Silence, Followed by a Slow Decline

It's been a while since the last post. Given that I can't blog about my work (except in the most general - i.e. I've been busy - kind of way), it's hard to write when all I do is work.

Lately I've been feeling that my life is proceeding in reverse. I have a head cold and every morning I wake up with slightly worse symptoms. It seems that my cold is slowly fading away and I'll get over it some time about two weeks ago.

I'm starting to worry that my 'career' is going to take the same track. Right now I have an interesting and - I think - quite important job with a lot of responsibility. Next year, in Australia, I'll have the same job but with less writing and research (which I'm good at) and more administrative responsibilities (which - ahem - I'm not so good at). The year after that I'll probably be a shit kicker in a big organization with no responsibility whatsoever. That's if I have a job at all. I either have to find a visa for the US (hard these days) or a legal job in Australia (no such thing). I'll probably be delivering pizzas.

Last weekend I was in NYC. Had an excellent time Friday evening playing pool and drinking Red Stripe with Malcolm at the pool hall on Houston. Malcolm won all the games. On Saturday caught up with Bill, Eileen and Patrick at the Kettle of Fish. Patrick's book has been getting excellent reviews in the New York Times, the Washington Post and the LA Times (not to mention puff pieces in the Boston Globe). I'm very jealous. Patrick seems genuinely unfazed. After drinking too much at the Kettle of Fish, Malcolm and I retired to Hell's Kitchen and played a slow and drunken game of chess. Malcolm won. The next morning (well, afternoon I guess) we had a sober rematch and Malcolm won again! Damn that Malcolm.

Monday and Tuesday my judge sat on the Second Circuit. It was a learnin' experience but I have to say - and no offense to all you circuit clerk geeks out there - I'm glad I work in a district court.