Law Office of Kevin Jensen - May 2018

Law Office of Kevin Jensen - May 2018

MAY 2018 480.632.7373 jensenlawaz.com

A Mom Who’d Do Anything for Her Kids My Mother’s Story and Her Massive Influence on My Life

Though my family and I haven’t had the opportunity to spend Mother’s Day with my mom in years, every May, I make sure to have a moment to take stock of all that she’s done for me. Usually, that consists of giving her a call on the holiday and maybe sending some flowers. But this year, I thought I might do one better by writing this piece about her outsize influence on my life and let everyone know how incredible and generous she is. whom she divorced when she was only 19 or 20 years old. She became a single mom pretty young, and with the added stress of the complicated heart condition I was born with, I can’t even imagine how she managed those early years. For the first three years of my life, before she met and married the man who would become my dad, it was me and her against the world. In those circumstances, I imagine that she was forced to grow up quite a bit faster than most of her peers, but she wore it well from the start. I never felt anything but her unending love and support, her willingness to do absolutely anything for the people she loved. I’m the oldest of seven kids in my family, but I’m the only one from my mom’s first husband,

years and years, she worked thankless, difficult jobs just to supply our big brood with a vital second income. But she always had a dream of becoming a nurse and helping patients recover. After I left the house to strike out on my own, she finally had the opportunity to fulfil that dream and head back to school to earn her degree. She ended up working at the Wyoming State Hospital for over 20 years, treating the mentally ill. It’s the kind of career that I think perfectly reflects her innate personality: deeply compassionate, caring, and eager to see the good in people. To this day, my mom is the epitome of a mother’s willingness to sacrifice everything for her kids. When my youngest brother’s daughter, my little niece, was diagnosed with cancer about 18 months ago, my mom dropped everything and immediately moved up to Seattle to live with him and his wife. She could sympathize with the situation, a parent’s worst nightmare when their newborn child is given a terrifying start with a life-threatening illness. So she has devoted all her time to basically running their household, allowing them to focus their time and energy on their baby and the rest of their children. Thus far, it’s been a happy story with my niece currently in remission and the future looking bright. But honestly, I believe that my

mom would give up everything to the point where she would end up in a homeless shelter if her kids needed her to. I could continue on and on about her best qualities, her faith, her sense of humor, and her love of fun, but I’m sure people would start rolling their eyes at some point. Truly, though, it’s impossible to put into words just how much of herself she’s given for me and my family, and I can’t adequately express the breadth of my appreciation for her. This year, even though I won’t be able to cook her up some burnt toast and half-scrambled eggs like we used to as little kids, I’ll make sure

she understands just how important she is to all of us.

-Kevin Jensen

Growing up, she taught us so much about working hard and taking care of family. For

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Hand-Washing vs. Dishwasher Are You Wasting Water, Time, and Money?

We’ve all walked into our kitchens, looked at the dishes stacked high in the sink, and asked, “Is it better to throw those in the dishwasher or wash them by hand?” The dishwasher would certainly save you some time, but many people believe that washing dishes by hand uses less water and electricity. In reality, however, washing your dishes by hand is one of the worst things you can do for both the planet and your wallet. Dishwashers use less water than washing by hand. A study conducted in Europe found that individuals who wash dishes by hand tend to use 27 gallons of water to clean just 12 place set-tings. Meanwhile, modern dishwashers only use 6 gallons of water, and Energy Star appliances use as little as 4 gallons during their wash cycle. The Environmental Protection Agency deter-mined that using a dishwasher instead of washing by hand can save 5,000 gallons of water and $40 in utility costs a year It’s not just about water! Unless you have incredibly thick dishwashing gloves, you can’t properly clean your dishes by hand. Dishwashers heat water to around 145 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure your dishes are disinfected. Even if the water from your sink could get that hot, What Our Clients Are Saying “The Law Offices of Kevin Jensen did an outstanding job taking care of a very difficult divorce matter in the most professional and efficient manner possible. I could not be more pleased with the outcome. They are always accessible, easy to work with, and most effective. I would offer them as my highest recommendation to anyone in Arizona needing legal counsel during such a stressful time as the dissolution of a marriage.” –Matt N. “Thank you both so much for your work on this. Your assistance during this stressful event was exemplary and so very appreciated. Again, thank you for your

you wouldn’t want to stick your hand in it.

Which brings us to the science experiment that is your kitchen sponge. Dr. Philip Tierno, a clinical professor in the microbiology and pathology departments at NYU Langone, determined that your kitchen sponge is the single dirtiest item in your house. Soap and water aren’t enough to sanitize your sponge, which is left damp next to your sink after each use. Have you ever noticed that stagnant sponge smell? That’s bacteria growing. And when you wash your dishes by hand, you rub that bacteria all over your plates and silverware. Yum.

If you have just a single plate or cup, you obviously don’t want to run them through the dish-washer alone; that would be incredibly wasteful. But the drawbacks of washing by hand are too great to ignore. The best option is to wait until your dishwasher is full, then start up the washing cycle. All your dishes will be clean and disinfected, and you’ll use less water in the process.

professionalism, advice, and efforts. You both made this a lot less stressful than it could have been.” –Pete O. “Thank you. I received the judgment. Is this it? Is the case really over? My goodness, I didn’t think this would ever end. I’m so thankful to you, everyone, for everything that you have done for me and my family. I can’t thank you enough. Thank you for working with my payments. Thank you for your words of encouragement. Thank you for being there every step of the way during this difficult time in my life. And lastly, thank you, thank you, thank you for helping me bring my daughter home. And no, you may not sub yourself out, because I feel like we are friends now.” –Casey

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3 Bizarre Items From Divorce Settlements

At the Law Offices of Kevin Jensen, we’ve seen divorce deliberations get hung up on the strangest things. Maybe the ex-husband thinks his ex-wife is hoarding his old Ping-Pong paddles, or a particular table becomes the center of a contested settlement. But that’s nothing compared to these wild and weird settlement items from history. ‘Give me back my kidney’ As the NY Daily News reports, just days after Dawnell Batista went under the knife to remove the expanders that surgeons inserted during a double mastectomy, she caught her husband cheating on her with a woman she’d never met. She filed for divorce within the week. In response, he demanded Dawnell either return

the kidney he donated to her years before when she nearly died of renal failure, or pay the $1.5 million he believed it was worth. After a long, protracted, and disturbingly public court battle, a Nassau County official threw out his demand after labeling the kidney a gift instead of a “marital asset.” A Less-Than-Clean Cut When Cambodian couple Moeun Sarim and Vat Navy terminated their 18-year marriage after accusations of infidelity, they apparently wanted to make sure everything was perfectly equitable for both parties. So, as part of the settlement, they split their home evenly down the middle — literally. As Vat Navy told the Los Angeles Times, Moeun “brought his relatives and used

saws to cut the house in half.” Soon after, they gathered the deconstructed materials and carried them to Moeun’s parents’ property. A Critical Darling Born of a Dissolved Union financial issues. This was so much so that when he divorced Anna Gordy in 1977, he couldn’t put up the necessary funds. Instead, his lawyer worked out a deal where Gaye would record a brand new album and give the entirety of the royalties to his ex-spouse. So the album “Here, My Dear” was born — although, despite it being revered by modern critics, it was a commercial and critical flop at the time it was released. The ultra-talented singer Marvin Gaye was plagued throughout his life by personal and

Grilled Skirt Steak With Asparagus

LAUGH BREAK

Asparagus and steak is a classic pairing. Skirt steak packs a ton of flavor without the high price point of other cuts, and this is the best time of year to buy asparagus. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get grilling!

ingredients

• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper • Salt and pepper to taste • Grated pecorino Romano cheese

instructions • 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak • 2 tablespoons canola oil • 1 pound asparagus

desired doneness. Skirt steak is thin and will cook quickly. 4. Let steak rest for 10 minutes. While it’s resting, grill asparagus for 6 minutes, turning once. 5. Sprinkle cheese and crushed red pepper on asparagus. Serve alongside steak.

1. Heat grill to high. Season room-

temperature steak with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil. Any oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, will work. 2. Trim bottom inch of asparagus. Season with salt, pepper, and remainder of oil. 3. Cut steak into four portions and grill for 3–5 minutes per side, depending on

Recipe inspired by Food Network

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A Mom Who’d Do Anything for Her Kids

Kitchen Cleaning Secrets

The Weirdest Settlement Items in History

Gear Up for Grilling Season

Get Your Grill On 2 May Holidays, 2 Reasons to Grill

Is there anything more American than grilling a burger outside on Memorial Day? This year, there’s another reason to fire up the grill that weekend: In addition to being Memorial Day, May 28 is also National Hamburger Day! Enjoy this delicious coincidence by heating up the grill, gathering the fixings, and making one of these tasty burgers at home. The Classic Burger Nothing beats the American classic: a seasoned beef patty, a slice of cheddar cheese, a squirt each of mustard and ketchup, a layer of crunchy lettuce, some thinly sliced onions, and a couple of zesty pickles. For a homemade touch, make the pickles yourself by soaking cucumbers in a brine of vinegar, dill, and salt. The Mediterranean Burger Take your patty to the next level with a Mediterranean twist. Mix feta cheese and garlic into your ground beef before forming your patties. Serve it on a grilled ciabatta bun topped with marinated red peppers and arugula for flavor and texture. If you want to get extra

fancy, pour a bit of balsamic reduction over the patty before adding the toppings. The Portobello Burger For a delicious veggie burger even meat eaters will love, use a portobello mushroom as your patty. Remove the stems, then marinate the mushrooms for 15 minutes in a mixture of 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and a clove of minced garlic. Season the shrooms with salt and pepper, then place them on the grill just as you would any other burger. Gruyere cheese is the perfect creamy topping, and you can use grilled focaccia bread topped with garlic aioli. As you bask in the late spring weather and the inviting smell of delicious food this Memorial Day, take a moment to remember the Americans who gave their lives so we could enjoy these freedoms, and thank those who served.

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