jingle bells, batman smells

It's been a week and two days since I last walked into a classroom. Last night, I had a dream about school. Actually, I had two dreams, but I'll tell you about the school one first. I got my grade back and it was a 95%!!! God, only in my dreams. My torts professor told me to walk over and deliver some papers to an office and I had to ask three people how to get to the office- and then I woke up. What a weird dream. But I guess it's my brain's way of remembering that I will be returning to school soon enough. The dream before that was an indoor marathon where I had to run around in circles in a gymnasium until I got to 26.2 miles. What a torturous nightmare! Anyway, in my dream, I was back at my middle school in Pleasanton and all the "cool kids" were there. And I was my grown self trying to run this marathon in a gym and the coach didn't put the time chip mat so there was no way for me to know what my time was- and I couldn't run very fast (typically the case in dreams, you can't really run fast for some reason). It was frustrating.

This past week I got to go to the Jay Z and Kanye concert. It was a lot of fun! Jay Z sang a lot of his classic hits, which I especially enjoyed, and Kanye played some of his heavy favorites too. But seeing the happy look on my brother's face- that was the best part of all. He looked so happy. Here's us at the show:



Seeing the rapper that my brother and I have been listening to since we were wee little kids was pretty amazing. My brother has worshipped Jay Z since he was in elementary school, practically. When the show finally started, we saw Kanye and Jay Z on rising stages on either side, rapping and we found ourselves singing along to just about every single song. It was a great ole' time.



On another note, my brother finished his first satellite. It's amazing that he designs and builds things that go to outer space. It will launch on January 29th. I am so proud of him!



Last Friday, we finally had our CDI awards ceremony. I am so glad it's done! Actually it was a very nice event. Commissioner Jones, being his charming self, made the event very sweet and it was good to see so many Department employees being acknowledged for their hard work and helpful personalities. I got to take a few pics with one of my favorite colleagues, Will, and many others:

 

Over the weekend, I felt a cold coming on, but I kept it at bay with plenty of ibuprofen pills and liquids to ward it off. I did some additional holiday shopping with Samira and we went to WEAVE thrift shop, my favorite thrift shop. We had a blast. Of course we both spent more than we intended, and ended up shopping more for ourselves than anyone else, but I managed to find a few useful things for Paul and some other people. We had a really good time trying on things and asking for each others' opinions and totally enabling each other to buy more stuff.

Afterwards, Paul and I went to Jerry and Sylvia's annual holiday party. It was good catching up with our friends that we haven't seen in a while. Their son Wendell put on a wonderful jazz performance playing music by John Legend, Miles Davis, and our personal favorite, "Fly Me To the Moon". It was great seeing everyone there.



We then went to our neighbor Tom's holiday gathering where we met some more of our neighbors and enjoyed seeing their slide show to their African safari trip. I didn't like his wife because she was prancing around wearing lingerie instead of regular clothes and she kept flirting with Paul. I couldn't be absolutely sure until it was time for us to leave and she plants a big wet one on his cheek. Gross! Women can be so slutty.

Other than that, it was fun and we went home and slept. I needed the sleep so bad.
This morning I was able to send off eight Christmas cards in the mail to my dear friends in the bay area. I hope that they get it before Christmas. I'm pretty much done with gift shopping too, except for co-workers and my bosses. My brother thinks a card is sufficient for work folks, but I might want to get a little more. We will see. I have a few more days left so I will see if I can come up with an idea for something small yet thoughtful.



Tonight, I have happy hour with my study mates from school, and that will be fun. I haven't seen them since finals. Tomorrow, I am having happy hour with my former colleagues from Huber's office, Michelle and Tiffany. It will be good seeing them as well. And Sara comes home tomorrow! So I will see her at some point later this week.



I'm spending my break doing exactly what I wanted to do, which is resting, gift shopping, seeing old and new friends, and spending time with family. Next Wednesday, I am leaving for Honduras. It will all happen so fast! And then, BOOM school will start all over again.

I can't wait to see what 2012 will bring.

p.s. I am obsessed with Mariah's new holiday song, "When Christmas Comes". It's been stuck in my head day after day! I would sing it except I don't know all the words yet.

finally... my christmas break!

Yahoo!

Last Friday, I completed my first semester of law school. I am still high! I can't believe I finished. Now I have a few weeks of heavenly bliss before it all starts again.

The studying was intense, all the way up to the very last minute. My study group is amazing. I am glad to have found such a dedicated group. When I went into take the test, I read the problem twice and just attacked it with my brain. Halfway through the test I began to feel the biggest migraine just crack my head into two splitting pieces, but I plowed right through it.



 By the time we were on the multiple choice questions, I was dying, but luckily I had some prescription strength ibuprofen pills so I was ok by the time it was all over.
When it was done, I drove home, ran into the house, dropped all my bags, stood there, and then began laughing with big, wet tears in my eyes. God, it was so hard! But I did it! And man, christmas break has never been so joyous and wonderful. I feel like I can finally breathe again!


In case you're wondering what my impression is of law school so far- all I can say is, they really are training me to be a "lawyer." And every single day through all of the difficulty, I really had to tell myself that I am doing this for my future clients. If I want to help them, I have to learn this. I can think of 10 other things I would rather do with my life besides law school, and it is nothing like undergrad where I absolutely adored each and every one of my classes, but I know that I am learning important things that I will need to know in order to become an attorney. So it's that focus that kept me going, and will keep me going for the next 2-3 more years. And at least I know now what it's all about. I know how to study for the exams, and I know what to expect. I must say, though, all the case-briefing we do for class is a huge waste of time. But the laws are important to know, and it's given me a brand new perspective in looking at a situation with a new pair of eyes to see things in a way I never saw before. I really hope that after first year, I get really good at this. While taking that last exam, I thought to myself, I might just be within the realm of getting an A on this. Boy, it would be SO nice to get an A again. I used to get nothing but As. The pride, the thrill, the satisfaction of getting As. I hope I get to experience that again in law school. Don't get me wrong, it's about learning, not the letter grade. But an "A" represents a full understanding of what was taught, and shows that I was able to master it. I want to know that I mastered what I was taught.

Anyway, it was a great first semester, and as one of my study mates put it, it's "the start of something big." I couldn't agree more.

One of the first things I did after finishing was put all the books I want to read in a row. I started reading a few pages of each book, just to get my feet wet and make a decision on which book I want to dig into. But I'm like a kid with ADD right now. My attention is flying out of control and there is so much I want to do!


I began cooking again and devoured a home cooked meal- cooked just the way I like. Curries, eggplant parmesans, brussels sprouts with garlic and olive oil. Farmer's Market, thrift shops, putting up christmas decorations and decorating the tree, doing the dishes, cleaning the house, running on the bike trail and taking pictures of me jumping and running happily, man I tried to do it all.

 


Paul and I caught a play on Saturday night at the B Street Theatre- "Watching Wynter." It was really good- an oddball, romantic comedy. It was nice to walk over the eight blocks in the nippy, night air and feel the cold on my cheeks. On Sunday, after lying around in bed and running errands and paying a quick visit at my parents' place, I got to watch a DVD on my laptop before going to bed- we saw The Great Debaters- that was a great movie, I highly recommend it if you haven't already seen it. It's just nice to have a life again! Now I can finally start thinking about holiday shopping and what gifts to get my family, and just be normal.

This coming Wednesday, I'm going with my brother and his friends to the Jay Z/ Kanye West concert in HP Pavilion! That should be a lot of fun. My brother has been Jay Z's number one fan for pretty much his whole life so it will be incredibly meaningful to go to the concert with him, even though I despise Kanye.

This coming weekend, Paul and I are hitting up a few holiday parties hosted by our friends and I will get to cook some more. And then, it'll be Christmas in no time. Just a few days after that, we are leaving for Honduras. I haven't even started really planning for that. Lots to do, but all happy fun stuff :) I just feel like jumping up and down and doing twirls and back flips and stuff. It's just so nice to be free. My biggest worries now consist of getting the right gifts for my loved ones, trying to decide what to make for dinner, wondering when I can fit in a hike before we leave the country, and planning happy hours with friends, etc. This very moment, I'm trying to figure out what I am going to make for dinner tonight. Whatever I decide, it's going to be fun cooking it, and it will taste delicious. Another thing I love about the holidays is listening to vintage Mariah before she went nuts...




Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.


Henry David Thoreau

first final down and my 4th full marathon

Wow! I took my Contracts final last Saturday, and I came out of it feeling a high that I cannot fully describe. It was intense. I used every second given to madly type out everything I learned all semester long.



My study group and I must have taken almost a dozen practice tests. I am glad to have found them- they are so committed to getting together and studying with me, and for this I am very grateful.
The morning of the test, my stomache was in complete knots and my palms were sweaty and clammy.
I was so nervous! But finally, when we got started and I read the problem twice- I began typing furiously and didn't pause for a second until they called time. After it was all over, I let out the biggest sigh of relief and happiness. And the high didn't stop. I grabbed a quick lunch, ran errands, and then headed over to the expo to pick up my bib for the California International Marathon! All the anxiety and excitement of studying and taking my final was going to be released in a 26.2 mile run! I couldn't wait!



The next morning, I got up at 4 am and made a pot of coffee and carefully prepared for the run. I put on my running clothes, pinned on my bib, adjusted my socks and brand new Asics, and tried to stay calm. For some reason, I had a bunch of fluttering butterflies flying around crazily in my insides! When we rode our bikes over to the buses, and we jumped on the bus full of fellow marathoners, I could hardly sit still. My palms were sweaty again and my heart kept pounding. I thought to myself, I'm such a big ball of emotion! Here is us getting on the bus at 5:30 am:



As I rode on that bus, I realized that we were running the entire distance back. I've ran this race before, and it was amazing this time as much as it was amazing that first time. It was a long way to run back. I was so excited.

Finally, the bus exited off the freeway and made its way to the start line by Folsom Lake. Police escorts flashed their lights, signaling for us to turn. I felt like shouting to everyone on the bus, Yay runners!

When we got to the start line, I began jumping up and down for joy but also to keep warm. It was a beautiful morning and the sun had just begun to come out off in the distance. It was a cold morning, but it could have been a lot colder.

Here's the crowd at the start line:



As the gun went off, I began to run, and waved to all the firefighters standing on the big fire truck. I felt good. I kept telling myself, take it nice and easy, one mile at a time.

Along the way, we ran by horse stables, and there were two horses standing there in the field, watching us. One of them began anxiously running alongside the fence, looking longingly at all of us runners. I cried out, Aww he wants to run with us! There was scattered laughter and some runners smiled.

We also saw two old dudes wearing shirts that said 28 CIMS. They've run every single CIM that ever existed. That's longer than I've been alive! Paul ran over to to the first man we saw wearing that shirt and congratulated him. He nodded in return. It was an honor to run with him on that course.



I found myself running behind the 4:25 pacer pretty early on, and I told myself to keep up with her. My goal this year was to finish in about 4 and a half hours or so. I would have been happy with something around 4:40. Unfortunately, around mile 7, I felt cramps coming on. I began to worry. I slowly began to realize that I had not trained enough. It's funny how you begin to realize things that you wouldn't otherwise think of, as you're running and you're feeling your body begin to communicate to you.

My body began yelling at me,

"Are you kidding me? When is the last time you went for a run?"
(It's been a while...)

"What have you been eating the last week?"
(Um.... salads and stuff. Been staying on a 1200 calorie a day diet to lose weight.)

"How hard have you been training?"
(Not very hard. I've been studying a lot.)

"Are you crazy? Or just plain stupid?"
(......)

You get the idea. After having these conversations with myself, I drew the conclusion that I didn't respect the marathon enough and I jumped into it overly confident because it was my fourth marathon. Needless to say, it became a harder run a lot sooner than I had anticipated.

I wasn't able to set a PR, and came in at 5:03. (My best time was 4:50 at the Avenue of the Giants marathon.) But, I'm actually really happy with myself! My split times were actually really good! For the halfway point, my time was 2:13 (which also isn't a PR, I've ran a half in 2 hours and 4 minutes) but the 20 mile mark was 3:38! That is cruisin!

After about 21 miles, I knew I only had an hour to run the last 5-6. And usually I know I can run that in much less than an hour. But after running 21 miles with stiff legs that were threatening to cramp, I just didn't care enough to push myself to the point of risking injury to my feet and legs. I think with more training and an adequate diet leading up to the race, I would have been fine. Mentally, 26 miles is something I have gotten used to. But it's truly about conditioning my body enough to be ready for such a big run.

Once again, seeing all the runners out there, throwing their all into this run, and seeing all of those volunteers helping us along the way moved me to tears. And the spectators out there in the cold with signs like "Go Daddy!" and "You're NOT almost there!" were priceless. This one guy around mile 22 in East Sacramento was giving a long, loud speech, telling us how each and every one of us are amazing and how proud he was for what we're accomplishing that day. That guy was cool.

At mile 25 or so, there was a band with the lead singer singing Aretha's "At Last", and normally that would make me cry, but that day I was so irritated, because I was so done with running. I love running so much, I can run all day and be happy, but running 26.2 miles with stiff legs will make even me sick of running.

As I finished that last leg, I still felt great and all the people cheered, as I came into the finish line strong and proud. It was like a dream. It's funny how everytime you can see that finish line, it gives you a sudden burst of energy, and somewhere you find it within yourself to burst into a sprint. I never thought I'd be a runner. But now, I'm not just a runner.  I am a marathoner.




More photos will follow, and I'm already trying to decide which marathon to run next, so stay tuned!
Last final this Friday and then I'm home free for a month! During my month off, I am determined to knock out a few good reads, maybe a hike or two, some holiday shopping, hang out with Sara when she comes home for Christmas, plan my trip to Honduras, and most of all, cook homemade meals again!

ode to 2011

Yay! It's finally December... This year really flew by! Many milestones happened for me this year. And as it is now coming to a close, I am looking back at this past year and remembering all the months filled with accomplishments, realizations, and growth.

I rang in the New Year with my best friend and sweetheart Paul, and our good friends Jerry and Sylvia. We had a nice quiet dinner that I cooked (eggplant parmesan, and all kinds of other delicious dishes) and lit firecrackers out on the streets and threw confetti all around. We shared hugs and kisses and talked about upcoming travels. I drew a picture with colored pencils of the champagne we drank and the candles we lit.

  

A week later, we left for the number one destination city on our list: Rome, Italy and spent almost two, unbelievably romantic and dream-like weeks we've ever experienced. We rented a nice villa on the outskirts of the city of Rome, and took our time walking everywhere and seeing everything. I got to shed tears under the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and took a walk around the Colosseum. I got to touch the walls of the 2,000 year old Pantheon and stood on the rooftop of St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City. We walked the beaten, cobblestone pathways of the Roman Forum and tried to imagine what it was like when the Romans were conquering most of Europe and how it all must have looked back then. We saw paintings and statues made by Bernini and Michaelangelo, Raphael, and many others, and took a bike ride around the streets of Rome. We learned some Italian and tried the finest pasta, pizza, and Italian gelato our tongues will ever taste. We stood in front of the Trevi Fountain and tossed lucky pennies into the water, hoping that the old fable would come true that if you toss the penny into the fountain, we would be sure to return to Rome.



We will never forget any of trips, but Rome was magical.

We returned from our trip and I resumed work as field representative to Assemblymember Alyson Huber. I enjoyed most my stint directing and managing the intership program and recruited some great interns who a few of them have become dear friends of mine.



I continued studying for the LSATs and ended up taking it twice, in February and June. In the midst of the LSAT frenzy,  I was offered a new job as executive assistant to Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, and began working for the Department of Insurance. I applied to McGeorge shortly after starting this new position. I've made great friends at the Department, and I've learned so much witnessing Commissioner Jones fight the insurance companies and fight for healthcare reform.



Paul and I have made a few more of our yearly trips to Yosemite, ran races, competed in the Sierra Century for the second time, and shared many nights of laughter, good food, and wine. I got to climb Mount White, the third tallest mountain in California. Now I can say that I've peaked the top three tallest mountains in our state. I also visited the oldest trees on the face of this planet.





We got to explore Hetch Hetchy and Kings Canyon. We saw many wild animals, and enjoyed sleeping under redwood trees and stars. In May, we ran my third marathon (Paul's fourth) in the Avenue of the Giants race.

 

In July for my birthday, I got to run the Bix race with Paul in his hometown of Davenport, Iowa, and got to meet his mother for the first time. I got to hold her hand and kiss her cheek. I got to meet almost all of Paul's wonderful brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and walked the streets where Paul grew up and saw the house he spent his childhood in. His entire family welcomed me into theirs with love and kindness, and I feel such a closeness with them.

 

In August, I got accepted to McGeorge, School of Law. After four LSATs and over two years of turmoil, studying, taking prep courses, getting tutored, and spending many nights and weekends mulling over practice tests while working and doing events and campaigning, I got into the one and only school I applied to. It was a realization of a dream I had for a very long time. The day I got the phone call from the dean of admissions, I remember shouting "I got into law school!" and everyone at my work cheered and clapped. The next morning, on my daily 5-6 mile jog, I ran a 8 minute mile pace from the excitement and triumph I was feeling. I was literally high for that whole entire week.

The sweet victorious feeling of this accomplishment was mixed with the sad loss of Betty, Paul's mother. She passed away just days after I learned of my acceptance to McGeorge. I am so grateful that I got to meet her before she left this world of ours. I think about her kindness and calm, caring way she spoke to Paul, all the time, and am always mindful to speak to him in the same tender, patient way that she spoke to him. We climbed Mt Gibbs in honor of her life and the wonderful spirit she had, and put up prayer flags to wish her a smooth transition into the after-life.



I also got to experience my first Iftar dinner and developed a new level of respect for a different culture and religion when I fasted for a day. It opened my eyes to all of the people in the world who are without food and water, and it was a beautiful and humbling experience to learn this lesson with a close-knit community of people who dedicate themselves to teaching these lessons.



In November for Paul's birthday, we got to experience the Ashland Shakespeare Festival and saw a total of four plays. The autumn leaves and the fall colors were beautiful. The drive to Oregon was a really nice drive and we got to see our old friend, Mount Shasta. She was looking very big and majestic and I recalled very fond memories of climbing it two years ago.



The following weekend we ran the Stinson Beach 25K and had a blast in our rented beach house with Paul's brother Chuck and his two daughters. I earned my first ribbon for coming in third place in my age division at the Stinson Beach run. I don't even remember the last time I ever got a ribbon or "won" anything.

 

Paul harvested 67 pounds of honey and produced almost 100 jars that we gave away to friends and family. Sac Bee writer Blair Anthony Robertson took interest and offered to put his own spin on the wonderful story behind Paul's honey harvesting. We were mostly happy that we put smiles on so many people's faces, and added a touch of sweetness to their morning tea and toast.



I also got to run the Run to Feed the Hungry for the first time and was moved and inspired by all the people from old to young, running out there in the pouring rain.

My dad turned 60 this year and I am proud of him for maturing into the man that he has become. Other family members have passed, like my cousin I haven't seen in almost 20 years, and my grandmother is slowly fading from this world, but it's taught me to treat each day as a precious gift and to always tell my loved ones that I love them.

In two more days, I take my first law school exam. It's been a crazy, eventful, wonderful year. And it's not yet over. I am so grateful and happy to have done so much this past year, and I am eager to spend the remaining days of 2011 being nothing but grateful for everything and everyone in my life.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. It is an honor to be here with you all in this world of ours. We only live once, and then we die. So not a single moment should be wasted.