Half Time Recap

Another week, another photo here and there, and February is almost over. Woo Hoo.

That means the #febphotoaday is well underway.  And it's time for another recap post.

Day 4: Stranger

Have you ever seen anything stranger than this? Mouser and Hillary. 

He looks pissed off. 

Maybe it's because he is a Republican.

Day 5: 10 am

We took a drive last Sunday to do a little four wheelin', hiking and photo taking. 

Day 6: Dinner

Have you ever seen a bag of carrots this big?

Day 7: Buttons

I got lazy this day.

Day 8: Sun

Ironically enough, this day WAS sunny so we sat out on the front porch, soaking it in! 

Day 9: Front Door

Mine has a window and the light was shining in, so I covered it with a shopping bag and a couple of magazine pages. Classy, I know.

Day 10: Self Portrait

Going running. It was raining, so I added the rain effect. 

That's not all I did this week! 

I also...

Made banana nut bread. 

Ate a piece before taking this photo. 

Took photos of mountains and bridges and rivers, oh my. 

Went running.  

Lost my emergency $5.

And then found it again three days later.

Went bowling. 

Bowled FOUR strikes in a row. 

And then bowled REALLY crappy the rest of the time, which is par for the course. 

I usually barely break 100.

The idea for this weekly photo post came from Kim. I am not trying to steal it.

What did you do this week? Are you a good bowler? What would you do if you had a huge bag of carrots?

All's Quiet on the Western Front

This week has been a quiet one. I am still working on sorting photos and files and trying to make sure I have everything backed up and categorized. It's not very exciting to talk about, but it is fun to go through and look at some of the photos from the last several years.

I also decided just for fun to do Fat Mumslim's February instagram photo challenge. Except since I don't have cell service, and therefore don't have internet on my phone, I can't do the Instagram part of it. So I am just taking the photos and I may post a few of them here...or I may not. I do have the first few days. Also, since I am not using Instagram, I am doing editing with pixlr, which has a lot of fun borders, textures and colors. I don't usually edit my photos at all. I kind of like the way they look without it. I kind of take photos with the idea that I want it right so I don't have to edit it. But with these, they will be edited to the max. I am having fun experimenting with all the different choices.

So grab a beer (inspired by Kim) and check out what I've been doing!

First, the Feb Photo Challenge. You can find the entire list HERE. 

 Day One: My View

Day Two: Words

Day Three: Hands

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"Mexican Fiesta Monday" or "Trying to eat foods of all colors"

I ran that race. They gave us an interesting medal.

I experimented with my Macro extension tubes. 

I still don't really know what I am doing. 

Help. 

Remember Papa P? Yep, he's still around. 

And now he is a victim of my macro extension tubes. Wooohhahahaa.

 I went on a really nice walk with the ladies. 

A just got her bangs cut for the first time. So cute!

The snow melted, so I am back on the trails again! 

This week it has been really hard to get motivated for running!

I don't know why. The weather couldn't be more perfect. 

Since today is also the Superbowl, let me leave you with this interesting calorie cost comparison. You can find the entire list HERE.

- Blimpie's Super Stacked Blimpie Best = 313 Mins of Chanting, Pointing, Waving a Foam-Hand

- Three Pigs in a Blanket = Playing Catch With a Football for 68 Minutes (NONSTOP)

- Six Bottles of Budweiser = Doing "the Wave" 4,280 Times 


Eat smart everyone! Or else you will be doing the wave a LOT of times! 

What is your go-to Superbowl snack food? Are you doing any challenges in February?

Ice Cream in Winter

This week it finally snowed! So, instead of grabbing a beer (inspired by Kim), grab a hot cocoa before the sun comes out. Oh wait, it's too late? Well then, grab whatever you want then and let's see what's been happening around these parts!

The snow was beautiful!

(Monday morning)

But it melted away really fast!

(Monday afternoon)

So we made ice cream to make up for it. 3 kinds of ice cream. Vanilla ice cream, peach frozen yogurt and mandarin sorbet! See what happens when  you get an ice cream maker for Christmas. I bet by Feb 7, we will be tired of it. BUT. It's SOOOO good! 

Mandarins at the ready. 

I got a letter from the NORTH POLE! Thanks Santa!

I went for a run in the valley where it is warm. Then to celebrate my run, I had a HUGE burrito. Actually, had is a little tame. More like I INHALED a huge burrito! I heart roach coaches!

Then I headed to the Bay Area, where I stayed at a friend's house. Here is little A, trying to put on her shoes. 

They actually went out of town and I stayed to mooch lodging off them, eat their food and catch up on Top Chef house sit. 

On Saturday I ran the Coyote Hills Half Marathon. More on that later. 

How was your week? Did it snow? Did you run? Have you ever made your own ice cream?

A Bit of Snow and A Book

This week has been pretty mellow. With the weather like it is, it isn't conducive to really do much else than stay inside and read! I am still going through my stuff, both computer-wise and physically, and am finding (and throwing away) some interesting things! I may have to do a post next week about "weird things I have found on my computer". But until then, grab a hot cocoa (inspired by Kim) and check out what this week entailed!

I ate a lot of these. They are the Costco International chocolates from Belgium and other chocolatey countries. I really only like the two dark ones, and I am eating them nice and slowly, but my parents have made a pretty good dent in the other flavors! 

 I picked out my first book FROM MY BOOKSHELF to read! I have a whole box of "books I haven't read" so as I've said before, I am TRYING to read them instead of buying new ones! #1 The Handmaid's Tale. Have you read it?

It snowed. And then rained. Which became this. But it did not stop me from running 5 miles in the rain and slush! I was SOAKING wet when I got done! I would rather run in plain old snow than in this wet mess! 

But the little bit of snow WAS pretty! 

Then it rained and rained and rained HARD, and we had to drive at night with rocks on the road! SLIPPERY WHEN WET!

For Christmas I got the Macro Extension Tubes that I wanted.  Except I haven't quite figured out how to use them. Does anyone have any pointers? I feel like I am holding the camera SO close to the object!

How was your week? Did it snow in your neck of the woods? Do you go running if the weather is bad? Have you read The Handmaid's Tale?

Look What I Found This Week

This week, since the weather has been so un-winterlike, I decided to do a little "spring" cleaning. Since I travel so much, all my stuff (except for my one suitcase that I travel with) is in storage. This week, I went through that storage, to see what I could get rid of. Of course, if you are like me, you know that sometimes going through your storage to "get rid of it" results in a walk down memory lane. So, grab a beer (inspired by Kim) and look what I found this week! In addition, I did do a few other things. They are also included below.

Before I went crazy and started doing a major sorting movement, I had my extended family's Christmas party (in January)! It was great to see all the cousins! 

My Dad (yup, that's a kilt) and cousin

Some of my younger cousins -- pretty in pink

I went running. Only twice! I have been slacking due to the fact that I have had so many other things to do this week! I need to get back on track, so to speak! 

I found a new trail! A little overgrown but FUN!

Instead of running, I have been helping re-roof a house! It is a lot of work! 

I also went to an auction -- not to buy anything, but to see how it worked, in case I want to sell anything. BUT...you can get some darn good deals on things! I saw one 46 piece dish set, a nice one too, go for about 5 dollars! 

Okay, so you have gone through old stuff, right?
I wonder if you keep as strange of things as I do. 

{1} My diary from when I was about 8. Complete with fool proof locking device!

 

 {2} My first medal from my FIRST running race! 1986.

{3} My first digital camera!

 

{4} My "best friends" necklace from Jr. High! Remember those!?

{5} SO MANY books. It is really hard to get rid of them though! 

*in case you can't read, they are "travel/memoir/reference" and "Not Read Yet" *

*These are the "not read yet" books! 

A whole box. I am SO embarrassed! I need to get a move on with my book reading goal!*

But...and you should be very proud, I got rid of FOUR bankers boxes of books! FOUR! I am sad, but happy!! 

And, last but not least, we had a bonfire. To burn the old files I threw away (tell me, WHY did I keep some of them?) as well as....the Christmas tree! How sad. Except I don't know if you can see or not, but my parents were VERY excited about it. 

Okay now, you need to help me. Am I normal? Or do you keep things too? What item is it hardest for you to get rid of? What do you do with your Christmas tree once you take it down?