Rediscovered music on the treadmill

I have competition for the TV now in the gymn and this guy has bad taste in TV. So I brought my music with me.


Black eyed peas - I've got a feeling - now that's something to run to :D

Not such good success this trip

Look closer - I wasn't alone. Great camouflage.

I drove through the foothills absolutely crowded with mansions. Maybe there is an illusion of privacy with the trees and landscaping but they were as packed in as the valley suburbs. I hated it. I finally ended up driving to this reservoir where I used to come as a teenager to lay on the dam in the sun with my friends. It was empty on this beautiful day and they wanted $6 for me to park my car. The cost of enjoying nature.... So I refused and parked at the end of the drive for a few minutes to sit in the sun.

Maybe 10 people passed me on the last leg of their hike. All in matching spandex bike gear. They looked miserable and proud of themselves at the same time. I wouldn't want to be them. I figured they looked back at me thinking the same thing. Look at that woman just SITTING there in the sun. What a WASTE.

So obviously an interesting trip but not repeatable. I'll work on challenge two again this week.

I was challenged to drive somewhere I had never been without a destination in mind. This was a BIG challenge for my inner control freak. Plus, I have lived here awhile - not many places I haven't been. What a great way to spend the morning. Beautiful spring day in the foothills. I have heard that the oaks are threatened - not enough baby oaks are growing. This sure is a beautiful one.

I loved the heat of the sun, how green it all was and the lazy fat cattle walking like they had an agenda. I wondered...this was the only brown among a bunch of black cows all heading along the fenceline. They certainly aren't headed towards food because it's there in abundance. Maybe they have a plan to meet up in the shade. :) This was a very peaceful winding road. Around that bend was the road closure because they are working on a damn. Ahead of me is a huge tree farm. Lots of very large trees in boxes being fed by a drip system. They filled a whole part of this little valley formed by these hills getting pushed up into enormous wrinkles. I could have been miles away from a city by the feel of it. It's great to know this is here - I"ll come back! Maybe once the damn repairs are completed I can continue down that road.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Jamie's Birthday request :) Lots of fun

There was some really tiny stuff

and some really big stuff

and this really strange dragon thingy

But our favorites were the jelly fish

Great day :)

Fitness update

Working out today - took my list and went through it in my home gym. I discovered that I don't have the pully system that I learned on so I had to go with free weights as a substitute. Epiphany! I can do this sans gym. So I purchased my 5 lb weights and I"m ready to do strength and stretching right in the comfort of my own home. Aerobics could work there too if I do the WII but it's nice to have the pool and eliptical options.

Fitness!

Had a fitness evaluation done today. Polina Smith - very nice gal. She is experienced working with people who have tissue health issues. I have my new program and will check back in with her in a week.

Here's Polina

And here's the gym

Horseback Riding

This was a blast. It's been years since I have ridden and I loved doing it again. The last time I road was in the pineapple fields on Mauii. This morning it was a beautiful day and it was very peaceful out. I didn't expect my skills to come back so quickly. I even cantered - my horse and I both liked that part :) It was a lot of up and downhill and slow moving for the most part but that gave us a chance to look around. Jamie's horse Scotch, pictured here, was a tailgater. My horse, Tonto, very clearly did NOT like that. LoL. Lots of fun. Very cool to connect with a horse again. Pricey - can't do it every weekend and wouldn't want to do the same trail over and over, but it reminds me what fun it is to ride here once in a while, and especially as part of a trip.

More Birthday with Family

Jamie and I arrived early to reserve the table

So nice to have everyone together :)

BD treats including Allison Design necklace - so nice!

Lists!

Bucket list - things I want to do

Travel to Australia
Revisit Scotland
Horseback riding
Camping Balm Lake
Visit friends in Oregon
Balloon Ride in Napa
Mtn vacation alpine lake

Wish List - other desires

Fitness!
Health
Stay in touch with friends and family
Expand circle of friends
Reconnect with old friends
Remember birthdays!

Birthday dinner + a surprise

Dinner with my daughter was yummy. Salmon, asparagus and mashed potatoes. A gift! another book for my collection. This one covered my wedding and my kids being born. Fantastic gift! This is me mid-twenties with my two children.

Jamie said I had to reveal that the photo in the post below was not taken yesterday. So here is the replacement "looking out the window" photo. Notice the longer hair :D