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Well, it looks like the move to Washington is a go. I have been doing a lot of research on our new home area and all it will take to get us moved. Last night was my first official "move-related-sleep-disorder". I woke up at 1 AM and all I could think about was the fact that I had a whole new house to paint inside and NO FRIENDS THERE TO HELP!!!!! When we bought this house (1450 sq ft), we repainted the living area, kitchen and Master bedroom. Later I painted the master bath and 2 of the bedrooms. Now I am looking at an 1860 sq ft house, that will be brand new and all painted in "contractor white" and NO ONE to help me paint it! EEK! So, with that, I tossed and turned..... the last time I looked at the clock it was after 3 AM and I shut off my alarm. I didn't wake up till almost 7!
So, can anyone out there recommend a good sleep aid???? Lunesta???? Maybe a gerneral happy pill? Welbutrin????? LOL!
I went for my ride with Luisa this morning. 3.68 miles at 7.8 miles per hour average. It's been a little colder in the mornings.....Fall is finally coming!
Gotta buy a lottery ticket today.... It's up to $58 million. Wouldn't THAT be something? Can you just IMAGINE the stamp room I would have???? LOL!
Here is what my stamp room looks like now... well, not right now as it isn't this clean! I normally don't have the laptop in there either.
I tried to post yesterday, but blogger was not letting me publish or save my draft. I rode with Luisa yesterday morning - same ride as today. Went down to the Stamp Store in Elk Grove yesterday and then over to the scrapbook store down there too. I had a mystery shop last night at dinner and then I came home and worked on my swap that is due next week.
Went for my 3.6 mile levee ride this morning with Luisa. I was really tired this morning.... had a heck of a time getting out of bed! I need to get a couple things at JoAnn Fabrics or Michael's today and I need to get another plant for one of the barrels in the front yard. Yes, my life really is THAT exciting. I also have 12 swap cards that have to be mailed on Friday and I decided to do stuff that needs drying time. The first step that needed to dry sat overnight. Tonight I will do the glitter so that can dry overnight. I also need to dye more ribbon.... I did not do enough the first time. I've also been working on my packing list for my trip to Judy's next week. I have a couple projects I want to do with her when I'm there! It's been a long time since I stamped with anyone, other than at convention.
Yesterday Justin and I took our bikes down to Monterey. They have an awesome bike/pedestrian trail down there. We parked the car at Fisherman's wharf and rode south, through Pacific Grove and down to Asilomar State Beach (where I took the photo) and back. It was about 5 miles each way. It was a gorgeous ride, mostly right along the coastline, past some beautiful homes and a golf course. There was a wedding going on in the park at Lovers' Point, a wedding in another park between the Aquarium and Lovers' Point and we saw 2 more bridal parties doing pictures during our visit. It was a sunny day, cool with a light breeze. Man are my legs TIRED! Keep in mind, my daily ride is almost all flat. Yesterday was up and down way more than I am used to!
I went to ride this morning and OUCH! I still managed to do about 2.5 miles this morning. Averaged a little over 10mph, which is faster than I normally ride, but again, it was all flat and paved!
I just realized when I logged in this morning that I forgot to post yesterday! Sorry, Judy! LOL!
So I'll start with yesterday..... Rode with Luisa (my next-door-neighbor). We went faster yesterday than we have the past couple days. She showed me where the park is in the first part of our area.... Northpoint subdivision is divided into 3 sections, none of them connect "inside".... you have to go back out to the main road to get from one to the next. The section I live in is the last one that was built. The park is in the first one. So we rode over there and also saw where they have put in some new houses.... they say they have 5 and 6 bedrooms, but they are not very large.... those rooms must be TINY! After that, we rode up onto the levee at that end and then to the end by the railroad tracks and came home. 3.46 miles, 7.3 mph average, 28 minutes.
The spa service man came to the house yesterday afternoon and got the spa cleaned and running again (YAY!). I have a feeling I will be VERY happy to have that back "online" tomorrow night!
This morning Luisa and I rode up the levee, one end to the other and then once around the neighborhood. 3.91 miles (my furthest yet), 7.5 mph (our fastest), 31 minutes. It was a good ride. It's starting to get cooler in the mornings..... I need to find some long sleeved shirts and sweats that aren't too baggy to ride in... Fall is coming! At some point I know I will have to switch over to riding in the middle of the day.... it will be too cold and dark in the morning. I'm looking forward to December when they finish the bridge over the railroad tracks.... Then I can start riding toward my ultimate goal.... STARBUCKS! It is 3.6 miles each way..... There's another one closer, but I haven't checked mileage there or checked to see if they have a bike rack to lock up.
Taz just came in and yelled at me, so now she is on my lap, purring, while I try to type and pay attention to her at the same time. I'm not getting much typing done, but I can tell you that it's time to trim her claws again.... cat on lap, me in shorts. NOT a comfy mix! LOL! Crazy cat..... She has taken to liking canned food. She never used to like it.... she would just lick all the gravy off it and leave the "meat", so I stopped giving it to her. I decided to try a new kind that came out and she actually ATE THE WHOLE THING! So now when I'm home at lunch, she gets lunch too! Of course the one she likes is the MOST EXPENSIVE one you can buy! My girl has good taste!
Well, I'm off to start my day! Want to be at REI by 10, when they open.... they are expecting a crowd..... No blog tomorrow since I will be leaving EARLY for Yosemite, but I will blog on Sunday, hopefully with PICTURES!
Welcome to Wednesday! Grocery shopping day! I rode with the neighbor again this morning. 3.68 miles, about 33 minutes. We rode a little faster today.... 6.5 mph average. When I got home I cleaned out the spa and filled it. I have a "spa doctor" coming tomorrow afternoon to check it out and drain, clean and refill it. It's been sitting empty and off since Russ left.... Nasty!!!!! While the spa was filling, I took advantage of the nice temperature and pruned everything in the back yard. THAT was a TASK! I filled up TWO 5 gallon buckets! PLUS a HUGE armload of long stuff! But the yard looks better. Less colorful, but better. Here's a photo:
I can't get all the plants in the picture.... there's a small shrub with little pink flowers missing on the right and a butterfly bush with white flowers on the left, but this is the best I can get without getting the BBQ and the furniture in the shot!
So that was MY morning..... Hope everyone has a great day!
This morning I went riding with my next door neighbor and her friend, Sara, who lives a few blocks away. We rode farther than I usually ride, but they ride at a more leisurely pace than I do. We went 3.49 miles , but it took about 35 minutes. Each time I looked at the speedometer, we were going about 5.6 mph. I usually average a little over 9mph. While it was nice to ride with someone, their pace was hard for me. I think maybe I will ride with them on Tuesdays and Thursdays and ride on my own the rest of the week. We'll see!
And it started WAAAAAAY too early! Russ wanted to leave for the airport at 5:15, so I set my alarm for 4:45, but I woke up around 4:15 and never really got back to sleep (thanks, cat!). Russ shut his alarm off and didn't get out of bed until about 4:50. So much for leaving at 5:15!
When I got back, it was still too dark out to ride, so I opened up all the windows to cool off the house. I started for my ride around 6:15. It was COLD this morning! Well, not any colder than usual, but I guess the fact that it wasn't sunny out yet made it feel colder!
Reno was fun. 
Russ did well at the tables, so he had a good time. We went to Johnny Carino's for dinner last night. Today I get to clean up the little messes he left around the house.... the pile of stuff in the living room to shred. The pile of mail on the coffee table. The ice cream dish on the coffee table. The ice cream scoop, not rinsed, sitting in the sink. The pile of laundry. Yep..... always good to have him home.... MEN! LOL!
Judy - I'm thinking of you this morning as I know you are on a bus headed west! Safe travels to you..... Russ is home and we are RENO BOUND! Well, once he gets moving anyway! I went for another short ride today.... 1.79 miles, but it was a fast ride... my average speed today was 9.9 mph, my fastest average yet. And that was even with a slowdown to look at the info posted on a house for sale! Talk about crazy, how about 1227 square feet for $349,000? I tell ya, it's NUTS! Off to start my day! No blog tomorrow, I will be in Reno, hopefully a little richer or at least not much poorer! LOL!
Well, it's FINALLY Friday! I went for a short ride this morning.... not feeling 100%, so I didn't want to really push myself, but I still wanted to get out and take at least a leisurely pedal around the neighborhood, which is what I did. 1.58 miles, 10 minutes.
In case you are wondering how I know, I have a little "bike computer". It was only $20.... there are models going up to almost $200! I think there was one cheaper than mine.... about $18, but it didn't have a clock, which I really like. Anyway, there is a sensor on one of my spokes and a receiver on the front fork that sends the revolutions per minute to the little stopwatch-sized computer which calculates the speed and distance . This crazy little thing will tell me my average speed, max speed, time riding and distance traveled. It also keeps a lifetime (or at least till I change the battery) odometer and ride time. The odometer will be nice since, like a car, you are supposed to service your bike every so many miles.
See? You learn something new every day!
Well, it's going to be a busy day, so I'm off! Everyone have a great day!
Russ will be home tomorrow night so today I will be running errands so that tomorrow I can stay in and do laundry and all that fun stuff that has been piling up! I have stuff to return today at REI, WalMart and Target. I also need to go and look at a bike rack. I am planning to take the bike to Yosemite next Saturday and go riding with Justin. Hopefully I can keep up with him! If not, I'll be happy just to set a meeting time and place and go pedal around, taking pictures on my own!
Russ and I will be taking a tour of the new Mormon Temple in Rancho Cordova on Saturday morning before we head up to Reno. We will be staying in Reno overnight Saturday night to celebrate Russ' birthday, which is Sunday. Sunday night we will either go out to dinner or I will BBQ (depending on how badly we eat at brunch Sunday morning!).
And for those keeping track, yes, I did ride my bike this morning! 2.02 miles to be exact. I stayed in the subdivision today.... did 2 "tours" thru, including all the courts (5). I wanted to count how many houses are for sale right now.... there are EIGHT! FOUR on one court alone! None on our court, I am happy to say! 2 are on the street that runs perpendicular to us, one on the parallel street behind us, on on the parallel street on the other side and then four on that one court up by the main road.
Off to start my day!
Wednesdays are good for 2 reasons.... #1 - the week is half over. #2 - It's the night my friend Justin comes over for dinner. Tonight he gets to put the thorn-proof liners in my bike tires. I make him earn his dinner! This is also the day each week that I actually get completely caught up on cleaning the kitchen. Tonight for dinner we are having baked salmon and broccoli with ice cream for dessert.
Taz just came in and screamed at me. I picked her up and put her on my lap and now she is purring (and drooling....eeeew!) while I type. This is a new behavior for her lately.... she usually does not like being held or sitting on my lap.
This morning's bike ride was a little over 2 miles. About 2/10 of a mile shorter than yesterday, but 2 minutes faster than yesterday too.
Off to do laundry and clean my kitchen!
I'm ready for the weekend. Time just seems to be moving VERY S*L*O*W*L*Y this week.
I had lunch with Iris today, which was fun! I love her new long hair! It looks fantastic..... I'm so jealous!
Last night Mom called for some Tech Support. I got her computer back running again and hopefully have her friend, Bob, pointed in the right direction to get back into his e-mail account. Tried to help Judy today..... we think her hard drive may be on its way out, so she got some floppies to back up her stuff. I was walking her thru the process and she got an error message saying the disk could not be formatted.... UGH! Stupid computers!
I have been riding my bike every morning. Today was about 2.5 miles. Yesterday was only 1.5 since I couldn't get up onto the levee trail..... I just did three tours around the subdivision. My short term goal is to ride to Starbucks and back.... about 4 miles each way. The major "fear" holding me back from trying is the BIG BRIDGE that goes up over the drainage canal and Railroad tracks..... It's a STEEP CLIMB. I just hate the thought of looking like a loser weenie, walking my bike up the hill...... I can barely make it up the little hill to the top of the levee trail (maybe 7' up from the road). Yeah, I'm a wimp.....
Russ gets home Friday night and then we are off to Reno on Saturday to celebrate his birthday with a trip to the El Dorado Casino so he can play some Texas Hold 'Em with REAL LIVE PEOPLE! LOL! I will be playing slots and maybe looking to see if they have a spa up there where I can get a massage!
I know. I have surely lost my mind! I have good intentions....
Here is what the local bike shop's website says...." Pedal Off The Pounds
Cycling is excellent for burning calories and losing weight, too. For example, a 160-pound person burns about 870 calories pedaling seventeen miles in an hour. That's pretty close to what the same person would burn running, and a lot more than the amount burned playing golf. If you maintain a regular ride schedule, avoid overeating and fatty foods, there's an excellent chance that biking will strip away excess weight.
After about six weeks, you should feel a noticeable difference in your legs and lungs and see the difference on your computer. You can gradually increase the mileage and intensity, if you wish. Or, simply keep riding for fun and enjoyment."
Let's hope they're right! Tomorrow I'll pop on over to REI and try on some bike shorts (EEK!) and get spare tubes. I already have most of the accessories I need, I just need to make sure the allen wrench set I have now will fit the adjustments on this bike. This sucker only weighs about 31 pounds.... my last bike weighed in around 40.
The trip to Hollywood is making her HOLLY-WIERD! LOL! Here is a post from her blog today:I want Michael to take me to the KODAK THEATRE where the finale of AMERICAN IDOL was done this past May. Maybe if I put my ear to the side of the building, I'll be able to hear CLAY AIKEN singing. :)I tell ya.... she's going coo-coo for cocoa puffs here! ROFL!
Tonight I'm going to go hang out with my friend Michelle and hopefully do a little stamping.... she has some new CTMH sets I want to play with!
Today was another THRILLING day.... I had a McDonald's shop today out by IKEA. So I got to do a little shopping there, which is *USUALLY* fun. Unfortunately, today the place was full of moms with LITTLE KIDS, many of whom were being allowed to run amok! There was one playing with GLASS VASES.... Knocked one over.... mom says "what did I tell you about touching?".... he replied "not to", and walks down the aisle a bit and picks up another one! No comment, no reprimand, nothing. There were 2 little girls holding hands, blocking an aisle. I approached, said, "Excuse me, may I get by?", to which I was told I needed the password. I asked where their mother was. Apparently that was not the password as they refused to let me pass. I glared at the mother (on the next aisle) who just giggled and said, "aren't they cute?". I replied, "not at the moment they aren't" and she glared at me. Didn't tell the little brats to move, just started muttering under her breath..... another one was chasing his little brother around and around a square display full of frames (big poster frames) and the little one took the corner too quick and went down, smacking his head on the corner of the square display (no bleeding, just a lot of toddler SHRIEKING). The mother started screaming at an employee about irresponsibility.... "how could you use SQUARE displays???? Don't you know CHILDREN ARE RUNNING AROUND IN HERE????!" The poor employee looked like she was gonna have a stroke. Uhhhh.... dumbass...... this is a store full of BREAKABLES...... you walk in the main entrance and there is a HUGE CHILD PLAY AREA.... you check them in, they get to play. BIG HONKIN SIGN at the front entrance states VERY CLEARLY that much of the store is NOT CHILD FRIENDLY and to keep your little ones close. She was in the freakin candle/art/vase area. What makes her think for a second they could POSSIBLY make that area child-safe? There were at least a dozen children under the age of 8 running about in the candle area. I got so frustrated, I just left. In my kingdom people would be required to pass a parenting class before being allowed to raise a child. No common sense? NO BREEDING! No common courtesy? NO BREEDING!
Today I got the opportunity to tour the new Sacramento Mormon Temple. For the month of August, the public can take a tour that goes INSIDE the Holy Temple. A look not many non-LDS folks get! The architecture, the artwork, the decor, everything about it was absolutely STUNNING! I am glad I went!
At least the weather is nice.... I think it's about 85 out. All I've done is laundry and errands all day.
How crazy is this picture? I took it last night with my new digital camera looking out into the back yard at 8:30PM. That is how well this crazy thing focuses in the dark! I was blown away that I could get ANYTHING, let alone DETAIL of my poor, baked plants! As you can see, we have a few casualties from the heat wave a couple weeks ago..... What really bites is that the totally dead one in the pot there was doing SOOOOOO well just before the heat! It was blooming and gorgeous! That's the second one of those I've killed.... Guess I'll try something different next year.... Oh well!
Gonna spend my evening doing some stamping.... I have a secret sister package to get out!
So, Saturday was the SCS SF Bay Area Rubber Rendezvous in Livermore. I decided to spend the night (SO glad I made that plan!). I left yesterday morning around 9:30, made a stop in Danville at Stampers Warehouse (woo hoo!), and got into Livermore around noon. I stopped to see if the hotel would let me check in early, and they had a room ready so I got to drop off my bag before heading over to the Community Center for the party!
There were about 20 of us there. We swapped cards, and Artist Trading Cards, and stamped and ate and socialized until we had to vacate the room at 6PM. From there, a group of 8 of us went to Mountain Mikes for pizza and MORE chatting! There were still 6 of us there close to 10PM when they were closing up!
This morning I slept in, got up and had breakfast at the hotel and checked out around 10:30 in search of the local Starbucks! From there I went down to Wente Estates Tasting room and tried a couple wines. Got a nice bottle of Pinot Noir that I'll save for hubby's birthday in 2 weeks. I left there and headed back up the road toward the freeway, stopping at Tesla Vineyards tasting room. They are a co-op that represents about half a dozen wineries. I got 2 bottles there and some cute little souvenirs which I can't mention cuz one of them is for Judy! Heh heh heh...... I stopped in Stockton and had KFC for lunch on the way home. I got back here around 2:15 or so.
It was a fun weekend!
OK. I am all packed for my little road trip tomorrow. I'm off to Livermore in the morning for the SCS Bay Area Rubber Rendezvous! WOO HOO! I decided to splurge and spend the night down there so I can check out a couple of wineries too. Now I'm just sitting waiting for my camera and laptop batteries to charge up. Can you imagine attending an SCS event without a fully charged camera battery??? HORRORS! The hotel I'm staying at has free wireless internet so I figured I might post here tomorrow too. We'll see.... the hotel also has an indoor whirlpool in the fitness center.... I may just go and soak instead!
Taz is all upset because I packed my little overnight bag. Keep in mind the last time I took a trip was convention and I was gone 5 days and she had to go stay at the "kitty Hotel"! It has cooled off really nicely here so I have all the doors and windows open to cool the house down. She is laying in front of the front screen enjoying the fresh air! In this photo she is "nesting"... hiding under the blanket at the foot of the bed!
Well, the camera battery is done. I think I'm going to give up waiting for the laptop and just leave it charge overnight. I am hoping to leave here by 10AM so that I have plenty of time to stop for Starbucks on the way out as well as once I get to Livermore! Plus I'll want to get some lunch. If I get a good head start and get out of here around 9:30, I'll allow myself a stop at Stampers Warehouse in San Ramon!
That's all for now - I'll be back either tomorrow or Sunday evening!
After helping Judy get her blog all set up, I figured I should probably get one going too..... Yeah, that's me. I think it was taken 2 years ago.
Prepare for a great big dose of ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, reading about my THRILLING life and adventures!
