The Fair... again!

Last night I decided to use my free fair ticket and go see Switchfoot in concert. It was my first time seeing them live, and it was a fun show. Jon came down into the crowd quite a bit while singing. It would have been exciting to have been down front and center waving my ShamWow in the air amongst the rowdy bunch. But as you can see from the pictures, I was up on the 3rd level surrounded by more of a reserved crowd, but still doing some head bobbin', body swaying, and an occasional, "whoo hoo"! At least I wasn't in the nosebleed section.



Just in case you're interested in hearing a little of what it was like, I found a couple short videos taken by others that were there last night:

and the encore...

The Superstars

Last night I watched the new show called, The Superstars. Did you see it? Just in case you didn't, I'll explain...

It's an athletic competition with teams made up of 8 celebrities and 8 professional athletes. They compete in many different sporting events and each week the losing team is eliminated. I was on the edge of my seat, excitedly cheering on my favorites, and just imagining what it would be like to participate in all those sporting events. So much fun!

This takes place on Paradise Island in the Bahamas at the Atlantis Resort. Wow, it looks absolutely gorgeous there! Now I know where I'd like to take my next vacation. Well, it doesn't hurt to dream, right?

One of the athletes that I was most surprised and disappointed in was tennis pro, Jennifer Capriati. Hopefully she'll do better next week.

There are many interesting people to watch, but I'd have to say right now my favorite team is Alpine skier, Bode Miller, and his partner, Paige Hemmis, one of the carpenters on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Speaking of Paige... I recently found out she has a website and sells her Tuff Chix brand of work boots, landscaper gloves, and pink tool belts. She also wrote a book called, The Tuff Chix Guide to Easy Home Improvement. I'm so impressed that this young girly-girl can do such amazing carpentry, things that I'm way too intimidated to try. Her book sounds interesting and I wonder if it would help me be brave about tackling home improvement projects?

Here's a short clip of Paige at The Atlantis:

Bugs vs. Pesticides

In my attempt to try and eat as healthy as possible, I like the idea of eating organic. Honestly though, I often forget to shop exclusively organic. And how can I cut grocery costs when organic is sometimes 3 times the price of non?

When I do remember to purchase organic produce, things like the following happen:

There was a gigantic worm covered within it's webby cocoon sleeping peacefully, and hidden deep inside the organic broccoflower that I brought home one day. Visions of that will be forever etched upon my memory. Needless to say, I did not consume any part of that worm infested broccoflower.

Just recently, while washing organic Romaine lettuce leaves, I spied a creepy little inch worm scooting along the sink. Guess who lost her appetite for salad that evening? The next night I decided I'd better wash the lettuce extra good. Well it wasn't good enough. While I lifted my fork full of salad towards my lips, there, staring me in the face was an unidentified black bug with wings. What the heck! Guess who didn't eat salad again?

So for now, I'm going back to my possibly foolish, non-organic ways. Well, at least with certain foods that bugs can hide in. I think I'll take my chance at consuming some pesticides instead of bugs.

Summertime

Clear blue skies, warm sunshine, bare feet, sand squishing between toes, ocean waves crashing on shore, misty sea breeze, salty air, seashells, swim suits, boogie boards, surfboards, coconut surf wax, fluffy beach towels, colorful umbrellas, Coppertone sunblock, floppy hats, seagulls, pelicans, dolphins,

swimming pools, chlorine, water noodles, floats, rafts, lounge chairs, flip flops, barbecues, corn-on-the-cob, potato salad, seedless watermelon, juicy strawberries, fuzzy peaches, ice cream, iced coffees, sweet tea, lemonade,

4th of July parades, fireworks, smoky crackling bonfires, outdoor church baptisms, the county fair, baseball games, hot dogs, cold beer, cracker jacks, concerts in the park, picnics, camping, vacations...

Ahhhh, can you tell I'm smiling?

What says summer to you?

Dear Ol' Dad

We had plans to spend the day with my dad to celebrate Father's Day, but sadly, dad is sick today. He came down with a wicked respiratory and sinus infection. Besides not feeling up to having company, he was thoughtful enough to not want to pass the illness along to any of us.

I found some cute pictures from the past that I wanted to share...

My sister, myself, and our dad.

Dad enjoyed playing golf, and I guess I wanted to play too. He made me a club just my size so we could putt around our back lawn together.


I'm thankful for a dad that is loving, caring, thoughtful, and giving, and even though he probably won't be reading this...


Happy Father's Day Dad,
and get well soon!

Fun at the Fair

Today my husband and I had a fun time together at the San Diego County Fair.

Goofing off in the photo booth.

The Swifty Swine Pig Races are a must-see.
Those little guys are super cute!

We watched an event called Turkey Stampede.
The turkey's run after a remote controlled truck fill with food.
It's pretty funny!

We always enjoy going through the livestock barns.

photo: cyberbrands

One exhibit hall gadget that looked interesting to me was the
International Sushi Master.

Bumped into little Tommy Sablan, the producer of my favorite morning radio show, The Jeff & Jer showgram. I said hello and told him I was a fan. He was really nice and introduced me to his kids and his girlfriends kids, and was happy to pose for this picture with me.

photo: Sarah B in SD

One of the funniest things we heard was the sales pitch blasting over the loud speakers for Juicy's BBQ at the Outlaw Grill truck. "Is your belly button gnawing at your back bone?"

We said we were going to be adventurous and try the fried avocado and chocolate bacon, but once we got there and actually saw and smelled all the greasy, deep fried, fattening foods, we just couldn't do it. Instead, we inhaled a bag of yummy Kettle Corn, which we told ourselves couldn't possibly be as bad, could it?

Love at first sight - part 2

Yes, there's a little more folks. Just wanted to add the following...

All the years that my husband and I have been together, I cannot remember him ever dancing. Well, maybe once or twice early on in our relationship, and after seeing that, maybe I've just chosen not to remember. Hee hee. Anyway... one day I asked him what he was doing at a nightclub all by himself that Tuesday night since he doesn't like to dance. Earlier that day he had played tennis with a friend and when he got home, none of his roommates were there. That nightclub was one of the places he thought he'd find them. When he got there, still dressed in his tennis clothes by the way, he didn't see any of his roommates. He was getting ready to leave, but he saw me and decided to stay in hopes of meeting me. Awwww. And well, you know the rest of the story.

Love at first sight

I really don't believe there can ever be love at first sight. Definitely strong physical attraction, but not love. There is lust at first sight, but I suppose we're not suppose to go there.

The date was Tuesday, June 12, 1979, my roommate, Susie, and I decided to go dancing, one of our favorite things to do back then. We preferred going during the week as opposed to the crazy, crowded weekends. We were confident we'd be asked to dance and have a nearly-empty dance floor to enjoy while burning off some calories. Of course if we just happened to meet a nice guy during the process, that wouldn't hurt either.

So back to that Tuesday night...

This one guy kept asking me to dance, and I kept saying yes. He wasn't anyone I was attracted to, but I was having a blast dancing and that was the purpose. While out on the dance floor, I glanced across the room and spotted Susie talking with this drop-dead gorgeous guy. Whoa! It was love at first sight and I needed to meet him! As soon as the song was over, I thanked my partner for the dance and quickly made my way over to introduce myself. His name was Roy and we seemed to click right away. While chatting, I told him I worked at the bank and was amazed to discover that he was friends with Paula, a girl I just happened to work with. It was getting very late and Susie and I had to work the next day, so we said goodbye. Roy walked us to our car, but didn't ask for my phone number. I was crushed. Later Susie told me that the whole time they were talking, he kept asking her about her friend... Me! She got mad at him and said, "if you want to know about her, ask her, not me". Was it love at first sight for him too?

At work the next day, I talked with our mutual friend, Paula. She was excited to hear I met Roy and said she had actually considered setting us up at one time. I told her to give him my phone number which was completely out of character for me, but I didn't want to pass up this opportunity. The next day she told me he had gone out of town for two weeks for work. When he returned two weeks later, he called Paula for my phone number. We've been together ever since.

Eyelashes, Toilets, & Candy

Not sure when I stopped using an eyelash curler, but I recently purchased this new one and I have to say, they really do make quite a difference. I was not blessed with long, thick, luscious eyelashes. In fact, if I'm not wearing mascara you just may need a magnifying glass to see them. I'm pretty excited to have re-discovered this helpful little tool.




Today was scrub-the-toilets day at my house. I've finally found just the right cleaning combination for sparkling clean toilets. This Lysol Cling gel squirts underneath the rim really well and then I scrub with these awesome Magic Erasers. My toilets are so clean that I could use them as the punch bowl for a party. But don't worry... I'm not having a party any time soon.


These Starbucks Espresso Truffles were on sale for 50% off at Ralph's. Then I had a $1.00 off coupon on top of that. Whoo hoo! Nothing like two of my favorite things... coffee and chocolate all rolled into one delicious morsel. And after scrubbing toilets this afternoon, I felt like I deserved to splurge.

Are you my litter mate?

While walking along the bay with my dog, we passed by another woman with her dog. She made a cute comment about our dogs being cousins since they were both yellow labs. Later I began wondering...

if Scout ever came across one of her litter mates, would she somehow be able to sense that, especially all these years later? Dogs have such a powerful sense of smell, maybe they do have a way of detecting that.

We got our dog when she was 7 weeks old from a woman who lived about an hour drive northeast of San Diego. The small litter was made up of 3 females and 1 male, and sadly, one of the females drowned in the way-too-deep water bucket. We got the pick of the litter and chose our little Scouty girl. We don't know who chose the other dogs and where they ended up. But if Scout ever came face to face with one (or nose to rear!), I just wonder if they could tell they were siblings from any distinct smells they may have?

I know of a guy who adopted a puppy from a litter at the humane society. He has kept in contact with the people that adopted the other puppies from that same litter. Once a year they all get together on the dog's birthday's and let the siblings play together and eat dog cake. Isn't that a great idea?

Race Results

I DID IT!!!

I had two goals going into this race.

1. Run the entire time... no walking allowed.
2. Beat my time from last year. (PR - Personal Record).
   

I'm excited to say that I met my goals. Here are my 10K results:

• Time: 1:06:00
• Pace: 10:38
  
• 16 out of 34 in my age group (50-54)
• 586 out of 870 finishers

The course started near the grandstands, went out to the street and half-way around the Fairgrounds, up a hill, down Pacific Coast Hwy a short distance, and then repeated the same course (yes, that hill again), with a half-loop around the horse track to the finish line.

When we ran across the finish line, we were given a finishers medal,
and these duck sponges fresh out of the ice water!

Breakfast was provided and everyone received one of these
reusable cloth goody bags filled with...

a T-shirt...

plush duck...

chap stick, coffee, protein bars, and lots of other goodies,

including free admission to the Del Mar Fair that starts June 12th.


Even though my friend, Susie, couldn't run with me this year, I still had fun. When I was at the Fairgrounds on Saturday, I met this young mom, Melissa, and her toddler, while standing in line. She was so friendly and was telling me about the Mud Run she recently ran. That sounds super fun, but extremely difficult... a 10K, obstacle courses, and mud pits! I'd love to try it next year. I read that you can be a part of a 5-person team. Now I just have to find 4 other people interested. Any takers out there? Anyway, I saw Melissa this morning after the race. She seemed excited to see me and gave me a hug. Wasn't that so sweet?!

My body is a little sore and I'm sleepy, so I think I'll go take a nap now. Maybe I'll have sweet dreams of running across the finish line again!

Pre-Race jitters

Tomorrow's the BIG DAY!

I'll be running the Irongirl 10K in Del Mar.
I drove up to the Fairgrounds today and picked up my race packet.

My Race Bib and Timing Tag.

Laid out my clothes and other necessities.


I'm loaded up on carbs and hydrated.
Now I just need a good nights sleep and I'll be ready to go.

Wish me luck!

Strange weather

We have had some strange weather here in San Diego the last few days. Wednesday I woke up to the loud crack of thunder, and it rained off and on that day. A friend of mine was hailed on while riding her bike. Today it's clear and sunny, but I wanted to share these cool photos I took last night right around sunset.

Couldn't believe my ears!

Tuesday afternoon, while sitting at my computer typing an email, I heard a chilling, all too familiar sound. Another bird had flown into the window! This time it was our glass back door. I jumped up and ran to look. There was a dove lying on the brick porch looking as dead as a door nail. What does that even mean? Anyway, I was mildly freaking out since no one else was home and I didn't want to have to scoop up a dead bird. It seemed like 10 minutes went by and finally the little thing was sitting upright. Our cat walked over to have a look through the glass and the frightened bird waddled over to the edge of the porch and jumped down to the next step. I put the cat in another room and the bird eventually made it's way down to the grass. I was all prepared to take another trip over to Project Wildlife... AGAIN!!.






When I went outside to take a closer look, the bird started to fly, but didn't get too far. Over and over, it flew around the backyard in short distances. It ended up in the ivy embankment and sat there. The bird appeared to be able to used both wings and it didn't look like anything was broken, so I left it alone. The next morning the bird was gone. Hopefully it recovered completely from the stunning bump on the noggin.

The cell phone fake out

Yesterday afternoon I did a little shopping at our local neighborhood food co-op, also known as the hippie store around our house. Since I brought along my own cloth bags, I received two raffle tickets for a gift certificate drawing. I filled them out and dropped them into the bowl on the way out the door. Unfortunately, there were petitioners standing outside ready to pounce on the exiting customers. I gulped as I read the name of the extremist group they represented printed on their t-shirts. If only I would have spied them before I left the safety of the store, I could have faked a cell phone call, jetted past them, and not felt guilty.

But instead, I was open and vulnerable for the aggressive girl that swooped in and quickly began pleading the case of her groups current fight. She sensed my reluctance and assured me that she wouldn't chain me to a tree if I would just stop for a minute. Politely, I listened as she passionately explained why I needed to become a member, donate money, and join them in this worthy cause. I declined the tempting offer... *cough*, and fled unscathed.

I was reminded of the story told by one of our local radio DJ's, named Jerry. He drives a late model Mercedes Benz sports car, and valet parking is the norm for him. So this one day he was at an event and as the valet was retrieving his car, he discovered he had exactly enough money to pay the parking fee, but didn't have even one penny to tip the attendant. He got the idea to fake a cell phone call to avoid any awkwardness, but for some reason didn't have his phone on him. Panicking, he made the decision to use his wallet, hide it in the palm of his hand, and act like that was his cell phone. And that is exactly what he did. When he was within ear-shot of the attendant, he began talking very loud and acted as if the person on the other end was telling him about their emergency situation. That way when Jerry ended up stiffing the attendant, the guy would understand that Jerry been distracted by the emergency and just forgot to tip.

When Jerry himself told the story, I was laughing so hard I was crying. If the valet could tell it wasn't really a cell phone, then I'm sure he thought Jerry was either really whacked, or one of the biggest jerks he's ever seen.

Go Run!

Today is National Running Day.

This is the official day to promote running as a healthy, easy form of exercise. I'm joining in to help spread their message since I also believe in the wonderful benefits of running...

"Join us as we take strides as a nation towards healthier, fitter lives".

Go for a run today!

Reading and Praying

Reading books can be fun for me, but it's got to be just the right book, otherwise I'm bored stiff. Honestly, there have only been a handful of books that I recall truly captivating my interest. If I'm not drawn in within the first chapter or two, chances are, I'll feel like giving up. Plodding through and hoping with every page that it gets better, is just grueling. Another thing I don't like is very long chapters.

Three years ago, I took a discipleship/leadership class at my church. The required reading was extremely challenging but I took the class very serious. I desired to know the content of the books even though they were not fun or easy-reading at all, and besides that, there was homework. I had to read a book a week which is crazy-fast for me. Here are 3 of those books:

1. George Muller: Man of Faith and Miracles, by Basil Miller.
2. The Soulwinner, by C. H. Spurgeon.
3. With Christ in the School of Prayer, by Andrew Murray.

Another book I purchased at the time but wasn't required for the class is called, The Ministry of Intercession, also by Andrew Murray. I think it's a deeper look at prayer and interceding for others, and it should help to strengthen my prayer life. There are 15 chapters and most of them look very short, although, understanding Andrew Murray's writing will be extremely difficult. In the back of the book is a section called: 31 Days of Helps to Intercession. This tells you what to pray and how to pray each day.


Since today is June 1st, I thought it'd be the perfect day to start reading this book and to begin an interesting new prayer challenge for the month. I'm pretty sure this won't be a fun book, but I'm going to hang in there with it since I'm sure it will be beneficial to me.

Please let me know if you ever have a prayer request that you'd like me to pray for you. It would be my pleasure!