We Made It!

Ragnar chronicles...leg 3. Let's be clear, this is not DAY 3, it is still the same 24-hour period, it is just the 3rd leg that we have run. If you do the math, that means the run was split out over 36 different pieces and there WAS some running in the dark!

Admittedly, things always look a little more sketchy in the dark, so we opted to escort our nighttime runners with a biker, all of whom wore a headlamp and some reflective gear...safety first! I escorted Holly on her night run through Long Beach over 7 miles starting at 4:45 am. The humor in that venture was me on the bike, which was about 6 inches too small for me. Fortunately, the race was about the run, NOT the bike, so form or style were not critical!

Things dialed up quickly for runner #5 in van #1 (my official positioning), with a 5 1/2 mile run from Long Beach to Huntington Beach at 7:30 am, followed by a 6 mile run through a portion of Orange County, going right past John Wayne Airport. The intersection of Main and Jamboree never looked so good, between the cheering MIMs and knowledge that this was my last leg!

We shadowed van #2 through the last portion of the journey, finishing up together with a group run-in at the finish line. Our first-place-in-our-division time? 24:24:20. The next closest team (The Skirts) finished about an hour and a half behind us.

Let it be known that I did not contribute to any record-setting pace, but still do account for 17 miles run of the 188 total!!

Fartlek'n Donkeys

Ragnar Relay...leg 2. Part of the fun of the relay is being out on the road with the different teams, their vans and their enthusiasm. The MIMs were easy enough to spot with our floral jersey's and vans. Some teams were a bit more creative in either their name or van bling, but none in my opinion as funny as the Fartlek'n Donkeys.

Let's just accept the fact that I can be about 12 sometimes in my humor; what actually makes this team so entertaining to me is the donkey...they had a little plastic burro that went from runner exchange to runner exchange, and for the first 2/3 of the race, we paced right along them, so we got a lot of donkey time.

The Fartlek'n part actually refers to a training program for runners designed to improve speed. The Fartlek method was designed by someone in Sweden, I am assuming that this is a Swedish word, but that could be anyone's guess. The donkey part is the humorous element, when we asked the team in van #1 how they came up with the name, they said that they weren't sure, but it had to be a donkey.

It made me smile to see my friends the donkeys out there on the course, especially at the runner exchange and as they honked their support.

I love that little donkey!

Dana Point or Bust

The Ragnar Relay was last weekend; a crazy event that covered roughly 180 miles from Santa Barbara to Dana Point. I joined up with my Moms in Motion friends...we were split 6 and 6 between two vans, plus we each had a driver (Thank goodness! The thought of driving in between legs with 6 other women telling you which way to turn was not appealing at all!!)

We started out quietly enough. As the members of Van #1, we trekked up to Santa Barbara, donned wigs (I am not really sure why, but somehow it seemed necessary, enjoy me with long...albeit matted...hair in the two-tone color scheme, the wig color is probably better!) and cheered out the different groups of runners. Westlake MIMs (our very creative team name) were assigned a 10 am start time, so we sent Kathleen out to blaze the trail for us!

The weather was a bit overcast and even a little misty, truly perfect for running and MUCH better than the 90+ temps that were in the southland just one week prior. Our runners were looking good and making great time. Kathleen handed off to Holly (not the Schnoogs, as she is neither a runner or a Mom-yet!), Holly to Shari, Shari to Alison and then..yep! Runner #5 hit the course just north of Ventura to run 5 1/2 miles along the Rincon.

What I lack in speed I make up in endurance and enthusiasm, so it was a merry and uneventful trot along the coast. The van stopped for me twice to cheer (they were probably a bit bored given my slower time comparatively speaking) and I was passed by 4 other runners...no passing on this leg for me!

Tune in for the next leg to see how it went!

On Safari

I am not really on safari; I was looking for a good reason to use this picture just because I like it and I am blogging ahead to keep things interesting even when I am busy.

My adventures this weekend (which is in the future as I write it and the past as you read it...talk about a time/space continuum conundrum!) entail a relay run with my Moms in Motion friends, 11 of them to be exact, from Santa Barbara to Dana Point.

I expect to have plenty of good blogging fodder after that 36-hour experience!!

Looking Sharp

David and the dogs came out to support me in the Victory for Victims 8K last weekend, as I blogged earlier in the week. It was a very warm morning/day, so after I finished, we all sat down on the grass and enjoyed a few bottles of water...I think that we polished of 4 or 5 between us!

The event photographer must have thought that we made a nice little photo op, as he circled back and took our picture. You will note that Scooby and Daphne are lapping up their water from David and I while Shadow, ever the celebrity, faces forward with a regal pose.

Given the fact that she is 15 years old and just walked about 5 miles, I'd say that she looks pretty sharp!

Second Grade

It is fun going through the early Holly years, remembering what we were doing when she was so young and finding it hard to imagine that the little girl pictured here is politely waiting for her day to come so that she can split and forge out on her own...she was accepted into the dorms, so it is official, Schnoogs is leaving us.

For now, we can look at this little 2nd grader and I can tell you that the dress she is wearing was an absolute favorite...I think that it was her Easter dress from the year before...Holly (much to the delight of her grandmothers) was always a girly-girl, preferring skirts, dresses and necklaces to shorts or pants.  

I was always trying to wear pants or at least shorts under my dresses...how else could a girl hang upside down on the monkey bars at lunchtime??

Worth It

I finally rolled into the parking garage right off of State Street at 1:30.  I immediately trotted over to get a bite to eat and then I could look around and enjoy the sights.  Naturally, Santa Barbara does not dissapoint.

I had  a good visit in the store with Dawn and her crew, watching the show as people cruise up and down State Street in various stages of observation...the destination-driven local, the unhurried pace of the occasional visitor and the open-mouthed gawk of the first-time tourist.  All very entertaining and all rather charming.

It was pretty warm, so I made the mile or so jaunt down to the beach and the pier (Stearn's Wharf) where I was met with a cool ocean breeze and miles of people sunning and enjoying themselves.  The pier was pretty crowded, again with an eclectic mix of people enjoying a variety of activities but all co-existing rather nicely.  There were even a couple of dolphins doing their little dolphin dance thing a couple hundred yards off the edge of the pier.

Yep, I will probably always live in Southern California!

On the Road

I spent Saturday on the road...or at least it seemed that way.  I had a Board Meeting in Ventura, which is about 1/2 way to Santa Barbara, so I decided that I should just go the rest of the way and make a visit to our Santa Barbara store.  An excellent idea and one that was shared by many, many others at about noon.  

It isn't a fun thing to be sitting in traffic, hungry and without any lunch options on the horizon at 12:30pm.  I fiddled with the radio, drank some water, looked out at the water and then ahead to the cars that were snaking their way along the coast with me.

Here's hoping that the streets and beach of Santa Barbara are as inviting as I imagine them to be in my head!

Orange is the New Red

I am going to let the cat out of the bag...I dye my hair.  Surprised?  Perhaps not.  Holly pointed out when we had a variety of pictures out last week that the only thing that seems to change in photos of me is the color of my hair...hmmmm.

Things were getting a little grey last week, so I made my journey to Target and decided to mix things up with a redder-than-usual-red, just for fun!  It's a pretty quick and easy process, shower off and voila..I'm a redhead now.

Admittedly, when I whipped the towel off my head, my initial reaction was, "That's kind of bright."  It was mid-afternoon, so I didn't have any lights on in the house.  I would have dubbed the color a bold light auburn.

I went on my merry way for the rest of the day, running errands and the such.  I came back home at about 7:30 and went in to wash my hands.  I turned on the light, looked in the mirror and...Holy Toledo...my hair is orange!

It is almost as bad as the time 5 or 6 years ago that I used a color named "Copper Penny."  In that case, at least I can say that I was warned.  I am not sure what the deal is here.  I don't remember the name, but it SHOULD have been "Bozo Orange."

I am hoping that it will lighten very, very quickly!

Las Fuentes

I mentioned that David, the dogs and I were in the San Fernando Valley on Sunday doing a run.  We finished up at about 10:15, just in time to realize that we had not yet had a real breakfast and the stomachs were ready for some good food after our nice 5-mile output of exercise.

The dogs had been sufficiently watered and a shaded parking place located, they were content to lounge in the car for a bit while we had a bite to eat.

I remembered that my friend Julia (aka Whooolia) introduced me to a little place in Reseda called Las Fuentes.  I believe that the Spanish translation for the name is the fountains...I am here to tell you that it should be called UNDENIABLY DELICIOUS, as that was how it tasted to us!

I remember the chile rellano burrito as being both filling and tasty, so that is what I ordered (and was completely delighted, I might add).  David really mixed things up and got the enchilada plate.  (Sarcasm alert: in 25 years of knowing David, I am not sure that I have EVER seen him order anything other than the enchilada plate.  He refers to it as his "gold standard" when evaluating Mexican restaurants, I refer to it as his refusal to venture out to any other Mexican food item, but that is a topic for a different time)

The chips were crispy, the guacamole fresh and the brunch a perfect finish to a very enjoyable morning.

Not too bad in terms of things accomplished by 11:30 am on a Sunday!

Victory

It is not new news that I try to do one physical/fundraising event a month.  It keeps me at least working to be in shape and it also helps me to stay focused on my philanthropic interests.  I have learned in the last year or so that I am better suited doing the small, regional events.  They aren't as fancy and slick as the bigger events, but I enjoy the local flavor of the activity, the community involvement, and the knowledge that the money we are raising is going straight to the cause it is intended to serve.

Sunday was a new event, called Victory for Victims, and it focuses on helping kids who have been victims of sexual abuse.  Not a pleasant topic, but sadly something that goes on, and these kids need advocates and mentors to help them pull through it not completely destroyed.  Northridge Hospital (located in the San Fernando Valley) has a  program called CATS, and they work in tandem with the LAPD to help these kids.   

I dragged David and the dogs along; there is a large recreation area called Lake Balboa that I remember to have a lot of different paths and routes to walk along.  David and the dogs walked, I ran the 8K and we all finished up at about the same place and the same time!  It was cute to see how excited the dogs were when they saw me loping around the final turn.  I was probably as excited to see them, because that meant that I was almost done..at 91 degrees, I would describe the morning as HOT.

Put in perspective to the cause that we were running for, I think that I can stand a little heat!

First Grade

Holly started the first grade in 1996. This was a big deal school year, because she did Kindergarten at a private school, the same day care she had been attending for a year or so prior. First grade was the official start of full school days and a classroom/teacher we didn't know!

Being the progressive parents that we liked to think we were, we enrolled in a program called "Open Classroom.". It focused on whole-child learning and required parent involvement. It looked like a good program for my UBER-shy daughter, so we were very happy when she was accepted.

Look at that shy little smile in the picture!  Schnoogs (then still small enough to be Schnoogie) was so nervous about her first day that I had to take her to the classroom to meet her teacher (Miss Kylie, a first-year teacher straight out of grad school who may have been just as nervous) the day before school started.

Holly spent the entire time that we visited with Miss Kylie glued to my leg and semi-buried into my backside, she might have even cried a little bit.

We seem to have overcome the shyness issue over the last 13 years!

A Short Hike...part 2

Still hiking! The good news is the alleged baby rattlesnake never showed it's rattles, so disaster averted. I am not sure what Jax and I thought we could accomplish with our rocks; I think that I was just hoping to buy a moment or two to run should I have actually ran into the slithery little creature. Did I mention how little I enjoy snakes, especially crazy, spastic, poisonous ones?

Once the drama and excitement around the snake died down, our attention turned to the path. There were a few sections that were not clearly marked and it was hard to figure out if we should turn or continue down the path. After making a scenic jaunt through a fire road and back, we were on the final stretch home, only another hour and a half or two to go!

As we were walking through (what I think is called) Malibu Creek Park, Jax politely commented on my consistent speed and pace. It never varies. I don't speed up, I don't slow down, I just trudge along. I think that the translation of his comment was, "Come on Speedy, you are holding me back," but Jax is far too polite to ever say that. We wrapped up and made it to the car as the sun was quickly sinking in the sky...7:15 pm.

The final mileage of the short hike? 17.5 miles. I really should have gone for more than just the dirt level on my shoes when I selected them!

A Short Hike...part 1

My friend Joanathn (AKA Jax) invited me to go on "a short hike" with him last weekend. I figured that short was 5 or 6 miles, which is well within the acceptable guidelines and something that I was looking forward to, as it has been a while since we took the time to go on a long jaunt (Unemployment Fridays are of course a thing of the past). I filled my Camelbak with water (100 ounces, I don't mess around with hydration!), packed a few Kind and Clif bars and pulled out the shoes that were best suited for the hike...not because they offer the best support, but because they were the dirtiest.

Things started off well enough. It was a GORGEOUS day and there were all kinds of LA locals out enjoying the fresh air. A few miles into things, we passed the M*A*S*H* site. For the record, it isn't much to look at, but to see the swarm of tourists taking photos and posing next to a rusted out Jeep...well, I guess I am not as memorabilia and star inclined as the general population! (I didn't even take a picture and we all know that I photograph almost EVERYTHING)

We left the tourists behind and the incline began. Nothing like a little uphill for 3 hours or so to stretch out your legs and tendons! The goal (which we did make) was to hike to the highest point, eat lunch and then set off down the other side. My stomach started growling at about 30 minutes before we reached the summit, but I held out and persevered...did you know that Corner Bakery makes the best vegetarian panini EVER????? Seriously, never before has a sandwich tasted so good. The chips and blueberry clif bar that we split were pretty darn good too, for that matter.

It was windy up there at the top of the MOUNTAIN that we hiked, so the sweatshirts came out as we started off with the ocean now in view. We had traveled maybe a mile when a couple with horses passed us and let us know that there was a baby rattlesnake in the middle of the road about 50 yards ahead of where we were heading. Excellent. Jax and I both picked up small rocks and tentatively set out towards the area rumored to have a snake.

This short hike was really shaping up to be quite an adventure!

Taxing

I am not sure that I know anyone who enjoys doing their taxes. We are no exception and add into that the fact that David is self-employed, and not among the top10% business owners when it comes to organized record-keeping.

We should know by now that there is going to be some flurry of panicking and looking for a statement by early April, but every year in January when I mention the "T" word, I am summarily dismissed and we don't start the scramble until late March.

Fortunately, we have a very good friend who does our taxes for us and in that doesn't really have the time or inclination to look at them too early in the season. She doesn't seem too phased when I call up on April 13th and ask if I can send the stuff over...we just file an extension anyway, but we do have to calculate how much we owe and send it off to avoid any fines.


We are also one of those families that waits until the last mail drop to take our tax check to the post office. It used to make me crazy that we were so late, but over the 21+ years of marriage to Mr. "I can't find my July bank statement," I have learned to just let go and enjoy the ride.


Who doesn't love the post office at 11:59 at night??

All Hail to the Pizza Stone!

Pizza is a popular dinner item at the Newton household, but only if it is home made. Holly and her friends will occasionally order from one of the many local sources, but we get excited when the pizza is being made at home...we even portion it out to allow for leftovers the next day, and each of us stakes our claim to our leftover slice.

The entire pizza experience was enhanced on Saturday when I tried out the new pizza stone that I finally bought. This item has been on my list of "to do" for quite some time, but I had not stumbled upon the one that made me happy or seemed quite right. I finally found the right one for the right price out at an outlet mall (along with a french press coffee maker, which has also been on the list of things that I fancy), so the debut run was on Saturday night.

What took us so long? Good grief, that thing is great! The crust is a bit crisper, the whole thing seemed to cook better and more evenly...if you aren't using a stone to make your pizza (assuming you enjoy the steps required to do this), I highly encourage you to do so.

You will not be disappointed, except of course if you finish your leftover piece before the rest of the family does. Then, you just might find yourself eyeing that aluminum foil triangle package in the refrigerator, wondering if you could really play off "accidentally" eating a bonus slice.

FOUND! The Missing Years

I realized after spending about 24 hours trying to think of where my 8x10 photos of Holly's elementary school years were hiding that I have an alternate route...wallet size!  I opened up my photo carrier and sure enough, grades 3-6 were right there, smiling brightly at me.

The grand project can now begin!  While cruising through some photos, we found a 2-year old Holly stark naked, running through the house.  I don't remember why she was running, but it must have been good if I took a photo of it.  I have yet to scan it...but it is fun to taunt the Schnoogs with the mortifying prospect of actually doing it!

Until then, enjoy the Kindergarten view of Holly.  She really thought she was working that headband with it pulled down low.

I do so enjoy having these things to point out to her when she mocks my all-red clashing outfit(s)!

Easter with Big Red

My Dad is a clown.  That statement on its own without any context can make one wonder about what kind of a relationship I have with my Dad.  

It is all good.  My Dad is a registered clown who uses his juggling, magic, jokes and balloon animal art to entertain kids in various parades and community events.  He is quite popular and I don't think that there is a balloon animal out there that he can't make.

The community where my parents live hosted an Easter celebration, and Big Red's talents were put to good use.  Here are a few happy clients, beaming with their balloon hats.

Put in that context, having a Dad who is a clown is a very good thing indeed!

Springtime in Los Angeles

I was walking to the bus on Friday, traveling through a little LA neighborhood that is tucked right off of Wilshire Blvd.  Although a light jacket was required, I realized that the temperature was MUCH more temperate than what I was in earlier this week.  I also realized that everything is in bloom right now, and it is pretty striking.

I am sure that anyone looking out their window was wondering what the heck I was doing, pointing my Blackberry at various plants.  I enjoy the flower close-up.  When we took an Alaskan cruise a couple of years ago, one of our stops was Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada.  I think that it was raining, but all 3 of use were out there, cruising the rose garden, taking photos.  If I recall, there was something in the neighborhood of 200 photos just from that excursion.

I really enjoy the flowers...thus, I really enjoy the spring!

Life in the Airport

I am embarrassed to have to admit that I pulled a complete rookie traveler move…I missed my plane home on Wednesday night. No good reason. I left the city in a car at 4 pm (2-hours before my flight was scheduled to leave). We got out of the city easily enough and I figured that we would be there in about 45 minutes.

At about 5 o’clock I started to get a little anxious. It sure didn’t seem like we were moving. I pulled up the Jet Blue site on my Blackberry so that I could check-in, then I could just print my boarding pass when I arrived at the terminal. Denied. The rule is 90-minutes. Uh-oh.

5:30 and I was REALLY starting to sweat it out. How much further to the airport? My driver was very nice and kept apologizing. It wasn’t his fault; it was a virtual gridlock in every direction. No accidents, just cars and cars and more cars. 5:45 and we pull up to the terminal. Yikes. I went into the terminal with cautious optimism…nope! Kiosk check-in closes 30 minutes before flight time. I was relegated to standing in line.

To the ticket agent’s credit, she tried. I didn’t have any bags to check, so she called the gate and asked if they would hold the plane. Denied again. Rats. Anything going into Long Beach? Nope. Oakland? San Francisco? Nope and nope again. Next flight available? 8:14 am tomorrow. Enjoy your 14-hour wait.

After paying the insult to injury $50 change ticket fee, I wandered around a bit. I called Eric because he had warned me when we talked on the phone on my way to the airport that I was cutting it close. As soon as he picked up the phone, he knew. I had decided that I was going to just suck it up and hang out in the airport…the new Jet Blue T5 is pretty nice, after all.

Eric declared me a lunatic, hung up and made a few calls. We know a LOT of people in New York, all of whom are extremely kind and generous and would smack me if they learned that I sat at the airport overnight without calling. Within 15-minutes Larry called me, gave me Annie’s number and told me that I had 10-minutes to make arrangements to go stay with her in Brooklyn or he was going to drive down and pick me up himself (Larry and his family live upstate at least 2-hours out).

Being stubborn wasn’t going to do me any good in this situation, so I called Annie and we ended up having a great evening…some pizza, tons of catching up and a humbling reminder that I am surrounded by great people who would provide the shirt off their backs if I needed it, I am incredibly lucky indeed.

After a good night’s sleep, a shower and a quick cab ride back to JFK, life at the airport seemed a pretty cool thing. I checked out the new food court, got a fine breakfast (including a rare treat, a donut from Dunkin Donuts, the ultimate East Coast treat stop), and learned to simply appreciate life’s experiences as they happen, whether in the order that I would have set them up or not.

Life is good like that.

Springtime in New York

Day 3 in New York. It has been a full couple of days, taking in stores, meeting the team, figuring out how to best execute the delivery program…all very good stuff. I have noticed when I travel east that I often get sucked into living in two time zones—I start the day on Eastern Time, but seem to stay up until I normally would on Pacific Time, between the phone calls, emails and general family connections.

Monday had rained, as earlier mentioned. Tuesday was pretty cold, somewhere around 4o degrees or so, but the wind dropped it down to more like freezing in terms of “real feel.” It wasn’t bad, but certainly not the warm-up that everyone was hoping for and it certainly made the brisk walking that much more rapid in an effort to keep warm!

Wednesday was the last day in the Big Apple. I hauled my suitcase and backpack out of the hotel and walked the 9 blocks to the regional office. (In reality, I walked nearly 15 blocks because I read my handmade map incorrectly and went diametrically opposite to the way that I was supposed to. Something seemed wrong, so I stopped, pulled out the map and realized that I had drawn it in reverse of where I wanted to go in relation to where my hotel was. David offered to escort me on future trips as navigator. That, or as he said, he could get me a guide dog. I am truly challenged in all areas of geography!)

Once I turned around and got myself going in the right direction, the wind kicked up and it got REALLY cold. Right about the moment I was thinking to myself that it felt cold enough to snow…the flurries began. Many people on the street, seeing my suitcase in tow, said to me as they passed, “Welcome to springtime in New York.” No kidding.

I was, however, grateful for the snow, as I didn’t have an umbrella and the thought of rain was even less appealing!

Back in the Big Apple

It has been about 6 months since my last visit to NY, so I was pretty happy to have the opportunity to return to the crazy and exciting place that is New York City. The trip was planned to be a full one, all work-focused with a heavy agenda designed to see stores, meet the operating group and check in on our newest project...delivery!

The trip started out bright and early on Monday with a 4-am wake-up call to catch the 6:50 am flight. Burbank remains (in my humble opinion) the best airport EVER to fly in and out of. No issues, no hassles and smooth sailing onto the plane.

I am a sleeper on take-off and landing, thanks to years of commuting back and forth to the Bay Area. Something about the bumping, bouncing and turbulence just rocks me right to sleep. I might as well be drugged, don't ask me why! True to form, I dozed as we backed out from the gate. I woke up some time later and realized that we were still on the ground. After almost an hour on the runway, we were being sent back to the gate because JFK was citing a 4-hour delay for landings due to weather and construction. We sat at the gate for about 30 minutes, waiting to get off the plane. Nope. Sit back down and buckle up because we have been granted clearance and have to leave NOW.

As I have always said, any flight that ultimately ends in a landing that I can then go on my merry way is a good one, so although I arrived about 3 hours later than planned, I made it and still had time to visit several stores while walking around the city.

It rained on and off through Monday, creating a cool, cloudy, misty kind of air about the city. I took the above picture at about 11:45pm, because it just struck me as being pretty and kind of cool.

I think that despite all of the craziness about NYC, that would be my quick description of the city too.

The Countdown Begins

It has been looming for more than 18 years, more prominently in the last few months than prior years, but the day is coming...Schnoogs is going to graduate from High School.

In preparation for the momentous occasion, I have been gathering some photos of my little Scholar, dating all the way back to the beginning...1990 in her case...and of course reminiscing in the process.

I have also discovered much to my dismay that the school pictures for 2nd through 6th grade are missing (as in I can't find them), and that is messing with my big plan for a cool gift.  I have torn through the place they should be and am now working my way through the places that they shouldn't, but could possibly be, but still no luck.

Holly just informed me that graduation is in 9 weeks; I'd better find those missing school years or I am going to have to get creative in where I get copies of those pictures.  Who knew I would end up looking scattered and disorganized in the last weeks of Holly's public school career?

Who knew she would finish up and move away so quickly?

The clock is ticking...until then, enjoy this photo of a 3-year old Holly, already showing an inclination to books and reading!

A Day of Rest

Sunday is hike day at the Newton's - at least for David, the dogs and I (Holly opts to sleep in on Sunday, waking up just in time to get to church).  Ever on the prowl for a new space to investigate, we discovered a bonus segment in the Conejo Open Space network of trails; another leg of a trail that we use called the Los Robles trail.

The weekend was another perfect one, with clear, cool skies and plenty of sunshine rewarding all of us up and out early enough to appreciate the day ahead of us.  In addition to leaving Holly behind to sleep in, we had another member of the family opt out of the early morning hike...Shadow.

Admittedly, both David and I were a little worried that something was wrong with the oldest member of our pack (at 14 1/2, she translates to something like 100 years old) because she just flat out didn't show any interest when we gathered everyone and rolled out the door early in the morning.  I think that she was pretending to be asleep so that we wouldn't bother her.

The good news is that Shadow looked alert and rested when we came home, following our every move so that she will be ready to go the next time that we head out for a walk.  We all breathed a big sigh of relief and realized that at some point in time, everyone, even the dog, just needs a day of rest.

The Sweet Smells of Spring

I would describe my olfactory senses as very strong, as I can pick up a scent pretty quickly and find that different smells trigger reactions in my psyche quickly (like the skunk issue!!).

One of the things that I really appreciate about spring is how good it smells outside as things start to bloom.  I was walking around the block at the office the other evening (a little fresh air and exercise are always good for the soul), and I had something good to smell for the entire walk.

Jasmine, orange blossom, roses; I was out at the perfect time, when traffic had died down, most people were inside cooking dinner (sauteed onions, fried chicken and tacos), but it was still light outside.

It makes me feel sorry for my friends that are still getting snow at this time of the year!

De-Skunking the Myth

I have been plagued by the smell of skunk for close to a month.  Blog regulars may recall the story of the night that Scooby was sprayed by a skunk and then rolled around in several places in the house trying to get rid of the smell.  Many efforts were made on my part to wash everything, including a rather unwilling dog (twice!), but I can still catch a whiff of it every now and again, particularly when I am lying on the chaise portion of the couch.

I decided a few days ago that there was definitely a smell there and I was going to do something about it.  I had the slip covers off the couch and in the washer in moments flat, alternating the different pieces out across the patio furniture on the lawn to dry.  I vacuumed, had Holly spray Febreeze and pulled every part of that couch apart.

David thinks I am crazy and even the very supportive Holly claims to not smell anything...I don't know if things are ever going to be right again, but I can tell you that Scooby and I eye one another very suspiciously now in the evenings when she is clamoring to go out back.  

That is one tricky dog, I am telling you!

Smog Check Gets Religion

The Lexus registration was due on March 18th.  David reminded me and I remembered to address it on March 28th, the last day of second late payment option.  Fantastic.  

As I was filling out my information on the DMV website, I realized that I also was due for a smog check, but couldn't get to it on Saturday (I had that big run, and then met a friend for lunch in Pasadena and THEN had to stop by to see one of our new licensed partners in training in a store...it was a busy day!), so I figured that I would do it right after church on Sunday.

In his very kind way, David told me that he didn't think the smog check place was open on Sunday.  I scoffed and told him that it would be, no problem.  Wrong.  As I stared at the roll-down doors of the place I've been going to for the last 16 years or so, I decided to outsmart the system by looking up every local smog check place on my Blackberry and then find one that was open.

Denied.  Every single one of the 6 places that I looked up in a 10 mile radius were closed on Sundays.  Who knew that the Smog Check process was so revered?  Naturally, David knew what he was talking about when he warned me (not to mention when he gave me a heads up that I needed to get it done a couple of weeks ago).

Thank goodness that I still have Holly to boss around.  She made a nice little trip on my behalf on Monday and we are good to go!

Like Water for Chocolate

Holly and I caught one of my favorite movies on TV last weekend, Como Agua para Chocolate, otherwise known as Like Water for Chocolate.  I highly recommend that it be viewed in its original Spanish version with English subtitles...dubbing would (in the Newton women opinion) ruin the movie.

David, ever the critic, dubbed it a chick flick, but I did notice that he was equally engrossed in the plot, which is a love story told through recipes and food (no wonder I like it).  I have seen it a number of times and learned that Holly has seen it a couple of times too, yet we still get completely sucked in when it is playing.  There are some incredibly poignant moments and also some extremely subtle but great humor points that makes me laugh out loud - always a measure of good humor in my opinion!

Because David was grousing so much about the girl nature of the movie, we turned on The Notebook to watch next.  That will teach him to grumble about chick flicks!

Grateful for 1/2

Last Saturday was the Chesebro 1/2 Marathon.  Also known as the Great Race, this is a fun regional event that has a bunch of different races from a 1-mile fun run to a crazy, up in the mountains 1/2 marathon.  You can guess which I opted for.  What I did not realize when I signed up (simply because I did not read thoroughly) was that the course I signed on to do went up into the Santa Monica mountains for about 7.5 miles, including a change in altitude of about 850 feet.  Seriously.  Here is the course outline.  Perhaps I ought to do a bit more homework before I just blindly sign on for a run!

Aside from needing to crack out some mountain climbing equipment (or at minimum a trusty goat) for a few portions,  it was a great course, a beautiful day and I saw a bunch of people that I know.  Some were on the course cheering on friends and some passed me (or did another course), but it was a regular reunion there at the finish line when I came loping in 2 hours and 40 minutes after starting (remember, I have never boasted speed, just consistency).

I was telling the story of the course and describing a few of the narrow dirt paths that we were on, when Holly busted out the truest phrase I could have uttered all day, "I'll bet that you were grateful that you were only doing a 1/2 marathon."

So very true young Schnoogs, so very true!