Tagged Like the Contents of a Morgue Locker, Part II.

Iles klar, Der Tommissar?

Yes, Tom has hit me with a time travel questionnaire. E.g., what were you doing 10 years ago, 5 years ago, 1 year ago, and yesterday.

10 years ago:

I was clerking at a small law firm that specialized in employment law cases. I was a lapsed Methodist who hadn't darkened the door of a church in several years. I was looking forward to my third year of shark school, and not looking forward to the bar exam the following July. My brother would be married in six weeks, and I had my eye on a particular redhead to be my "date" to the wedding. Eventually, she agreed to go along.

Five years ago:

I was an attorney specializing in employment law cases. I was a Mass-attending Catholic who hadn't darkened the door of a church in several days. I lived in a two bedroom apartment and was looking forward to making more money at some indefinite point. I was married to a particular redhead, and was looking forward to our first wedding anniversary in October, and looking more forward to the end of yet another blast-furnace Michigan August. Eventually, nature agreed to go along.

One year ago:

I was an attorney who specialized in employment law cases. I was still Catholic, if somewhat more irritated and pleased with the status. I lived in a two bedroom house and was looking forward to making more money at some indefinite point. I was still married to a particular redhead, but now was also living with two short demanding people named Madeleine and Dale III, with a third due to arrive in seven weeks. My wife was looking even more forward to the end of yet another blast-furnace Michigan August. Feeling threatened, nature agreed to go along.

Yesterday:

I was an attorney who specialized in employment law cases. I was still Catholic, and in the same basic religious mood. I still lived in a two bedroom house and was still looking forward to making more money. I was still married to a particular redhead, but now was living with three short demanding people named Madeleine, Dale III and Rachel, with none due to arrive. All five of us were looking forward to the end of yet another blast-furnace Michigan August, but the three shortest of us were able to run in the sprinkler, giving Dad a welcome excuse to postpone lawnmowing. Nature seems remarkably uncowed this year. We enjoyed seafood and spinach salad for dinner, and eventually stalemated nature with a Kenmore A/C.

Next! Tom Fitzpatrick and Mike Inman.