6 miles in almost perfect weather...

Nelson and I got up bright and early on Saturday to head over to Lake Merced where Team Challenge was meeting to do our six-miler. (Yes, Nelson was in town. No, he didn't run with me, but he did take Nimo out for a LONG walk while I was running. It was so amazing to see him at the end!)

I was super nervous about the run in general because I haven't run six miles in 10 years, literally. It was a beautiful sunny day, but there was a cold breeze which made it an almost ideal running day. In the end, the run was challenging but not impossible. I ran almost the entire way with my teammate, Rachel. She and I have similar paces and both run to trashy pop. It's a pretty perfect match if you ask me!

Before our next run I have to get some familiarity with the course. Why you ask? Since I'm still new to San Francisco, I never really know how long we have been running or how far until the end. I was really frustrated when I realized that I walked a few minutes on mile 5 that I probably would have pushed through had I known we were almost done! Oh well.

Oh--and the new sneakers are great. Still need a little more breaking in, but they were super comfy!

Stay tuned, embarassing pictures to come!

New kicks!

The best part about running a half-marathon is that you need new shoes to do it! These beauties just came in the mail, thank you, endless.com. I'll be debuting these bad boys tomorrow for our 6-mile training run at Lake Merced. Pictures to come!

Donation Incentives (bribes)

hola.

So a huge part of my commitment to Team Challenge involves fundraising $5000 to find a cure of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. While I think donating out of the goodness of ones heart is laudable, for some it may take a little more encouragement to part ways with their money.

On that note, I plan on giving a little something back to anyone who donates more than $100 to Team Challenge to help me reach my fundraising goal.

But--I need to know what the world wants in return for their generosity. Cookies? Zucchini bread? Dinner? Framed picture of me AFTER I finish the marathon (when I'm a hot mess). Give me your suggestions and I'll see what I can do to oblige specific requests. Get creative people--$5000 is a lot of money!!!

Half-Marathon Training

I started training for the Napa-Sonoma half-marathon two weeks ago with Team Challenge and I've already run 4.5 miles. My favorite part so far is the fact that I have so much incentive, and support to get my ass of the couch, out of the office or out of bed as the case may be. We have a huge San Francisco team that is ridiculously supportive and fun. I've already started making new friends, which seems to take a bit of time in SF. It's definitely humbling because most of my teammates can kick my butt--I'm usually one of the last people in from our group runs--but they still cheer and smile (instead of pointing and thinking, maybe she should just get back on the couch). I can't say I particularly look forward to the training runs yet, but they are growing on me, if anything, because I know that there will be a plethora of smiling faces to share the pain with, rain or shine.

So--keep an eye out on my blog. I fully intend to keep up with this thing a little more regularly to keep people posted on my training. And yes, I will even subject myself to the humiliation of putting pictures of me in action up.

On another note--Nelson gets here in the morning AND I get to do 6 mini-trials tomorrow for the Homeless Rights Project. What a week--and I actually have work to keep me busy! Woo hoo.

Shameless plug below (hey sorry, donating is part of the deal).

www.active.com/donate/napa10norcal/napa10MPrice

Nimo's shennanigans

As I was drinking my coffee this morning, with Nimo in his bed at my feet, all of a sudden he yelped! I was like what the... Normally Nimo's pretty quiet and only yelps if something hurt him--like accidentally getting stepped on, which happens a lot unfortunately b/c he's so damn small. Anywoo, I go to see what's wrong and low and behold i find a small red chili in his bed that has obviously been chewed. I have no idea how the little guy got the chili--I guess it must have fallen onto the floor from the garbage or something. But--I'm sure he'll be more choosey in the future about what he decides to eat off the floor!!!

Poor, Nimo!

The NIMO post...

So--if this blog is supposed to be about my life, then it cannot go one minute longer without a full blown NIMO post. I. LOVE. MY. DOG. (Well, our dog I guess). I am completely obsessed with him and call him "mi bebe" and didn't leave his side, or he mine, for two days after I got back from Thailand. In fact, he is currently sleeping on my lap (although that is more because I had to pick him up off the floor after I mopped so he wouldn't leave little footprints all over the floor--but I digress).

Nimo was my graduation present from Nelson. We got him in May 2009 when he was 2 1/2 months old.
The first day or two he slept with a towel that he soon destroyed in a milk box.


He looked a little scruffy when we got him (b/c yes, sadly, we bought him from a breeder) but it didn't take too long to get him into shape.



AT first, he was a little hellion. But after a few training sessions with Jose Manuel, he at least he began pretending he to listened to us, and now he is a fairly well behaved little maltes, who fortunately does not bark incessantly or destroy the house (that much, at least).

This is after his first bath, which took place before the recommended few months old because he stepped in poo and it got stuck in his foot.


Since then he's grown SO much. I can't even believe he used to be so tiny.



We're still working on the training with Mr. Nimo, but hey, he's cute, he's fun and he only tries to sleep on my head when we "nap" in the morning after Nelson goes to work.

I have the B-E-S-T dog ever.

What i learned in legal ethics...

1) Don't sleep with your clients...unless you were sleeping with them before.

2) Don't bribe, lie, cheat, or steal, or help other people bribe, lie, cheat, steal.

3) Only in California can you obtain the rights to your client's story before the case is over. Have to get those rights fast so the made-for-tv movie is ready by the time the trial is over.

4) I can write my Mom/Dad's will.

5) Don't ask clients for big gifts.

6) Don't chase ambulances--unless you know the people inside them.

7) Withdraw from a case if your client is using you to commit a crime/fraud.

8) I can't ask you to wear a priest's robe and give out my business cards to get business.