I used to have a good friend, called gym Jim.  We were pretty close, I saw him almost every day.  But lately we have grown apart.  With my sister’s visit, the new puppy, and just the daily grind, I haven’t been visiting him very often.  And the thing about Jim is, you see, he plays hard to get.  If I don’t go to him, he definitely won’t come to me.

Breakfast:

Sometimes I get mad about having to do all the work in this relationship.  But after I go see him, my anger disappears.  I guess it’s not really one-sided, because after I see him I feel so good. 

Mid-morning snack:

Personally, I think I get more out of the relationship than he does.

Lunch:

I just show up and leave him with some sweat and the memory of my kick-ass workout.

Snacky 1:

And the question as to whether or not I will be back to see him tomorrow.

Snacky 2:  POM charoset made with blood oranges instead of apples.  Had to use those babies up.  And it was good!

Ok, I guess what with a substitution of POM for wine/grape juice, and blood oranges for apples, it’s not really charoset at all.  But I love charoset and it reminds me of my childhood, plus it is Passover, so I’m rolling with it!

Dinner:  homemade pizza with TJ’s whole wheat pizza crust

Dessert:  protein cottage cheese cheesecake.  Haven’t had this for a while, an oldie but goodie.

Sorry for my long absence, Jim.  It was nice seeing you today.  And I will be back soon, I promise.  Maybe not tomorrow, but soon. 

And once S’s family leaves in a week and a half, you and I will be best friends once again.

Kay?  Thanks, Bai.

I thought that I had thought this all through properly.  I thought I knew the responsibilities of having a dog, and the limitations that it would place on my life.  And in a way, I did.  Almost every single thing that I (we) have been going through the past week has been a thing that I identified and thought about before committing to Tessa.  But for some reason, I didn’t understand the huge impact it was going to have on my life and my relationship.

First thing on Saturday morning, I realized that my days of sleeping in were long gone.  During the week, my first meeting is now at 6am so that is when I am able to take the puppy out.  And usually, by that time, she really needs to go to the bathroom… even though we take her pretty late the night before (9-10pm).

So by 8am Saturday when I woke up, I was a little panicked.  I was exhausted and would have loved to sleep more… but I had to go make sure that Tessa hadn’t gone to the bathroom in her crate.  She hadn’t, to my relief, but was anxious to go out.  The same thing occurred on Sunday, only this time I worried about it starting at 6am in the morning and could no longer sleep.  So yes… bye bye, sleeping in.

Besides the sleeping in, which I joke about but isn’t really a big deal to me, there are a whole list of things that are overwhelming me about being a dog owner at this point.  A lot of them are hugely related to our specific situation, namely:

• A small townhouse
• No yard
• Two cats (one of which is afraid of his own shadow)
• One “parent” who works over an hour away from home
• Relatively frequent travel… including international travel to see both of our families

1. Unable to leave the house for long periods at a time – As I mentioned, S is gone from early morning until after dinnertime.  He is over an hour away, so is unable to pop in to let the dog out or to give her some attention.  Yes, I work at home… so that is probably the number one thing we have going for us right now.  Although I am almost always on the phone in a meeting, I can use my cell phone if need be and take her out in case of an emergency.  And I have breaks throughout the day to walk her.  However, we can no longer really go anywhere for the entire day without taking her.  Especially right now as a puppy… she needs to be let outside and also needs some exercise at least every few hours.  This in particular was not a brilliant time for us to get her, because two days after we did – S’s father and grandmother came to visit for 2 weeks from Switzerland.  So we have to balance taking them around, visiting and sightseeing for the day with caring for the dog.  On Saturday, we had tickets to the SF ballet at 2pm.  We left the house at noon, and had planned to go out to dinner with grandma after the ballet.  But by the time it was done, and recognizing that we still had over an hour to drive home, we knew that we couldn’t due to the puppy.Also, I have a trip to Pittsburgh coming up in a month.  I will be going and S will be staying here.  So I didn’t think we would have to worry about the dog.  However, there is no way Tessa will be ok from early morning until late evening when S comes home from work.  So either I have to take her with me to PA, or we have to get a dog sitter.  Even though there is a parent in town!
2. Constant attention – Even when we are home, it is virtually impossible to do work or even just talk together.  Literally, every single conversation we have started to have in the last week has been interrupted with one of us screaming “Tessa, NO!” or desperately chasing her upstairs (where she is not supposed to go) and dragging her back down.  S had an assignment due for school yesterday, so I was responsible for keeping her occupied and away from him while he worked.  And yes, I work from home.  But I do need to get work done.  And it’s proven virtually impossible thus far, with a 40 pound dog who thinks she is a lap dog.
3. Destructive and messy – I knew when we first got Tessa that she was a bit of a chewer.  And she is a lab, a breed known for being a bit chewey, and a puppy.  So of course, it comes with the territory.  But knowing all that doesn’t make it any easier when she manages to get my shoes down off the shoe rack and chew up my black heels, or finds a pair of socks and mutilates them, or books, or…. you get my point.  She eats everything… including dog food, anything she can pick up outside (worms, sticks, rocks, grass…) people food (so far she has enjoyed some steak, Dairy Queen chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard, and I’m pretty sure S snuck him some of his ribs last night…) and cat food.  Oh, and drinking out of the toilet?  Check.It’s not just chewing that is destructive, either.  Although she was housebroken when we got her, she has peed a few times in the house.  I’m not sure if it’s because she is still getting used to the place or what, but that makes me crazy.   That is the one thing above all else that I cannot handle.  And it’s absolutely disgusting… it smells so bad and is so gross to clean up.  I’m not sure why she is doing it.  We take her out very frequently, and she knows to stand at the door when she has to go out (and does it.)  But occasionally she just goes on the floor for seemingly no reason.  Today she did it right in front of me.  I almost had a literal meltdown.  I called the woman who was fostering her, and she was very surprised.  She said that she had never, ever had a problem with urinating in the house with Tessa.  There is a chance that she has a bladder infection, and so she can’t help it.  In order to figure out if that is the case, we have to take her outside and catch  her mid-stream with a cup, and take the urine sample to the vet for testing.  Oy, vey.
4. The cats – And in case you forgot… we already lived in a bit of a zoo with JB and Mendy.  And they are scared to death of Tessa.  Tessa is not mean at all… but she is kind of a big, clumsy spaz.  She trips over her own feet and gets soooo excited whenever she sees the cats.  She just wants a friend, just wants to play, and would never intentionally hurt them.  But of course they don’t understand that.  They just see a huge, scary monster galloping at them full-speed and they freak out.  We are keeping Tessa downstairs, so that they have the upstairs to feel safe and to be happy.  The good news is that this is bringing them closer.  Nothing brings you together like a common enemy, right?This is the scene that S came upstairs to Saturday night when I fell asleep:

   

   The bad news is they are petrified to come downstairs.  Occasionally they come downstairs when Tessa is outside, and a couple of times they have even managed to venture down when she was in her crate.  Mendy more so than JB, though.  I want to try to get him to come downstairs to get food, but I am afraid that he will literally starve to death before he is able to overcome his fear and come downstairs!

5. $$$$$$$$$$$ – Money is always an issue for me.  And a dog is just expensive.  There was the initial purchase price, then all the supplies.  A crate, food, bowls, chew toys, a bed, bitter apple, a brush, a leash, treats, carpet cleaner… the list never ends.  Now the vet bills and a possible test for a bladder infection.  Of course the cost of all the items she destroys… shoes, clothes, etc.  And eventually the carpet, I can see that one coming a mile away.

Ok.  So now that I have gotten all of my overwhelming, freaking-out factors out of the way, let me tell you about why I am incredibly happy and love my new puppy.

She is fun.

She is at my side at all times.  She is always happy to see me and happy when I come home.

She makes us more active, and makes me remember how much I love to be outdoors and how I don’t do it enough anymore.

She does the Tigger bounce.

She is going to be my running partner (and probably will outrun me) when she gets a little older.

Two words:  Unconditional love.

She is good practice for a baby.   Ha… S said I had to put that one in there

She is warm and perfect to snuggle up with.

Unlike the cats, who I love desperately, I can be with her outside or in the car.  She is lots of fun to take on hikes or just for a car ride.

She is hilarious.

She always keeps trying.  Even if she messes up and we yell at her, even if we are having a bad day or she is having a bad day.  She just keeps on being cheerful and trying her best to make us happy.

She listens and is learning.  She now knows “Sit” and “Fetch” and “No”, as well as responds to her name.

S has someone to blame any household flatulence or bad smells on.

She’s freakin’ adorable.

Thanks for listening, ya’ll.

Meet Tessa.

She is the newest member of our family!  I finally got a puppy!!!

S and I adopted her on Tuesday night.  She was being housed at a foster home that had many dogs and a few cats.

I’m not going to lie, I am scared.  I have always wanted a dog, but know that they are a lot of work and responsibility.

Especially this puppy.  She is a 6 month old chocolate labrador mix, and is a bundle of energy.  She is also sometimes a bit of a chewer…  so I am worried about that too.  I can see my shoes, my house, my furniture being chomped before my very eyes.

Although he says he’s not the biggest dog person, S has bonded with her already.  In fact, we went over to look at her on Monday night, and he was the one who convinced me to get her the next night.

I was a bit scared and hesitant.

But she is very sweet and loving.

Right now I am a bit overwhelmed.  We have a small townhouse and no yard, so she requires constant attention and many trips out a day.  I thought it would be no problem since I work at home, but I can already see I underestimated this responsibility.

She is hilarious!  She is currently about 30 pounds, but she has huge feet, so will probably get a lot bigger.  She is kind of a clumsy spaz… bouncing all around the house and tripping over her own feet.  She does the Tigger bounce!

She is also going to be a good little runner.  I can’t wait until she is about a year old and she can be my running partner!

Next up… signing her up for school.  She needs to learn the basic and some behavior training!

Now we are off to pick up S’s dad and grandma at the airport.  They are coming to visit for two weeks!  We are taking Tessa in the car for her first real trip… and SF is an hour away.  Wish us luck!

Ok, I know I haven’t written for a while.  But I have a really good excuse this time, promise.  More on that in a little bit.

Friday I worked in the San Francisco office.  Which means that I actually changed out of my sweat pants for work.  Don’t believe me?

Photographic evidence doesn’t lie!  Especially a quality shot in the bathroom like that one.

The office building there is really nice, too.   Here is the view from where I was working.

Not too shabby, eh?

It seemed like 4:30 would never come.  But it did… and S picked me up and we were off!  Off… into the worst traffic I have ever seen as we headed across the bay bridge.

We were in the carpool lane to cross the bridge, since we had two people in our car and it was moving much faster.  And by much faster, I mean we were crawling rather than just sitting still.  All of a sudden a cop pulled up next to us.  My window was down, and he asked me “Do you have two people in your car or three?”  I answered “two”… not thinking anything was wrong.  He then proceeded to ask us to pull over.  Uh oh.

So… it turns out that the definition of a carpool on the Bay Bridge (and maybe in the whole SF/Oakland/Berkeley area???  Not sure…) is 3 people.  But in the south bay, where we live, it is just 2 people.  So, we got cited for having just two people in the car.  It wasn’t an official ticket… but a summons to court.  S (since he was driving) will have to show up to the SF superior court some time in the next three weeks.  Not the greatest start to the trip, but what can you do?

S swore that he had never seen any sign stating that a carpool had 3 people.  This was the closest we could find:

It doesn’t say 3 people… all it says is that a 2 seater with 2 people was ok.  So you are supposed to know by default???  Grrrrr….

It took us a longer time to get there than expected, due to the insane traffic.  The drive was fun, though.  I love just watching people in their cars in traffic… it is so interesting.  Do you ever just watch the people driving by you? 

When we finally arrived, we pulled into the resort entrance in S’s old mustang.  We were instantly surrounded by Porsches, Bentleys, Teslas…. S just looked at me.  Total deer-in-the-headlights look.  We pulled up to the front entrance where three men opened the doors for us and proceeded to take the car to valet parking.  They also unloaded all our bags and loaded them onto the golf cart as we checked in.

When we walked into the lobby, the woman at the front desk offered us glasses of champagne as we checked in.  I got another panicked look from S.

After checking in, they took us (and our bags) up to our cabin.  Our cabin was one of the furthest ones away from the front entrance – S had gotten a really secluded and private one!  It was about a 10-15 minute walk from the front entrance.  But the resort had golf carts to take you anywhere you wanted to go.  All we had to do was call the front desk and ask them to pick us up somewhere. 

So they drove us up to our cabin and brought in our bags.  By the way, we had to be tip-crazy this weekend.  Tipping everybody!  Bell boys, valey drivers, room service, housekeeping… etc.  Its insane.  I think we spent more in tips for the weekend then I typically do on an entire weekend trip away!

The cabin was amazing.  Fully stocked with fruit and complimentary food and drinks.

Well… complimentary as in… we already paid for it

Even wine and champagne!

I was really excited, I have been wanting to try these bars.

Some chocolate to compliment the wine…

And lots of other goodies.

The bed was huge and fluffy.  Look at those pillows!

You literally sank into it… like you were sleeping on a cloud!

The bathroom had a side for each of us

With our own sinks, areas, etc. and a beautiful bathtub and shower in the middle.     

And the shower garden was outside.

We were starving, so ordered room service.  All their food is made locally and is organic – they really emphasize how they support the local farmers.

Which is good, considering that pretty much all we saw in Napa were wineries and farms! 

We relaxed for the night, enjoying the cloud bed and watching a complimentary DVD.  I slept like a dream and woke up the next morning to this:

Reading the newspaper outside on the deck by the outdoor fireplace!  In the comfy robes, of course.

We got room service for breakfast.

The pastries were warm, Holy yum!!

Fresh fruit,

Beautiful berries.

Coffee, milk, juice, tea, cereal.  Heaven.

After we finally put on clothes (did NOT want to get out of those robes!) we stocked our backpacks with picnic lunches we ordered from room service and left the cabin.

We walked down to the road, and then down to the front of the resort.

Everything was so beautiful… the trees and bushes, the fountains. 

And it was incredibly silent and peaceful.

The resort had complimentary bikes that they let you use for as long as you want.  So S and I each grabbed a bike and we went on a bike ride through Napa. 

We rode to a park where we did a short hike and had a picnic in the grass.  The picnic lunches that room service packed us were awesome!  I got a grilled veggie sandwich with goat cheese.  The lunch boxes themselves included cheese (I think brie?) with crackers, an apple, and two delicious cookies.

They also gave us each a bag of chips, a clif bar, a drink, and a big pack of m&ms! 

It was windy up there, but a perfect picnic.

On the ride back, I snapped a few pictures of the wineries we were biking past.

When we got back to the resort, we took a hike there too.  They had several available on resort grounds. 

It was only a couple of miles, but was pretty steep.  I was sweating by the time we got to the top!

By the time we got back to our cabin (we walked back… every couple of minutes a golf cart passed us and asked us if we wanted a ride!  I don’t think these people had ever seen anyone walk anywhere before….) we just had a little while to relax and then it was time to get ready for dinner.  We had reservations at the Lakehouse, the restaurant at the resort. 

We got all dressed up…

It was really nice because we could just walk there and didn’t have to worry about getting rides – particularly back home. 

We had the four course dinner with wine pairings.  They matched us a glass of wine with each course.  I don’t drink alcohol all that often, so I was a goner after the first course and first huge glass of wine!

Unfortunately, I didn’t take my camera to the restaurant.  And truthfully, I probably wouldn’t have taken any pictures if I had.  But it was literally one of the best meals, if not the best meal, I have had in my entire life.

We got back very late, very drunk, and very happy.  After another incredible nights sleep, we woke up to a similar Sunday morning as our Saturday morning – room service, reading, and talking in the beautiful sunshine by the fireplace outside.  We checked out at noon and headed back home.

The weekend went quickly, but it was perfect.  And it was VERY expensive, but worth it.  S and I talked about it, and although taking longer vacations is nice (and cost the same amount), this one was so incredible and so relaxing that we felt just as good, if not better, for the weekend getaway.  I felt way more refreshed coming home from this than I did after 3 weeks in Switzerland, that’s for sure! 

Gotta go for now.  I will be back with another post shortly with my exciting news!

Tomorrow’s vacation!!  Tomorrow’s vacation!!!  This post is going to be quick, as I have a lot to do to get ready.  I will be working in the office in San Francisco tomorrow, so have to prepare everything  tonight for my day tomorrow and my vacation weekend.

Breakfast was oats in a jar.  A nutella jar, to be exact.  It’s probably really bad that we go through nutella approximately 500x as fast as we go through regular peanut butters.  But most of that is S, I swear.  I am just obligated to use the mostly-empty jars. 

Although I seem to be declaring them “empty” earlier and earlier each time.  Soon, I will be opening it, eating a spoonful, and immediately pronouncing it too empty for any other use than OAJ.  I wouldn’t want to subject anyone else to a sandwich made from bottom-of-the-jar nutella!

Today was crazy all day.  I got a new opportunity at work, which I am VERY excited about.  I will be managing releases for a new application – it is one I currently know nothing about so hopefully I will learn a LOT!  I have really been looking for project management opportunities to expand my knowledge base and I hope this will give me the chance.

The bad news?  The rest of the team is on the east coast, and our daily scrum meetings are at 9am their time.  So 6am my time!  Daily!  As in, every single day!  Oy, vey.  I’m going to have to start going to bed earlier……

Lunch was veggie stirfry (portabella mushrooms, broccoli, edamame and carrots) with a scrambled egg, salsa, mixed cheese, and a veggie italian sausage.

And dinner was broccoli with broiled pork, cheddar cheese, carrots, and a slice of homemade pizza.

Best.  Pizza.  Ever.  The crust is so good, I didn’t even put any toppings on it today!

Now:  Swiss chocolate and packing.  I can’t wait… talk to you all when I get back from vacation!

I used to not like Wednesdays, because I always have an early morning meeting (6 or 7am) and a late night meeting (9 or 9:30pm).  It makes for a long day. 

But now that S works at home on Wednesdays, it makes them a lot more fun. 

For breakfast, we had nutella sammies on english muffin.

and some strawberries.  I ate my strawberries and S’s strawberries.  I didn’t disguise the fruit enough… he was able to tell it was a fruit and thus wouldn’t touch it.  *sigh*

Look at the difference the natural light makes in the pictures!

When S works at home I am reminded of how different our jobs are.  My customer is on the east coast, and my team overseas, so I start work very early (between 6 and 7am).  S, on the other hand, begins at 9:30 or 10am when he works at home.  My mornings are crazy… I spend almost the entire morning and early afternoon on the phone and in constant meetings and netmeetings.  S, however, never has morning meetings.  But then his day gets hectic around 2:30 or 3pm – when I’m getting tired and winding down.  I eat breakfast at around 7, and a mid-morning snack around 9:30.  S eats breakfast around 11:30, and lunch around 3. 

So as much as I love having him at home, it kind of puts a kink in my routine.  And I am a very routine-oriented person.  I am starving when I wake up, so still eat my early breakfast.  I am hungry at 9:30, so still eat my morning snack.  But then he wants breakfast before I am ready for lunch.  And since I’m physically incapable of sitting at home and watching somebody else eat without eating myself… I eat a third breakfast with him.  Just in time for my lunch.  And on it goes throughout the afternoon. 

Today my third breakfast was S’s strawberries, though, so wasn’t bad

For lunch, I baked some tilapia and threw it on top of my salad, along with some of my homemade croutons.  Plus the usual offenders… romaine, veggies, cheese, egg, olive oil and vinegar, edamame. 

Delicious.  Plus I got to annoy S at the same time because it made the house smell like fish

Mid-afternoon I had a mini clif bar,

And two pieces of low carb sweet bread I pulled out of the freezer and warmed up.  This stuff is addictive.

I spent a good part of my afternoon looking for my sunglasses, which seem to have disappeared.  I have no idea where I put them, or possibly left them.  I can’t even remember definitively when the last time I wore them was.  Grrrr.

I guess it was their time.  I had this pair for over a year, which is quite possibly a Rachel world record.  Usually sunglasses last a month or two max before I either misplace them or sit on them.

The other bad thing about S working from home is that it makes me a lot less likely to go to the gym in the afternoon.  Because he never wants to go (he hasn’t been to the gym in forever) and I want to stay at home and play with him, of course.

I finally forced him to go for a walk with me at around 6pm.  It was beautiful outside.  Another reminder of why I live in CA. 

Remember my major motorcycle dropfest I had last weekend?  Let me share with you the results:

I am now officially turning rainbow colors.  Did I mention that I would have really liked to wear a skirt or a dress this weekend on my vacation?  That probably won’t be happening, unless I want S to be arrested for suspected spousal abuse.

The exciting thing for the day?  Only two more days until my vacation!!!  I will be working in the office in San Francisco on Friday, and then we will leave for Napa straight after work.  I can’t wait!!!!!!!

The other exciting thing for the day?  I finally made my own pizza!  Kind of halfway, though.  I used Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough for the crust.  Only after I started making it did I realize that I barely had anything for toppings!  So I used just good ole cheese (a combination of cheddar, monterey jack, mozzarella, parmesan and romano) and sausage.

Not my favorite combo, but twas good.  That crust is oh, so good.  So much better than a frozen pizza… the whole wheat makes me feel like I am eating something MUCH more substantial and is much more filling.  And I couldn’t believe how easy the crust was.  It baked so quickly!

Now I am chowing down on Swiss chocolate.  I do this pretty much every evening, but somehow it always seems to go unpictured.  Because I have usually already connected my camera and moved all my pics for the day, and don’t feel like taking a pic and moving them.  So let it be known, it looks beautiful. 

Why do I live here?  Why do I pay the outrageous real estate prices and fight the ungodly traffic?  Especially since I work at home so could technically live anywhere in the entire world that I wanted to?

Because today, in the middle of March, I ran outside in 72 degree weather with beautiful blue skies and sunshine.  That’s why.  And that makes it all worth it.

And for all you Florida peeps who tell me you can do it to?  Well… you can’t do it with no humidity

Breakfast – Protein french toast.  Two slices of whole wheat bread dipped in a mixture of 2 eggs, a dash of soy milk and a scoop of protein powder.

Along with a not-monster peach.

For lunch, I did the make-my-own Subway thing.  Which is never as good as real Subway.  I think it’s the bread.  One of these days, I plan to make my own bread.  I have a few recipes for Subway-like rolls and will start experimenting! 

For now, though, this roll was not so bad. 

I did make some of my own croutons today after lunch, though.  We bought a baguette when my sister and Brett were visiting, and we only ate about half of it.  And it is now very stale.  So I cut it up into cubes, and then tossed it with some olive oil and seasonings.

Baked at 250 degrees for about 25 min, and voila!  They were DELICIOUS.  I was eating them right off the tray.  Who needs a salad? 

I snacked on some girl scout cookies. 

That x 3.

I didn’t feel like getting in the car and going to the gym today – it was just too beautiful outside.  Plus, I haven’t been running for a really long time, and we have the Golden Gate Headlands 7 mile trail race (known to be extremely hilly and difficult) coming up on April 3rd that S and I registered to run with his Dad.  Not sure if I mentioned it, but his father and grandmother are coming to visit on March 25th.  So I figured a run was probably a good idea.

I did an out and back 5 miler on the Los Gatos Creek trail.  It was tough.  I forget how hard it is to start running when I haven’t run for a while.  Plus, my legs are covered with a brand new set of bruises from all my weekend bike-droppage… I didn’t think it would hurt to run, but it did!  But I completed the 5 miles and it was good.  CA, I heart you.

All of a sudden, I spotted a lone apple on the counter.  Right next to it, I spied a half-empty bottle of POM.  I had just been talking to my sister about how Passover was right around the corner, and then BAM!  The idea came to me.

POM haroset!!

For those of you who don’t know what haroset is, it is:

a sweet, dark-colored, lumpy paste made of fruits and nuts served primarily during the Passover Seder. Its color and texture are meant to recall the mortar with which the Israelites bonded bricks when they were enslaved in Ancient Egypt. The word "charoset" comes from the Hebrew word cheres — חרס — "clay." – Wikipedia

Typically, charoset is made with chopped apples and walnuts, along with wine and some spices.  There are many different recipes with small variations to suit your taste.  My take of the day:

POM haroset

1 large chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons POM
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
cinnamon to taste

Mix it all together, and…

It was delicious.  S loved it too – and I got him to eat an apple!!! 

For dinner I made use of my homemade croutons and made a white albacore salad with the works and a generous handful of the croutons. 

They are so incredibly good.  I don’t think I will ever be able to go back to store-bought croutons again!

Dessert was cottage cheese cheesecake pudding with chocolate chip Weetabix.

There is also some swiss chocolate action going on as I type this. 

My legs will probably be sore tomorrow from my long overdue run….

I woke up and had a nutella sammy and a peach for breakfast.  Although it was almost noon, so I guess it qualified as an early lunch.

I got these peaches on sale at Safeway last week, and have not been impressed.  They are not very sweet…  I’m going to try ones from the farmers market next week.  Remember the Monster peaches?  I can’t wait until those are back!!  Enough of these wimpy peaches.

After breakfast, it was time for me to get back up.  Time to get back on the bike.  Scared?  Check.  Ready?  Um… no check.  But did it anyways.  I knew if I didn’t get back on today, the day after, my fear would just get bigger in my mind and I never would. 

First we went on a quick trip around the block.  It went well, I felt ok.  So I decided to just do it.  Rather than turning back into the driveway to talk to S and tell him I was ready, I just headed out to the main road.  Plus, I thought that would make it easier because it wouldn’t force me to exit the sharp right out of the driveway toward the main street.  We stopped at the stoplight to turn onto the main street.  S pulled up beside me and gave me a questioning look.  I gave him a thumbs up… the light turned green, and we were off!

I rode my bike to Barnes and Nobles!  It is only about 3 miles from where we live, but there are many turns, traffic lights, and lots of cars!  Not to mention the parking lot is small, crowded and has many speed bumps.  I didn’t drop the bike, or even come close.  I was so proud of myself!

Inside B&N, I had a celebratory caramel frappuccino.  I was actually HOT, because my heart was racing so fast!

But shortly after finishing the frappuccino, I realized that I still had to drive back home. 

I’m proud to say that the ride home was just as good.  Getting started and getting out of the parking lot was tricky, but I did well.  There was no bike dropping, no near accidents, just fun, good driving. 

I’m really glad it was a good experience.  It helped boost my confidence in riding again, and helped confirm my belief that you just need to get up one more time than you fall

We then got on S’s bike together and went to Cycle Gear, where I bought a new riding jacket.  I also got gloves and a shaded visor for my helmet so I can ride in the sun:

The pink gloves match my new black and pink riding jacket (you can see a little in the Santa Cruz pic below!)  Certified badass???  Maybe….

We stopped back at home and I had a bag of pop chips.  BBQ flavor… not a single serving bag   I also drank one of my bottles of POM!

S and I continued the celebration by taking a long ride to Santa Cruz – him driving, me riding on the back.  We parked on the pier and walked around.  It was a gorgeous day!  The sun was shining, boats out on the water. 

Like my new jacket?

Like my man?

The sea lions were swimming again.  Love watching them swim.

Then we got… sweets from Marinis!!!!  Yes, although I managed to say no to fudge the last time I was there, with my sister and Brett, this time I had to say yes.  I got a big chunk of mudslide fudge.

Holy yum.  I don’t even know what kind of fudge the light brown color is, but the dark brown is chocolate and it has oreo cookies in it.  Need I say more?

S got a giant pixie stick.  We sat on the bench in the sun and ate our goods… totally felt like I was back in grade school.  Sitting with my crush on the bench, sharing a huge pixie stick.  Except for the fact that I was carrying a motorcycle helmet.

Then this guy came and sat on the ledge in front of us.

At first I thought he was just balancing on one leg, like a flamingo or something.  I dunno… doing seagull yoga?  But then, S and I realized he only had one leg!  Poor guy, it was hilarious.  He had serious skill, though… hopping along the ledge and taking off and landing with one foot.  He kept flying away and then coming back.  He liked us!

For dinner, I made a big salad with shrimp, eggs, almonds, broccoli, cheese… the works!

Dessert was 3 chocolate chip cookies left over from my sister’s birthday, and a girl scout cookie. 

Lesson of the day?  Don’t give up.  When you fall down, get back up. 

It has been a challenging few weeks for me.

Last week, Sarah and Brett were here which was awesome.  But then they left, which was not so awesome.  Every time a family member comes to visit and then leaves, I am reminded of how far away I live from the rest of my family and I always sort of get into a slump.

Then, remember how I mentioned an interview that I had a couple of weeks ago?  Well, to make a long story short, I was asked back for two more interviews after that one. I made it to the final round, and was really excited about the potential new opportunity.  And then, found out about a week after the final interview, that I did not get the job.  I was really upset.  I try not to take these things personally, but it’s really difficult for me.  I keep going over everything in my head and asking myself what I did wrong, what I could have done better.  And, as I was given no feedback, I just don’t know.  But as S and my dad tells me (and they are right), I might not have done anything wrong.  It just wasn’t the right job.  I wasn’t the right candidate, it wasn’t a good match, it wasn’t meant to be.  There could have been one candidate with just a little more experience, or one who answered one question differently.  That’s it.

So I began moving on.  Getting back up.  And then… two days later (on Friday), S comes home from work and (fearfully) tells me that the exact same company just contacted him to interview for some potential opportunities.  Now, tell me that’s not crushing.  Of course, it is completely unrelated to any interaction or potential opportunities I had with that company.  But still.  The past 27 years of my life, I wouldn’t have cared if this company contacted S on any given day.  In fact, I would have celebrated, because he would really like to work for them.  But of all days, it had to come two days after I got rejected.  Can you believe it?

My rational side understands that the two are completely unrelated and that I should not be anything but completely excited for S.  And I definitely am excited for him – anything that is good for him is good for us and I want him to be happy.  But that doesn’t mean I didn’t cry my eyes out pretty much the entire evening on Friday.

I was so upset that evening, I didn’t even think about dinner.  That in and of itself should show you the extent of my sadness.  But if you need further proof… S volunteered to make dinner.  Not only did he volunteer, but he insisted.  He made me a lovely salad with romaine, broccoli, ham, cheese, and hummus.  I didn’t take a picture, but it did make me feel better

Another thing that made me feel better was the package that I received from the generous people at POM.  I know, it’s crazy… but I have never tried POM (or any pomegranate juice, for that matter.)  So when they contacted me and offered some, I was very excited!

When the box arrived, JB was excited too.

Inside….

It was delicious!  I downed almost an entire bottle as soon as I opened it.

And knowing it is so healthy – full of antioxidants and good stuff!!

From their website:

POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice and POMx are full of antioxidants called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals protect plants from harmful elements in the environment, like ultraviolet radiation and pests. They also provide plants with their sensory characteristics such as color, flavor and smell.

I feel healthier already.  I can’t wait to drink the rest of it and to try some recipes!  THANK YOU, Pom peeps!

Ok, but back to the whole get knocked down, get back up thing.  So Friday and Saturday I worked mentally to get back up from yet another job knockdown.  Then Saturday morning I went to go pick up my new motorcycle wheels.  My bike needed new tires, and rather than paying somebody $150 to put them on for me (as well as paying for the new tires), we did a big part of it ourselves.  We bought the tires online, and they arrived at the house last week.  S had previously bought a front and rear wheel motorcycle stand, so we put the bike up and took off the wheels in the garage.  Then, we took the wheels and the new tires to a motorcycle shop in San Jose, where they put the new tires on for me.   Then Saturday we picked them up, took them home, and put them back on the bike!  So by just doing a little bit of the work ourselves, we saved over $100.  Plus, I got to learn about my bike and how to take the wheels off.  And S does this kind of stuff for fun anyways.  It was a win/win all around.

I was really excited to ride my bike with the new tires.  I got on it and S got on his, and we went around the neighborhood a few times.  I was doing great!  I only stayed on side streets, but was feeling good and confident and just having fun.  I was headed back to the house, and stopped at a stop sign about to turn onto our street.  When the path was clear, I started to pull out… and stalled.  I wasn’t expecting that, of course, and couldn’t put my feet down in time to catch the bike… and dropped it.  This was the first time I have actually dropped the bike in the street… and kind of a busy street.  Besides the fact that it hurt and I was worried about my bike, it was totally embarrassing!  Several people who were outside were staring, and some cars stopped to make sure I was ok.  S helped me up, and I got back on the bike and rode back to the house.

After that, I was a little shaken up but was determined to get back on and keep trying.  S thought it was time to go out onto the busy street, he suggested that we drive to Los Gatos to get some coffee.  I was so scared.  It’s a really busy street, and having cars all around me is still unnerving since I’m not 100% confident in my newbie skills.  Plus, I clearly still have problems with dropping the bike… and if I drop it on a major street I could cause an accident or get run over.  I finally agreed to do it.  I thought, I am going to have to get on that street to go anywhere… I will have to do it eventually and by riding on these back streets I am never going to feel “ready”.  I just have to do it.

So, scared out of my  mind, I got on the bike.  We started up, and went to pull out of the driveway.  When the coast was clear, I pulled out and made a sharp right onto the street.  Too sharp.  And dropped the bike.  On the right side, this time.  With more cars, and more people around.  This time, more people stopped.  I also hit my head really hard… I had never fallen to the right before.  S had to quickly jump off his bike and move my bike out of the street, because the traffic was building up.  It was horrible.

After that, I was done for the day.  I was petrified to get back on the bike, and there was not a snowball’s chance in hell I was thinking about going on the main road.  I was sad, embarrassed, and after spending the night before and the morning trying to mentally psych myself up after the job rejection and S’s subsequent contact, I was ready to crawl into the fetal position on the floor of my garage.

But S wouldn’t let me.  Have I mentioned lately how much I love this man?  He put my bike back in the garage, and then we got on his and went to get a cup of coffee.  And the combination of S and coffee helped lift my spirits.

I’m done for today.  But tomorrow, I will get back on the bike.  I will ride around the neighborhood, and I will try (keyword:  try…) to get confident enough to go on the main street.  Because I get knocked down, and sometimes I cry, but I’ll get back up.

My sister and Brett left to fly back to the east coast this morning.  The house feels quiet and empty – S is at work, they are gone, and even the cats are somewhere upstairs hiding.  Kinda sad   I miss them already. 

Every single day of their trip we did something fun and exciting.  Yesterday was the final full day of their trip and it was my sister’s 23rd birthday.  For her birthday, she wanted to go to the beach.  So we headed down to Santa Cruz.

But first, some exciting news.  In the morning… S and I went to the place that I hate the most in the world…. the DMV.  No, that’s not the exciting news.  The exciting news is… I officially got my motorcycle license!  Well, right now I have a temporary one.  But the real one is in the mail and I should receive it in the next few weeks.  So I am a licensed biker!  Woo hoo!

I decorated the house during the night for Sarah’s birthday.

She was very surprised and happy when she woke up.

So was Mendy.

Cookie eating and word rearranging quickly commenced.  “Happy Birthday Sarah” soon turned into:

After a chocolate chip cookie breakfast and the DMV trip, we went to Santa Cruz.  S didn’t come – he was working from home but had too much to do, so it was just Sarah, Brett and I.  Oooh…I forgot to share the happy news we got last weekend.  Two things actually:  1.  S will be coming home from work earlier each day – he got approval to leave work earlier and work on the train on the way home.  So he will get home around 6pm, woo hoo!  and 2.  S will be working from home on Wednesdays each week.  Both of these items will really help make the long commute more tolerable and will allow us to spend more quality time together!  And now that this weekend we move forward an hour, it will get darker later so we can actually do fun stuff together after work.  I can’t wait!

Santa Cruz was gorgeous.  It was cool outside, but the sun was shining and there weren’t very many people since it was a weekday during the off season.  First we went to see the sea lions.

They were swimming in the water!  This was the first time I have ever seen them swimming.  Usually they are lazing around and sunning on the wood, out of the water.

Actually, they weren’t exactly swimming.  They were pretty much just floating and resting in the water.  It looked so relaxing.

Then we walked on the beach.

Had some serious discussions

And of course walked down the pier, to Marinis, where Sarah got some saltwater taffy and a caramel apple with white and milk chocolate.  In-credible.

We also walked around downtown Santa Cruz.  They have a little community market called New Leaf that I absolutely LOVE.  I have to stop myself from going crazy and buying everything whenever I walk in there.  I limited myself to an organic chocolate bar and some chips on this trip

For her birthday dinner, Sarah wanted to go to this place in Campbell where you can grill your own steaks, called Grill’em.  It was pretty cool – they bring the raw steak to your table, and you go up to the grill and grill it to your own desired perfection.  I didn’t feel like red meat, so I went for a teriyaki chicken salad (twas delicious.)  But it was fun to watch them cook their steaks. 

After dinner we headed back home and had some cake.  Sarah had requested a funfetti cake with chocolate icing, so thats what we had.  Sooo good.  I had two huge pieces, and then I put the rest in two big tupperware containers and gave it to Sarah and Brett to take with them.  I know myself, and there is no way I can have that cake sitting in the house.  That is ASKING for trouble.  Actually, it was S’s idea to give it to them to take… and it was a good one!

So after a happy week that went way too fast, I am back with my quiet house.  It’s tough – times like this, when my visitors leave, always remind me of how far away I am from my family.  The good news is that I will get to go to the gym, which I haven’t done for over a week and a half!