No, it is not an amusement park ride...

Nissan unveiled a new concept car, called Pivo. The cool thing about this car is that its body can turn 360 degrees. Check out this article for more info. For some reason it reminds me of an Ipod. I think it is the bright white color, but I am not sure.

I wonder what would happen if you were driving along and all of a sudden it accidentally rotated 180 degrees and suddenly you were driving in reverse? I am sure they will get all those kinks out if/when it is released to the public.

MCLE

Yesterday, Illinois joined the majority of other states in requiring continuing legal education. My first concern is the cost. I wonder if work will reimburse me for the cost? Can they even do that? I am not too worried about the time commitment; it is only 20 hours over the first two years and then it increases eventually to 30 hours per two year period. In a sick way I still miss being in school, so maybe it will be good to quench that desire. Also, I don't think I am limited by practice area, so maybe I can venture out and take a course in estates or something. But that might make me fall asleep. Do I still get the certificate if I am sleeping?

I would be interested to hear from any lawyers in other states about your MCLE requirements and whether they are manageable or annoying.

100 Things About Me

1. I have a cat named Simba.
2. He likes to meow alot.
3. I like sports; especially baseball and basketball.
4. I like going to the movies.
5. I like the movies the most when there aren't that many other people there.
6. Everytime I go to the movies a loud person sits behind me.
7. My favorite movie is the Princess Bride.
8. My second favorite movie is Field of Dreams.
9. I never saw either of them in the theater.
10. I would like Reese Witherspoon or Drew Barrymore to play me in a movie.
11. The longest I have ever run at one time is 13.1 miles.
12. My reward was a penguin medal.
13. I want to have a pet penguin one day.
14. My dream would be to own a farm with llamas.
15. Law school was the most miserable three years of my life.
16. I can't believe I had to pay almost $100,000 for that torture.
17. I currently read over 100 blogs.
18. Even though I subscribe to Bloglines, I obsessively check some of those blogs, just in case bloglines is being slow.
19. I like getting flowers.
20. Daisies are my favorite flower.
21. I have four tattoos.
22. My favorite TV show is the People's Court.
23. All my favorite TV shows always get cancelled.
24. I once got a handwritten letter from someone at NBC when I wrote a protest letter for the canceling of "I'll Fly Away."
25. My letter was in the form of a poem.
26. I also wrote a complaint letter in the form of a poem to the Detroit Tigers.
27. That poem got me a Tigers planner.
28. I have been a bridesmaid in two weddings.
29. The toasts I gave in both were poems.
30. I express myself better in writing than in speaking.
31. I like making lists.
32. I have two nephews that I adore.
33. They live too far away.
34. I love to spoil them.
35. I am the youngest of four.
36. I was/am spoiled.
37. Until I went to college I never tried chinese food or bagels.
38. Sesame chicken is one of my favorite meals.
39. I love bagels.
40. I only recently began to like bananas.
41. I love my Ipod.
42. I wish there was a four day work week.
43. I have found that the older I get, the more emotional of a person I become.
44. My fiance and I met at a volunteer project.
45. We haven't spent more than three days apart since then.
46. Even though I don't think it is possible, I love him a little more each day.
47. He has been to every one of my races since I started this running thing.
48. I own two medals.
49. I would wear them around to places if I could.
50. The first car I was allowed to drive on a regular basis was a Chevy Sprint.
51. It sounded like one of those cars at the amusement park.
52. My brother first taught me to drive in our parents' driveway.
53. He later tried to teach me to drive a stick shift, but that didn't go so well.
54. I don't own a car, but am allowed to use Prince E's beloved Mr. Car.
55. I wish I rode my bicycle more often.
56. I only applied to one college.
57. I didn't want to go anywhere else.
58. I applied to 9 law schools.
59. I am glad I decided to move to Chicago.
60. I hate worrying about money.
61. I worry alot.
62. Sometimes my worrying affects my sleep.
63. I can type very quickly, but am often inaccurate.
64. I love to bake.
65. I can almost make my mom/grandma's cookie recipe as well as they do/did.
66. I am currently reading 9 books.
67. I have a bad habit of getting 3/4 through a book and then stopping.
68. I have a caffeine addiction.
69. I am trying to learn how to cook.
70. My favorite thing in the kitchen is my stand mixer.
71. It is red to match my pots and pans.
72. I love peanut butter.
73. I could live the rest of my life just eating bread and applesauce.
74. I do not like fish.
75. When I was nine, my bedroom was pink.
76. I hated pink for the next 17 years.
77. I love pink.
78. I did not watch the NFL until I moved to Chicago.
79. Consequently, my favorite NFL team is the Bears.
80. I can't think of 100 things so I am going to stop at 81.
81. I am happy that you read my list!
82. I decided it was time to finish this list.
83. I have been quoted in three different newspapers.
84. When I was younger we had a pet goat.
85. We also had pet chickens and pet ducks.
86. I would like a pet chinchilla.
87. I cannot have just one glass of lemonade.
88. I like pink lemonade better.
89. I am afraid of becoming a soccer mom.
90. I like watching fireworks.
91. I prefer watching them from my apartment window, because there are no people, it is not too loud.
92. I watch too much television.
93. I like to buy things.
94. I have a lot of debt.
95. I am looking forward to being Mrs. Prince E.
96. Simba is giving himself a bath right now.
97. I plan on purple wearing tennis shoes under my wedding dress.
98. I considered not returning from my honeymoon, but I would miss Simba.
99. I think Simba would like Hawaii.
100. I am glad I managed to finish this, even though I started in September and am finishing it in July.

The Final Four

The final dance-off of "So You Think You can Dance" took place last night. At the beginning of show they revealed the last two booted off: and the male kicked off was Blake!! I said all season long that if he was subjected to a fan vote, he would get kicked off. And in his first time in the fan vote, he is gone. I was happy. He is such an arrogant jerk. Plus, he was already dancing professionally and doesn't need this show.

So, my predictions (winner revealed next Wednesday):
Will win: Nick
Should win: Melody

Steve Runner said he was proud of me

Today, I, Simba's Mom, went running. I know, shocking, right? Both Betty and I had gone about 12 days since our last serious run. It was time.

We headed out and ended up combining two previous runs: the one down Navy Pier and the one to Olive Park. We did about three miles total. Felt great.

Along the way, I listened to my favorite podcast, Phedippidations. Today he was talking about how to tell when you are over-training. He said that if you stop feeling proud of your accomplishments, that is one sign. He then said he was proud of himself for the 16-mile run he was doing (he records while running). Then, he said that he was proud of me for running. I was pretty proud of me too. Thanks Steve! If you are so inclined, you should give him a listen. I find him to be a nice mix of humor and helpful information.

Below are some various photos from the run. In the "too much information" category, I wore my little camera on a string around my neck and then tucked into my cleavage. Stayed quite nicely. Like I said, too much information.

Guest Map

I added a new feature to my side bar on the right hand side. Click on the "sign my guest map" and then you can leave an icon indicating where you live.

Just like a college girl again...

I slept in today until 9:45am. I cannot remember the last time I slept so late. I can't believe that I used to do this routinely (and actually sleep longer). Oh, and I went to bed at 10:50pm. No one requires that much sleep. I wish I could store it up and use it on all my 6.5 hour sleep nights, but I know it doesn't work that way. I think that the work day should only be 5 hours. Which would leave an extra three hours a day for sleeping.

I must like him or something...

Last night I watched hockey. I figured I would give it a try, since Prince E loves hockey and he watches a lot of things that I like.

A little history for those of you that don't actually know me. I grew up in Michigan and watched baseball, basketball, and football, ever since I was a wee tot. We were just not a hockey family, despite living in a state with a very successful hockey team. When the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1997, we were at the Detroit Tigers game. When Michigan won the NCAA championship while I was a student there, I wasn't that excited. It is not that I am a non-sports watching girly girl. I just never watched hockey.

Back to last night. Not only did I watch hockey, Prince E explained to me all of the rules; with diagrams and stick figures. And, I must confess, I kinda liked it. I like the noise of the skates on the ice and the people all scurrying around the goal at a frantic pace, matched only by the equally frantic pace of the announcer. I have to get better, so that I can find the puck more quickly. (why is that damn thing so small?) But I think I can fake my way through a conversation about it now, so I don't have to go through the same old conversation with people I meet: "What? You are from Michigan and you don't know anything about hockey?"

Oh, and Prince E was impressed with all of hockey words that I already knew, even though I never actually watched a game before (Yzerman, Zamboni, and Stanley Cup). I don't think he liked the Yzerman part, though, because he is a Blackhawks fan.

A post about (gasp!) the law!

I realize that this blog hasn't had a law-related post in some time, so I thought I would throw this out there. Chicago officials are planning a new measure to crack down on jay-walking. Like most new laws of this type, I am concerned about selective enforcement. Will it matter if I cross on red when I am wearing a suit (okay, I know, but pretend with me) versus a t-shirt and jeans (which make me look 15)? Will there be quotas? What if a whole group of people jaywalk? That happens often. (Side story: more than once I have been standing in the back of a pack and started walking when everyone in front of me did, only later to realize that the light hadn't changed and there was a large vehicle speeding towards me. I blame sleepiness and group mentality).

Personally I rarely, if ever, engage in the kind of jay-walking that they are trying to curtail: namely when people cross against the light and prevent the turning traffic that has the green light from turning. I get REALLY annoyed when I am on Michigan Avenue and this happens. People go when the east/west traffic gets a red light, not realizing (or not caring) that the northbound traffic gets a (very brief) green arrow. Then the car has to stop in the middle of the intersection, lest he run over 15 tourists from Wisconsin, and that ties up the north/south traffic which then has the green light. This is most annoying when I am on the bus and am sitting still on green. (Grr!!). Speaking of tourists, will they get ticketed? What about a school group that goes outside of the white lines (also an infraction) as they walk to the Sears Tower?

I do cross when the little red hand is pointed at me, I will admit it. But I am also very familiar with traffic patterns and know which traffic has the green light when. I walk the same 10 minute walk to the bus stop everyday after work. I know that after all the traffic in the turning traffic on a particular street has turned, I can cross, etc. Will this behavior be subjected to ticketing since technically I am jaywalking, but not affecting the flow of traffic? Only time will tell I suppose.

Let me know what y'all think about this.
Now that I look back, it isn't really about law at all, just the ranting of a city girl, but oh well :)

Confession

There is something that I have been keeping from all of you. A deep, dark, nasty little secret. I have been doing something I am embarrassed to admit. Prince E knows about it, but that is only because he has been doing it to. Sigh. I guess it will feel better getting this off of my chest. For the past several weeks I have been...watching So You Think You Can Dance.* There. It is out in the open. With only one week left in the show I thought it was safe to come out with the truth. No time for an intervention between now and next week. I am sure I will be sorely disappointed in the outcome, but I guess I don't care enough to actually vote myself. I am hoping for Melody and Nick, though, if anyone cares.

* I think it would be more grammatically correct to end it with a question mark, but who I am to question Fox.

Fun with oven mitts

You might have to be from Michigan to truly appreciate this, but here are some pictures of my new oven mitt.

Another Running Rut

I haven't run since last Thursday.
I haven't run because I have been feeling sort of blah about things.
Or am I feeling blah because I haven't run?

To read about other people running, check out this week's rundown featuring a shout-out to my good buddy Shore Turtle.

Impossible to Hide Even in the Big City

I have certain places that I go to fairly regularly during the week for lunch or pick up odds and ends. It has gotten to the point that they know me now at a few of these places. I guess I could look at it like a quaint small-town thing where everyone knows everyone, but here in Chicago makes me a bit unsettled. And makes me not want to go to those places.

Example:
I head into sandwich shop. I always get the same thing. One of the workers there has previously called out my order before I even open my mouth. That was bad enough. This time, that same worker was training a newbie. He said something to her as I walked up. I placed my order. The newbie said "That is what he just said you would order." A little creepy.

Running with Mia Hamm

I totally forgot that I wanted this title for my Nike Race re-cap. Mia was acting as the race MC or something and apparently she ran in the 5k, though I never saw her. I did hear her voice before the race, but that was about it. Would have made a funny title if I had remembered to use it.

What? There is a race going on at this concert?

My race recap of the Nike Run Hit Wonder 5k:

1) It was hot.
2) It was crowded.
3) People liked stopping in the middle of the race to listen to the various bands.
4) A lot of those people didn't bother moving to the side.
5) My time was pretty okay considering 1-4.
6) I got a finisher's medal. I will post a photo of it tomorrow.
7) I saw Elvis. He looked pretty good.
8) I saw a lot of bands I would have known if I were cooler.
9) I think I saw Chingy although the stage lights were too bright to know for sure. And he wasn't singing a song I recognized.
10) I ran all of it except for the water stations which was good considering my previous run/walk training made me doubt whether I could run 3.1 miles in a row anymore.
11) I need to sleep. After I eat some of E's leftover birthday cake. :)

Hail to the Corn Maze...

Over the weekend, we went to Crane's Orchard and Corn Maze in Fennville, Michigan. Above is a photo from their website showing the shape of the maze. Of course we only did the wolverine part. Since we are nerds, we also had Garmina running during our little jaunt (which took a hot, sweaty, tiring, 49 minutes and 1.5 miles). Unfortunately Google Earth hasn't gotten to Fennville yet...

Simba is Ready to Run!!

I swear I don't make him pose for these pictures. He just does it himself! That is my race shirt and shorts for tonight that he is lounging on.

Underwhelmed

I have a race tomorrow. I am feeling indifferent. It is the Nike Run Hit Wonder 5k. Hopefully it will be fun. And not too hot. (although race time temp is predicted of 80 at 8pm).

The shirt is cute. Everyone has to wear them during the race because it also serves as our race numbers.

I am too tired to take a photo of it now. It is yellow.

I don't want to go to work tomorrow. I have enjoyed my four-day vacation.

Simba is cute from any perspective

This photo was taken with a new camera that Prince E recently purchased, which has a fish eye lens.

Running in Saugatuck, Michigan

This weekend I treated Prince E to a birthday weekend in Saugatuck, Michigan. During the trip, I took a 2 mile run around the downtown area. Here are some photos I snapped along the way. Unfortunately, Google Earth hasn't completed this part of Michigan, so I am unable to show you the map version of the run.

2000+

Special thanks to ym for being my 2000th visitor! Or was it yd?

Also, I have been day dreaming about where I will be a year from today. Here is a hint:

Our New Little Penguin Friend

Simba says "No Thanks."

Running like a Wildcat

Today Prince E drove me up to Evanston, Illinois, home of the Northwestern University Wildcats. As you can see from the photos, the path I ran along hugged Lake Michigan, much like the lakefront path I run on in Chicago. It was a very pleasant morning, and the weather was cool. I did a back and forth run for a total of 4.5 miles of running, which you can see from the Google Earth map below. I ran a circle around a little playground, which looks kind of funny on the map.

At the end of my run, as I ran back towards one of the Northwestern playing fields, I noticed lots of people standing around, staring in the direction that I came from. Was there a race I didn't know about today? Was there a parade? And then I noticed one of the people (a parent I presume), holding something that said Northwestern Cross-country. I moved off to one side to start my cool down walk when I saw the first runner. She was fast, all decked out in Wildcat purple. She ran in a loop around the field. I wondered how long they had been running. I assume it was a long way, since I think that was where the race was ending, but she didn't look all that tired. She was followed by several other women at various speeds. It was fun to see how effortless it appeared for many of them.

More Sadness

I read this over at 21st Century Mom's page. Apparently the Dept of Homeland Security forbid the Red Cross from entering into New Orleans to feed anyone or give them water because that would encourage people to stay in New Orleans and not evacuate. They claim it would also attract more people to the city. Here is an idea: if they would have fed the hungry, maybe that would have given them the strength/sanity/hope to wait for the buses that never came. Knowing the Red Cross, they would have been there immediately, not five days later.
Read for yourself at the Red Cross site.

Katrina, Racism, and Poverty

I haven't the words to describe the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. Check out this article from Salon. It says alot of what I have been thinking. Also, you can link directly to the secure Red Cross site by clicking on the logo on the right hand side of this page.