Not dead, just hibernating

I’m sure we killed any interest in this blog with a two-week hiatus, but I’ve been in Italy, SlackerP is in Ireland trailing U2, and most importantly… Fbomb recently closed her career as a paralegal-penguin (although blood tests taken on Friday have determined that she still has chlamydia).

Italy was great…Naples 3 nights, Rome 3 nights, 2 resorts in the central/northern region for 6 nights. Along the way I saw Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi, Pompei, Florence, Venice, Assisi and (saving the worst for last) Pisa. We were with a tour group of twelve on a small bus. Although the average age was about 45, there were two high side outliers (80+) and I got along with everyone on the trip. I was neither fully drunk nor hungover, but I consumed about bottle of wine per night and sampled some of Italy’s finest wines, if by “finest” you mean cheapest. I’m still a bit jet lagged, but thoroughly relaxed.

As for Fbomb, Friday was her last day as a slave to the man, at least until she finishes her J.D. There’s a steady stream of paralegals heading out the door this time of year, but it’s always hard to see your good friends leave. We took some stupid pictures in the office before heading to the Reade St. Pub to coronate her with a new vintage of their famous ale (which tastes mysteriously like Brooklyn Lager and received mixed reviews). As our group tapered off, we threw back the obligatory departure vodka short and headed to Walkers with Fbomb, my girlfriend, and another former paralegal all-star. Walkers is a favorite spot for post-trial victory dinners and other celebratory endeavors, and Fbomb’s particular affection for the place made it the perfect spot to end the evening and her career as a document management engineer.

As nice as it would have been to close this professional phase of her life with a burger, a heart felt toast to the posterity of paper cuts and a cab home, Fbomb decided to one-up our previously-departed colleagues by skipping out of the restaurant after ordering to puke on their terrace while we flagged her a cab home. This blog is still young, and we’ll probably never fully develop all the literal and symbolic reasons why this was the perfect way to end a two year stint as a paralegal. But trust me, it was magnificent and I am jealous of her triumphant exit.

Going forward…I have some rants planned for this week, including why Rome is just like Manhattan and where the evangelist North Carolinians in town this weekend for Billy Grahm’s NYC farewell can shove the fliers and sermons they were spewing on my subway ride last night. You can also look forward to a few posts from SlackerP, who I will guilt trip into putting something up.