MCM Acquisition!

So the new property is slowly becoming habitable.  On the outside, a new playset has been erected for the girls.  Ivy that climbs 50+ feet on the trees has been cut.  The pool is cleared out and waiting to be rehabbed.  On the inside, a sweet new thermostat has been installed.  And the first new furniture acquisition has been made: an Arco replica lamp.  It has a marble base that weighs 150 lbs.  Moving it is a pain, but it is beautiful.  Here's a picture.

Walls are going to be painted and floors refinished next week.  Can't wait.

Musical Interlude

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

Mid Century Modern

So the remodel continues apace.  Painting will start soon.  The pool has finally been cleaned out of debris.  Still pretty nasty looking.  I am starting to toss around ideas for furnishing the new house.  I've decided to sell essentially everything I own other than heirlooms, and start over.  As part of the process of restoring the house, I'm considering restoring a mid-century modern aesthetic to the furnishings.  I'm definitely no hipster, but I grew up with MCM furniture, and it has always appealed to me.

Things I'm considering:

A Saarinen dining table with matching tulip chairs.

A Nelson saucer pendant light for the dining space

For the living room space, I'm looking at a Bantam type sofa.

I definitely need one of these Arco floor lamps.

And a Barcelona knock-off - I can't afford a real one.

And a Noguchi coffee table...

Here are the kitchen and living/dining space

And the pool sans ton of leaves and various dead animals...

New Hobbies

Several months ago I purchased a foreclosed home in my neighborhood.  It had been on the market for almost two years, and it was in need of serious work.  It had been under contract twice...only to have the prospective buyers walk away.  It finally dropped in price to a point where I HAD to go for it.  Funnily enough, my offer came in along with seven others - all from investors.  As I was the only offer with an intent to live in the house, the bank accepted my offer.  So for the next year, I'm going to restore this old girl.  Rehab involves a new roof, mold remediation in the crawlspace, installing drainage around the house, rehabbing an old pool, and lots of minor and not so minor stuff on the inside.  I'll fill you in on the updates.

Here's the front of the house

The backyard - underneath all of that is a pool.

Here's the pool without the chicken wire covering

Once the covering was removed, we discovered not only goldfish, but frogs and snakes, too.

Geek Interlude

Sorry for the self-pity in the previous post.  Time for some geekiness.

When It Rains...

I have to say, there are annus horribilis and then there are annus horribilis. I'm not sure I can handle another year like the past one, and I can't wait for 2012 to disappear. On top of the family woes that led to me turning down my offers, I have had some health issues. Health issues that may mean the FSOWannabe becomes an FSONever. I won't go into it, other than to say I thought things were okay...until I found out they were not. But I'm tired... and dealing with mortality at my tender age is not pleasant.

I've also recently lost a new friend, someone that actually encouraged me to continue my FSO quest.  And I think the loss was my fault.

On top of that, my workplace has been butchered. Massive layoffs, paycuts and promises of more to come. I have survived for now, but I'm not sure what the future holds. I'm losing colleagues and friends.  There's only one way this year could get worse, and that is if something happens to my daughters. And they've been damaged enough this year. Shitty, shitty year.

Starting Over

It's a strange place to still be blogging on this site. Two offers received; two offers rejected. I made the decision to say no, and I have to live with it. I guess I decided to gamble on something that was far more important to me. Sadly, I lost that gamble. And now I'm back to the FS process. I have stayed away from the A-100 boards, so I have no idea what the registers are like anymore. Given that the economy is still treading water, I can't imagine they are very short. When I take the exam again in February, I will sign up for the econ register again I imagine. Although, and this is somewhat funny, my experience as a professor has me leaning towards the consular register. Never thought I'd say that - but my feelings about consular have changed quite a bit. Maybe it's that I feel a need for service to my fellow man, and the consular track does seem like the most hands on with respect to helping others. But who knows - that is an impression of the outside looking in. Maybe it's completely different. One of my former study buddies, a PD track FSO, hated his consular posting and felt like it was all about getting through X hundred plus applicants a day and not about doing good work. Funny, I do feel like I'm following the bubbles. First, as a structured finance attorney. Second, as a law professor (apps have been declining tremendously). Now, I'll probably be applying for a job in the government just in time for some massive budget cutting/hiring freezes.

Transister

I'm sure everyone has a favorite band that never really made it big. I do. They made one album. One album only. And except for exceedingly limited airplay in the US, their music extended its life by being picked up for various TV and movie show background filler. Love the band, love their only album. Best band that never made it. Transister was a Gorillaz before there was a Gorillaz - three artists from very divergent backgrounds that made one kick-ass album from beginning to end. And then they went their separate ways (although 2 of them later married). This album came out almost 15 years ago - and maybe it's just me - but I think their music has stood up pretty well. OK. Enough screwing around. Back to the red ink.

Suicide by Grading

I'm currently in the midst of grading a batch of projects from my law classes. Over the past year, I've often prayed for death, but I actually break out the sacrificial lamb, candles, and ram's head altar during grading season. Anything to make it end. Absolutely, incredibly excruciating. On another note, I successfully presented my unorthodox thoughts regarding legal education at a law prof conference at Emory this weekend. Despite some blowback, I think it went well. I might even have changed some peoples' minds about the how's and why's of what they teach at law school. Anyhow, I'm only posting to avoid the stack of papers mocking my weakness. Back to the horror.

Musical Interlude

So it's been a while.  Some tunes I've been listening to - all from a similar sound spectrum.  I'm off to present at a conference this weekend, so I'll probably pop back up next week.  Thanks for your comments and emails, all.

I Am Alive

For those of you who contacted me since my last post (over a year ago), and did not receive a response.  My deepest apologies.  I care deeply for this mini--blog community and I'm sorry- it wasn't you.  It was me.

At the time I received my final offer, my personal life had literally collapsed two days prior.  I had to make a very difficult choice, but I passed.  Family will always come first for me.

That being said, I'm going to take the February FSOT.  I think my blog has had enough about the studying/journey to FSO-ness process.  I will continue to occasionally post my thoughts on that and the FS community.  I'll also start blogging about random crap that amuses me.

I have missed following my blog friends on a regular basis.  Hope you are all well.  I'm back, and I hope you'll forgive my disappearance and say hi.