9:05 p.m. | 2003-08-27 Stand Back, I�m Armed! I looked down at my arm the other day and thought for sure that I was looking at someone else�s because mine looked fit. Then, I flexed, and sure as shit, I�ve acquired some muscles. In my arms and my legs. Which probably explains that mysterious 2-pound weight gain. (All my clothes fit the same, yet I�ve been consistently weighing in a couple of pounds heavier.) Anyone who knows me knows that I certainly didn�t gain this muscle at a gym since I would never exercise on purpose. I have to trick myself into exercising. And, I think I�ve done just that. See, all this extra walking, stair climbing and carrying of random things seems to have resulted in an unusual state of fitness. That�s a good thing, albeit an odd state of affairs for me. I do tend to carry things more � which is against doctors� orders � except for my work stuff. I have one of those small, wheeled, suitcase things that I load up every workday with various plastic containers holding my breakfasts and lunches, then I throw in my newspaper and other odds and ends. However, people presume that it�s full of files. And, sometimes it is, but not typically. Typically, it�s full of food and the news. Heh. In fact, when I ran into one of my former law school professors (FP) today, this happened. (We were passing each other in the crosswalk.) (FP:) Hi! How are you? (CI:) Good, and you? (FP:) Fine, thanks. (Pointing to my suitcase.) Looks like you�ve got a lot of �homework� there. (CI:) Yeah. At the time, my suitcase contained empty food containers, my newspaper and a book that I borrowed from Boss. Yet, I�m apparently not only looking fit, I�m looking industrious too. That works for me. Speaking of that former law school professor, he�s a great teacher. He doesn�t teach full-time though. He has his own business near MyWorkPlace and he�s often at MyOtherWorkPlace. I run into him fairly frequently. Anyway, he was my professor for my negotiations class. When I entered that class, I was definitely NOT a good negotiator. I try to treat people fairly and I presume others do the same. Of course, we all know that�s just one of my insane delusions. He was quite the taskmaster too. We had to complete at least one negotiation a week. That doesn�t sound like much, but when you�re working full-time and have 3 other night classes, it�s a lot. We were always matched with an opponent, each given a different set of facts and our faux-clients each demanded different outcomes. Early on, FP matched me up with one of the toughest negotiators (TN) in the class. TN whipped my ass the first time around. But, I learned a lot over the semester, which was good since FP once again matched me up with TN for the final negotiation. The final one had to be videotaped and FP told us that we must come to a resolution. FP strongly insinuated that our grade for that negotiation would depend on whether or not we completed it. TN and I scheduled a time for our taping and had at it. I diligently put all my newfound knowledge and skills to a test and met him head to head. I wouldn�t budge. Concession after concession, I just dug my heels in. I could tell, during the negotiating, that TN wanted to punch me right in the face because I frustrated him to no end. However, when I watched the tape, I realized that he actually really wanted to �take it outside� and beat the crap out of me. But, TN was stubborn too, notwithstanding the concessions he made, so the negotiation was never resolved. At that point, I was beyond caring about my grade � I was busy reveling in my previously unrealized bargaining skills. I received an A in the class and discovered that no resolution is sometimes the resolution of a case. At least in the first round. After all was said and done, FP and I ended up having a great deal of respect for each other, and we always exchange pleasantries. And, he still thinks I�m doing �homework�. Heh. your thoughts? seed flower