ByKat Hours Updated
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Coffee Break / Gift Idea: Hot Sox

wacky socks and suitsI don’t know what this says about me as a person, but as I’ve mentioned a few other times: I’m a fan of wacky socks. Particularly wacky socks hidden beneath boots, whether under a pants suit or a sheath dress worn with tall boots. Something has always appealed to me about knowing your serious work outfit has a little nod to your more fun-loving side — and that only you and your SO or friends know about it. (I actually have several friends with similar tastes in wacky socks and serious suits — clearly we should set up a gift exchange!) After dabbling in some of the fancier brands of “fun socks,” I’m back to good old Hot Sox. (I recently purchased these martini shaker socks; these artist–themed socks are also awesome.) These moose socks also look lovely — I love the colors, and the fact that they just look like striped socks from certain angles. They’re $12 at Nordstrom. HOT SOX ‘Moose Mountain Scene' Socks (L-all)  

Sales of note for 12.5

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

136 Comments

  1. Any favorite all inclusives out there? I will admit I have a huge, unfounded bias against Sandals (thanks, The Office) and, then I associate all the chains with it, which is probably not fair, but the idea of chains turns me off. Convince me otherwise?

    We’re don’t need a five-star, break the bank trip but are definitely looking for something nice. Bonus points if it’s adult only and not in Mexico, the DR or Jamaica — looking for something different!

    2. I really like the Riu chain. I’ve stayed in a couple different ones in Mexico, the DR and maybe Costa Rica and they’ve all been great.

    3. check out costco travel if you are a member. they have quite a few all inclusives that are not sandals.

    4. Check out excellence. We loved playa mujaras (sp?) which is in Mexico but they have other locations.

    5. My parents loved Sandals but they also really enjoy mid-range cruise lines like Royal Caribbean (they turn their noses up at Carnival though). I have a feeling Scandals and other chain AIs cater to a similar crowd and have similar quality food (that is, edible but not that great). If you like cruising, I wouldn’t hesitate to book Sandals or something similar, otherwise it’s probably best to avoid.

    6. Valentin Imperial Maya. Not part of a big chain. Good food. Good service. Beautiful grounds. Massively huge pools. Adults only. Only downside would be if you are mobility impaired or just hate walking – it’s really spread out.

  2. If you’ve done NYE in Times Square, please come explain it to me!

    We have tickets to a VIP area in the middle of it all, but it’s our first time and we’re super confused about logistics. With tickets, what time should we plan to arrive? Some articles recommend 1 pm! With tickets, will we be able to enter and exit to get to restaurants or bars? Or should we just pack a protein bar and call it good because they’re all slammed and/or not possible to get to? And another article said there are no bathrooms? What do people do for however many hours?

    1. My DH went to this once. He hated it and said never again – you couldn’t move and were smashed up against people the whole time.

    2. My husband and I did this several years ago. I wouldn’t do it again, but I’m glad to have done it once!!!
      if you have access to a specific area, you can arrive later. So, if you have a ticket to “Zone A” for instance, you can arrive around 4pm or so and you can get there. That being said, it will be difficult to get there because the police will try to herd you to just the general watch area. but, show your ticket and you should be okay (also check with your ticket issuer for the best “entrance” zone. that way you are sure to get through.

      we arrived at like 2pm in a “general” area. Frankly, we didn’t have the best view every, but it was good enough. As for RRs, the places surrounding are usually pretty good about letting you use one (especially ifyou buy something), and there are porta potties around. you can make do – just have the other person hold your spot. But if you purchased a VIP ticket, check and see whether there is access to a “special” bathroom — i hear places like this usually partner with a bar.

      Honestly, all of my advice is for general admission. check with the place that sold you the ticket and see the rules. Maybe you can eat in the area and enter your VIP section relatively late (i.e., 8pm). maybe not. We purchased pizza and snacks from around (again, one person leaves and purchases while the other holds the spot). But we didn’t do that after 9pm because the police became really strict about leaving and entering. We brought warm clothes blankets and card games and had a lot of fun.

    3. That’s right. No bathrooms. As a native NY’er, I know what people do. It’s as gross as you suspect. And the reason I’ve never gone.

      1. As a female, it is probably very difficult for obvious reasons. I have never gone to times square on NYE, but I have imagine that everyone is very intoxicated the entire time, which leads to the obvious problem with no bathrooms. I’d prefer to go to out to dinner and be home by 10……I feel so old sometimes!

        1. The only way I’m going at this point is if my friends all chip in for a hotel room with a view. I’m scared to find out how much that actually costs though.

          1. I would be surprised if any are still available regardless of cost!

  3. Has anyone watched this on Netflix? I’m 4 episodes in it’s infuriating. I’ve seen a lot as a criminal defense lawyer but this story is insane.

    1. My SO watched all the episodes over the weekend, and I half-heard about 5 of them. It sounds insane! What pieces of the story in particular are standing out for you?

    2. Yes! I just finished ep 4 as well and the whole thing is just mind boggling. Especially because they have so much actual video footage of all the crazy!

  4. I have 8/10 sheaths from DVF that are snug in the hips and never could figure out what was my “wrap size”. I’ve always heard to size up in DVF. I finally tried a DVF wrap on in a store where I could try on multiples of the style (I’m usually a mail order shopper and closer sizes are often sold out or I guess wrong). At any rate, I wear a 6 in the wrap dress style with no fashion tape need (previous purchases used about 2-4 pieces of fashion tape to avoid gapes). I am a bit of a pear and the top of the wrap was always where the issue was with me (too much fabric, particularly for the bust and more generally) which makes sense now).

  5. Trying to figure out an easy Xmas meal for my significant other and I and possibly a friend or two who will join. I want to make stuffing but not sure I want to make Turkey with it. Any recommendations?

    1. What about a pork roast or loin? I think they’re very easy to cook. There’s a good herbed recipe on AllRecipes.com or, if you can find it, McCormick Bag and Season for herbed pork tenderloin always garners me rave reviews and is the easiest thing ever.

    2. We often do roast chicken. it pairs well with stuffing and traditional sides.

    3. How about a rotisserie chicken from a fancy grocery store? They look amazing and are tasty (in my experience).

    4. Figgy Piggy Cornish Hens (or adapt for a chicken). Google will get you to the recipe, which I think was in Gourmet magazine.

  6. I’d like to have friends over for dinner in January and can’t decide what to serve. I normally do very fancy affairs based around a dozen heavy apps, but I’m not feeling that much work right now. It’ll be around 20 people. What would you suggest that’s between casual chili and fussy hours d’oeuvres?

    1. It gets recommended a ton here, for good reason. The pork ragu from Dinner: A Love Story is outstanding.

    2. Whatever looks good at Costco. (Same advice for the Xmas dinner above, and what to bring to a potluck…)

    3. I’m from Central CA so this is native to me, but doing a Santa Maria barbecue dinner is always a big hit. It’s a tri-tip served with delicious pinquito beans, garlic bread, salsa for the steak, and a crisp salad with homemade ranch dressing. The beans take all day but everything else is pretty quick.

      This is easily google-able but i will provide links separately.

      1. http://lospadrescounty.net/et/smbbq.html

        This is a good one. When I googled “Santa Maria barbecue recipes” I saw lots for the steak, not so many for the beans.

        Rancho Gordo sells dry pinquito beans mail order. If you’re going to order from them, I also recommend their not-so-hot sauce called La Paloma heartily.

      3. Whoa. I’m also from CenCal and have never heard of this. I must learn more.

          1. Ha! Me too, I call it tri-tip, but for out of town guests I call it Santa Maria bbq, because I don’t think they’d know what I was talking about if I said tri-tip.

            Kind of like the word coke. Sample conversation in my hometown.
            Mom: do you kids want cokes?
            Kids: yeah!
            Mom: what kind?
            Kids: seven up! Orange soda! Dr pepper!

          3. Wait.?! Other people don’t have tri-tip? Is this really a regional northern/central cal thing? We have it in the North Bay too.

          4. Yeah, other regions have the cut of meat called tri-tip. But Tri-Tip in central ca refers to the whole meal – the meat, the beans, the French bread, etc. Particularly the beans.

    4. Do ham & cheese sliders. King’s Hawaiian mini buns, sliced horizontally and not broken apart. Place bottom of buns in a greased 9×13 pan and using about 1 lb. of deli ham (not honey ham), fold pieces of ham on each bun, top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Replace the top half of buns. Heat 1 stick of butter, 4 T. brown sugar, 3/4 t. poppy seeds, 2 T. Dijon mustard, and 2 T. Worcestershire sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. Brush butter mixture over bun tops, pour any excess sauce over the top of the buns. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. In a 350 degree oven, cook for 20 minutes, remove foil and cook for 5 more minutes. Separate into 12 sandwiches and serve.

      Served these at a party on Saturday night to rave reviews, baking multiple pans at once. They aren’t soggy but are caramelized and delicious – so easy!!

      1. These are so good! I like to make these and then have a couple of fruit and veggie trays with different dips.

  7. New assistant Christmas gift recommendation? My old assistant left last week and all of her lawyers got her a gift, lunch and a significant amount of cash. But now I have a new-to-me assistant. I know the theory is that I need to gift her a Christmas/end of year gift because a) all the other assistants get one and b) goodwill. But is it the normal amount? Or is it more of a token. I usually give $ or gift card plus a consumable or pretty gift (flowers, wine, etc.) Can I just do the consumable?

      1. I say err on the side of the normal gift. Why not start things off with her being really happy to be with you?

    2. Is she new to the firm or just new to supporting you? If the latter, she presumably got a gift from the other attys she supports, and I don’t think anything close to the normal gift is expected. I thing it would be a nice gesture of goodwill to get a $20 Starbucks card. If she’s new to the firm I might be more generous (she might have sacrificed a bonus or cash gift at her old firm), but I certainly wouldn’t follow that $100/class year in cash rule for an assistant who just started.

      2. It’s also a know your firm thing. The $100/class year is not a thing where I am. Cash gifts aren’t a thing either. It’s some actual present in the $50 range. Some attorneys do nothing (which I think is awful), partners will do something in the $100 equivalent range, but still not cash. They are more likely to do a gift card or certificate.

      3. Also, I’d check in with the attorneys who “share” her to make sure you are all on the same page.

  8. I know people are excited for us and mean well, but I shudder inside every time someone asks us if we have a date set yet and then responds with “Great!, I’ll mark my calendar!”

    Um, no. We have a 50 person max. You aren’t invited, and now I feel guiltu about it for no f-ing reason.

    Ugh.

    2. How about saying “It’s June 1 — we’re not into big weddings so it’s going to be tiny! Can’t wait!”

    3. How about saying “It’s June 1 — we’re not into big weddings so it’s going to be tiny! Can’t wait!”

    4. they are probably being polite, and are not literally expecting an invite to your wedding. people do big weddings, small weddings, etc. I don’t think that it’s creating an expectation.

      1. +1. Most of them don’t actually care, it is just the easiest wedding-related small talk to make.

    5. If it makes you feel better, I had a not-small wedding, and plenty of people who were not invited did the same thing. People will be presumptuous no matter what kind of wedding you have.

    6. Who are these people? Are they the same ones who ask everyone if they are pregnant?

      1. I don’t think it’s horrifyingly rude in the way you imply. When someone says, “Wedding!” most people assume 100-150 guests because that’s what has become the norm, or at least the perceived norm. Your work BFF and that friend you have drinks with once a month could pretty reasonably expect to be invited to a 100+ person shindig, but wouldn’t if they knew you were inviting under 50 people. Just like, I’d be pretty hurt if my work BFF didn’t invite me and my fiancé to his annual Memorial Day BBQ, but I wouldn’t bat an eye if he didn’t invite us to a quiet dinner party.

        1. I agree. It can be awkward for the bride and perhaps is a little self-centered of the person doing the asking but it is not nearly as rude as asking everyone if they’re pregnant, in other words, telling someone they look fat. It comes from a good place, because the guest is happy for you and excited to celebrate with you. Maybe they think you’re closer friends than you actually are, but it’s not (normally at least) meant to be rude or mean.

      2. Yes they are! My work friend asked me if I was pregnant and when I said I was not, she offered up her brother Clem to help! I was speechless.

        1. Well if you marry her brother you should probably invite her to the wedding.

    7. Sames. I’ve started just saying that we’re looking at Q1 2017, and they get all confused with the “Q1” part, laugh, and change the subject. Problem solved!

    8. I was about to suggest you follow the date with a “but we’re keeping it small and limiting invites to close friends and family” but then I realized they might be delusional and assume they made the cut. So if you tell someone the date and they think they’re coming, let ’em wait by the mailbox and figure it out. If they mention not getting a “save the date,” then you can spell it out for them.

    9. “Yes we’re having a small wedding in May and honeymooning in Hawaii. Have you ever been to Hawaii? Any recommendations?”

      Do not provide the specific date and they will get the hint.

    10. Don’t tell people the date if they are not invited. Just say that you are having a very small, intimate wedding. They should get the hint.

    11. I always tell friends that they are allowed to boot me if the wedding is getting too big. There are way too many people who assume they will be invited and some of them can be very awkward to “disinvite” even if you have never invited them in the first place. People suck sometimes.

  9. I seem to remember someone talking about putting together a group for the Whole Life Challenge. Who is organizing this? Did I miss a post about it? I definitely want to do it if it’s still happening.

    1. I +1’d the original thread and looked at the website — I think the next one starts on January 17th. I’m still interested, FWIW!

    2. I’m interested too! I’m actually already registered, but I don’t have a “team”, its just me solo. And I think it starts Jan 16

      1. +1 – also already registered but teamless, and I’d be interested if it’s happening. And yes, it starts 1/16.

          1. I’ve been thinking about doing this for awhile. Thanks for the kick in the pants to join, ladies!

  10. Can I share the lucky thing that happened to me today?

    I had to renew my lease and it was $80 increase in rent. I was feeling so sad about it and seriously started thinking about buying a house as such yearly increases were not sustainable for us. I couldn’t see the documents online and went to leasing office. She has to generate the lease again as I spent too much procrastinating (partly because I couldn’t happily agree to such an increase) and those lease documents expired. The regenerated lease increased the rent $24 per month instead of $80 per month :-).

    Happy for now..but should look seriously into buying a home.

    1. Happy for you, but if you buy a home, you definitely should not expect that your housing costs will be flat. Maintenance, repairs, remodeling costs etc. run in the thousands annually, in my experience, and way more than $80/mo.

      1. I was about to chime in with the same – get ready for unexpected expenses starting from the day you close!

    2. Great news! I am saying the following in the nicest way possible. If an extra $56/month (the difference between your expired lease and your new one) is going to make or break your finances, it might not be the right time to buy a home. There are so many unexpected expenses that come with home ownership…just this past year, we have had to replace our air conditioner, stove/microwave, pay our annual homeowners’ insurance deductible after a post-winter storm leaking roof, replace a leaking shower door that was ruining the wall, and that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head. Sometimes I really miss being able to call the landlord and get that stuff taken care of. Owning a home is awesome…but is not a money-saving thing, at least in the short term.

    3. Reading about total cost of home ownership was the primary reason why we didn’t buy a house till now.We are paying $250 more than what we were paying when we moved in to this apartment three years back and now is equal to the mortgage of a medium sized house. Also, we are done with other smaller commitments we had which would have become reasonable considerations if we were to seriously think about buying a house. I was thinking tax breaks on mortgage interest can be reserved for maintenance expenses.

      1. The mortgage interest deduction doesn’t even remotely compensate for all the things that need attention in a house. Not even a little bit.

        Will you be buying a place with a yard? Do you have tools? A lawnmower? Will you be hiring a service?

        If you buy new construction, does it come with blinds on the windows? Towel racks?

        Whether or not appliances come with a house depends on the local real estate market. Do you have $10k to outfit a house with a fridge, stove, microwave, and washer and dryer?

        I’ve been you, so I say with all the loving kindness / grabbing the old me by the shoulders and shaking I can muster: don’t buy a house if $56 per month is a problem for you. Just because a mortgage is the same price as rent doesn’t mean it’s the same overall cost.

        1. Sigh. +1 Insurance! Storms! HVAC servicing! Can we talk about the time cost, too? In a rental, you have a super but the time cost of leaving the office to wait for a service person to fix whatever is a DRAG.

        2. Not even close! And don’t forget property taxes. They vary a lot depending on your jurisdiction, but mine are about $7500/yr and I don’t live in a HCOL city.

          1. And not only do they vary, but in a lot of places, including where I am, the assessment of property taxes runs a few years behind. So property values were deflated for tax purposes in 2006-2008 even though property taxes were crazy, and then in 2010 we got hit with a huge increase, even though our value had fallen dramatically. They are the worst. And they don’t stop -even once you’ve paid off your mortgage.

        3. This is all good to know. Keep it coming, I am very busy at the moment and I will check later. Thank you guys.

    4. I’m going to second the post about property taxes. Mine go up a little bit every year because of increasing values so my housing costs haven’t been flat over the past fourteen years.

  11. Query: You and your husband were planning to celebrate the week of your anniversary by taking a roadtrip through the Southeast US, eating all the Southern food. Your friends decide to get married the same week in the upper Midwest, in a place that has some cool stuff within driving distance (national parks, kayaking, etc) but none of it is dog-friendly and you have no choice but to bring your dog along. Friends’ wedding is on a weekday, requiring taking at least one and maybe two days off work and you only have 1 week of vacation time, so doing the wedding over a weekend and rescheduling the Southeast roadtrip for the near future is not doable.

    Do you:
    1) Do the Southeast road trip anyway, even though the wedding destination adds ~14 hours of driving and is basically 100% out of the way
    2) Try to find something near the wedding destination that is borderline vacation-worthy and dog-friendly and accept that it will probably be a bunch of state parks that aren’t really that exciting (you travel internationally a lot and this is one of your last vacations before kids so this is pretty unappealing) or
    3) Treat the wedding as Part 1 of the vacation and fly somewhere else entirely for Part 2, which will then only be 4-5 days.

    Also whyyyyy do US National Parks not allow leashed, well-behaved dogs on trails!? Grr. I’ve heard the explanation that it’s because of the need to protect wildlife but Canada has as much or more wildlife and their National Parks are dog friendly!

    1. I would do option 3, but it isn’t clear what you would do with your dog in option 3.

      Honestly though, unless these were some of my very best friends, I would apologize for already having a trip planned and stick with the original plan.

      1. Dog would come with us for Option 3, but then that restricts us to North America and to destinations we can visit with a dog…which is basically cities, and I’ve never been much of a “fly to a city a spend a week there” person, unless it’s Europe. Maybe we’d fly to Canada and see some of their National Parks. Only half kidding.

        1. I’d 100% fly (or drive) to Ottawa. 300+ restaurants in the downtown area, 4 national parks within an hour drive plus unlimited other outdoor activities, and beautiful parliament hill.

      2. And sadly it’s a good friend, so we have to attend the wedding. They traveled to our destination wedding, so I think it’s basically mandatory. But I really am looking forward to seeing them and other friends we haven’t seen in a long time.

        1. False. That’s just false. You can say no. Just like you can board a dog.

          But if you’re bound and determined to be a martyr, I’d rent a house on one of the Great Lakes, near a cute town, and enjoy lazy nights of wine, frolicking in the lake, and hiking wherever.

          1. Lake Geneva is a pretty spot, and Mackinac Island is romantic (The Grand Hotel especially). If you’re at all by Chicago, there is plenty to do and I’m happy to supply recommendations. If you’re more west Midwestern, there are tons of cozy lake houses with great hiking trails. Or you could drive down to St. Louis to have some Southern food that isn’t prohibitively inconvenient if you’re near Chicagoland. Or hey, I’d do Canada in a heartbeat too.

          2. +1

            That plan sounds good. I really don’t get why the dog can’t be boarded, though.

            Also, as a huge fan of National Parks and dog-obsessed person, I’m glad dogs aren’t allowed. It’s bad enough watching people running rampant and not taking care of the parks… can’t imagine the added headache of having a bunch of folks trying to hike down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in their flip flops and with their dogs.

        2. If it’s a good friend and they came to your destination wedding, I think you should go. Of course you don’t HAVE to go, but you will probably hurt the friendship a bit by not going. But I feel you — planning all your vacation time around other people’s weddings is the worst.

      3. I think I have to +1 on missing the wedding unless they are really really good friends. If they’re having it on a weekday, they may be aiming to keep the number of guests low and might not mind you missing it, especially if you already have other plans.

    2. I RSVP no to the wedding because I have plans.

      National Parks don’t allow dogs for lots of good reasons, including that USA national parks have significantly higher and more concentrated attendance than Canadian parks, and Anericans are dumber, more entitled, and less responsible than Canadians.

      People who have weekday weddings obviously expect lots of no’s.

      1. And also, how exactly would you police a “well trained dogs only” rule?!?

        1. Well I didn’t mean the rule should be stated as “well-behaved dogs only” but more that dogs should be allowed because most dogs are well-behaved. And I have absolutely have seen rangers give tickets for having your dogs off leash in the few National Parks that allow dogs on trails if they’re on a leash (Acadia is one).

          1. I love dogs. I own a dog. I disagree that “most dogs are well-behaved” – a good 40-50% of the dogs I see when I’m out walking my dog pull at the leash, want to run after people/other dogs/cars, or bark when they see people/other dogs/cars. All of those behaviors are disruptive to wildlife.

            Plus, even a well-behaved dog will not behave well at all times. I have a terrier. I’m not sure all the training in the world could overcome my terrier’s bred-in desire to chase small animals. So I wouldn’t take my terrier to places where small animals (squirrels, chipmunks, pika) are supposed to be protected and able to roam freely without predation, other than from their natural predators.

          2. Yeah, you’re missing my point, which was that the wildlife explanation doesn’t make any sense. Dogs are allowed in State Parks, plus other Federal lands, including National Forests, and, most bizarrely to me, many National WILDLIFE REFUGES. I get the wildlife explanation you gave, but my point is that that can’t possibly be the real justification, because of all these other places that allow dogs. It’s just National *Parks* (and even then, not all of them) that ban dogs on trails.

          3. +1 – also, people go to the National Parks to see the natural wilderness/wildlife, not other people’s pets.

          4. Could it possibly be that different Parks have different challenges and concerns? Parks with a lot of acreage will be more likely to have a lost pet. Yellowstone has had issue with pets getting loose and jumping in the hot springs and then scalding themselves to death.

            And it sounds super-entitled to be complaining about not being able to take your pet to *this* park when you can take your pet to most parks.

          6. “And it sounds super-entitled to be complaining about not being able to take your pet to *this* park when you can take your pet to most parks.”
            Not most National Parks. I’ve researched this pretty extensively and I know of only 4 out of the 59 that allow dogs anywhere but paved parking lots. I think most people would agree that the National Parks are overall way more interesting and worthy of visiting than the average state park – there’s only 59 of them for a reason, because they’re really special – so I don’t think “just go somewhere else” is a satisfactory argument. I was just wondering why the US isn’t more like Canada in this regard (which allows pets pretty much everywhere).
            Your first paragraph is well taken, and is actually a valid answer to my question, but your second paragraph is unnecessarily nasty.

          7. I mean, is it really that weird that two national parks services would simply disagree about how disruptive dogs are?

          8. The National Parks are administered by the Park Service. The National Forests are administered by the Forest Service. Wildlife refuges are managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The state parks are run by the states. There isn’t a single monolithic public agency making the decision around allowing dogs – rather, there are different agencies with different priorities and missions, making decisions based upon those missions. That’s why they have different policies on pets (and many other things).

            National Forests and wildlife refuges were not actually established to protect wildlife – they were established, respectively, to safeguard our national timber supply and to preserve game animal habitat (although there’s been some mission creep). The National Parks have a much more preservationist orientation. That’s why you can’t log in the National Parks (National Forests are working forests). And it’s why you can’t typically bring pets.

    3. I vote Option 3, and fly to one or two of the cities you were looking at in the Southeast. Not sure what your itinerary looked like, but I envision attending the wedding, then getting on a plane to Charleston and doing 2 days there, then driving to Savannah and doing 2 days there and in the vicinity.

      1. That’s a great idea, thanks. I really hadn’t thought of that because I had “Southeast” and “road trip” so closely linked in my head, but the main point is the food and we can get that by flying.

        1. The southeast is really big with lots of dead space in between interesting places. It’s not like you’ll find local color while you’re whizzing by on the interstate, so I put in my vote for air travel as well. It sounds like it’s your first trip to the area ever, so hit a couple major foodie cities (I vote for Charleston and New Orleans) and leave the rest for another time.

          1. It’s not my first trip to the area (I did Charleston and Savannah on a previous trip, love them), but totally agree with your point that there wasn’t going to be much sightseeing outside of the food. We were aiming for Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans as the big stops but the first two are doable as long weekend destinations from our home so I think we’ll just fly to NOLA and eat our hearts out. Thanks!

          2. If you’re still reading: this is a totally great road trip. Fly to Memphis, then rent a car and drive from Memphis to NOLA. There is fascinating stuff to see between those two cities, including Clarksdale MS, and the BB King Museum in Indianola MS. You can also scope out the Viking company in Greenville (I think? can’t remember which town it is) in MS. If you want to drive further, drive over to Oxford and eat at amazing restaurants and tour the lovely bookstore on the Square. Then end in NOLA and eat your heart out.

          3. Actually, Lorelai has a great point. I used to live in that part of the country, and if you’re craving a road trip, Memphis to New Orleans has a lot to offer. It’s only 400 miles / 6 hours.

            If you wanted to eat your way through Mississippi, here’s an itinerary in order or towns to see.

            Oxford, about 90 minutes southeast of Memphis, has five restaurants from Chef John Currence, a James Beard award winner. City Grocery is the most lauded of his restaurants, but I prefer Boure. (Truth be told, my favorite restaurant on the town square is an old-fashioned diner called Ajax. If they have it, get the hash brown casserole.) You could swing outside of Oxford to the town of Taylor for Taylor Grocery, renowned for its catfish.

            Morgan Freeman’s blues club Ground Zero is nearby in Clarksdale, MS. (US Hwy 61 is known as the blues highway. Blues were born in this part of Mississippi.)

            Take Hwy 49 down to Green*wood* where Viking appliances are from. The Alluvian is a very high end resort there. The spa is wonderful!

            Drive 40 minutes west to the BB King museum in Indianola. It’s very, very well done and will take ~2 hours to go through. Dine at The Crown and order the Catfish Allison or Nola Restaurant.

            Drive another 40 minutes west to Green*ville* for Doe’s Eat Place. It’s the type of authentic hole in the wall you might be craving. It’s little more than a shack that serves what some food editors have called the finest steak in America, and its tamales are good as well.

            Take 61 south to Vicksburg. There’s a roadside vegetable stand there called The Tomato Place that serves the best food I’ve ever had in my life. You want fried green tomatoes? They pick a tomato out of the pile out front. I am not exaggerating at all when I say I want my last meal on earth to come from here.

            I always get overwhelmed in New Orleans because there’s so much to choose from. I definitely recommend Tartine for breakfast. Out of this world.

          4. Thanks Lorelai and Anon, will try to work Memphis and Oxford and the places you mentioned in between into the itinerary too!

      1. And what is the dog going to do in NOLA when you’re spending half the day at bars and restaurants?

        I just don’t get dog people.

        1. The dog is going to sleep 16 hours a day like she does at home. We go out to dinner at home too, you know.

          1. Then why can’t she stay in the hotel and sleep while you go to the National Parks?

          2. Also, at least half our meals will probably be at restaurants that allow dogs. I suspect NOLA has a lot of restaurants with outdoor seating. It’s not a requirement by any means; she’ll be perfectly fine in the hotel for an hour or two, but I suspect it will work out that way anyway. Thanks for your concern though!

          3. Of course you’re the type of people who bring a dog to a restaurant. Only ok alone for an hour or two? How do you work?

          4. Because it’s hard to find a hotel (especially one that allows dogs) close to a NP. Most are at least an hour away. That means that spending 5-6 hours in the Park is more like 7-8 hours away from the dog, which is very different than leaving her for an hour or two to go out to a restaurant. You obviously don’t have a dog if you think ditching a dog for 8 hours is the same as spending all day walking her around a city, going to city parks, giving her lots of exercise, and then leaving her for two hours to have a nice dinner.

          5. Reading comprehension fail. I said “she’ll be ok for an hour or two alone,” which doesn’t translate to “she can’t be left alone for more than two hours.” And there’s a difference between home and unfamiliar surroundings. It’s called having compassion for a living thing you agreed to take care of, you miserable troll.

        2. It also depends on the dog. My pup would rather be boarded with her awesome friends than go on vacation with her lame parents.

      2. I suspect your comment is snark and not a genuine question, and I don’t really want to start a debate and get called “super super entitled” again, but in the event you’re sincerely wondering: we have been advised by our vet not to board our dog for health reasons. She has been cleared to travel by the vet and has traveled with us on similar trips before. We have trusted dog-sitters we leave her with when we want to travel out of the country, but they are unavailable on these dates.

    5. Oy, I got half way through the dog argument in this thread and stopped reading the comments, so sorry if this got covered somewhere else.

      Go to Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park for the remainder of your vacation time. I was there late this summer and it’s one of my favorite vacations ever (for context, last vacay was to the Maldives and Singapore, so I’m usually into exotic international travel). We took our dog — not only is the park dog friendly but also most of the restaurants in Bar Harbor are dog friendly so we got to take our doggy literally almost everywhere.

      1. I grew up in that part of Maine so have been to Bar Harbor and Acadia dozens if not hundreds of times. I absolutely love the area. And love how dog-friendly Acadia is (part of the reason I was so surprised to learn about the other National Parks not being dog-friendly, because for a long time Acadia was my only frame of reference).
        And if you don’t mind sharing, I’m curious where you stayed in the Maldives – that might be a big vacation a few years down the road to celebrate a milestone.

  12. For those of you in law firms, do you give year-end gifts to the IT staff and paralegals, as well as to your assistant? If so, what do you give them?

    1. Yes, but only something small–chocolates or cookies I baked or something similar. I don’t work with any paralegal in particular, so I don’t give them gifts; I only give gifts to IT/copy center/etc.

    2. I don’t give to IT staff, but I give to my main paralegal, the receptionist who always helps me with a smile (but not the one that doesn’t) and also to our word processing person. I give gift cards in the $20-25 range.

    3. I would check around your office. At our firm, various department heads handle bonuses for various staff that aren’t officially “assigned” to a lawyer. Associates only give gifts (or cash) to their secretaries and then we all pooled for the receptionist.

  13. Can Boden please ever have my size in stock in the Ottoman dress? I want one so badly!!

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