Geeky Chic

I’m three days into my return to law geekdom, but I’m not getting my first assignment to this afternoon. Then, it’ll be time to return to thinking in terms of the billeable hour.

They’re giving me a Blackberry this week — welcome to the 24-hour economy!

As Finch deals with Crumcast, I’d like to report that today has been reminiscent of my days at Rowerr. First, Sketchward shows up at my door wearing his high school track sweatshirt. Parked outside is the dying, faded Corolla that he chauffered me around in during high school. Next, another friend announces over the phone that he/she has lost his/her virginity. I might as well put on my dress for homecoming.

It looks as though I spoke too soon in my last post. I am still jetlagged, as evidenced by my 5:15 a.m. wake up time this morning. And SF is enjoying one of its classic Indian summers, so the sun and iced tea have improved my spirits.

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On another note, I really like today’s Jon Carroll column in the Chronic.

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I also find it bizarre that I am turning against Kerry because of the dirty way that the Democratic party is trying to keep Nader off state ballots. This is making the Democrats look like big bullies to me, and it reinforces my old belief that both parties are in bed with the devil.

It takes about three nights for my body to adjust from time zone
changes, so I am nearly over my jetlag, but I am a little out of sync
with the city right now.  The climate is responsible; when I left
SF it was summer, and upon my return I was greeted with a persistent
nip in the air.  The light yesterday morning had the weakness of
the winter sun.  All so strange, following my Mediterrean travels.

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I wish that I had a few extra days in pricey London.  The
London-bookends to my travel were the highlight of my trip; I think
that I am more about catching up with old friends than about seeing new
sights.  Plus, it was a shame that I didn’t catch the stage
production of Murakami’s The Elephant Vanishes (I don’t normally care for the theatre, but it’s Murakami!).

I am on an Internet cafe timer in Dubrovnik, so I shall keep this brief.  My impressions of Dalmatia are as follows:

• Split is beautiful and old.  Dubrovnik is even more beautiful.  Clear blue water framed by mountains, etc, etc.  Trouble is that beauty doesn’t have a huge effect on me.  It’s there; that’s all.  I think that I am going through large scale withdrawal from urbanity, or getting bored with the local food.
  
• Split is the L.A. of Croatia.  There aren’t enough jobs to go around there, but the youth fritter their afternoons away wearing stylish clothes and save up for new cars.  But beneath the surface, they live at home with their parents, eat black bread for dinner, and even though they hang out at trendy bars and cafes, they make one beer last for hours.  As one of our bar waiters in Split explained, he goes to Zagreb where the people are more real (he indicated this by repeatedly pointing at his head).
  
• One knows how fortunate one is in the States when one begins to chaff from rough European toilet paper.
  
• I can see why this is one of the best places in the world to sail.

Gone.

For a two-week spell.

Then, it’s off to the galleys for me.