It�s the night before an oral argument before our state Supreme Court. Usually, I would be worrying about the law or the facts or my presentation. Tonight, my worries have come down to one thing: will anyone be able to hear me? Thanks to a cold, I have laryngitis.

I often lose my voice with a cold. Usually, it seems that I pick up someone else�s. At times, I�ve wondered what Lauren Bacall does when I steal her voice. Today my voice is deep and gravely but, unlike most times when I have been hoarse, today I do not have much volume. It�s deep but it�s also raspy and weak.

The Supreme Court courtroom does have a podium and a microphone. The microphone will help. It also will help that I have appeared there often enough that the justices will know immediately that I am hoarse. Still, I would prefer that tomorrow�s argument time not be eaten up with �Could you repeat that?� or �I�m sorry. What did you say?� The only thing that would be worse (other than messing up altogether) would be if my ears also were clogged.

I can be grateful that I am comfortable enough in that courtroom to know that they make water available. I can drink somewhat liberally if I need to but I may have to balance it with the other problems nervousness can bring on. (She says delicately.) Too much water might go a ways toward solving the speaking problem but may cause other problems.

Mr. Philately is being wonderful. He can�t do the argument for me, of course, and I have too many years invested in this case to even want him to do so. But he has offered to drive me down to Madison. He is giving up work time to make it easier on me. I don�t need the help so much when I am driving down and adrenaline will defeat the major fatigue this cold has brought on but his help will allow me to collapse totally after the argument�and even fall asleep on the hour and a half ride back if I need to.

Still, it is strange. Usually, I look over my notes compulsively�until 9:00 p.m. when I declare myself done�or I obsess over what to wear (which is a trick right now because there is a major weather change and I am at an in-between weight.) But not tonight. Tonight, my agonizing is channeled into one question: how much voice will I have?

Honey, tea, and lemon�yuck! But honey, tea, and lemon, here I come.

Too bad I can�t just IM my argument.

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