Red, Red Wine

To inaugurate my moving back to the good ol' Temecula, a few of my girlfriends and I went out to the vineyards for some tastings of the fine wines.  Going with the holiday theme, we all wore red (not to mention, in case of an accidental red wine spill, no one would notice!)

We started off at La Cereza Winery for our first tastes, which I must say, were amazing!

 Then headed over the their sister winery, Maurice Carrie for some more tastes and added in some deliciously greasy bread and brie!  Our third and final stop was at Callaway, which included the insanely amazing background sunset backdrop...

Fun times!  And many more to follow, I'm sure!

Our Jamaican Lifestyle

Kelli and were very fortunate to travel to the higher style of life in Jamaica recently.  Upon check in our BUTLER, yes, I said BUTLER, escorted me to my room, or dare I say "honeymoon suite" with a view of the ocean.  Although the forecast was full of rain, barely a drop landed during our full week stay in paradise...  Hummingbird was our drink of choice by the poolside, cooling us down for only as long as it lasted, before a dunk was needed as a refresher.  Nothing but a bikini, sunscreen and a good book could keep us from the relaxing detox of our normal hustle-bustle lives back in the states.  Can I say that ALL-INCLUSIVE were the words that were music to our ears the entire trip as well!  Not having to budge for the bill, pull out a mental calculator or dread over checking the bank account on the return home was a dream come true.  And what about the single men?  What single men?  We were at a couples resort!  Aha.  No bother by those who needn't bother... I wasn't out looking for the men, but looking to get away from the men...  :)

New York City

Quick pit stop in the NYC, short and sweet, but very worth the while!  I got to spend some time in Brooklyn with a very good friend of mine, Ags and her sidekick Mads.  I took the subway from Brooklyn to the Rockefeller center to grab a bite with some old co-workers out at the Time Life/SI building, and swing by the NY TW digs to see Boyka and Shane not to forget to squeeze in the perfect friday happy hour glass (or two) of wine and some just shy of amazing brie cheese!  One thing I've discovered in life, the older you get the broader your life-circuit can get!  The leaves are already starting to turn, even though it was a hot and humid weekend.  We even got a good monsoon carried over from the well-know hurricane Ike hitting the Golf Coast.  Now I'm off to Vermont, on a road-trip, but I already can't wait for my next "quick trip" to the city that NEVER sleeps! 

Del Mar Racetracks

First time out to the races this year, and it was a blast!  With a crew six deep, we did it right, all the way down to the tailgating with red cups!  It was the biggest race of the year, the Pacific Classic, millions of dollars at stake, (fortunately for me only about $2/race).  I got the lucky horseshoe and ended up winning $7 back from a total $11 spend.  Only down $3 on the day, not bad (and also, why I don't gamble on larger scales for fear of living on the streets with no shoes on my feet.)  Out with the girls and always a blast.  Closing up the summer fun, but the "Sunday Funday's" will continue to live on!

Mud Baths...girls get dirty!

MUD...
What better way to celebrate a friend's birthday than to go get dirty! I mean, get muddy, of course. Better yet, lay in the sun, bake and exfoliate... then lay in the sun some more... and all the while relax and enjoy friend's company.
Glen Ivy in Corona Ca. was the place to go for a pre-celebratory birthday relaxation day for me, Natalie and Barbara. I highly suggest everyone de-stress at one point or another in their life. Trust me, it will take YEARS off of your life. And you just might enjoy it more than over-working, over-thinking, over-analyzing , over-stressing and even over-eating! "Live, love, laugh!"

Hebrews 12:1

"...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

I live my life on faith in Jesus Christ, and through that, I have come to find a new joy in running. Since April of 2008, I began a journey of entering races with friends!

RACE#1: TEAM BLACKOUT (Britney Style!)
The first race in April, was an Adventure Race, a modified sprinter triathlon in which the swimming was replaced by tandem kayaking, road-biking with mountain-biking, and running with trail running. This race took place up at Lake Castaic, just North of Magic Mountain in Valencia, Ca on the hottest day in April, setting a record high at 101! Natalie and I enrolled in our first ever recorded race, and the excitement and nerves got us wound up into a sea of wonderment as to what we would be expecting! Little did we know, we were about to win our division... The race started off with the tandem kayak leg, proving to be the easiest of all three legs, by far! With our life jackets on and our inflatable kayak prepped, we charged around the tree and off to the lake for a good 25 minute debacle of flailing oars to reach the buoey marker.
Once solving the ultimate pvc pipe mystery, we advanced onto leg two, the uphill jaunt with our mountain bikes and only one water bottle between the both of us while the heat intensified and the shade deemed more on the side of non-existent. Up, up, up, up....8 miles total through thick, machete groomed weeds, dirt, and hills. After passing numerous men, our spirits were lifted as we seemed to be bionic women, defeating all the supermen. It wasn't until the downhill dive, that my partner in crime soon realized the importance of deciphering the front break from the back break, resulting in the ever-fearful over-the-handle-bars tumble. Thank God for helmets, and tough skulls. We completed the leg, and were off to the last of the triple threat, the run.
An uphill climb to the last flag, through barbed-wire, creeks, and more thick brush. Pushing each other to keep up the pace and finish strong, we finally could see the finish line! 2 hours and 30 minutes! Our first race ever. We finished as a team. We were satisfied. http://www.7thwave.com/photo/castaiclake2008/index3.html

RACE #2: CORONADO BAY BRIDGE RUN
This race proved to be much easier than the latter. A four-mile jaunt across the Coronado bridge with 8,000 others to help support the Navy. Finishing 52nd in my division at a 9:25/mile pace, I figure it wasn't bad for a beginner! http://www.y-events.com/08bridgef.htm.
The scenery as we passed over the bridge was breath-taking, and the weather was typically San Diego-perfect. There were four of us this time as Barbara and Amy joined in for the fun. The rest of the day followed suit and went down in history as "Sunday Funday." Flag football, hospital-worthy injuries and pool-side cocktails all aided in the creation of a memory that is now set in stone.

RACE#3: DEL MAR "AFLAC" IRON GIRL 10K
Following suit as the pre-summer tri-fecta could none other than be more appropriate then to be held at the Del Mar Racetracks (or fair grounds, depending on the time of year). Without any pre-training mumbo-jumbo and a 7:30am start, 6.2 miles was the goal for the day. It seemed yet again that mother nature took over and landed another record-breaking heat wave the day of the race. There were four of us again, Barbara the most nervous of the bunch as the long-distance running is not high on her list. Goal time: 1 hour. Finish time: 1 hour 2 min. Not bad for a beginner. Can I say that still? This race definitely put a notch on the belt and a dent in the road... What next?