Notes from practice · D.C. Superior Court
Woman Doing Good
During the second week of our empty-nesting, Susan and I take the train up to New York. She is accepting an award from SELF magazine...
With The Rush of Adrenaline Came Anger
I got held up on my way to Union Station today. Or at least I think I did. I had finished up early at court...
It Will Be Our House
You buy an axe. The axe consists of two parts, a handle and a blade. After six months, the blade breaks and you replace it...
I am your 4:00 o’clock appointment
So I walk into the building for a meeting with our new banker in Baltimore, and I notice that everyone seems to be unusually surly...
My Children Are City Kids
My children are pleasantly surprised when they see the new house and neighborhood. They are city kids at heart. Although a bicycle is stolen from...
We Used To Live In The Steinberg House
Having sold our house in Virginia, we are now renting it back from the new owners. We will do this until we move to Baltimore...
The Permanence of Blue
A couple of years ago, shortly after we moved back to Arlington, I decided to stroll by our old house, just a mile or so...
“This is great. We’ll take it.”
My wife is not real picky. That is fortunate for me. Otherwise, she might never have decided to marry me. We were visiting different neighborhoods...
All Emma, In Everything
I am standing with my niece in front of my father’s bureau, and I show her the gold-plated watch with the “Hamilton” typed out across...
I Feel The Pain of Everything. Then I Feel Nothing.
He was the angry and alienated younger brother of my best friend while I was growing up. My mother sent me newspaper clippings about him...
Eleven Rules for Effective Writing (aka “How to Write Good”)
Here are 11 rules for effective writing, with thanks to Kendall Gray of The Appellate Record for reminding me of them: Avoid alliteration. Always. Prepositions...
Achilles Now. Poseidon Too.
He was the best octopus hunter in Tolo. It was always an honor whenever he sent one of us boys out to the kiosk to...
Meet the Girlfriend
It is hard not to like someone who has thrown in her lot – however temporary that may be – with one of your children....
From Tide to Tide in Cape Cod
We have been coming to Cape Cod with my extended family now for 25 years. We came first as couples. Then we came with children....