BeesHIVE

On the right track...

2009-01-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

So far so good! It's been 8 days of the new year and I haven't quit what I set out to do for myself. I started running again and I finally went to an early morning spin class at the gym that I have been saying I would go to with a friend for months. I have started running with Sierra Challenge Express on Saturday mornings and doing it on my own or with friends on Sun, Mon and Wed. Spin class is Tues/Thurs and I made it both this week! Now all I need to do is start the weight training back up which is my absolute favorite type of workout. There is something about lifting free weights and seeing yourself get really strong. It's very empowering. I am very excited…I have even been going on walks (twice daily) with the dogs. They are LOVING it!

I have also made plans to go snowshoe-ing in 2 weeks in the Shaver Lake area. I have never tried it before, but it sounds like it will be a lot of fun. I am really looking forward to these upcoming months…I have a really good feeling about them. What is also good about all this exercise I have been getting is that I am too tired and busy to think about negative things :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2008-12-31T15:14:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2009! I have a feeling this is going to be a good year for me. I know this because I am going to make it happen. This is my last chance to make this decade (2000-2009) not be a blurb in my life. I don't want to look back when I am older and think this decade was a unmemorable one. This year will be full of happiness and good experiences. I can not believe how fast all of this has gone by and I feel I don't have much to show for it. Of course I am thankful for many things in my life. I have my health, a good job, a place to live, supportive family, and a handful of good friends.

I make New Year's Resolutions every year and they only last about a month, that is pretty pathetic! This year will be different, it has to be because I am tired of failing myself. It is always easy to blame something else like work or I am too tired, but it has to stop and it will stop today. NO MORE EXCUSES! I am way to young to not be enjoying everyday to the fullest! This year I will do things that I have always wanted to do but never found the time to do them. Even if this means to stay in better touch with old friends, take more weekend trips, exercise more...the list is endless. This year I will be a better person to myself!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2008-12-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

DARKNESS=BAD DRIVING?

2008-11-05T14:03:00.000-08:00

Daylight Savings came to an end on Sunday. I have been noticing over the years of commuting home from work, that a lot of people don't seem capable of driving at night. It's pretty scary! Here is what I have observed. I get off of work at the same time every single day Mon-Fri. Traffic flows smoothly (for the most part) when Daylight Savings is around. The very first work day after (Monday), traffic jams everywhere! The only difference: it was dark because of the 1-hour fall back. Do most of these Mon-Fri commuters never go anywhere other than work which never forces them to drive at night unless Daylight Savings has ended?! I dread this time of year not only because it's dark when I get off of work, but people drive like complete morons all winter long! And I am not even factoring in rain or bad weather…that's a whole different story.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2008-10-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! I am a little bummed that Halloween snuck up on me like this and a Friday!!! I have no plans other than having a couple of friends over to watch scary movies and have some drinks. I should be out causing havoc tonight instead :(

Oh well...next year! Have a great one!!

Fresno Marathon

2008-10-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

Only 3 more weeks until the Fresno Marathon. I have been training for this for the last 26-27 weeks and I am ready for it to be OVER! This last Saturday was the peak of my training. I ran 20 miles, and I was sick! It was very difficult and every part of my body hurt like hell!

I have a goal to finish the marathon in 4 hours and 3o minutes. This will shave off about 30 minutes from the last one (1st) I ran in June 2007. I am starting to get nervous and excited about it. My training was going very well until I hurt my groin in the gym about 4 weeks ago. I am going to stay positive and just do my best.

This Sunday I have a half marathon in Folsom, CA as part of my training. I usually get really competitive with myself and push myself to run faster than I would normally. I guess this is normal since it is a race...but I really hope I can take it slow and finish without putting more stress on my groin.

Canine Good Citizen

2008-06-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

Bonsai and Grant have both passed the Canine Good Citizen test! Almost comical since the both tend to misbehave so much. It's funny because they both (especially Bonsai) know how to put their game face on when it counts. They are almost like different dogs when they are in testing mode. This is the first step for me to be able to volunteer with them.

Weekend Cat Blogging

2008-06-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Even kitty cats have a hard time finding something that fits in the morning...

Escape from Alcatraz

2008-06-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

...not really, just from my backyard. Bonsai once again has caused me heart ache and grief. I learned a few months ago that Bonsai has been scaling the 6' fence into my neighbor's yard. I placed a 3" PVC pipe what I slit open lengthwise on top of the boards that he was scaling over. It created a very slippery, rounded surface so he couldn't grip with his front paws. I thought the problem was solved. My neighbor just told me he has still been doing it for weeks. The PVC pipe is no longer working. I have personally witnessed him scale the fence with the pipe in place. This time it came with some consequences. My neighbor has some t-posts in her yard next to the fence. Bonsai got caught on the post on his way down and ripped his side open in 2 spots.

I guess it's back to the drawing board to find ways to keep him contained...

LEAN CUISINE?

2008-05-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

They actually expect people to survive on this? I wouldn't even consider this a snack! And look at it...not even close to the picture on the box. I guess if they actually showed what it look like, no one in their right mind would buy it. At least it doesn't taste too bad...but at a 180 calories, I am still hungry. I have been trying these Lean Cuisines at lunch time because I have gone way overboard with the eating lately and gained some weight. Though I have to supplement them with something else otherwise I would be one cranky bitch!

BTW...I really suck at this blogging thing. I haven't blogged since February (and a shitty post to boot!)

GOOD GRIEF!

2008-02-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

I was eating lunch in the food court where I work (food court is open to
the public) anda man approached me and I think he was trying to hit on
me. He was staringat out table for maybe 5-10 minutes then he walked
up to me and asked me to read his fortune from his cookie. He said he
was blind. I was already in a really bad mood so I wasn't in the mood
for some older ugly man to approach me and use a really stupid ass
pick-up line. Now if he was a hot guy, I would be singing a different tune
here...so I read his fortune cookie without looking at him and handed right
back and ignored him. What I wanted to say to him was that his fortune
cookie read, "F OFF!"

I know that sounds really nasty and mean, but this guy really pissed me
off. Why is it that I only get these really ugly, way too old for me men that approach me?!? Don't get me wrong, I DO NOT think I am some beauty queen (not even close), but COME ON!! My friend tried to comfort me and tell me that it was at least better than not being approached at all...I don't think so. I know I shouldn't be looking at it in thisway, but I find it very insulting that these men think I would be attracted
to them...what does that say about the way I look? I know it's not all about looks, but at first that's all you see. A few years ago I was taking a golf class and I was waiting in line to hit some balls at the driving range and I was making small talk with the guy behind me in line (about work I found out he was also a civil engineer). After a few words
out my mouth, he interrupts me and says, "I am already married." WTF? And the shitter, he was even uglier than the guy in the food court! I think about that every once
in a while and to this day it still gets my goat!

MY DOG IS INSANE!

2008-02-13T09:16:00.001-08:00

This last weekend, I learned something new about my dog Bonsai.
He hates when you spin around in circles. My nephew and I held hands
and were spinning around in circles just playing around. Out of nowhere
Bonsai comes hauling ass at us and broke through our linked arms and
jumped on me and almost knocked me flat on my ass. I have added it to
the list of things I can't do in his presence...or have to restrain him
when others are doing these things:

1.) Swinging
2.) Piggy back rides
3.) Jump roping
4.) Swimming
5.) Tossing babies/kids in the air
6.) Horseplay of any kind
and now....
7.) Spinning

I am not sure what he is capable of doing when he catches you
doing any of the listed items above, but I do know he can go
ape-shit. He did nip at my friend's shirt when he was jump roping
and ripped a nice size whole in it and knocked my poor niece off
a swing once. What a freak.

California Dog

2008-02-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

It's a beautiful winter Sunday morning in February but the sun is shining, it's nice and warm, and my dog is eating an orange...can it get any better?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-08T13:47:00.001-08:00

Wow...2008. This year I promised myself no New Year's resolutions. It actually felt really good. Of course there are tons of things I need to work on...I wish I was perfect. Most of it is the same boring crap, lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, be nicer to people...the list is always endless. My most important goal this year and I just now decided on it. I need to take my Professional Engineering Exam more seriously and make a strong effort to pass it...at least the Seismic portion of it. I am getting really pissed off at work knowing that there are a bunch of lazy ass idiots at work getting paid more than I am because they are licensed engineers. The exam consists of an 8 hour exam, 1/2 of it covers most of civil engineering topics and other ½ you pick a specialty topic of your choice. All 50 states have the same exam. California (I think Alaska as well) have 2 additional exams, Seismic and Surveying.I have been so reluctant to study for this exam. I will think of a million things that I would rather do then to study. It's been almost a decade since I have been out of school, so the subject matter almost seems foreign to me. Luckily I have passed the Survey potion...just 2 more to go!

ANONYMOUS BLOGGING

2007-12-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

I sometimes wish I had started this blog as an anonymous blog. There are a lot of times where I just want to write about things that really piss me off, but I don't want to get myself in trouble or hurt someone's feelings. I would probably b blogging every hour! I have a lot of shit to talk about and a lot of shitty people to talk about. For example I am having a really crappy time at work and would love to vent here. Even if I had an anonymous blog, I am not sure if I could get away with it considering a few people use my laptop. It would be way too much work for me t always delete my Internet history so no one would ever find my blog. I also thought of creating a new one and only accessing it from the public library down the street from me, but again...seems like too much work. I know this all goes against my trying not to be such a lazy ass...

Who knows, I am sure someday I will get the balls to say F it and blog away...

Back in Business

2007-12-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

At least I hope I am. I am so ashamed of myself that I have wasted so much time. Just when I felt like I was getting all my stuff in order...then out of nowhere this huge cloud comes rolling in. What is that all about?! I know it's just in my head and I have to just deal with things. The number 1 thing I want to tackle is my laziness. If I could stay at home and sit on my butt in front of the TV and do nothing else for a few weeks, I probably would do it. At least I feel like that right now. That's why I am so proud of myself for waking up early to go for a jog with some friends. We did 5.5 miles this morning! I almost decided not to go since I have a ton of work to do today. I have some friends coming over for a holiday dinner.

I went shopping last night thinking I could find a fresh turkey at Costco (they told me they would have an shipment coming in that day). They had none! I started to panic and I thought I would do some Cornish game hens...none. I finally decided to buy 2 small frozen turkeys from the grocery store and thaw them in cold water. This works really well, but you have to change the water every 1/2 hour for food safety reasons. I am glad I didn't buy a 20 pounder because it would have taken me all night to thaw out. The two little ones went pretty fast. But, what an ordeal! I will roast one in the oven and smoke the other outside. Which reminds me I better get outside and start up my coals....here is a picture of me last year smoking a turkey:

GOODBYE AUTUMN

2007-12-03T14:07:00.001-08:00

What the hell have I been doing? My last post was for a farewell to
summer? Winter will be here in 3 weeks! Absolutely pathetic on my
part...I must have been hit and the head and knocked unconscious
for a few months. I really do feel like it. Things have been absolutely
crazy. Last thing I remembered was sweating in the hot summer sun
and I suddenly wake up freezing my ass off and it's December 3rd!

GOODBYE SUMMER

2007-09-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Hello Autumn! My absolute favorite time of the year. Don't get me wrong, summer is also fabulous! Summer 2007 brought a lot of adventures for me, just to name the first 3 that come to mind...
1. Ran my first marathon
2. Went on my first cruise
3. Climbed Half Dome at night under the full moon

Unfortunately I have fallen so far behind in my blogging, I haven't been able to share any of my summer time adventures with my blog friends (if I still have any). I guess I will have to start blogging like mad to catch up and share some pics...I will start with what I did this last Friday.

As you may know, I am a huge Charles Schulz fan. I drove to Santa Rosa, CA to see the Joe Cool statues on parade. There were 94 Joe Cools that were sponsored by individuals or companies and each had an artist commissioned to design each one differently. Some were auctioned off and most were purchased by the sponsors. Joe Cool on parade was the last in a series of 3 parades honoring the late Charles Schulz.

Superior Accomplishment Award

2007-07-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

They give out awards every year…and this year, I received my second one. I am excited about getting the money ($150 before taxes), but these awards have lost their prestige. Over the 9 years, I have seen one too many awards be handed out that probably should not have been. Yes, my first one is included in this group. Also, there are many others that have not received one, but genuinely deserve one. Though I have worked hard these last few years and am proud of myself for getting this one Anyways, here is a picture of me and my plaque.

Happy 4th of July?!?

2007-07-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

Not for my dogs. It was definitely not a good day for Bonsai. I love this time of year, you have the hot summer days, BBQ, swimming in the pool....and fireworks! My dogs go nuts when they hear loud noises, especially fireworks. I will bring them inside the house on these days and take them with me wherever I go to watch the firework show. One year I was a little slow on bringing the dogs in and poor Granite got so scared he chewed a hole in the fence with lighting speed and escaped. Luckily after an hour or so of walking through the neighborhood calling out for him and squeaking his favorite squeak toy...I found him hiding under a car. Now I have learned my lesson. I thought he would be OK since it was still very early and the sun was still out. I guess people will light those things off at any time of day.

Well, this year I decided that I would leave the dogs at home in my bedroom for the night. I just wanted to have an evening out without having to deal with 2 dogs in tow. I crated Granite up and left Bonsai in my bedroom. When I got home everything seemed to be OK until I went in the bathroom. Bonsai had gone ape shit in there! He ripped the hanging mirror off the wall (which he had to jump on my bathroom counter to get to), knocked over my jewelry box, perfume bottles, several plants including a very prickly cactus and just about everything that was on the counter. It looked like a mini tornado had passed through. Luckily nothing was broken, not even the mirror. I have no idea how he managed not to break it. I wish I had taken a picture of the mess. This was a total surprise to me, Bonsai is almost 7 years old an has never done anything like this before. Now I have learned another lesson...

5 HOURS 1 MINUTE 32 SECONDS

2007-06-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

It's finally over...and it took me
5 hours, 1 minute and 32 seconds to do it!

Feeling on top of the world at mile 14.

Half dead, I sprinted ...at least I thought I was sprinting the last stretch to the finish line!

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THAT SUPPORTED ME! I WAS ABLE TO RAISE OVER $5000 FOR THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY!!!!

Summer Time?

2007-06-05T22:45:00.001-07:00

I know it's not here yet...but it must be close because the watermelons are here!

What Happened?!?

2007-05-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what is going on with me! I gave my self the OK not to have to do my Travel Tuesdays (not that I don't like it, but it is a lot of work!) not the OK not to blog anymore! I am probably the laziest person in the world right now :( I think I get into these slumps that I feel like I can't get out of it. Kind of like the library book that is WAY overdue and I have no clue where the hell the stupid book is! I don't even read, so why the F do I keep checking books out and paying overdue fines on them? Anyway, I have kept ignoring the problem...kind of like my blog. It becomes a task that feels like is getting out of control and I will put it off as long as I can...pretty stupid huh?

Then to my surprise, I was nominated a Thinking Blogger Award by my blog friend over at Kross-Eyed Kitty! I too will participate in nominating my favorite blogs that get me thinking....as soon as I find that damn library book!

What Did Wii Get Ourselves Into?

2007-04-25T14:12:00.001-07:00

My sister and I bought a Nintendo Wii last Friday and Wii are all very
sore! I just happened to stop at a Costco that I rarely shop at while
traveling to visit my mom for the weekend. I was very excited when I
saw it sitting there on an almost empty pallet near the cash registers.
The thing was almost calling out my name...

I finally opened it up on Sunday when I got back home and
immediately jumped right into playing the tennis game and boxing.
They even have training and testing modes. I tested my Wii age
and I somewhat embarrassed to say...I am 60 years old! The games
are a lot of fun...so much fun you get into it a little bit too much. I
was really sore the next day, but it definitely didn't stop me from
playing again the next night. I hear about all these injuries from
playing the Wii. I can easily see myself doing something stupid
and getting really hurt. The funny thing is...it makes it that
much more fun! I played about 15 games of tennis against my
friend Mike which I lost the majority of them (Mike if you are
reading this...IT'S ON THIS WiiKEND!). When I used to play
tennis in school, I had a really bad temper, so I didn't take the
losing like lady if you know what I mean. I can't wait to have
a boxing bout with someone soon...

Stale Post

2007-04-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

I have decided to take a break from Travel Tuesdays. Even though my Travel Tuesday's aren't much to read, it's a lot of work! Then I feel bad that I don't write about anything else, as you may have noticed my last post was a week ago! The reason I don't post is that I want to leave my post up long enough because it was so much work. I don't understand how people have the energy and creative thought to post something fabulous everyday...amazing.

TRAVEL TUESDAYS #11

2007-04-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Let's travel to Berlin, Germany this week. I spent about 1 1/2 weeks there the summer of 2004. I always had a desire to visit Berlin after I watched one of my favorite movies, "GOTCHA!" It was a cheesy movie that took place in East Berlin. Unfortunately, I never made it to Germany before the Berlin Wall was dismantled (1989). Though I still enjoy my visit very much and enjoyed seeing what was left of the Berlin Wall.

Brandenburg Gate, the only remaining gate that one would cross through to enter Berlin.

Bricks line road on the alignment that the Berlin Wall once stood.

Checkpoint Charlie seen from the former American Sector.

WCB

2007-04-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

DON'T WORRY, I AM NOT DEAD....I JUST SLEEP LIKE THIS.

Make sure to visit Sundance over at "What Did You Eat?" all decked out in a new accessory.

MARATHON UPDATE
I am very proud of myself! I ran 16 miles today. There are about 8 weeks left until race day. I am very excited and scared. The 16 miles was absolutely grueling. If it wasn't for my sister and a couple of good friends following along on bicycles, I might have never made it. Usually we (Team in Training, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) run as a group. Aid stations and good running company is always provided. Not today...today was a run on your own day. It is supposed to help you train mentally as well. It is an enormously different when you are all alone (much harder). Thank goodness for my traveling aid station. She carried my water, Gatorade, power gels and my anti blister/chaffing cream. It seamed like it took forever, but I managed to finish without walking!

TRAVEL TUESDAYS #10

2007-04-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Sacramento, California and now living in Fresno my perception of what gardening life is like is very different from what it is like in Russia. At least where my cousin lives in Salavat, Russia. Most people live in apartment/condo like buildings where the tenants do not have yards. What most of them do is rent a garden space that may or may not be near where they live. This is the case with my cousin. His garden space was about a 15-20 minute bus ride away from his place. Since not everybody has a car, this can be quite a challenge. The bus stop from his house and the bus stop by the garden was about 1 mile walking distance each one which isn't bad on your way to the garden...but try walking a mile with a huge sack of potatoes! (Also, this trek has to be made at least 2-3 times a week just to water the garden.) These were by far the BEST potatoes I have ever had. I think they were so tasty due to the soil, it was so rich it was pitch black. I even started growing my own potatoes when I got back home, hoping to replicate the taste...no such luck.

(BTW...can somebody explain why I get the HUGE spaces between my photos? It doesn't look like that when I am editing the post!....please help)

The pathway that leads to my cousin's garden. There are no houses along this pathway, only gardens. The buildings you see are storage sheds that people use to store the harvested potatoes over the winter.

Inside the garden.

Another view of the garden and the water pump. These pictures are not the best to see what was planted. There were potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini.

Typical apartment/condo housing. Another cousin of mine lived here on the 6th floor.

TRAVEL TUESDAYS #9

2007-03-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

My mom always used to talk about the birch trees in Russia. I never thought much of it when I was there until I walked right into this amazing Birch tree grove about 1 mile from my cousin's place in Salavat, Russia. White trees as far as the eyes could see...it was absolutely beautiful.

WCB

2007-03-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

How lazzzzyyy...I am beginning to wonder if my cat does anything other than lounge around. What a life. I gotta tell you I sure am jealous. Here is Tatts lounging in one of his favorite positions. I have actually seen him doing this in the street!

Make sure to go visit CatSynth.com to see other kitties in action doing what they do best...

TRAVEL TUESDAYS #8

2007-03-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have always had a fascination with the former USSR, especially the hammer and sickle emblem that was used. Even with the USSR dissolution in 1991, there still exists the reminder of the former power house everywhere in Russia. Russia being the largest and dominant constituent state of the USSR. Here are a few pictures I took during my 2004 trip to Russia.

A picture of me and my cousin besides a towering Lenin.

Reminders of the USSR times.

This monument and the picture below was in my mom’s village. It was a remembrance of those from the village that died during World War II. My Uncle’s name is the third from the top.

WCB

2007-03-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

Poor Tatts...I snuck up on him yesterday afternoon to capture him sleeping. I guess I am not sneaky enough for a kitty and I woke him up. He wanted nothing to do with me or my camera...hence the angry "I am not looking at your stupid camera" look.

Stop by I Got Two Shoes to visit Kamikaze...waiting for a kiss!

2 Tickets to the Gun Show

2007-03-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

I have always been very self conscious about my body, well at least after high school. In high school, I was extremely skinny. So skinny that I was frequently asked if I had anorexia. During college and after I graduated, my body drastically changed. The pounds started adding on (who knew you couldn't eat whatever the hell you felt like and not gain an ounce?!?). Make a long story short...I ain't the same skinny chic. These last few years, I have been worrying that my body has a manly look to it. I know I am over exaggerating, but I still feel like it when I compare my body to others. Then today...it happened at the gym. I had a guy tell me he was envious of my arms!!! WTF?!? So I ask...anyone want 2 tickets to the gun show, because apparently I have them!

WCB

2007-03-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

Even with the beautiful weather we are having...kitties still cuddle up in the morning when it's a little chilly.

Nomad and Gypsy sharing a few zzzs on the couch.

Tatts on his favorite blanket.

Make sure you pay a visit to What Did You Eat? to see some kitty mayhem!

TRAVEL TUESDAYS #7

2007-03-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

During my trip to Bashkiria, Russia we decided to go to Moscow. We ended up taking a train from Ufa to Moscow. This was a 36 hour train trip. Since we didn't plan the trip to well...we ended up with some pretty crappy seats. My mom and I had seats (more like cots) directly above the seat/cot on the floor level. Imagine having the top bunk on bunk beds in a room with a really low ceiling. I couldn't sit in my cot because there wasn't enough ceiling clearance. It was a very interesting train experience...the only thing that made it better was the thought of going to Moscow! Unfortunately I was only there for 1.5 days, but I got to visit the Red Square. It was absolutely beautiful.

St Basil's Cathedral...one of my favorite landmarks ever. I think it is one of the most beautiful things ever built. (Built between 1555-1561, commissioned by Ivan the Terrible).

GUM, Moscow's "State Department Store", built between 1890-1893. Today it is filled with elegant boutiques and designer stores.

Me out in front of Lenin's Mausoleum. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go inside to see Lenin...I got there about 15 minutes after closing. Guess I will need to make a return trip!

Something fun I took a picture of on my way to the Red Square. It's the Olympics dome built for the 1980 Summer Olympics hosted in Moscow

I LOVE SHOES!!!

2007-03-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

I have added another pair of shoes to my closet. I went out shopping Friday night to just browse and to my surprise...all clearance shoes were $19.99...and I do mean ALL clearance shoes. I picked up this fabulous pair of Kenneth Cole high heel shoes in a metallic gold. Regular price was $195...SCORE!!!!

WCB

2007-03-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhh...spring is almost here! Tatts enjoys a warm sunny day.

TRAVEL TUESDAYS #6

2007-02-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

This week, I would like to take you to Bashkiria, Russia. Also known as The Reublic of Bashkortostan. Bashkiria is located in southern Russia bordering north of Kazakhstan. I traveled there with my mother during the Summer of 2004. The pictures I have posted today are from my visit to the capital city, Ufa.

Statue in a public park in honor of a Bashkir National Hero, Salavat Yulayev.

Brand new to Bashkiria...McDonald's I had to take this picture because I loved the sign in Russian characters.

Stay tuned...next week we are off to Moscow.

TRAVEL TUESDAYS #5

2007-02-20T23:59:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about my dad a lot these last several months, so I decided to post about him and his life. My dad was a Peshmerga (translates to 'those who face death') with the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party). He fought for freedom for the Kurds for many years. During my trip to Kurdistan I was lucky enough to have my dad take me around most of North Eastern Iraq, Kurdistan to show me his old stompin' grounds. This one place in particular was special to him because they named the location after my father. Unfortunately I don't have all the details today about the battle. The little I do remember is that my father and his men were able to strategically place themselves on this hillside near a road to fight the Iraqi army. The road was the only way for the Iraqi army to get from on base to another. My father and his men were successful in the battle, hence having the hill named after my father.

My dad standing in front of his hill in the traditional Kurdish clothing men wear.

...brother, sister, dad and myself. Did I mention it was HOT this day? About 120 F +.

ULCER!

2007-02-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

WTF? Yes, I was diagnosed with having an ulcer, possibly. And, possibly a bleeding ulcer. This really is the last thing I needed right now. Wait, actually the last thing I needed was this pain in my left knee. WHY NOW?? I still have 3.5 months of training to get ready for my marathon.

I have no idea what is going on with my body right now. I guess I am heavily stressed and over worked my knee. Now I am not allowed to talk any anti-inflammatory drugs for my knee because of my possible ulcer (did I mention it is possibly a bleeding ulcer?). Other than these 2 hopefully minor setbacks, things have been going great with my marathon training/fund-raising. I am very excited about the whole journey and am really looking forward to running the 26.2 miles this June!

One more thing....I am scared to swicth to the new blogger. They are forcing me to switch, I was able to bypass it this one time. I have heard too many horror stories...ooohh my ulcer!

TRAVEL TUESDAYS #4

2007-02-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

This week I would like to do a brief introduction to the massacre that occurred in Halabja, Kurdistan. The nightmare happened on March 16th, 1988 in which 5,000 Kurds were gassed to death by Saddam's Regime. I got the opportunity to visit this city that is situated about 8-10 miles from the Iran border. We went to the memorial that was built for the victims and the grave site where they were buried. Unfortunately, when we went, the memorial had been burned down by the people of Halabja. They destroyed the memorial out of anger. They felt as if no one cared enough about the survivors and the family members of the thousands that were murdered.

A view of the outside of the burned memorial.

A list inside of the memorial of all 5,ooo Kurds that were murdered on March 16th, 1988. (Notice how some of the names were destroyed in the fire)

A statue out in front of the grave site where the victims were buried.

A closer look at the headstones at the grave site. You will notice that some stones have one line of text, some have two, three and so on. These represent the names of that are buried under the headstone. They buried families together and those who died alone, were buried alone.

No Travel Tuesday

2007-02-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry, but I am not able to post my regulary scheduled Travel Tuesdays. Things got way to hectic this last week. I promise to post Travel Tuesdays #4 next Tuesday.

False Fours

2007-02-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

Seriously, what is going on with designers these days? This morning I was able to comfortably wear my false size 4 pants. Sure I was delighted that my change in diet and increase in workouts have been paying off. The truth is...there is no way I am a size 4. Maybe in highschool when I was stick thin, but now as a 31 year adult? Yeah right!
We all know designers are making their clothes larger because women will buy a pair of pants that say Size 4 (in reality maybe a Size 8-10?) I actually have no idea what size I really am. Am I unhappy about that?

HELL NO, I will take my False Fours anyday!

Travel Tuesdays #3

2007-01-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Sorry to interrupt my Travel Tuesdays post, but I a have an important message to display. Please read my January 27th post about my commitment to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My fundraising website is up an running and I encourage everyone to visit and help. Every little bit helps and it all adds up! I have a very long journey ahead of me and I will need all the help I can get...
HELP BEGERED HELP SAVE LIVES

This weeks Travel Tuesdays will revolve around transportation. Life in Iraq as most of you would guess is very different than life I am used to here in the United States. Just getting around is something I have taken for granted. Women drivers is not all that common in Iraq. My cousin has been driving for about 10 years and she has said it was much worse when she started. Even today people will stare at women drivers. I didn't drive during the 5 weeks I was over there. The driving is insane! There were some areas of road construction an I was shocked that they don't close the road or lane that is being built. People just drive around the equipment and workers and if you don't want to deal with it...just drive on the opposite side of the road that is already complete! Pure madness but I absolutely loved it!

I DID IT...

2007-01-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

I joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to run the Rock N Roll Marathon. This has always been a personal goal of mine to run one. Not sure why...I think I may be a little crazy! I went to the informational meeting for Team in Training and I finally made up my mind. I need to stop being so wishy washy about making the decision and just jump right into it. Plus, this is such a great cause. I have personally known people who have lost in the battle with Leukemia.

Team in Training will provide me with all the support I will need to make this goal a reality. In return, I need to raise funds for the organization. I am currently working on my fundraising website and will have it posted by Wednesday evening. Please stop by and take a look and hopefully you will be moved to help!

UPDATE

My fundraising page is online! Please click on the link below:

Help Begered Help Save Lives!!!!

Please encourage others to visit. There are so many of us that dealt with these terrible blood cancers. Thank you!

Travel Tuesdays #2

2007-01-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

Since I have so many photos of Kurdistan, Iraq and it was by far the most memorable trip (good and bad) I have ever been on, I will stick with them for a while on my "Travel Tuesdays" posts.

Shopping for material for Kurdish dresses in Shacklawa. There were so many colors to chose from, I finally picked a beautiful orange material.

These are "hats" that men wear under their head covering. The color and style is dependent on what tribe you come from. These were all hand woven and absolutely beautiful.

Old style traditional shoes. I am unsure, but I think these are shoes for men. This picture was taken at a Textile Museum in Hawler (Irbil, Iraq).

This is the current style of traditional shoes men wear. Though most younger men where everyday common sneakers or other styles of shoes.

Yes, that is a tomb you see. I just thought it was one of the oddest things I saw. This was in the middle of a huge bazaar in Hawler. I ran across it each time I went out to go shopping.

GOALLLLL!!!

2007-01-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

Not really but I did join a soccer team. It's a coed indoor soccer league. Now keep in mind I have NEVER played soccer before indoor or regular. I don't even know the rules. All I could do was make sure I didn't kill myself. I decided to go to the gym before my game. (I am so glad I did) Lucky for me I didn't pull a quad or harmstring. I was prepared for the pain I would endure since I am extremely out of shape. Guess what happened...I GOT MY ASS KICKED. It hurt so much, my lungs felt like they were going to explode. There were a couple of moments where I thought I was going to pass out. I am proud of mysef that I stuck with it and I didn't throw up!
One game down and seven more to go...

Travel Tuesdays

2007-01-16T21:28:00.000-08:00

This summer I traveled to Kurdistan, Iraq. I was there for 5 weeks and traveled through most of north west of the country. I got this wonderful idea of sharing my photos with blogging "Travel Tuesdays" from Ramona. The photos I am sharing today are from a day trip we took to an area called Ali Bag.

The 2nd week in...

2007-01-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

the new year and I am already tired of my New Year's resolutions. Why is it so hard to stay on track!?! I decided this would be the year to do all the things I have wanted in my life: run a marathon (this is most likely not going to happen), stay organized, be happier with what life has to offer, go out more and eat healthy. All of those are so doable, with the exception of running a marathon, yet it is January 9th and I am already tired of trying. Not a good outlook for this year. It is still early enough, I need to be slapped around a bit! I did sign up for a "Team In Training" informational meeting. I am considering that as a step towards running a marathon. I vowed to run one before I turned 30...I will be 32 this March. The most I have ever run since highschool is a 10 K race on Thanksgiving 2005.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-01-01T16:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2007...

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM...

2006-12-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

It's unbelievable...it's already December. I know everybody says that, but this year has been like no other. It has just zipped past me. I look back and try to review what happened, but it's all just one big blur. I swear it was just yesterday that I was getting ready to go out for New Year 2006. What happened to this year? I am posting some pictures from the past 12 months to help me remember...
Ringin' in the New Year

Irbil, Iraq this summer with my sister and cousin

My favorite place in the house with my laptop.

Posing in my new Kurdish dress this Thanksgving...

Me and my niece and nephew over the Thanksgiving Holiday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2006-11-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

TWINS...

2006-09-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Seriously...what is the fascination with sisters working in the same building together? And no we are not twins, which we get asked at least once a month. She is 5'3" and I am 5'6" and outweigh her by a good 20 pounds or so. We are four years apart and DO NOT look like twins, but that doesn't stop people from asking. What a bunch of idiots! I guess at first I can see the, "Oh, how cute you two are sisters and you work at the same place!" comments. But. AFTER 8 years?? Give it a break people. I think people probably imagine us in one cubicle together wearing the same outfit with our hair in pigtails while licking a lollipop and finishing up each others sentences as we work together.

I woke up this morning and got dressed and finally made my way in the kitchen where I see my sister wearing a green button down shirt. What am I wearing? A green sweater. No f'ing way am I going to work on a Monday morning wearing the same color top. I can already hear it...NOBODY needs that crap on a Monday. I guess it's really hard to explain how annoying it can be, but trust me...hearing these comments for 8 years is ANNOYING. Back to this morning...I go back in my room to change. It's been really cold in the office so I need to wear something with sleeves. The only thing I have that is clean and not wrinkled is a blue button down shirt. Well guess what...that wasn't enough of a change. I can't even wear the same style of shirt as common as a button down to work when my sister is wearing one. WTF? Someone made a comment. "Are you two wearing the same shirt?" SO F'ING WHAT if we are (we weren't)?!?!?!? Last week I happened to have a pair of light brown trousers on and so did my sister (not even close to the same style)..."How cute you two are dressed the same!" I felt like telling her...yeah and so is half the other f'ing office, men included. That's just it....I work in an office, how many people wear trousers or button up shirts to an office? Please excuse my ranting, but this REALLY pisses me off.

The Nina, The Pinta, and The Santa Maria

2006-07-09T12:42:00.001-07:00

I had a great weekend. I got to go out sailing for the second time. The first trip I made in September 2005 was great, but this trip was better. The only reason it was better was that the water was much calmer and I didn't get motion sickness. We sailed out to Anacapa Island from Ventura Harbor. The best part of both trips were the dolphins. There isn't much more that is as awesome as sitting at the bow of the boat and watching the dolphins swim with you. I was even able to hear them! I am not sure what kind they were but there were lots of them and some really young ones too.
Being out on the sailboat watching how much work it takes to adjust the sails, made me think f the early explorers. I can't even begin to think how CRAZY it must have been to be one of the first to explore the unknown oceans without GPS. It's a good thing that exploring the new worlds was not up to me. There is no way I could have been that adventurous. My hat goes off to all those that did!

What Grinds My Gears

2006-07-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

This has been a problem in parking lots for years. At least for me it's a BIG problem. People that leave their shopping carts between parked cars or parked on the parking bumpers/planter boxes...seriously, is it that hard to not put your cart away? Today I was at one of my favorite stores, Costco. There were 3 carts parked near the stall I parked in, so I got out to move them (at least 2 of them) back into the cart return about 4 stalls away. As I went back to my car to get the third one to use inside the store, the woman parked in front of was lifting her cart into the planter box. In doing so she bumped the cart I was going to use and came within an inch or two of pushing it into the car next to mine. Pathetic.
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I am trying this No Flour No Sugar diet. This is my second week and it is HARD! I have also put a curfew of 8 PM for my eating. That in itself is difficult to do. I think I have been a little extra crabby at least more than my usual self :) I am sure it will take some time to adjust and I will just get used to it. At least that's what I keep telling myself! My ultimate goal in this is to lose a little bit of weight and to have better eating habits. Once this happens I will allow myself to slowly introduce white sugars and white flours in my diet in moderation. Until then I will remain very crabby!! :)

x-small too big?!?

2006-07-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine being an adult woman and having to wear an extra small size and having it STILL is too big?!? I will never have that problem, thankfully. Sure I would love to be a size or two smaller but never that small. I started thinking about this at a baseball game I went to. In the row in front of us I could see the tag from the woman's shirt who was sitting right in front of me...an XS. An XS shirt that was extra big for her. Just nasty! I saw this as I was eating my Nachos (I LOVE NACHOS) and I leaned over to my friend and whispered in his ear, "...and that's why I eat nachos, so I will never be drowing in a size XS shirt!" This happened a few months ago but have been thinking about it a lot lately. It's something I have been saying and I use it for all sorts of things. For example if I am eating something that is not the healthiest and I see someone doing something stpid or pathetic I will say to myself...and that's why I eat nachos.

FRIDAYs SHOULD BE HAPPY DAYS...

2006-06-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

but not when you have to work. It actually isn't so bad today. I work an
extra hour every day so I can get every other Friday off. Today normally
would be my day off, but I switched it to have next Friday off instead. I
am planning on going to the coast for the day. I am really looking forward
to it and am hoping for good weather. It is just too quiet in the office
today. The Fridays I work are usually much more lively. I feel sorry for
the people that are on this schedule because it SUCKS!

I have this bet with Mike that I won't complain for an entire week. I
started it on Tuesday night at 10 PM. Not sure if I can make it or not.
It doesn't sound too difficult, but you should try it. It is HARD to not
complain for one whole week. I have done some pretty questionable talking
that may or may not be considered as complaining, but I am going to give
myself the benefit of the doubt and say I am still good. (I struck out the
first sentence because it almost sounded like I was complaining)

Tomorrow I am going to Yosemite for the day and I am very excited! It's
been a long time since I have been there this time of year, I usually go in
October. The waterfalls should be flowing with a lot of water. I hope to
get some good pictures to post. Well I am doing this post from work and
really should be getting back to my projects!

I Got Nothing...

2006-05-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

seriously, something is wrong with me. Another shitty week for me. I really need to snap out of this not wanting to do anything mood. Don't get me wrong, I am not depressed...I meant not wanting to take care of business I only want to do FUN things only. But unfortunately that doesn't go too well when you are supposed to be at work for 9 hours each day. All I can say is I am sooo happy tomorrow is my Friday off! Yeah for me :) Not wanting to bore you with my lack of motivation, I will share a few good things that happened to me this week.
1.) My pool is still sparkling clean!
2.) I received my federal and state tax refund.
3.) I finally bought a new roll-up steel garage door and door opener. No more crappy tilt up 10 thousand ton wooden door for me!
4.) I took my car in for an oil change and they washed and vacuumed it for free! (I will explain why this is so great next post)
5.) My co-worker took me out for a very belated lunch...score!
6.) Some of my tadpoles turned into very cute little toads! :)

Why get 4.2% when you can get 7.5%

2006-05-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

Alcohol that is! To celebrate Cinco De Mayo, we walked to a couple of neighborhood bars for some drinks. Since we were walking I thought, why not start at home? I only had 1 beer but the way my week has been and how tired I have been it was enough to get me started. We went to a restaurant first that served drinks that I feel were way too expensive, but what the hell it's not like I do it everyday! Those drinks were strong...almost felt like I got my ass kicked. Then we left to go to the brewing company next door since the drinks were cheaper and we could afford the appetizers. I saw the menu that described the beers and noticed they gave the alcohol percentages. To me it made NO SENSE to pay for a beer that only had 4.2% alcohol when I could get a beer that had 7.5% alcohol! The smart girl in me did the math...and he conclusion was to buy the 7.5% beer! Jimminy Christmas, I have no clue why but it did me in. I must be super tired this week.
On a different drinking note, I have a lovely concept: if your drink is too strong then cut it down with more alcohol that is sweeter and better tasting. Don't use juice or anything non-alcoholic...that's just silly. As my good friend of mine once said, "This drink is terrible! It has way too much mix!"

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

This week...not so good

2006-05-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

This week was one of those weeks for me. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't that good. I only made it to the gym 1 day and did 0 days of running :( Oops, even after I promises myself I would run 4 days a week...no excuses. I can't even think why I am so tired and hardly got anything done at work. I was late every day! I didn't even pack my lunches for work all week. Oh well enough about that, I can't change it. All I can do is start over next week! I am positive I will do much better.

Last week during my Run for the Reef 5K race, I came across some puddles that had cute little tadpoles. I went back and collected some to put in my backyard pond. They have grown so much and their back legs are getting much longer. I am very excited about watching them grow into cute little frogs or toads...I have no clue what they are.

GAME 4 Victory

2006-04-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah! Kings (2) vs Spurs (2)

800 calories is not a snack!

2006-04-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: KINGS WIN!!!!!
We love you Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin

What the hell is wrong with people! I went to the grocery store this afternoon and overheard something horrifying in the frozen food aisle. An overweight young boy (maybe 13 yrs old) asked his overweight mother if he could have a snack. I was expecting the kid to leave the aisle to grab something small...a SNACK, but he goes into the freezer and takes a huge frozen dinner! I am sorry, but that is meal for a grown ass man not a snack for an overweight boy. In my head I fantasized slapping the woman on the face and yelling at her about what she is doing to her child! IDIOTS....I am in no way miss perfect, but I am an adult making decisions for myself. These kids need guidance and should not be allowed to eat whatever the hell they feel like.
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Swimming Pool Update:

Round 6 was a tiring one for sure. I think that can of whoopass I opened was flat. At least it didn't get the best of me! Today was Round 7 and I think I dominated! No more algae...just a nasty cloudy mess. Nothing a little clarifier won't fix...I hope.
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Today is game 3 of Kings (0) Vs Spurs (2)
It's third quarter and the score is 62-50, Kings.

GO KINGS!!!

BAD MASCARA!!

2006-04-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

To save a few minutes in the mornings on some hectic days, I put my mascara on at work. I have an extra eyelash curler and a tube of mascara in my desk drawer. I guess I was in hurry or something, but I was horrified to find out what I had done. I noticed a bunch of eyelashes on my eyelid. Then I looked at my curler...there was a huge clump of eyelashes on it. I have no idea how I even did it, they just snapped right off.

I just hope they grow back soon...

ROUND 6

2006-04-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

My pool and I have had an ongoing battle for the last 2 years. Some months I have been able to knock him out in one punch but we usually go at it until we are both exhausted and both perform poorly. Well these last few months we have started a new bout...

ROUND 1: Timer takes a dump on me. I have to manually turn my pump on and off all winter long. It didn't happen exactly as it should have. Result...filthy ass pool.

ROUND 2: I manually clean the pool with a manual pool sweep and circulate the heavily chlorinated water for 3 days in a row. Result...somewhat clean pool.

ROUND 3: Pool pump takes a dump on me. I have no choice but let the water go uncirculated for 3 weeks in a row. Result...the filthiest pool ever (not really)!

ROUND 4: New pool pump installed and filter cleaned. Then came the need to backwash filter every 3 hours! Result...pool has started to succumb to me!

ROUND 5: I decided to attach a hose to the waste line of the filter during backwash. It didn't fit properly, so I thought I could hold it in place. Result...I got my ass kicked. Water and dirt DE went everywhere, in my eyes, mouth, nose, ears...everywhere!

ROUND 6: I am waiting for the bell then I am going to open a cap of whoop ass on that pool...

Gratuitous Cursing

2006-04-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today was my short day at work and I left half hour early to meet the pool tech was installing my new pool pump since my old one took a dump on me. You should see my pool...nasty. I will have to put some serious work to get it swim ready for summer time. Getting home early meant I got to catch Oprah. They were interviewing people on what they see in people that would classify them as "low class". One woman's response: gratuitous cursing = low class. I usually watch what I say here on this blog, but I can and do have a "potty mouth"! Maybe I was a construction worker in my previous life or something. I just found this to be humorous and laughed to myself as my sister is laughing at me as well because she know I curse way too much. I seriously doubt that is going to make me clean up my mouth. I guess I will remain a low class but educated career woman...I can live with that. It could be much worse.
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"Bisexuality immdiately doubles your chances for a date on a Saturday night" Rodney Dangerfield

Hmmm...2x the chance? But doesn't: (0 chances)x(2)=0? At least it was worth 5 seconds of thought.
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Tomorrow I am running, more like half-assed jogging in a 5K race. It's a fundraiser here in Fresno to help construct a public aquarium facility.

http://www.aquariusaquarium.org/

National Geographic Magazine - WildCam AFRICA---OOPS

2006-04-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

I guess it's been awhile since I paid attention to the website...the site is down and is only playing back logs of video. It will be back live in August. Sorry for the mistake! 4-20-06

This is a cool website (need RealPlayer) to peek in on a watering hole in Africa! I have always wanted to go on a Safari...
National Geographic Magazine - WildCam AFRICA

PEOPLE SUCK!

2006-04-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

What the hell is wrong with people? First off I would like to share that some asshole hits my brand new car in the parking lot while I was at the gym. My new car that I just bought at the end of '05...did I mention that it is my very first new car I have ever owned?? I have always owned used salvaged vehicles. My first was a 1984 Dodge Colt DL (yes, that stands for deluxe...a deluxe piece of shit!) The car caught on fire as my brother was driving it up north through the Grapevine. Luckily he had a gallon of water in the car to extinguish the flames from the air filter. This car in the next few years caught on fire 2 more times...I finally got rid of it when the oil leaks were too much to fix. Then came my baby, my 1990 Nissan PU. I had this truck since 1996 until now. I needed to keep her since having a truck is a must when you are a homeowner. I finally broke down and purchased a 2006 Nissan Maxima and not 5 months later this shitty thing happens. I guess I could have handled a minor door ding or a scratch, but nothing prepared me for what I saw as I was leaving the gym. A big ass dent right smack in the middle of my front bumper. I am sure most are probably thinking that I am over reacting but I don't care. I live in Fresno and before that Sacramento...summers are 100+ for weeks. I have never had AC, never had power windows, power locks, door that lock period, decent set of headlights, the list goes on and on! So I hope this explains how excited I was when I bought the car and how upset I am right now.

Second story I want to share...
I went to a good friend's party on Saturday night and someone there (I will not mention any names) called the police on a friend of his because he wouldn't give him his keys. The guy was so shit-faced and all his friend was doing was trying to save his and other's lives. Moron actually called the police. I don't care how drunk you are but how can you be so stupid and do something so asanine to your friend who is trying to help you?!?

Today...I hate people :(

2006-04-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

Going Commando!

2006-04-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

So after the gym I am microwaving my Thai Red Curry dinner and watching the George Lopez show and I hear a funny yet sad thing. George's mom is told she will probably die with cobwebs in her panties. I starting laughing pretty good then stopped for a minute as I thought to myself..."Holy shit, I might die with cobwebs in my panties!" At least I feel like that sometimes...ughh! I think I can fix that by not wearing underwear anymore :)

Guess Who's Back...

2006-04-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

Finally! Yes, I am back for good ths time. I promised to be more committed to posting to my blog but I wasn't able to follow through...until now. I have purchased my vey first computer! I have always used my brother's or sister's computer. This is very exciting to me. I bought a notebook and have it set up for wireless internet. It's crazy what we can do these days wth computers. I am lounging on my couch watching the Kings/Suns game while I am posting! Crazy!!!

I recently turned 31. As usual at every birthday, I have made more promises to myself. This time I honestly think I will be able to keep them. First thing...clean out my closet and get rid of all the clothes that make me look bad or just won't fit. I want to start over with my wardrobe. I guess I have been watching way too much of TLC's What Not to Wear.

I hope I haven't lost all of my tiny group of readers. I was checking out some of my favorite blogs (yes, I have been reading just not posting or commenting) and I noticed that my blog was deleted out of their blog list :( I didn't think I would be bothered by it, but it was sad. I guess that's what happens when you don't keep up!

I will be back very soon...

NO VACANCY

2006-03-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night, my regular gym night. Something somewhat interesting happened there tonight. A woman started hitting the manager because they would not let her in since she did not have her gym card or any type of ID. Then she tried to assault an off duty officer (not sure what kind) that was in line behind her. The police were called and they would not arrest her because they claim the jail was full. ??? Have you ever heard such madness? I guess I missed my opportunity tonight to do some shenanigans! I could have stolen shoes and would not have been arrested! Though, I can see this happening to anybody. The gym I go to sucks monkey ass! They are always rude and usually stupid. That poor stupid girl must have had one hell of a bad day and that just pushed her over the edge.

I know it's been a really long time since I have posted. Not sure why, but I just haven't had the desire to write lately. Work has really been dragging me down. I hope things will start to improve since I submitted a project about 2 weeks ago that was KILLING me! On a happier note, I have been having lots of fun outside of work. I am no longer sad about my $230 lift ticket. I was able to get in more days on the slopes. I even went 3 times in one weekend! That seriously kicked my ass! We have been getting lots more snow and I hope this will be a long season.

I am worried

2006-02-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

I may have purchased a $230 lift ticket :( I buy a season pass to Sierra Summit every year. Last year I hardly used it and I made a promise to myself I would use it a lot more this season. Well, I have it up for a half-day once this season. I can't believe it that in the beginning of February and it was 75 degrees today! ALL OF THE SNOW IS MELTING! It better start getting cold and start snowing!

Wonderful Uses For Duct Tape

2006-01-30T21:49:00.000-08:00

Some may call it Ghetto, but I call it saving money. Bonsai had this cone on for less than 4 hours before he broke it. I decided to fix it instead of buying him a new one...

AN ACT OF VIOLENCE....

2006-01-28T23:12:00.000-08:00

ON MY SHOE!

Granite will be 3 years old in May. He should be acting like a big boy...what the hell went wrong? He has never shown an ounce of interest in shoes. Well there was the occasional flip flop or old tennis shoe that was left out in the backyard, but those are in his territory. This atrocity was done in MY territory, my bedroom while I was in the shower. I REALLY need to clean out my bedroom. There is crap, clothes, magazines, books I will never read, bills, mail, who knows what, and of course...shoes everywhere. I was supposed to do that this weekend, but I will need to put it off until next weekend. Now, I am not just being lazy...I have no more room in my garabage bin and Wednesday pick-up day. I finally cleaned out my garage today. It has been on my TO DO list forever :) I am so happy I was able to throw out tons of stuff that was taking way too much space in my garage. Who knows, maybe someday I will be able to park my new car in there!

I need a new dentist!

2006-01-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

I have had the worst luck with finding a good dentist. I think I have had them all...The Weirdo, The Dirty One, The Dirty Creep, and The Unethincal. I logged on to my dental insurance website to find another dentist and it's overwhelming. There are so many to choose from, and what are my chances of finding one that I won't have to add to my list? It's almost funny when I think of it but not quite. My last dentist switched insurance companies and didn't tell me, they pretty much lied to face when I asked about it. Usually after my appointment they let you go and don't bill you until after they bill the insurance company and you have to pay the remainder if any. Well this time, I was asked to pay out of my pocket directly after my appointment. When I asked the moron girl why I had to do that, she responded,"We always do it this way." She even knew what my insurance was and didn't bother to tell me I had to pay out of pocket because they no longer accept my insurance. To make a long story short, they promised they would submitt my claim to be reimbursed. They lied! I had to do it and finally was able to get some of my money back. I also found out that since they no longer accept my insurance they are no longer restricted to the caps they are allowed to charge patients. Another thing I was not informed about. JERKS!

I finally removed that moving scale on top of my blog, courtesy of "3 fat chicks". I was sick of looking at it first of all I am NOT a fat chick and it goes against my main New Year's resolution of thinking more postively about my self. And the constant reminder of how much weight my crazy mind thinks I need to lose is unhealthy. I have started up my running routine again today. I ran 3 miles and hope to run that about 4 x/week. At least until June then turn it up a few notches for the marathon I haven't fully committed to running in December.

THIS DOG IS NOT ALLOWED...

2006-01-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

EVER in the dog park. Mondy evening I decide to take my dogs Bonsai and Granite on a walk to the dog park near my house. I think it was in less than 2 minutes, Bonsai starts fighting with another dog. Luckily I was able to pull him away and he didn't hurt the other dog. It probably looked and sounded much worse than what actually happened. I was very embarrassed and upset. I wish he could play nicely, but I guess he's not a dog's dog. I quickly grabbed the two of them, apologized profusely and headed home.

And here is Granite...

2006

2006-01-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

It's already the 8th day of the new year and I am still in denial that 2006 has started. I have decided...this will be a good year! I have made a few resolutions to improve myself and I think I will actually be able to stick with them. I started off the year with a new car! It's been a long time coming for me (7 years). I also got myself out of credit card debt :) Doing this was wonderful! Now I have a car loan...but to me it's not the same.

I would like to wish everyone a wonderful NEW YEAR!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2005-12-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize how much time has gone by since my last entry! I have been so busy with work, home improvement (which is 99.9% complete!), and this holiday season. I don't understand how people do what they do this time of year. I hardly had to do any shopping for gifts, but I was still stressed out. Too much eating, too little excercise and they next thing you know an entire month zips by! There is also another reason why I haven't blogged lately...it's a little embarrassing. The computer is set up in my room. I haven't turned on my heater yet. My room is a disaster. With that said, it is way to cold and messy to be in my bedroom spending time on the computer. I don't even sleep in there anymore. I have been on the couch for the last few weeks. I go in there to get my clothes and that's about it. If you are wondering...I am at my parent's house right now spending the weekend with family. My bedroom is next on my long "To Do" list. Well, I would like to wish everone a wonderful Holiday!!

Home Improvement Photos

2005-11-26T23:05:00.000-08:00

I finally moved my photos of the home improvement work to my computer. I thought I had more detailed pictures, but this will have to do. I will post the finished product when complete...whenever that may be. We have been working on two houses. On my friend Mike's house, we removed the "popcorn" finish from the ceiling, re-textured the ceiling, painted, removed tile/carpet and will lay new tile and laminate floor. My house, we removed the remainder of the "popcorn" finish ( I did the majority of it 1.5 yrs ago), re-textured the ceiling, and painted. We decided to do both of our houses at the same time so we could share the cost and hassle of the renting scaffolding. As hard as this has been, it is very rewarding and a great learning experience.

My new ceiling fan (new paint too)

Jonathan on the 5' scaffold painting my previously ugly dark brown beam "umber cloud"

Mike using my new air compressor and air chisel to remove tile.

My old ugly chandelier doing what it was always meant for...sitting in the trash holding empty bottles of booze!

Me texturing Mike's ceiling on the 10' scaffolding.

My new air compressor on Mike's carpetless floor and newly textured ceiling (and new paint/ceiling fan)...isn't she lovely? I bought her at Costco, so much fun!

What a lucky kitty...I caught my cat Tatt's snoozing in the sun while we were all hard at work inside.

Tomorrow I will be doing paint touch-ups, painting the hallway at my house, look for a new chandelier for my dining room and laminate flooring over at Mike's. Fun stuff...

58:00.00

2005-11-25T16:39:00.000-08:00

The race I have been training for since the second week of September is finally over. My training has been very half-assed the last 3 weeks. All of the work I (I will post some pictures of all of our hard work soon) have been doing on the 2 houses has consumed all of my time. I was extremely nervous to run a 10K race. I haven't run that long in one session in over 15 years! My sister convinced me that if I didn't I would kick myself in the ass for it later. With that said to me and the fact that I am really starting to hate the "quitter" in me...I decided to run it. I am very proud of myself for completing the race without walking! I placed #1222 out of 2116 people that partcipated in the timed 10K race. I finished it in exactly 58 minutes. After running that yesterday morning, I was able to enjoy a guilt free day of stuffing myself to the point I almost had to roll myself to bed. It was wonderful! As much as I HATE running, I think I will stick with it for the health benefits and the way my it is starting to make ass look doesn't hurt either! My sister-in-law is running her very first marathon on December 2nd this year. She said she is willing to run another next year if I was serious about training for one. I still haven't decided if I want to torture myself that much...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2005-11-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

I would like to wish everybody
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

30 going on 80

2005-11-16T22:33:00.000-08:00

Holy Shit! I am in so much pain...I almost left work today because I couldn't type or use my mouse. I have been working on home improvement for the last 12 days with the exception of last Thursday (I went to a Fresno State football game). every muscle hurts on my body. My shoulder is killing me. I must have a pinched nerve that is causing my right arm and 3 of my fingers to tingle and occasionally go numb. This was the reason for me wanting to leave work. Fortunatley, I was able to muddle through the day. Went home and textured my dining room ceiling. I am excited about the idea that I get to paint tomorrow (finally getting some color in the house) and get some new light fixtures! The downside to this is I feel like and old lady. What the hell happened? This seriously sucks monkey ass!

Yesterday I had my 3rd maintenance weigh in...I HAVE MAINTAINED! Lucky for me, I thought I was going to have to pay some serious cash. I have been eating like CRAP these last 12 days:( I really need to put a stop to this madness and get back on the fitness wagon!

Yesss!

2005-11-08T23:16:00.000-08:00

It's funny how little things can really make your day. For example tonight, I was blow drying my hair when I suddenly feel this sharp pain in my hand and this awful smell. Yes, my blow dryer took a dump! I finally get to buy a new one. I have had my eye on the hair dryers they have at Costco. I could never justify buying one though because the one I had worked just fine...until now :)

What's really weird I ws talking to my sister just yesterday how sometimes you wish things would happen to the stuff you one so you can buy a new one with no guilt. I have to admit while I was having the conversation, I was fantasizing that something would happen to my truck. But, I will take a new hair dryer...

10/31/2005

2005-10-31T22:43:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Game Day

2005-10-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Today the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns are coming to Fresno to play a pre-season game...Yeah!

Race For The Cure

2005-10-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Yeserday morning was the Susan Komen Race for the Cure. This isn't the race I have been training for, but I thought it would be good practice and I was supposed to run 3 miles anyway as part of my training. Usually I sign up to do the fun walk with friends. I did a lot better than I thought I would. I am very proud of myself. The race was a 5K and I ran it in under 30 minutes! They haven't posted the resultson hte internet yet, but I will definelty post it here once I find out.

I was supposed to get out of bed at 6:30 yesterday morning. This would have given me enough time to shave my legs, get dressed and get to the race site (Fresno State) by 7:30. The female timed race started at 8 am. I was to lazy and just lied there until 7:05 when I finally decided to drag my ass out of bed. There was no time to shave my legs, I had to deal with some hairy gams. The entire morning I kept checking out every body's shaved legs (even some men!) and was super self conscious of my own. I am sure it wasn't that bad, but the first thing I did when I got home was I got in the tub and shaved them.

During the race, I thought I was going to die the first 0.5 mile. I have been doing most of my training at night, so 8 am was a little difficult for me. But I knew if I didn't finish the race without stoppin/walking I would have to run at night to get my training in. I kept running. It wasn't until I got to mile 2 that I got some energy to pick up my pace. It might have been my ego, whatever it was I started passing people. Let me tell you, what a fabulous feeling that is! I was in pain but I didn't care. I would get my sight on someone and think, should this person be able to run better than me? The answer would be no, so I would pass them. I tried to sprint the last 100 feet or so, but I couldn't give anymore. Regardless, I am still very proud of myself! I think this gave me the motivation to train harder for my 10K coming up on Thanksgiving Day. I even contemplated going back to one of my old dreams of running a marathon...

First Maintenance Weigh In

2005-10-17T00:18:00.000-07:00

I am nervous about my weigh in tomorrow. I have a feeling that I will be paying :( Not sure how much, but hopefully I only gained 2-3 ponds these last two weeks. After the 20 lb challenge ended, it has been very hard to stay on track with eating healthy and working out regularly. Maybe shelling out a few bucks will be the slap in the face I need to stick with it.
Why is gaining weight so easy and fun to do??

Yosemite Pictures

2005-10-16T23:39:00.000-07:00

Finally, I was able to get some pictures from my camping trip. I thought I had a lot more. This on here on the left was taken by Jonathan, unfortunately I am not sure if it was near our campsite. I am almost positive that this is the Merced River. These other pictures are just some fun ones we took at the Yosemite Village gift shop and on the beginning part of the trail to Half Dome. Which we hiked last year, and I lost both my big toenails. They just recently grew back in...the reason why I was lazy and did NO HIKING this camping trip. Maybe next year we will do Clouds Rest. I hear it has some wonderful views.

Me and the bear.

My sister and the bear.

Me and my niece .

Me and my friend Mike.

That was pretty difficult. I am still very new to this, and have no clue on what I am doing. These are the first pictures I have published other than my profile picture which took me about 1 hour to figure out. Hopefully these work and I need to figure out a better way to do this. Maybe by then I will have more pictures from my brother's camera.

LAZY!

2005-10-16T00:05:00.000-07:00

I have been so lazy. I have been meaning to write an entry for the past few nights. The problem is that when I get around to it, I have nothing interesting to say. I always things of tons of things to write about, but somehow they escape me when I am in front of my computer :( I also have been meaning to post some pictres from the camping trip. I wish I was still there. There is something about camping...it's almost magical :)

Well hopefully next time I will have something interesting to say.

Soooo Close!

2005-10-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

Half a pound!!! Can you believe that? I lost 19.5 lbs, today was my final weigh in for my 20 lb challenge. I was half of a pound short for meeting my goal and getting my money back. Camping is to blame for this one. I had a FANTASTIC time camping...it made losing this challenge so worth it and I lost 19.5 lbs!!! Now it's time for round 2, maintenance challenge. The goal is to maintain today's weigh in until January 9th. We weigh in every other Monday this time, and the buy in is only $10. You only pay extra into the pot if you weigh in above today's weight. Should be interesting. This will keep me motivated to keep losing the last 12 lbs, but more importantly...not to gain any of the weight I lost back.

Camping

2005-09-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about my camping trip! 2 fun filled nights in Yosemite...
I am also very excited that I received my first comment...thanks Kross-Eyed Kitty!! :)

2 More Pounds!!

2005-09-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

Only 2 more to meet my 20 lb challenge!

I carried my wallet with me to my weigh in. I had dollar bills ready to be handed out after the numbers would appear on the scale. To my pleasan surprise...I lost 4 pounds! Holy Chimigangas. This should make my camping trip this weekend interesting :( I thought I had no chance in hell to lose the remaining 6 pounds in 2 weeks, now I have to behave. I know it's for the best, especially for my ULTIMATE goal of losing another 11 after the 2.

Listen to me complain, I should slap myself in the face! Sorry...I am still working on it.

I honestly was totaly giddy all day today :)

Just Got Paid...It's Wednesday Night?

2005-09-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

Two Wednesdays in the same month? Yes, I am going out on a Wednesday night...again! Go figure. Normally, I would be punishing myself for my pathetic performance in my 10K training yesterday. Instead I am going out and celebrating the fact that I am still young and the world won't stop if treat myself and go out and have fun.
These past 8 weeks of my weight loss challenge have been an experience for me. I feel like I am the subject of an intervention. Maybe all the planets are alligned or I have just finally started to listen to people. It isn't anything I haven't heard from people that are close to me. It seems odd that several people have been telling me things about myself all within the last 8 weeks.
This is mostly the reason why I am going out on a week night...hopefully this attitude will become habit.

Believe It Or Not

2005-09-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful weekend. I rarely can say this. It came to huge surprise to me considering the shitty, shitty week I had prior to Friday.
I drove to LA Friday morning and visited the King Tut exhibit at LACMA and after that went do the dinner/tournament, Medieval Times. Doing all of this in one day was quite exhausting, but I still woke up hte next day to go sailing out of Ventura Harbor. This was my first time sailing, I avoid these types of things because I get so sick being on a boat, or even in the backseat of a car. Luckily I was able to get a prescription for motion sickness patches. I probably would have DIED without it. We spent the night on the boat (at Santa Cruz Island), I am still amazed I didn't get sick. The next morning I did some snorkling. I was able to see tons of purple sea urchins, and some cool fish. The other two that were in the water with me saw some rays. Bastards must have been hiding from me! :) I don't blame them, I would have probably tried to catch one and stuff it in my pocket. I wouldn't really do that, but I often think about stuff like that.
The trip back was way too amazing for words. I have seen dolphin in the water while I was standing on the shore, I've seen them at Sea World (even got to touch one there), but nothing compares to what I saw Sunday. We were able to encounter a pod of dolphins. We rushed to the front of the boat to watch them swim along side of us. I've seen this on TV, but it is so unreal to actually see it. They are amazing creatures!
Now I am back home in Fresno :( Today was also weigh in day. I sucked monkey ass today...I GAINED 0.5 lb! If I didn't have such a fabulous weekend, I would be really pissed off right now. I am accepting it since there is nothing I can do about it. This brings my average way up to having to lose 3 lbs/week. There are only 2 left. If I make it GREAT, if I don't, I am that much closer to my ulimate goal of losing 17 more pounds. At least that is what I keep telling myself. I am actually starting to believe it! NO MORE UNHEALTHY BAD THOUGHTS! I have wasted way to much time with that kind of CRAP. I am slowly learning, hopefully I will get there before I even know it.
As far as my training for the 10K, I have to confess...the last time I went running was on Thursday. I skipped out Saturday and Sunday. I thought about making up one of the days today, but decided to take a mental holiday. Tuesday will be a brand new day, no more feeling guilty.

More Goals!

2005-09-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

Considering how mentally unhealthy it is for me to be fixated on a number that reads from a scale once a week, I have decided to set a different kind of goal. I am still committed to trying to complete my 20 lb weight loss challenge in 10 weeks though. I have decided to complete a 10K race, without any walking! I will be entering the "Run to Feed the Hungry" race in Sacramento on Thanksgiving Day. Sunday, I started the training schedule that was provided by the race. This way it gives me something other than weight loss to achieve. So far I have been on schedule with the training. I have to admit it is rather forgiving in the early 2-3 weeks.

Gettin' Jiggy

2005-09-08T02:10:00.000-07:00

I am reliving my young days! I went out dancing on a work night. I haven't done that in a looong time. I didn't realize how much I missed going out until I was out on the dance floor with friends having a GREAT time. I have been thinking about doing it, but just never got around to it. I guess I was waiting for something...what, I have no clue. I just decided screw it, I am going. Hopefully work tomorrow won't be as painful as I imagine it will be. A couple cups of coffee and I will be good as new.

I also played tennis earlier in the evening, I will probably be sore in the morning (especially my poor dancing feet). That is another thing I didn't realized I missed so much, playing tennis. What a way to let it all out. You get to grunt and smack the shit out of a ball! I have this grand scheme of playing in tournaments some day soon. There is not much better than crushing a person while playing tennis! A few more months of my working out and healthier eating habbits and I should be able to run around the court like I was 18 again.

What the F@&%????

2005-09-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

Today=Not a good day...I only lost 0.5 lbs at weigh in. This brings my total to 12 lbs, I guess I shouldn't bitch too much (not to mention it is a lot of fun getting that bee to slide over on my weight tracker). Maybe it was all of those tasty pistachios I ate from Casa de Fruta when I went to Monterey on Friday, who knows. As all of my friends say, "hey at least you didn't gain weight." This is very true, as long as I am in that downward spiral I should be happy.

All of this mess I got myself into almost caused me to have a meltdown...only Runak and Mike know the half of it! SORRY! Thanks for being so patient and understanding. I am not sure if it's the 0.5 lbs loss, all this f'ing time in the gym, a freezer full of Dole Strawberry pops that I can't eat, the fridge full of cold beer I can't drink, or the stocked shelves of yummy in my tummy cocktail ingredients that I can't mix.

Mike thinks I am WAY too hard on myself. I think my self image has improved quite a bit. Even though my meltdowns say differently. I really am trying. Now don't make me show up to work in a bikini to prove this to you :)

4 Day Weekend

2005-09-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a long weekend? Latey, I don't. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE not being at work. What I hate is trying to be good when it comes to what I eat and drink. Monday (I will weigh in on Teusday beacause of the holiday) will be the end of my 6th week of my 20 lb. weight loss challenge. As of last week I had 8.5 lbs left to lose :) After that I still have about 10 more to lose to reach my ultimate goal.

I would to say I am very proud of myself for my good behavior at Thursday night's Happy Hour. I drank club soda...not as bad as I thought it would be. I even went out Salsa Dancing and drank diet coke. Not drinking in a bar can be an awkward situation. Not that I drink every time I go out, it's just that you are more aware when you aren't allowed to. I even had a man ask me if I was "with child" and if that was the reason I wasn't drinking.

I will be celebrating my last day of my day weekend in the gym. I am trying a class I have never tried before called Boot Camp. It should be interesting, at least help me lose about 1.6 lbs on weigh in day.

Holy Crap!

2005-08-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am sore today! I keep asking myself, "What did I get myself into?" I joined a bet with a group of people at work. The bet: lose 20 lbs in 10 weeks. We are half way through this painful event. As of my last weigh in on Monday, I have 8.5 lbs left to lose. Not too dificult, but I am starting to get really tired and the easy weight has already been shed. I may have to go to extreme measures. This leads to why I am so sore. After work, I went to the gym...then I went home for round 2. I mowed my lawn that hasn't been mowed in 3-4 weeks (it was soaking wet!). It was almost like a jungle, I think I got a better workout doing that than at the gym. My grass in the back was so overgrown, there were worms squiggling to get away as the lawn mower made a pass. Don't they live underground? I guess the must have been moving up for air since the grass was so dense and long.
Thursday night I supposed to go to this "Happy Hour" after work...it will definetly turn into a "Mediocre Hour" for me since there will be no booze allowed for me. Last time I pulled that crap I only lost 0.5 lbs at my weekly weigh in. I figured the booze isn't so conducive to my 20 lb challenge...which now has almost grown into a full blown obsession.

MONDAY!

2005-08-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

This is my very first entry... I am not too sure I know what I am doing. I have been spending the last few days examining other people's blogs. They get pretty fancy. I decided to try out this one because it was free and unsure if I will enjoy this or not. Somehow I have created multiple blogs?? I need to figure out how to delete them (and add my photo).

Hopefully I will figure it out, then again it is MONDAY!!!! I should probably save troubleshooting for tomorrow.