Zig-Zaggin' it

This was kind of a pretty rough week, as the amount of travel just wore me out.

MONDAY

The week started with a flight from SLC to Birmingham, AL, with a layover in the ATL. I got to Birmingham at about 9:30pm, and then had a 2 hour drive to a little place called Evergreen, AL. On the way to Evergreen, I made the obligatory, yet triumphant stop at the Waffle House for a late night dinner. Delicious.

TUESDAY

I had a hearing in a tiny office with a Judge on teleconference from Mobile, AL. I somehow managed to satisfy him with a list of my "professional qualifications" -- an inquiry that no Judge had ever asked me, and a question to which I still am not sure if I have an answer. After the hearing, I left Evergreen and headed up to Montgomery to kill a few hours and check out a place that I had never been.

So I stumbled upon the Rosa Parks Museum, which was a pretty interesting little museum. I didn't really know too much about Rosa Parks, except for the excerpts found in the high school history books. I had no idea that she wasn't the first to be arrested for not giving up a bus seat. I had no idea that that led to a boycott of the Montgomery City buses that lasted for a full year. I had no idea just how bad things were back then and just what had happened on that day. Being the only white person in the room, as we watched a reinactment of the bus incident, brought personal feelings which I hope to not forget anytime soon. I went from there to the former home of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and from there, went to Martha's Place, an AMAZING buffet of Southern food that will knock your socks off, twice.

This "restaurant" is in an old pink 2 story house on some little side road in Montgomery, AL. You walk in the front door and all the normal furniture that should be in the parlor and living room and hallways are replaced by various mismatched tables and chairs. The only question they ask you is, "Lemonade or Iced Tea", then let you go nuts on the best Southern food you've ever tasted. The Fried Chicken made me wonder if I'd ever had Fried Chicken before (American flag background not included), and the sweet potatos absolutely blew my mind like honestly nothing ever had. It was a level of delicioiusness I shan't never forget. Amazing.

After the feast, I crossed the country again and headed for Phoenix, AZ. I landed and met up with a couple of good old friends (Rod and Darrin) that I hadn't seen in probably 7 or 8 years. We had a pretty authentic Mexican dinner, and after getting caught up from the last decade or so, I headed back to the hotel to call it a night.

WEDNESDAY

I woke up and had some time to do some work in the morning in the hotel before my hearing. The hearing was pretty noneventful. It was a woman in her late 20's who suffered from Bi-polar disorder. The Judge granted the case and we won. After the hearing, I went straight to the airport and off again I was to the great state of Alabama..the Yellowhammer State (who knew?). After flying cross country, I landed with minutes to spare before they closed the rental car counter and I would have been stranded at the airport. I picked up my car and had another 2 hour drive to Selma, AL, arriving at my hotel at just about 3am. After finagling with the desk clerk for a few minutes at the hotel, he was able to reinstitute my reservation, which had been cancelled when I didn't show up by 1am. I was able to get about 5 hours of sleep and was at it again. That 2 hour drive, however, did hold one spectacular highlight. First of all, whenever I get a rental car, I always check the CD player right away, hoping for the unexpected treasure of somebody else's forgotten tunes. I've never lucked out...until this time. In the player was an unmarked CD, whom I was able to determine as Street Sweeper Social Club, a Tom Morello band that I had seen previously at the Sasquatch Music Festival. Not my favorite band in the world, but still always great to get new, free, unexpected music.

THURSDAY

I woke up and went to my hearing. The Judge called me in ahead of time to talk to me about the case and said she was planning on granting it, and would have easier if she would have been able to reach my office. That would have saved me a trip to Alabama. Awesome. Oh well, who doesn't love a trip to Alabama - I've been here 3 times now in the past month and a half.

So, after the hearing, I explored Selma for a bit, learning a bit more about the history of the Civil Rights Movement. Thanks to a tip from my first ever Southern friend Chris, I made a stop, on my way to the Airport, to Dreamland BBQ, a pretty amazing little ribs place on the campus of University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB). After some pretty incredible ribs with a side of Mac & Cheese, I even followed the restaurant's recommendation for the homemade banana pudding. Wow. Deeelicious lunch. ...and on to the airport to fly cross country again.

I got to the airport early so as to try to get to Denver a little bit early for dinner with my buddy Nate, who lives there. I did get on an earlier flight, but then sat on a runway for 2 hours for a connection in the ATL due to weather (although it was sunny in Birmingham and sunny in Atlanta...hmm...). Stupid airlines.

I finally made it to Denver at about midnight, picked up my car and had another 2 hour drive to the city of Pueblo, CO. The only highlight of this drive was not falling asleep and crashing, I suppose. And I owe that to....Rockstar. As a sidenote, I'm learning to really appreciate energy drinks. This was only the 3rd one I had had in my entire life, but boy was it delicious...and effective. I finally got to my hotel just after 3am, and promptly passed out on the bed.

FRIDAY

Happy Pioneer Day, which I just learned from Wikipedia, used to be called the "Day of Deliverance." It starts off getting up early, with a solid 3 1/2 hours of sleep under my belt and heading to my hearing. The hearing didn't go so hot. The Judge sucked, wasn't the brightest, and my client didn't do himself any favors with some of his answers. I'm sure it seemed like a good idea to not bring your cane, which was prescribed, when you're trying to prove your disability, but whatever. So, I got out of there, and headed back to Denver. Thanks to another Rockstar, I made it to the airport and made my flight by the skin of my teeth. I made it back to SLC, relaxed for a bit, then caught a Real Salt Lake soccer game for some Pioneer Day festivities and fireworks. Watching RSL come back from a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2 and then seeing a decent fireworks show made me nearly forget my exhaustion and the misery of the last couple of days. Happy Day of Deliverance!

Two Quick Trips

TENNESSEE

This week, I just had two hearings that were seperated by a couple of days. It started off Flying on Sunday from SLC to Charlotte, NC, renting a car, and driving 3 1/2 hours in the middle of the night to Morristown, TN. I imagined that the drive was really pretty, as I climbed higher and higher through the Appalachians. Then the rain came. It soon turned into a midnight monsoon and lightning extravaganza as I drove West through backwoods Tennessee. I finally pulled into town, went to bed and woke up a few hours later for my hearing. My client had seen this Judge before, and this Judge had already denied her claim once a couple of years ago. He didn't like her then and he didn't like her now. That was pretty clear. The hearing was basically over in about 10-15 minutes, and the Judge waved me out of the hearing room in a hurry. I took a quick drive through Morristown, saw some old buildings, but nothing worth getting out of the car for, and off I was again, through the Appalachians and back to Charlotte to fly back to SLC.





On the way back, I decided to stop and check out Biltmore, an estate in Asheville, NC, whose grounds were designed by Fredrick Olmstead, landscape designer of Central Park and the World Fair in Chicago. I had just finished reading "The Devil In the White City" by Erik Larson, and had learned a bit about Olmstead and wanted to check out his work. I wish I could have gone through the house/castle at Biltmore, but I was starting to run out of time for my flight. I still don't understand how with only a 10 minute hearing, I was still cutting it short for my flight, but it happens. I drove quickly back to Charlotte, skipping even the bathroom breaks (thank you, Powerade Bottle!). I made my flight and was back home about 24 hours and 2 trips cross country later.



WYOMING

A few days later, I was on the road again to Evanston, WY. This was just a quick 1 1/2 hour drive from home and I did it in the morning and was back by the afternoon. I did, however, take the time to buy a few 'not-found-in-Utah' type fireworks from my good friends at Pyro City Fireworks. Good times to follow....or I blow my hand off and apply for disability. Either way.

Feelin' Lucky in...

Portsmouth, OH

I had my hearing (which the Judge granted) in a town on the Ohio River about 2 hours away from my hotel in Lexington. It seemed a quaint little town with not too much going on until I discovered the Mural Project (a series of murals painted on the floodwall next to the river). It kinda sorta blew me away for the quality of art in such a small town in the middle of nowhere.

Maysville, KY

I stumbled upon this place on an accidental wrong turn on the way back to Lexington. (Picture to come...as soon as I get it off of my phone). Seems a nice place. It was worth a pic or two.

Lexington, KY

In my evening wanderings through downtown Lexington, I stumbled (via Yelp) upon a little place called Billy's BAR-B-Q, near the campus of the University of Kentucky. It was my first real opportunity to eat dinner at a restaurant by myself. Nothing weird about that at all. The ribs were delicious, and as a tribute to the South, I attempted the Grits, (although, maybe as "Cheese Grits" they weren't truly Southern -- I say close enough). Good call, Yelp.

On my own: St. George, UT; Anniston, AL; Toledo, OH

Boise baby

On the Road Again..........

Here begins a blog of my life as a traveling lawyer. After graduating law school and spending just under two years as a public defender, I'm now practicing social security disability law - living on the road, in airports, hotels and rental cars. Hopefully I'll have the stamina and interest to maintain this thing, as I discover new cities, new people and new eats.