A Conversation with Elizabeth
1999
Good to Hear From You

From:          Elizabeth 
To:            LMixson@PEC.com
Sent:          Wednesday, January 6, 1999 10:28 AM
Subject:       Good to Hear From You
 
Its good to hear from you.  Even though I know your schedule has probably varied for some reason, I always wonder what's going on when I don't hear from you for a few days.  That is amazing about the eye surgery.  Personally I would be scared as hell to let someone operate on my eyes, but it has become so routine and commonplace.  I don't think this relates to Julie's surgery at all, but when I read Into Thin Air, one of the men climbing Everest had had that very popular radial keratotomy operation which corrects vision so you don't need glasses. 
 
On Everest, because of the extreme difference in atmospheric pressure, he actually became blind.  I didn't think in the canoe trip picture you sent me that Julie was wearing glasses, but maybe I did not notice.  I have now become very accustomed to my bifocals.  I only have trouble on Mondays, when I tend not to have worn my glasses at home, and then I have to readjust.  Also, computer work is a little bit of a pain, as the line still seems to catch my vision in the wrong place (sometimes I enlarge fonts and that helps).  Work has been slow so far, but I have had things to do.  Classes started for me Mon. night with "Children's Rights."  I will really enjoy the course, in part because of the professor.  Mostly the first night we talked about abortion and parental consent.  I'm glad I have one class to enjoy because I am dreading one of my classes and the other one will just be a chore.  The one I'm dreading is called Civil Procedure.  Its basically all the rules of how to file and try a case.  You wouldn't think there would be so many, but there are.  If you don't follow them exactly right, you can actually lose your case, or get it thrown out.  There are federal rules, state rules, and local rules. Many cases, regardless of their merit, are won are lost on civil procedure.  My other class is Torts II, with the same professor I had for Property II last term.  He's kind of "loose" and while I got used to him finally, he's not my favorite.  (But he tends to let students out early, which is good because I've heard the Civ Pro class stays LATE every night).  It has been quite cold here, which at first I liked and really don't mind, but then my apt. started getting SO really cold--even the carpet was cold and the tub was impossible.  I knew I had no neighbors below me, which DOESN"T help, as no heat is below me, but then I noticed last night I have no neighbors to the side of me either. I hate the central heat as it is so drying and I wake stuffed up, but after not sleeping Monday night, I just went ahead and left it on last night.  I slept well but woke up with a dry stuffed up nose.  Its been a good cold weather though, as after the initial wet spell, it has been sunny and clear--i.e. beautiful.  Thanks for the info on kayaking.  I think the class here must be the white water kind.  The pictures I have in my mind which I want to do must be the "lake" kind, because it always seemed so peaceful.  I have so many travel articles, hikes, bicycle trips, etc., which I've clipped out.  I wonder when or if I will EVER get to do any of them. I'd LOVE to get back to biking.  I used to think it was glorious to bike.  You'd think there would be more biking in Alabama, as despite everything, and to my surprise, AL is actually a very pretty state, but in general, the people here are retrograde.  There are no bike trails here in Montgomery at all, or hardly. As I've told you it is the foothills or the trail end of the Appalachians.  I really tried to relax last night, because once I have my next two classes, tonight, Wed. and tomorrow, Thurs., I will be buried in work.  My time devoted to "organization" is paying off. (I did major stuff like switch the contents of closets around so that my apt. would be more functional for me) because I've been getting to work early and feel more organized at home.  Today I wrote a long note to my manager to do a lot of repairs (I have been so reluctant to have ANYONE in because of the mess.) I went to the cafeteria this morning and read law for about 10 minutes--that was different.  Did you know there was new Star Wars film coming out. Someone was telling me about it, but they acted like of course I knew, and I may have, but may have forgotten.[1]    
 
So, do you have a web page I can access showing all the work you've done for ATF.  I use many of the gov pages in my work.  Elizabeth   

[1] The new movie was Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace which would be released in May.

Good Morning