Sunday

Sunday is a rest day for A-Z blogging....so since I do not have to blog a letter I will ramble.


Yesterday I ran in a run similar to a scavenger hunt. Each runner or walker had a card to check in at a card reader hidden at an area circled on the given map. You had to hunt for the check in scanner...which was what got me on the very first check in. I knew the circled area on the map was a school...but I ended up running around the school, climbing the fences....3x....to find the card reader...finally- about 8 minutes later, I found it. By then walkers were coming up to the check in...I had lost a lot of time. This is when I miss my daughter as my running partner.


The rest of the check points were in the park near my house. The advantage was mine because I knew the hill to the park is one that goes to my house...straight up! The rest of the runners marked their check points going in the shortest distance, but I knew if I went backwards to the checkpoints, I would have downhill on the way back- and if I cut through a school on the way to the park I would not climb the street I live on. Good planning there :)


I was only running the 5K because I had a luncheon for one of my student's First Holy Communion at noon. Still because of the late start I was cutting it close. I made it to the end just after a group who had been on my heels. I ended up first in the old lady category from the results posted later...I was the second woman to finish alone and not in a group! I am not sure what the prizes were but I had to leave before they were given out....usually just a certificate but it was a fun time.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*DON'T GET LOST*

K

K is for Killer Cat...the King of the beasts around here...

17 years ago we rescued this feral cat from my mom's garage where a stray had taken up residence and had a litter of Kittens. I really wanted an orange kitten but every orange kitten we could capture was a female....and we really wanted a male. After much chasing- my 3 kids and I cornered this guy and drove him 500 miles back home with us. He is getting up in years and has reverted back to his feral ways- coming to the porch for meals and a petting only on his terms. He's never really forgiven us for neutering him.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER

*LOVE A CAT*

J

J is for juniper....(for lack of a better J)....when I was a kid, my dad would cut the tall Cypress trees that lines the edge of our yard. How I hated the trim days because my job was to pick up the branches and put them into the trash cans. No matter how hard I tried not to brush the branches against me, it inevitably happened. My skin would burn and welt. My complaints went unheard and I wondered why my sister didn't mind picking the branches up.


Years later, when I was plagued with a massive sinus blockage and could not smell for over a year, I underwent allergy testing. Nothing. Nothing to cause the infection that raged in my upper sinuses....but I was allergic to junipers...the Cypress family of trees...which is why I welted, itched and burned when I picked up the branches as a child. Too bad I didn't know that way back then or I could have gotten out of that chore.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*I DON'T DO YEARDWORK WHEN CYPRESS TREES ARE INVOLVED*

I

I is for Imperial Jug...


Modern, fiberglass and insulated for hot or cold liquids....
Doesn't it just invite you to go on a 50's style picnic right now?


I got this cool jug on ebay years ago...it has a matching cooler... and both sit atop my kitchen cabinets with my other cool 50's stash. I don't believe either have been used. Simply decorative and fun.


Happy "I" Thursday!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HAVE AN ABC MONDAY*

H

 is for Half Dome...in Yosemite. You must apply for a permit to climb the cables to the top...if you are without a permit there is a hefty fine. This was our party on our last climb....

All but me at the trail head.

We left the trail head parking lot at 10:10...p.m.....it was about 78 degrees. We hiked throughout the night under the pitch black sky covered with millions of stars. The waxing half moon had long set and it was just us on the trail....and the critters that Daughter #2 spotted: a scorpion, a millipede, a white frog, ants (yes a night!) and a deer...which was my joke "Look! A deer in the headlamps!" A ranger in the parking lot told us that there has been a lot of bear activity but we did not see any...although I am sure they saw us.

The hike was easier than last year as I was fresh- I didn't ride my bike 62 miles that day, so I wasn't left in the dust when we took off....although one of our friends was rather slow. We did not get our hour's nap before the ascent.

The sky was just beginning to light up as we got to the saddle.

This was The Captain's first time and after climbing the 800+ granite stairs to the saddle where you get your first glimpse of the cables, he saw what I had described and our friend said, "I can't do that!" But after a short rest and a drink of water and seeing daughter #1 say, "I going," and then scamper right up to the top he was willing to try. I followed Daughter #1 and Daughter #2 who is afraid of heights was right behind me. This time I self assured and ready for the adventure. I was able to take in the views and not panic but your life is literally in your own hands...you let go and it is a L>O>N>G way to the bottom. I wore my Garmin and timed the climb...15 minutes! It is a 30 minute average ascent so I felt good about that. I did not fear my hands or feet slipping this time so I was able to enjoy the view....last time I kept thinking, "If I fall from here I am dead" and then as I neared the bottom I thought, "Well if I fall from here I wouldn't die but I'd be really messed up." This time it was all fun!

 

The Captain and our friend making it to the top.

See that little spot on the mountain? Below that is the parking lot where we have to hike to!

Here comes the sun!

Last time I did not venture out to the famous ledge to take a photo...but this time when Daughter #1 headed out to do so, and The Captain, I knew I had to....

 

 If you slip it is an 8,830' drop to the valley floor.

You can tell that my daughter is much braver than her mom and dad....check out where she is standing and where we are! She is a rock climber and much more comfortable on the edge of the world.

We had a wonderful time and I hope I am lucky enough to get permits in the next lottery to climb again....and next time there will be time for a nap on the trail!

 

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER

*LAUGH HARDER*CLIMB THE CABLES AND STAND ON THE EDGE*CARPE DIEM*

G is for

Girls!

My classroom pets for the past 27 years have been rats. They are the nicest pets and that allow small children to hold them, come when you make a kissy sound and they love my dog....who licks them and cuddles with them.


So this week we said Goodbye to Ratman who was three years old and was worn out. Rats live about 2 years before they get a tumor and usually I take them to the animal Shelter and have them put down. More rats than I can count are buried in my yard alongside a few cats and the dog.


Yesterday The Captain and I went to Pet Smart and bought the girls above. They remain nameless until tomorrow when the second graders vote on new names. They are sweet and skittish and soooo happy to have fresh food for the first time. Tomatoes and carrots are their favorites so far...and also a little lettuce and bread bits.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH

HARDER*LOVE A RAT OR TWO*

F

F is for Five K  Fun Run....
Which I ran Sunday...and although not so fun because it began late and was a little warmer than I would have liked.... but it was a wonderfully FUN time after with a BBQ lunch and good friends.

The funny thing is my bib number was "1"....which will never happen again in my lifetime. The lower numbers, in large races are for seeded runners who are predicted to come in with the top times. In fundraising races, the honor of number one goes to the person who raised the most money. But in this small, high school fundraiser, you just walked up and received a number...and I happened to be first in line.

And once again, I ran one of my faster times in years and managed to get beat by faster, fitter women. Last month I would have broken 28:00 but I stopped to make sure a boy who fell was okay....this run I got water a few times but kept running and as I made my third and final loop I looked at my watch and thought I saw 29:03...and I was so sure I was running faster...and when I rounded the turn on the track I saw the scoreboard with 27:10.....and my finish was 27:40.......I was pleased. And I had been worried about tendinitis since my Achilles tendon has been bothering me...but I taped it up and it was no problem at all.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HAVE FUN!*

E

E is for engraving.
Engraving was the clue that solved a mystery that goes like this:


One of my student's mother's got a call from the police yesterday...they asked her name and then asked for her date of birth...she wasn't sure she should be giving that info over the phone so she said just that...and they asked, "Is your birthday Jan. 1st?"
"Yes," it is.


The next question was if she had 2 brothers.
Yes, she did...and then the officer asked their names.


Next question..."was your house recently burglarized?"


"No, and never," was her answer.


It turns out, that during a traffic stop last month, stolen property was recovered from a car. Among the stolen items was a charm bracelet with three children's golden silhouettes, with names and birth dates engraved on each. With some detective work, they narrowed it down to this parent...and they phoned her.


She did indeed know of the bracelet. It belonged to her mother and was stolen when her house was robbed 31 years ago! What makes the story so interesting is that this bracelet was stolen in southern California- it somehow survived being shuffled around and perhaps re-stolen again....then turning up in the Bay Area just a few miles from where this parent lives now.....and she has only lived in this area for a few years. The engraving was the clue that returned this keepsake to its owner.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY THE WEEKEND*

D

D is for Daffodil...not necessarily my favorite flower in the flower bed...but the only flower in the flower bed that the deer won't eat! The tulips are gone and they were magnificent....until eaten...as will be the roses right as the buds open.....gulp!

D is also for disrespectful deer!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*TGIF*

C

C is for Cactus garden....

We had to do some major tree cutting in our small backyard. The draught we "were" having made us rethink our lawn area and decide on some alternatives..but first....

When I was a little girl growing up in So Cal, the local grocery stores carried cacti in 3" plastic pots....right there in the produce section. I always asked my mom for one but she would never buy me one. Then one day while running errands with my dad, we went to the grocery store...and I asked....and he said YES! I picked out two...one met it's end when it fell out of the container when we were on vacation. The other lived on but did not grow very quickly. When I left for college I brought it with me. Eight moves later, when we finally purchased a house, I replanted it into a larger pot with catcus soil. It flourished...so well that a few weeks ago I decided to whack off all the babies growing on the sides and bulging out of the pot. AND I conveniently planted 3 of those babies into my new cacti garden in an area I claimed in the newly leveled backyard.

In the 80 degrees of a lovely weekend 3 weeks ago I turned this...

into this:

LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*PLANT SOME CACTI*

B

B is for bicycle...

I have two bikes...a road bike for fun... and
a hybrid bike for riding to work. It was once upon a time a mountain bike...now it sports thinner tires and two large baskets on the rear to carry "stuff" to work.

In 2011, I rode my bike to work everyday...except for the day it rained so hard I would not have made it down the BIG hill...so I walked to work. That year the assistant superintendent nominated me for Bike Commuter of the Year...and won. For several years I put 1,000+ miles on my bikes.

On sunny summer days you might find me on the road:

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN*

A is for....

Welcome to A-Z April- A post a day except for Sundays- 26 days through the ABC's- My theme is: the things that make me, LIVESTRONG, LOVESTRONGER, LAUGH HARDER...
A is for antique.
Some of my favorite things are those that belonged to our families...and come with stories of our past:

 First is my husband's Grandmother's sewing basket. It is filled with 25 cent threads, 35 cent packages of needles, and rick rack with the prices stamped on the packages. Grandma Tillie would be 104 if she were still alive- a good Mormon woman who sewed for her large family.

My awesome Pyrex mixing bowls belonged to Grandma Mc Queen. They are in perfect shape, never having been washed in a dishwasher...but mixing decades worth of meals for another large Mormon family. This was the first set introduced by Pyrex in the mid- 1940's.

Mormons have a year's supply of food and supplies- here is what was found in Grandma Mc Queen's basement! A stash of medicines and supplies from the 40's. The Sucretes have the price written on the wrapper in grease pencil...others have a sticker...morphine was over the counter and has a list of how much to give to a "colicky infant!" The old razors and tooth brushes are fun to compare today's. One of the coolest of the lot is....

 the vaporizer. Grandma was born in 1913, on the farm her father settled back when Utah was a territory. She was a sickly child and remembered using this when she was ill.

Lastly,

here is a birdhouse made from the wood from the old chicken coops that were torn down when the property was sold. This was a Christmas gift to me from my mother-in-law. I am going to decorate it with hardware I took of the old barn and coops....and add a few other fun things.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HAPPY BLOGGING A-Z*

Senator Leland Yee

Here is Senator Yee addressing the students at my old school before a bike and fitness rally for Red Ribbon Week back in October 2007.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*SERIOUSLY I HOPE THE

 KIDS DON'T REMEMBER*

Bloggin' A to Z

Blogging A-Z starts Tuesday...one post a day with Sundays off....and the posts go alphabetically. This is year 3...with one course of A-Z Mondays years ago.  There is generally a theme...last year was children's books...but I must admit, even I was bored with it. So this year, I go themeless- or rather things that make me LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER* 

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTROGNER*LAUGH HARDER*BLOGGIN' A-Z BABY*

Personal Bests

Soooo....it was minimum day Wednesday and although the kids leave early the teachers had district grade level meetings. I had planned to run to my old school for the meeting and have a co-worker take my belongings in her car. It rained cats and dogs all morning up until the kids were dismissed...I packed another set of clothes thinking I would be soaked by the time I ran the 3+ miles. But by the time I changed, the sun had come though the clouds and it was super nice for my run.


Rewind to last Sunday, when I ran my weekend loop, I smashed my previous record of 49:49 by 1 minute and 22 seconds! Today I left my school being very cautious because the sidewalks were wet and there was a lot of mud, pinecones and stuff on the ground. The best part of this run is that it is down a BIG hill to start out...like about a mile all down, down, down...and I can run like I am 18 again.


Fast forward to today...I started out cautious and made all of the stoplights until the very last one...I missed it by a few seconds and had to wait for an entire set of lights...when the light changed I was a little stiff but I wanted to get a decent time...(and mainly not be late tot he meeting.) I turned off my Garmin watch and felt my runner's high throughout the meeting. When I uploaded the info to my computer I ran a 27:49...and then I looked up my last run on that route and it was 30:31!


Shaz-am! I think all my workouts are finally paying off...and I am down 5 pounds...enough to fit in my summer shorts :) I can't wait to see my time in my next event in 2 weeks! And if I can keep up with my kids in the tough mudder in May.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*RUN BABY RUN*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY GIRL!

SINCE SHE HADN'T HAD A BIRTHDAY AT SCHOOL SINCE HIGH SCHOOL, I ORDERED THIS BOUQUET OF CUPCAKES FOR HER DADDY TO DELIVER TO HER AT WORK. Take that spring break...you didn't get her birthday this year...and the last two years her birthday was on the weekend...so this was it!!

AND once the cupcakes are eaten by 36 forensic students there must be a real bouquet to last for a few days...Happy Birthday my first born :)

YOU ARE OFFICIALLY HALF MY AGE...AND YOUR DAD'S...whose birthday was Saturday...(so how does it feel to be 15?) Much love to our creative, fun, athletic, artistic, cancer surviving daughter! We love you!!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDDO*

 

Do you like GREEN EGGS & Spam?

I do not like Green Eggs & Spam....I do not like them Sam-I-Am!

Sam if you just let me be, I will try them you will see.....

And every student who cracked an egg found that it was GREEN inside!

SAY! I like Green Eggs & Spam...I do like them Sam-I-Am!

And every student ate Green Eggs & Spam!

It made the hour and a half that I spent making tiny pinholes in 27 eggs and injecting a full of syringe green food coloring into the tiny hole well worth it. I wasn't going to repeat this since it is second grade and all...but I felt I had to for the students new to my class this year.

The leprechaun also visited and put gold covered chocolate coins in every clean/neat desk he found. When class was dismissed there were 4 students cleaning out their desks...without prompting :)

I hope your St. Patrick's Day was filled with fun!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*DIG THOSE GREEN EGGS AND HAM*

Before and After

I hadn't been posting much because my photos wouldn't load...then I tried Google Chrome and "wha-la!" IT WORKED!! So photo time...

 I have an itty-bitty backyard. We recently had two giant redwoods cut down....there was one in each corner of the small year. They were 50 years old and planted apparently when the house was first sold. One was rotten in the center and was dying...one good storm and it would have toppled. The other was pulling up our tiny patio and the roots were in our plumbing....so down they came. I posted photos of the workers scaling the tall trees 4 stories high...it was amazing! After the trees came down The Captain and I had the yard leveled and terraced. A small part was set aside for my cactus garden. So when the weather hit summer yesterday, (80 degrees!) I headed to Home Depot for cactus soil and thick gloves. I removed soil and then worked the cactus soil into the area. I whacked off the two large cactus and buttons off my barrel cactus out front. Then I walked the dog to the park and got a few starter pieces from there.

BEFORE

Then I added deocr....horse shoes, lava rock, horse skull and jaw, hummingbird feeder and rocks that we have collected on vacations over the years....all I have left is to add some small rocks that I plan to get from the soil and rock store next weekend.

Those nasturtiums wandered over from our neighbors...they will get to hang our until we decide what to plant there that doesn't take a lot of water.


Oh...and if you plan to transplant some cacti, keep some tweezers in your pocket.

*LIVSTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*PLANT YOURSELF SOME FUN*

So I am only 4 days behind...

...but I will make up for it...Lent that is. I was baptized a Catholic, made my First Holy Communion, did a stint in Agape Youth Group and then bailed. But in preparation of celebrating Mardi Gras, I was explaining Fat Tuesday to my class. I love second grade because not only do they listen for more than 1 minute, they also come up with some pretty darn good questions. "What are you giving up?" Who me??? Nothing!


Later that day I heard about 40 Bags....GIVE AWAY!! Help others!! Clear the clutter!! The idea is to give a bag a day away to Goodwill or the likes. So today, I took my huge, 4' tall paper bags, (that I got from the free compost section at our local dump,) that were waiting in the garage for a while now, to Goodwill. Each day I will clear out my closet, my dresser, a drawer, etc...40 days worth!! I did my own version of this a few summers ago where I got rid of one item each day....and when I had exhausted all my extras I started organizing one thing a day. I have too much...STUFF!! so 40 days should put a dent in it.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*PURGE*

Read Across America

You're never too old,
too whacky to wild
To pick up a book
and read to a child.
                                                                   Dr. Seuss


Go ahead....you read it...MONDAY!
Read-Across-America!


I have the superintendent, a policeman, the director of the club where I work out, a board member, the principal, the art teacher all reading to the 2nd graders. They will let the kids know how they use reading in their jobs, why reading is important and best of all, what they read for fun :)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. SEUSS*