Spring Garden Tour 2012 (aka Too Hot to Handle)

A post from April 22, 2012 that wasn't posted for lack of pictures. The camera went missing for a bit.

A few years back, my mum, grandmother and I took the garden tour. It is put on by the Modesto Garden Club every year (which I found out today is the largest garden club in the US....who knew?). Last time we took the tour the weather was a little warm and I was wearing the wrong shoes. By the end of the day I was pretty uncomfortable and, towards the end, it made for a somewhat miserable trip. This was unfortunate because some of the homes chosen to be on the tour that year were homes in Modesto that I had always secretly spied on from afar and was now afforded the luxury of seeing them up close.
When my grandmother wanted to know if I was interested in going again this year I thought I would give it another go and made sure to wear the right shoes and the right clothes so that I wouldn't make the same mistake as before.
The valley has had a pretty mild spring. Just last week temperatures were more like those that you would find in the winter months. Just the day before yesterday it was only 75 degrees, today it was 92.
It started out well enough, the walk wasn't all that unpleasant and some of the gardens were lovely. I was able to realize another dream today as well.
When my brother and I were younger my mother would treat us to frozen yogurt and then would drive us around the older neighborhoods in town while we licked our cookies and cream or chocolate mousse and we would gawk at all the beautiful homes and wonder what it would be like if we actually lived in them. Every time we did this my brother and I would beg our mother to take us to the 'castle'. There is a house in Modesto that looks just like a castle. It is made of brick, has turrets and a massive front door. If my brother and I dreamed of living anywhere in town, this house was it.
This house was on the tour today and I was able to finally see it up close. I strolled past the koi pond, skipped around the tiled swimming pool and ate cookies by the outdoor fireplace. It really was a silly old dream come true.
After that, things started to go downhill pretty quickly.
I began to not feel well. I made the mistake of staying up a little too late the night before at a party and the next morning didn't give myself enough time to eat breakfast or to properly hydrate myself. I began to pay the price for it. I tried to fight through it because there was no way that I could complain to my mother or my grandmother. I was the youngest one there, I couldn't be the first to wimp out. We made it through the first leg of the tour (and I swear that we were the only ones that actually walked the whole thing) and stopped at the Yogurt Mill to cool down. I knew it was worse than I had thought it was when I wasn't able to finish my treat. At the next house, I didn't go in and waited in the car...I was no longer sweating...uh oh.
Luckily my mum recognized how miserable I had become and took me home. I ended up sleeping through the rest of the tour and the rest of the afternoon.....ugh, I'm pretty pathetic.
Maybe next year I'll get it together so that I don't embarrass my mother and my grandmother.

(The 'Castle' on Magnolia)

Sprung

With the spurts of cleaning I have gone through lately, I have to say that the feeling of spring has definitely sprung in my home. I emptied out half of my closet and donated it to the local Goodwill. A couple of days later I followed up with a second trip after I eliminated two bags of shoes and whittled my collection to only 17 pairs. No room is safe in the house because I want to get rid of everything. At least everything that I don't need or haven't touched in the last year or two.
Yesterday was the day that I tackled the front room. I used another Pinterest find to help me navigate my way with a weekly cleaning schedule. I was able to manage the daily chores that were recommended in about 30 minutes, give or take. The cleaning for the living room on the other hand took me hours to finish. I am hoping that after the first week it will get easier. The only substitution I made was for Thursday. I don't have children which means I don't have a kid's bathroom. I subbed this day out for the office and spare bedroom and will pretty much follow the guidelines for the living room and master bedroom.
With the front of the house clean, I decided that it needed just one more touch. I headed out to Trader Joe's and picked up a bunch of flowers. Can you believe that this gorgeous bouquet only cost me $9.99?

Last night I took on another project from Pinterest. I made a spring wreath. I had debated on making a St. Patrick's Day wreath, since it is my favorite holiday (I have no idea why but I look forward to it every year) but decided to go with a longer lasting spring wreath instead. I know that it isn't officially spring yet but in California with its temperate weather it might as well be. I used a couple of ideas learned from the pins I had saved. First up, because I am a cheapie, I made my foam wreath (found HERE) instead of forking out for the high price I saw it for at the local craft store. I took it one step further and took a wire hanger from the dry cleaners and stuffed it in the middle of the foam to reinforce it. I found out the hard way when the last wreath I made ended up more oblong than round. Next I followed THIS tutorial. Instead of using a flower garland I used inexpensive fake flowers I found for 50% off at the Hobby Lobby and stuck pins with yellow heads through them to attach to the wreath. I was very happy with the results (although I still struggle making bows, grr...).

Mrs. Clean

(What I used to think...I am starting to change my opinion.)

One of the little spats the Mr. and I get into repeatedly is over housework. Who should do it? How clean should the house be at all times? How much does our working schedule play into how much time each of us spends on keeping things tidy? That sort of thing.

He likes things military clean, I on the other hand don't mind the mess. If you ask my parents or any of my former roommates, my living spaces might have been a little...hmm...what's the right word? Scattered. Yes, that term will do nicely, thank you. 

I am not a disgustingly messy person by any means and as much as the Mr. likes to make the comparison to me and a person that we might see on Hoarders ('See? They have boxes of yarn throughout the house that they won't get rid, just like you babe.') I am in no way unsanitary. Besides, we BOTH make the mess. His expectation is that I be the primary one to clean it up. 

I used to take his reasoning as some barbaric, outdated, sexist, 1950s nonsense. Now that I am the housewife, I really don't have any recourse. After being the housewife for a whole week and attempting to keep the house spic and span I have to say, I really don't mind it. It gives me something to do during the day and it gives me something to plan out before I go to sleep at night. What really excites me about taking on these new domestic duties is that I can finally start putting all those pins in Pinterest to use. I have a board completely committed to 'Tips for the Home'. I thought I would try some out over the weekend. I want to share with you what worked for me and what gave me only so-so results. 

I gathered the needed ingredients: 

Dawn Dish Soap (apparently Dawn is the answer to everything according to Pinterest, but it has to be Dawn)

Hydrogen Peroxide

White Vinegar

Baking Soda

Vanilla Extract

The DIY cleaners I made with those ingredients were: 

Shower Cleaner

Drain Cleaner

Stain Remover

Microwave Cleaner

Let's start with the microwave cleaner. It was very, very simple.

Mix 2 cups water with 1 tsp vanilla extract. Heat on high in the microwave for 5 minutes. Wipe down microwave with a clean dishcloth. 

This method in the end worked well. It wasn't as simple as wiping the microwave down when done, it did take a little bit of elbow grease but I had a spotless microwave in the end without having to use any sort or soap or other chemical cleaner. I give this tip a B+. 

For the drain cleaner, again another simple solution. 

Pour 3/4 to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour 1/2 cup white vinegar into the drain. Immediately cover (I used a plate) and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove cover and run hot water down drain for 2-3 minutes after. 

This cleaner worked perfectly, I could not have been happier with the results. I give it an A. 

The shower cleaner I am 50/50 on. 

Mix equal parts Dawn with white vinegar that has been heated up. Fill up spray bottle with solution. Spray desired area. Let sit for 30 minutes and then wash clean. 

Let me tell you what it worked well on: 

The shower grout and tile. 

Let me tell you what it did not work well on: 

The toilet

The shower floor

The shower seats

Saying that it worked well on the shower grout and tile is a little of an overstatement. Let's just say that it worked. My grade on this one, C-. 

Last we come to the stain remover. I save this one for last because I used it last. I wasn't sure I would need it at all but thanks to the Pup's late night upset tummy, I found my opportunity. 

Mix 1 part Dawn and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide. Fill spray bottle with solution. Spray on affected area, let sit at least 10 minutes (I opted for 30). Scrub area with water, pat dry. Repeat until suds stop appearing when scrubbed. 

For me, this worked faster than the chemical cleaners I used before. It was a little bit time consuming but in the end I was very happy with the results. A-.

There you have it. Some were great and some were just so-so. I have a couple more tips I would like to try and about a gazillion other things on Pinterest that I would like to attempt. Stay tuned and I will try post updates and reviews. 

Date Night: Bowling and Wings

(Uh oh...doesn't look good...)

When I got home from work on Wednesday I was fully prepared to slip into my fuzzy pajamas and hunker down to watch a the latest from Redbox (tonight's selection, Due Date). I walked in the door and the Mr. had other plans.
Every Tuesday night, the Mr. and four of his friends, play in a bowling league. At first he was doing fantastic. He would come home afterwards and brag about his score and each week he seemed to be besting his score from the week prior. Lately though, it has been like pulling teeth to solicit more than a grunt from him after he bowls. His game was obviously not going all that great.
Wednesday night, he thought it would be a good idea to get some practice in and off to the bowling alley we went.
I am not particularly fond of bowling so he compromised and took me out to dinner first. For Christmas, we had been given a gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings and decided to try it out. It was the first time we had been to that restaurant and I have to say...it wasn't the greatest of experiences. The waitress ignored us half the night, they didn't have the Boca burger I ordered (that was offered on the menu) and replaced it with a bean burger that I wasn't too fond of, and the fire alarm was pulled in the middle of our dinner by some mischievous patrons. The Mr. liked the food alright (he especially liked the hot sauce for the wings), but overall wasn't impressed either. I will give them this...they had bar trivia on the television and had these super cool interactive devices to play with. As we walked out of the restaurant  I strutted  by the big television that projected my name as the big winner that round. I was beaming. I supposed it wasn't all that bad....
After 9:00 on Wednesdays at McHenry Bowl, shoe rental is only a dollar and each game is only $1.50. The Mr. talked me into four games. It took a little bit to get warmed up (the Stella, or two, helped things along) and by the end of the second game I had mercilessly beaten my dear husband.
Read em and weep....

(ending with a score of; The Mrs., 100, The Mr., 87)

He tells me that he was only practicing certain tricks this round and wasn't trying for a big score. I hate to admit it, but I fully believe him. But shhhhh...don't you dare let him know. 

Not all that romantic (you better believe he owes me big time), but still lots of fun for a random weeknight.
Oh, and don't ruin Due Date for me...I still haven't had the chance to sit down to watch it.

Barely Legal

Except it definitely wasn't Swedish...

Because the 75+lb pup sleeps in the middle of the Mr. and I every night, my body has been a little stiff lately. I had never experienced back pain before and had always considered myself lucky. Suddenly 30 hit and so did the aches and pains that I had bragged about dodging. I had outsmarted them. They found me.
It had been in my head to get a massage for a few weeks now. Every time I had convinced myself to get one, guilt set in at the potential splurge and the price that goes along with it. The other day I had passed by the Angel Relax Center in town and posted above the door was a huge banner that read 'Massage $19.99', I thought 'eh, why not?'
I thought I would play it safe and get only a pressure point massage. Although my sense of humor runs on the grossly inappropriate side, my sensibilities are that of a nun (at least when I am sober). With a pressure point massage, I was hoping to keep my clothes on. I called, booked my appointment, told them what I wanted and set it for 6:00 after work.
When I got there a different man was sitting at the desk. I told him I was there for my appointment and he stared at me blankly. I told him I was there for a 30 minute pressure point massage, again he stared at me blankly. After a few minutes of this he led to a room after silently convincing me to pay for a 45 minute full body massage. Fine. Whatever.
I disrobed, put a short towel on and waited. During my wait I looked above me and thought, 'What a strange place for curtain rods?' I couldn't make sense why they ran lengthwise in the middle of the room and were about a foot apart. I would soon find out.
'Sw' (pronounced 'Sue', her spelling, not mine) came into the room and instructed me to lay face down on the bed. No sooner had I put my head in that toilet seat looking thing and Sw's hands were all over me. No hand holding, no soothing voice, just strait business. Well, ok. If I paying for 45 minutes I suppose I want to get my money's worth. Sw worked fast, too fast. It was more painful than relaxing but again I compromised with myself and thought, 'I just want my back to feel better'. Here are the highlights of how the rest of the appointment played out:

-The phone rings, in the room! Sw answers it! Now I don't feel so bad about the silent receptionist not understanding that I had wanted cash back for tip.
-Sw's hands leave me and suddenly I realize what those bars were for. She needed something to grab onto to steady herself. Feet! Feet were on me! Walking up my legs, heels digging into my butt. standing on my back....all over me. I was appalled at first, only because I wasn't at all expecting it. After a few minutes though, I started to loosen up and enjoy it. (Don't judge me!)
-At this point I thought the massage was over and started to get up. Sw gently pushed me back on the bed and somehow convinced me to commit to the full hour for an additional $10. I was too scared to say no.
-She holds two separate conversations over the wall with the other employees in the parlor (is that even the right word for it?). Again too scared to say anything, hoping they weren't talking about me.
-She has me turn over and as modest as I tried to be, everything ended up showing as she grunted her way through some of the more grueling moves of the massage.
-Again, I think the massage is over and she whispers to me 'Oh no, baby oil' What the???
-She pours baby oil all over my backside...all over! I am beyond mortified at this point.
-After cleaning me up with hot towels (that felt so good, by the way) the massage was FINALLY over.

I walked up to the counter and Sw helped the receptionist understand that I needed to pay for the additional time. I also let her know to add more for her tip. She gave me a glass of water, her card with her name 'Sw', a squeal and a great big hug.
I walked out of there, water in hand, not fully understanding what had just happened. Not fully convinced that some of what happened wasn't illegal. I called my mom for a voice of reason (after calling G begging him to answer the phone). She had me on speaker phone with her coworker who, after I told the story, simply said, 'Oh yeah, that's what they usually do'.
Now that I am sitting in safety and comfort of my own home, I feel great. I might go back next month.
Needless to say, I know what I getting the Mr. for Christmas. Purely for the awkward entertainment.

Riverbank Wine and Cheese Exposition 2010

Sunday we stayed close, very close, to home and went out to the Riverbank Wine and Cheese Exposition. The Mr. and I really could have walked there from our house but because we did tons of walking the day before, we decided to drive the three minutes and find a parking space. At first I felt pretty lazy but in the end I am glad that we did because we didn't stay that long. Its not that we didn't have fun, its just that we go almost every year and had seen most of it before. I was excited to find out that Cupcake Vineyards was showing this year. I hadn't tried their wine yet but of course I was intrigued because of the adorable name. When we reached the wine tasting area, the Mr. and I ultimately decided that we didn't want to pay the $35 dollars when we only wanted to try to few of the wines. I was disappointed that I didn't get to try the Cupcake wine but I think I would rather just purchase a bottle some other time. Last year we went to the free cheese tasting, but the community center (where the tasting is held) was too warm, too crowded and we ended with only a couple of morsels of cheese. This year it seemed we might face the same problem so we avoided that all together. This year the expo seemed more 'family friendly' with a carnival with games and rides for the kiddies and there seemed to be more festival fare geared towards the younger set. Because it was pretty warm, the Mr. and I headed to the beer garden. We walked the rest of the expo with refreshing beer in hand. I have to say, I am glad that we decided on beer that day instead of the wine...is that wrong?

 The tasting corral. 

Ginormous inflatable hawk advertising a local radio station. 

Celebrating fall even though it hasn't quite reached us yet. 

This was outside the community center. Downtown Riverbank has gone through a makeover in the past couple of years and the statue (along with other statues around town) is a new addition to the community center. 

This was the coolest thing for the kids that day. A mad scientist concocting 'volcanoes' made of juice and dry ice. 

Who could resist BBQ being sold by the Duke? 

 October 9th would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday. It is strange to think of him as an old man and I wonder what the world would have been like if he hadn't been senselessly gunned down. 

John watching over the Wine and Cheese. 

Just Can't Get Enough

I escaped to San Francisco again this weekend and it wasn't even my idea.

Friday night my dad invited the Mr. and I to a Linguica Dinner at the local Elk's Lodge. For those that don't know I am an Elk, my dad is an Elk and my grandfather was an Elk...its kinda our thing. I wish I was a better Elk than I am. I am already late with my dues for this year and I have not volunteered for one event. Oktoberfest is coming up, maybe I will volunteer to help out then....Sorry, rambling...
We all had a little too much fun at the lodge that night and ended up shutting the place down. The next morning I woke with a start because I thought my cupcake order was due Saturday morning. Come to find out it was for the next day. Now I am awake, dressed and bored. The Mr. was awake as well and he casually said to me 'You wanna do something today'
Me: 'Kinda...what were you thinking?'
Mr.: 'I dunno, fishing or something...'
Me: 'Eh, I don't really want to go fishing...'
Mr.: 'How about San Fran...?
Me: '...you don't have to tell me twice!'
I was up, on the computer checking out day trip ideas before he could even finish his sentence.
I have a book titled 'San Francisco, As You Like It' by Bonnie Wach. I love this book because it maps out wonderful day guides specific to the type of person that is visiting the city and what their interests are. Of course I want to take every single guides but I thought it was a perfect reference for someone like my husband because lots of times he is very anti-San Francisco (I have no idea what is wrong with him either). Of all days I could not find my copy so we ended up winging it. First stop was my brother's just to say a quick 'Hello' and then off to Union Square. On the way there we decided to first go to the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building and then to Chinatown. I parked in a garage in Union Square and we walked down to the market. Last time we were there we spent way too much money. This time we took a different approach. We spent a little money just sampling things. We each had an oyster for $1.50 a piece at the San Francisco Fish Company. The Mr. also had a clam for the same price. The oyster was amazing and so fresh. The Mr. said that he thought so as well and actually enjoyed the clam more.  Next stop was the Cowgirl Creamery. I can't begin to describe the smells wafting out of that place. It was incredible. I could have stood in line there all day.   We were going to buy a little sample of cheese (he wanted a Sharp Cheddar while I was eyeballing the Smoked Gouda) but the line was a little too long for us so we moved one. We passed Sharffen Berger Chocolate (which I have already tried and know how good it is) and Far West Fungi. We stopped at Boccalone and made the most expensive purchase that we made all day there. The Mr. bought a salami gift pack for $25. Miette was there as well and I can't pass that place up without buying at least two macarons. This time it was the Chocolate Lavender and the Chocolate Hazelnut. I think the hazelnut was my favorite this time...mmm....

We made it out of the market without spending all that much money and still feel that we got the full effect. I was starving and begged the Mr. to take me to lunch (although it was already around 3:00 at this point). We took the cable car up California to Grant to get to Chinatown. Many tourists don't realize that at California and Embarcadero the cable car that runs at that stop rarely draws the same crowd as the one at the  Powell stop at the base of Union Square. I hadn't ridden a cable car since I was about six years old and for $5 we spared ourselves a couple of blocks of walking uphill and enjoyed a San Francisco must-do at the same time.

We wandered around Chinatown for a bit before deciding to stop to eat at Yee's Restaurant. Walking into that restaurant was like walking into another world. Plates and plates of food was laid out on several tables when you first walk in and the smells were unbelievable. We were able to get a seat in the back and decided to split three plates. We had the Roast Pig, Broccoli with Oyster Sauce and Yee's Pan Fried Noodles. We ate like kings, had more than enough food left over to take home and were pleasantly surprised when our bill only came to be $24.00 for the both of us. We walked up to Broadway and I wished that I had enough room in my stomach for a little dessert because in Little Italy that is where you go to get amazing desserts. Unfortunately there was no room left. We walked back into Chinatown and stopped in a pet store that had a huge selection of fish. I told the Mr. that 'Who needs to spend $40 at the aquarium when we can go the Chinatown aquarium for free?'. We slowly made our way back to Union Square stopping along the way to look into all the fresh fish markets that dotted Stockton, the best ones being near Stockton and Pacific. The Mr. found a place to buy a few pork buns on Stockton as well.

After grabbing a quick coffee to get me through drive home, we made it back to our car. I was fully prepared to pay $40 for our fare but I must have read the sign wrong when we parked because our fare was only $14.00. We were back on the freeway in no time. Crossing the bridge and heading home I could see the sun start to set and a wisp of fog start to roll in and hover over the bay in my rear view mirror. I just can't get enough.

I forgot to mention this because it seemed so fleeting. While the Mr. was popped into a fish mart on Stockton I waited outside. All of a sudden I heard 'God Bless America' coming from half a block away. At the corner was a police escort directing traffic. When the song was over, the band quickly dispersed. Some left in convertibles directed by the police while others scattered on foot, headed in the opposite direction of other band mates. It really was the strangest thing.
Last thought I promise...
Below are pics of this weeks cupcake order. I used my cinnamon recipe and my chocolate recipe with a new chocolate frosting recipe that I liked much more than the one I posted previously. It was for a baby shower that a friend of mine hosted.

Very Chocolate Frosting
2 oz (1/2 stick) of butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
3 Tablespoon hot milk or water (I used coffee left over from this morning)
Whip butter until lightly fluffy. Mix together powdered sugar and cocoa power. Mix in half the sugar and cocoa into butter. Add the other liquids (milk, water, or coffee in my case) Mix in remaining sugar and cocoa until desired consistency is reached.

Headed West

No one wanted to go to the balloon festival with me. I begged the Mr. all week and was hopeful that he would go with me but he bailed at the 11th hour. I was left to go by myself. I wish that I had an earlier start because by the time I got to Color the Skies it was already 8:00 AM and most of the hot air balloons were already down for the morning.
Lowlights of my time there:
I missed most of the balloons.
I didn't stay long enough for the Patriots Jet Team
I missed my chance to go up in a hot air balloon for the bargain price of $10
I paid $5 parking and was only there about 45 minutes.
I had to go alone. I wasn't sure if dogs were allowed and when I got there I realized that I could have forced the dog to go with me. Unlike the Mr., she really has no choice in the matter.
Highlights of my time there:
All the bright colors turned up fantastically in the pictures I took.
The kite show was in full force.
I got a parking space right up front on account that someone was leaving.
The weather was gorgeous.
It wasn't too crowded.
...and the best part of my time there?
 On my way out of the parking lot I noticed the cutest older couple walking in holding hands. I had just enough time to grab the camera and snap a picture before they disappeared into the crowd.

The Festival

The Hot Air Balloons

The Happy Couple

After I left the festival I wasn't ready to go home yet. I was feeling adventurous and started to travel West. I called my brother to see if he had any time to meet up before he went to work if only for a few hours. No answer. I decided to keep driving and came up with a plan to head to Ikea. I hadn't been there in forever and a day and, although I barely had a dime to my name, thought that maybe I would just take a look. My brother returned my call when I had reached Livermore (about the halfway point from where I live to SF). I changed my plans again and headed into the city. It was a beautiful day and by the time I got there it was that grey area  between breakfast and lunch. You know, brunch. My brother and I took a walk through his neighborhood and ended up at Judy's on Chestnut. He ordered the Sourdough French Toast with Strawberries and I followed suit. We split an order of the Apple Sausage and we each had coffee and a glass of water. First up was the coffee. It was amazing. I took a sip and it stopped me in mid conversation. I can't pinpoint what it was, some earthy berry flavor...I don't know, whatever it was it gave it a very unique flavor. Next came the french toast and it was to die for and the sausage was the same. Everything was absolutely divine. For some reason, everything taste better in San Francisco. To work off our brunch and to kill time before my brother had to be at work, we walked around the Marina. As we walked by St. Francis Yacht Club (or as my brother and other 'locals' call it, St. Fancy Yacht Club on account of all the hoity toity rich patrons), I got a quick education on sailboats and a little history of the club. We walked alongside Chrissy Field and though the Palace of Fine Arts. Up a few more blocks we were back in the Presidio. I brag all the time of the sweet sweet neighborhood that my brother lives in and this time I got the pictures to prove it. We ended our trip with me dropping him off at the bookstore he works at on Chestnut and then I headed home.

This is Judy's and this is what we ate. The top was the before and don't worry, although I wasted a bit of food, I didn't finish it all. The bottom right made me laugh because every table had a 'pot of jam' and for some reason it reminded me of Six Degrees of Separation.

This is literally my brother's neighborhood. I wasn't kidding when I said he lives in a forest. The bottom right picture is what I called 'The Secret Starbucks' because during the weekend it stays pretty empty even though it has some of the best views of the entire city. Shhh...don't tell a soul.

This is from our walk around the St. Francis Yacht Club, Chrissy Field and the Palace of Fine Arts. 

I wanted to show what I am openly jealous of...see that white truck in the first frame? That is where I get to park when I visit. There is always a spot waiting for me in a city that stops people from visiting because of its shortage of parking. The second frame is one street over from my brother's apartment, could you just die? The third is on the corner across the street where he lives...nothing but meadow. Not fair. 

On my way home I decided to detour and take Altamont Pass Road. Instead of going through the Altamont, I drove somewhat around it. Without wasting much time, I was given a completely different view of the pass. 

That was my Sunday...in a nutshell. 

Thursday Night Review

With the new job, I work three full days a week and two six hour days. I LOVE this schedule. I love working the six hour days because it makes me motivated to take advantage of those two hours that I have to myself. I think I took advantage of those hours to the fullest today.


3:00-4:30pm: I headed over to my mom's house. She is off right now and getting ready for the new school year to start (for those that don't know, she is a college professor). She decided to have a couple of small moles removed that were on her face. I hadn't really noticed them but she had and thought that, with the time off, she could get this done. When I talked to her she told me that she didn't want to leave the house because they had put stitches in her face. All she wanted was a diet cola for two days so after I got off work I made a quick stop to McDonald's to take advantage of their 'any size drink for a dollar'. Isn't this the best thing to happen this summer? When I showed up to drop off her diet Coke, I couldn't hide my reaction to seeing her face. Oh, my poor mom. She looked like ants were crawling all over the right side of her face. My heart was breaking for her. The good news is that she gets the stitches out on Sunday.

4:30-6:00pm: Normally I would go to Sephora for any beauty needs but today I thought I would give the new Ulta a try. I have a friend that is a hairstylist there and, although she works in the Salon at Ulta, I had high hopes for the rest of the store. I like that Ulta has both high end and bargain products. For some reason I will spend a small fortune on skin care but when it comes to actual makeup I stick to the cheap stuff. I didn't want to go too cheap on this trip but...well....I hate to say it but I ended up disappointed from my first trip there. I planned on testing out products in the Ulta Collection. I had picked out a mineral powder and was trying to find my shade in the tinted moisturizer I wanted. There were tons of empty holes on the shelves and when I asked someone if they had more, she keenly inspected the same shelf that I was already looking at and told me 'Oh no, we're out of that. I think we get a new shipment in on Friday...wait what's today? Thursday? Oh yeah, we get a shipment in tomorrow. ' Ok, I don't want to sound too harsh but her name tag said that she was a manager. Good grief! At least she was friendly enough. All the employees were. There was so much staff there and not very many customers, shopping there gave me the feeling of stepping on a used car lot. They did have some good 'buy two get one free' deals and I scored with products from Covergirl.

6:00-7:30pm: I need a new pair of flip flops. I lost my best pair on the Float and Bloat and thought because it is so close to fall that the stores would be putting out their new fall stuff and severely discounting their summer stock. I was hoping to score a decent pair but no such luck. I went to MJM Designer Shoes and saw some really great stuff. The new shoes they have in are super cute and they have some fantastic purses as well. I don't really need any other shoes other than flip flops and maybe a new pair of sneakers. I don't need a new purse thanks to my gorgeous birthday present from my best friend G. Next door to MJM is Burlington Coat Factory. I walked over just for the heck of it. Burlington is one of my favorite places to get fun costume jewelry for almost next to nothing. I don't think I saw one pair of flip flops. What I DID see what a fantastically tacky, 'gold chain' looking, bed-in-a-bag set. Upon closer inspection I saw that it was an 'Apple Bottom Bed-In-A-Bag'. It was too awesome to not get a picture. Unfortunately the only camera I had was the one on my phone. The 'Apple Bottom Bed-In-A-Bag' didn't make it into my shopping cart. I walked away with a new wallet and a the cutest little pearl and gold cherry pin. I have become a die hard Mad Men fan and thought that the little pin was very swinging 60s. I can't wait to wear it. The wallet I got was the type that insists that can hold everything. So far so good, it holds everything comfortably with plenty of room to spare. I was afraid that it might look a little too grandmotherly but I still feel that it looks chic. Well, chic enough.

7:30-8:00pm: I made a quick call to the Mr. and found out that he was playing softball tonight and that I was on my own for dinner. Instead of making the obligatory stop at a fast food joint, I splurged. I made a call to Sushi Garden and half an hour later I was home dining on the Tiger Roll and sipping on Diet Cherry 7-Up. For dessert...two Otter Pops. Poncho Punch and Alexander the Grape.

Pinecrest and the Hike of Death

Today, I became acutely aware that I am out of shape.
In January I started joining my dad on his daily walks as a means to spend some time with him catching up and as a means to be a little more active. He walks, on average, six miles a day. This is not including the 18 holes he used to play a day which put his distance covered at about 10 miles! It had been quite a while since the last time I walked with him (I like to say it is because he started working and our schedules conflicted but really it was mostly sheer laziness on my behalf. So lazy in fact that I couldn't even pick up the phone...bad daughter) On Thursday I casually called my dad to see if I could join him on his afternoon/ evening walk over the weekend while the Mr. was going to be out of town. He said why don't I come with he and my stepmother to Pinecrest and we would hike around the lake together. He thought that it was about two or three miles and we could probably do it in a couple of hours. My stepmother's two nieces would be with us as well as the dogs. The older niece would even do the hike with us. She is eleven. I tell you all of this to understand that my father made it sound like this 'hike' would require only a little more exertion than was needed for a normal walk. I thought, 'Great! A walk with a view. Count me in.' Famous last words...
Please see my internal pep talk below:
0-0.5 miles: 'Holy s*&t! This part HAS to be the worst of it'
0.5-1.5 miles: 'Is that my pulse rate that I can feel beating on the inside of my head?'
1.5 miles: Little did I know that while we were taking our 'halfway' break that my legs (and the rest of my body for that matter) were plotting to go on strike. My legs were basically getting ready to give me the big 'Eff you Jen!'
1.5-3 miles: 'Please don't fall down these rocks, please don't fall down these rocks...' (At this point we were passed by a group of about 20 strapping young men. This irritated my father because he is not used to being passed up. I know this because he explained it to me while I was bringing up the rear.)
3-4 miles: Honestly, I really can't remember much from this point. I think the high altitude of the mountains was getting to me. I do remember passing the restrooms and thinking that the drinking fountain outside of it was a mirage. The only communication I was capable of at this point was the 'thumbs up' when my dad asked me how I was doing. I may have been exhausted but I wasn't about to wimp out.
When we got back to the picnic area all I could do was immediately lay down and close my eyes. I attempted to eat a little and drink some fluids but all I wanted was a nap. After my nap the only thing that made me feel better was the soft serve from the snack bar. After resting for a bit, I felt that I had just enough energy to snap some pictures of the beautiful Pinecrest Lake.

(Hike of Death)

(the pretty Pinecrest Marina)

(Sadie was kinda over it)

One of the things that I wish we could have stayed for was 'Movies Under the Stars'. Starting at 8:10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through the summer season, movies are shown in the Pinecrest Amphitheater, just as it's advertised, under a blanket of stars. Movies shown are relatively new releases and family friendly. Tickets are $6.50 and children under the age of three are free. 

One last thing. Another mirage appeared when we returned to the picnic area after our hike. Remember those 20 strapping young men that passed us around mile three? They happened to be a local collegiate water polo team. They happened to be taking a team photo to commemorate their Pinecrest trip. I happened to have my camera ready. Ta da!