24 hours

Kong's life in a snapshot

5 am, April 10, 2026 - Ohio

I awaken from my slumber to prepare for a day of driving, court, and trying to manage my business

I am still on military orders. I go to the lobby to check out. I need a receipt to upload for my military pay. They have it ready. Someone comes up next to me, asks if the lobby has any coffee. They do not.

“I REALLY need caffeine,” the person says.

Don’t we all.

6 am, April 10, 2026 - still Ohio

I arrive at my friend’s house. First time seeing it. He and I went to military school, had never met his kids (twins) or wife. We have coffee, chat about the bad lawyering in his county. He’s a county prosecutor and a military guy, fantastic lawyer. We drink coffee as he tells me about the lawyer who called him “an asshole” in court, then apologized, and afterwards said, “you are still an asshole”

My working theory is that few people graduate from middle school mentally. This lawyer was unprepared for court, and had been practicing law for almost 50 years, yet somehow my friend was the asshole for pointing this out. Judge still granted a continuance, btw, because even criminal cases can be bumper car court.

His kids are cute, acting shy around me. One of them is told to howl like the coyotes in the backward. He lets out a quiet howl. Kids are the best. I’d have 1,000 more.

His wife is great. She asks me a military question. I explain how stupid it is. My buddy smiles. She smiles and walks away. He was right and she was wrong, but you can tell she’s cool. I’m happy for him. We go outside, talk about paying taxes to pedophiles, and I depart

10 am, April 10, 2026, somewhere

I pull over to the side of the road for zoom court. A few minutes before, I called my client and talked through the case. SHOULD I have called her while driving? No. I am coming to learn how stupid this is. You really are not paying attention when talking and driving. Alas, I decided to call her.

Court starts. Semi’s, likely driven by illegals, who my tax dollars also support, fly by. I parked close to a guard rail. If I was hit by a semi, my car likely gets split in half. That was dumb. I think about this while answering the judge’s questions.

My client gets screwed. What is new. I think the DA’s office is doing something illegal, but I really don’t have time to deal with it because it is an expedited proceeding. Eventually I will. Not today.

2 pm, April 10, 2026, my office

One of my clients lost and is appealing his case. I am not handling the appeal, but I am still his attorney at the trial court level, so I am working with opposing counsels to get everything to the appellate court.

I walk into the office. I have not showered. I am wearing a suit, tie, and sweatpants. Zoom court attorney attire.

My admin tells me what I missed. I say ok, take a deep breath, then get back to what I need to do. It can wait. It has to wait.

4 pm, April 10, 2026, opposing counsel’s office

I need to verify with her that we are on the same page with what was admitted and not. We mostly talk about other things, such as when she retires if she wants to work for my firm. She is flattered. She tells me another attorney already asked her, but that person sucks, so she is interested. Now I am flattered.

Eventually we try and figure out, based on our notes, what to do. I need to take better notes.

We figure it out, but she needs to talk to her co-counsel to confirm. I have no doubt they’ll quickly talk and get it done for my client. There is a strict time line. I email my client to remind him that it’s not done, and he really, really, REALLY needs to make sure he files for an extension of time.

It’s one of those CYA things that, while I am not being paid on the case (and have not for a while), a bar association complaint would take hours to deal with, whereas just saying hey, dude, FYI AGAIN, make sure, if you want to do this, that you look into your OPTIONS, specifically the ones for MORE TIME. I am not telling him what to do, just MERE SUGGESTIONS.

530 pm, April 10, 2026, a restaurant

My son is going to a Grandma - Grandson (Really mommy - son but ….yeah) dance. I walk in, million thoughts in my head. He races up to me, yells “DADDY”, and hugs me tight. I pick him up as he tells me about Minecraft. For a minute, everything is ok.

730 pm, April 10, 2026 - home

I walk in. Figure I’ll talk to my dad for a bit, then go to sleep. He beat me to sleep. I lay down.

830 pm, April 10, 2026 - home

I wake up to my son jumping on me. He’s holding and covered in glow sticks. He is sweaty. My mom tells me he was a dancing machine. He keeps telling me about minecraft.

“I love you buddy, but daddy needs sleep”

My mom directs him to his toys. I fall back asleep. Glad he is a happy, dancing machine. May he always be.

330 am, April 11, 2026 - home

I wake up to get ready for another military day, this time only three hours away. I shit, shower, shave. Uniform on, stuff packed. I think I have time, so I sit on the couch and catch up on X. Time gets away from me.

Crap.

5:10 am, April 11, 2026 - on the road

My drive begins. I have less than three hours to make a three plus hour drive. Speed limit says 70. I go 90.

There is a thin line between criminal and criminal defense attorney, and occasionally I cross it.

I make it with time to spare.

I walk in and see the vestibule with all the pictures of everyone from my unit who has died in wars over the past 40 plus years.

Guess I’ll be ok today.