Daisy Blog

Republic of Texas (ROT) Biker Rally - June '09

 Now that Sven, Angele and I have motorcycles, we decided to participate in the biggest bike rally in Texas when it rumbled into Austin - June 11-14th.

Sven and Angele rode their bikes in from Houston (Angele's first big ride - Way to go Girl!) and after some time to relax and refresh we headed to the Rally grounds so we could queue up for the bike parade.

Thousands of bikers traversed the 11-mile bike parade that ran from the Travis County Expo to Congress Street where the thousands of bikers that rode parked their bikes.  Just seeing all the bikes parked row upon row on Congress was quite the site.  It was cool to see so many different personalities, whether they were hard-core bikers or just weekend wheelers getting along and having fun. I was worried going into it, but everyone was great.

The parade was so fun, and I'm still amazed at how many people were out on the streets waving and cheering us as we rolled by.  It was fun to watch the little girls get excited as they saw women driving our own bikes, as if by seeing us they too could do it someday.    

That night we enjoyed the festivities on Congress Street, catching a bit of the concert and trying to watch Evil Knevil jump Budweiser trucks in front of the capital.  But it was so hard to get close enough for a view that all we saw was a flash of light.  It looked good on the TV replay. 

Due the hot temps, we drove my car to the Rally grounds to see what they had , because it was just too hot to be on our bikes for another minute.  We did a a bit of shopping, a bit of eating, and I found saddle bags for my bike. After a full day at the fair grounds we went home and watched movies and cool down.  We had a great weekend but we are all looking forward to cooler temperatures so enjoy getting out on the road for a ride without baking.

Riding a motorcycle has been a challenge for me.  Its fun and scary at the same time. But I love most pushing myself to learn and experience something new, getting out of my box, and observing the world in an entirely different way.

A Brand New Addiction

Sure, I like popcorn, but I'm not crazy about it.  It's fun to have for snacks, and can hit the spot if you pop some fresh stuff at home while watching a movie.  It's also a pretty and eco-friendly Christmas Tree decoration if you don't have any money, as you can make garland with it (did it lots as a kid).  It is also the most horrible noxious smell if someone burns it, because you can smell it anywhere in the office, even on other floors (Sorry guys!).  But, generally, I can take it or leave it. 

The other day I was grocery shopping and I had a coupon for this popcorn, so I grabbed some knowing I was going to have company, and needed various snack options.  While on a sight-seeing adventure we opened the bag, and after the first taste........ I almost inhaled the entire bag!

When I bought the popcorn, I didn't even notice what flavor I got.  Because I probably wouldn't have selected Kettlecorn, because its not waist friendly, but I'm sooo glad I did.  This kettlecorn has the perfect blend -- a touch of salt and just the right amount of pure cane sugar to satisfy the sweet.  Perfectly delicious! 

I don't think I can trust myself to have this at my house when I'm alone.  After a few kernels I'm hooked. Just get it on your tounge and try it.  I dare you! 

They make this little gem in Popcorn, Indiana.  And I think they got it right! 

Hoping to see less of myself next week

I'm excited to report that I'm 27 lbs lighter than I was last fall.  Yeah for me!  Even though I still want to lose at least ten more pounds, I'm liking my body right now.  I feel healthy and good. I'm wondering why I didn't like my body as much when I was this weight the last time?  Does having pants that are now so big they can't even stay up with out a belt cause a sense of euphoria that make you love your body? 

Losing weight has been hard, but I've been focusing on three things.   
1. Lower my alcohol intake - I'm not saying I'm a heavy drinker.  But its amazing how many calories are in a margarita.  Not to mention all the chips and salsa I probably ate while drinking said margarita.  Cutting work travel has also reduced my alcohol intake, where most nights I had a cocktail before grounding myself to my hotel room for email.  
2. Just keep moving - I try to do something every day to get moving.  The more I move, the more I want to move.  I've been dancing (which I love), running (still waiting for that runner's high - Is it just a myth?), and finding anyway to move whether it means working on the yard, walking, etc.  The more I move, the more I can eat.  And that is a good thing.
3. Logging my food (The part I hate).  When I log my food, I know if I'm going over.  And now I know it doesn't take much to go over.  Being on the go all the time, my hardest part is taking the time to buy and prepare the right foods, stay with the right portions, and avoiding all the preprocessed meals and calorie-laden take-out. I hate logging food, but this is the part that makes or breaks my success.

So, if all goes well, you will see less of me next week.  If I can maintain a 1 lb a week weight loss, hopefully those ten pounds are just ten weeks away.

Vroooooooom!

What an excellent weekend.  Sven and Angele put their motorcycles on a trailer and came to meet me in Austin.  Together the three of us drove our bikes to San Antonio using the back roads.  It was Angele's first long motorcycle ride and she did an incredible job.  The weather gods were nice to us too, and even though there was rain on and off throughout the weekend, the most we dealt with when we were on our bikes was wet roads.  

Originally we had planned to go to Bandera TX, but found out they were having a rodeo so we ended up staying in San Antonio over the weekend instead.  Ven joined us in San Antonio on Friday night, making our group a foursome.  It was nice, because we had his car for going out and to carry any of our extra gear back home  (which was nice for me since I don't have saddle bags on my bike). 

On Saturday since there was so much rain we couldn't ride.  Instead we hung out in the King William district, the RiverWalk, and the Blue Star Art's complex where we found a great micro brewery and some galleries.  We watched "Terminator Salvation", which while fun and full of special effects, was light on story line and didn't leave you wanting more like the latest Star Trek movie did. 

On Sunday we returned to Austin, hitting the back roads again and a variety of towns.  Everyone enjoyed spending time in Wimberly.  Before we got back to my house, we pulled into Ginny's Longhorn Saloon on our bikes and relaxed a bit to the music.  We decided to leave just in time, because as we were pulling into the neighborhood it started to rain again. We made it to my garage with only a few drops on us.  After dinner and some rest, we got dressed and headed to the Continental Club to hear Hey Bale and get in some dancing. 

They loaded up their bikes on Monday and everyone headed back to Houston.  As always, I was sad to see them go, but we had a fantastic weekend. Can't wait to do it again. 

Here are the pictures we took.

Mother's Day Weekend

On Mother's Day weekend I went home to Minneapolis.  Its become a tradition since I've moved to Texas.  It's important time with my family, and a chance to support my aunt Noreen (a six year survivor) in her battle against breast cancer, at the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer walk. 

Although my trip home was short, it was still just as meaningful. Its great to see all the kids because they are growing so incredibly fast. It was fun to introduce Meadow to all the Minnesota Viking Cheerleaders along the walk (she got pictures with 17 of them).

My youngest cousin Kelly graduated as a respiratory therapist.  I am so proud of her, she finished school while being a mom, and working.  My cousin Nate even asked me to be a reader in his wedding.  Life just keeps moving on.

Sally stayed with us for the weekend, so I got some one-on-one time with one of my best friends.  And although I didn't get a chance to see many people, I was able to have breakfast with my old roommate Laura, and cross paths with Dan at the airport when Sally picked me up. 

Pictures from Mother's Day Weekend

Coaching season

The school year is over and unfortunately so is my stint this season as coach for Girl's on the Run (GOTR).  Each week with them was always full of surprises.  I already miss the girls laughter, their personalities and their triumphs as they made their running goals.

GOTR is more than a running program, it is a life-changing character development program for elementary school girls, starting with 3rd grade (ages 8-12) that uses the power of running to teach every girl about her personal power and the importance of being healthy and active. 

It was amazing to see the affect of GOTR on the girls.  From one girl who was taunted by a boy, who then turned it around and told him she just ran two miles, and what has he done? (How cool is that!) To another girl who never seemed to care if she finished her laps during the week, and ended up as one of our fastest finishers. Each girl has a story and I hope to run into them in the future to see the women they've developed into.

I love this silly picture of the girls, I can still hear their giggles when we took it. More than likely, I won't be able to coach next season due to work, but I will continue to find a way to be involved because this is such an incredible program.  And hopefully, I'll be able to coach again sooner than later.

Finally, my trip pictures from Venice

Here are all my pictures from my trip to Italy in March of 2009

Venice Albums

• Grand Canal
• St. Mark's Square
• St. Mark's Campanile
• St. Mark's Basilica
• St. Mark's - Doge's Palace
• St. Mark's - Waterfront
• St. Mark's Flooding
• San Giorgio
• Nestled into Venice Alleys & Canals

Venetian Lagoon Albums

• Island Waterways
• Torcello Island
• Burano Island
• Murano Island

Miscellaneous Italy Albums

• Ravenna, Italy
• Venice Hotel & Bus Stop
• Flying Home in First Class

Tri season means trying new things

So now that I've done a marathon, my Tough Cookie running buddies have convinced me to try triathlons.  Thinking this will get me moving, challenge me, and teach me some new things, I decided to give it a go.  This is despite the fact that I'm bike challenged and although I can swim, I've always been the one with my head above water unless I was scuba diving, so there will be a bit to learn there too.  Quite a bit I'm guessing. 

First hurdle for me is not the sports, but the actual outfits they want you to willingly wear in public.  First, let me say, most triathletes already have gorgeous bodies.  So they design clothes for those bodies, not the wanna-be's who are using it to get in better shape.  The suits and tops are so skin tight, that unless sausage sexy somehow comes in Vogue really quick, there is no way I wanted to be caught dead in it. 

Even though I've lost a lot of weight, I would rather go out in Zubaz (and you wouldn't have caught me dead in those in the 80's).  I was so grossed out by my body in this suit, that I was seriously rethinking being in this program unless they let me wear a sweat suit over it.  Drama aside, they finally showed us the new tri-suits last Weds.  While I wouldn't say I'm excited to wear it, its very doable. So already, I'm trying new things. 

Having run a marathon, I thought I had the running portion down.  But my coaches have already given me some tips to even improve my form, which is great. I'm really lucky to have such great coaches, its part of the reason I signed up for the program.  I'm hoping to be a sponge and learn as much from them as possible, because I'm pretty much starting at square one for 2/3 of this sport. I have a lot to learn on the bike handling, including how to work the gears on my 20 year old bike (but its a good bike, so it will work for this season).  I will also be learning entirely new swimming techniques, way beyond what I learned in swim class back in 3rd grade. Its almost like I'm learning to swim all over again.  If I can figure out the breathing, I should be golden. 

I'm actually excited to "tri" it all.

House projects.....

Owning a house there always seem to be projects that need to be done, as well as things I want to do.  I have periods where I tackle house projects left and right, and then due to travel or extracurricular activities I seem to get pulled away.  The last two weekends I've used the opportunity to get some major tasks off of my to do list!  Finally. 

I finished painting my bedroom, it has literally been on my to do list for well over a year! I had patched a number of cracks that appeared in the walls and ceiling and even repainted the ceiling, before putting the project on hold.  Now its finally done!  Its so nice to go to bed at night and not see all the wall patches staring at me and reminding me of my uncompleted work.  Its even better to be rid of the pinkish taupe color that was on the walls.  Since my room does not get a lot of light, I wanted to brighten it.  Now I have one dark chocolate suede accent wall and three light colored walls. And its so much brighter.  My curtains are back up and all I have left to do is frame a couple of pictures and get them hung to be 100% complete.

I even finished painting the water closet in my bathroom that I've wanted to repaint even longer than the bedroom.  But because I'm the only one who goes in there, its always fallen off the list.  I used some of my leftover paint to finish the job, and am thrilled to check it off the list. 

Not only have I done some major painting over the last two weekends, but I've gotten a lot done outside too.  I cleaned my garage, washed some exterior walls, hung some new flowers on my patio, done some yard work and even tackled my gigantic century plant.  If you've ever worked with century plants you know they are lethal!  They have points on the end of each leaf like giant needles and thorns up and down the sides.  My job was to cut out all the babies that had grown beneath it (some were more like middle-schoolers they were getting so big).  I don't even think prince charming could have escaped from this vicious plant unscathed in any fairy tale.  It was brutal. My skin was poked and punctured so many times, I felt like a cartoon animal that was going to leak out a million different holes the second I drank some water.  Thankfully I had a friend to help me, but I don't think he fared much better.  It was tough work and took much longer than expected, and more blood than expected, but its totally cleaned out and looks better.  If anyone needs a century plant let me know, I have some babies growing in pots. Despite how lethal they are, they are fabulous and hearty plants that do great in Texas.  Just not one you want to plant too close to the house. 

Somehow even though I'm checking all these things off my list, I think I'm just going to find some more that needs to get done.  So I best go clean up before I figure out what is next on the list.

Angele's Birthday - 100% Pure Girlie Fun!

Sven and Angele came to visit for the weekend, and since Angele's birthday is Monday (and Sven's is six days later) we are celebrating their birthdays.  We all agree, that all birthdays should be 36-hour celebrations.  So Sven made Angele's birthday super special, by surprising her with a fabulous girlie day, and he asked me to accompany her around town to ensure she was fully pampered.  I'm definitely up for the task!  How fun!!!

Sven first surprised Angele by driving her to the airport, where he rented her a convertible to drive for the day. Then he turned us loose on our own. The weather was absolutely gorgeous so we had the top down and the wind blowing in our hair everytime we took the car to the road. Our first activity was a drive in the country so Angele could enjoy the car. 

After a quick breakfast and coffee, our next stop was Grapevine Market where we were treated to a wine and beer tasting. Then it was time to be pampered.  We had our mani/pedi's while drinking champagne.  Once were were painted, we had full body massages to totally relax.  The hardest part was getting up to leave because it was soooo relaxing.  Next, it was time to slip in a few hours of our favorite activity.  Shopping! 

That evening we met Sven for dinner and drinks at the Hula Hut on Lake Austin so Angele could be near the water.  We finished off the evening hanging out around the firepit in my backyard.  Tomorrow we are getting out the motorcycles and going for a ride!  

Happy Birthday Angele!  So glad I got to share the day with you!  Lup You!! (And thanks to Sven for the fabulous day)!