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Workers’ COMPanion
LAW OFFICE MONAST
MAY 2023
www.monastlaw.com | 614-334-4649 | 5000 Arlington Centre Blvd. Bldg 2, Suite 2117, Upper Arlington, OH 43220-2913
SHARING MY APPRECIATION FOR THE PETS IN MY LIFE PAWSITIVELY WONDERFUL
One of my favorite moments every day is returning home from work or running errands and being greeted by my little dog, Molly. She’s always looking through the storm door, tail going 90 miles an hour, excited to see me. Back when my kids were young, they would greet me at the door, but they now have families of their own, and Molly does a wonderful job bringing a smile to my face. This May, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to return the favor when we celebrate National Pet Week starting on May 7. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have a pet in the house. When I was young, my parents had a beautiful German shepherd the whole family adored. Her name was Lady, and she was my constant companion and protector. She was super smart, very well-behaved, and had advanced obedience training, so she took commands better than most dogs. When I was 5 or 6 years old, my dad learned that the grandson of one of the most famous German shepherds in the world, Rin Tin Tin, would be bred. At first, we thought this would be an excellent opportunity for Lady, but that all changed once we saw Rin Tin Tin III. This dog had a huge chain around its neck, and his owner had tied him to a tree. He was half-crazed and wouldn’t stop barking
and lunging. He was a scary beast, to say the least, so we decided not to set him up with Lady.
way to feed them. My mom would even make eggs and toast for my sister’s Weimaraner. I’m sure that dog lost 30 pounds after my mom moved out of their house and into an assisted living facility. My parents passed their love of animals on to me, and I’ve always enjoyed having dogs. I had four English bulldogs throughout my life and wanted to get a fifth one before Molly, but we went in a different direction. Amy wanted to rescue a dog resembling Benji, who didn’t shed and wasn’t as fragrant. I couldn’t be happier with our decision. Molly is the perfect dog for us! In addition to Molly, we also have an outdoor cat who loves to walk around the block with Molly and us. When we’re not walking together, you can almost always find our cat hanging out in her heated house on the front porch or see her stalking a fresh meal. Having a pet is one of the most enjoyable experiences we can have in life. It’s upsetting they don’t live longer, but the saying is true. It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Here’s to many more years of enjoying their companionship!
I don’t think my dad ever enjoyed another dog as much as he enjoyed Lady, but my parents continued getting new dogs throughout their lives. When we lived in Charleston, South Carolina, we had a Siberian husky who loved to jump in cars and ride around with strangers. It was common to receive a call from a stranger saying they saw our dog 20 miles from home. After I moved out of the house, my parents got a schnauzer, who lived a long and happy life. When the end of his life approached, my parents said the same thing that many others have said. Their schnauzer was in a lot of pain in his final days, and my parents would stay up all night to comfort him, which made his passing even more difficult. They vowed never to get another dog. Of course, this didn’t last; they soon adopted another dog and continued having animals for the rest of their lives. During the last few years of my mom’s life, she lived with my sister and her husband. They lived in Arkansas on a sizable piece of land, and the surrounding area had many dogs. She was always saying how hungry they looked and went out of her
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PUT YOUR GROUNDS IN THE GROUND! HOW TO MAKE COFFEE FERTILIZER
cinnamon and club soda. When these ingredients are combined, it creates a solution full of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other minerals that plants love! Apply this coffee mixture directly to the soil of your plants every two weeks, ensuring you spread the fertilizer over the entire surrounding area to distribute the nutrients evenly. This mixture is excellent for indoor potted plants, outdoor plants, and even different bushes or shrubs. With this easy DIY fertilizer, you can reduce waste, help the environment, save money, and help your plants grow happier and healthier!
What You’ll Need •
They say April showers bring May flowers, but sometimes, even with Mother Nature’s help, some sprouts have trouble growing. When this happens, the natural next step for many people is to give their precious plants a little fertilizer. But traditional chemically formulated fertilizers “[run] off into waterways or [get] broken down by microbes in the soil [and release] the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide into the atmosphere,” according to a report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. So, if you’re looking for a more natural way to help your plants grow, you can make your own fertilizer at home — with coffee grounds! This eco-friendly alternative uses cinnamon as a natural pesticide and club soda for extra macronutrients.
4-6 tbsp used coffee grounds
• •
1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup club soda
Your coffee grounds must have gone through a brew cycle to make them less acidic so they don’t harm your plants. You can save the needed amount of coffee grounds throughout the week (depending on whether you use single- cup machines or drip pots) or brew a pot using 4–6 tablespoons specifically to use for fertilizing.
Then, once your grounds have been brewed, mix them in a bowl with
MEET JENN MULLEN Newest Monast Employee a Great Addition
Our newest employee, Jennifer, affectionately known here as “New Girl,” isn’t new to work in general or legal work in particular. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jenn grew up helping her mom and dad at their fruit stand on the south end of Columbus. Mae’s Market on Marion Road has been there for 45 years and featured several times in the Columbus Dispatch. Her mom kept it going even after Jenn’s dad passed in 2000. Jenn says, “Everyone knows her and her country twang!” After graduating from Groveport Madison High School, Jenn learned styling at The Ohio State School of Cosmetology but then decided “big hair” wasn’t in her future. She obtained an associate degree in business with an emphasis in paralegal studies, followed by a bachelor’s
degree in business forensics. Jenn is also a certified paralegal with the Columbus Bar Association and Ohio State Bar Association.
exams, and works with doctors’ offices to get medical records and reports. She also obtains Medicare and Medicaid lien information for people settling their workers’ compensation claims, files documents with BWC and the Industrial Commission, and generally brightens Jim and Todd’s lives with her insight, assistance, and bubbly personality. Embodying the phrase “blood is thicker than water,” Jenn enjoys traveling with her son, Chandler, to Cincinnati Bengals and “That Team Up North” football games, even though she is a fan of The Ohio State University Buckeyes. She also likes any kind of concert with her daughter Caitlyn, volunteering at her local food pantry, and traveling with her family, especially to sunny beaches in Florida.
She cut her legal teeth in a domestic relations
practice, supporting attorneys with divorce and child custody matters, before moving to personal injury law. For the last 10 years before joining us, Jenn was the office manager of a Social Security Disability/SSI Law practice, helping disabled individuals get the benefits they were entitled to.
At Monast Law, Jenn answers phones, talks with clients, schedules permanent partial medical
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THE POWER OF GENEROSITY
video that showed Mr. James working at the school and explained his situation.
Within 12 hours, the students had met their goal and raised $10,000 for Mr. James, but the donations continued to pour in. Contributions came in from across the country, and by the time the students ended the fundraiser, they had raised over $270,000 for Mr. James. This money will let him retire in peace and live the rest of his days comfortably. The principal of Callisburg High School, Jason Hooper, said, “It’s just amazing. You know of the need that was met because of three kind kids, but all of our students have pitched in to help.” We can only hope that prices go down so more people don’t need to go through the same experience as Mr. James, but it’s promising to hear that there are still good Samaritans in the world willing to help those in need.
HOW ONE SCHOOL RALLIED AROUND THEIR JANITOR
Over the past few months, prices of almost everything we use and need have risen. People from across the country are making sacrifices to pay for their rent, day care, and even groceries. Some individuals have even had to come out of retirement so they can afford to pay their monthly bills, as their retirement savings are running dry. One such individual who found himself in this predicament was Mr. James. Earlier this year, Mr. James came out of retirement and took a job at Callisburg High School in North Texas. His rent had increased by
$400, which he could no longer afford, so he needed to find a job that could support him. He found work as a janitor at his local high school, but soon, students learned of his situation. It’s rare someone starts a new job in their 80s, so Mr. James’ story caught the attention of a handful of students. A group of Callisburg students got together and devised a plan to raise money to help Mr. James so he could live comfortably. They created a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $10,000. Greyson Thurman, a senior at Callisburg, produced a single TikTok
SUDOKU
MUNCHIES WITH MOLLY
GINGER PORK STIR-FRY
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
INGREDIENTS •
1 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup orange juice 2 tbsp soy sauce
• • • • • •
1 small onion, sliced 1/4 lb fresh snow peas
• • • • • •
1/2 sweet red pepper, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Cooked rice
Green onion, chopped (optional)
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
Sesame seeds (optional)
2 tbsp canola oil
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger until smooth; set aside. 2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir-fry pork in oil until lightly browned, about 4–5 minutes. Remove pork and add onion, peas, and red pepper. Cook until crisp-tender, about 3–5 minutes. 3. Stir in orange juice mixture and pork. Bring to a boil, and then cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve over rice. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds, if desired.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
Phone: 614-334-4649 www.monastlaw.com 5000 Arlington Centre Blvd. Bldg 2, Suite 2117 Upper Arlington, OH 43220-2913
LAW OFFICE MONAST
Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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A Life Full of Furry Friends and Family
2
Give Your Plants a Coffee Boost!
Jenn Mullen Is Our New Monast Employee
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One Man’s Journey Toward an Unlikely Retirement
Ginger Pork Stir-Fry
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The Mysteriously Missing Metric System
PIRATES STOLE OUR METRIC SYSTEM
WHY AMERICA NEVER CHANGED TO KILOS AND GRAMS
Pirates, that’s right, pirates stopped America from changing to the metric system. While they can’t take all the blame, they steal a good chunk of it. There was a specific time in history when America did consider taking up the metric system. But pirates intercepted the standards, and America has refused to change its measuring system ever since. Way back when America was still a new country, there was no regulated measuring system throughout the states. Each territory was using some bizarre system that stayed only within state lines. For example, people were using Roman measurements, Dutch systems, and British systems dating back to King Henry VII. In 1789, Thomas Jefferson decided that some order needed to be in place. A lover of all things French, Jefferson admired the metric system’s logic and principle. He asked the French to help the U.S.
transition to the metric system, and they were kind enough to send scientist Joseph Dombey.
Unfortunately, storm winds blew his ship off course and into the pirate-filled Caribbean. The pirates hijacked his boat and held him captive, hoping to use him for ransom. In a tragic turn of events, Dombey died in that pirate prison before any ransom money could be sent. The pirates then auctioned off everything Dombey had on his boat, metric measuring tools included.
Dombey boarded a ship and set sail for America with two items pivotal to our measuring system change. The first gadget was
a copper cylinder 3 inches in height and width, weighing precisely 1 kilogram.
The second was another copper object, but this time a rod estimated to be a
meter in length. These simple trinkets would have eased us into the metric system. Except, we never received them. In fact, Dombey never set foot in America.
So, you can thank the pirates for all the painstaking work we have to go through when using metric-based recipes. Why Americans never swapped systems after 1789 is still a mystery!
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