Birthday, Bicycles and Bowling, Oh My!

Last week I turned 28. Now, that sounds pretty much like 30 to me, but I'm not all that concerned. I feel and behave like a teenager in most cases, so that's what matters to me. To celebrate, Greg and I traveled over the mountains back to the Palm Springs area Thursday and spent a couple nights there. We had a great St. Patrick's day! Thanks to everyone who sent cards, gifts, emails, texts and their birthday wishes over the phone. Hearing from you meant a lot to me! 

Birthday Night



A good friend of Greg's from highschool, Zach Jones ("Joneser") turned 28 on St. Patty's day too, so when we got back in town we spent an evening in Ocean Beach to celebrate with him. Zach's birthday party was in the form of a bicycle pub crawl in his cute, funky neighborhood. Friends on bikes joined us at different points along the crawl, and at our largest, the group of cyclers was well over a dozen (this resulted in stares and funny comments from people we passed on the streets, and gave me a new way to think about "biker gangs"). It was a great way to see the local bars, people watch, and get some exercise between beers, while enjoy a mild San Diego evening.

Sunday night - since apparently we hadn't made the most of our weekend yet - some friends who commute/live between Utah and San Diego came over for dinner and a night out Bowling! We have a pretty nice bowling alley near our house, and we enjoyed a few not-so-serious games before calling it a night. I really would like to learn how to bowl...it would be especially nice to break 100!

In other news, the baby hummingbird has officially left the nest. The last picture I caught of her/him is below. I have some cute kitty pictures but not on my computer, so I'll add a post in a few days with those. Until next time........ 



Mama Hummingbird and a blooming Bird of Paradise



Baby - almost too big for the nest now!

 

Our view in Palm Springs - the moon was so bright that night!



Getting in Shape!

Yesterday at the gym I ran 4 miles in 31 minutes and 45 seconds. And then I lifted weights for an hour. When we joined the new gym near our house five weeks ago, that distance would have taken me 40 minutes or more, and would probably have concluded my workout for the day. Greg and I have been working out for at least an hour 5-6 days a week for nearly five weeks now, in preparation for our trip to Cancun in April, and in an effort to regain the lean physiques of our youth. In the beginning he said, "It takes about 6 weeks to get in shape, and 2 weeks to get out of shape".  I have seen both sides of that coin...

Greg is seeing numbers on the scale he hasn't since high school (nearly 30 pounds less than what we'll call his "peak" weight), and he is now the leanest he's been since we met in 2005! My weight has not dropped substantially, but the proportion of fat to muscle sure has. I'm gaining strength and definition in my shoulders, back, arms and core that I may never have had before.  My legs have always been strong, but they are beginning to regain the shape of my soccer years - yes, high school - rather than of a petite woman (or girl...I still feel like a girl) who sits at a computer all day every day for work.

We had the right idea with P90X last September, and we still incorporate some of the concepts and excercises we learned from that program into our workouts. Having a nice gym with plenty of equipment and incorporating a daily stop there between work and home has made all the difference. Greg and I really enjoy working out together and provide the right amount of encouragement, humor and support to get ourselves and each other through our increasingly intense sessions at the gym. It's still not time to post before and after photos, but I promise we'll get some of those "after" shots on vacation. :)

Baby Birdies

Lots of sightings last week and a sneak peek at the first of two baby hummingbird babies! This one still had a bit of shell on his or her head, and was less than one inch from beak to tail. Momma was busy all weekend feeding her babies. I LOVE bird watching!

Last week Greg had (and is still recovering from) a bad case of bronchitis, and I am trying not to get it!! I have been feeling tired and a tiny bit congested this week so far, but I'm taking good care of myself in hopes the worst of it will pass me by.

We had a great Sunday when Greg started feeling better. We walked to the park and played a few games of croquet, and after that we toured the first homes under construction in a nice new development near our house. After learning a bit about the lots, planned square footage and base prices of the different models, we realized that these homes would be great "comparables" for solidifying or raising our home value!

Greg is in Oakland on a study this week, and will leave for a good friend's Bachelor party in Denver the day after he returns. I know he's excited to see all of his friends!

I am just shy of two weeks from turning 28; the older I get, the greater the range of options I have for choosing how old to ACT :). Happy March 1st everyone!