Carded!!!

GiGgle!!!
Soooo, if you buy root touch-up, that implies a certain age, right?!
I got carded at Target purchasing (alcoholic) fizzy lifting drinks.
I suppose a teenage cashier wouldn't make the connection, huh?
hee!!!

enJOY your weekend!

So I quickly threw this card together for my stamp club swap and decided that I liked it too much to give away...Except for the letters, which are Thickers, the entire card is made out of the same sheet of paper, Daisy Ds Wonder Years (I think...)

As I type, my Dad is on his way for a short visit. Ironically, I've caught a cold, or my allergies are flaring. I say ironically b/c I was sick the entire 2 weeks he was here at X-mas.

Psychosomatic much?

Planned events for the weekend include:

Dad replacing my screen door! Of couse, now that summer's over.

Walking to Starbucks for coffee and chai and then to the Farmer's Market.

Some art? Some exercise?

Some other local event. Last weekend was filled with events. Next weekend is filled with events. This weekend...The San Jose Mariachi Festival. I don't think my Dad is into mariachi music.

We may go to the Mystery Spot. Or the BigFoot Museum. Or maybe wine tasting. Or maybe the Moffett Field Museum.

So many choices, so little time!!! : .)

enJOY your weekend, y'all!!!

Cake or Death?!

So, yesterday, I like, baked. Totally!

This begs the question...
Cake or Death?
The Lego version. hee, hee, haha! giggle, snort!

My Momma's Orange Meringue Torte. So ugly, yet so tasty!
Paul, Biking Buddy Paul, not to be mistaken with Concert Buddy Paul, said
"Its the best cake I've ever had!"
Oh wow! Way to schmooze the cake maker Dude!!!
The only problem with a homemade cake is that you have homemade cake in your home and if you're me, you eat homemade cake.
I only had 3 pieces!!! Little ones.
Yeah.

Why does Christian Bale look like he's biting the insides of his cheeks when he talks?
(Tangent, I get that from Susan! Hi Susan!!!)

That's it except for my 5 good things for today (dusting those puppies off!)...

1) Urban raccoon! He looked at me, I looked at him. It was like kismet! We has "a moment." Then he ditched it into the storm drain, nonchalantly, that's fo' sho'.
I guess we weren't meant to be together after all!
2) 1/2 day at work!
3) CAKE!
4) Cake appreciation!
5) Dr. Steve after an eval, Graston (using torture instruments), & ART (giggle!)
said, "I think you need a goal. I think you can go ahead and train for that marathon."
{After we get my pain under control, of course!}
YAHOO!!!
Ya understand why I love the man?!

Hood 2 Coast in Pictures - Finally!!!

I was holding off on posting these pixs b/c I was a little sad about the not running thing. Thursday and Friday, I had no pain, so I was thinking I was on the road to healing, but yesterday and today, not so good. sigh. I have an appointment to see (the hot...I guess I'll have to stop saying that, he's gonna be a daddy soon!) Dr. Steve tomorrow to get a second opinion and determination if there's even a small chance I can train for Disneyworld Marathon. I'm thinking not.
(The smallest boo hoo here, positive thinking, right?!)

On to the Hood 2 Coast photo montage!


A lovely view of Mt. Hood from Sandy, OR. I think you can still ski/snowboard. In August! How cool (haha!) is that???


Mode of transportation! Check out the neat reflection of my van-mates on the tailgate!


Robi, Barb, Charles, Tasha, Scott leaning over. Too bad most of the peeps are not looking into the camera!


Robi's equipment, Nikes...Aren't they awesome!!! Love that Live Strong (Lance Armstrong) yellow!


Charles making sure I stay hydrated! Love the support of my team members!

Scott supporting Charles. "Go runner, good work!"


Robi lookin' really fast! That's his sis and bro in the background. They came out to support us too!


Handoff! Great transistion!!! Nice smile Barb!!!


Thank goodness we left Boring! LOL!


Nike is one of the sponsors of the race, of course, headquartered in Beaverton, OR. They had decorated a bunch of Volkswagon vans (running icon Steve Prefontaine in this instance) and set up mini museums in each about the history of Nike running shoes. They literally copied the waffle pattern from a waffle iron for the tread on their first shoes.


Downtown Portland in the twilight! Right by the Willamette! That's Will-AM-ette, dammit!

Tasha handing off to Annalise, team mate from the other van! Where's that sense of urgency, Annalise?!


Some runner's cute shoes : .)


Barb cooling down from her leg. So awesome when your entire team gets out of the van to support you!!!


Surreptitious, gratuitous picture of a cute runner boy! giggle! Hurray for 10X zoom!!! I can't even begin to tell you how many beautiful people (men!) I saw!

Barb again, after her leg!!!


The finish line in Seaside, OR 197 miles and 30 hours later!!!


View from "the condo!" Thanks Jackie!!!
I always scratch my head when I see people in the pool when they are staying at the beach.
I suppose in OR the ocean is pretty cold, LOL!!! Robi went it!!!


Classic Seaside shot!


Scott and I...Shiny happy tired runners! I'm smiling so largely b/c I was DONE running!!!


Sunset in the beer garden! Yes, there's a beer garden at the end. Of course, I drank wine. In tiny cups. I don't know how many, Scott kept buying them for me!!! I was really happy (read: inebriated!) LOL!!!

I don't have enough words describe the feeling of running in such beautiful country. Oregon is gorgeous! My van mates were so much fun to spend time with! I had such a great time (altho' regretting the speedy downhill on my last leg!) I was making plans to not come back to Cali. I wonder if they'd hire me in the Washington office?! : .)

I smell some good cooking going on in the complex, reminds me its dinner time. Got a cake to finish assembling too! And art cards for a swap, and, and, and...
There's never enough hours in a weekend!!!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures!!! : .)

A step back...

it must'uve been the downhills...

cracker appt today.

stretch, adjustment, electrical stim, laser treatment, ART.

dr. andre sez "NO RUNNING!"

{& marathon training is supposed to start next week!}

arrgh! flashbacks!!!

ice is nice.

sigh.

v. heavy sigh.

Bloggy Awards!!!

How nice of the lovely Sharmaine to present me with this award!

Blogging Friends Forever!!!

The Rules of this award are as follows: {urgph, I hate when they call them "rules!"}

1. Pass the award on to five people.
2. Four must be dedicated followers of your blog.
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world. (oops!!! Sharmaine, you're the only "international" bloggy pal I have!!!)
4. Link back to whoever gave you the award.

I would like to pass this award to...

Mad
Ragged
Madame Cupcake
MandyKay
Ben
and Bun-Bun {to make up for that intl peep I don't have, and the fact that Ben and Bun-Bun don't have blogs as far as I know...}

Almost have the H2C & Portland pixs ready for posting. Spent most of the day finishing my Mendocino Adventure 2004 album. Once I quit procrastinating, that is! LOL!!! Sometimes its sooo hard to get started!

5 good things for today:

1) Personal trainers! Mark made me sweat!
2) Mixed berry shortcake! Yum!!!
3) Cool album kits!
4) Very nice weather!
5) A surprise visit from my buddy Justin! [& his dad!]

Happy September, y'all!!!

Fantasmagorical!

All I can say is wow! WOW!!! Check out what this amazing artist did!!!

you gotta take the good with the bad

Trail fetish? Forest fairy? She's cute, yeah?!

So, I mentioned I was tired? Exhausted! Takes me a week to recuperate from a relay race.

I've been slacking @ creating. Viewing SisTv, blogging, and commenting. Sorry pals, I am always thinking of you...Linda, Madame Cupcake, Ragged, Patricia, Sharmaine, MadRetz, MandyKay, Susan, Nancy, Nan, Bun-Bun, Ben. Yes, even you. You know who you are!

The week away was nice! Getting back into the groove of things.

I'm looking forward to the xtra day off next week!

Work is insane!!! I haven't have a chance to breathe!!! (Nor email, read blogs, surf the internet...Oh, just kidding Boss!!! hee!!!)

Only two workouts so far this week. I trashed my knee on one of the downhills during H2C, so been taking it easy in preparation for MARATHON TRAINING! Did I mention that I signed up for Disneyworld Marathon 2009?! Whoo! I made an appt. with a trainer to see if he could give me some hints and tips so I can make it thru the run.

My fish died today. h'Sif. I'm sad. Its ironic b/c I was telling a co-worker that I don't get attached to pets and she said she wasn't so sure considering how I talk to and about the fish. (He was being fish-sat by ano. co-worker who mentioned that h'Sif didn't eat all week! I think he starved. Traumatized, I am a bad fish mom!!!)

G'ma and G'Pa Seiss (X-grandparents in-law) passed away within weeks of each other. Also, X-sis-in-law's boss, a great man, and her godfather who came to my long ago, tried to be forgotten wedding. My good friend's mom had 2 strokes, and another almost died from blood loss from a tear in her esophagus. (Is that how you spell it? Too lazy to look it up!) I can't even count on my hands the number of people I know who have died since last November.

I got my new crown finally. It is gorgeous and almost worth its $6000 price tag!

I'm drinking wine directly from the bottle...eeee!!! And its not good wine, compared to the ambrosia I had @ Nancy's!

I got happy mail from Patricia (Thanks P, LOVE IT!) and kits from Elsiecakes. Plural, kits. Neverland and Alice in Wonderland. Feeling a little buyer's remorse, can you tell???

Will be volunteering at Kris's play, Once Upon a Mattress. She asked me to be videographer for a day! What a fun experience! I can't wait!

Tapestry Arts Festival this weekend! Photo ops, gud fuds, oh yum kettle corn! Stuff to buy! Only gifts!!!

Ooooh, its HOT!

I survived flying home from Portland without my Xanax! I packed it in my check-in luggage. Had just a tiny panic attack. Logic asked if I was just (over) reacting in habit. Fly? Feel anxious! It wasn't really there! Yay!

MadMonk sent this today! V. cute!!!

So much has happened this week. Serious highs and lows. I can't remember it all! Anyway, a long post yeah?

I'm organizing the pixs from Hood to Coast and time spent with Nancy. Will try to post this weekend!!!

Over and out, for now!!! : .)

muwah!!!

Crock Pot Haggis

Hi!

I'm back.

I'm tired.

I'm disheveled.

I'm not organized enough to post photos right now.

I miss Nancy and her family and her dog, Brando.

And ewwww, crock pot haggis...ICK!!!

Talk to you soon!!! : .)

They're Like Earrings from Cinderella's Underground

Said CeCe about some organic earrings we saw at the American Craft Council Show on Sunday. And I so understood what she meant! It was in reference to the movie Enchanted. If you haven't seen it, put it in your Netflix que! Its sooo charming!

As I mentioned b/4, CeCe sees things like no other person I know. She's soooo amazing! And so much fun to spend time with. I refresh my perspective every time I hang out with her! She was so cute, running around with her new CoolPix asking permission to take pictures of artist's art. She's got a great sense of composition.

Speaking of sundaes, we had 'em, the Ghiradelli version...brownie, carmel, and hot fudge. No, I only ate one! Sheesh!

Saturday was also spent with the C-clan, art & wine, Olympic events, tasty beer marinated, grilled bratwurst...drool! Oooooh, still dreaming about those puppies, or dogs, or snausages. Whatever! LOL!!! This was after spending the morning at Wheel Works replacing the tire I put a nail thru...I did a damn good job of it I have to say, punctured clean thru the tread to the sidewall (did I just say tread and sidewall?!). What is it about men and their waiting until you've done all the hard, dirty work cracking bolts, removing the flat tire, and then asking if you need help?! Oh and the Murphy's Law that states that your spare will be flat and the gas station will CHARGE you for air! I had to pay for air!!! Sheesh, again!!!

Gearing up for that trip to the Pacific Northwest! Got a hotel room in downtown Portland for the first night, gettin' picked up at the crack of 6:30 am dawn on Friday (which is a bummer b/c I confirmed that my second leg will be run sometime around 2:30 am on Saturday), and found out that another of the runners rented a condo overlooking the beach in Seaside and she's letting a bunch of us crash there on Saturday nite! OMG! I am so excited!!!

Emailed Nancy with my ETA for Sunday and besides getting reacquainted, we've decided to do the Underground Portland Tour. I really want to take the Beyond Bizarre Tour, so I can practice my ghost hunting skills, but alas, its only on Fridays and Saturdays or something like that! I coulda photographed ORBS!!! And we're gonna hit this store, Collage oh man, they have a Mexican Sugar Skulls class for Dia de los Muertos! and Life's a Scrapbook. Phew!!! There's gonna be salmon involved in here somewhere, LOL!

OK, I do chatter on, but only b/c I'm procrastinating. I have to review this document...
zzzzzzzzzzzzz... Sorry, just talking about it puts me to sleep. Urgph! Sigh, if only I could make a living being an artist instead of pushing paper around all day. One can dream!

5 things for today!

1) Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Ghiradelli Squares!
deux) Gold medal winning female Olympic marathoners that are
38 years old! That so rocks!
tres) Talking to Estor after her major surgery. She's doing well, thanks!!!
shi) Carnitas tacos!!!
lima) All things falling into place for Portland Adventure 2008!

Let's Go!!!

I'm off to the Pacific Northwest next Thursday to run in the Nike Hood to Coast.

Yes, its a race, just like the Relay, only a couple miles shorter. My team of 12 will run from Mount Hood to Seaside, Oregon.

Those are my legs, You can see the distance and the elevation rise in each picture. That middle leg is ranked "VERY HARD." It looks like a doozy, especially since there's a hill at the end!!! Add that to the potential heat that I may experience, I heard it was 103 degrees in Portland today. I hope that leg is at night, or at least in the evening! It may be early, early morning!!! Yay!!!

I haven't been training as many hills as I should. Nor have I had the opportunity to train in warm weather as its been pretty mild here in Northern California. Ai yi yi!!!

After we finish the race and spend time in the beer garden : .) at the finish, a group of us will stay overnight in Seaside and go back to Portland Sunday morning. I'll be dropped off in Lake Oswego to visit with Nancy, who was gracious enough to invite me to stay for a couple of days with her family. I hope she knows what she's in for!!! LOL!!!

And I hope its fun!!!

Rule No. 6

Don't take yourself so darned seriously.

{and by the way, there are no other rules!}

Interject a little levity into your day!

Yabba Dabba Doo!

5 Good Things About Today...

1) Long Stevie Nicks skirts.
2) Dr. Chang said my teeth were "too white" when I got fitted for my new crown.
Yay! for Listerine Whitening Strips!
3) "Special Chickens"
4) Tasty leftovers!
5) Its almost over... {Yeah, that's a bit pessimistic, but I'm still happy about it!}

Yay! Its the Weekend!!!

Got lots planned for this weekend. "Volunteering" @ the Scrapbook Expo (I get paid $36 for 4 hours of work, not too shabby!), running, spin class at the gym, taking an album workshop from Casey Rivas of Rusty Pickle fame at Picture Me Perfect, dinner with my IT department manager : .) after a 'puter tech refresh!

Ghost Whisperer is on in 2 minutes!!! Gotta get!!!

5 things...

1) $4.09/gallon for gasoline
2) awesome 5 mile run
3) comment from Madame Cupcake : .)
4) peeps who are not afraid to say what they think about me*
5) mammogram, finally!

*I was told I was "vain" today.
I did want to say that just because they don't care about how they look and I do,
doesn't make me "vain!" LOL!!!

: .)

Dude!

Rat is sooooo mean!

Poor Pig!!!

: .) : .) : .) : .) : .) : .) : .) : .)

I Wanna Believe!

So, I saw it this afternoon...The X-Files movie. It was fine, but it wasn't spectacular. I really wish they had stuck with the mythology, the aliens, the plausable deniability. I wanted to see the baby, William! And David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are getting old!!! Yikes!! On one hand it was nice, that they've allowed themselves to age gracefully, but I guess I still want to see them as they were, dark, brooding, and gorgeous Fox Mulder and the smart man's uber babe, Dana Scully. The acting left something to be desired, I felt like I was watching a George Lucas movie. I'd give the movie 2.5 stars. (You were right, Madame Cupcake!)

So far this summer I've seen Voyage to the Center of the Earth, The Dark Knight, and The X-Files. I've rented from Netflix: Into the Wild (which I loved, but was left so sad at the end), The Martian Child, and The Orphanage (Guillermo del Toro of El Labrinto del Fauno fame, creepy and dark at the same time). Looking forward to The Mummy 3, Wall-E, Mamma Mia.

I do love me a good flick!

I'll leave you with my 5 things for today...

1) happy mail (scrap stuff) from Elise Blaha, Frantic Stamper, and RVKC!
2) lunch with Bun-Bun
3) healthy eating
4) quickie pedicures
5) supporting close to my heart causes

oh, I forgot the best one!!!
6) $4.19/gal. for gasoline (altho' later in the afternoon it was $4.14!)

It almost sounded like a DARE!!! (Dedicated to Sharmaine!)

Hey Sharmaine!!! Post #4!!! And I must say, great minds think a like! I took this photo in Karen's Mom's garden last Friday. The diffraction of the light made me think of you, just like the sunrises from my front door. Synchronistic that we took a similar picture and my picture made me think of you?

Diffraction is a cool word. So is flocculation. I know it sounds bad, but flocculation is actually a scientific term! Of course, if you were really feeling sassy, you could say "FLOC YOU!" but then you'd be talking about clumping together or precipitation and I think that would take the fun out of saying the word! Talk about synchronicity, I first learned about flocculation when I went to NASA with my co-workers and then it appeared again in a document I'm reviewing for bottled water (and a really cool work opportunity!)

OK, enough science. On to paranormal science...

I'm gonna see the X-File movie on Thursday, especially as I perceive myself as being a bit of an X-Phile. I had the opportunity to show off my X-File (Phile?) knowledge when my cousin called yesterday and asked which X-Files episode was about the Peacock family. I pulled the title out of thin air...Home! whoo!!! I was so impressed with myself!!! I could not name the season, however, but IMDB provided that info in a jiffy.

ok, enough self-promotion!!! ow, ow! I got a cramp patting myself on the back!!! LOL!!!

5 good things for today...

1) No line at Starbucks this morning.
2) Watching a bird swoop from a ledge and catch a snak mid-air!
3) Wind whistling thru the leaves in the trees outside the office.
4) (As of this afternoon) No injuries from the So. Cal earthquake! 5.6 magnitude?!
5) 30 minute run on the treadmill, 30 minutes on the elliptical. (But why oh why am I running on the treadmill when the weather outside is sooooo beautiful?!)

Half way thru the week tomorrow! Yippee!!! : .)

warped sense of humor?!

Call Ripley's!!! This is Karen's wonky toe! (Hi Karen! : .) She broke a long time ago, didn't know it and it healed, but the bone is in 2 pieces. Now her pinky toe does this weird bendy thingy.
She can bend it at a right angle! Seriously!

Onward...

Engaged in some experimental cooking this evening. Wanted Shepherd's Pie, but instead of using instant mashed potatoes, I bot instant mashed yams. Next time I'll read the ingredients...Shepherd's Pie isn't so tasty with sugar and cinnamon flavored mashed yam topping. ergph!!! ick! Definitely an unusual taste sensation! 3 more servings, want some?!

My ears and nose are plugged. Not a good sign. Something must be blooming. I can barely hear out of my L ear. Must take more supplements, allergy meds, what?!?!?!?!

Finally...

5 good things about today!

1) Litehouse "Lite" Bleu Cheez Vinaigrette dressing. I think its being discontinued tho' : .(
{Yesssss, I am constantly thinking about fuds!}
2) Received Juno ATCs! Rockin' art!
3) RAK from Susan & Gina! Gnome playing cards and glitter butterfly stickers!
4) IM from Ben!
5) Edward, swoon!

I Like This Picture!

That's it. Nothin' much goin' on. Lazy Sunday.

A Day at the Beach with My BFF

Karen came to visit!!! (yep, the friend who's pictures I have not and who was not amenable to letting me take more, altho' I did take a lot of self-portraits! : .)
We spent Friday at the beach.
We also went to Starbucks, read books, watched movies, ate cake (it was her b-day recently after all!), went to a little local Etsy artists craft faire, talked, talked, talked, & talked!
Cherished moments!!!