Monday Night Randomness

Did I ever tell you about the one time I made a majestic wolf picture while I was stranded on that Indian Reservation all summer? No? Well I did. I made a majestic wolf picture with markers and velvet from wal mart. And I made it while I was in my trailer, during the height of my reservation misery. And then I gave it to Dustin. And he framed it. And now it hangs above his toilette. It was one of the best things that came from the reservation. It really is majestic:

And also, today I was thinking, I really hope I didn’t offend anyone with my hunting post. Hunting is rad (when you do it as a healthy/natural food source). And venison is delicious. And I’m sorry if I made you upset. But I hope I didn’t. (this is what Seattle has done to me)

And also, it is Dustin’s birthday week and I am probably more excited about it than he is. But he is gone in Virginia until his actual birthday – lame sauce. Work, sigh. I guess that just gives me more time to prepare! I love birthdays, a lot, in case you couldn’t tell.

And also, I have a witness interview for my juvi case tomorrow morning. With the investigator. And a witness. So official and things. Oh, and because I don’t think I’ve told you this yet, I went to Omnibus on Thursday and when I got there I was surprised by THIS. What? Really? Crazy life. I couldn’t help but laugh, I didn’t know what else to do. Worst [not-quite] lawyer. Poor kid.

Alright, bed time for me now.

P.S. Candy Corn is the shiz. In case you don’t follow me on twitter and didn’t already know!

The Second to Last Day

Guys, tomorrow is my last day of work for the summer. Tomorrow I say bye bye internship, bye bye Umatilla reservation and bye bye trailer park. How crazy/exciting/almost sad, right? Right.

Today my boss came to the reservation to execute wills and other estate planning documents with me. Well, actually he came into town last night and took me out to the Prodigal Son for a beer and dinner (thanks, boss).

We ended spending a ton of time today with the Tribal Court Judge. I actually did some estate planning work for him while I was here, and he apparently was really impressed. I think that means we’re BFF 4 Lyfe! We even took a picture together today – I’ll post it as soon as Doug FWDs it to me (and don’t worry about a confidentiality breach, Judge J told me that I could advertise that I did his will, and I could send people to him to ask about his experience, seriously BFF status).

We also executed a bunch of wills.

And two of the ladies from the office took me to lunch at a pizza buffet. It was really sweet of them, it made me feel even more welcome here. And to make things better I totally doused my meal in ranch like a fat kid – it was good. I think I probably burned it off tonight at the gym though, so I don’t feel too guilty.

Also here are a few things I’ve learned from working on the reservation (I’ll add more later):

• how to wear/rock heels, everyyy day, even in BFE Oregon
• I love Indians in Cowboy hats
• Everyone knows everyone else on the reservation. It’s crazy. And everyone will say hi to you, even if you don’t know them.
• Old me love me (ok maybe I already knew that, but it was totally re-affirmed)
• Working 8 hour days in a cubical is really tiring
• it’s the little things in life – like toilettes in front of your trailer – that make you the cool kid in the trailer park

Ok that’s all I can think of now. Time for dinz (gotta finish up this bag of safeway select frozen raviolis – the portobello mushroom ones – SO good!).

Because I have been slacking lately here are some things that have happened lately:

Last week my boss came into town to do some will executions with me. He got there the night before the will executions and had e-mailed me earlier that day asking me to dinner at a steak house. Obvi I said yes! So after work I went to the gym then I came home to get ready. I decided that I would have a beer while I was getting ready, even though I know this might not be the best idea ever, since I was going to meet my boss and I didn't want to seem like a total alcoholic. But I decided to do it anyway. Except when I opened it and took a sip it did NOT taste right. It was expired. I failed. Oh and P.S. by I decided to have a beer while I was getting ready, I mean that I tried to take a power shower, because I'm fratty like that. Also if you follow me on twitter you already knew that (so sorry).

After my power shower fail I went to dinner with Doug. And it was awesome. When I got there he was already 1/2 way through a drink. He had 3 more at dinner. And we ate steak, and clams and drank and it was fun and delicious and I'm pretty sure he got drunk and then the next day he tried to tell me things that he had told me the night before when he was drunk. I didn't know what to do so I just pretended like it was new info. Fun times.

I had yet another trailer park visitor! One of my favorite friends, Beth came and visited me on Sunday night. We had drinks and dessert at a restaurant in town (so fancy ha) and her cousin came and met us too. I wish I would have met her cousin earlier because she seemed super cool. Super cool people in Pendleton? What? No! There couldn't be? I'm such a loser..... Anyway, we even topped off her visit with some Shari's breakfast while I was supposed to be at work. Shhh don't tell my boss! It's ok though because I definitely ended up working late yesterday. So it's no biggie.

Also I have been crazy busy at work this week. So so busy. I've had like 15 clients in my first 8 weeks here. Total. On Monday I had like 4. Today I had 4. Crazy times. So SO busy. But it has been good because I have been able to work more yesterday and today so I won't have to work as much on Thursday and Friday when I go to California for Danielle's bachelorette party!! Napa Valley here I come!

But now I am super bored in my trailer. But I get to go back to Seattle tomorrow after work. Then I only have one week left. And I'm done. No more Indian Wills, no more trailer parks, no more internship story time for you guys (some of you are probably pretty stoked about that haha), so soak it up while you can.

tribal court judge convos

Last week I met the tribal court Judge here at Umatilla. Apparently he doesn't have a will. My boss made it clear that he is an important connection not only for me, or for the program, but also for the center for Indian Law and Policy and also SU Law as a whole (even though my boss worked with him for years and years when he was an attorney here). No pressure or anything.

Last week when I met the Judge:
Judge: it was my birthday yesterday
Doug and I: happy belated Birthday
Judge: thanks, I got this shirt and this watch... both birthday gifts!!
Me: did your wife or your daughter pick that shirt out for you? (it was a bright salmon colored polo)
Judge: uhh I picked it out myself
Me: Oh nice, I like it a lot, it just doesn't seem like something most guys would pick out on their own.

A little while later:
Judge: a lot of people don't really like the old tribal lawyer in town. I think she just rubs a lot of Indians the wrong way. It's easy to do that. Like you know, with the comment about my shirt earlier. A lot of Indians would hold onto something like that.
Me: I was just kidding... I'm so sorry... I think your shirt is really nice... I didn't mean it that way... (ohmygosh ohmygosh)

Today when I met him to have him sign a release form for me:
Judge: where are you living while you're out here?
Me: the Lucky 7 trailer park... haha
Judge: wait, what? really? How'd you get stuck there?
Me: the tribe just put me there...? I don't know... I'm trying to make the most of it.
Judge: really? ummm... wow... really? have you been ok there?
Me: yeah it has been fine
Judge: no, REALLY. Honestly... have you been ok? Nothing weird has happened to you?
Me: no... I mean it was a little scary at first but I've gotten used to it...
Judge: Be really really careful out there. Some bad things have happened there. I want you to be careful. I'm worried about you out there...

A few minutes later:
Judge: what year in law school are you?
Me: I just finished my 2nd year, so I guess I'm a 3L!
Judge: what do you want to do when you're finished? Do you have a job lined up after this one?
Me: Indian law. No job, do you know of anything?
Judge: Well we're looking for a prosecutor... definitely keep in contact with me

I guess this means that he has forgiven my comment about the shirt?

He also told me I looked nice in my purple dress today. I think this means we're friends. I think this means I WILL get a job after law school (probably not though, I'm just being really optimistic, because I definitely don't want to live here after I graduate anyway). I think this means that old guys love me. Especially old Indian guys. And I also think this might mean that I might have an encounter in my trailer in my last week and a half here (just when I thought things were going to actually be ok - FML)!

My Life = Trailer Fab + A Visitor!

 So, because a few people asked I thought I’d share a couple pictures of the inside of my trailer with you. Get ready for some classy times!!

For those of you who don’t know, I live in a two bedroom, single wide trailer, in the Lucky 7 Trailer park on the Umatilla Indian Reservation for the summer (while I do my internship). The tribe furnished it with a couch, chair, end table, lamps, bed, bedside table and a kitchen table with two chairs. That’s about all that I have in there because I’m still paying rent on my Seattle house and most of my stuff stays up there where it belongs!

My living room (from the front door) and kitchen. Do you like my classy “TV” aka old computer? Right? And my mini ironing station/recycling area (but I don’t think that they recycle here so I don’t really know what to do with it).

Below is my bedroom and master bathroom (they are open - nothing separates them which is kind of weird, but it works) There is a toilette/shower in the room on the left and not pictured is a bath tub on the right hand side of the bathroom.

Do you like my classy organization skills? Living out of a suitcase in my trailer = living the dream!

Here are some pictures of the extra bed room (with a broken closet and broken window) and the extra bathroom. I keep the doors to both of these shut because they smell like urine and it makes me want to vomit.
Both of these are located on the opposite side of the house from my bedroom/bathroom and kitchen. You get to them by taking a right when you walk in the front door instead of taking a left into the living room. They’re pretty easy to avoid/it’s easy to pretend like they don’t exist ;)

And to give you a better idea of my sad sad trailer life here is the inside of my fridge (juice, vermouth, curry sauce, salsa, salad, peaches in a cup, beer, krab (with a K), DDP and britta water = sad sad girl).


And yesterday after work the best thing happened: Dustin came to visit me in the trailer park! I was just so excited to see him!

He even came with gifts that he got from my friend Beth at the Gift House in Hood River! My very very favorite wine (from Phelps Creek which is a Hood River winery) and a delicious home made-ish dessert bar. NOM! Thanks, you!


Then naturally I made him take some trailer park pics as we were heading out to dinner! He even made friends with my stray cat (that ended up seriously loving him) and then some little kids yelled at him and told him not to touch the cat. We took that as our cue to head to dinz!
            

We decided not to go to one of the like 50 steak houses in Pendleton and instead Dustin wanted to go to the Prodigal Sun (or Son I don’t remember) Brewery which was alright with me. We both really like micro brews and breweries are kind of right up our alley, so I figured it would be a safe bet!
When we got there Dustin ordered us a Scotch Egg (because I had never had/heard of it) – it was an egg wrapped in sausage and fried. They served it with mustard. It was pretty good but reminded me of something I’d eat for breakfast, not a dinner appetizer.


We also ordered some beers (duh). For dinner I got the Portobello mushroom sandwich/burger thing with bleu cheese and fries and it was tasty (minus the fact that they totally put mayo on it even though I asked for it without – but honestly I think Dustin was more annoyed than I was, probably because he didn’t like watching me wipe it off at the table with a napkin haha). Dustin got some fish & chips that were also really good.


After dinner we walked along the downtown river walk for a little while but I didn’t like all the bugs in my face so then we went to Wal Mart and Dustin got me new windshield wipers and we tried to get a movie from the red box but there was nothing we wanted to see, so we came back to the trailer and watched mean girls on my computer/classy trailer TV and we had some more beers and I passed out on the couch because that’s what I always do.

It was a pretty successful day. I was so happy to have another visitor in the trailer park (and I was most excited that it wasn’t just any visitor – it was my favorite boy)!! Beth is coming to visit in like a week and a half and I’m really excited about that too! Only three more weeks in the trailer, guys (not that I’m counting or anything ;)! Now I’m going to go wake Dustin up so we can go get some coffee/breakfast because clearly there is nothing to eat in my fridge! Ha! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

I live in a trailer park

on an Indian Reservation (for 4 1/2 more weeks - yes, I'm counting down). But most of you already knew that. Here are some picture I took of my lovely home today during my lunch break (seriously guys, today has been soooo slowwww).

(I hope that if you're feeling sad you can look at these pictures and feel better because at least you don't live here - or maybe you do... and if so, we should totally be friends because I'm basically a huge, friendless loser on the rez). 

My trailer complete with the corolla, a toilet, and a stray trailer park kitty 

Mine is the second one down. So classy.

and because I'm the coolest - a classy self-timer pic of me and my trailer park home!

yesterday and things

This week has been sooo slow at work. Like so slow. I only have one client scheduled for this week and he's not coming until tomorrow (we had a meeting scheduled for yesterday morning but he totally stood me up - standard). Luckily I got invited to an information session tomorrow on the Cobell case/settlement which one of the women in the office is holding down at Yellowhawk (the tribal health center) to pass out some fliers and introduce myself to some people and hopefully get some clients and things.

Moral of the story: I'm desperately trying to find things to do at work today and it's proving to be a pretty unsuccessful effort. It's hard to write wills when you don't have any clients.

In the mean time, here is a picture of my classy trailer park (I snapped this baby yesterday when I was deliriously hungry and thinking I was hilarious after the gym. Dustin took a picture of the fancy hotel he is staying in for work this week and I told him that I was also staying somewhere fancy this week, so I wasn't at all jealous of his waterfront Marriot hotel - pshhh whatever). Enjoy:

I'm actually really surprised there is only one child and no bikes in this picture. There are usually 50 kids on 50 bikes. All. the. time. I'm kind of afraid I'm going to run one of them over one day.

And even though I've probably shared this before, I just really enjoy it so I'm sharing it [again]. This pictures was taken just about 1/2 mile from the trailer.