I had never planned on going to law school. I graduated college and set about getting a job. Despite my stellar credentials and grade point average, I could find nothing. I ended up back in my parents house and took a job waitressing at a small Italian restaurant, deli and specialty store in my hometown – Angelina’s. As with everything in life, I gave 110% to that job. In no time, I was practically running the place when the owners weren’t around and was cooking after the cook left. I loved everyone I worked with and we had a great time. I learned to cook too. Life was good.

I always had fun at that job. See my puppet/oven mitt?

About a year and a half after graduation, I was still at Angelina’s and still in my parents’ house. My little cousin was graduating college and said she was going to law school. She told me to come. My parents were antsy for me to do something with my life, and I didn’t have much else going on – so I went for it.

Not only did I join my little cousin for law school, but I also got to crash her Jamaican spring break trip. Hey, I was too broke to go during my own college spring break and how else was she going to convince me to go to something as horrid as law school?!

The decision to go to law school was a last minute one, and I just went wherever would take me and wherever would throw me some scholarship money. Enter Ohio Northern University.

So I went to law school in an extremely small town in rural Ohio. We had to drive 20 minutes just to get to the WalMart or McDonalds. There were a lot of corn and soy bean crops and not much else. I didn’t know anyone and couldn’t afford to get my own place, buy all the furniture, etc as I was already student loaned up to the hilt and mooching off my parents as much as possible. So I opted for some new student furnished apartment housing on campus. I’ve always had good luck with roommates, so I let them pair me up.

Enter: Ms. Feliz – the Mexican Texan. I don’t know how or why the admissions counselor paired us up – but they did. As we entered law school, the Mex Tex was extremely enthusiastic. Me, well, I tended to be a Debbie Downer. She called me before school started, so we could coordinate on who was brining what. We both remember that first phone call. She remembers being full of excitement and having the most uninterested voice ever respond on the other end (hey, I hate the phone. Always have!). I remember an overly happy and overly excited person on the other end. We both thought – oh god.

Who knew we’d become BFFs. And who knew I would think that haircut and cleavage was a good look?

But as fate would have it, we would get along swimmingly. We both had been cooped up at our parents post graduation and both had a couple years out of college before law school. We were ready for a new college experience and proceeded straight to the drive through beer store.

The two best friends that anyone could have! OK so this was years after law school, but I love the picture.

One of the first night’s we went to the gym to play two on two basketball. We needed one more, and there he was, 130 pounds of hotness, little Pooky ESQ running shirtless around the gym. He played on my team, and we had a great time. We invited him to our house to enjoy your new purchases from the drive through beer store, but he scurried off. The next day he would see me out of my gym clothes and into a skirt, and thought that he had two girls after him. Sorry kid, all you had was me.

He was so tiny and cute. Who could resist.

I was suspicious of his small size, but he could put down an XL pizza from Padrones like no one else, so it was love at first bite.

He still loves his pizza.

Mex Tex and I also assembled an all star crew of friends, gathering together the four or five minorities on campus. The Jamaican Sensation was part of the original crew as well as Pooky ESQ. So we had Mexico, Jamaica, and India covered. Add in Red Joe (he had red hair) and Black Joe (you can figure this one out) and we were complete!

The rainbow connection including the Mex Tex, Pookie ESQ, the Jamaican Sensation and Red Joe!

Me and Mex Tex had so many great adventures together. Many involved fighting with boys in bars, mostly at the Reagle Beagle (that was really its name!), singing LaBamba at Karaoke every Tuesday, studying at sports bars for Saturday and Sunday Football fundays, and lots of late night pizza (what up Columbine!).

I’d like to say we brought the house down, but really we got booed each week by a douche in penny loafers.

In those days we could, and did, go out for late nights and I could even be known to enjoy some of Winemaker Jon’s homemade wine, then go out and run my usual route around the Green Monster. We interned for legal aid and the public defender and I figured I’d graduate and save the world. It was good to be young.

This was a fun night where Feliz and I gave Steven Jenkins a good talking to and lesson on the Mexican Revolution.

Fast forward nine years, and well, the legal profession has not turned out to be all I thought. I am yet to save the world, and I can barely keep down a glass of wine let alone go for a run after several.

So now I’m running from the traditional practice of law, and hopefully y’all will chase after me on my blog-venture from ESQ. to running blogger extraordinaire!

Look out for the wedding episode tomorrow!