Denver trip

I got back from Denver on Friday. It was a fun trip. The only travel problem I had is that my luggage didn't make the cut for the flight home. But it came in on the next flight, and they drove it to my apartment, so all's well that ends well.

My hotel was very nice. I think they decided that I was their least important visitor, however, since they put in the hotel room at the end of the universe. It was like a five-minute walk from my room to the elevator. (It was a horseshoe-shaped layout, with the elevator at one end and my hotel room at the other end.) It was also one of the smallest hotel rooms ever made, with the bed just barely fitting into the room. And it was on the floor that was currently being renovated, so I had to walk past painters and around construction equipment to get there. But compared to the flea-bag hotel I stayed at in Vegas last year, this was fabulous. And they not only had complimentary breakfast in the mornings, but also complimentary cookies at night. I very much appreciated that.

There were some law clerk social events in Denver, but when I realized that all of these events would involve the drinking of copious amounts of alcohol, I decided that I'd rather watch Law and Order in my hotel room. I was glad I did when Dave told me how fun the party on Wednesday night was. We heard a case at 2:00 Thursday afternoon, and Dave was really hung-over then. He was getting mad at things like the elevator recording loudly telling us what floor we were on, and he told me that he'd thrown up 5 times since the party. Sounds like a blast.

Both Dave and I ditched the Tuesday night poker party. I ditched because I don't play poker any more and because I don't find it very fun to play cards with people who are drinking. Dave ditched for a different reason. He would have gone if the point were to drink and mingle, but it sounded to him like it was just going to be a bunch of "chess club losers" sitting around and playing cards, and that didn't sound appealing.

Our relationship is progressing very well, though. In Philly we reached the inevitable point where he got annoyed with me for being indecisive and not giving him input as to my opinions. Last week he tried to coach me on being more assertive. In Denver he realized how incredibly slowly I eat (so after waiting for a while, he gave up and told me that he was going to go smoke and that he'd meet me back at the courthouse when I finished). And a few days ago we had a nice long conversation about wedding rings.

One more sign that this is the perfect clerkship for me: the judge told me on Friday that he has a tradition of treating his law clerks to ice cream in the airport on the way home from trips. Any tradition involving the eating of ice cream is my kind of tradition. I realized after getting my ice cream, though, that it's rather hard to look professional and grown up while licking an ice cream cone. I felt like I was about 8 years old. I really don't see how anyone can take me seriously. I certainly don't.