It Was Great--Except for the Bruising!

When the California bar results are posted, they are first available at the appointed time on the internet and only to the person who took the examination. Each potential new attorney is assigned a log-in code so they can access their own results. Once logged in, there's a screen with the person's name and a bunch of other information. In teeny tiny print, somewhere near the bottom of that screen, it will say, "[name]'s name appears on the pass list." Of course, attorneys are well known for their affinity for fine print, so I suppose that makes some sense. However, if you're nervous, if you've already had a few "adult beverages," and/or if you're looking at your results on a lap top in a room full of people, finding those words on the screen can be difficult and nerve wracking!

The day has already been suspenseful enough, so I'll just tell you up front that both my "kids" passed. Occasionally throughout the day, I'd check on my boy boss and he was calm as could be, even up to the time he was logging onto the state bar website on that laptop in the room full of people. My girl boss, on the other hand, has been doing breathing exercises for the past few days and we weren't sure how she was going to make it until 6 p.m. when the results were to be posted.

In an effort to help out, our senior partner took the two of them out for a late, long, and somewhat wet lunch which kept them occupied until a little bit before 4 p.m. Oddly enough, they seemed somewhat relaxed when they returned to the office. Imagine that, huh?! Also in an effort to help them and the rest of us pass the time, my former boss broke out the blender and margarita makings and we all sat around laughing, talking, drinking, and entertaining the "kids" until 6 p.m. Boy did time move slow! Shortly before 6 p.m., my girl boss retreated to her office and obtained her results behind her closed office door while my boy boss gutted it out in front of an avid audience.

It's been a long time since I recall seeing and feeling that level of excitement and emotion. We laughed, we screamed, we jumped up and down, we cried, we drank some more, and we hugged--boy did we hug! Everyone was hugging the "kids" and they were hugging everyone, absolutely beside themselves with joy. We hugged so much and so hard, I wouldn't be surprised to find bruises in the morning!

When I left the office at 6:30, some of the attorneys were planning to continue the celebration by going to dinner at a local restaurant--I can only imagine the hangovers tomorrow from alcohol, tears, and adrenaline. But it was a fantastic day! In fact, I can't imagine a better way to start an absolutely fantastic week of vacation time! Wooo-hoooooo! Congrats to "my kids"! I knew you could do it, but it sure is a relief to get that confirmation from the state bar!