My Circle Doesn't Include Duck

Last night I attended an open house hosted by the law firm our agency uses.  We utilize lawyers to sue people into getting better.  No, not really.  But we do on occasion need lawyer help.  And when they invited us to an open house, we jumped at the opportunity.

Non-profit receptions have cookies, sandwiches from the grocery store deli, and plastic bottles of water.  I had high hopes that the law firm might be a notch above that.

And I was not disappointed.

We arrived to find that we were under-dressed.  The non-profit understanding of "open house" was apparently different than the law firm definition.  Had I realized this, I would have worn my $10,000 suit.  That seemed to be the "floor" on suit-worth in the room.  Though admittedly, I am making this number up as an outrageous-but-possible number since I have no idea what expensive suits might cost.  I did have on my best Dockers and my third-best button-down shirt (approximate value $98 or so).

Their office is on the 14th and 15th floor of a downtown high-rise overlooking the lake and all the rest of the town that's worth overlooking.  A spiral, crystal staircase takes you from 14 to 15.  And they probably have clerks that could carry you, if you asked.

They were giving away door prizes - $200 gift certificates to expensive restaurants, small foreign cars, free lawsuit of your choice, actual antique doors, and expensive suits.  Regrettably, I was not a winner. The food included: smoked duck diablo, crab and lobster tacos, edamame hummus, and a "tower of tuna".

I won't get into the alcohol available.  OK, maybe a little.  The main bar had anything you could ask for, and the upstairs bar had what one lawyer described to me as "the good scotch."  Realizing that drinking the "good scotch" might invite a conversation with a lawyer in which I would be totally and completely out of my league, I settled for the "good wine."  I almost went with the "good tequila" but thought that the vision of a drunk, under-dressed, under-fed (I really liked the duck. A lot.) non-profit executive would not set a good example.

I met a lawyer who told me about a US Senator calling him about a job for his daughter.  And a lawyer who was the speaker of the house and then attorney general of a southern state (one you would recognize).  And a lawyer who was heading out tomorrow to go to what he described as an Embassy progressive dinner, where the embassies in DC host people who paid a bazillion dollars to dinners at their various sites.  He was looking forward to the Ambassador from Sri Lanka cooking him Koola'ya.

I am happy with my career choice.  I enjoy working for the public good, and providing services that are needed in the community.  Every once in awhile, though, I get a glimpse of the trade-offs involved.  I probably would have been a crappy lawyer.  But I would have truly enjoyed getting the regular opportunity to go to parties where they serve smoked duck diablo.  At least I can savor that detail for a few more days, as I smuggled out 23 pieces of duck in my best Dockers.

Yes, that is duck in my pocket, and I am glad to see you.