Crap and Carp

Yesterday was pretty crappy - it was like a big box of crapola with the built-in sharpener.

(1) I found out that we didn't get the spot we wanted for the franchise; (2) A lawyer called me wanting to know what it was like to work for the partner who laid me off - getting laid off sucked - suuuucked -and thinking about that again felt like salt in a wound; and (3) we got in from Washington late Sunday night so there is still an open suitcase full of clothes in the middle of the living room floor - It's looking like a hoarders episode around here.

I can't think of anything I want that could make it all seem a little bit better, if even just for a moment. Not coffee, not new makeup, not pho.

Here's the ubiquitous Washington Pike Place photos. Those make me feel better.

Pike Place and Partnership Agreements

After the rectal cavity search for the latest round of SBA financing applications, I was also required to draft an operating agreement. As an attorney, and a tax one at that, I have drafted many, many partnership agreements for clients. I do have to say, however, that after being required to draft one for myself - one where the implications really matter - all the lightbulbs went on. I think I finally understand what I was doing all those years. And I really do miss practicing law.

The good news is, it appears that I will be getting quite a bit of partnership taxation work managing the franchise.

Here's another pic from Seattle. This was taken in Pike Place Market. It's not the traditional fish vendor picture, but an Italian diner that was inside. I love diner/restaurant photography. I don't know why - but I just do.

Have a great day.

Trippy Thoughts - Sleepless in Seattle Houseboat

One of my least favorite movies after Born on the Fourth of July (even though it was partially filmed at SMU) is Sleepless in Seattle. However, I could fully appreciate the fine piece of real estate that was the Tom Hanks character's house boat.

So you better believe that I was squealing right along with all the romcom fans when we sailed past the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat on our Union Bay tour. See Green houseboat below. According to the tour guide, that houseboat is on the market for 2.2 million. I must be incredibly warped by the Colorado real estate market because all I could think to myself was, "That sounds so reasonable."

I mean, I don't have 2.2 million but we could all pool our money together and get it. Just think of the great blogging we could do inspired by the view from there! See View Below. The Canon ELPH only does 4X, but you get the idea.

Trippy Thoughts - Victoria BC

It seems entirely unreal that one day I can be looking out at the Puget Sound, whales, waves, mountains and rain with an espresso in hand, and 24 hours later I am back in a cube. I am thoroughly in love with the State of Washington. I did not see one single cube the whole time I was there - as far as I know, there aren't any.

To the extent that Washington was all that I hoped it would be and more, Victoria, BC, was not what I expected at all. It did not help that the trip from Birch Bay to Victoria involved two different forms of public transportation over three hours. (So, 6 hours total for the day.) I like to avoid situations that make me feel like a cow. The scenery from the ferry was absolute heaven, so at least there was that.

Someone told me that Victoria is a lot like Boulder. Ah, NO. While the natives of both dress like they are ready for a hike at a moment's notice, I suspect the Victoria natives do this because they give absolutely no thought or care to the way they look. In contrast, the people of Boulder spend a great deal of money and put a lot of thought into looking like they don't care about the way they look. Also, Victoria is a big city. Boulder is a little town. Victoria is covered in bird poop. It makes me a little nauseated to think of the bottom of my shoes. I do not recall a bird poop issue in Boulder. There is a Canadian Goose poop issue in Denver, but not Boulder.

Accordingly, I have done Victoria and would not rush to go back. However, Seattle/Bellingham/Birch Bay - perfection.

Weekend Treat - Lindt Sea Salt Chocolate

I found this at a grocery store in Seattle. It speaks for itself.

Fambily

It is important to travel with your family for one week a year to remind yourself why you don't live anywhere close to them for the other 51.

I Knew It!

At a Christmas party last year I met a contract attorney who was also in the midst of developing the world's greatest skin care line. This skin care line was her passion, the contracting merely a means to pay for it.

One weekend she took a trip to New Mexico by herself. While she was there, she figured out that developing a skin care line, the world's best, was what she was meant to do with her life. I have spent many weekends in Santa Fe, and have had many margaritas there, but have never had any visions or great enlightenment. Clearly I need to either upgrade or downgrade my tequila.

She also told me that she always knew that she was meant to live in Colorado. I asked her if she had ever been to Colorado before she made that decision and she said she hadn't. She just knew.

Which made me feel a little less crazy about my feeling that I am meant to live in the Pacific Northwest. Now, that feeling did come over some margaritas. I remember the exact night I decided that, and I haven't changed my mind since. It just feels right. And there is no rational basis for me to feel this way because (until this week) I had never been.

So that's kind of an awful lot for a place to live up to. But it did. Being in the Pacific Northwest has only confirmed to me further that I am totally meant to live here. This is where I am meant to be, yet not at all possible. It's a weird thing, that - to live in a place that feels a bit left of center to your very being.

Tomorrow we head from the Cascades back through Seattle and up to coast near the Motherland (Canada).

Seattle Scenes

Blogger.com isn't happy today, or perhaps it is my connection here in the Cascades. I hope to be back tomorrow. XO Associate Girl

That's What I Thought

You know how nothing is every really like you think it is going to be? Southern California - way more gritty than I imagined. Miami - way more gritty than I imagined. Worcester, MA - not quaint at all. I spent one year at Clark University. One year. One long gritty year without a car.

But the State of Washington - exactly like I imagined it would be. Green, overcast, rainy. The forest ranger stations, the roadside diners, the ski areas - all exactly like I imagined.

When we were driving past a Washington ski area (closed now, of course) I pointed it out to my son. He mocked it. His Keystone-Vail-Beaver Creek spoiled snowboarding ass mocked the cute little Washington ski hill.

Tomorrow - Seattle. I expect to be EXACTLY like the movie Singles.

Mr. Wolf

My son is 9, so you would think that our wellbeing would not revolve around the whereabouts of one stuffed toy wolf - BUT IT DOES.

Accordingly, when we were getting of the plane for our stop-over to Seattle, I made good and sure that Mr. Wolf was in the backpack.

One of the morals of this story is that one should not wear snakeskin wedges to Spokane. It tends to rain there, coupled with the fact that they do not have those expandable and retractable walkways to greet the plane. You have to walk from the plane to the terminal in the rain, which is not good for snakeskin wedges.

Ten minutes in the terminal and my son looked at me in panic. I knew. Mr. Wolf was gone. You can stand in the Spokane airport and spin around and see the whole thing, so we knew that Mr. Wolf wasn't in the airport. And the stewardess said it wasn't in the plane.

Oh. The. Horror.

I think that our airlines is the same one that just lost the two children; that is, had two kids travelling alone and sent each one to the place the other was scheduled to go to. This was nothing like that. In that situation, the whereabouts of the children was always known. In our situation, we had no idea where Mr.Wolf was.

My son balls-out wailed all the way to Seattle.

When we arrived in Seattle we got a text message that Mr. Wolf had been found. And all was right with the world again. Mr Wolf is waiting for us at the airport at home. Now that is some airlines customer service.

Weekend Treat - Kate Spade Metro Shoes

I was at The Gap getting my son some running shorts because I think he should start running with me. I'll let you know how that goes.

I wander on over to the jeans section for me. A spunky little male clerk comes over to me and points out that I am looking at the Very Sexy Boot Cut Jeans and I might prefer the Long and Lean because, you know, the Very Sexy Boot Cut Jeans are cut really, really low in the hip.

I shot him my I-am-a-premenstrual-attorney-in-a-bad-mood glare.

Then he said, "You are wearing some killer shoes."

That's right. Girlfriend has some killer shoes.

www.katespade.com

Pho

Did I say we had financing? Yes, yes I did say that.

Well, there's miles and miles of difference between a bank saying that they will give you the amount you ask for, and being provided that amount on reasonable terms. When we said that we couldn't accept those terms, the bank said we could go the SBA route. We found out today that we can go the SBA route, but we would have to put down about 40% of the start-up costs.

If we had 40% of the start-up costs, I would be independently wealthy and planning my next trip to Tahiti rather than thinking about starting up a franchise that is going to require me to work 12 hours a day for 7 days a week without vacation for the next few years.

We are no closer to this whole franchise venture than we were a month ago, and I am beginning to wonder if it's really even possible at all. I thought about breaking down in tears. I thought about getting angry because I feel like I have been strung along for the past month by the bank saying they would work with us to work something out. But really where I am is that I just want some pho.

Book Reviews

Prior to obtaining your excellent recommendations for a good read (they are next in the lineup), a friend lent me Water for Elephants. Also, I found a copy of Main Street that I bought back when the Barnes and Noble sold classics rather than toys.

Water for Elephants. The plot is painfully obvious from the very first chapter. Furthermore, there is an old man in the book that claims to have carried the water for the elephants. He is the nemesis of the main character in the parts of the book that take place in the present day, but the main character doesn't believe that he did carry the water. Given the title, you would think that would be an important conflict to circle back around to and resolve. But no.

However, and this is a big however, Sara Gruen's writing is really good. Her descriptions of people and places are on par with Steinbeck, and I don't throw that out there lightly because Steinbeck is my favorite. So I would, actually, give this book one and three-fourths thumbs up. Also, I understand that they are making it into a movie with Reese Witherspoon. So if you are one of those people that has to read the book before the movie, it's a quick read.

Main Street. This is the first Sinclair Lewis book I have ever read and I do believe we were related in a past life - he has a passion for the use of the dash. I knew all along it was a serious punctuation symbol that was underutilized. Second of all, I love that suspicion of suburbia was present even back in the 1920's. At one point in the book, the main character - having been taken from the city to suburbia by her new husband - is at a party being introduced to all the town folk. A line reads, "The rest of the party waited for the miracle of being amused." I have a work function to go later and I have a feeling I will be repeating that.

For Faux Trixie and Third Tier

This reprint is for fauxtrixie.blogspot.com and thirdtierfromthetop.blogspot.com to explain why nobody should cover Steve Perry. Nobody. But then, I think George Harrison was the most important Beatle, so what do I know?

Originally posted 2.12.10

Earlier this week, the girls over at aiminglow.com were talking about music, and the comment was made that Steve Perry is hawt. I know very few things to be true, but this I know with absolute certainty.

And this got me thinking that on the drive to work this morning, I really did not want to stop believing. We keep The Essential Journey in my husband's car. That way, it is ready for each and every road trip, it being more important than gas. If your car doesn't have gas, you can push it. But if your car doesn't have The Essential Journey, well then you are just SOL.

My husband is only ever in one of two places, his office at the house or Thailand, so I am never separated from my CD. Except this morning, my husband left the house, taking his car with him and thereby taking the CD with him. Oh. The. Horror. Now, I have Journey's Greatest Hits in my car, but it is not the same. It is great, but it is not essential. Furthermore, my Journey's Greatest Hits CD is unplayable.

When CDs first came out, I remember my dad saying that CDs were indestructible. Although I have proven that over and over again to be a false statement, I still neglect to put my CDs back in their case because there is this voice in my head telling me, "CDs are indestructible." Unless you leave them in the side pocket of your car, outside of their case, with a broken crystal picture frame for over a year. That tends to be not good for CDs.

So I did what I always do when I need my porn (and if Steve Perry sweating isn't porn then I don't know what is) - I headed to the internet. Thereupon I called up "Don't Stop Believing" on youtube. HELL-O. And it is also true that Steve Perry is hawt for no single identifiable reason. And, in fact, if you take it in piece by piece - ouch. First of all - a mullet? Second of all, in many videos, he is sporting a yellow half shirt with black leopard spots. A half shirt. Also, he is wearing the highest waisted jeans ever designed - they come all the way up to meet his half shirt. But put it all together and add the voice and he is the hottest soft rocker of all time.

I knew this when I was 13, when I would stare at myself in front of the mirror while listening to Separate Ways and hoping that, indeed, some day love would find me and break the chains that bind me. Oh. The. Chains.

Food Addict - I Need a New Drug

I would be the worst (the best?) drug addict.

I never just half-way like something. When I like something it is all I want for as far as I can see into the future. Take rice noodles, for example. I figured out an excellent method for cooking rice noodles and a yummy sauce. I thought to myself that I could never imagine eating anything else EVER. Indeed, for months on end, whenever I could, I made and ate rice noodles. Then one night I made them (the exact same way that I had for months) and the thought of putting one more bit of rice noodles in my mouth made me gag. Ewww. There is no food more gross than rice noodles.

Most times, however, there is a replacement food. I've gone on kicks of salmon sashimi, spinach smoothies, Corn Chex, Swedish Fish, Black Eyed Peas with Jalapenos, scrambled eggs. But now I am in a great void of food excitement.

Vail Doesn't Suck

Here are some pictures of our trip to Vail. No Colorado scene is complete without (1) a dog and (2) a CU student looking for a bong.





Mmmmm frozen dessert cart. Now, I don't mean to tell them their business, but you can't technically call it margarita flavor if there is no tequila in it. My husband and I kept saying, "You know what this needs? Tequila."

This is the same street (different view) the next day. It rained all night in town but snowed just half way up the ski run.

Vail doesn't suck.

Weekend Treat - Mountains and Sea

It's a great weekend here at Decisions on Margaritas. I'm in Vail - and there just happens to be a fiesta this weekend (read: margaritas available in little carts right on the sidewalk). Even if there wasn't a fiesta, there are a great many bars here that serve frozen margaritas. In other words, this is utopia with margaritas and Aspen trees.

Anyway, last weekend in my post I showed you the bottom right of Gray Garden, my Rauschenberg. Here is the whole thing. Nobody likes it but me, and that is fine. It's my piece of art.

It reminds me of the summer I spent in Whittier, California. Because I never got around to picking up the t-shirt that said, "I am Whittier than you," I decided to get this Rauschenberg.

Is that at trash can in the bottom left? Probably.

I think one of the reasons I love it is because it is not the typical by-the-sea picture. It captures the grittiness that is so often associated with public beaches. Also, it's got a 50's/60's mid-century vibe. I can't explain it, but it spoke to me.

Revenge

So. My fellow cube world inhabitant. The IT guy.

He thinks everything is funny. If someone says hello, he replies hello while laughing. If someone calls him to report that their computer just blew up, he laughs and says he'll be around to fix it.

Also, he talks to himself. This is not an admirable quality in a cube mate. He'll ask himself out loud, "Am I sure about that?" When he solves a problem, he says "yay!" - out loud. And then he says it again in a very low voice, and then a very high voice. YAY, yay, yayeeeee!

There is only one just revenge - downloading Lea Michele's version of Faithfully and playing it in our cube on repeat. Check and mate.

The Franchise Update

Would someone from California please explain Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt to me? We just got our first one in this state and no matter what time of the day or night I drive by the people are lined up around the block. There's very few things worthy of that kind of wait. Someone told me that all frozen yogurt is actually based on the same formula, so I am very curious about the Pinkberry allure - but not curious enough to wait in line to see. So someone just tell me already.

Anyway, that Pinkberry ended up in the exact spot that we had initially identified for The Franchise, which makes me feel like I must have a good instinct for location. As I have discussed here, the second option was in the swanky little shopping district with the independent store that sells the same product as The Franchise. Well - I couldn't be more happy we didn't go that route. In that same area, there is an independent frozen yogurt store. Then, a frozen yogurt franchise store opened ON THE SAME BLOCK. I understand through the grapevine and from my friends who operate a little gift store right next to the independent yogurt place that this turn of events has been DEVASTATING to the little independent store. Interesting that the people in that area balk at franchises coming in, but frequent them rather than the independent store when they have the choice.

I was furious on behalf of the independent store. How could the yogurt franchise do that to our friends at the independent place? That's when I realized my Franchise couldn't do that, that I couldn't be that type of business. We had to find a different place. We've identified another location as our top choice and did the traffic count (which was fantastic) this past weekend.

The financing has hit a bit of a snag - I'll leave that at that. But we're in a holding pattern right now.

Also, I really want to focus on hiring people that need a break to work in The Franchise store. (Women leaving abusive relationships, teenagers that have rough home lives) I remember when I first got divorced how hard it was to make ends meet for all of the expenses for me and me son. It was hard on a lawyer's salary (I was working at a very small firm paying my dues, so it wasn't great pay, but it was okay pay), so I can't even imagine how women do it on smaller incomes. If I can get a store with a decent amount of space in the back, I would love to make it so that women with young children can work at the store and bring their children. I know that child care expenses can almost make it impossible to justify working. I dunno if that can even be done - but its my hope to focus my employee searches that way. I understand the risks, but the rewards if I am able to do that would be huge.

A Low Point in Parenting

When I called the climbing camp and asked if my son needed to bring anything they said that he didn't. The first day he showed up the climbing guide asked where his water and snack were.

I turned in a panic to the mom next to me and said "I didn't know we had to bring water and snacks!"

She looked at me with pity and said, "I always send my daughter with water when she is going to be doing a strenuous activity."

Ha ha ha ha ha. F*ck you.

In my defense, they provide such things at his snowboard camp, so you can see how I was confused.

Later that evening my son was telling me that one of the other climbers threw away an unopened snack packet of Ritz Bitz and that the instructor took them out of the trash and gave them to him.

Trying to play this off as no big deal, I congratulated him for his brilliant ability to recycle. But inside I was absolutely mortified that my son's snack came from the trash. And it was Ritz Bitz. Those aren't even good when they don't come from the trash. Twizzlers - I would dumpster dive for an unopened packet of Twizzlers (at least, before I learned that the second ingredient was wheat). Anyway, these kids are 9 to 12 years old. Shouldn't they be able to go 3 hours without food by now?

That's what it's all about.

I am Canadian, and I have a son. I fully expected that the majority of my son's formative years would involve me sitting in cold hockey arenas. At 5, we suited him up, got him skates and a helmet, and put him on the ice. He promptly fell over - first second on the ice he just collapsed into a heap of hockey gear. I was mortified. I felt like any second the Canadian secret service (if there is such a thing) was going to tap me on the shoulder and ask me to relinquish my citizenship. Canadian kids skate like fish swim. Where had I gone wrong?

My son took one look at all the angry 5 year olds with mullets grunting at each other on the ice and decided to spend the remainder of the season as far away from the action as possible.

Not much else took by way of team sports. But the kid is a mad snowboarder. And he's been known to enjoy climbing. So I signed him up for a climbing camp. I have never seen him more excited about anything. He couldn't eat, sleep, settle down. The kid has gotta climb. It's like he has found the meaning of life. That my friends, that's what it's all about. There is nothing better in the whole world than seeing someone you love that happy.

I think I have a little hippie climber on my hands.

What I Didn't Learn in Law School

I am going to let you in on a wee little secret. They don't teach you much in law school. [Note to my dear law school readers - except for Administrative Law. That one is valuable so pay attention.] You read hundreds (thousands?) of cases and participate in mock trials, but you are completely ill prepared for the first time after graduation that one of your friends asks you a real legal question.

You feel like a deer in headlights and it is so obvious. "Is this contract enforceable? Well, lets see here. Did everybody provide appropriate consideration? A peppercorn perhaps? Well, let's just wait to see what happens when the next Peerless comes in and then we'll talk, okay?"

The following issue has come up twice: If somebody fires someone, does the fire-er (real legal term) have to pay unemployment? The first time I was asked this was at a board meeting, having been elected to the board for my vast legal knowledge and experience. I dunno know, but I don't think so. How does that even make sense? (What are all those damn taxes for that are taken out of paychecks?) But everybody on the board was fairly certain that you do have to pay some sort of unemployment. So I went home and Googled the crap out of the issue. To little avail. Then I asked the HR department. They didn't know. No, of course not. (I've yet to determine what HR departments actually do besides purchase goal development software.) It ended up that the entity for which I was a board member dissolved (I don't think for anything I did) so the issue just kind of went away.

Except the same issue came up last week - sorta. On jennsylvania.com, Ms. Lancaster was saying that if she fired her assistant she would have to pay unemployment. Now, I know she wasn't even attempting to make any sort of legal statement. It was said in jest. But it got me thinking - I still don't know that answer to that question. Do you suppose Sallie Mae would give me a refund?

Weekend Treat - Nooks

I didn't buy anything this week (except for a JCrew boyfriend cardigan, but that doesn't make it different from any other week).

So instead I am sharing some of my favorite nooks in my house. This is the dinosaur that lives in front of our fireplace. My decorating philosophy (aside from texture texture texture) is that every room should have one piece of kitsch.

Another one of my favorite nooks is my dining room table that serves as my office. Note the texture on the red candle holder in the hurricane. Mmmmm texture. The hurricane is from Z Gallerie and the candle holder is from one of my friends from college that I haven't spoke to in years. Strange how those things go. Oh, and on the gray walls, my Rauschenberg. Mmmmm Rauschenberg.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

When I lived in New Orleans I was told that the red bumps that I got on my face were probably related to alcohol and/or shellfish. Clearly this was a problem with a solution.

Accordingly, it was not until I got pregnant 15 years later and didn't even want (1) a drink or (2) food, that I was able to test the theory. It was not the alcohol or the shellfish.

A few years later, I learned that wheat can cause a similar reaction. So I cut out the wheat and, lo and behold, no more red bumps on my face. If I eat little bites of wheat, the bumps come back. I haven't had bread or flour tortillas or bagels or croissants in a few years now. Or pizza. Or beer. Or pasta. Oh, and my stepdaughter is vegan. Wanna come to dinner? We're having rice.

Just recently, the owners of our favorite restaurant opened another restaurant - an eco-friendly, morally responsible, grass-fed cow burger restaurant. (As my son pointed out, the end result is the same for the cow, but I do feel very good about the fact my straw is made out of recycled materials). The best part about this place, however, is that they have gluten free buns!!! Do you know how long it has been since I have had a whole hamburger. Screw lettuce wraps - Not. The. Same. Last night I had my first burger in years. And it was good. It was so very very good. I may have moaned while I was eating it.

And that night I was so very very ill. Not food poising throwing up ill - but tummy ache, feeling green ill. My bread-free body just couldn't handle going off the wagon. So you would think that the smart thing to do would be to perhaps not eat there again. Oh but no. The smarter thing to do is to go back again tonight to build up my tolerance.

Little Miss Missing Teeth

Holy Mother of God.

I have seen the dregs of humanity, and it is not the clientele at the Red Robin.

The little convenience store by my office is run by this crazy old lady who is always watching t.v. She also happens to make a damn good latte. So I know her well. I'll stop to chat and we usually wind up talking about whatever she is watching.

Today she was watching Toddlers and Tiaras. Oh. My. No. Sometimes I am just plain embarrassed for humanity. My skin started to crawl watching the little girls with wigs and fake lashes and spray tans and outfits that costs thousands of dollars. Two thousand dollars for an outfit and it's not even St. John - so wrong.

But then - oh but then - this one pageant also had a section for the over 50!!! Oh dear God make it stop. I'm not even sure these women had all their teeth. Seriously. Are they mentally challenged? I don't take using that term lightly I swear I don't but I really do have to wonder if these women are. No. Nevermind. I know these women are mentally challenged. Ew Ew Ew wash me with steel wool. SOooooo very much about my fellow humans worries me deeply.

What has to go wrong in your life that you wind up in an over 50's beauty pageant at the motel ball room in Terre Haute pissed off that you are only fifth runner up even though you are missing teeth? I mean, I have known some women who have gone through some hard times - they've ended up drinking, in bad relationships, or selling water filters door to door. But no matter how bad things got, they never ended up in a motel ball room at the Little Miss Glamour Pageant - competing at the Little Miss Pageant.

That Would be a Negative

The big news in Cube World is that I now have a cube mate. They took my box, put a partition in the middle of it, and stuck someone on the other side of that partition. As you may know, Cube World is also an electronic game that you can get in the toy aisle at Target. A little electronic person inhabits each cube. If you put any two cubes together, one little electronic person crawls out of his cube into the cube belonging to the other little electronic person and beats the shit out of him. I'm just saying. This whole sharing a cube thing has been modeled before and it didn't turn out well.

My cube mate is very affable. In fact, he seems to crack himself up quite a bit. I like this in a person - except when they are in my personal damn space. It is also quite possible that he is the loudest paper mover on the planet. And he's a pen clicker. And in place of saying "no" he says "that would be a negative" every damn time that no would suffice.

Now, I can just see my husband shaking his head and cracking up - because he knows that the last possible thing you would want to do if you were my employer is put me in an enclosed, dark, cold space with someone else who does things that humans do. He's laughing because he just knows this isn't going to go well - somebody is going to wind up being very, very sorry about this whole arrangement.

Also, I'm not the most tolerant person in the world when it comes to things like having to hear people eat or drink or swallow or smell what they are eating. It's kind of a phobia/problem that I should seek help for because, you know, peoples gotta eat. But I can't help it. Mouth sounds make me bonkers. God help us the first time cube mate decides to eat lunch at his desk.

Heaven on Earth

I love my Canon Elph. I got it right before my trip to Dallas. Here are some pics from that trip. There are so many bloggers out there that claim to be Southern Belles. Well, I see you your claim and raise you . . .

SMU, the Pi Phi House, and the SMU Law portico. All leaning to the left for some reason.