IM update

Wow! I've got goosebumps right now...just watching Normann Stadler coming off the bike was amazing....after 112 miles with a head and side wind at least the last 15 or so miles, he was actually SPRINTING to the change tent! That's my guy! So, now he's in 2nd place, yayyy! Tojrbornne Sindballe is ahead of him, but we'll see what the Gods have in store for all of us....right now, I'm on the edge of my seat. The live coverage is absolutely STELLAR...the video is so exponentially improved over even last year's coverage, I'm thrilled! If I have to be sitting down watching it, I guess I don't have much to complain about....now, they just need to get that aroma technology going so I can smell the ocean and the pikake! GOOOO NORMANN!!!

It's the Hap, Hap, Happiest Time of the Year......

YES!!!! It's IRONMAN DAY!!! My FAVORITE time of year and my most favorite day of the year (next to Christmas and my birthday of course :)).

What's SO sad though and if it isn't a testament to the passing of time, I don't know what is....I didn't even know it ws today! I just happened to wonder WHICH Saturday it was going to be this October and checked in at Ironmanlive and it turned out it was today! I missed the starting gun for the FIRST time in ...gosh, how many years now? A lot. Oh Daddy-O, I sure wish I were there, hanging out with you and Mad and reconnecting with some old buddies, but maybe next year. I sure hope so. I am going through Kona and Ironman withdrawls. Oh, the FUN I've had during the two weeks surrounding the race there....sigh.....at least I can watch it live online, so I can REALLY feel homesick, LOL! Looks like it's hot today and windy (what else is new?? Remember the year it was so bad, the littler girls were getting knocked off their bikes on the Queen K?); maybe just as well that I'm missing it this year! Gee, I'm looking at my old buddies Greg Welch and Paula Newby-Frasier and Dave Scott....and they look..ummm ....kinda OLD :S. And OMG..the Timex 30th anniversary IM watch...and I'm MISSING it!!! Oh gosh, how will I live with myself now? I was there for the 20th and the 25th editions....how does the time go by so fast? And oh myyyy....compression socks? I feel so OUT of it, LOL. Really glad I've missed out on those. And gosh....Cervelo was the top bike in the bike count at the transition check in yesterday....remember the good old days when it was Softrides, Cannondales, Kestrels and Quintana Roos??? And Litespeeds were the hot ticket. Now I feel really old. Even the bikes have passed me by. Maybe I should get back into it....Yeah, that's the ticket....new bike, new stuff.....I can definitely get into that. I at least have the bike case....and I do love my bikes! Ok, it's Ironman Day in my world.... I have to focus on the race, LOL..... Norman! Norman! Stormin' Norman is on the hunt! Go fast, cutie pie! I'm pulling for ya!
Oh....and yeah, G.....I'm thinking about YOU!

Mahalo and Aloha..................

The Sunshine Boys

Oh, what a beautiful morning! I woke up with the Yorkies Exquisite wriggling around and then jumping on me, licking me all over my face. OH they're SO CUTE!!! Madison is always so excited and wants to lick everything....Max is his second favorite target and Max gets so disgusted, and backs away from him as soon as he can, LOL. Then they're off the bed and out the door; Madison doing his galloping down the hallway into the kitchen. Their breakfast is the first priority of the day of course, nothing else exists in their minds:).

The house is quiet and still~ the only noise is the doves cooing (as loudly as they can :S). No guest bedroom door opening and another little Yorkie spilling out of it this morning. It feels so empty here this morning. I know it will get back to normal, but it just feels empty. I'll have to give Mel a call later to see what she and Pie are doing. She's got a ton of unpacking and putting away to do, but I'll bet they get a walk in~ now that I think of it, they'll pretty much HAVE to since she's got no back yard or balcony either. I can't wait to see her little place!

I think the weather is cooling down; it was certainly cooler this morning and supposedly will only be 68 deg. tomorrow evening (I only mention that b/c dh (not sure if I'm invited and it makes no never-mind to me) is going to the Phoenix Suns basketball game which is being played in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which is an outdoor venue. And he's got a cold (MINE...sorry about that :(). But I guess 68 isn't exactly frigid.

I have been so industrious today~ laundry all done and I got a new batch of sourdough starter going. I had to throw out the first one b/c there really was just no room in the fridge to keep it while Melanee and her sister were here since she'd brought so much and we always had leftovers stuck in there too. So, I've got a shiny new batch of the starter bubbling away on the counter again. Maybe this time I'll get some bread made from it ;).

Dh is almost home, I'm happy he called ahead and asked if I needed anything at the store; I'm making the EDF Chili Chicken Tacos I wrote about last week that he never got any of and I needed lettuce and sour cream. I can't wait for him to taste them! I also can't wait for him to get home and see what the sofas look like with the painting and plants all arranged....home sweet home! But for now, my little Sunshine Boys and I are going to go enjoy the wonderful cool breeze!

Thursday's Child Has Far To Go

Ahhh...maybe not THAT far, but it will seem like a long ways after being in the same house for a month and the same town for a few years. There's me (or my car)visiting Melanee in a month :D.

As hard of an adjustment as it was for me at first,(and probably for her too, being out of a house of her own unceremoniously and having to move in somewhere with a cat and a little dog)(and a sister for a week), my sweet friend Mel has moved lock stock and barrel to the beach!

And as much of a loner as I am, and as much of a neat-freak as I am, I am going to miss her and the adorable Little Pie, and her laid back kitty, Beau so much. I guess I didn't internalize the fact that she was really leaving, so in the few days before today, it started hitting me. Getting everything done that she needed to take care of before she left, we both realized it was becoming more and more real. When she sold her house and moved before, she always had a tether (all her furniture and belongings were in storage here, as well as the little dog she loved so much b/c she belonged to someone else then) back here. But now the only tether is her friends. She really has escaped the desert! As I told Little Pie the other day, since she's never been to the beach before "Oh, the places you'll go and the things you'll see!"...I'm so envious b/c I'd love to be in the same area too, and I know the doggies would love it! But for now, we're still here. Time will tell~ the doggies here are really going to miss Little Pie and Auntie Melanee though, that's for sure! I know she's going to find true happiness and contentment there and that makes me happy b/c she's a wonderful girl, a fabulous friend and she deserves it! YOU GO GIRL!

So, today I had planned just on getting the guest room and bath cleaned up and such, but got on a tear to clean the entire house, move furniture, and hang that gigantic painting (try hanging a 6 ft x 5 ft painting ALONE....aligning two hooks that far apart isn't as simple as it seemed, LOL...I had to make a few adjustments in the location of the nails I used for the hangers :S. But the house looks great and everything is clean. The doggies are wiped out tonight; you'd think they'd done all the work, haha.

So, a new adventure awaits us all, I'm sure of that! And Happy Birthday, Tim :).

Wednesday Cooldown

Ahhhh....FINALLY.....it's the time of year that I can actually drive with the top down~ without worrying about sweating to death or burning the bejeezus out of the leather! 'Course, I still have to have the A/C going, but there's something so freeing and primal about driving topless :). Especially on a beautiful, clear and sunny day with the mountains all around me. Now I get why our population triples beginning this time of year. As I still say; it's a great place to vacation, but I want outta here, LOL!
I love the Fall with the changing weather and the leaves changing colors and falling, falling, falling. But most of all, I love to "nest" and decorate. And dream about the holidays to come. Summer is the time for running around outdoors.

Yesterday, Mel and I went shopping~ one store, 4 hours, I don't think a single item went untouched or noticed at least! I've decided that Home Goods is my favorite place. The glassware and dishes alone, especially the seasonal stuff....an entertainer's Nirvana! If my digital was working, I'd have pictures of everything, just so I can remember what I want when I have the money for it, lol. Of course, this is the kind of place that if you see something you want, you'd better get it right then or it will be gone the next time. It's also the kind of place where you check your sanity at the door on your way in.
I swear, earlier in the morning, I had emptied my buffet (pictured behind the table above) of EVERYTHING (and it's packed FULL) so that we could move it to accomodate the new sofas, and all I could say is "I have too many dishes"

...so what did I do while I was there? I found a set of Tuscan style dishes and HAD to have them. They're PERFECT for Fall and for Thanksgiving. And there's so many other dishes that compliment them. Yep, I got more dishes. And I'm contemplating going back for some more; I got one Fitz and Floyd plate that is so adorable with a little chick in the center. It goes perfectly on top of the Tuscan plates. Hmmm...decisions, decisions. One plate I can use as an accent piece; more I can use as breakfast dishes. It's this change in the seasons that's getting to me. Time for new stuff.

Melanee is the one who's got the excitement going though. She leaves tomorrow after being here a month. The movers will be meeting her early in the morning to load up her stuff from storage and then she, Beau her kitty; and Little Pie, Max's Yorkie sister; are off to the beach! I know she's super stressed out but she's going to have so much fun getting settled there and I just know she's going to find happiness there. It's such a calming and healing environment and I can just see her and Pie walking along the boardwalk. I can't wait to see her place and help her decorate!! She got some really cute things though for it already. I hope she'll find a really nice guy there too; she deserves it.

So, today is a get things done day for both of us. I need to hang a 6 ft x 5 ft. painting on the wall and am having the darndest time figuring out exactly how I'm going to do it~ honestly, I remember the days when I just slapped a nail in the wall and hung things up (that was just after the thumbtack and poster days I think :D). Now, I've got 8 different measurements written down, marks on the wall and I STILL haven't figured out where to put the hangers, LOL. I want it to be done when dh gets home though; he's going to be surprised (particularly by the fact that I extricated the painting from behind every single other box that's stacked up in the 3rd car garage and have already gotten rid of the packaging it was boxed in. I'm so proud that I got it all done on garbage day, haha....now I just have to put all the other boxes I pulled out back so he can get his car in the garage :(. Oh well, it will be so worth it.

Later on, we're going out to dinner~ our last meal together before she beaches it. I'll miss cooking dinner for her and I bet dh is going to miss having her around to laugh at his corniness (I'm a little over it after 10 yrs). I'm happy for her though, and the realization that she'll be gone again is just starting to hit me. It's hard living with someone else when you aren't used to it and it was a little rocky at first, but there's just nothing like a friend who "gets" you. Or at least accepts you and your annoying habits and makes the best of them. I can take some lessons from her in being more tolerant of other's idiosyncrasies, that's for sure. Maybe that's why she's a great personal assistant and I'd be a lousy one.

Anyway, since this is a "get-things-done" day, I guess I'll go get some things done (and expound on DWTS later).