Victory at sea

I did it. I walked 20 miles a day for three days all in the name of Boobie Cancer. To say this is a life changing event is an understatement. When I signed up for the 3-Day I did it as an aversion to a never ending wait for my daughter, something to get my mind off of the adoption and maybe loose a few pounds and get into better shape. Who knew I would join a team of 18 walker chicks who would be there to support each other, give a hug when we were tired, wrap your blistered feet, and pour you glass of Chardonnay at the end of the day. To my Beach Babes I will never forget this experience we shared together. What I got out of this weekend was something I will never forget. It was hard. It wasn't fun at times, especially at the part where my feet felt like they were on fire and I had to walk a mile up a hill. I'm not going to lie, there were tears. But walking through that finish line and seeing my hubby and my boys standing there with smiles on their faces, beaming with pride, telling me how proud they were of me made everything I went through worth it. Their mom did it.

So it is that day after the walk and I feel like I gave birth through my feet, but ask me if I would do it again and I would be crazy enough to say......yes.

Me, My MIL (a 4 year breast cancer survivor), and my SIL leaving at 5:15am

Cars lining the streets honking, people thanking us for walking

We walked and we walked and then we walked some more

Yes, those are my feet, and yes that is a blister and not a 6th toe

The very cute bike cops in pink shirts who kept us safe and were always there with music and encouragement

We walk because we believe

Our cheerleader

WE DID IT!!!!!!!!

The time has come

Yes, my friends, tomorrow is the day. What I have been training for, raising money for and preparing for months has finally come. Tomorrow I embark on 20 miles of walking for 3 days in the name of Breast Cancer. I feel ready. I am glad I started training back in March. I think I should have no problems. I am bit nervous however, because the 3-Day involves camping......and you know my view on camping. I am armed with my arsenal of Blister Block, Kineseo Tape, Icy Hot, Band-aids and smuggled in airline size bottles of red wine. So think of me on Saturday night when you are snuggled in your beds and I will be passed out in a tent with my feet in zippy bags of epsom salts. Good times.

So this Beach Babe is signing off until Monday..............

Boobie Cupcakes

My girl, Alana made these cupcakes for a party and I decided to bogart her idea and make them for a get together I am going to tonight for my 3-Day walk coming up this weekend. Hey Alana, how'd I do?

What a difference a week makes

A week has passed. The fires are pretty much contained at this point. The air is better. People are finally getting on with life again. I am so lucky I can go home to a house, over 2000 people in SD cannot. For those people I feel so sad. The recovery effort is going well, it is strange that every commercial on the radio is from insurance companies helping homeowners file claims, Red Cross Disaster Relief locations and restoration companies who will get the soot and ash out of your house and clothing......so surreal.

My city is on fire

As some as you might know I live in San Diego and our fine city is a burning, giant piece of kindling right now. We been on evacuation watch for two days now. We have not had to evacuate our home yet and we are hopeful that the fire that is West North West of us will be contained or hopefully be put out before it makes it's way here. We have our important papers and photo albums packed in the car, but so far so good. As for the air quality it is awful, like really bad. They advised us not to go outside and if you do you need to wear masks. We use respirator masks at our shop, so we have been handing out masks to all of our neighbors and anyone who needs them. I have asthma and it has been really bad for me, my lungs feel like they are full of boulders and my throat feels like sandpaper. All schools in S.D. County are closed for the rest of the week so I am taking off tomorrow morning for Arizona to visit my parents, kind of an impromptu visit/clean air mission. The hubby is staying home to hold down the fort and working, I think he is crazy for staying, but he wants to make sure the house is going to be OK and it beats having to travel with 2 dogs and a cat. Over 500,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes (I hope we don't have to make it 500,004). We know people that have been evacuated and some that have lost their homes. It is so very tragic and I am at a loss for words for what has happened. I just have to say that I am so proud of my city, our evacuation sites have had so many donations they had to turn them away. Where else but San Diego would you find Massage therapists, accupuncture, manicure, pedicure, crisis teams, medical teams, clowns making balloon animals, yoga classes, unlimited food and water, and safe place to sleep in an evacuation center. Only, my San Diego.

Taken about 2pm today, when the sun is usually the brightest, the picture doesn't do it's justice the sun was a bright orange/fushia. An erie sight.

The view from my kitchen window, this is when the wind picked up a little and there was a bit more visibility, but 15 minutes later you could not see the palm tree in the middle of the photo

The ash is everywhere

San Diego Chic

We are getting used to our new gear.

Ten and Twenty

Well, in all the hub-bub of a busy week I missed our 10 month LIDiversary, Ten months, man. Double digits. Only two days late but still recognized, nonetheless.

I went to my 20 year high school reunion last night. I was not at all excited or really looking forward to it for that matter. The reason I was not that geeked up about it was there has been just too much stuff going on to really think about it and my best friends who I still see and talk to on a regular basis are the only ones I wanted to see anyway, so I was like, 'what's the point'. But all 6 of us BFF's who have known each other since 2nd grade, loaded in my SUV and we all went together (with one of the BFF's mom who was our personal driver so we all could drink and not have to worry about who was going to drive, how cool is Mom??). When we got there we immediately bellied up to the bar for some liquid encouragement. Once we got onto the patio and started talking to old classmates it was like 20 years had never passed. I must say, we all looked pretty good. Like a fine wine we all seemed to get better with age. And for the girl's who weren't that excited about going, she and her posse closed the place down and danced there almost 40 year old tushies off. Of course my camera battery was dead so I didn't get any pictures but when I get some from some of the BFF's I will post them.

New 'do

This is the picture I brought in
(Us magazine Cynthia Nixon from
Sex and the City)



My new do. Pretty cute, huh?

She's not happy

And my blogging has been severely affected. Long story short, this week had sucked HARD. It has been long and the crappiest of the crap. Won't get into it too much, but the addition to our house is going to have to be scrapped. Without getting into the specifics, the shitter system (AKA septic system, yes we are on septic, why you ask? Because we are up on this hill and the city will not let us tap in to the sewer) in this old, stupid house is a mess to say the least. To redo it or move it will cost half of our budget, and that is the last thing I want to spend my money on right now. So, unless the engineer and the septic contractor can come up with a better cheaper solution, we will just remodel this house and flip it when the market straightens out. Thats all I know right now. I do know that after working with the County and City agencies that I am not the nice person I thought I was. These people brought out a side of me I don't ever want to see again.

I'll leave you on a good note. The boys got their report cards this week and between the two of them they pulled down 13 A's and 3 B's. I am sappy, sloppy mom proud. I wuvs my guys.

Got Fish?

I do. A whole freezer full. So what is a girl to do with a 50 pounds of rock cod? She makes fish tacos of course! Since I think fish tacos are pretty much a So Cal thing, I will now school you on a perfect fish taco:


Start with a steamy corn tortilla


Throw on a few pieces of beer battered fish


Smother the fish in a your "special white sauce"
I use crema, plain yogurt, lime, minced cilantro,
garlic salt and white pepper (everything is to taste,
I don't measure)


Add some cabbage


A little cheese, some Cholula, and a squeeze of lime


ENJOY!

I survived....here are pictures to prove it