Just Plodding Along

 After I finished up my business in Irvine we headed to Redondo Beach on the 405 (which wasn't too bad though apparently it often resembles a parking lot) so I could get my race number at the Village Runner for the Palos Verdes 1/2 on Saturday. The Redondo area is so cute. After I got my number we had to eat. We went to the Redondo Beach Brewing Company for lunch. Where I made J & B participate in a lunch time photo shoot. J & B (thinking what did we get ourselves into) Mmmm water- hydration is key, check out the need for a sweater. That never happens in Tucson The food was awesome. I got shrimp tacos. Most delicious shrimp tacos I have ever had. And huge portions. After stuffing our faces we headed towards the beach to check it out. Because we live in Tucson 70 degree weather feels cold and we were freezing on the beach with the breeze. But it was really pretty. I understand why people live in tiny spaces all on top of each other to look at t...

Well after a seven hour drive we are safe and sound in California. It is green, beautiful and even smells better than Tucson (kind of a mix between flowers and money). It is probably the most boring drive between Tucson and LA. Nothing but dirt and scrub brush until you hit the green of California. Though we did see a truck full of garlic. That looked delicious. I also ate an entire box of hot tamales (movie theater size) for lunch. A good mix of all the essential vitamins and minerals. Awkward gas station photo shoot. Trying to figure out how to pump gas at an ARCO station. Seriously why is this so hard to figure out. Fun facts about California: 1) gas is around $4.50 a gallon so I will probably have to sell a kidney if I want to get back home. 2) it is not 100 degrees, it is a nice 70 with a cool ocean breeze  = awesome 3) drivers here are aggressive and in turn I must also be aggressive 4) tomorrow we are heading to the beach

Today I had a very productive day. I took a nap and then went and got a massage. Thanks Groupon for this screamin deal. Gotta say feelin pretty good. I also got around to packing. First I had to decide on my race outfits (feeling like the races are a go, even if it turns out to be a run/walk situation). Most important wardrobe of the weekend. Goals for Palos Verdes Half: Finish Goals for Pasadena Half: Finish I feel like a no pressure weekend is in order. My plan before I got sick was to run 8 miles on Sat. and 8 miles on Sun. to try to see how it feels to run a lot of miles back to back. Obviously that did not happen so I haven't run since Friday. I will be very well rested for these halves. My left hip is still kind of off so taking it easy is probably a good thing. Or maybe I can just run it into submission. We shall see. I also decided that my freezer had reached its limit of brown old frozen bananas. Banana muffins are needed. Ta da California Rocks Roa...

This weekend was supposed to be all about D, graduation and fun. Instead it was about me getting admitted to the hospital. I guess I thought D was just pulling too much focus. Had to bring it on back to me. Things started out fine. Picked up the parents-in-law, had fun at lunch and went to a friends party. But throughout the day I was feeling  kind of funny and by the time we left our friend's party I knew I had a fever. So got some thermaflu and crossed my fingers that with some rest and drugs and I would wake up all better, bright eyed and ready to scream my head off at graduation cause I am classy like that. Didn't happen. Temp of 104, passing out and generally feeling like death meant no attending graduation for me (I made D and his parents go which he did not thank me for since he was worried about me the whole time). D got home from graduation and took me to an urgent care place who sent me to the ER when all their test came back negative except for a high white blood...

Today I went back to the social security office. I came prepared this time. I had made peace with the fact that hours of my life would be spent in a plastic chair at this office and brought reinforcements. Kindle, Magazine, water and a snack (wasabi peas, weird and random but all I could find in the cabinet). And then I only had to wait about 20 minutes. Pretty painless this time. No bomb threats, no mass crowds of humanity. Never, ever go to a government office on a Monday. Lesson learned. The D is graduating from the U of A this weekend so family is coming to town. This meant I had to go to the grocery store to stock up and came away with this It seems bigger in person, this picture is not doing it justice. Largest bottle of champagne I have ever seen. We are going to celebrate hardcore this weekend. I also had a coupon for cliff bars and guess what happened again Look at the one on the far right. Ahhhhhh how do I keep  ending up with oatmeal raisin walnut in my c...

It was like the universe was out to tick me off today. Scenario 1: I lost my SS card. It has gone to the place where the one sock that is always missing from the dryer   lives or something. So I need a new one. No big deal. Located necessary documents, fill out the form before going to the office, feeling pretty smug that I will be in and out because I am uber prepared. DEAR GOD. Every resident in Tucson was in that tiny office. And so I waited and waited and waited and waited...... and then there was a bomb threat. Yes a BOMB Threat. We had to evacuate the building. People were getting irate. I couldn't handle it so I just left. How necessary is that stupid card? Next time I will be more prepared. Beverage, snacks, books, etc. This is how the government punishes you for losing that stupid little card made out of paper. Agh. Scenario 2: I decide I must paint the bedroom. It must happen like yesterday. I head to Ace. Obtain necessary items. Clear out room. Wipe down walls ...

Things have been pretty non-runny around here lately. That is not entirely true. I ran 16.6 miles this week but I wanted to run between 26-29. But no my hip had to be a big old baby and was like:  'hey, hey head case who just ran up Mount Lemmon the day  before yesterday and is not forcing us to run five miles followed  by strength training involving squats and lunges. This is not happening.  And for your stupidity you get a sore groin and hip and a weird butt  pain that just won't quit. Now face palm yourself.' But no oh no I still had to go on an 8.6 mile run and a 4 mile run before my brain registered the fact that my hip was very, VERY unhappy. So today no long run. And we shall see about the running this week. I have become very close with my foam roller, stick and baseball in my effort to roll away the pain from every part of my body that might be contributing to it. So at least this has resulted in stronger bonds with those torture devices. It...