Hiatus

First off, hi everyone! I know that it's been a while since my last post, but it's been incredibly busy at work and at home. I closed two important deals for the firm in the last couple of weeks, billed well over 550 hours in February and March, organized a meeting with a rather sizable potential client that had contacted me earlier in the year, oversaw the launch of my group's associate training program and managed to find time to train (somewhat sporadically) for the half-marathon I'll be running later this month.

Professionally, it's been a rather interesting time. The work itself has been a bit more challenging than it was in 2011, but with the additional challenge have come more grueling hours. I was in mid-closing on the last deal when I got word that another one of my transactions would be starting up, and based on the number of potential new deals on my plate, I'll likely be busy well into the summer months. 

Most importantly, the clients have reportedly been happy, and that means that the partners I've been working with have been very happy.  A mid-level associate who worked on one of my deals told me that the most important thing one can do at this firm in order to make partner is to make nice with the partners in the corporate department, since they have a large voice politically in the firm. She told me that in the five years she had been at the firm, she had never seen the head of the commercial sub-group and the former co-head of the corporate department come to our floor as often as they had in the month prior to the deal closing, and each time they were on our floor it was to visit me in my office. As she put it, "[Mr. X] never comes to visit anyone on this floor; everyone always goes to his office. He must really like you." Yea, me!

Professional achievements aside, I haven't had much time to relax lately. What little free time I've had, however, I've dedicated either to running or spending with Sofia. She has been absolutely fantastic; I am grateful every day for how amazing, carefree and easygoing she is. Sure, she has her difficult moments and her issues (like any 4-year old), but on the whole I really don't think that I could ask for a better kid.

Although I haven't been training for my half-marathon as much as I should, I'm able to run five miles without too much difficulty and am hoping that April is busy but manageable enough for me to run every day without dealing with a lack of sleep. I wouldn't call it a "runner's high", but I have found that running is easier for me after I get past the first two or three miles.  I'm not sure why; perhaps it just takes me that long to find my rhythm.  As long as I can make it across the finish line, as slow as I may be, I'll be happy.

Well, back to work. Check in every once in a while, as I hope to update the site a bit more regularly.