CSE Insurance, Target and Sherrif's Association....THANK YOU!

Daughter #1 and I both received $200 Target gift cards for our classrooms early Saturday morning...it was also free of sales tax...and in CA that's 9%!

I was able to buy all of this PLUS a $10 package of Brown Bear, Brown Bear decals for my book shelf and I still have $25 remaining on the card.

The curtain rods are for the Very Hungry Caterpillar curtain valances my sister made for the two windows in my room. I felt like the people working there were wondering if this stuff was really for my classroom...so I will take photos and send with my thank you letters. I am so totally lucky!

Then today, Daughter #1 and I got up and ran 2.5 miles...we are crash training for the S.F. Women's Nike 1/2 Marathon in October...yikes!

Then we got together with Daughter #1's friend the Boy Scout and went for a 30 mile bike ride so he could try out his new wheels...

Now I am getting ready to return the baby I watched for the weekend...

And it's back to work tomorrow...and to start swimming again since all the classroom moving and Mt. Whitney Hiking and the start of school have gotten in the way of swim time. We have also had our first 3 days of summer...yahoo!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH

HARDER*JUST DO IT*

Another Bridge?

There are 5 major bridges connecting the peninsula where I live, to the rest of California. Unfortunately there are only 2 that are passable by bike or foot. Last weekend we crossed the Golden Gate...it was a beautiful sunny day....


Yesterday was another such day and the Captain and I decided to ride across the Dumbarton Bridge which he used to commute across to work each day. We had never been across this particular bridge on bike or foot...and of course I made the stop for photos at 1/2 way....we also got to watch sea lions frolicking in the surf below....

The weather was sunny but the visibility was not the best...an onshore wind kept all the haze inland....the arrow in the photo is the park where we stopped and enjoyed the view from a grassy hillside and took the cell phone photos below...

My only complaint was the haze...and my sore back which hasn't seemed to heal from Thanksgiving...but what a day for a 33.41 mile ride!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*RIDE THE BRIDGES*

Golden Great

Saturday we went for a bike ride in The City....I made the Captain and our friend stop so I could take cell phone pictures...it was such a nice day...unbelievable weather for February!

We could see sea lions playing in the waves under the bridge...

We cruised around Sausalito- this is the view from the north end of the bridge....the captain said, "It must be 75 degrees out." When we stopped at a stoplight, a man driving a truck next to me had his window down so I asked if he had a the temperature in his truck...."It's 75," he confirmed!

We stopped at a historical marker site which looked like a mini castle. We watched the bay and took in the views and sunshine...

Then we headed back to town to line up for the ferry back to The City.....we sat on top in the open air...the views of Alcatraz, Angel Island and the bridge were incredible....

We pulled all the way into the pier and right past the sea lions sunning on themselves....see they haven't entirely left as reported on the news, they have just decreased their population here...

The last part of the ride was the most intense...past Pier 39 and all the tourist spots...plus sharing the road with the trolleys and buses...and a tourist wiped out on her rental bike just shy of taking me out...she was okay but I wasn't too at ease on the cobblestone street on my road bike.

We stopped for a bathroom break and a huge freighter was coming under the gate....then we headed up the hill to our car....it was only a 20.59 mile ride but it was amazing.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*

*RIDE LIKE A GIRL*

Ship A-Hoy!

We went for a mid-morning bike ride with Daughter #1 and BIG Foot's chem teacher....out to the Port of Redwood City to see the wooden ships that are docked there. We took a tour and I was thankful that I never had to cross the oceans in such a ship. I don't like damp and wet for days on end! I've read enough Pilgrim stories to my classes over the years to know I am very happy to travel by bike thank you very much!

The ride was rather flat until of course we head home...up up up...then I decided to make it a real workout since 10 flat miles was not exercise....so the Captain and I rode up the next hill...and then wrapped around to the highest point on our hill...which was one heck of a hill climb...and I DO FEEL LIKE I HAD A WORKOUT!

Enjoy the weekend....weather permitting.....as the fog really sucks here!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*RIDE TO THE TOP*

Oh...my back is....S-O-R-E

...since it was such a beautiful day we went for a ride....

....not bad for the first real ride of the year...

....and I was moving so fast at lunch the cell phone photo could barely capture me!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTONGER*LAUGH HARDER*RIDE LIKE A GIRL*

1,000 Miles or BUST

I was going to break 1,000 miles on my bike this year easily. Then I hurt my back at Thanksgiving...I coughed so hard I pulled a muscle or two...and didn't get to ride to school for the last 15 days...so I walked....and therefore I am short by just about 100 miles.

I was resigned to the fact that I would not make my goal...but the Captain thinks I can do it....we are off for a ride tomorrow....and I just put 4 in on the stationary bike today and Christmas Eve....so maybe I will make the 1,000 miles because I sure didn't make my running goal.

Happy Sunday to all, and to all a WONDERFUL final week of the year.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER* RIDE 100 MILES*