It’s been an incredible year! Looking back, so much has changed and so many wonderful things have happened for me this year – personally and professionally. I never could have predicted so many good things happening. Of course, I didn’t get here alone and I want to thank all the friends, family, and colleagues who helped make this year fan-fucking-tastic. It was hard to pick the top five events from this year, but here you go!
1.  Carter Law Firm Opened! I opened my own law practice on January 4, 2012 and I’m happy to report that I’m still in business and haven’t been disbarred. It’s been an amazing year creating and building my own business with all the trials and tribulations that go along with that. I love my work and I’m so lucky that I get to build the professional life I’ve always wanted as the approachable geeky lawyer who wears t-shirts and does awesome work. I love that I’m building my niches in social media and flash mob law and being invited to do things like speak at major conferences.
2.  My First Book I wrote and self-published The Legal Side of Blogging: How Not to get Sued, Fired, Arrested, or Killed. I’ve always wanted to write a book and all the pieces fell into place to make it happen. The book has been well received so far and appears to be opening the door for more books. Special hat tip to ePublish Unum for teaching me everything I know about self-publishing.
3.  ABA Legal Rebel I’ve always looked up to the American Bar Association Legal Rebels, but in my wildest dreams I did not expect to be picked to join this illustrious group only months after becoming a lawyer. I’m tickled that they chose me because of my work in flash mob law.
Rosie!
4.  I Got A Dog! Adopting Rosie from the Arizona Basset Hound Rescue was probably the biggest life changing event of this year. It had been years since I had a pet and because of her we go walking every day and I’m on a more structured schedule. She can melt my heart with one look and it was so hard to leave her at the kennel for a few days. I love the way she looks when she runs and how she howls at the phone.
5.  Half Marathon Personal Record This may seem petty, but it was a big deal to me to finish the race under two hours. I was blown away when I heard I finished the race in 1:52. I’d never run that hard for so long before. It was a great experience to do so well.
For anyone who doesn’t know, I got a rescue basset hound named Rosie this year. She’s awesome and I love her. We take a walk every day with the exception of days when there’s a dust storm or a rain storm. She’s a darling of the neighborhood. When we go walking, I wear a cross-body bag that holds her pooper scooper bags, a flash light, her water bottle, mace (in case we encounter a coyote), my phone, and my keys.
Shit by margaretshear from Flickr
I’ve noticed there are three types of dog walkers in my neighborhood.
Responsible Dog Walkers: These are the people who carry pooper scooper bags, pick up after their dogs, and put the waste into the trash can.
Traditional Irresponsible Dog Walkers: These people walk their dogs and don’t carry pooper scooper bags. They let their dogs shit wherever they want and never clean it up.
Nontraditional Irresponsible Dog Walkers: These people walk their dogs and carry pooper scooper bags. When their dog poops, they put it in a bag, tie off the top, and toss it to the side of the road.
The nontraditional irresponsible dog walkers baffle me. Their behavior remind me of highway clean-up crews that pick up trash and leave the full bags by the side of the road for the truck to pick up at the end of their shift. Only in this case, there isn’t a dog shit bag removal service in my neighborhood.
Dog poo bags by nicolasnova from Flickr
The worst part of cleaning up after your dog is picking up the poop itself – and even that’s not that bad. My regular route with Rosie is just under a mile and we walk out and back. There are 2 dumpsters and 4 communal trash cans along the way (not including the 3 trash cans in the park on the route). You have to walk maybe 2 blocks before you reach the next trash receptacle. There are also 3 bag dispensers on our route so if you forget to grab your pooper scooper bags when you leave the house, you can still clean up after your dog.
I don’t know who the culprits are – the traditional and nontraditional irresponsible dog walkers – but I hope they knock it off soon. It’s unsightly and disgusting.
I remember in high school they used to say if you can’t handle buying condoms, you’re not mature enough to have sex. Likewise, if you can’t handle cleaning up after your dog, you shouldn’t be able to have one.
Is That Legal – Freaky the Snowman
Why Don’t People Return Their Shopping Carts?
2.  My First Book I wrote and self-published The Legal Side of Blogging: How Not to get Sued, Fired, Arrested, or Killed. I’ve always wanted to write a book and all the pieces fell into place to make it happen. The book has been well received so far and appears to be opening the door for more books. Special hat tip to ePublish Unum for teaching me 
Sci-fi author
1st trip to Chicago where I leave the airport – included my 1st ride on the L Train and my 1st visit to Cloud Gate (The Bean)
