Man! Cannot believe time has gone this fast, and that Christmas is one week away. I haven't had my head around Christmas this year like I normally do - no surprise maybe.
Took my staff to Deer Park Inn near Buckhannon for a nice dinner, last Saturday evening. It was for Christmas, it was to say thank you for all your hard work on my campaign, and also to say thank you for being great co-workers and good friends these past many years. Judy has been with me almost 14 years and Kellee, almost 10. My current bailiff, Chad, who's been with me over a year was there too. Deer Park is a beautiful place - my wife kidnapped me there for an anniversary getaway several years ago and we've been back twice before last week, once for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner and once for a Christmas Day buffet with family and friends.
Our tree is beautiful and I got a special early gift - an automatic tree-watering device cleverly disguised as a beautiful package. There's a big tag on it, "To Dad, from Your Family." No more squatting under the tree and getting everything wet! :) It's working great as long as I keep the "package" filled which I have to do about once a week.
We're having a lot of our Christmas celebration this weekend. My oldest and his wife are coming in from Tennessee - they are spending Christmas Eve and Christmas with her family in the Nashville area this year. #2 son and his wife usually have still spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with us but this year, will be with her family in Wheeling. #3 son is on duty from early Christmas Eve till 3:00 p.m. on the 26th at the residential home for troubled youth where he works! And so...on Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning, it'll be my wife, my daughter, our youngest son and me. Very, very different - but we'll have some semblance of a traditional celebration by going to church Christmas Eve and opening some gifts Christmas morning. Then, that afternoon, we head for Pittsburgh, since my daughter is flying out for Japan about 6:30 on the 26th. She'll spend three weeks there with a missionary family, documenting their life and work in photographs and film, as part of her Independent Study/"J-term" class with her college.
I had domestic violence hearings on Monday of this week and have a "rocket docket" today. We opened the day to the local bar to bring us cases which really can get in and out quickly. After today, I have one day of hearings set - December 29 - and it should be a doozy! It'll be a domestic violence day and from what we can tell, there will be a bunch.
On the 31st, my last day, the Court House closes at noon but I'll be here afterwards, still cleaning out, etc. During the morning, I'm opening my Court Room for weddings and so far nine have been scheduled. The press has done a nice job of giving us publicity on this and also the TV and print news have told me they plan to be here some that day to get some coverage. It's a nice way to say "thank you" to the community and also a nice way to "go out," doing weddings which definitely are one of the more fun and positive things I get to do in this job. I'm glad I'll still be able to do weddings after 12/31 since I have a ministry license - hey, I could even get paid for them in that capacity!
Oh, you're wondering about my job after 1/1? ME TOO! There have continued to be things come up even after 12/6, when I last posted - and I may have something firm though temporary. Not sure yet at all though - I am planning to try and do some mediations, and court-appointed guardian ad litem work, and things of that nature to keep busy and earn a little income. There are four or five things I am very, very interested in, but none of them will be open till after the first of the year. Many of them won't be available until summer or early fall at the earliest.
To all of you, have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful 2009.
No comments:
Post a Comment