Saturday, Apr. 17, 2004
House concert a success, posted at 1:36 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com Sam played her house concert today. I somehow pulled off my afternoon - getting someone to cover the last ten minutes of my 6th period class, jetting downtown to meet with a lawyer at 2:00, getting back in time to hold my team's baseball practice at 3:30, getting home by 6:00, and completing a manic cleaning of the house until the show started at 8. The crowd was a little small - only about 15 showed up, and Sam has drawn up to ten more - but I still think everyone ended up happy for the night. She's really amazing, such a nice soul and a good songwriter. She wrote a new song that I really liked. It was ostensibly about her trying to make ends meet as a musician, while everyone else seems to be doing it and making it look so easy, but Sam had a way of making it universal, so I began to think of it in terms of my own life. Specifically, in relationships. Everyone else does seem to make it look so easy.I've now known Sam for almost six years, since I booked her at MSU back in 1998. She's seen me lose 110 lbs, move across the country, grab my dream job, establish a house concert venue, get my eyes sliced into... everything. I've seen her release two albums, get married, and grow long hair. We hug each other when we see each other. I really hope she achieves fame sometime soon, because she's good enough to and really deserves it. After all, her latest single hit #1 on the Quizno's instore national playlist (a true story, and just one of many hilarious stories she told tonight.)
***
So I met with the lawyer today. This guy was $1000 less than the last guy. He and his firm would represent me for $1500. Damn. I just can't afford it. He was a really nice guy, like the last guy, even if I hire him I could still lose some money on top of that $1500. Since my case is so strong, I think I'd be better off going in at it alone. It's risky, but I'm not sure one can call it a risk if one doesn't have a choice in the matter. I don't have $1500, so that decision is easy. I could get more complex, and say that I could ask my parents for help, but I'm not going to do that, especially not now.
I don't understand why I can't find a nice lawyer just to appear with me and maybe try to call the other lawyer and try to work out something. I don't understand why legal aid isn't available to people who make more than $11,000.
The trial is May 6. I still don't know what I'm going to do about it, but the options appear very limited.
***
I take the Praxis tomorrow. Wish me luck. Three years into teaching, and I'm finally taking the test that I apparently was supposed to take a while ago, but hiring folks told me (and documented) that the Michigan tests trasferred over. No such luck. I get to drop $170 and take a test so I can keep my job.