Zenkitty,

I think so.

The rumors are that Zimmerman is going to be charged with 2nd degree murder.

I really hope this is true.

God, I am so bored at work right now. I've been handing off my various projects to the people who will be taking them over when I'm out on maternity leave... and now I have nothing to do all day. Ooh, wait, I think I have a few emails I can answer.

As far as I can work out, Zimmerman must be deeply deeply stupid, or he's cleverer than all of us.

I'm going with stupid. Just a completely incompetent human who is also a bully/coward.

I'm terrified of being old. And disappointed in how things have turned out.

But i know an F chord, now. So that's something. My new song is Sympathy for the Devil.

How things have turned out? What are you, 80? You have lots of time for things to change.

In looking back over my life so far, I can safely say that when I was 20, 30 and 40, I would have been WAY OFF in predicting where I was going to be at the end of each decade.

you might even be able to get a paralegal to do the will for way under $1K.

I sure hope so, or we're going to go with the method I suggested last night--something scrawled on the back of a McDonald's receipt.

The cell phones in the movies from 1997 hurt the worst. Absolute worst.

Well, you know except for actual pain. But, still, a lot.

We had a basic will done, including a child, for $200-300. Uh, since our second child is now 5, it might be a good time to update that will...

You have lots of time for things to change.

I'm an overweight smoker. According to all the handwringing literature, I died 5 years ago.

you might even be able to get a paralegal to do the will for way under $1K.

Uh, no. Not unless the paralegal wants to open themselves up to criminal and civil liability for practicing law without a license.

Connie, LegalZoom is a good choice. Or shop rates for an attorney. Get powers of attorney, durable medical powers of attorney, and living wills prepared too. Trust me on this. Rob died without a will, and I don't have a power of attorney. It's been a mess. He does not have a ridiculously complicated estate, but it's going to cost me $1,000+ to get through intestate probate. I have an attorney doing the hard stuff, but I'm handling a lot of things on my own. If he handled everything, I'd be paying double.

Oh, and without a will, people will end up in the line of inheritance regardless of the individual's wishes. I am entitled to the first $15,000 of his estate, but only half of the remainder. Because he had no children, but his parents survived him, they are entitled to the remaining 50% above $15,000. I don't begrudge them this, but it was not expected.

Second degree murder: [link]