Another Day Another Ramble

This morning started bright and early. Well not so bright since it was still dark at 4 am. Scott had the heater on and I felt like I was suffocating from the heat. 

Of course after he left and the heater was off I was wide awake for awhile. I grabbed my phone and popped on Facebook for a few minutes and saw that my neighbor behind me passed away yesterday. So sad! I'm friends with her daughter and my kids have played with all her grandkids so they were all very upset to find out that she passed away also. I'm pretty sure she died from complications of diabetes that she has had for the whole time I've known her. 

With so many people I know sick and dying it really raises my awareness of my own mortality. Sure we know that we are all going to die some day but maybe that's going to be tomorrow. Or by Christmas. Or not until I'm 90. Not to be morbid or anything but just stuff floating around in my head. It's too bad we can't all just live without responsibilities and live each day like we would want to live our last. 

Eventually I dozed back off to sleep and then of course hit the snooze button for the next half an hour before dragging myself out of bed to get ready for work.

Ahhh work. Home away from home. Everyone is so bogged with stuff to do that one of my co-workers actually went and hid in an empty office for an hour or so so that he could catch up on work without having to go up to the counter or answer phone calls. Of course a lot of the work he did then got transferred to my desk. I'm starting to have a wall of files around me. Some day they will update our computer system and bring back 2014 so we can go on with our lives. 

It's actually storming and raining right now. It needs to rain for like a month or two because we are in a major drought right now.  One of our favorite swimming holes is going to be closed this summer because there is no water. Of course it's raining because we are having a birthday party on Sunday. I just need to plan one for every weekend and we'll be out of a drought in no time. 

Trevor turns 11 on Friday. I can't believe he's that old already. He's definitely starting to look more like an older kid and less like a little one. He's requested "meatloaf" and "ribs" for his family party on Sunday. Should be interesting haha. Guess I'll be cooking!

I sat down here on the computer to look for some dinner ideas and to make a grocery shopping list. It was taking so long Scott is picking up dinner for us all and then I'll go grocery shopping. 

I feel like I go to the grocery store every other day and we never have food. Must be the sign that I have teenagers. Or almost all teenagers. 

Almond Blossom 8k

Saturday morning we got up early but not too early for the Almond Blossom 8k. One good thing about running local races is that you don't have to get up before dawn to get there on time. Although we still seem to not have perfected the perfect time window to show up. Either we are super early and waiting around forever or almost late (or that one time too late).

So we got up and had enough time for coffee and peanut butter toast and then drove over to Ripon which is just down the road a bit and got signed in. Then we waited and waited and waited. They had a one mile race so we watched that. So cute to see LITTLE kids running a mile. I'm talking like probably three or four years old. AMAZING! Hindsight and all that, wish I would have been into running before my kids learned that running was hard in school.

Finally it was our turn to start. The course started in a residential area in front of a park. All lined up!

My plan was to try and not walk. I made it to the half way point where the water station was and did stop and walk through there to take a couple sips of water and then I ran the rest of the way. I was breathing like an asthmatic smoker by the time I was done with the race but I made it! I had to spring in the finish because some girl was right on my heels and there was no way I was going to let her pass me haha. 

I'm sure my finish line picture looks FAB aka like death. 

After I came in I wandered around trying to find the water. I swear I don't understand why they don't just set up the water RIGHT at the end of the finish line. No you have to wander all around trying to find it. I finally did and then grabbed a couple Cuties and sat on the curb for a few minutes to collect myself.

selfie for instagram ;)

Then I went off to wait for Scott to come in. So proud of him doing these things I drag him to with me. He's hardly run at all lately but he went with me anyways and walk/ran the 8k.

While I was waiting for him I was sitting on the curb and started talking to the girl holding the little flag for the runners. She was a larger gal, someone who you would not look at and think "she's a runner". She told me that she didn't run that day because she had a higher mileage planned for her training run for the day. She is training for a half in San Francisco (hello death by hills) and has run 3 marathons. Just goes to show you should never judge a book by it's cover and you never know what journey someone else is on. 

Before I knew it Scott was coming down the street! Looks like he has a police escort haha.

We sat around for a little bit and then went and looked at the results. 

My official time was 49:14 and I came in 16th place in my age group (40-49). 

I'm surprised it looks like it had little hills since the whole thing seemed flat as a pancake. It was pretty hot on that last 2 long sections. One was a road with almond orchards on both sides and the sun was beating down and the last one  we were running into the sun. It was pretty hot for February.

My splits look pretty good! I stayed pretty even throughout the whole race. The 3mi one has the water stop in there where I walked about ten paces or so.

Overall it was a really good race for me and my first 8k so now I can say I've done that distance!

Old Friends

I feel so sad tonight.

Apparently once you turn 40 all your class mates all start getting cancer and dying.

Yesterday my friend Casandra passed away after NINE MONTHS of being sick. Nine months is not very long. She was only 39 years old. She has 4 kids, two of who are still in school. One of her older girls is pregnant so she would have been a grandma by the end of  the year.

Instead she spent the last few months fighting and then slowly dying. It's just not fair. Such a sweet person that never hurt anyone.

Gone is the 1st chair clarinet, hard worker, super smart straight A getter, silly girl with a great laugh and smile.

Tonight I was scrolling through Facebook and I see another friend of mine from high school is also diagnosed with cancer. Apparently they've said they can't do anything else and he's got six months to live. AND a one year old and a three year old. I'm just so completely devastated for him and his family. He's never going to be able to see his little ones grow up. Someone has set up a fund raiser for him so they can go to Disneyland and to help with their medical bills.

Please if you can spare a few dollars can you click on this link and send him a few?

Where's that track I'm trying to stay on it....kind of

I totally just decided to screw the run for tonight and do it tomorrow. Which is fine really since I ran yesterday and did my little Bikini Body Mommy work out tonight. "Little" meaning short and painful. Which is nice, really.  When I got done I was all YEAH MAN, I'm going to go for my run now. Then my phone battery only has 2% and it's already 9:00 (pm) and I'm kind of tired and need to scoop the cat box. Oh and un-bury my bed of the six baskets of clothes I tossed on there when I was looking for a clean sweatshirt for Trevor. WHICH I didn't find, but hey we found one of his dad's that worked just fine.

It's all about making the bus people.

ANYHOW, I'm through day 16 on the Bikini Body Mommy challenge thing and I'm really liking it. (I did day 15 tonight and 16 yesterday, I'm going to swap the run/exercise days since I like to run mon/wed/fri or sat).

The work outs change up a lot which is really nice because you aren't doing 10 days of the same exercise and want to punch someone's face off. Also she is doing the challenge and making you tube videos as she goes so sometimes I will watch those before I do the exercises myself to see how she dose them. She's gained some weight back because she had another kid. Yes, she's human, it's awesome. Well not that she gained weight, but that she's just like everyone else.

If I could just curb the eating crap thing I'd totally be looking bikini like in 45 days. IF. Today I had a burrito for lunch and then tonight we went out and ran some errands and Melissa was really wanting to go to our favorite little Mexican place so we had Mexican for dinner and I kind of hate myself right now. But just look at this. Isn't it beautiful?

The whole idea of eating a salad makes me want to gag. Which is about normal for me after eating healthy for any length of time. I get so tired of eating the same things over and over (unless it's Mexican food apparently).

One of my friends keeps doing the Whole 30 challenge and I think that's what I need to do. What I will probably end up doing tough is the Whole 20 since Um VEGAS. Yeah.

Can't go to Vegas on a diet.

Nope, not going to happen.  Although if I started before the 1st I could get the 30 days in. Hmmm something to think about (quickly). I just feel like my eating has really gotten out of hand and I'm just entering all the crap I ate into Lose It at the end of the day and like eh yep kind of close to where I was supposed to be or eh oh well back at it tomorrow.

Keeping this shit off long range is the freaking hard part. Which yes, I totally know from past experience. I thought just being active would do it but yeah, not really. So time to get my ass in gear again. :smacks self:

Patterson Pass to Midway Ride BOOM!

Saturday morning Scott and I went out for a bike ride. Our usual pre-ride conversation kind of goes like this

So, where do you want to ride?
I don't know where do you want to ride?
What sounds good to you?

I told him let's drive over to the hills again and ride over there since that is so much more fun(?) than just riding on the flat ground around our house.

So we got in the truck and went down and parked at the gas station at the bottom of the hill and took off towards the challenge of the day.

Scott decided that we'd go up Patterson Pass this time. We've only done that one other time because it's HARD. Last time we did it was when I first got my bike and I wasn't even clipped in yet (shoes clipped into pedals).

We started up the hill and had to take a lot of little breaks to get the heart rate back down to "not pounding out of the chest" mode.

We had a little bit of rain (for my birthday of course) and a few other days of light rain and it's amazing the difference in the hills. GREEN! and wildflowers, so pretty!

Scott was getting upset with himself that he was having to take so many breaks. To me it's just amazing that he's even out riding his bike after being so sick not that long ago. 

A few times I said we could just turn around and go back down the hill but we both didn't REALLY want to do that.

After all to me, it's not how fast you climb the hill but the fact that you were able to climb it.

Even if you had to take a bunch of breaks.

Because, who cares that you had to take breaks?

Once you get to the top, the struggle is all worth it!

Last time we did this ride I had to walk my bike twice. This time? I did not have to walk my bike. That in itself is an improvement. The more we do it the easier it will get.

The best part of going up a hill is going back down. We went down the other side of it and as soon as I started going down I heard this PSHHHHH and then my bike began to sway a bit and I was like OMG I'm going to DIE!!

Somehow I remembered to get my foot out of the clips before I fell. 

Yep, flat tire.

Scott carries all the stuff for changing a flat (not that I really know how to do it anyways) and he had went down the hill ahead of me. 

I YELLED SCOTT!!! SCOTT!! 

But of course he didn't hear me.

Hmmm can't see him anywhere.

Oh wait, there he is! I waved and waved. 

Then as he got closer I realized it wasn't him. 

Well crap!

So I called him and told him um, you have to come back up the hill, SORRY!

Luckily he said he was only about a mile down the hill when he realized that something must have happened. He came back up the hill and pulls out his spare tubes and is like "which one has less patches". I'm like REALLY? He apparently prides himself on how well he can patch his bike tubes. Thank God his spare tube with only one patch held haha. 

So before long we were back on our way down the hill. We rode into Livermore and had lunch at Baja Fresh again (OMG those burritos are so good!) and then he kind of wanted to ride farther out more but I was like eh I'm  already tired and we still have to head back so that is what we did. 

We took one of the harder ways back and rode from Altamont Pass over Midway. Midway is this long slow gradual steep hill. You just have to chant YOU CAN DO IT YOU CAN DO IT over and over and before you know it you are at the top of the hill. Then it's all down hill after that.

Look at the green part there and you can see the big climb up the mountain, it really shows how steep it is that way and then where the hump is farther up on the right is Midway which doesn't look that big but it sure feels it!

Amazingly my cell phone didn't die today like it usually does. I definitely had a little grease on my leg when we were done!

Phoenix Island: A Tale of Disaster, Survival and Rebirth

Sunday was such a nice lazy day! I spent almost the whole day just laying around reading my book.

I was reading Phoenix Island: A Tale of Disaster, Survival and Rebirth by Charlotte Paul

The person that picked this book warned us that the beginning was a little rough but if you made it to when they were "on the island" it got better.

That's for sure!

If I had not known that I would have totally abandoned this book in the first few chapters. BUT once they get to the island parts it gets so much better.

The story begins with an experiment with a bomb. This underwater bomb causes a tsunami which sends it's rippling effect over the ocean and many islands.

There is a dinner party going on on Phoenix Island. It's a strange mix of people and suddenly they are all there stranded in their party attire with no shelter, no food and no one knowing they are there.

This story is so interesting because it goes through all the stages I would imagine you would go through in this situation. From scared, depressed, a little Lord of The Flies type action, becoming primal and one you wouldn't expect, contentment.

I can't wait to see what everyone else in book club thought of it!

40th Birthday Party!!

This post is like 3 days of working on it lol. Something keeps making me stop but I've finally finished it!

Saturday morning, my birthday, I got up and spent some time being lazy playing on the computer and Scott got up and made us breakfast.

He was a nervous wreck about getting the house and everything ready for my party and I was like la la la I'm just going to drink and be merry!

But then I decided that maybe I should put away the 10 loads of laundry in the bedroom and clean my room up a bit more. Oh and then maybe I should um sweep the floor in the living room because it doesn't look like anyone is doing that. Dust a bit. Sweep the floor in the kitchen and bathroom. Change the cat box. Wipe off the counter and clean the top of the stove.

I jumped into the shower and the kids were blowing up balloons and decorating. The balloons kept popping and it was really freaking Rusty out.

Next thing I knew knew he was climbing in the shower with me haha. So funny I laughed my head off!

Birthday party outfit from Ross. I love Ross!

Birthday cup made by my friend Dee!

The party was set to start at 2 and our first guest came right about that time. Before long we had a house full of people! I hardly saw Scott at all because he was outside BBQ'ing in the sprinkling rain for almost he whole party.

Trevor and my nephew Tony

My niece Ava on my rocking horse

Nieces Adrian and Ava checking out the fish and frog

Jess and I

Carolyn stealing my cat (I call Buster the company cat, he LOVES hanging out with company)

My book club friend Ginny brought me a cane haha. Too funny! I'm going to decorate it and take it back to her house when we have book club.

Ginny is the one that is an artist and look what she made me

I am going to take it to work and put it on my desk if I ever remember.

My friend Kristin, my sister in law who is pregnant with twins and my brother.

My other sister and law and other brother :)

Step dad and mom

Melissa

Oh look Jello Shots! with my friends Lupe and Carolyn

and work friends Kristin, Jessica, Tammy and Fanny

Cake! I thought for sure Scott was going to get me an over the hill cake to get me back for his but I got a nice one. Thank God we've finally finished eating it. I've had cake every day since last Friday.

There were a bunch more people that I didn't get pictures of. WHOMP WHOMP. Hopefully my mom got some pictures with her camera. I might get them in like 4 years when she takes them off ;)

After most of the people left we went down to the bar. Jessica got us to play a game of pool. All the years I've been out here I've never played pool. It was fun and super exciting that I actually got ONE ball in haha.

Lupe, Me, Traci and Shannon

We closed the bar out but I have quite the stash now at home. I think almost everyone brought a bottle of something for me.

Happy 40th Birthday To Me!

Today is my birthday! Not just any birthday, my 40th Birthday.

Whomp Whomp

I'm old! Just kidding. I'm only old to people in their early 30's and younger. Inside I'm only old when it's 8:30 and I'm ready for bed haha. 

We are having a big party today. We were going to have it down at the clubhouse picnic area since our weather has been beautiful lately. Then we planned a party and INSTANT RAIN STORM. So we'll be having it at our house.

We've been in a drought lately and people have been putting up signs that say "Pray for Rain". Little did they know we just had to plan a party and it would rain (like it always does!) Easter, Scott's birthday, etc. Just plan something fun and it rains! It's been raining non stop since Thursday.

The weird thing about my party today is Scott is throwing it for me so he's been doing all the prep for it. Yesterday I was finally like did you get this? and this? and this? lol. I might be a bit of a control freak. It's taken a lot not to just try and organize it all!  Jessica came home from school Wednesday night and has helped with some cleaning and spent all day shopping with her dad. Then she escaped to a friends house for the night so I guess we are on our own for set up today lol.

Thursday night I went out to sushi with my friends. My friend Dee made me this great bag with goodies that all had little sayings on them. So much fun!

and my friend Carolyn made me a card with my picture that I used for my birthday party invite on Facebook.

For our meal we got Spicy Crab Crunch Roll (good)


Italian Roll, always good

California Roll for Carolyn to be safe lol



Blue Fin Tuna for Dee the adventurous one (I ate it too to be a good sport but I like the rolls better!)

Sunrise Roll, which was my favorite of the night.

Because it was my birthday they gave me free ice cream. Score!



After sushi we may have went to Starbucks and done a couple shots before going inside, and then had coffee and talked for a couple more hours. Spending time with girlfriends is the best!

Looking forward to later today when all my friends come over (minus the sick ones) and hang out!