FUN MORNING ON THE BIKES

For some stupid reason I thought it would be more convenient to go for a road ride today than a mountain bike ride. Convenient, yes. Enjoyable, no. At least not for the first part. I really struggled on today's ride, trying to find a rythm and some enjoyment. As the ride progressed my mood improved. We ran into a little puppy chocolate lab outside the grocery store when we stopped for water then further down the road we ran into some four-legged friends that would have much preferred that we had brought carrots with us. I was wondering what kind of reaction a horse would have to GU energy gel, but didn't put my curiosity to the test for the horse's sake. After 2.5 hours we were rolling back into the driveway at home, both having had a great time together.

SO SWEET... AND LOW IN CALORIES

Donna can get pretty creative in our quest to shed the pounds. The latest creation she's turned me on to.... Sugar-Free vanilla pudding with (sf) caramel topping over sliced banana! Yummm! All-in-all it only utilizes 1 (maybe 1.5) of the 36 'points' I'm allowed each day. I still don't know what I'd do without her, but I certainly wouldn't be losing any weight.

GLOOMY BUT BEAUTIFUL EVENING

Here's what I came up with while strolling through the Santa Monica mountains after work Friday night. At first I was bummed that it wasn't sunny out but then I began to appreciate the variations mother nature has to offer. The winding road always seemed to disappear into the fog/clouds. I made a few images I didn't anticipate making and had a great evening out with the camera. It makes me realize how much I miss being creative, now that I'm stuck in an administrative desk job.

ME, MY CAMERA AND I

Friday night after getting out of the office I really didn't know what to do. The skies are overcast and everything just seems off - after getting used to blue, sunny skies, anything to the contrary seems objectionable. I decided to grab the camera and take advantage of the weather variation.

THURSDAY NIGHT RIDE

I got out for a nice ride with Bruce Thursday after work. As much fun as I had, I have to admit I'm looking forward to a rest day tomorrow. Then it will be back on the bike for three days in a row, including a Sunday ride on the race course again in Santa Barbara.

WEDNESDAY SOLO RIDE

Wednesday night when I got home from work I wasn't feeling so motivated to ride. The sofa and a TV sounded much more appealing. Then I made the mistake of stepping on the scale. A few moments later I was on the bike, headed toward the flat agricultural area between Oxnard and Camarillo. One upside the flat riding is that you never have to climb. On the other hand, you never get to descend and the flat, straight road appears the stretch to infinity. By time I was pulling back into the driveway, I was glad I went... as is always the case.

DONNA'S NEXT RACE

We got a map of the race course for Donna's next race. Look confusing? IT IS!! Thankfully we met a local at the trailhead who was kind enough to give us a guided tour of the first lap. There's just a couple of switchbacks, as you can see.

THE NEW NETBOOK

After paying a monthly fee for a wireless card that required me to use my own laptop, I figured why not get a 'wireless card' that has a keyboard and monitor as well! This new netbook rocks and as of yet I have no complaints. Plus it's much smaller and easier to transport than my laptop is - sitting somewhere between my iPhone and my laptop in terms of size and ease of use.

SHE CRACKS ME UP

While waiting for a few minor repairs to our bikes, we drifted over to Starbuck's for an iced coffee. Donna gave me her typical 'don't take my picture' face then hammed it up a bit for the next photo. She cracks me up with the variety of funny facial expressions she has. She missed her calling as an actress! Maybe its not too late?

ANOTHER GREAT SUNDAY RIDE

Sunday we got out for a great ride with Bruce, a co-worker of ours. Despite the cool marine layer lingering over Camarillo when we left, there was plenty of heat and sunshine by time we got to the trail. We had a great ride and Donna brushed aside all the injuries she endured the previous day while riding the race course in Santa Barbara. After the ride it was off to... where else... Panera Bread, for half a turkey & swiss on focaccia and a cup of broccoli cheddar soup.

PREPARING FOR RACE DAY

Donna's next race is two short weeks away and since it's relatively close (Santa Barbara) we decided to head up there to ride the course so Donna could get a feel for it. There's lots of tight switchbacks which aren't Donna's favorite. There's also a pretty sketchy downhill drop with open exposure and sharp, jagged rocks covering the downward slope of the hill. All in all, its gonna be a tough race course, but Donna is totally up for it. She took a few spills today, trying a master a few sections that intimidated her at first. Despite the cuts, bruises, pinches and blood, she came back for more and kept trying every section until she cleared it.

DINING WITH A FINE VIEW

After riding the race course Sunday morning, it was off to Sam's To-Go, an awesome sandwich shop we discovered the last time we went for a road ride through Santa Barbara. We did indeed get the sandwiches to go and headed down to an ocean-side park for a picnic lunch. The marine layer never burned off in Santa Barbara today so there was no sunshine or blue sky to speak of, but it was beautiful nevertheless.

MOVING DAY

Well, it wasn't moving day for us but we offered to help a freind load up their moving truck - the big items at least. By time it was all said and done, it didn't take long at all. Plus, we got to spend time with Maggie - a great gal of the K-9 persuasion.

SOLO AFTERNOON

Sadly, Donna doesn't have the same three-day weekend that I do, but we're thrilled to at least have Sunday and Monday off together. After the morning bike ride, mowing and weed-eating the yard, it was time to scrounge up something for lunch. I think I got pretty creative given we had no food - sliced chilled tomato with basil, parmesan, black pepper and a pinch of dressing. My mom used to eat lunches like this at home and I always thought she was nuts, eating nothing more than fresh vegetables. After that it was off to the beach for a while, by myself. Sorry, no humorous videos of me getting doused by mother nature.