Race Day

This was so much fun!!! I love triathlons. Call me whatever you want. I think they are such a blast. I actually had the thought "this is so fun!" during the swim this time, as opposed to hating myself for being there in that lake last time. :) I just attacked it this time. :)
Weather was great - it was overcast the whole time and probably in the high 60s. I thought it would be cold but it was perfect. it started to warm up as we hit the run but still felt good. I'm grateful that the sun stayed hidden until almost everyone there finished.
I'm really happy with my times - I cut off significant time from my times from last year in all three: Cut 6 minutes from my swim, 4 min. from the bike, and 2.5 min. from the run! I finished in 1:52:38. We ran in the mixed age group section, so we could all race together. I finished 11th out of 129 ladies in that group! Wahoo! Overall there were about 700 competitors today. Danskin is always really well organized and make it a lot of fun. They even call your name out as you cross the finish line. :)
It was SO FUN having friends to do it with this time. Janell finished her first triathlon today, and some women from church did it too...

We had twin outfits. The Bobsie Twins. Bright and early. It started at 6:45am. I woke up at 5am. 5 AM.
After I finished I was able to run back and grab the camera and capture Janell's finish :)

After... (hmm, this kind of looks like the before picture, just with medals)

Our whole group, afterward. Everyone finished and did great!

(The photographer suggested this ridiculous pose...)

I think I need a nap...

Branded, #767

Bodymarking 101

Does this strike anyone else as funny or just me?

Summertime and Mr. Mumbles

I’ve been eating normally and doing light workouts this week, it’s fun. Reading my non-educational-nor-academic books and not caring that that long hyphenated word I just wrote is not proper English. Laying by the pool and getting pink strips down my stomach and back. Visiting old friends and new babies… Waiting for the opening of the new Chick-Fil-A by my apartment… Checking out new tri equipment and clothing… Eating See’s chocolate truffles in the dressing room while trying on swim suits in the mall… Pulling up my pants ALL DAY TODAY (which is not even fun, because I bought them too big in the first place, I haven’t even lost weight to make them saggy)… Gaggling with excitement (or dismay) as new swimsuits arrive in the mail… Dreaming about Cabo and real Mexican margaritas and dusting off the old file labeled “Spanish” in my brain… It is indeed summer, the weather is finally beginning to cooperate (minus the still-frigid nighttime temps), and I definitely don’t want to be spending my days in this office pretending I know how to use InDesign and balancing people’s international budgets and receipts.

Check out Janell’s new blog! Our race is on Sunday. Tuned our bikes and changed to road tires this past weekend. Tested them out in the bike shop parking lot in our skirts and flip flops on the way to the beach. If I never return to Bonelli Park in my lifetime after Sunday morning I will be a happy girl. (Until next year I suppose?? Why do I keep going back?)

Speaking of traveling (I was, up there, somewhere) I am all registered for my trip to Israel with Talbot in January! I am thrilled beyond words… I am practicing walking everyday in preparation, as the instructions say. HAHA. Maybe I can swim or bike or run everywhere instead.

Because I have nothing better to post, here is a picture of a boy that Janell met on match.com. Hahaha. His name is Mr. Mumbles. She “winked” at him, however that works. He says God is most important and he likes to watch The Office. Sounds like a perfect match.

happy memorial day

tonight at Seal Beach

Just kill me now.

8 more days.
Shoulda...coulda...woulda...

ho-hum...

I don't think I mentioned that I finished up the semester on Saturday...I'm done! (For 3 months. Blast.) No summer school due to scheduling conflicts, which I'm now actually thankful for, even though it will push me back one more semester.

It feels SO WEIRD to have nothing I have to be doing. I suddenly like to read, since it's not school related, and I can do WHATEVER I WANT at any time that I choose! Amazing.

My brain is also pretty much done thinking about anything in particular, or coming up with anything enlightening or interesting to say here. I have a lot going on internally that is for journaling, not for blogging, so you'll have to be happy with fluff and pictures for awhile. :) Happy summer!

Less than two weeks

Me last year! Pic by Noah.

Less than two weeks until the tri! Based on a trial run-through this weekend, I can tell I haven't been biking as much. I shall do that lots this week, along with swimming, do another run-through this weekend and then taper off next week. Hopefully I'll be this happy two Sundays from now...

I'm more confident in my swimming this year and I am pretty sure I can beat last year's time. I've just been doing it more. Biking...yeah we'll see. Last year that is ALL I did leading up to it, because I was most worried about it, and it ended up being my best event. This year...yeah I just have no idea. :) I'm stronger but who knows. Running...running is running! I love running! I actually should have been running LESS the last several weeks. I feel good about this part.

I'm so excited this year to have at least 4 other ladies joining me. We all entered together and will be able to start together, which will be fun. I know training's been a little rough on some, but I think it will pay off! My one wish is for less than the 95-degree temperature I nearly melted in last year. Oh and one more wish, that my roommate makes good on her promise to come in her cheerleading uniform.

how many smart girls does it take to patch a bike tire?

The hole's got to be here somewhere...
What side of the patch goes on the tube???

found it

Today I checked my own blog to see if it had been updated. Hmm...

Janell house sat at a fabulous house in Yorba Linda that we spent quite a lot of time at the other weekend...

The lovely outdoor retreat...

Who said barbecuing was a man's job?

I need to get me one of these...

Serenade with dinner...Mathias is amazing with this thing.

Chicken and shrimp kabobs, grilled pineapple, homemade cheesecake, fire, candles in the outdoor retreat! :)

It was Janell's birthday weekend. Obviously we are all very excited to watch her open her presents! Haha

Posers... (I want no part of this)

See? :)
The masterpiece photo...some night swimming.

muses du jour

I have some pics to post from this past weekend but camera seems to have grown legs. I was charging the battery so I have that…but no camera to go along with it. It might surface after I clean this weekend.

I’m really tired of working out and training right now. My body is tired. (Might also have to do with getting about 5 hours of sleep a night…dang it.) The race is in a little over three weeks (OH MY GOSH!! I had no idea!) and I could do it today, but I need to be better about my sleep for the next few weeks so I have the energy for this. We’re going up to do a practice run-through on Saturday morning so I’ll see how I feel. Going to Hollywood tonight for Broken Hearts, which won’t help my sleep schedule (getting back at 3am), but if I can catch up on Friday and eat some good energy food today and tomorrow I’ll be fine. It’s 90% mental anyway. Well, maybe 60%. :) I need to swim a lot between now and then…

I have a big presentation today in one class and a paper due next week and that is IT for my semester…looking forward to the summer off but it’s a bummer that it puts off graduation one extra semester. I guess when you get towards the end of a program, scheduling (and finding classes you can actually take/haven’t taken yet) is challenging! I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll be around for at least another year, and that my master’s degree will have taken just about as long as my bachelor’s…shoot.

Guess I’ll let you know when I find my camera…

Is it time yet??

I'm anxiously awaiting June 17.

Here is a hint: when I am feeling bogged down or wanting to get away, I go to this website and play the music loud...it makes me happy! I even sway to a particular part.

Then I peruse over to this site, and dream of June 17, when I will be staying at the Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Spa in Cabo San Lucas for 7 days (the music here is not so inspiring). How, you ask? Well, because I'm filthy rich and needed some way to spend all my money.

Really, a friend happened upon a fabulous deal through someone she knows. So this $400+ per night resort is ours for only $150 each (total) for seven days!!! Plus my frequent flyer miles...I'm a happy girl. It's tough, but I'll be ready. I'm going back to the website to listen to my music now.

a rant about pansy men.

I'm sorry if this is offensive to anyone. But it's my blog. :)

So, the time I've spent recently in my late 20's has caused me to lament the lack of men with the ability to LEAD. Those who are strong enough in their identity, their faith, their emotions and their integrity to know what they want and pursue it. Those who know themselves well enough to be able to step up and fill the role of leader. I am tired of being the stronger one and filling a role that I am not meant to fill. There is nothing more attractive than someone who has the maturity and leadership to step into the role of a man that God has designed for him.

(I guess the bar has been set - and continues to be set - so high by N. that I'm ruined forever. But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.)

I have several beautiful, strong, faithful girlfriends in our late 20s who struggle to find someone who they can actually respect and be led by. There seems to be a lack of men who are ready to lead these women, men who have figured out their stuff and understand what their roles are. Men who have the balls to put themselves out there, figure out what they want and go after it. NEWSFLASH: THAT'S YOUR JOB. Take a risk. Then pick yourself back up and do it again.

So step it up already! That's all.

seriously???

I went to the gym last night and ran on the treadmill. It was fairly empty; the row of 20+ treadmills were open...so when a little old man came and got on the one right next to me I grumbled inwardly a bit (I guess I like my space).

I kept running, he walked, and I noticed that he kept glancing over but I turned up my music and forged ahead (in place of course). When I finished, and slowed to a walk, I noticed that he also stopped, turned, and I could no longer ignore him without appearing rude. He was talking to me. I took my headphones out of my ears.

"It must be nice being young."

"Actually my body is starting to fall apart already." (Blast, why did I say that?)

"Well, if you need mouth to mouth resuscitation, I'm available."

What????? "Uh..."

"That's the only reason I keep coming up here. I hope I'll pass out and one of you young things will have to give me mouth to mouth."

All right, good luck with that ... Gross!

race me

Janell and I did our first (practice) triathlon of the season on Friday. Oddly, as I rode my bike around Bonelli Park, usually something I hate (I now associate that park with pain and exhaustion, therefore it's not my favorite place), I thought, "I love triathlons!" Such demented thoughts but I realized, it's true! I love being surrounded by people who are all doing the same thing. My best times have been in organized races, being pushed on by those competitors around me. I even love getting out of the water after the swim and getting on the bike and air drying, and at the end being all salty with dried sweat and lake all over me. Yes, demented...but I do like the shower afterwards even more. :)

Our Grand Canyon Weekend: A page right out of history

Kristin and I needed a weekend away. We also wanted to see the Grand Canyon. So with very few days of planning and securing a hotel just two days in advance (spring break...no room in the inn!), we left early Friday morning on our "Grand" Adventure.

(No one mentioned that there are strips of 150 miles between here and Flagstaff AZ with NOTHING...most importantly with no gas stations. At this point, Seligman AZ was like an oasis in the desert:) We made it to the Canyon Friday afternoon for some breathtaking views (see below). But a road trip is not complete without odd roadside attractions (or so my roommate so unfortunately believes). This one is right on the road to Grand Canyon National Park. There was no dissuading her. She had to see Fred...

Ok I had fun too.

A random teepee by the side of the road...wouldn't you know it she's obsessed with those too :) Haha.

This one takes the cake...Jim & Dena's Miracle House. Dena herself gave us the history of how they came to bring their purebred white buffalos here, how rare such a buffalo is, actually these are the only ones, and how they are going to be featured on the Travel Channel on Friday. It's a miracle, really.

The daddy...he's big. He doesn't like cameras.

This is the only white buffalo pack in the world (I think?)...here's one:

Is teasing the alpaca ok??

This one likes to pose:

And on to the main attraction...

When we arrived for a peak on Friday night, my jaw dropped open...I really had never seen anything like this before in my life! It is amazing...

Saturday we hiked down about three miles and back out, and then another two miles along the rim to another lookout point. We figured out how to change the color settings on the camera :)

and the sunset helped the colors too:

Happy Easter!

in memory of...

I used to know Spanish. I took it all through high school and college. I spent every summer in college in Mexico or Costa Rica or Guatemala or the like. I got hired at my first job after college because I spoke Spanish. I used to think in Spanish. I've dreamt in Spanish. Journaled in Spanish. Written literature papers in Spanish. I went to Turkey and tried to speak to everyone in Spanish (Americans only have the capacity for one extra language - we hear another one and our brain switches to the only other one we know! haha). I learned some Turkish. Merhaba. Nasil siniz? Como te llamas? Ingilizce biliyor musunuz? Uno, dos, bir, iki, besh, seis, yedi, sekiz... Aaaah! Then I moved to Los Angeles, to the ghetto, right around the corner from mini-Mexico, people in the park on Sunday selling corn on the cob out of their little carts and everything. I hung out there and tried to speak Turkish to them. So many spanish-speakers, so little practice...I've just gotten lazy. It's like riding a bike, right? I'll get my subjunctive and my irregular verb conjugations, not to mention my vocabulary back?? Just throw me back in there and it will all start flowing again...??? Tesekkurler...

take me out to the ball game...

See the time? I have class all day in the morning starting at 9. I have a paper due. So I went to a Dodgers game instead of writing it tonight...

old times, good times

Sarah's back!

Reunion with Sarah and Jolene...Sarah's moving back from Kansas City for awhile! Ah, the days when the three of us would meet regularly to pray and study...and invite unsuspecting women pastors over to question about doctrines and spirituality and charismatic things and women in ministry issues...those were the days. Regular Mexican food, laughing for hours, boy horror stories, long walks, vulnerability, prayer, fun times...my heart is happy. :)

...And it's blurry. Nice focus on the car in the background though.

Satisfaction is...

passing up three boys around my age on a big uphill climb on our mountain bikes like they were standing still! :) booyah.

broken hearts

On the corner of Santa Monica and Highland in Hollywood there is a tiny donut shop on the corner. Behind it is a parking lot and a small strip mall, housing among others an adult book store and a check cashing store, two things you never want to see move into your neighborhood.

This corner is where I have spent a good deal of time over the past few Thursday nights. This strip of Santa Monica is home to the largest and most popular gay nightclub in the greater LA area. It also has the largest concentration of transvestite prostitutes in Hollywood. The darkness and strongholds are palpable on this street.

The Broken Hearts Ministry team goes specifically to show love to the broken people on this street. As my heart has been to find female prostitutes, I’ve been talking with one of the leaders, Robin, about how we can begin to expand the ministry to find them and begin reaching out to them. We have a few ideas. Over the last three years though the team has found themselves brought back to this section of Santa Monica over and over. They’re a familiar sight on a few nights of each week.

Last night I had a long talk with Feyonce (“Like Beyonce with an ‘F’”), a 43 year old African American transvestite with long locks of platinum blond hair and better eye makeup than mine. She told me her whole philosophy of life, why people end up on the streets, how different each individual is and their reasons for being out there, her own story of coming out and being rejected by her family, her history of being a war veteran and having a college degree and traveling the world and working for a large insurance company. As I asked her about her spirituality and beliefs and heard her ideas of the origins of the Bible and Christianity and pointed out the truths that are actually in there, she kept bringing it back around to black pride and how the black people will prevail and there will be world peace. :) Sure, when Jesus comes back…

The teeny tiny donut shop is a popular place at 2am (or maybe it’s the p0rn shop…). It’s been a fruitful place for conversations, yet it’s one of the darkest places I have been in a long time. As these people with whom I have nothing in common socially become individual faces, Aubrey, Steve, George, Ray, Shadow, I continue to ask for that compassion and love that Jesus ministered with, to those who were well-off and the marginalized alike. Whether it is the female prostitutes that I hope to eventually reach or not, there are so many people in need of love and a sense of their worth and value in Christ. Each night as we gather to pray in the Del Taco parking lot before walking in groups down the street, we pray for those lives, for those strongholds, and for the hearts that are broken to be our own.

Retreat Pics

My purdy roommates...

Most of our small group came! I love my group...sigh.

my old friend

I'm becoming excited anew about my little old friend, the Danskin Triathlon. First I threw it all out the window at the prospect of doing a bigger, greater, more extravagant triathlon. Then I decided that this was my FIRST, it MADE me, and I should do it again, just for fun (I owe it, afterall), so I was going to do it as a relay team, in addition to the other. But THEN, amidst new sparks of interest from a few ladies at church and a couple other friends, who are really THISCLOSE to registering, I decided to do it all! So I registered today, yippee, in hopes that this year I will have a crowd of friends around me (or perhaps 4 or 5) to inspire me to go faster and not nearly hyperventilate in the lake, or slow down whilst my shoes melt on the pavement in the 95 degree weather, because we are a TEAM! WOOHOO!!! (Come on you guys, I registered, your turn...)

I'm posting already!

Happy daylight savings...why is it that one little hour knocks me off kilter for almost a week!? I'm tired. Yet it shouldn't be this late...
Played guitar for the women's retreat this weekend. Eek! I got over my nauseous perma-anxiety pretty much only this morning for the last session. (It was my first time.) Leading worship is something I've always wanted to do but I haven't put the time into really developing my skills to do so well. This was kind of inspiring to me. I'm glad I did it. It went pretty well, and I feel privileged to be able to help people enter into worship. I enjoyed the fellowship and rehearsals with the other ladies on the worship team. I felt like I was putting myself REALLY out there, mostly because they really needed someone. But it turned out to have its blessings. :)

Practice...

teaching or preaching?

My sister and I do similar things. We both have teaching roles at our churches. That is where the similarities end, we realized. She and her husband are the college pastors at a large Foursquare church. I teach women’s Bible studies at a Baptist church. First difference resulting in our denominations. Also,
Sister: “I’m preaching tonight.”
Me: “I’m teaching tonight too.”
Sister: “I have a lot of work to do on my sermon.”
Me: “I’m nearly done with my message.”
Essentially we are doing exactly the same thing, except in a Foursquare church she preaches, and in a Baptist church I teach. :)
She is a “pastor,” and I am a women’s Bible study teacher. She is as egalitarian as they come. I’ve changed a little since I’ve been around these parts, though I never had a firm opinion previously. I guess I might still be more egalitarian than some people in my church (though I wouldn’t call myself that exactly), but I sure don’t mind that I’m not a pastor preaching sermons. That sounds like a lot of pressure. :)