Lucas is a sleepy little flower. I just want to burrow under the covers and sleep for hours today but alas, no such luck for me. So here I sit, yawning, mainlining coffee and trying to stay alert so I can get through my day. I had a nice calm evening last night, I hit the gym for a great legs and core session with Mark. I also hit the dreadmill for a solid 25 minutes before heading home. I just relaxed last night, had dinner, grabbed a shower and was crawling into bed around 8:30 pm to watch a little TV. I was asleep by 9:30 so I don’t get why I’m so tired this morning but oh well.

Things have finally slowed down at work (thank you summer!) and I have been enjoying just a bit slower of a pace in my life. Just a bit, mind you but I’m enjoying it nonetheless. It brings a tiny sense of calm to this rocket ship I’m riding through life. I have another two days of this calm before I blast off again (I’m trying to get to Denver this weekend to see some family).

Tonight will be a light workout, either a bike ride or a swim depending on the weather. If it’s nice I might actually take a longer bike ride. I’m trying to get in plenty of biking and swimming now because if I do get to Denver, I’ll only be able to run. I do have a few errands to run but I fully plan on being in bed by 9 again tonight.

So in a lovely change of pace, there’s not much to report around the garden today. Hope you are all feeling well rested and peaceful.

SO Proud!!!

I have two really great reasons to be proud today. The first reason is that I rocked my brick training on Sunday morning. I actually stayed in on Saturday night and went to bed early so I could get up and once again, attempt to complete this session of 15 miles of biking followed immediately by 3 miles of running. Once again, I showed up, raised my hand in front of a group of strangers and stated that I was slow and apt to get lost, but this time, I did a much better job of keeping up with the pack, especially on the hills. This time, folks were much better at keeping an eye on me and the guides were especially helpful in making sure everyone knew where to turn and when. This time, I actually finished near the front of the pack in really decent time. After a quick shoe change and throwing the bike in my car, I set off for my run. The course took me around Lake Nokomis so it was pretty scenery and the weather was amazing even though it was just a bit windy. I slowed to a walk about 3 times and just for about 30 to 60 seconds each and finished the entire brick in an hour and a half burning just over 1000 calories. After completing two out of the three legs of this tri, I actually felt like I could have jumped in the water and gone for a 30 minute swim so I am really feeling comfortable that I am ready for this race! I still have two more weeks of training to go and don't plan on letting up at all. And I am keeping my fingers crossed for some nice weather come race day.

The second reason to be proud was because this month is all about pride, gay pride that is! After returning home from my brick training, getting some much deserved breakfast in my belly and cleaning up, I headed off to the Pride Festival with Cam and Randy. We got there too late for the parade but the festival was in full swing when we arrived at the beer tent. These two guys were among the first people I encountered. Lord I love fun people like this!


Of course there was brilliant people watching and lots of interesting things to see.



And besides Cam and Randy, I actually knew quite a few other people that I have met through them and it was really nice to hang out with them all!

Randy, Ryan, Tim, me & Cam

Randy, Patrick, me and a new guy. I met SO MANY new people that I couldn't remember all their names but this guy and his partner were really nice people!

Me pointing out one of Tim's best features. His amazing blue eyes! (Ha! Just teasing Tim. But they are SO pretty, don't you think?)

And of course, me and my main man Cam! It was a great day and a great time with great friends. Hope you all have lots to be proud of today!

What's better than ONE annivesary celebration?????

How about TWO anniversary celebrations? Yes, we like to celebrate things over and over around here. Anyone remember my 40th birthday and how long THAT went on? Yeah. Anyway, while the fancy pants dinner we had the other night was nice and all, this sorta blew that right out of the water. Friday dawned sunny, warm and gorgeous and best of all.....I didn't have to work! So we threw our gear in the convertible and hit the road! It's always more fun going someplace in The Captains car! Wheeeeeeee.

We got up close and personal with this train as we waited for it to sloooooooowly lumber by but it was cool checking it out.

And then it was time to hit the river! We saw lots of fun sights along the way to Prescott, WI.



And not that one would ever get bored of looking at the trains and the river and the barges, but if you did, we had a solution for that as well!

But of course we all know what MY favorite activity is on the boat.

It was so warm and sunny that I got lots of color and it really, truly felt like summer. I've been waiting and waiting for summer to really arrive and I can safely say that now it has! We passed under some gorgeous bridges as we slowly made our way up river.



And then we finally arrived at the spot where the Mississippi River meets the Saint Croix River. It's odd because the water of the two rivers is really different and you can actually see a divide in the water at the exact spot where they meet. The Mississippi is really muddy and brown while the Saint Croix is much deeper and more clear with sort of a coppery tint from all the iron in the water. I love swimming in the Saint Croix and while I am a pretty brave and sturdy girl, the Mississippi is just not my choice for swimming. The Captain feels the same way. We both cooled off after our cruise in the Saint Croix and the water was just right!

This cute little marina is where we stayed for the night.



We checked in, were assigned our slip for the night which by the way was on the very end of the dock so we had a GREAT view and then we just goofed around on the river for a while just enjoying the day and a few PBR's!

When we finally docked, we chatted up a couple of marina neighbors who were really nice and they snapped a photo of us. Cute, huh?
Then it was time to clean up and head to dinner. We got a good recommendation of a place that had a really interesting menu. (Biscuits and Gravy with Pulled Chicken for dinner? If you say so dude!)
The Captain went with the fried chicken
While I tried the shrimp scampi special.
Our dinners were good, not great but good and we had a really nice conversation. We've been having lots of really nice conversations lately and I do believe my husband may be starting to understand me a bit more because I am finally able to talk to him about what's going on with me. Thank you Crazy Doctor! (That's what I call my therapist, my crazy doctor, to cure me of my crazy). Anyway, while the food was just ok, this Pecan Pie about blew us away. I swear my Grandma Lucas had to have come down from heaven and whipped this up in that kitchen, it was SO CLOSE to hers. Yum!

When we got back to the marina, it was time for the finale, we got to watch the sun set from a great vantage point, The Filthy Whore II!
Going........
going..............
going........
gone.
It was a spectacular show and we enjoyed every minute of it. And just in case you were wondering, that is a railroad bridge you see and trains roll by on it ALL THE TIME! It was really cool to just see them rolling along all evening.
Of course I took a zillion shots of everything we saw. I really liked how these folks were all lined up hip deep in the river while fishing just as a big barge came by.
And of course, we did a LOT of this too.........
We didn't read or play games or anything. We just sat and talked and watched the natural beauty of it all and it was a perfect way to spend the evening.


We eventually crashed and got up the next morning in search of food and caffeine before heading back home. We succeeded in finding both!
On the way back home, we saw more trains and more barges and I remembered to take some snaps of the Lock and Dam we had to go through to get to Prescott and back. Fun!







It's pretty amazing how fast those Lock and Dams can get the job done. While we had to wait for over an hour on the way to Prescott because of a barge in front of us, on the way home it took all of 20 minutes! Pretty slick.

Anyway, The Captain has gone back to the friendly skies and our anniversary is officially over but I gotta say, it was one of our better ones! Hope you enjoyed peeking in. :) Have a great Saturday everyone.

An Anniversary In Pictures

That pretty much sums it up!

Sisters and Husbands

I got a call from my sissy last night who is worried about me. She’s fearful that I’m not ready for this tri, that I will end up having a bad experience and that I won’t want to do another one. I love my sister. She’s so awesome and adorable and I love that she was courageous enough to speak up and tell me what’s on her mind. And on some levels, she is right. I’m probably not in the greatest condition given that I stop and walk while running and that I haven’t been doing nearly enough brick training but she and I are really different in some ways and I definitely don’t have her competitive streak.

This is a girl who started running after I did and has already done a half marathon. Anytime Kels does anything, it’s with her whole heart and she just puts her head down and is go, go, go all the way! She’s inspiring to me as I have always been something of a sloth, a half-asser if you will. While I have athletic ability, I don’t have that intense drive that she seems to and I’ve always admired her for that.

But for me, it’s ok if I’m not 100% ready for this race. I just want to finish. And I might have a bad experience and I might not want to do another one and that’s ok with me too. I will not be one of those people streaking towards the water, full steam ahead. I will swim at a comfortable pace, doing the breast stroke if need be. I will probably take 10 minutes to transition as I’ll want a little rest as I dry off and get my biking shoes on. I will most likely walk portions of the 5K because I’m sure by then I’ll be mighty tired. One thing I DO know is I will cross that finish line because that’s my only goal.

But her chat got me thinking and I will be doing more brick trainings and getting my body more used to transitioning. Last night after Mark and I tore it up (upper body work with lots of punching and lifting) I headed upstairs to the cardio area and peddled hard for 15 minutes and then immediately jumped on the dreadmill for another 15 minutes and I ran hard. Yes, I stopped and walked for maybe 60 seconds here and 60 seconds there but for the most part, I hammered out a 6.0 pace. Tonight after work, I will bike for about 20 minutes outside in the heat (supposed to be 90 today) and then I will immediately go for a 30 minute run. Friday morning, I’ll be hitting the pool and then immediately the bike before heading off for………………………..

MY ANNIVERSARY!!!!! (more about that in a minute)

So I want to thank my little sister for caring enough to speak her mind and lighting a tiny fire under me. You rock Kels and so do I! MWAH!

Now back to that anniversary! The Captain and I celebrate 15 years of marriage today. 15 years of living our lives together. In some ways it doesn't seem that long at all, it seems like we have just begun, things are still fresh and new and exciting, but in other ways, it seems our lives have always been intertwined, as if we have been together forever, things are comfortable, dependable, reliable. But either way, there is love. So. Much. Love. I went back through the blog to look for previous anniversary posts and found this one from last year where I listed 14 reasons why I love him and then I also found this fun little poem that I wrote for him back in 06.
I thought it deserved a re-post, I liked it so much.

I see you and
my heart delights
You take your arms
and wrap them tight
I lower my head
and snuggle in
It is the hug
without an end

A moment in
I start to feel
The amazing power
of the hug to heal
The stress subsides
and I exhale
Works every time
without fail

You understand this
need of mine
How a hug can soothe
my heart and mind
You've learned when
to hold on tight
You've learned when
I'm feeling right

Thank you for
your arms around me
Understanding what it is
that I need
Thank you for
the steady ground
For in your arms
I feel so sound



We have some serious fun planned and you all know that I will be posting all about it...with pictures! Until then, have yourselves a great weekend! The Flower and The Captain will!

Happy Anniversary Baby!

Boys, Brasa, Camp & Randomness

Sunday night, after a flurry of planning texts, Cam, Randy and I headed off to Brasa, a new restaurant that just opened up on Grand Avenue. They have a location in Minneapolis as well and I had seen it featured on the Food Network and was intrigued so off we went.

While they call themselves a Creole restaurant, I just consider it a meat place. All meat, all the time! They have Rotisserie Chicken, Slow Roasted Pork and Braised Beef. What's not to like? After perusing the menu, we made our choices. I got a combo plate of pulled chicken & slow roasted pork with yams and fried plantains as my sides.

And just to give you a better look, here are the fried plantains.....

SO YUM! We also got some cornbread because you know, when in Creole........

The corn bread was good but I didn't care for the honey butter they served it with, maybe because I'm not a big fan of honey, but I found my other selections to be delightful. The pork was tender and juicy with just a bit of kick, the plantains totally rocked, the chicken was downright sinful and the sweet potatoes? Well, how can you screw up sweet potatoes? I mean, really? It's like screwing up pizza, very hard to do! Color Lucas happy!

Cam and Randy were not so thrilled with some of their side dishes but agreed that mine were awesome. So the key to Brasa is proper ordering apparently. They have big garage doors all around which really gives the place an open air feeling and there is outdoor seating as well which I always love but that was full so we sat indoors.

As always, I had a blast with the boys
and would have been totally content to just head home but Randy wanted to go to Camp (one of the gay bars the boys love) and so off we went! (Yes, on a Sunday night she says sheepishly.) I've been to Camp a bunch of times before with the boys but I always find something new when I'm there. There was this pretty scene above the bar

and this funny sign which pretty much sums up little Miss Lucas, don't cha think?

Cam and I headed home around 10 and Randy stayed to close the place down but it was another great night with great friends.

Training this week is going pretty well so far, despite the heat. Monday I asked Mark for some core work and yesterday my abs were a little sore but in a really good way. Tuesday, I took off and later today I see Mark again for some punching and some kicking along with some treadmill time. I am going to try and really get back to the training schedule I have because if I don't I fear this tri is going to kick my butt which means I gotta spend more time in the pool and more time doing brick trainings. It's really hard to fit it all in when I'm working 9 hours a day but I have just a few more weeks to go before the race so I need to put my head down and focus.

The Captain came home yesterday (a day early, hoorah!) and we started our anniversary a bit early. Tomorrow we celebrate 15 years of marriage and so last night, we relived our 10th wedding anniversary by watching the hilarious videotape of our Vegas-themed backyard vow-renewal. Oh if I only had digital back then I could share with you all the glory of having fantastic friends totally rally when your husband breaks his ankle in a motorcycle accident and has to cancel an anniversary trip to Vegas at the last minute to throw an impromptu party in our backyard complete with Elvis himself. Fabulousness! Tomorrow night we are going to dinner somewhere on the Ave and then Friday we are hitting the boat all day for some serious R&R. Looking forward to a great few days of celebrating!

And finally, I had a nice hour long chat with Sol last night in which I discovered that when some people are in Afghanistan for over a year, all they want when they come home are chicken wings. Who knew? It was great to chat with him for a bit but mostly, it's great to know that he's safe and that I can pick up the phone and call him whenever I like.

So that's it for today. Hope you all enjoy your Hump Day!

HE'S HOME!!!!!!

I just got a call from Sol and he is home. He is safe and in one piece and on US soil!!! I almost cried and I am still sitting here in stunned shock. Communication with him the past month has been pretty spotty and the last I'd heard from him was an email on Friday that said he'd be home soon. Well, I had no idea what he meant by "soon" so I didn't get my hopes up but I guess soon meant today and I couldn't be happier. He is busy re-acclimating himself to life on base and is getting his living situation and all the details that come with that straightened out. I look forward to a nice long chin wag in the near future to get all caught up! Thanks to all for their support and prayers during this deployment. It really means so much. Welcome Home Sol!

Next Time!

Saturday after The Captain left I headed off to the gym for my 30-30-30. I swam laps for 30 minutes then rode a bike for 30 minutes and then ran on the dreadmill for 30 minutes. I kinda felt like a slacker though because I rode one of the bike machines at the gym instead of actually going outdoors to bike and when I hit the dreadmill, I had a side ache that prevented me from running much so I mostly power-walked the 30 minutes. As workouts go it was fine but it fell a bit short for a tri-training workout, you know? Anyway, Saturday night I stayed home, read a great book (Three Cups of Tea) and hit the rack early so I could get up and attem bright and early Sunday morning.

Cessica and I were going to a brick-training sponsored by Lifetime Fitness who is putting on our mini-tri. The plan was to bike 15 miles along the actual tri course and then run the 5K on the actual tri-course immediately after. I threw my bike on the back of Cess’ van and we headed off for Lake Nokomis. Now, Lake Nokomis is on the Minneapolis side of the river, and anyone who is local will know that crossing the river is a BIG deal. People tend to get fiercely loyal about which of the twin cities is THEIR city and I freely admit that being a Saint Paul girl, I don’t spend much time in Minneapolis, which is why I raised my hand and said the following in front of a large group of strangers:

“Hi! I know I’m not the only person in this crowd who is probably feeling this way so I’m just gonna put this out there. I’m slow on my bike and I do NOT know my way around Minneapolis. That whole spiel of directions you just told us all about? Yeah, I got NONE of that, so if you could just memorize what I am wearing and keep an eye on me, I guarantee I will probably be dead last in the pack and I don’t want to get lost!”

My speech brought laughter from some and relief from others who were indeed feeling the same way. I was assured by our guide that I would be kept an eye on and off we went. I was kicking ass at first, up at the front of the pack and I found someone about my same speed to pedal with. For about 30 minutes, I did great. Then we took a few hills and I slipped farther and farther behind. Next thing you know…….yup, you guessed it, nobody around me and I have no idea where they’ve gone. I got to an intersection and made my best guess and just kept going. I actually knew where I was, I was on the Saint Paul side river roads where The Captain and I often ride our motorcycles, but I had no idea how to get back to Lake Nokomis from there so I kept peddling. Eventually, back on the Minneapolis side of the river, I stopped to look at a map. I thought I could find my way so I kept going but when I stopped to check again, I’d overshot the lake and was still 7 miles away. Frustrated and near tears (I HATE, HATE, HATE being lost) I decided to just head home instead of trying to find my way back to the lake. I called Cess’s cell phone but she is not in the habit of having it on her and if it is on her, it’s not usually on so I had to call Deeg, on Fathers Day, at 9 in the morning and OF COURSE I woke him up. Crap, I was just feeling lousier and lousier! I relayed what was happening to him in hopes that Cess would borrow someone’s phone and call him. Finally, after fretting about me for a while and missing the run portion of the training, Cess called Deeg and got the scoop so she headed home. Because my keys were in the van along with my running shoes and some other gear, I was locked out of my house until Cess got back but I just chilled on my front porch and rested. All in all, I had been on that bike for 2 hours and burned over 1000 calories! Whew! Lucas was a tired little flower!

Next time, there will be cell phones, maps and game plans so that this doesn’t happen again! Next time, there may be some mild chastising for the leader who promised to keep an eye on me but didn’t! Next time, I will find my way back to the lake and complete the run! Next time, next time, next time!

Rollin' on the River

Let's all give it up for Mother Nature, shall we? Because while she can sometimes be a fickle little beeyotch, we all know she can create the most spectacular sights that eyes can ever hope to behold and that's why she totally rocks!! Please enjoy some of her amazing work caught on Friday evening on the Mississippi River and please note that my camera captured only about 50% of the beauty, the colors and the marvelous majesty of it all. It was even more impressive in person!

It was really amazing to see. In addition to all the natural beauty, there were some other good sights to see as well:

And of course some good grub to eat! The Captain made Bread Salad which is one of my all time favorite summer treats. We also had steak and h made her popular green salad with Julie's dressing. Um......YUM!

Another fabulous Friday on the FWII! I'm lovin' it!

While my 3 mile run last night didn’t go GREAT (there was lots of walking) at least it was good weather training for me. It was hot (for here- about 85 degrees) and just a bit humid and it was the first time all summer that an outdoor workout has been impacted by the weather. Although I actually credit Wednesday nights wine intake with more of the responsibility for my less than stellar performance than the heat, but whatever.

When I got home, The Captain and I put in our window AC units and between that and the run, I burned about 600 calories! Which I promptly then threw back in my body by going out to dinner at Luce with The Captain and h. Oh sure, I had a salad but it was one with nuts and cheese and craisins and all the things that take a salad to near Big Mac status. We then headed over to The Coleman’s for Mohito Night where I threw a ton of fiddle faddle down my neck but I skipped the Mohito’s in favor of some Pelligrino. We were home early and I was sacked out by 10:30.

This afternoon we’ll be hitting the boat with h, Otto and possibly The Pirate and AC. Dinner on the river again, LOVE IT! But unlike last Friday, I expect to skip the shots with the freaky dock neighbors and I expect to NOT be out until 1 am at the marina bar.
We’ll see how it goes.

Hope you all enjoy your Friday!!!

Oh, What a Show!!!!!

Last night, after my killer workout with Mark where I punched the crap outta him till I couldn’t lift my arms anymore, I headed home to see The Captain who of course cooked me an awesome dinner and was happy just to be home. We rode the couch for a little while and then decided to hit the porch for some hang time. Cammy came over and the 3 of us were just enjoying the evening when I caught sight of some white flashing light being reflected off the houses across the street. The Captain thought it must be police lights so I craned my head around the corner of the house trying to get a look at what was going on in the alley. What I discovered was that it wasn’t cop lights at all but a fantastic lightening show that was going on. We quickly set out for the back yard and pulled up Rose’s settee’s to watch the show and OH what a show it was! The lightening was truly amazing! There were sheets of heat lightening mixed with bolts tearing through the sky and all of it was soundless. Usually when you see lightening you can hear it crackle and pop and it’s usually mixed with thunder but this show went on without a sound! There was a clearly defined front line but it didn’t seem to be moving towards us. In fact, the whole thing was sort of sliding sideways by us so we enjoyed a very long show! Rather than try and capture it with my camera (which is rather like trying to nail water to the wall in my opinion) I just captured it with my eyes and enjoyed every moment of it! If you are longtime reader, you already know of my deep and passionate love affair with Mother Nature and all things outdoors and so you will realize how truly happy this lightening show made me. We talked and laughed and watched for at least an hour in the backyard and both The Captain and I felt we hadn’t seen anything THAT amazing in the sky since we watched some Northern Lights in h’s backyard about 4 or 5 years ago. It was just a lovely way to spend a summer evening with my sweetie and I certainly hope all you locals were able to catch some of that action as well.

Today is all about catching up at work. I have no meetings, no appointments, no conferences and best of all….no boss! She is taking the day off which means I will be free to catch up on all the little odds and ends that have been pushed to the side lately and I can’t wait for the satisfaction that will come from knowing they are all done! Then tonight, I’ll put in a good 5 mile run and call it a day! I am looking forward to a day with a slower pace that will end with time spent at home with Cappy. Hope you all have something equally enjoyable to look forward to. Later!

Got in a lovely hour of hot yoga last night as my workout. Might have done more but Monday's killer workout put the brakes on that. I wasn't sore or anything, just beat down a bit. After a shower and some dinner, I once again hit the rack early.

The Captain returns today but I won't see him until after work and the gym this evening. But I'm looking forward to the next few days of having him home at night. It makes such a difference to have someone to have dinner with and especially to have him cuddled up to me at night. Sigh.

Today is a short one as there is much to do and not much to report. Happy Hump Day folks.

So much for my workout slump! Last night I KILLED IT!!!!!! As soon as I got home from work, I packed a little backpack and jumped on the bike where I proceeded to ride for about 45 minutes. I maybe only went about 6 or 7 miles but had to stop frequently for lights until I got to the river trails. From there I peddled directly to my gym for a legs session with Mark. I told him I was just off the bike (which was obvious due to the fact that I was flushed, sweaty and out of breath) and still had to ride home so I asked him to just leave me a few miles in my legs so I could get home. He did a great job as we did some lifting but we mainly focused on kicking which left my quads enough steam to carry me home. In fact, when I got home, an hour and 45 minutes into my workout (for a total of 1015 calories burned thankyouverymuch), I still had some steam left and though about going for a quick run but decided not to push myself and risk an injury so I came inside, cooked myself a healthy dinner, showered and hit the rack early! HOORAH!

Although it’s early yet this morning, I’ve been at it for hours. I had to get to work at 6:30 am but I have ZERO plans after work, except to get another killer workout it. I’ve started off the day with water and healthy foods. I have managed to avoid doughnuts and muffins at every turn around the office and am ready to kick today’s ass!

The Captain returns tomorrow which always makes it harder for me to tear myself away from his side and get my workouts done but I am committed to this training and will figure out a way to work it in, even if I have to get up before work to do it! (Guess who is high off endorphins and plenty of sleep right now?)

In other news, Mom is midway through her radiation treatments. Other than some soreness at the sight where they are “radiating” her, she’s feeling pretty good. A little tired but seriously, isn’t everyone???? No major side effects have been noted. Hooray! Radiation Rocks, Chemo Blows!

Sol’s communications have slowed but that is because he is working so hard to train up a fresh team so he can blow that damn sandbox and c’mon home! Of course, we have no solid intel (as he would say) but it’s possible he may be home towards the end of the summer instead of the end of fall and that makes me mighty happy.

I am in the midst of booking my second wedding (YIKES) but am excited to book another gig. It’s been too long and I look forward to getting back behind the lens in an official capacity.

So that’s it for now. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Weekend Warriors!

Another whirlwind weekend is behind me. This one got a bit of an early start as I took half of Friday off to hit the boat with The Captain. After several hours of just hanging and relaxing on the dock, Cam and Randy met up with us and we hit the river for a little dinner and R& R. It was Randy's first time on the Filthy Whore II and he was suitably impressed.

We beached ourselves on a little island to have dinner ......and get in a few hands of Uno. Randy struggled with his strategy a bit but Cameron was the big loser of the day losing 2 out of 3 hands. Sorry Cam!
And of course there was plenty to eat and drink!

And while the weather wasn't that great, we were treated to a glorious sunset!After dark, things got a little crazy. We did shots on The Proud Mary with our freaky dock neighbors, wandered to the marina bar where we hung out with a couple of Lesbianese girls and ended up taking a cab home! WORD!

Saturday morning was spent recovering but we couldn't laze about too much because we were hosting a bon-voyage party for Kitten and Eric who leave today for their 18 month trip around the world! The Captain had to mow the yard and I had to clean the house when really, we just wanted to spend the day in bed! But the party was really nice. Everyone who attended was so gracious and complimentary; I didn't know any of them but was happy to provide a party location for my pals K & E and I ended up having fun but was more than ready for bed by the time the party wrapped up.

Sunday was spent doing laundry and cleaning up from the party. There wasn't much of a mess but there a few loose ends to tie up. I ran some errands, paid all my bills and got the flat tire on my bicycle fixed. I also spent a few hours on the couch relaxing.

Now, did anyone hear anything about me working out? NO! That's because I missed Friday, Saturday AND SUNDAY!!!!! I'm rather disgusted with myself. I also threw an absolute ton of crap down my throat all weekend but am done tormenting myself. Today has started out great. I've been downing the water, making good food choices and I have an appointment to see Mark tonight, after which I hope to put in an hour on the bike. So while I'm not really proud of the tri-training I've been doing lately, I am confident that I have enough motivation to carry me forward and I think I can still be ready for this tri in time.

So Happy Monday to everyone. Here's to kicking ass this week!

Friday Randomness

Hooray for band aids and cotton hand wraps because I’m sitting here today with intact knuckles! I think I finally found a combo that will let me throw punches without busting my hands up. Last night’s training session was AWESOME. I really just punched the crap outta Mark and he commented how much power I was getting out of my right arm. It felt so good, sweat flowing, braids flying, fists punching! Good Lord, I never would have guessed that I would enjoy incorporating boxing into my training so much. Sadly, every time Mark and I are training, there are yoga classes going on in the room with the heavy bags so I still haven’t had a chance to work those yet but someday we will get that worked out.

I’m not going to get a workout in today however since I’m taking a half day and hitting the boat with The Captain. And somehow, my awesome loaner bike which I just took to the pros at Now Bikes and Fitness for a fitting and tune up has a freakin’ flat tire! But I will get that fixed straight away because I have major plans of getting both my bike and swim on this weekend. If I don’t get back on my tri-training schedule soon, I’ll never be ready for that race in time!

In other news, I am totally stoked about Brasa coming to Grand Avenue since I watched a feature on them last night on TV. Belly full of braised and roasted meats, here I come! Nothing says lovin’ like some good old fashioned Creole home cookin!

Had a fun time last night hanging with Cammy on his porch and tonight he and Randy are joining us aboard The Filthy Whore for a little dinner cruise. God Bless Summer! Although really, it has yet to get hot here, we are still hanging around from the 50’s to 70’s right now. It’s June and I our air conditioners are still sitting in the basement. What gives Mother Nature? Please don’t stiff me on my summer heat this year, I just don’t think I can take it.

That’s about it for now. TGIF! And thanks for stopping by the garden!

Chugging Right Along

Well, I got through yesterday and managed to put in a 3.5 mile run between work and my evening meeting thankyouverymuch! I’m still not back to following my tri-training workout schedule but at least I ended my sloth streak. This morning I was up early to make sure the conference I helped coordinate went off without a hitch and am now parked back at my desk with most of the stress of this week behind me so I’m allowing myself to look forward to this weekend. Due to the long hours I’ve worked this week, I’m taking another half day tomorrow so The Captain and I can hit the river again. The weather looks to be awesome and I’m excited for a little down time with my man!

Tonight after work I head straight to the gym where I plan on jumping directly on the dreadmill for 30 minutes of hell. I would SO rather be outside running, especially when the weather is nice like this but when I have a training appointment, that just isn’t possible. After my indoor run, I get to punch the crap outta my trainer Mark for a while. Here’s hoping that I do a better job wrapping my hands and don’t end up with bloody knuckles this time.

Well, that’s it for now. Hope you all are chugging right along too.

As usual, I'm having trouble getting fully back at it where my workouts are concerned. As of today, I've had 3 full days off and yesterday, I did a piddly little 25 minutes on the bike as it sat on the trainer in my living room which I don't count as a workout at all so really, that makes 4 days of not working out........in a row! I really need to go for a run today after work but I have The Captain coming home...victorious after passing his check-ride which officially takes him out of probationary status with Southwest and marks his one year anniversary. HOORAY! I also have my monthly night meeting at work tonight from 7-9 so I haven't quite worked out how I will be budgeting my time tonight between 4 and 7. Garr!!!! At least I know that tomorrow I have a training appointment and there will be no way I can slack off. I really need to swing my focus back to training for this tri. It was really fun there for a while and doing amazing things for my body and I want to continue forward and not lose sight of this.

Things are so busy at work today that I am SUPER crabby with several of my slower, dim-witted co-workers! Why they can't just cover the easy shit when I'm this slammed is beyond me but they just can't got to bat for the team. Even simple tasks and/or requests bewilder them if they are even a slight departure from their daily routine. It's everything I can do to not tear into them today but I have bigger fish to fry with meetings and conferences and trying to keep all my balls in the air. Wish me luck people. It's gonna be a crazy coupla days for this flower. Later!

Words Regarding a City

When people dream of peaceful, relaxing weekends, I’m guessing their minds don’t turn to New York City but that’s exactly what I’ve just had! It was one of those weekends where I didn’t have a care in the world, zero responsibilities were placed upon me, no chores or errands demanded my attention, I was free to just BE and dammit I was freaking happy as hell, blissed out actually, just totally chill and it was awesome. Since I’ve been to the city a billion times before, there were no sights I had to see, no touristy to do's on my list, all I had to do was be with these two people…

….and that is one easy thing to do! I love knocking around with them. Mikey being a well seasoned New Yorker takes any stress out of being in the city since he knows his way around so well and Jake just takes everything in stride. Everything with those two is easy like Sunday morning! They are fabulous folks to just bum around with.

The highlights of my weekend:
* Heading straight from the airport with Jacob to meet up with some college buddies I haven’t seen in about 15 years. None of us seemed to have changed a bit and it was easy and familiar and fabulous.
* Screwdrivers at Neptune’s on Saturday morning.
* Meeting Joe, a WWII veteran (who declined to be photographed) at a flea market. It was oddly, June 6th (D-Day) when I met him and we chatted briefly about war and supporting soldiers. He was lovely and a living piece of history.
* Allowing Saturday to just unfold before us as we strolled and wandered in some seriously gorgeous summer weather.
* Encountering awesome New Yorkers willing to help out when we needed a jump start in Mikey’s car and discovering that not one single one of them would take a dime for helping!
* Riding in a convertible with the top down and watching Sophia’s ears flap in the wind all the way to Long Island.
* Hanging on Long Island all day on Sunday at Mikey’s new studio location and killing several bottles of Jack Daniels while doing it. Also, meeting a total Long Island guy who was a complete stereotype, so fun to watch and listen to!
* Getting a new tattoo, just a tiny green star, a memento of my time in NY with Mikey and Jake. There’s no long story behind the star, but it means something to me and that’s all that matters.
* Laughing at SNL and disgusting internet sites and having hazy conversations over shots of tequila. * Really feeling the love both for and from my cousins.
* Being the most relaxed I’ve felt since Easter.

Back at work and back to feeling like a rocket streaking through life but luckily, another NYC trip awaits me apparently. I heard from Sol last night who should be home in just a few months and wants to kick around the city with me and have my cousin work on us both. Hooray!

More City Images

Images from a city

Got a few minutes before I head to the airport so I thought I'd write a quick post. Got my workout in this morning but it didn't exactly go as planned. After my 30 minute swim I hopped on the dreadmill but when I started running my knees started complaining........LOUDLY! So I slowed to a walk. I warmed up a bit more and tried again, several times actually, but still had some knee pain so I just walked the 45 minutes which may not have improved my cardio a ton, but it was a nice fat burning workout. And due to that knee pain and the fact that I will be walking miles and miles and miles the next few days, I decided NOT to run while in NYC. Although my schedule doesn't call for it, I'll be taking 2 days off instead of just 1. I don't think it will hurt me any.

The weather in NY is crap right now and planes are being delayed but I'll be doing what I can to meet up with my cousin Jake and proceed to the downtown bar where I will be seeing some college buddies I haven't seen in probably 15 years or so! Wowzer! Should be a good time.

Happy Friday everyone. Chat at you peeps later!

Last night after work I headed straight for the gym. This training thing really takes some dedication. I hopped on the treadmill for a 30 minute run, then met with Mark where we worked my core, did a bunch of squats and then he let me kick the crap out of him (I swear, I love that boy!). Immediately after that I hopped in the pool for a 20 minute swim and quickly realized why they put the swimming at the beginning of the tri. My body felt like lead and my arms were SO heavy, even though I hadn’t lifted any weights with them. But eventually, I settled into the breast stroke and realized with a lovely calming moment that all I have to do is finish this race, I don’t have to kick it’s ass or make any certain time frame. If I want to do the breast stroke for a while during this race, I’m gonna. Rather than focusing on how slow I was swimming, I just enjoyed being in the water, the feel of gliding through it, the sensation of it surrounding me, it was just lovely.

Then this morning I popped out of bed and put in my 45 minute run so that I can take care of some other appointments after work and just hang out with The Captain tonight. Again, I took a very slow pace but found myself able to run and run and run without stopping. When I did stop, my body felt really heavy and it felt better just to run again so that’s exactly what I did. It was a gorgeous morning and it’s so nice to know that my workout for the day is already behind me and I can just go about my business.

Tomorrow I put in a serious workout in the morning (a 30 minute swim followed by a 45 minute run) and then I hop the plane to NYC. I’m not sure if I will be blogging from there or not (I’m guessing not) but most of you have been pretty damn quiet lately so I’m guessing you won’t even miss me. Later!

Training, training, training!

I went for a killer bike ride last night! It was my longest ride yet and I was surprised at not only how well it went but also how quickly it seemed to fly by. I rode about 9.5 miles in just about 50 minutes. I took Summit Ave down to the River Parkways, followed the East Side River Parkway to the Ford Parkway bridge, then rode along the West Side River Parkway to the Marshall bridge and back over to Summit and home again. The weather was gorgeous and it was altogether an enjoyable experience. I am so glad that I am enjoying biking so much! Who knew? My sits bones (i.e. lady business) was one of my biggest concerns but I am really getting used to how it feels to be in the saddle and there really is very little pain associated with that. I am getting in the hot tub almost every night just to be sure my muscles are getting relaxed at the end of each day since my body (muscles, joints, etc) aren't used to working this hard on a daily basis. I want to make sure I don't get injured due to over training or anything. Tonight is another training session with Mark and I am supposed to also get in a 20 minute run and a 30 minute swim. I don't think I will have time for all of it. I'm not even sure I would have the energy for all of that either but I'll give it the ole' college try and see what happens. It's been tough to balance this training schedule with my full time job and having The Captain home in the evenings and all the other little things that pop up after work; doctors appointments, trips to the bicycle &/or sporting goods stores, phone calls, paying bills, seeing friends and neighbors and so on and so on. I'm feeling really busy right now and am really looking forward to a relaxing weekend in NYC. I know it sounds crazy because NYC is not exactly a lazy day by the lake but simply the lack of obligations is what I am looking forward to, you know? Just knocking around with my cousins letting the days take us where they might. Ahhhhhh.

Well, gotta fly! There's work to be done and training to complete. No rest for this flower just yet!

I got a very nice surprise last night when The Captain arrived home unexpectedly early from his work week. He found someone to pick up the last few days of his trip so he could come home and spend some time with me before I left for NYC. Well, that AND he is in full blown study mode since he has his one year review coming up and has to go through some testing in order to get off his probationary period. While he tends to overstress about tests, I know he will do just fine, better than fine, he will do GREAT and Southwest will fall to their knees and beg him to stay on forever!!! In the meantime, I get my Captain home for 2 extra days this week. Hooray!

I had a great session with my trainer last night and tried out my new hand wraps. I returned the gloves I had purchased previously, which protected my knuckles but tore up my fingers and decided to just try some cotton wraps.

I had no idea what I was doing when I wrapped my hands up but I figure I will learn, right? I went through my regular pre training run and then on to weight train with the wraps on, but when it came time for punching the bag, my fingers were immediately bloody. Damn. But I adjusted the wraps slightly to cover more of my fingers and was able to finish the workout. Of course, I had the hands of a prize fighter when I was done with the blood clearly showing on the white cotton hand wraps; such a bad ass! But actually, I think with some adjustments to the wraps I should be able to make them work and be able to protect my hands somewhat. Unfortunately, I can’t wear the watch part of my heart rate monitor with the wraps on but on the plus side, they protect my palms when I am lifting weights which is nice.

Tonight is an hour long bike ride which I am hoping to talk The Captain into joining me on. Other than that, life is just rolling right along. Hope you all are kicking ass and taking names today.