Vindication

It's finally over. A few days before my court date, my attorney informed me that the DA had decided to forego postponing the case until February and instead issue me what's called an ACD (Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal) on December 13 rather than waiting until February to do so. That was welcome news because it meant that I'd have this whole thing behind me before the end of the year and not have to go to court again. The ACD lasts for one year and is conditioned on my staying out of trouble for that period of time. At the end of one year, my case will be dismissed and sealed, and it will be, in essence, as if the arrest never existed. It's exactly what we were shooting for, and we got it. In the words of my attorney, I'm a free man.

The End Draws Nigh

Everything went as planned. More to come.

Back to Court

Here we go, folks. I'm headed back to court today for my second appearance before the judge. Wish me luck.

Come Monday

I haven't heard from my attorney, so I assume that everything is set to go as planned. I'll be in court at nine o'clock Monday morning. My lawyer ran a little late last time, and I was anxious as hell when they began calling defendants forward. I just knew I'd be called before he arrived, but little did I know that defendants aren't summoned before the judge until after your attorney signs in. Needless to say, I wouldn't have been sweating bullets if I'd known that. It turned out that he'd e-mailed me, giving me a heads-up that he'd be late; however, I didn't see the e-mail until after I'd left court.

Winter Blues

The winter solstice is two weeks away, but Old Man Winter has taken hold of the city. Looking out the window as the sky darkens, I sit here and listen to the wind whistling past the Flatiron. I woke up yesterday morning to the first snowflakes of the season, but they were gone as fast as they came. I spoke with my dad this morning, and he said that it might snow in Mississippi tonight. I'm hoping to escape the cold while I'm down there; however, I know firsthand that I may not be so lucky.

Seven Days

Seven days from now I'll be in court again. I've gotten a haircut for the occasion. If everything goes according to plan, I should be okay. That would mean I'll have my third and final court appearance sometime around February. I hope that's the case.

Good News, Bad News

There is good news and bad news. The good news is that I am no longer in the dark regarding how much this legal mess is going to set me back, but the bad news is that it's every bit as expensive as I'd feared. I originally had to pay $1,000 up front, which covered two hours of attorney fees. A few days ago I received my second bill, an additional $1,425. That puts me at $2,425 thus far, and I have two more court appearances. I reckon that'll be at least another $1,500, so I'm looking at anywhere between $4,000 and $5,000 total. Fortunately, I don't have to pay it all at once. There were some attorneys who wanted $5,000 right off the bat.

Mississippi Bound

I was skeptical; however, due to a stroke of good luck, I'll be crossing the Mason-Dixon Line and heading to Mississippi for eight days over Christmas. I hope to see all my friends who live in the area or who may be visiting as well.

Two Fish Tacos and a Coke

That's what I had for lunch today. I picked up the fish tacos from the Endless Summer taco truck on Bedford Avenue. I awoke at ten o'clock this morning and immediately went to work on my bedroom. The furniture is in place, my bed is made, and only a few boxes remain unpacked. I have two windows facing the street. I am on the top floor and have a nice view overlooking Williamsburg. All that's left now are the finishing touches and getting everything just so. I imagine I'll be done by this weekend. It's back to work on Monday, but it has been really nice having this entire week off.

Almost There

I watched the sun set over Brooklyn from my new place today. I've been unpacking and arranging my bedroom. Yesterday was tough. Loading up the van was easy enough, but unloading it and hauling box after box up three flights of stairs took its toll. I woke up this morning stiff as a board. It's a relief, however, to have the move behind me. After I finished up yesterday evening, I ate a pizza at Fornino and drank a couple of ice-cold beers. It may be the best pizza I've ever eaten, and those cold beers tasted like heaven.

Wrapping It Up

It's been a long day of packing, but I'm almost finished. Once I pack my remaining clothes and a few small items, I'll be done. The keys to the new place are now in my possession, and I'm picking up the U-Haul van at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. I ought to be completely moved in by that evening.

Tucked Away

I've been holed up and in hibernation since Thanksgiving, but I needed the rest and seclusion. Fully rejuvenated, I have officially begun packing and will spend tonight and all day tomorrow doing just that. I'm picking up the keys to the new place tomorrow afternoon and will move in on Tuesday. I can't wait to get settled in.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Half Day

I get off work at one o'clock today. Hardly anyone is here, so it's nice and quiet. I'm out all next week, which means I need to tie up loose ends before I split for the day. Then I have a few errands to run. I'll probably begin packing this evening, and I need to reserve a U-Haul van for the move. Not much longer now. I'm moving on November 30.

The Lowdown

I just got the skinny from a fellow production editor that the movie is based on the 1938 children's book Mr. Popper's Penguins and that Jim Carrey is starring in the lead role. Not only has the production crew created a winter wonderland outside my building, but they've also ousted our CEO from his office and completely transformed it for the movie.

Elevator Gossip

Okay, a designer across the hall from me said that she heard someone in the elevator say that they're shooting a movie based on some children's book about penguins. I have no idea what it could be, but I'll let you know if I see any famous penguins.

On Location

As I walked into work this morning, I couldn't help but notice the fake snow lining the Broadway side of the Flatiron. I'd forgotten that a film crew was going to be shooting outside the building today and on the nineteenth floor. I believe they'll be here for the next two days. Apparently, the movie is set during the winter. I'll let you know if I happen to see anything interesting.

Coming Together

It looks as if I'll be having Thanksgiving dinner with some folks in the neighborhood. It's supposed to rain on Thursday, but I think we'll have a couple of nice days before then. I have two and a half days of work this week. My time off will be consumed with packing and preparing to move. Of course, Thanksgiving will be a break from all that. It'll be nice to have some time off, even if it means I'll be packing for most of it.

Standing Still

I'm not sure what I'll be doing for Thanksgiving, other than packing. I have one or two possible options for Thanksgiving dinner, but we'll see. I was hoping to make it to Mississippi for Christmas; however, it appears unlikely. The passing of this Christmas will mark two years since I've visited. If I don't make it this year, I may fly down in January for my dad's birthday. By then my second day in court will have passed, and I should have a better idea of what exactly is going to happen. Having everything come together as planned on December 13 would be the best Christmas present I could possibly receive this year.

A Little Farther Down the Road

Two weeks from now I ought to be smack-dab in the middle of moving into my new place. I may get lucky and be able to move the weekend prior, but I've taken off from work the entire next week just in case. At this point in the year, I have usually used up most, if not all, of my vacation time; however, my legal woes have prevented me from taking any trips. My last vacation was spending a long weekend in Denver with my friends Pete and Jamie last May. Before that, it was five days in Paris. I was hoping to get to Maine this summer or by early autumn, but that trip has eluded me for some time. My friend Spike is living there now, so there's no telling when a spur-of-the-moment road trip might materialize. Right now, however, I'm looking forward to getting settled into the new apartment.

On the Move

Well, folks, I am moving out of my apartment at the end of the month and into a new place in the neighborhood, which means the next couple of weeks are going to be consumed with bringing boxes home from work and packing. Then, of course, there's the move itself. I never look forward to moving, but it'll be worth it once I'm done.

Darker Days Ahead

The clocks have wound back an hour, and so the days grow shorter. It's almost dusk now when I leave work, the last rays of sunlight barely hanging on as I make my way down Broadway to the train. Soon it will be nightfall by that time. The dark days of winter lie ahead, and as usual, a melancholy mood has begun to take hold of me.

No News

No news is good news, as they say. I haven't heard anything from my lawyer since he spoke with the district attorney and tentatively agreed on how we'd go forward with the case. Although my next court date is still thirty-five days away, I'm a little anxious to find out if the deal has been approved, which was fully expected but not guaranteed. Only time will tell.