Elle's 7th birthday (part 1)

Just days before Elle's official 7th birthday I joined Marla, Elle, and Ruby after school for a whirlwind San Diego Zoo Safari Park tour. (Okay, I just can't to it!) Wild Animal Park tour. 

Elle and Ruby showed me on the map where we were going to go, and what we were going to do.  

You used to have to pay for the cheetah run, but now it is shown daily at 3:30 for free. None of us had seen it before.  It was pretty impressive seeing an animal run from 0 to 70 mph in 4 seconds.  We were glad we didn't have to pay, it it over just too quickly!

Elle was set on going to the Bonsai Pavilion. I didn't even know there was such a thing at the Wild Animal Park. I don't think many people know it exists, we had the whole place to ourselves. Marla likes to come up here with the kids to eat lunch, sit on a bench, and be in peace and quiet for a bit.

Just a short walk past the bonsai's is the Nativescapes Garden, yet another place we had to ourselves. It is full of native plant species from Southern California.  

The flora was unbelievable,

and so was the fauna. Apparently this is a hang out for uncaged deer. We easily saw 7 of them throughout our walk, eating and napping. They were not too happy to see us. We were definitely on their territory. 

On to the Toms... for Elle's birthday Fred and I got Elle her first pair of Toms.  (Ruby thought this would be a  great opportunity to show off her favorite shoes as well.) 

You can only get these shoes at a limited number of places, Escondido mall being one of them. Online they are often sold out. 

Elle was soooo excited!  

While eating dinner, I am surprised that any food actually went into her mouth. It is really hard to eat when you are staring under the table at your shoes the entire time, commenting on how sparkly they are, etc. 

What a fun way to spend the afternoon after a long day at work!

Lake Elsinore Survivor Mud Run 2011

On Sat. my sister Marla and I attempted to survive a '3.87 hellish mile' race, including 14 obstacles.  

Marla was a little nervous so we got pumped up in the parking lot first. 

I have completed the Camp Pendleton mud run a few years back so I had faith we could do it!

The race started out easy enough. 

We had time to pose for some pics. 

Then we arrived at our first smelly mud pit experience.

We eased our way in, not realizing we didn't stand a chance of remaining semi-clean.

Getting out of a muddy pit is not easy, especially when trying to immediately climb a slimy hill.

We made it! 

Umm, what was this? Obstacle 4? Only 10 more to go...

The scenery was wonderful, I love the Elsinore mountains.

Getting dirtier...

Even dirtier! 

Marla was behind me when she mentioned to a fellow competitor that some mud almost went into her mouth. Then I turned around, showing her my face. Apparently when going under a pipe in one of the mud pits she put her ear under the mud instead. I couldn't help but gurgle as I laughed under the mud while listening to her well thought out technique. 

The trick to this obstacle is lying on your back and pushing with your feet.

Just like being at Glen Ivy Hot Springs, sans luxurious clay mineral mud.  

Lake Elsinore mud toughens you up! (And hopefully doesn't come with bacterial infections.) 

Behind us is the water slide into the lake. Marla wanted to climb back up and do it again!

So close but so far away!

Back in the Storm Stadium where we started, and we still had three more obstacles. I was nervous about this one since I have issues with heights once in a while, but it was fun.

A little sore and a little cut, but WE SURVIVED!  Not only that but we are ready to do it again. The course was super fun; and it was much muddier and more challenging that the Pendleton race. 

(Don't tell the Marines I said this.) 

San Diego, Super Chargers!

This is only the second time in my life I have been to a Chargers/NFL game. I think that the best part of the game is tailgating beforehand.  After paying the 25$(!) to park it took us quite some time, and some unfortunate run-ins with parking staff, before we finally turned off the ignition. We had enough time to hurriedly pound drinks and veggie burgers before making our way inside.  Speed tailgating is better than NO tailgating!

Fred and I were interested in this particular game because my cousin, Nancy, and my cousin-in-law, Vinny, were in town for the weekend and Nancy had never been to an NFL game before (even though Vinny played in college and is a fan). 

Check out the lady behind the boys...someone's excited!

People at football games are a different breed. Look at the mask the guy in front of us was sporting...scary!

Can you believe that, according to the NFL, Qualcomm is not big enough to host a superbowl ? It holds 70,500 fans (and their wives).  Seems big enough to me.

Chargers vs. Vikings. 24-17. 

Let's go Chargers, let's go!

Until next time!

Joshua trees

Fred and I spent Labor Day weekend camping in Joshua Tree National Park. We took a bit of a risk visiting a desert in summer but we really lucked out. There were clouds most of the day that absorbed some of the suns rays. Neither Fred or I had ever been to Joshua Tree, and we were in for a treat. This place is AMAZING!

Joshua Trees are incredibly beautiful, and so unique. Each one has its own personality.

Jessica! The reason Fred and I risked the weather.

Wall Street Mill Trail.

Jessica is a JTNP pro.

Although this picture is beautiful it does not begin to capture the intensity of this park.

There are remnants of miners scattered around Joshua Tree, although Wall Street Mill is supposed to be the best preserved gold mill in the area.  It is unbelievable that miners could survive in the desert with so little resources.

We didn't see any big lizards (or Big horn sheep or tortoises!) BUT I enjoyed the pattern on this little guy.

Skull Rock.

We are already planning our return, just two months from now. There is so much to do and to see, we just scratched the surface of what this area has to offer.

"Cardiff Kook"

On July 22, 2007 a local artist was commissioned to create a surf sculpture that would memorialize the surfers in the small beach community of Cardiff-by-the-Sea.  It has been criticised from day one because the surfer is 'scrawny' and his pose is not surfer-like.

The actual name of the artwork is "Magic Carpet Ride" but it is instead referred to by locals as the "Cardiff Kook". A 'kook' is slang for someone who is posing to be a surfer. Over the past 4 years since its unveiling, it has been regularly, very comically and sometimes elaborately, defaced.

 The most recent loving addition to the statue is a pterodactyl nabbing the surfer.  This is one of my favorites.

The same artist who did the pterodactyl also did jaws

and created a surfer posing in a more life-like way.

The surfer has posed as St. Valentine,

 and has wed.

He has been an advocate for countless things,

and has fought for our freedom.

He has showed his multicultural side, educating the community on Cinco de Mayo,

 as well as educating the community on surfer etiquette.

He has shown off his sports skills (while surfing), such as wrestling

and playing volleyball.

He has found part time work as an elf,

a clown,

 and even an artist.

Although this statue is regularly scrutinized I think that the community would not want the surfer statue removed, he is way to fun to dress up.