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September 2018
365 Canal Street, Suite 1680, New Orleans, LA 70130 • 504-894-9653 • www.SmileyFirm.com
A GOLDEN TIME OF YEAR I WELCOME THE RETURN OF FOOTBALL
While it doesn’t look like this summer heat is going to let up anytime soon, at least September brings with it one source of relief: football season. The Saints and Tigers have been a part of my life since I was just a little kid. Growing up in Baton Rouge, my middle-school friends and I used to walk over to Tiger Stadium and purchase our tickets right there on game day. As I grew older and eventually became an LSU student myself, my game-day traditions became more elaborate. I was a student during the 2003 season, and I’ll never forget the incredible game we played against Georgia that year. My friends and I actually camped out in the parking lot the day before the game, despite 95-degree temperatures. It was a good thing we got there early. That “The student section was packed and stifling, even after the sun set, but we didn’t care. We shouted “Geaux Tigers!” as loud as ever.” game broke all previous records for stadium capacity, with over 92,000 fans crammed into the stadium come game time. The student section was packed and stifling, even after the sun set, but we didn’t care. We shouted, “Geaux Tigers!” as loud as ever. By the fourth quarter, you could cut the tension with a knife. With less than two minutes on the clock, we were tied with Georgia 10-10. Longtime fans will know the moment I’m leading up to: The Tigers were facing third and 4 on the Bulldogs’ 34-yard line, and I was on the edge of my seat. After the snap, quarterback Matt Mauck spent a painfully long time searching for his receivers. Meanwhile, the offensive line was crumbling. I thought it might all be over when Georgia linebacker Odell Thurman came barreling through with no one left to stop him.
I swear you could hear the impact over the sound of the crowd as Thurman connected with Mauck — the crowd was holding its breath. Miraculously, Mauck had lobbed the ball at the last possible second, and time seemed to stand still as it arched its way into the Bulldogs’ end zone. With an incredible sprint and dive, Skyler Green made an incredible game-winning catch that brought down the house. Of course, not every season can be like 2003, but the one constant about being an LSU fan was the joy of tailgating. My friends and I actually managed to buy an old school bus, paint it purple and gold, and make ourselves a true tailgating machine! We drove to games up and down the SEC, but nothing beat the home games in Baton Rouge, where the smell of jambalaya, gumbo, and grilled boudin wafted through the air. Looking back on those college days, I never expected I would mellow out this much. When I first moved away from Baton Rouge, I was surprised to learn that not everyone in Louisiana owns a purple and gold outfit for every occasion. Now, living in New Orleans with a wife (who graduated from Alabama) and two kids, I can say that I’ve toned down the passion quite a bit. That’s just part of growing older, I suppose. When you’re young, it’s easy to throw yourself into fandom at full force, face paint and all. Between cheering on my sons as they start getting into sports and advocating for my clients inside and outside of the courtroom, I’ve got plenty more to be passionate about. But you better believe I’m decking out our kids in full LSU gear for the next game with ‘Bama before their mother can put them in crimson jerseys again.
Geaux Tigers,
–Seth Smiley
504-894-9653 • 1
A Boutique New Orleans Law Firm Resolving Your Legal Matters
NEED A PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO MANAGE YOUR KIDS’ CRAZY SCHEDULES?
TRY THESE 3 TIPS INSTEAD
School has started. Youth sports are in full swing. Work is crazy. Food has become more about necessity than enjoyment. All of this can only mean one thing: Fall has begun. The crazy schedules this time of year can make it tough for parents to keep their heads on straight; making it through the insanity sometimes feels more like survival than life. But there are tactics you can employ to turn the tide and find more time for yourself. There’s no reason to try to do everything on your own. The phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” exists because managing the stressors of life requires help. A great place to start is by establishing car pools with a parent group you trust. You can alternate drivers weekly, which provides the opportunity for you to focus your attention on other priorities — or if you’re lucky, have some freedom. Tag Team
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
While you’re busy trying to rally the troops at soccer practice, the scene at home resembles a horror movie. Laundry is piling up, food is spoiling in the fridge, and the dust bunnies around the house now have names. Housecleaning is a part-time job in its own right. The only way to stay on top of duties around the house is to work together. A chore chart with clear responsibilities is a great place to start. Whether you have one child or eight, everyone is capable of pitching in. You can have all the organizational abilities in the world, but the best way to manage life’s madness isn’t by directing day-to-day tasks; it’s by managing stress. Instead of using these tools to control life, look at them as a way to free up time so you can decompress and enjoy the things you love.
The Right Tool for the Job
Technology makes organization easier and more accessible than ever. By using a tool like a shared calendar, you can coordinate the entire family’s schedule so you never miss a beat. And apps like Mealime and MealBoard give you the ability to whip up food that is cost-effective and delicious.
REFERRALS AND A TIGERS FIRST GAME
Imagine for a second that your wife surprised you with tickets to the first regular-season Tigers game. In your preparation for the big game, you get your Burrow jersey ready, gas up the car, and head to Death Valley stadium. Just walking up to the entrance makes you feel nostalgic. Last year was a losing season, made even more disappointing by the loss to Notre Dame in the Citrus Bowl. You know this year will be different though. As you navigate your way through crowds of other enthusiastic fans, you breathe in the delicious smells permeating the air around you: spicy Cajun jambalaya, Manda sausage, and the mouthwatering Barbecue Bengal Burger. You take your seat, stare out at the ocean of purple and gold, watch the coin toss, and get ready to scream your lungs out along with 100,000 other fans to Garth Brooks’ “Callin’ Baton Rouge.” It’s an emotional experience for Louisianians and outsiders alike. The gratitude that you feel toward your wife for surprising you with these tickets is the same feeling we get when our existing clients refer our business to their friends and family. The reviews that you have posted both on our website and Google consistently encourage prospective clients to set up consultations with us regarding any legal needs they might have. Furthermore, people
trust recommendations from people they know as credible sources of information, meaning that a huge portion of the population is more likely to use a service or purchase a product because their friends told them to. Because we know this to be true, we know that the success of our firm is
absolutely dependent on your referrals. Obviously, your referrals help us grow our client base, but they also help show us areas where we shine and areas that might need a little improvement. Ever since the formation of our firm in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, our biggest focus has been on finding ways to make our clients’ experiences satisfactory, and referrals are a great indicator that we are on the right track. So, to those of you who have referred your friends or family members to us, thank you for making us feel like we are jumping up and down at a Tigers game. We know it’s not the real deal, but it at least gets us halfway there.
2 • www.SmileyFirm.com
HAS A HURRICANE DAMAGED YOUR HOME? We Help Clients With Post-Hurricane Insurance Claims
Many clients are unaware that Smiley Law Firm was founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina here in New Orleans. As alarming photographs of water- covered neighborhoods, heaping piles of debris, downed power lines, and SOS messages circulated on televisions across the nation, our lawyers here at Smiley Law Firm wanted to help in the only way they knew how. While our areas of practice include construction law and business litigation, we are truly insurance claims lawyers, and we know that hurricane insurance claims are quite unique. Although normal insurance claims for water or fire have a fairly straightforward process, filing hurricane insurance claims can be complex.
The primary reason for the complexity is the sheer volume of claims filed in a short period of time after the hurricane, which can overwhelm insurance companies and cause them to either pay a settlement late or sometimes not at all. Additionally, hurricane claims are unusual because, more often than not, they include both flood and property damage. After Hurricane Katrina, our lawyers had to battle through all the policies in play for various kinds of damage. They found that the most beneficial claims for home and business owners are property claims, which our lawyers discovered by first classifying whether or not the damage was caused by wind or wind-driven rain and then calculating the appropriate compensation due to clients. Because our lawyers understand the intricacies of this process, they can work with the insurance companies to ensure that they are following all the laws when dealing with clients. Our lawyers can also help you find contractors who can give estimates to guarantee that you are properly compensated for damages that have occurred as a result of the hurricane. Because we have helped hundreds who suffered during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we are reaching out to those who have suffered damage from Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Nate. You can reach us by filling out a contract form on our website or by calling 504-894-9653.
TAKE A BREAK!
INSIDE-OUT GRILLED HAM AND CHEESE
Ingredients
• 8 slices of bread (Pullman works best) • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano- Reggiano)
• 8 ounces ham, thinly sliced • 1/2 pound Swiss cheese, sliced • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 1/4 cup apricot preserves
Instructions
1. Butter each slice of bread on the outsides and sprinkle with Parmesan. 2. Layer ham and cheese evenly on top of 4 slices of bread. 3. Spread apricot preserves and mustard across the other 4 slices. Press sandwiches together. 4. In a cast iron skillet or large sauté pan over medium heat, grill sandwiches until golden, about 3 minutes per side. 5. Cut in half and serve.
Football Touchdown Quarterback Autumn
Equinox LaborDay Barbecue September
Harvest Apple Students Homecoming
Inspired by Food & Wine magazine
504-894-9653 • 3
A Boutique New Orleans Law Firm Resolving Your Legal Matters
365 Canal Street, Suite 1680 New Orleans, LA 70130 Phone: 504-894-9653 Fax: 866-761-8934 www.SmileyFirm.com OPEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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A Golden Time of Year 3 Tips to Help Organize Your Crazy Life We Think Referrals Are Like Heading to a Football Game Can We Help With Your Hurricane Insurance Claim?
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Inside-Out Grilled Ham and Cheese The 5 Best College Football Tailgates
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TAILGATING AT ITS FINEST 5 TAILGATES SO GOOD YOU MIGHT MISS THE GAME
There’s a slight buzz in the air as you walk through the parking lot. Your ears embrace the sounds of cheering and conversation. Smells of recipes that took years to perfect fill your nostrils as you navigate through a sea of tents and pickup trucks. Friends and family wait at your destination with a cold beverage. The crowds of people all sport the colors of the home team as you finally arrive at what you’ve waited for all week: game day. Tailgating is a college football tradition unlike any other. Schools across the country will claim to have the best, but few can back it up. Here are five universities that can talk the talk and walk the walk. 1. University of Michigan Go blue! The tailgate in Ann Arbor is truly something to behold. “The Big House” parking lot opens at 7 a.m., and from then on, it’s all party, all the time. With one of college football’s biggest stadiums, it’s only natural that the tailgate follows suit. 2. University of Wisconsin Walleye, cheese curds, and brats are just the beginning at Camp Randall. Wisconsin has great tailgating at the stadium, but the local hotspots of the surrounding area are even better places to show your Badger pride. If you can’t get into the arena to jump around in the
fourth quarter, you can still join the tradition anywhere in Madison where there’s red and white.
3. Louisiana State University Geaux Tigers! LSU’s tailgate is something to be revered across the country because of its food options. While the jambalaya and barbecue are utterly fantastic, Tiger fans whip up something else when the University of Florida comes to town: alligator. 4. University of Washington The Huskies have a different take on tailgating than almost any other university in the country. While most schools gather in parking lots, Washington fans are out on the water. That’s right — this “tailgate” is known for the boats that pull into Union Bay right outside the stadium. 5. University of Mississippi On game day, the Grove at Ole Miss transforms from a serene 10-acre park with mature trees to a scene unlike any other. Tens of thousands of fans gather in their red, white, and blue to prepare for the Walk of Champions, where the entire team strolls through the tailgate on their way to the stadium. It’s 35 years of tradition that contributes something special to the scene.
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