Continue Reading 12 comments July 5th, 2008
I’m the girl who never engaged a single brain cell dreaming about what her “big day” would be like, and who even chose to elope the first time around. But now that I’ve actually planned a whole to-do, I might be starting to see the point…
Honestly, I can’t imagine why anybody would put herself through the nerve-wracking insanity for anything less than her perfect mate. Once you’ve made it through the gauntlet that leads up to your wedding day, later on if things start to go awry in your marriage, I promise you’ll think back to the wedding preparations and realize that in comparison your present woes are quite manageable.
Of course, that’s if you’re not “cheating” by enlisting outside help from family or friends. Both of which I’m told generally end up being more trouble than help. Also in the category of doing more harm than good are those brick-like bridal magazines, which I am convinced serve only to fill your head full of stuff you don’t really need, to support yet another industry that preys on ignorance and insecurity.
I did as much of the work as possible on my own to keep costs down, then negotiated like crazy for everything else. Believe me, you’ll barely get the “W” in “wedding” out of your mouth before the price of everything quadruples! Our pastor claimed the average wedding runs $40 grand, but we kept it closer to one tenth that amount while trying to make it look like we forfeited the down payment on a house.
It wasn’t easy, but perhaps we pulled it off. All that hard work just to marry my best friend so we can spend more time together riding bikes and making each other laugh? Totally worth it!
4 comments June 30th, 2008
Spring has sprung, and with it came the return of sunshine and flowers. It’s at this time of year even the thoughts of a ninja may turn to love. This phenomenon is evidenced by the fact that one such Ninja, my best friend in the whole wide world, is soon to wed.
I want to extend my congratulations, bestow my blessings, and let the future Mrs. Ninja know that she is one very lucky lady. (Though I presume she has discovered this already.) Because her beloved Ninja just happens to be one of the finest humans alive.
Continue Reading May 7th, 2008
Would you believe I finally got the very first stamp on my passport?
The Ninja brought me along on an all-expense paid trip to a resort in Mexico! He kicked some butt at work and earned a vacation that began on his birthday. We kicked off the last year of his 20s at the Pueblo Bonito Rose in Cabo San Lucas with a few dozen of his co-workers.
It was a four-day trip and Jordan’s company organized transportation, lodging, meals, and even provided an additional $125 per person room credit that we could use on spa treatments, room service, or whatever. The resort wasn’t brand new, but our experience was still very nice.
Most of our friends went on excursions (riding quads, parasailing) but the two of us mostly relaxed in and by various pools and worked on undoing some of our cycling tan lines. We enjoyed a preview of summer weather with temps in the 90s by day and mid 60s at night.
Had I written this right after I returned, my review of Mexico would be slightly more glowing. But I’m still getting over (for lack of a better term) intestinal trouble, bug bites, and a head cold, so I’m slightly less than thrilled with travel in general, especially to third world countries.
In fact, if you take a look at how we spent the room credit, it pretty much sums up what trips with the two of us are all about: we’re always hungry, so there are tons of charges for room service, and the rest went for snacks, hydration, bug sprays, lip balms, and sunscreen.
We may not be well-suited for travel, but we still had fun!
12 comments April 30th, 2008
After two years of riding my bike I figured it was high time I entered a competitive cycling event. Since I’m still not super confident riding closely in a peloton, it was decided that my ideal premiere would be an individual time trial. On my own going as fast as I can for a specific duration. Competing with others to achieve the best time without risking getting tangled up in the fray.
The results: I finished 4th… Out of 4.
That last-place finish doesn’t do much for my ego, but I learned a lot from the experience. Mainly that when you’re nervous it makes you have to pee. A lot! And wearing bib shorts, having no restrooms in the vicinity, showing up too late to warm up, and riding an unfamiliar course, are all things that don’t help.
Not only that, but it should also be mentioned that in many womens cycling events they group all categories together since there are so few women involved in the sport. So where men might race with no more than 2 categories, my pathetic little category 4 slow newbie ass is up against professional and semi-professional female cyclists from all over. Kind-of makes that 4th place finish not sound so bad after all.
Since I have that first event under my belt, I’ll be trying a few more throughout the season. Maybe even a road race and/or a criterium toward the end of this month, and I’ll keep you posted on my results as they come. Originally my goal was not to be dead last, but I think I’ll set my sights a bit lower from now on… Finishing at all is good!
Watch me jinx even that. 
PS: Happy Birthday Jordan!!! XOXOX
8 comments April 17th, 2008
So, the Ninja and I hopped in the car and drove to Vegas. We stayed at the Signature at MGM Grand, which was made even more enjoyable thanks to a free upgrade to a penthouse suite. Pretty nifty. Not that we spent a lot of time there, since we were in the other city that never sleeps, and there’s no shortage of fun things to do and see.
However, the whole point was to meet Misty, Dena, Shelly, Lisa, Gina, Monica, Tasha, and Salena. Regrettably, only 5/8ths of that goal was achieved because (despite my best effort) I couldn’t track down the last three. However, it was lovely meeting those first five special ladies. Turns out your blogs very accurately portray who you are and what you’re all about… You’re each as fantastic as I’d imagined, and more!
Now that I know how awesome you are, I wish that Virginia Beach were right next door to Southern California. Though the Ninja and I are a couple of premature (yet immature) fuddy-duddies who don’t drink, smoke, or gamble, we hope there will be many more fun times to spend together soon. Maybe with hubbies and kids even… No? …Or not.
I should have done this in person, but I didn’t want to get all serious on you in the midst of all the fun, so listen: Blogger friendships may seem too distant or detached from outsider perspectives, but the laughter and support we share means a lot me. Thank you for sticking around through some very tough times, and for never forgetting that I exist even when my posts dwindle down to once or twice a month.
You’re each amazing, wonderful people, and I love you… XOXOX!
13 comments March 31st, 2008
We’re hitting the road one weekend after another in March. Last weekend we went up the California coast to participate in the Solvang Century. It was my first time riding over 100 miles in a single day, and boy was I beat when it was over. Seven hours of riding, and a significant stretch of it fighting strong headwinds on uphill climbs. Looking back, I’m proud of that accomplishment, but it’s not something I’d enjoy doing on a regular basis.
(The bunny on my handlebars helps though.)
Normally, I prefer 30-50 mile rides while surrounded by ten to twenty of my other road biking buddies, and of course, the one and only Jordan. I’m stoked that we’re once again enjoying daylight savings time (also known as cycling season). My office life sucks, but it’s made more tolerable when I can ride off the stress after work.
This weekend we’re heading out for yet another road trip. We’re gearing up for Las Vegas where we’ll be meeting a few of my favorite peeps on earth! I’m so excited. Good thing I’ve been so busy lately, otherwise I’d be obsessing over what to pack, dreaming about the fun we’ll have, and stressing that I’ll be too shy to enjoy it all.
As it stands, I’m worried about not having appropriate shoes for all the walking required in that town, so I wrote to Manolo the Shoeblogger for advice. To my great pleasure, he wrote about it and made suggestions. I’ll try and head over to a nearby Cole Haan boutique later tonight and find some of those Nike Air heels he recommends.
See you gals soon! XOXOX
18 comments March 13th, 2008
Last weekend The Ninja and I had the extreme pleasure of watching over two darling children for some dear friends who were away on a skiing trip. The pair of siblings consists of a girl about 10 or 11 and a boy around 6 or 7, who were in our care from the moment school let out on Friday until it resumed again Monday morning.
The best part was the kids. They were awesome. Just the way kids should be. Quirky and fun and sloppy and charming. Caring for them was a pleasure. We played nonstop. We baked cookies, picked up a new Webkinz, went to baseball practice, went bowling, rode our bikes, and spent way too much time rotting our brains with video games.
But, let’s set the stage. These kids aren’t from any normal suburban town. They live in Rancho Santa Fe, known to locals as “The Ranch” – the second most exclusive residential area in the nation. Mind you, the reason it’s exclusive could be the curvy, poorly marked roads that caused me to get lost once, leaving me in tears of frustration.
If you’re ever able to find their home and get inside without setting off the alarm (like I did, accidentally, resulting in a confrontation by armed security… again, leaving me in tears) you’ll find that it’s not normal either. Even the toilet seat has a secret life, keeping the seat warm, deodorizing the air, rinsing and drying you off. It’s an unusual place.
All weekend I thought about all my mommy blogger friends, wondering what tales I’d bring back to empathize with your frequent struggles. But, the only complaint I now truly understand is about laundry. You’d think over one measly weekend there wouldn’t be much, but I ended up having to wash, dry, fold, and put away five super-sized loads.
Not much to complain about. Except when you consider that when you’re caring for two kids in a house with like five bedrooms and five bathrooms, that equals a whole lot of running around. There are weekends where I’ve put in over 100 miles on the bike, but never has it made me as tired as a weekend of traversing that house.
It may have been only a glimpse, but my hat is off to you, ladies.
6 comments March 6th, 2008
