This one never learns

Yep. Me. No matter how many times things get spun and I get burned I still do it.

Help family members that is.

There's a situation with one of my cousins - A few years ago she was arrested for misdemeanor possession of cannabis. She hired a lawyer, who I ended up working for, to fight it but in the end accepted a plea agreement for supervision, fines/fees and community service. She completed her term of supervision successfully, paid all her fines and fees and finished up her community service hours and then some well in advance of the court ordered deadline. Time passed and she became eligible to have the charge expunged from her record. We notified her it was time yet she decided, for one reason or another, not to proceed.

Flash forward to about a month ago.

Her marriage of just over a year is falling apart. She has a 5 month old son. Her husband is making threats to use those charges against her in custody and divorce proceedings. Now all of the sudden she HAS to have the expungement done. And it has to be done NOW.

Naturally, since I worked for her attorney, who now happens to be dead, they asked me if I would help them with the expungement. Against my better judgment, I said I would. I should have run as fast as I could in the opposite direction. But, we're family - and family is supposed to help each other in time of need. (Yeah, like THAT'S ever happened in THIS family! - Note: look at posts from January 2007 on regarding the suicide of my cousin and subsequent family problems) I was young and divorcing once too and wished I had someone who offered to hold my hand through it all. I know what she's going through, minus the baby.

So, I made a comment to her mother, my aunt, that once the expungement is granted by the Judge and the paperwork is forwarded to the State Police it could take 6 days or 6 months depending on their workload. I talked to her last night on the phone and explained the process, I sent her an email yesterday with the link the the Appellate Defenders Office where the packet and forms came from. Yet STILL, just now I got off the phone with her and she doesn't understand why it has to go 45 days before getting a day in court! H E L L O ! ? ! I told you no less than 3 times what the process and procedures are and emailed you the link to research the process yourself! This DOES NOT happen over night!

I can't help it that the situation with the husband is what it is - not my problem - and yes, I understand the importance of getting this done and getting it done quickly. But that doesn't change the fact that YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURE!!!!!

This time I've learned my lesson. I am done. No more.

I have survived

~ My 36th birthday (THAT is a whole other post!)

~ My third funeral in five months (my husband's 95 year old grandfather passed away)

~ 8 of 12 spring session youth soccer games (we played hookie from 2 since the weather was a little less than favorable - 40 degrees with 35 mile per hours winds, and we have 2 yet to go)

~ Spending 3 hours on a school bus for the 1st grade field trip to see the play "Miss Nelson is Missing"

~ Spending 6 1/2 hours with 130 1st graders

I know it really doesn't seem like much, but I feel like I've been through the ringer. And, I still have a headache from the field trip yesterday. Why is it that those kids can't talk in their inside voices....EVER?!?! Especially on the school bus!