About This Blog and This Girl

I'm a woman, sister, daughter, friend, lawyer, writer, reader, multiple-pet-owner, dog-lover, cat-lover, and--last but not least--a runner. :) I'm re-finding my footing in all areas of my life and this blog could be and is about a lot of different things. I chose running as its main theme because as my dad--an avid and much faster runner than I am--always says, it's a metaphor for life. Right now, for me, running is a metaphor for discovering and focusing on myself and staying dedicated to things that are important to me. To actively practice things and not just think about them (but I do think a lot!) To, as Nike says (although I'm a loyal Saucony wearer), "Just do it."

My sister and I are running a marathon in the late Fall. I'm not sure which one yet--we signed up for the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon but didn't get in via the lottery and have to choose a new one. I run to be dedicated to something (which I hope spills over into other areas of my life), to set and meet my goals (ditto), to get and stay stress-free (I have a stress-related sleep disorder--adult night terrors--that I'm always trying to cure, with no luck so far), to get into better shape and lose weight (and, let's face it, as Nike also says, to look better naked ;), and to be emotionally and physically balanced and healthy.

My dog Venus is a four-year-old German shepherd/Rottweiler mix who has a lot of energy (some might call it hyper-activity ;) and needs a lot of exercise and outdoors time. So another reason I run is to spend time with her and get her outside. When I bought my house in the summer of 2007 I brought Venus home as a ten-month-old puppy through a local pet fostering organization. My house (which I'm not living in at the moment but that's a whole other story) is in an "eccentric" part of Albuquerque's beautiful North Valley, so I wanted some protection for my runs through the less-than-ritzy areas. (I have a corgi mix who likes to run but she's not very scary-looking!) My plan was to foster big, dark dogs who are the hardest to find homes for. My plan ended when I fell in love with Venus, my first "foster" dog, and decided she was the only big, dark running dog for me! I officially became her mom and gave her the middle name of "Mara" because she's my loyal (although sometimes easily-distracted) marathon training partner.

Best running partner ever

More about me: I'm originally from southern Pennsylvania, right along the Maryland border. I have a large family who still lives in PA/MD. I'm the eldest of five kids, but that doesn't make me old! ;) My very best friend in the universe is my sister Shannon aka Shoopie, who is 22 months younger than me. I am also close with my brother Eric, who is four and a half years younger than me, and now married, and his wife/high school sweetheart Courtney. The three of us (sans his wife, of course) grew up together and now we are blessed to have two younger siblings, who are currently 10 and 9 years old (of course it seems to change all the time since they grow up so fast!) My dad works for the government and my mom is a homemaker.

Me and my family...
awhile ago, on one of my birthdays, hence the fiesta hat...
the kids are bigger now!

I went to college in New York, just above New York City (Sarah Lawrence College, in Yonkers or Bronxville, depending on which part of campus you're on!) and spent one year studying abroad at St. Louis University's campus in Madrid, Spain. I "concentrated" (Sarah Lawrence is "different" so we didn't have "majors") in Literature, mainly Latin American literature, Spanish, and Creative Writing. Oh how I miss those college days!

Goodbye, College Days! I had no idea how much I'd miss you!

I moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico for law school (the University of New Mexico School of Law). Since it's the "land of enchantment/entrapment," I'm still here, and have been here for eight years now. In addition to Venus, I have an 11-year-old corgi mix dog named Katie and an 8(?) year old cat named Merlin. I practice law at a civil defense law firm where I specialize in litigation and enjoy employment law and constitutional rights cases.

Me and Katie Mae, when I was in law school...
I adopted her the day after I moved to Albuquerque,
when she was three years old.

Then along came Merlin, aka Monkey-Baby

Finally, there came Venus Mara, my marathon training partner!
Here we are with our good friends Carey and Tux at a Doggie Dash.
Venus didn't feel like looking at the camera that day...
I think she was embarrassed by her behavior during the run
(she kept trying to chase after other dogs instead of worrying about our time!)

I like living in the gorgeous Southwest although I will admit it took awhile to grow on me due to culture shock from being an East Coast transplant! I miss my family but I try to visit them, and vice versa, as much as possible. I love to travel all over: anything from road trips in New Mexico and the four corners regions to international sightseeing when I get the time. (Shoopie and I recently took a week-long trip to Guatemala, which rocked!) I also love to write and hope to be published one day when I stay dedicated and determined enough to do it! I belong to a great writing group here in Albuquerque that meets weekly. I also enjoy skiing, reading, going out with my friends, especially my best friend Jessica :), and all types of music and movies.

This blog tracks my progress in training as well as my thoughts and activities in other areas of my life. I hope to fill it with positive inspiration to help me stay motivated and dedicated to my goals, in running and in life. Welcome to my journey. :)