02-22-15

first time running an xterra socal race

this is in crystal cove (just around the corner from derek's work), and since it's a state park, i was also able to use my state park pass to park for free.  score!  (saved $15!)

got there early to secure a good parking spot and rested in the car, reading my book

 since this was my first time out here, i didn't know what to expect.
took a lot of pictures to help me remember  =p
this was the first of many inclines
the sun was out at this point...i think this was probably the hottest part/time of the run because the clouds hid the sun about 30 minutes later

 if you look carefully you can see the trail of people running in the distance...that's where i'm headed.  O.o

 first of many rocky, steep, technical trails

 look at the dark grey clouds behind me!

someone offered to take my pic for me after i took the one above

 single track trails

 rain up ahead  thankfully it didn't come down too hard
but i did almost worry that i should've taken my jacket with me.  but it wasn't bad at all.  lasted maybe 15-20 minutes, and was just a small shower

 the sun tried to peek out again, but it stayed hidden

  just climbed up "the wall"...almost crawled up on all fours, but managed not to do that.  it was crazy steep

 YIKES!

 heading back down towards the finish line below

 and down we go!

[sorry for some of the weirdly edited pics.  just playing around with the different filters.  didn't bother to change them back, since a few were too dark due to the cloud cover...]

back at petco

matt cleaned out all the cages and played with the cats and dogs.  getting them to be a little more comfortable around him. 

THREE cats were adopted today!  (two by one couple)

02-21-15

headed out for another trail run today

beautiful out here this morning!  cloud cover the entire time, even a little misty...made for nice, coooool weather

brenny was feeling better today

 oops. got warm again and then fell asleep

took matt to go see if he could volunteer at petsmart...but they are no longer there!  yikes!
so we took a chance and headed to petco instead, and there were TWO rescue groups there (one for dogs, and another with cats and small dogs)
that's mary in the background, and both groups were willing to have PAWS come help (or at least matthew) one adult supervisor for 2-3 kids max is allowed.  yes!
hopefully matt will be able to come here and help out
this was gandalf he was holding and playing with

02-20-15

poor kiddo had a tummy ache after finishing his breakfast
it must've really hurt him a lot because he curled up into a ball on my bed, moaned a lot and was even crying from the pain.  =(
luckily he let me give him some pepto bismol, and after about 20 minutes or so, he yelled to me, "mama! my tummy doesn't hurt anyone!" and he was happy and felt able to go to school.  whew!

got another card this afternoon (he was absent yesterday)
love it!

 came home to brenny asleep on the bean bag =(
feeling sick again

 matt accompanied me to the softball game, where we have a faculty team
i caught a foul ball for the second to the last out =)

02-19-15

02-18-15

desperately in need of a haircut...

appt is tomorrow

 matt came home today $25 richer!
a friend of mine at work has a 9yo nephew who needs help with his math, so she asked me if matt can tutor him.  so matt is walking over to their house afterschool on mondays and wednesdays.  i went with matt on monday to meet the mom and charlie and to take matt.  looks like it working out OK so far.  two hours of tutoring a week gets this kid some extra cash!

02-17-15

02-16-15

took a day off from running yesterday, but managed to get out to the beach for a nice 15mi run.
it was so nice and pretty -- so much cooler at the end compared to the trail run.

this is a pockmarked lemon and then one with smooth skin.
so weird.

 got this living social deal to try out this new restaurant...
japanese bbq!  pretty yummy!
will bring derek back sometime  =)

02-14-15

watching the sunrise!

 i played around with a new app that i got on my phone and blended our two pics together
the coloring was a little off, so i think it looks better in sepia or b&w

it really wasn't as lush and green as this...it was a filter

but it was gorgeous out there!

 having fun with the panoramic

 there were 5 planes that kept going around above us
not sure where they were from or what they were doing

 about 1/2way through the trail

 dashiell had practice later on in the afternoon

 then later while at home we played outside

 dashiell wasn't looking

 brennan wasn't looking

 so i tried to piece them together...
what do you think!?
not too bad for the first one i tried (the running one above was done second)
and for doing it on the tiny phone

 i love this picture!

 then i made the kids honey walnut-less shrimp
brennan ate almost 20 pieces of shrimp.  oh my!

 and i made the big people pineapple and shrimp curry
[mom and i went to smart & final yesterday and found 2 packages of 2lbs shrimp each that were 50% off -- so i only paid $20 for 4 lbs of 31-40ct shrimp! what a deal!]

matt even stopped by to bring flowers for me and nana.  <3 p="">