I knew Shawn from another time. Decades ago. She was so lovely. So warm. So loving. We didn’t keep in touch after my divorce. Not really. I would hear about her and Mark her husband. Once in a blue moon would run into them. Then last November, they visited Maui. Came over for a dinner that Cristina put together. And the years melted away. As they always do when you have a friend who has seen all the way inside of you.
Read More7:30 am Get up. Take out Nala. It’s cool outside. Mountain air.
8:00 Eat raspberries. Clean up and pack.
8:45 Cristina, Sol and Liam come from little cabin to big one to say bye. And take away a bike.
8:50 Dance while Liam bangs on piano to the Latin drum beat. They finish. Say goodbye.
Read MoreEd and I started dating in Philadelphia at an AAJ convention. After a lifetime of living in Texas he moved to Seattle a year into the relationship in 2009, ten years ago this month. He office shared with my law firm and started wearing more jeans and less cashmere suiting. We broke up shy of three years later. And stayed friends.
Read MoreI met Shellie 30 years ago when she was pregnant with her eldest daughter. We were both working at a hideously dysfunctional insurance defense firm. She wisely fled before I did.
Read MoreJan was married to her childhood sweetheart. She made his favorite sandwich. Was getting ready to leave for his jobsite. So they could have a noon picnic in the car. Phone rang. There had been a work accident. Charlie was dead. Jan never got to say goodbye.
Read MoreShellie and I walk into the Triple Door on 3rd and Union. Late as usual.
Hi. Hi. Hug. How are you. Hand shake. Hi. Everyone is smiling. Am here to support Ada Ko Wong who is president Elect of VABAW (Vietnamese-American Bar Assn of WA) on its 10th year anniversary.
Read MoreJudy Chambers has passed away. Eight months after Tom.
In September we received a picture postcard from their final scuba diving trip. He later posted it to his blog.
After reading it (and recovering my equilibrium) I sent Tom an email. The interchange is a reminder to all of us (even the busiest of us trial lawyers) - of the importance of love.
Read MoreI started teaching piano as a sophomore in high school. By then, I was going on my seventh year of piano. Vy Husted, my own teacher, acted as my supervisor. And I went through a training program. My parents let me turn part of our rec room into a classroom. Two pianos and a double sided chalkboard. This was no joke.
Read MoreLast week something unpleasant happened.
I lost a friend. Not a great one. But a friend nonetheless.
I met him when he was still a law student and was one of his mentors. He clerked for our firm. Then a bit later he worked with us for a year. He stayed in our building after that, working for another lawyer who was renting an office from us. We kept in touch. His boss moved his office. And we wished them well. A bit later, I heard he had quit and decided to take a job with a defense firm. No shame in that. You gotta do what you gotta do.
Read MorePrologue: The best and worst outfit I ever wore to the Hollyball was when I was President of WSTLA. It was an election year. We were fighting for the insurance fair conduct act. And if you added to all that -raising my girls and handling my job...well....There was no time for shopping.
The theme was the Red Hot Hollyball. And I was determined to do it right. So a few days before the big event, I went online. Promdresses.com or some such website. Found a red hot hollyball dress.
Read MoreWe are packed in his former office building. Reminiscing. Rubbing elbows. Smiling and sometimes shedding tears. Marveling over the career of this brilliant man.
Born over a gas station in rural Washington. Becoming one of the best plaintiff trial lawyers the state has ever seen. President of the trial lawyers. President of the state bar. And finally Supreme Court Justice. We are here to honor Tom Chambers.
Read MoreKiss Susan goodbye. Get into her car. Take off high heels. Amaze self as type address into navigation. Am brilliant techno person. Never mind about what happened yesterday.
Back up Prius. Put it into drive and have flashback. Am 21 driving to meet Liz at the disco. All spiffed up. Flash forward.
Read MoreIt is a beautiful Sunday morning. We enter the freezing West Seattle High School gym. Am wearing poofy big jacket so no problem. Cristina is looking stylish in a vest and begins to turn blue.
Have volunteered to handle the scoreboard and clock. Am going to make Cristina do the hard part. The coordinator gives us directions. The teams are warming up. We are watching them. Not paying attention to the guy. I tell Cristina to listen to what he's saying. We end up splitting the duties in half. I do the score and fouls. She does the clock.
Read MoreThe first time I wanted to dye my hair, I was a 23 year old second year law student and a Madonna wannabe. I tried to envision myself with bleached blonde hair and black eyebrows. Ultimately I chickened out.
A few years later I was in Europe. The Italian women had dark hair like mine. But they had put copper streaks all through them. This was called a foil. I could actually envision myself with copper locks. But again, chickened out.
Read MoreAm hob nobbing with senators, representatives, and their aides in the other Washington. Or rather, my friend Maria is talking to them and I periodically smile when they make eye contact. As the morning progresses, must admit. It is rather fatiguing - all this head shaking, hand shaking and smiling.
Read MoreWe are going round the dinner table. Saying what we've liked best about our firm retreat. I'm looking at my seven partners and their wives. Listening to the variety of answers.
What will I remember the most? The fact that I will always have this special memory of us bonding with each other and being together. Our laughter, friendship, and love.
Read MoreThelma (our receptionist) gives me a manilla envelope. She says - after much sleuthing I figured this out. I don't understand. My name is not on the envelope. Black marker simply says "Jo-Hanna Read."
Jo-Hanna is the only person I've ever known whose name is Jo-Hanna. I'm careful to spell it correctly because it is a very special name. Jo-Hanna is a dear friend of mine. A trial lawyer who champions the rights of those who are abused - usually sexually.
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