Flag Day

April 17 each year marks the anniversary of American Samoa becoming a U.S. Territory and heralds the biggest event on the South Pacific Island's calendar. It was on this date in 1900 that Captain B. F. Tilley of the U.S. Navy raised the American Flag on Samoan soil and American Samoa as a U.S. Territory was born.

The government takes off several days for festivities, including Fautasi races.
Fautasi are longboat canoes that used to be the main mode of transportation between islands. They hold up to fifty people and can be over 90 feet long.

Here are two videos from my days in Samoa.

Ridiculously Emotional

I just got an email from a friend at work this morning describing this woman, Susan Boyle, and her singing. And then I watched the video. Here is the email followed by the YouTube clip. I got ridiculously emotional...perhaps because I'm pregnant. But, maybe just because this woman is amazing.

Email:
Last night I happened upon this Youtube video of Britian’s Got Talent contestant. If you choose to watch this, pay attention to the judges and audience when Susan is first on the stage---then after she starts singing.

Music has to be performed with incredible emotion for me to become emotional…this did it. I’ve read a little about her and know why this song was sung with so much feeling. When she sang the following, I feel she deeply felt what she was singing.

“I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living,
So different now from what it seemed...
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed...”

Some of the background I found on Susan:

She is the youngest of 9 children.
She has been depressed since her 91 yr old mother died two years ago.
She is single, lives with her cat and has never been kissed.
She has a disability and has been teased all her life.
The village she is from is so bad that the Britains Got Talent show didn’t want to video it for the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Based on the previous post....National Be Kind to Lawyers Day

Is it too much to ask to be nice to lawyers for just one day?
The jury says, "No."

Lawyers in America get a lot of grief...just for being lawyers. Jokes are made about them and they consistently rank as one of the least respected professions on the planet.

Yet, when regular people need help writing a will, running a business or avoiding jail time, who do they flock to? Lawyers! This love/hate relationship too often tilts to the hate side of the ledger. Well no more.

Announcing "NATIONAL BE KIND TO LAWYERS DAY" on Tuesday, April 14th. It's a simple way to show the attorneys in your life that you really care about them: That you're willing to give 1/365th of your year to back up the love.

NATIONAL BE KIND TO LAWYERS DAY is the brainchild of non-lawyer Steve Hughes. Click on "The N.B.K.T.L. Story" to find out why.

How do I sleep at night

So I had a court hearing today, like many days. Today I had to defend a temporary protective order filed against my client. I was successful and got the protective order dismissed. As I was leaving, one of the Petitioner's friends/witnesses/members of her Bishopric walked passed me and said, "How do you sleep at night?" How do I sleep??? Well, I have the most beautiful woman in the world in my bed... so I sleep great... but that is not the point. I just laugh when people try to blame the lawyers for making their client's arguments.

Bubbles?

I think I feel this kid kicking me. I was told by a SIL and I read in an article or two that the first movements I would notice could feel like bubbles and that likely I could feel them around 16 weeks. Crazy that today is 16 weeks.

Well, as I'm sitting here at work, I'm feeling "bubbles" in my abdomen that wouldn't normally be there. I think I'm feeling this kid--pretty sure actually. Awesome......

To Parents, on Abstinence

My friend posted this amazing commentary on abstinence and parenting. I think it is dead on.

Something I Found at Work

I'm working on a project that is taking me back into the old Board of Regents' agendas and minutes. I found this today. You've got to read this short letter--it's HILARIOUS! (page 29 (199 on the document))

No April Fool's Joke

I considered, as I was driving back from the doctor just now, that I should have been telling everyone that I was going to get an ultrasound today and that I just found out I'm having twins. But, I won't tease you all. I didn't have an ultrasound. And I doubt I'm having twins. In fact, I won't find out for about five more weeks what we're having.

Instead, I went to an orthopedic about my knees again.

I made this appointment almost a full two and a half months ago. On Monday, I asked Mark and my boss what they both thought about me going. They both weren't expecting much--neither was I--but they both encouraged me to go and talk to the guy any way.

I did. Just now.

He showed me what he would do IF he recommended surgery. He doesn't right now. He told me that knees get seven (7) times the weight of our bodies when we go down stairs, squat, or anything similar (like hiking down Mt. Timpanogos). SEVEN TIMES! That means I was putting 1,085 pounds on my knees each time I stepped down the mountain!!!!!

He recommended three things before surgery. First, take an anti-inflammatory. Second, lose some weight. Third, do some more knee/muscle strengthening (physical therapy). As he was getting ready to write my anti-inflammatory prescription, he asked me if I have any stomach ulcers or anything that he should be aware of. "Yes--I'm pregnant." "Oh, well that changes things. Guess you can't lose weight right now and the anti-inflammatory wouldn't be good either."

So, he gave me a prescription for the physical therapy. I'm not going to go because I already know the exercises they will be giving me. I just need to start doing them again.

He told me to come back to visit him after I deliver the baby.

*Sigh* Oh well, guess it wasn't too much of a waste. At least there ARE options for my stupid stiff knee that's continued to bother me since July.