When I graduated from law school, the Bun got me a series of golf lessons as a graduation present.  The idea was that golf would be both an outdoor activity that he and I could take part in together and something at which every lawyer should be marginally competent.

Over the last year or so, we’ve tried to get out to the driving range at least once every weekend when the weather has cooperated, gone a number of rounds of pitch and putt, and  hacked our way through a few 9 hole games on a par 3 course.  It would not be an exaggeration to say that in the case of the pitch and putt and nine holes, most of these outings have been replete with tears, accusations of cheating, and an alarming amount of cursing.

But I was cautiously optimistic when we set out today for an afternoon of pitch and putt. Things at the driving range had been going relatively well of late. Balls I hit actually had been making it off the tee a good percentage of the time.

And I am thrilled to say that we had a wonderful round. I made par twice, and I even got a birdie! What was most exciting was realizing that we were “those people.”  The last time the Bun and I had played pitch and putt, there was a couple right behind us that seemed to make every shot perfectly.  We sighed and fretted as they kept having to wait for us, and we wondered if we could ever play as easily and comfortably as they did. They made it look effortless, and, more importantly, they made it look fun.

And as fantastic as it was to hit one great shot after another today (and it was pretty fantastic), it was even better to realize that we were those people, enjoying each other’s company and having a wonderful day out on the golf course. I don’t think I even cursed once.

I’ve talked at tedious length before about my issues with spending money here, here, and here.  Indeed, the very title of this blog springs from conversations Big Mo and I had during  law school about how after three years of penury we would be living the high life once we broke into biglaw. (These very conversations date us, of course. This is when the Dow was well above 10,000, layoffs were unheard of, and biglaw salaries kept spiraling ever upward.)

But as longtime readers (all three of you) know, every significant purchase sets off a Lincoln-Douglas style great debate in my mind. Can I afford it? Yes. Do I need it? Probably not. Do I want it? I think so. What I’ve come to realize is that the deciding vote is based on how I answer this question: do I deserve it?

Over the last nine months,  the answer to that final question was, for the most part, a definitive “no.”  That I had a job was enough of a reward; I wasn’t working hard enough to merit my salary, and I certainly wasn’t working hard enough to merit rewarding myself with a pricey consumer good.

But yet, here and there I’ve had periods of being relatively busy. I’ve even managed to meet my hours’ quota for the last three weeks. And so when I woke up this morning feeling bit with the shopping bug, I felt only the slightest twinge of guilt when I purchased this (after finding a promo code that would give me free shipping and consulting my log of birthday money, Christmas money, and, yes, remaining graduation money, and realizing I’d only have to put $50 of my own money towards it). Do I deserve it? Perhaps not. But I have to say, I am really, really looking forward to coming home after yet another almost twelve hour day and seeing it waiting for me in the foyer of my building.

Over at Letters to a Young Attorney, KHC  has been putting out some rather sound advice to all of you out there studying for the bar right now.  And reading KHC’s words of wisdom reminded me that I have a few of my own to share regarding flashcards.

You do not have to make flashcards to pass the bar. You read that correctly. You can pass the bar without making a single flashcard. I did.

If making flashcards is your thing, go for it. I’m not knocking them. But for me, outlining was what got me through three years of law school, and I saw no point in trying something untested to get me through the biggest test of my life.

It’s easy for me to say this now that I’m on the other side of things, but I vividly remember how intimidated I was by all of those giant stacks of flashcards I saw my BarBri classmates toting around.  As I toiled away on my outline, I questioned whether I should be spending more time with the 3 x 5’s.

Bar takers, take heart. There is much, much, much more studying to do, and you have months of waiting before you find out if you’ll be settling in for another round of BarBri, but know this: you can pass the bar without flashcards.

The Bun and I just returned from a fabulous (albeit rainy) weekend in Chicago.  Thank you to everyone who gave us great tips on what to see, do, and eat!  We hit up the Art Institute on Thursday after a delicious lunch at Gage.  Dinner was Giordano’s pizza. Yum! Saturday was spent exploring the sights of  Millennium Park (the Bean and the wonderful sounds of the orchestra practicing) and Grant Park  (Buckingham Fountain), taking in a Cubs game, and enjoying a delicious beverage in the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock Tower.  The torrential downpours did not stop us from enjoying an architectural tour of Chicago by boat on Saturday as well as a superb dinner at Blackbird. The in-between hours were spent watching Up (KHC, it *is* a fantastic movie!) and touring Navy Pier once the sun came out.  It was a whirlwind trip, but we had a wonderful time!

So this is completely off the topic of anything biglaw related, but as it has become a personal obsession, what better avenue to expound on it than my navel-gazing blog?

I am totally intrigued by McDonald’s McCafe product line and advertising campaign. Random, right? But there you have it. I read every article I can find on the topic, and I discuss it with everyone who has an iota of interest in fast food and/or coffee.

At the core, I think my fascination has to do with the fact that I can’t comprehend why McDonald’s would spend such extravagant sums of money promoting a product that I can’t see people buying in lemming-like droves from McDonald’s. Is McDonald’s trying to lure away the Starbucks faithful?[FN1] Or are they merely trying to provide a new high calorie beverage choice to their frequent diners? Who exactly is buying the McCafe?

And why is McDonald’s trying to strong arm its way into the coffeehouse that Starbucks built? I am no Starbucks loyalist by any stretch. Like Paul Rudd’s character in Role Models, I find much about Starbucks to be pretentiously unnecessary. (Sorry, Mrs. Marbury.) But I am nevertheless enthralled by the brand. To paraphrase from an NPR story I heard years ago, Starbucks has been wildly successful at selling a low-end product at mid-level prices in a seemingly high-end atmosphere. It’s a brilliant strategy, really. A beverage from Starbucks feels like a luxury, but it’s one in which you don’t feel guilty indulging on a daily basis. And I don’t care how much whipped cream and chocolate syrup McDonald’s heaps on its McCafes; there is nothing luxurious about stepping into a McDonald’s. (Sorry, Dr. F. Or should I say Grillmaster F.?)

I’ll be very curious to see how all of this plays out. It’s not so much that I think that the McCafe will be a fantastic failure; it’s just that I can’t see right now how it will be a success.

[FN1]: Starbucks certainly seems to think so based on their ads playing on the guilt of the Volvo-driving, latte-sipping liberal set. “That’s not the taste of overpriced burnt coffee in your mouth. It’s the taste of overpriced burnt fair trade coffee!”

Despite the fact that at 5′ 4″ I am as tall as the average American woman, I have been unable to find a pair of pants that fit. I am too tall for petites, but I am too short for regular length pants, which I can only conclude are made for giants. [FN1] Consequently, every investment in a new pair of pants involved the following dilemma: do I buy petite pants and accept that I will look like I am waiting for a flood, or do I invest in a pair of regular length pants and find the time to take them to a tailor? [FN2]

I write with exceeding joy to tell you, dear reader, my conundrum is no longer. And I owe it all to Banana Republic’s short length.

I will admit that I was dubious for a long time that these pants would work for me. I was convinced that they would somehow be too short or too long, and if they were anything like Gap’s ankle length, I might as well just order capris. But when I took them out of the box and put them on for the first time, I could hear the heavens opening and the angels singing. Pants! That fit! No tailor required!

I was so overjoyed, in fact, that I didn’t even mind when Banana Republic refused to give me a price adjustment on them when they were further reduced a week later. (Okay, I minded a little.)

[FN1]: One of life’s greatest mysteries, however, is why it is that regular length jeans fit me perfectly.

[FN2]: When you are truly waiting for the flood on those horribly rainy days, however, petite pants are perfect as you don’t get the cuffs wet in the rain.