I like cream in my coffee.

Back up for air. It's been a little bit hectic in the life of this jet-set trahhhhhhl lawyer in the last week or so. Yelled at by a federal judge? Check. Yelled at a client? Check. It's all good, baby. My pal PhilaLawyer (whose book should be on the remainder table of your local bookstore with a bright red "Only $0.99!!" sticker on it in time for your Generic Winter Gift Giving Holiday shopping) might suggest that I pour myself a nice refreshing glass of Sun Country Wine Cooler and listen to some godawful Grateful Dead bootleg ("dude, this version of "Truckin" from the Shreveport Convention Center show in 1982 will *change your life* -- I swear to you!"), but instead I decided to update my blog.

But what to say? I looked around for inspiration. Thankfully, my Imaginary Little Sister (the lovely and talented Miss Not Jennifer Anderson [ed. note: Ack! I meant Not Jennifer Aniston!) had a meme up, and so here you go -- 7 Things About Me You'd Not Likely Guess.

1. Well, as the re line suggests, I like cream in my coffee. (And to sleep late on Sunday. And Lyle Lovett.) Those of you familiar with my love of that other song about coffee might be surprised that I don't like my coffee black. (But for the girl in this, I would give up my dair . . . oh, nevermind).

2. I was an insufferable little twit until age 13 or so. I was the youngest of five, and I know that my brothers pretty much despised me (my sister is the oldest, and she was out of the house pretty much from the time I was 6 or so). I was a know-it-all and would not shut up -- I had an opinion on anything and everything, and everyone around needed to hear it. I still cringe when I think back. I apparently learned to hide this delightful quality around the time I hit 8th grade. Otherwise I would be single and a virgin, playing Second Life with a Pamela Anderson-ish avatar (nttawwt).

3. I flunked algebra. Twice -- once in high school and once in college. (Ok, I became a lawyer, so maybe this one isn't such a surprise.) Math, as Barbie once memorably and accurately put it, is hard.

4. As a drunken undergraduate, I came up with the brilliant idea of painting the words "Mister Happy" on the side of a replica of the Washington Monument and delivering it to the front yard of a sorority house after the homecoming parade. My co-conspirators included the 15 year old younger brother of a friend, and a fellow freshman who was pre-med, and whose contribution to the endeavor was a continuous stream of "I should be studying" mutters from the front seat of the Country Squire station wagon we stole from yet another friend.

Sadly, this did not get me a date with the [sorority name redacted] girl I was trying to impress.

5. I have a cat. I have been told that I seem more like the dog type. I like dogs, but they require too much effort. Cats are much easier.

6. I facilitated the signing of a professional hockey player from Eastern Europe who was a number one draft pick. I'm sure that it would have happened anyway, but don't burst my bubble. The details need to remain vague -- let's just say that a duffel bag of cash, a red-headed Hooters waitress, and a signed copy of Paul Newman's "Slapshot" accompanied me on a flight to Minsk, and . . . (I keeed, I keeeed. I just put some people in touch with each other. And like I say, it probably would have happened anyway.) The dude is still playing in the NHL, though not for the same team.

7. I cry at the end of "Shane," when the little kid runs after Alan Ladd. And at sad movies generally.