Opportunity Missed.

I was on my way to the library to study this Sunday, when I learned that I needed to take a detour as the Seattle Marathon was bifurcated my normal route. I was bummed.

It wasn't the needed detour that had soured my mood, but the fact that I wasn't in the race. Despite being super cold (by Seattle standards, I know I've become a weather wuss since leaving Idaho) and wet, I still wanted to be among the thousands soggily plodding along for those 26 miles.

I had made it a goal to complete a marathon before I turned 30. I had even told people early on in the year that I was training in the hopes that my oral statement would give some sort of internal pressure on me to run a marathon, and thereby, I would not appear to be fool. But, alas, despite the pressures I put on myself, I wasn't ready this year.

I have excuses. We bought a house and all the work it needed cut into my training time. I started law school and the new academic rigors didn't lend themselves to freeing up the time to train. And, my wife hates the idea. She doesn't want me to leave her for hours to pound pavement by myself, she doesn't want me to become addicted and divert our vacations so that they coincide with various marathons around the country. Regardless, those are just excuses and they shouldn't have gotten in my way (well, despite the wife’s disapproval, for those of you who are married, you know how difficult it is to do something your significant other is really against, right?).

To top it off, I'm the only one in my family who hasn't done a marathon. My Dad ran them when he was younger. One of my brothers has, despite an aversion to any athletic endeavor as a teen, has turned into an Ironman (this year's Ironman in Cd'A will be his fourth) and runs ultra marathons for kicks. My other brother and sister have caught the bug as well, and have each done at least one marathon so far. So, besides my mom, I'm the only one who hasn't done one and I feel the typical pressure that the baby of the family feels, I have to do one to!!!

So, I'm making the promise again. This year I will run a marathon. This is a goal I want to keep.

Odds and Ends

I'm currently on the 3rd floor of the law library sitting at a study carrel and doing an outline of my Torts class. From my location, I can see the flag flying atop Swedish Hospital on First Hill. The flag is looking slightly ragged; the ends are starting pull apart as the alternating stripes of red and white are coming undone. They really should take her down and give the flag a proper burial; it's shameful to let her get to that point. If anyone is reading this who works at Swedish, please let those in charge know. (Or, it could all be an optical illusion based upon the mere force of the wind, I don't know for sure)

Also, they are starting to decorate for Christmas on campus. The grounds crew, in thier rain gear, is out hanging lights on the trees and there is a large Christmas tree lying outside the law school entrance. It's nice. I don't remember the U of Idaho decorating; we decorated on Greek row, but I don't remember the school itself doing anything. Then again, it probably couldn't given that it was a gov't entity. I imagine here, at SU, a Catholic school, that Christmas is a big deal. Anyway, it's nice to see.

Rhyme & Reason

Despite being a happily married fellow, I am guilty of occasionally letting my mind wander down the dusty paths in my memory to the places where I keep old girlfriends. Therefore, my interest we peaked when I found reference to a girl I had once dated on a myspace page that referenced her recent marriage. After some myspace stalking and internet searching, I was able to ascertain who she married, where she lives/works, and a photo of her new husband. Beyond the fact that it is more than a little scary that I could gather so much info about someone so quickly, it has given birthed a few random thoughts about what might have been.

If I had stayed with this girl, if we had been meant for one another (whatever that means), what would have happened? Where would we have lived? Would I have ever made it to law school, would I have made it here faster? Would I have ever relocated to Seattle? How would her life be different, how would mine be changed? Questions, Questions. One could drive themselves nuts looking backwards and second guessing.

The experience has reaffirmed something, though, when I look at where this girl is living and what she is doing: I'm happy and satisfied with the choices I’ve made regarding my wife and would not trade our lives together for anything. I would not be happy where this old girlfriend is, and I doubt she would be happy where I am, I guess this is why the relationship never worked out in the first place.

Finally, Sun!!!

The sun is out today and the sky is clear!! It won't last, the weather reports indicate we have an endless string of clouds and rain that will follow today. If you don't like clouds and rain, Seattle is not for you! But, on days like this, Seattle is well worth the price of soggy socks. All this rains greens up everything, even though we are approaching late November, the grass lawns are still vibrant shade of green and against a dark green backdrop of evegreens. When the sun is out, the we do shine like the emerald jewel the city uses as a moniker.

Along the theme of light chasing away the shadows, the lead story in the Seattletimes.com this morning is about a prositituion ring on Craigslist. No shit. The police are a little slow on the uptake with this one, didn't they see the bust that some bloggers did on some hapless, Seattle horn-dogs a couple months ago? It's a little to sad to think about the families of these men caught up in this, it's the men's fault, no doubt, for trolling the internet pervert current, but still you have to feel for the families.

Anyway, back to my studies. Only two and a half weeks until finals start!!!

Melancholoy

come and gone. I am a child of the 90's, the decade where I came of age. The 90's were a good time to bee a teen. The nation was just coming out of the cold war and 9-11 couldn't even be imagined. The future held only promise; not the fear of terrorism or the threat of global meltdown we face now. Furthermore, the music was so good then as we had; Peal Jam, NWA, Nirvana, Dr. Dre, STP, Sound garden, and the Dave Matthews Band who were still relevant, etc… The kids today have The Fray, geez. I wouldn't want to be 19 now, not in 2006, but if only I could go back in time. Anyway...

Mick McGavick, Democrats, and Fox News

Just a few observations on last night elections...

Mike McGavick gave a superb concession speech; it was an example that he is a good guy and could have been a good senator. However, he had no real chance of winning as he lost the Senate race the minute he opened his mouth in E. Washington to bad mouth Seattle. You can't win a state election by alienating the largest city in the State, especially when E. Washington just doesn't have the population to back up it's republican bravado. Mike is a good guy, he had some good ideas, and now he has something to think about for next time.

I don't know what to think of the democratic control of the US House (and possibly Senate). I think the election night results are just another sign that Americans, at our core, hate absolute power in a single party. We were willing to give George this power for a while because we were scared and still had faith that he could do something with it, but he turned out to be a terrible despot who hasn't taken any apparent positive strides forward despite the power he had been given. Now, the people have taken that power back.

I'm a little ashamed of my home state, between passing the gay marriage ban and electing a man who correlates Abortions with cancer and was call an idiot by the head of his own party to the house, my state appears to be a mindless drone following the red flag where it takes them. I might not wear any of my Idaho sweatshirts for a few days. Utah and Idaho have proved decisively that they are the "reddest" state in the nation.

Hopefully now, Cantwell can get Washington’s State sales tax exemption back now that republicans who hijacked the issue in order to get their minimum wage cut passed (which they didn’t so they lost and the citizens of 13 other state has increases in taxes thank to R’s) are out of power. I’m hoping Maria Cantwell picks up the banner again and get this done. Other than that, I’m not getting too excited about much happening, maybe the D can get some education reform passed and do something to heal the nation after 12 years of divisive R control, but I doubt it. I’ve become rather pessimistic about politics and hope deep down I’m wrong and it won’t be more of the same.

I watched the returns on Fox News, which was hilarious. Some of the commentors actually seemed like they were on the verge of tears, fair and balanced my ass! The look on Sean Hannity's face all night was priceless.

Anyway, despite being national blog posting month my posts might trickle down to nothing soon. Finals are approaching fast (beginning of next month) so my thought will soon be narrowed to Torts, Contracts, Property Law, Civil Procedure, and that will probably leave blogging as past time best left for late December.

Wisdom for the day.

Today, in my Civil Procedure class, we had a surprise. Our teacher introduced us to Lt. Cmdr Charles Swift, famous now for his defense and win in front of the Sumpreme Court in Hamdan v. Rumsfel. It was facinating to get an inside look at such an important and influential case and into the tactics that won. He also shared a few stories of his experience as a law student at Seattle U and a few stories about our professor who was his Civil Procedure professor as well. Overall, pretty cool experience and quite the surprise.

Upon a question from one of my classmates about how he balanced defending a terroist with the knowledge of how dire the threat of terroism is, he used this quote from Thomas Paine to explain himself:
"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.

I have struggled morally with how would one defend person's they knew were guilty, such as the defense of Duncan back in Cd'a or how the ACLU can stand up for organization like NAMBLA. I think this quote helps.

Why one should never go to school in Spokane.

This guy's post actually makes fun of both Gonzaga Law School and Idaho's bar at the same time...it's pretty funny. A bit scary for those of us in law school, but funny nonetheless.