B-day celebration

A few of the guys and I went out to celebrate my friend Ruben's b-day yesterday. It was a good time. Sometimes there's nothing like hanging out with friends that have known you for a long time. We shared stories that we had all heard many times before, drank margaritas and had a great time.

Nothing really notable happened (well the waiter apparently did try to rip us off)- just good conversation. Often that's more than enough.

A brief eulogy of sorts

My aunt Sophia passed away last night. I wasn't as close to her as many others in my family, but I remember her as an intelligent and kind lady. She took primary care of my grandmother while she was alive, was a professor in Mexico and dabbled in stone statues that my father sold for her at his tool shop. I saw her often as a child, but much less as I grew older and saw my Tijuana extended family less and less often. I'd talk to her every few years at family gatherings or when she came to visit my father.

I remember my parent's offering to give me a stone picnic table that Sophia had made- it was beautifully decorated with ceramic tiles, but wobbled unevenly. I think it had been sitting unsold at their store for several months. I thought it might be a good table for people that had too much to drink at carne asadas, but my wife and I decided to pass on it. I kind of wish I had that table now.

Another time, I remember our garage being full of stone animals for about a year, until my mother freed them to roam in different placements among our yard. It made the yard look almost like a zoo. I don't know if Sophia ever made much money with the statues, but they were always pretty.

I never got around to seeing Sophia before she died- part of me felt like I wasn't close enough to offer her much comfort and another part of me has trouble dealing with cancer, even some ten years after I survived it. But, I know that she was surrounded by family that loved her. Her siblings, including my father, went to see her frequently.

I wish her the best and hope she has that peace in heaven that she deserves.

A pain in the neck

I slept badly last night- due to a neck that I sprained at the gym earlier in an attempt to keep up with the guy in the swim lane next to me. I thought that there was no way a older guy could beat a not yet forty me, but some of those senior citizens are very spry.

As I sit down to write this blog, my neck still aches. I'm tempted to try some home remedies that my future brother in law (dating my wife's sister) has recommended. For instance, he speaks highly of a substance used for cow teats in treating aching muscles. Apparently it's popular among cyclists and bovines. However, I'll probably stick to the Advil.

This incident has gotten me to better understand the meaning of saying that someone is a pain in the neck. Overall, being a "pain in the neck" isn't that bad a thing. It's a pain that is annoying, but far from debilitating. A pain in the ass, on the other hand...

Despite the neck, I did go to the gym again this morning and am making steady progress in my weight loss goals. I'll admit that it's frustrating at times to not see overnight dramatic changes...or to not be able to run a few miles w/o fear of my knee caps exploding. However, it is kind of satisfying to walk out of the gym knowing that I'm giving a good effort.

A weird side effect to the weight loss (maybe 40-50 lbs) has been a increased fascination in clothes. Some of my suits are beginning to fit better and I've been receiving compliments from people that I come across. It's lead to the purchase of some stylish french cuff shirts, some vintage cufflinks from the 30's and to a restocking of my tie wardrobe.

Even 100 lbs ago I was never much of a clothes horse, but now that I'm losing weight again I seem to strangely fascinated by my shrinking appearance. I look in the mirror to examine shrinking love handles and a gradual reduction to a single chin!

I've even promised myself a custom suit should I hit 210 lbs again.

What a fool believes, no? It's going to be a long journey back! The 210 pound me of 10 years ago never really cared what he wore or even, if the guy in the next lane was swimming faster. He just wanted to be a good lawyer.

Can I switch places with him?

Estolano Law- a year and change later

It's weird to think of where I was a year and half ago at this time. I was probably sitting in my little office- bills accumulating, unsatisfied with my cases and playing with the idea that maybe I should do something else.

Today, the bills are still high, but are being managed better and better. I still in the same desk as before, but in a nice office filled with people that I enjoy working with and who are making Estolano Law a success. The cases are interesting and always in my areas of expertise- immigration, family law or criminal defense. The future is not without it's problems, but it looks bright.