12-of-12: June 2010

What an amazing, incredible, exciting day!  

A perfect day for the 12-of-12.

Thanks to Chad Darnell for starting this project - 12 photos, on the 12th day, of each of the 12 months.  Check on his and the other 12ers' photos at his website, then join in next month!

8am:  Off to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Buffalo, NY.  

This year is the 10th anniversary of the 5K run/fun walk.  As I left my driveway I was hoping and hoping and hoping for no rain.  The weather folks said 50% chance starting late morning, 80% chance starting around 1pm.  YIKES!

Lots of PINK!

9am:  Arrival at Delaware Park, Buffalo, NY

Here I am with my teammates - we are Althea's Army! (that's me on the far left)

My first timing chip (the circular thing on my shoe)! I'm officially official.   Yes, my shoes are pink - they are also officially official - Susan G. Komen New Balance Shoes!

9:45am:

At this point, I turned all my stuff over to my friend and first "guest photographer" for the 12-of-12, Phyllis.  She offered to snap a bunch of shots along the race route since she was walking and I was running.   

Thanks a million, Phyllis!  You took some great shots, really capturing the events of the day!

10am:  The Race begins!

I'm off and running... hoping to set a personal best (it's gotta be, since it's my first race.  Right?)  During training, my best 5K was 37 minutes.

Cheerleaders at every mile...

... and almost 8,000 runners, walkers, strollers, dogs, and wheelchairs.

11am:  Relaxing and listening to the awards ceremony.

What a gorgeous place to celebrate... the Delaware Park Rose Garden.
My time?  36:10 minutes.  I did it, bested my 5K personal record.  It was a tough run - hot, humid - but it was a great challenge.  I have to thank my friend Melissa's boyfriend, Dave, for the coaching/motivation/jokes along the way.  I would have succumbed to walking around the 2.5 mile mark if it wasn't for him.

Noon:  Spit for the Cure

WHAT?!?!
Yep, you're reading correctly.
I shared some of my DNA with Roswell Park Cancer Institute before I left today's event.  RPCI's research group is collecting samples to investigate the differences between cancer patients, cancer survivors, and non-cancer patients - to see if there's a genetic link to the disease.  I have no idea what will happen with my "donation", but at least I know I'm helping with science!

4pm:  Home, a berry nice thing!

Strawberries are fresh - just picked today - so it's jam-making time!
First batch is done, I can't wait to have toast tomorrow morning.  (Hmmm, do I really need to wait till morning?)

A View from the Porch:

The gardens and the lawn have grown and grown.  The leaves have really filled in, too.  Check out the Trumpet Vine on the tree, it's gone crazy!!  No flowers yet, but soon.  In the meantime, I should probably mow the lawn, it needs it.

Happy June!  Enjoy the summer!  

Oh, if you're interested in the rest of the set that didn't make the "officially official" June 12-of-12, click here.

P.S.  Next time I post here, I hope to be able to call myself a TRIATHLETE!  
(July 3rd, here I come!)

Bicycle! Bicycle!

I want to ride my bicycle.

I want to ride my bike.

I want to ride my bicycle.

I want to ride it where I like.

* thank you, Queen *

A few weeks ago, I got quite a surprise.

 
The hubby got home from work, starts doing something in the house, then says "oh, I left my phone in the car... could you go get it for me?"  No problem, I say, and head to the garage.
What's waiting for me there? ...a cool new road bike.

I freaked.  (and NOT in a good way)
I've looked at new bikes.  They're expensive, and I wasn't ready to plunk down a big wad of cash just to have the "latest and greatest" in bikes.
I was FINE with my 20+ year old hybrid.  In fact, that same day I had just picked it up from the bike shop after getting a tune up.
I was mad.  I wanted him to take it back.
But I didn't.
After hours of back and forth, I decided it could stay.

This past Saturday I rode in the Tour de Cure (a bike ride to support the ADA in its fight against Diabetes).
30-miles, on the new bike.
I completed the route in 2-hours, 20-minutes with 2 rest-stops in between.

I must admit.
This bike is sweet.
Faster, lighter, totally kick-ass compared to the old one.

But, I still love my 1st bike.
It did its job well and took me many places... we completed a century together, many a "Ride for Roswell", and hours and hours tooling around town.
It has a new "owner" now
... my husband!

Turn the Page... Tuesday

One book?
ONE stinkin' lousy book?
How could that be?

Wait, wait!
I'm wrong.
I read two!

I bet you can guess them both (especially if you seen any of my past TTP... T posts).

I'll give you a hint... (It works for both books)
- I was on vacation the first week of May, so I wanted something light that I didn't have to think too hard about.
- The rest of the month was spent either swimming, biking, or running - or recovering from the previously mentioned activities (and I pretty much fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow) - so my mind was in no shape for anything too complex.

Didjya guess?

Yep... Sookie strikes again!

In May I read Books 6 & 7 in Charlaine Harris' vampire series where we meet a new supernatural creature... Quinn, the were-tiger.  He and Sookie are drawn to each other in Book 6, Definitely Dead, but you don't learn if they become a couple till Book 7, All Together Dead (and even then, you're not sure).

Now I'm stuck.  Book 7 is the last one book I have.  There's 8, 9, and NOW 10!  I just don't have time to goto the library or the bookstore to look for used copies.  I'll buy new if I have to, but these seem to be novels I'd like get used.  I'm not sure why.

Anyway... those are my two for May.  Not sure if June will be much different.  The "big show" is July 3rd.  After that, I'm lowering the intensity a bit.

Have a great month!

Happy reading (and playing outside, and gardening, and cycling... and, and...

Oh, I almost forgot... go visit Some of a Kind to read more or play along.  (Thanks, Adrienne, for keeping this going!)

a busy month

Ah, a 3-day weekend.  It's been a busy few weeks... lots of training and working and training some more.

Someday soon I'll post about the cycling part of my workout... how dramatically it's changed since my hubby surprised me with a new road bike. 
- Speaking of the hubby, I now have a new cycling partner, since my old bike went to him.  Pretty cool.

Today, we spent the day hanging out on the deck, walking the dogs in the park, and cooking up picnic foods.  Smoked BBQ Pork anyone?!

The Honeymoon

The Hubby and I are coming up on our 15th wedding anniversary.

The week we got married we put a down payment on our first home.  That was our honeymoon money... (we are very practical). Since then, we've been spent much of our free time (and spare cash) on improvements for our current home... vacations have not been very high on the priority list.

Till this year.
We're caught up on most projects, we're not ready for others, so this year... it's a cross-country country trip! New York to California for 4-days of pampering in the middle of mountain-hugged giant forest - Sequoia & Kings Canyon.

This was a trip of a lifetime!  And it was absolutely perfect.  Perfect weather, perfect accomodations, perfect time with my love.  I know you would have loved to be there... but since it was the honeymoon, you'll have to settle for photos.  Here are a few of my favorite (click on the pictures to see them in full view).

Enjoy!

Palm trees????  

We aren't in New York any more!

Can you believe this sunset?  

On our way up, through the foothills, toward our final destination.

This was our view almost every morning when we walked from our room to the lodge for breakfast.

 

If you ever go to Sequoia National Park... and need a place to stay, 

The Wuksachi Lodge is the place to be - excellent rooms, fantastic food, and friendly staff.

DAY 1 

 

Our first waterfall, of many, during the trip.

 

We hiked though the woods... surrounded by giant peaks...

... ending up here.

This picture doesn't show how tired we were... 

2.25 mile walk, uphill, in the snow with another 2.25 to get back to the car.

But it was SO worth it... see the giant waterfall in the background?

DAY 2

Our first visit to the big trees... with a perfect blue sky.

Can you see me???  I'm that teeny, tiny, white X at the base of the tree.

These are BIG trees.

REALLY BIG... can you find me in this photo?

Such gigantic trees.  Such a small pinecone.

From snow covered... to the BEACH!

We snaked our way down 5000' of mountain into the foothills near Potwisha, CA.

My beautiful husband snapped this shot of a beautiful waterfall.

Here's the view from the other side of the falls.

 

My FAVORITE wildflower photo.  California Milkweed.

These trees are too tall, they won't fit in the frame.

 

Yes, you could build a small house in here!

Soooooo Big!

REALLY BIG!

The General Sherman is the largest living thing on the planet Earth.

DAY 3

On our way to Cedar Grove, through Kings Canyon

 

Waterfalls, probably only visible in spring, popped up everywhere!

With others raging... like Grizzly Falls

and...

 

Roaring River Falls

A look up to where all this water came from - snow melt off the mountain peaks.

What?!  Another waterfall?  This one's not on any map, may not be around for long.

It surprised us while on our way back to Wuksachi.

Lupine with Ladybug

DAY 4

Our final day with the big trees.  

 

The hubby, with the Mark Twain Stump (the tree was cut down in 1891).

 

The Nation's Christmas Tree.  The General Grant.

 

This big boy fell in 1985.  (Can you see me?)

After vising the big trees, we went down (to 3000') to see the wildflowers.  

Here's some Yucca that was burned in a recent fire.

 

Best shot of the week??

How about this one?

On our final night, we snapped a self portrait.

I call it...

"The Honeymooners"

 Good night!

If you'd like to see the full set, click here, to link to it.  As always, thank you for visiting.  I hope you enjoyed my photos.  Please do not use any photo without permission.  I welcome your requests.

An amazing adventure!

Got home this morning from a 4-day visit to
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

(click on photo to see it in all its splendor)

More to come...