Time flies!

Wow. It's been a loooooong time since I've posted. I would like to thank my legions of faithful readers for not hounding me day and night while anxiously awaiting my newest words of wisdom and wit. In fact, you all did a great job of remaining silent. Oh. So. Silent.

So here's the thing - Life. It got complicated and it got busy (I'm now working 2 part time jobs, soccer season is upon us, kids have homework, etc etc etc). And as important as the 3-Day is to me, I was feeling as if the whole thing was taking too much time away from my family, and my duties as a family member. Ultimately, family wins.

No excuses, just reasons. My training has not at all been up to par for those same reasons.

I have my list of things I still need to buy (not sure I can get it all), and things I need to borrow. Pretty sure the borrowed part is covered - I've got great friends!
I could print out my credentials RIGHT NOW, but I won't. That would make this seem even more real, and I'm not ready for that yet.

So here I am, less than one week from the big event. (YIKES!!) I'm a little nervous, and a lot disappointed in myself. I wish I was more ready for this than I am, but I don't live in a vacuum. Life happens. Onward I will go - ready or not, here I come!

Money raised to date: $2,735 !!!

Help me #FightBreastCancer

** Copied from the #fightbreastcancer facebook event page **




Today, September 30, may be our biggest event ever, as we ask people from around the globe to make a promise to take action against breast cancer — all through social media. This global effort starts with you, posting to your Facebook profile or Twitter and then asking your friends to do the same. We’ve made it easy for you to do.

How does it work? From midnight (EDT) September 30 to midnight October 1, we are kicking off Breast... Cancer Awareness Month by asking Facebook/Twitter users and bloggers to visit www.69-seconds.org. On that page, you can take action and update your status using the hashtag #fightbreastcancer.

What is a “hashtag”? Hashtags allow you to quickly identify special topics, and help spread information while organizing and making it searchable within social media.

Why 69 seconds? Because that’s how often a woman dies of breast cancer somewhere in the world. A statistic we’re trying to change. It’s also about how long it takes to #fightbreastcancer by choosing to drive change, share support or educate at www.69-seconds.org.

What’s the goal? We hope to mobilize millions to take 69 seconds to #fightbreastcancer AND break the Guinness World Record for Most Widespread Social Network Message in 24 Hours.

How can you join the fight?

1. Visit www.69-seconds.org and take action!

2. From the website, change your Facebook and/or Twitter status to one of the following:

• Every 69 seconds, a woman dies of breast cancer somewhere in the world. #fightbreastcancer at http://69-seconds.org/.

• Today is not about raising funds. It’s about raising virtual voices around the world to take action in 69 seconds or less. Visit http://69-seconds.org/, post #fightbreastcancer to Facebook and Twitter or blog about it before midnight and help turn the virtual world pink. How do you promise to #fightbreastcancer?
3. Use #fightbreastcancer in your statuses pertaining to breast cancer, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® or Breast Cancer Awareness Month several times during the day!

4. And lastly, make your Facebook posts public for the day. Facebook recently overhauled their privacy controls for personal profiles which could potentially compromise our Guinness World Record. In order to be considered eligible for our attempt, your statuses must be open to the public. Here are instructions to help you make your statuses public:
• In Facebook, click on “Account” in the top right corner
• Scroll and select “Privacy Settings” in the drop down menu
• Under “Sharing on Facebook,” select “Customize Settings”
• Under “Things I Share,” select the drop down menu next to “Posts by me”
• Select “Everyone”
• Your status updates are now public
• After midnight (EDT) October 1st, please be sure to change your privacy settings back to where you had them as we don’t want to compromise your privacy.

It costs nothing and takes just a minute of your time – or maybe 69 seconds. So blog about it, post it, tweet it, retweet it, use it in all your statuses and urge everyone you know to do the same.

Wooohooo!

YIPPEEEEE YIPPEEEEE!!!










On September 19th I officially made it to my fundraising minimum!!!
A very generous donation from my friend Terry and his company ( http://www.yourenglishsuccess.com ) put me over the $2,300 mark. Terry has been an amazing supporter through his own donations, and in his efforts to help me spread the word to his friends and family. THANK YOU!!

When I got the email congratulating me on making my minimum I just sat there in tears. I couldn't help it! I was so overwhelmed with feelings of both relief and utter gratitude. I am so blessed to have such amazing, generous and supportive people surrounding me.

On another note, my knee sucks. After such great success on my 14 mile walk, I had high hopes for my knee. Extreme, out of season, heat has put a bit of a damper on my training. Last weekend I had mapped out a 14 mile route that would enable me to get in my miles while walking to, from and between my kid's soccer games. It was toooo dang hot =( Instead I walked almost 7 miles the next morning before the weather got out of control. My knee hurt before I got home. Maybe it was all the uphill walking, maybe I hadn't been stretching it enough during the week. Maybe the fancy strap doohickey that I bought really doesn't work as well as my homemade ace bandage/folded up napkin contraption. I'm not sure, but I REALLY need to figure this out. Darn you ITB syndrome and you pesky lateral epicondyle!!


Donations to date - $2,470
Miles to date - 243!

like a ray of sunshine

Wow. Just wow. I am so thrilled today, I can not even express it. It's a calm, relieved excitement... such relief.

Yesterday was my 14 mile training walk. After the horrible knee pain I've had the past two weekends, I was pretty worried about my Saturday walk. Yes, I managed to make it through the 12 and 13 mile walks, but I was in a lot of pain at the end, plus the rest of the day and the next few days. This ITBS junk doesn't just go away when you stop your long walk. It sticks around and tortures you as you walk up and down the stairs in your house many many many times a day.

I did a lot more researching online, and have started using other stretches, plus I'll be working on strengthening other muscles to help support my walking. I also
tried a different way of wrapping my knee to try and simulate the straps/bands
that can be purchased to help with ITBS. There's no way I want to go to this 3-Day event knowing that I'll be unable to participate in the second day (at least)!
I need to be able to walk two (or three) days in a row.

I am thrilled to say that with this new technique I was able to walk 12 miles before the pain set in!! TWELVE rather than 8! Not only that, but yesterday afternoon and today there has been little to no pain while traversing the stairs. I actually feel that with some more icing I would be able to do a training walk tonight - with wrapping of course. Maybe not the full 10, but something, which was more than before.

This ace bandage wrapping I do will not cut it long term, so I'm going out tomorrow and buying one of the bands made for this kind of thing. The band will be easier to place and easier to tighten, and should do an even better job of keeping me going.

Yay!

short update, long time

It's been over 2 weeks since I've updated... I'm sure my loyal followers have been worried sick - LMAO!

What can I say? I haven't been feeling my best mentally or physically. Guilt has kept me from writing about my failed mileage. So rather than dwell on what I didn't do, here's what I did do...

** 12 mile training walk

** 13 mile training walk (in the same amount of time it had taken to do 11 miles just 2 weeks prior)

** Had the raffle and did okay, not great, but it's more than we had before

** Got to $1,960 in donations! (not including any of the cash fundraisers)

** Handed out a few more donation forms

** did more research on the ITB pain - it's been super bad, hurting after 8 or 9
miles on the long walks which led to my dropping the shorter weekday walks..

** did a 4 mile weekday walk this week w/o knee pain during but questionable now... but at least I DID it

Trying to get back on track. Hoping my knee makes it through the 14 mile this weekend. Would LOVE to get to where I can walk back-to-back

bummer

Okay I know I'm a chick, and chicks are known for being emotional... but sheeesh!

Today I am bummed.

Today I am bummed because:

- I could not get my 4 mile walk done (go back to school kids!!... I love you)

- After contacting at least 15 businesses for donations I didn't get a single yes

- ...

- .....


Huh....

Just those two things? Really?

Feels like so much more.....

Huh.

I was truly expecting that to be a much longer list of bum-worthy events.

But it's just two.

Heck, I think I can let that go then.

Nevermind.

Not bummed = )

Countdown - 12 weeks to go

WHAT?????? Wow. Part of me thinks that feels so far away, and another part fears that it is so close. Wow. This week introduces the 12 mile walk. More 12. I am looking forward to the challenge of walking 12 miles, but just need to figure out how, when and with whom. Details, baby.

So here's how last week went:

Training:

Tuesday - 3 mile walk
Friday - 5 mile walk
Saturday - 4 mile walk
Sunday - 11 mile walk

Total = 23 miles

On Saturday's walk my knee started hurting around mile 3 ... bad knee =( It may
have been brought on by the stair walking I did at the beach the day before. (Yay beach!) At any rate, I ended up cutting that walk short by a mile to get home and deal with the knee.

On Sunday I met my friend/teammate Becky for our 11 mile walk. A portion of the route was along the beach, which was super nice. We stopped at the pier for some stretching, snacking and people watching. Since Becky has problems with foot pain, and I was concerned about my knee, we stopped A LOT and did LOTS of stretching.
At a few points during the walk I felt my pain starting (it starts up by my hip), and through stretches, Advil and a trick I learned from Kate I made it through the entire 11 miles pain free! = )

Fundraising:

Total - $1,750 yipeeee =)

Got two more donations this week - Yay! Thank you Keith (via Terry) and Dr. Tiegs (she's so awesome and I miss working with her)

I've got to keep plugging away. On Sept. 1st I hope to get another update sent out. I figure it's okay to send them monthly now that the 3-Day is so close.

Sunday was another Walmart day. We made $257. We've made less and less each time we've done this. Hopefully our raffle will go well. Maybe we should ask a grocery store if we can sit out on a Sunday. My weekends are about to get super full with kid's soccer, and I know my grocery store is always PACKED on Sundays... Hmmm...

I'm feeling pretty good right now, about both the training and fundraising. Hopefully everything will keep going this way.

other walker

Dear morning walker,

You know, love and trust your dog.
I don't.
There's a leash law for a reason.
Please be considerate of others.

Sincerely,

Dog fan (yet cautious about dogs I don't know)

Week 13 or bust

And so begins week 13 in the countdown to week 1... the walk! According to weather.com we'll have a high of 90 degrees today. At 11:30 am it's already 91... hmmm..... Bad news for me since I have no intention of slacking on the walking this week. I feel badly about the lack of miles in week 14. Which brings me to UPDATE!

TRAINING:

Did some nice x-training with workout dvd's. It felt really good. The walking portion of the program suffered a bit this week. I had planned to get in lots of walking prior to the camping trip, but that didn't happen. I did get some hiking in - lots of hills but pretty low miles as far as 3-Day training goes.

Twice I hiked in these hills and rock formations at 7,220 feet. Good for the thighs and rear :)






























Did a walk around this beautiful lake, too. This was at about 4,600 ft.









Fundraising:

Total: $1,675 - Yay!

Got my new car magnets. Gave hubby some of my cards since he is enjoying talking with people to get donations for my raffle. Ooooh got the donation from Chivas USA.... FOUR midfield tickets to a game =) Yay! Got a Walmart date this weekend, too.

Thinking of going with a monthly newsletter now that the walk is just over 3 months away. Feeling pretty good about making the minimum, but it will be nice to finally be there.

Late update - Here's 14!

Way late on the update here! Let's see what happened in week 15....

Training:

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 3 mile walk
Wednesday - rest the knee
Thursday - 3 mile walk
Friday - 30 min cardio
Saturday - 3 miles
Sunday - 8 miles

Week's total = 17 miles
Official Training total = 161.5 miles!

On Saturday I was hoping to get more miles done in the evening after my travels to the Preview Expo in SD. No luck there. Life took over :) I took it a little easy this week in an attempt to not aggravate my knee.

Fundraising:

Total = $1,675 - yipeeee!

Can't wait to get my new car magnets! Need to get moving on getting donations for the raffle (although I did ask a few friends). Trying to get a flyer done but keep getting distracted. Read a blog post about going door to door.. thinking about giving that a shot. I'm feeling okay about funds actually :)

Still waiting for the Chivas USA package!

LOOKING AHEAD: This week hold somewhat of a challenge in getting my longer walks done. We'll be camping at about 7,000 feet.



I know we'll be doing some hiking, but I'm not sure it will be 16 miles worth! My kids sure won't do that much!






We will be going down to the lake and doing a bit of boating too... row boat, kayak, peddle boat, not sure which, but we'll be moving for sure!

The people that you meet

Yesterday I went on an 8 mile Training Walk. I almost didn't go since there was only one other person signed up. Boy am I glad I went. The route was good, incorporating some moderate hills, but the company was better.

The Training Walk Leader (TWL)was Kate, a 24 year old who is training to walk in her 6th 3-Day! Kate's family has a history of early breast cancer (including an uncle), which was her inspiration to walk starting back in high school. She has participated in both the San Diego and the Colorado walks. Given her family history, she is diligent about doing her self breast examinations. Last summer she felt a lump, and was diagnosed with breast cancer.

As a 4 month survivor she feels good, but is not comfortable with the word "survivor". Not enough time under her belt, she thinks.

I was impressed with Kate's positive spirit. Despite losing her twin to a drunk driver while still in high school. Despite the fact that her long-time boyfriend is getting ready to do his SIXTH tour in Iraq. Despite fighting her own battle with breast cancer. Kate was upbeat, strong and so helpful.

The two other walkers (yup two others showed up - 1st time walkers as well) picked Kate's brain on everything from tent decorations to fundraising. She had some great tips and helpful hints. All questions were welcomed and she loved sharing her experiences.

It turns out Kate had had the same knee/ITB pain that I am going through. Her's had been so bad that her doctor wanted to to surgery to release the tendon. Through stretching and icing she was able to relieve the pain. She gave me some great advice to help me get through the walking, and some therapy tips for before and after the walks. Good stuff!

I made it through the 8 miles pain-free, despite my reservations based on the twinges the night before. At the end, Kate asked me to follow her to her house nearby. When we got there she showed me the camelbac she used before her recently purchased fancy model. On our walk I had mentioned thinking I should try one out just to know for sure whether or not I would like using one (I think it will bug me and make me sweat, but you never know 'til you try). She said I could borrow her pack for a few weeks to try it out. We chatted some more and by the time I left she said I could even use it for the event if I wanted "Just as long as I get it back by the end of the year" she said with a smile.

Not bailing out on that training walk turned out to be a benefit to me in so many ways. I was touched by Kate who is so young and has gone through so much, yet remains hopeful for the future. You just never know who you are going to meet and how they will touch your life.

Preview Expo

On Saturday I went to the San Diego 3-Day for the Cure Preview Expo. I am so glad that I went.


Although I didn't learn a whole lot of new stuff (I've read TONS online), it was great meeting some of the crew and veteran walkers, and getting a glimpse of the excitement to come in November. And I enjoyed getting to know Kim a bit better. Kim and I met through the Share List on the 3-Day website. She is walking in Philly, but doing her training here, where she lives... duh. Kim and I carpooled the 60 miles to the Expo.




There was some interesting spirit wear.





And some inspiration as well.




Luckily I was able to resist purchasing anything more than 4 buttons :)

Seeing double, double....

....double digits!

Yes folks my walk is now a mere 99 days away!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeek! Just 14 weeks from today I will be walking, walking, walking. Wow.

Can I become a lean mean walking machine by then? (okay forget the lean part, that's just crazy talk) Will I have this knee pain in check? Will I find my other stick of BodyGlide by then? Will I have met my fundraising minimum?

So many questions.

Will I be working by then? Will I have had the time and energy to continue with proper training? Will it be cold at night? How long will the lines be at the showers? How many times will I trip as I make my way to the port a potty in the dark of night?

In less than 100 days I'll have my answers...

Here we go 15!

Has it really been a whole week since I've posted? Yikes! What can I say? My fatigue continues, but may be improving. I'm having trouble getting the 5 mile weekday walks in. It seems to be a bit too long to squeeze in before hubby goes to work in the morning, and in the evening I always get too busy (or too tired).

This Saturday I'll be traveling to La Jolla for the Preview Expo!! I am soooo excited!! I can't wait to check out every single seminar, booth, table, station... whatever! The more info I can gather, the better =) Not sure how I'm supposed to fit in a 10 mile walk on that day, however.

WEEK 16 UPDATE

Training:

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 3 mile walk
Wednesday - 0
Tuesday - 0
Friday - 2.5 mile walk
Saturday - 5 mile walk
Sunday 10 mile walk!!!!!!!!!

Total this week - 20.5 miles

Total since June 7th - 144.5


Yes you read that right! On Sunday I went on a 10 mile training walk with 6 other local walkers. It was great getting to meet other walkers, most of whom were doing this for the first time (we did have a 5 time veteran walker there, too). We meet at 5:45AM, and set out at 6. There were 4 pit stops (2 Starbucks, McD's and a park), and we got back at 9:45. For the most part I felt really good. My endurance was fine, and my feet were blister free. At around mile 8, though, I got some knee pain on the right. It actually felt as if the pain was starting in my lower back/upper right cheek - but it didn't exactly hurt there. The lateral side of my knee hurt like heck, and it started hurting/pulling on the lateral side of my right foot as well. I finished the last 2 miles, and took some ibuprofen (thanks Becky!). Once I got home (after a trip to Kohl's... well I needed some new sandals) I did some ice therapy. The pain went mostly away for a few hours, then returned. Today it hasn't been bothering me much. I think it's my ITB (had trouble with this on the left when I used to run). Bummed about the pain, but I plan on adding in specific stretches for this area.

Fundraising:

Total to date - $1,650 ... up $40 YAY!

My newsletter went out to all of my FB friends last week. From this I received a $40 donation - the second donation made by one of hubby's cousins! At first I wondered if they had forgotten they had already donated. When I looked at the Honor Roll scroll I saw they had written "Just a little more for the cause". How sweet!!

After many days of playing phone tag with Jessica from Chivas USA, we finally got in touch. On Friday she sent out a package with some Chivas stuff for me to add to my raffle next month. I don't know what she sent, so I am anxiously awaiting it's arrival. This week I need to get moving on asking for more raffle donations. Oh, hubby got me a free meal from Denny's to add to the raffle, and the manager (Hi Fernando) said I could put up a flyer at the cash register. Thanks hubby :)

I also need to get my newsletter into PDF so I can email it out to non-FB people. Gotta get about a dozen into snail mail too.

Sweet 16

Wow 8 weeks of training has gone by already. All geared up for week 16 in the countdown.... including a 10 mile walk on Sunday!

Update on week 17

Training:
It was a rough week. I was exhausted and busy.


Monday - rest
Tuesday - 3 mile walk
Wednesday - 15 min cross training
Thursday - 4.5 mile walk
Friday - 30 min cross training (scrubbing walls...don't laugh until you do it!)
Saturday - party day, no training done
Sunday - 5 mile walk

Total for last two months - 125.6!

Fundraising:

Total - $1,610 and holding

I started the "A Cure takes Change" FB challenge yesterday. Don't know if anyone is going to participate. We shall see. Got my newest newsletter done yesterday so I will get that out today. Still working on stuff for the raffle next month.

Saturday I was sitting in Laser Quest where my son was having his bday party. All the kids were playing laser tag and it was quiet. On a whim I decided to ask if the company does donations. The guy I spoke with said his aunt does the 3-Day walk and he went to the office right away and gave me 4 free passes to add to my raffle. Yay!

Go Cleveland!

The amazing walkers and crew in Cleveland have finished their 3Day journey!
Great job everyone!

Support

We all need it.

And bras are good, well kind of... okay, not really they are annoying and uncomfortable. But the kind of support I'm talking about is mental and emotional rather than physical.

In the past 6 months since I decided to participate in the 3-Day for the Cure I've seen and received such an amazing amount of support. Some from friends, some from strangers and some from strangers who have become friends =) I've seen support given selflessly to other walkers, by people who have no other connection other than our cause.

While some of the support has been monetary, much of it has been in the form of encouraging words, advice or a good laugh =) It comes in an email, a text, a phone call, a re-post of your donation plea, and even in person (gasp! I know, right??).

This morning as I dragged myself out for a 3 mile training walk, I was remembering the encouraging words of some of the other 3dayers, none of whom I've met. As I walked I thought about this wonderful group and smiled. I recounted a supportive email I received from a friend who knows a thing or two about endurance training (he recently completed the Paris 1/2 Marathon!), and I knew I would get through this slump that I am in.

As these happy thoughts ran through my mind I started feeling better and stronger. I ended up walking 4.5 miles rather than the 3 I had set out to slog through... AND I did it in my best time yet!

Support is an amazing thing, and I am so thankful to be surrounded with such wonderful people. Thank you.

so...tired..... no...... moti...vation....

Man am I tired. Not just today. Not the past two days. For at least the past week.
I'm so tired that I'm having trouble finishing this post.

I did manage to do my walk on Tuesday, but I did it in the afternoon since I could not get up in the morning. It was the suckiest walk ever. I felt better on my 7 mile walk. On the training schedule for today is a 4 mile walk. Hubby and son were up and out early this morning (off to Magic Mountain... How can it be that my baby will become a teen tomorrow??), so I'm going to TRY to motivate myself to drag my 8 y/o out with me this evening. Blech.

I'm hoping this tremendously-tired thing is just a culmination of weeks of staying up too late and getting up too early. Every once in a while it all catches up with me. It's what I get for forcing my body to submit to MY sleep schedule rather than it's own. It's either that or those vitamins I had been taking really were doing me a whole lotta good...

Out with 18, in with 17

Alrighty, so.. Yesterday I finised my 7th week of official training. It was a bit of an anti-climactic end - I was tired. SUPER tired. And didn't get up to do my 6 mile walk on Sunday :(
It's always a gamble whether or not I'll be able to do an evening walk. Life just seems to get in the way, ya know? I did manage to get 3.5 miles in, however. Blech.

Week 18 Update:

Training:
Monday - 30 minutes weights
Tuesday - 3 mile walk
Wednesday - 90 minutes of walking and tossing during an 18 hole game of frisbee golf
Thursday - 3 mile walk
Friday - off
Saturday - 7 mile walk - YAY!
Sunday - 3.5 mile walk

My 7 mile walk was great. I felt really good, and got to check out a trail I'd been coveting for the past few weeks. A non-3Day walkin' friend went with me, and it was wonderful having the company. Near the very end of the walk (the second half was all downhill) my right knee started hurting. That's not the one that usually hurts with downhill walking. Sigh. I'm hoping it's just because I forgot to stretch at the halway point. FORGOT TO STRETCH! =( Oooops! On a positive note, our walk inspired my friend to take longer, faster walks without her doggies - good for her!

Fundraising:

Total to date - $1,610 .......... look familiar? sigh..

Did a Walmart "canning" event on Sunday. Sitting outside the store from 10-3 brought in $356.. slightly less than the $426 we made last month. This is being kept until closer to the end, and distributed as needed.

I'm starting to get nervous about the $2,300. Hoping to get a newsletter out this week. "Change for a cure" starting August 1st along with a FB challenge. I'm trying to work out another fundraising event to be done at our local AYSO picture day in September. We have been involved with our Region for about 9 years,and know some of the board members. Plus hubby's been a coach for about 6 of those years. I'm hoping to get some cool stuff we can raffle off... Galaxy game tickets, a cool soccer ball, some free training... we'll see!

Boston!

Tonight ends day one of the first of 15 3Day Walks that will be happening over the next 4 months. I have been following various walkers on their first day of the Boston 3Day and already I am filled with excitement! The support is pouring in from other Boston walkers/crew, walkers/crew from other cities, and amazing people who just believe in the cause. It has been so heartwarming to read. It's making me sooooooo anxious for my own 3Day experience!

Best of luck to the Boston walkers and crew - keep up the great job! Wishing you clear skies tomorrow =)

Start of a new week

The weeks just keep flying by! This is the beginning of week 18 of the 24 week training schedule. By the end of this week I'll be 1/4 of the way through. Scary!

Here's what happened last week...

Training:
Monday: rest
Tues: 3 mile AM walk
Wed: 30 min Zumba with my daughter
Thurs: 3 mile AM walk, 2 mile PM walk with my son
Fri: rest (should have been 15 mins cross training)
Sat: 5 mile AM walk
Sun: 6 mile AM walk around Balboa Island with Becky =)
TOTAL = 19 miles

Fundraising:
Nothing new to report. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Of course, I did nothing to remedy that either. Feeling stuck.
TOTAL = $1,610

Table outside of WalMart again this Sunday. Cash will be kept until just before the event and divided according to need, so this won't change my current personal total.



Looking ahead... This week marks the introduction of the 7 mile walk. This will be my longest yet. Not sure I even have a route mapped out for that... hmmmmmmm. I think I'll have to do that quickly and see if I can get anyone to come with me, or multiple someones, or anyone anywhere to do any part of the mileage with me =)

Not so fab photos

Someday, when I grow up, I will own only things that work as they should. Until then, I have days like today where I bring my 8 year old daughter's cheapy little digital camera on my 6 mile walk. Apparently there's no software to get the pictures downloaded from my phone onto the computer(what??) or something like that. Currently I am waiting for my 13 year old son's phone to receive all of the pictures I sent him from my phone... pictures from my AZ walks. His phone has software.

Onward!!



This morning my friend, Becky, and I met in Newport Beach at 6:30am for our 6 mile training walk - to and around Balboa Island. I had never been there before, despite living in this area for almost 12 years, so I was excited to see something new and share my fabulous photo collage. Unfortunately, a bunch of my pictures didn't come out well. Nor did these that I chose to share with you anyway...



'Kayso, there's boats and homes. These are actually in Newport just before we crossed the bridge to the island. Can you see the tiny crab on the rocks? No? You'll just have to trust me on that.

Then we have a few failed attempts to take pictures of the streets lined with cute little cottage houses and/or piers. The beachfront houses have piers and decks along the beach. Some decks are simple, and some have stuff... like the Statue of Liberty..

Some have wooden (??leaf??) llamas, and some just have pretty statues.
In that bottom left picture you can see Balboa Fun Zone in the background (or you could if the image was even 50% better). Can you spot the Ferris Wheel? Just FYI, we did not take the ferry over and go to the arcade.

For better pictures go here (if that link really works I'll be thrilled, Thanks LeAnne!)