Catching up with Pictures

How to fill in weeks of life? Pictures!

I was fortunate enough to spend the Sunday after my backpacking trip at Outside Lands. A couple highlights were Sam Smith and Elton John. I danced and smiled the night away.

And then back to the rest of my life. The next weekend was the last one before the kids started back to school so...camping in Tahoe! with our buddies Catherine and Gracie. Unfortunately I got hit with a bit of stomach flu so I wasn't much fun, but I enjoyed watching from the sidelines. Thank you Catherine for keeping us rolling along.

Myra and Gracie eating S'mores

King and Queens of the mountain

Tahoe Blue

Catherine with all 3 kids in the inflatable

And then back to school!!

My big 1st grader!

A few tears from Marek and a nervous wave goodbye from Myra but they both did great their first day of school - the days just keep flying by!

That Friday my mom buddy/neighbor Karen and I celebrated surviving the first week of school with a night out on the town. We danced, sang (karaoke!) and laughed the night away. Boy did I need that!

Which led to me thinking this sign at the coffee shop in the morning was a special message just to me.

I don't have any pictures to show for it but I spent that weekend at Spirit Rock (which I wrote about in my last post), in a state of calm, healing, self-growth and understanding. Life brings with it a whole host of experiences, feelings, joys and challenges... I'm striving to greet them all with an open curiosity, patience, love and even faith. Faith that all that rests within me and between myself and others, is always what's exactly right for the present.

The following week brought the last in our free outdoor summer concerts, again with our buddies Catherine and Gracie. Here are the girls enjoying their ice cream. I danced a bit with the kids, though they were much more interested in running around than hanging with me.

Here's a random lunch photo.  This was at Punjab Burrito...confusion cuisine and super yummy!

Seabass, quinoa curry dish. I could eat this every day.

And with the start of school comes the return of soccer. This year Myra is joining in the fun. She's still hesitant but getting into the swing of things. Her older brother is a good role model.

Marek is playing for the Super Sonics

And Myra is with the Super Kickers!

So my weekends will be alternating between soccer and grown-up stuff for the next few months. This weekend has been incredible so far. I started early with a lunchtime stop at the new Amy's fast food joint. Amy's is famous for their frozen vegetarian meals, this is the first time they opened an actual restaurant. Check out the garden roof!

I had a veggie burger and mac-n-cheese. The burger had a "special sauce" on it - wish I'd caught that when ordering and had them leave it off. Not only do I not want the mayo calories, it was also way too sweet and distracted from my enjoyment of the burger. The mac-n-cheese was a lot like Stouffer's; for me that's not a bad thing. All in all, the food was just ok, and for vegetarian fast food it's probably good enough. Based on the monster line of cars in the drive-thru, I'd say they're doing something right.

Last night I had a fabulous salade niçoise with grilled salmon for dinner, I should have snapped a picture of it. That and a couple drinks meant a great start to the holiday weekend. 

But no rest for the weary, I was up bright and early this morning for an 8am hike of the famous Dipsea Trail with a few ladies in the Marin tri club. We didn't hike the whole thing, turning around after 3 miles or so for an overall hike of 6+ miles. The hike starts with a nice climb up a total of 688 stairs - no problem for this awesome group of fit women. Thank you Amber for organizing. I'm feeling inspired to get off the couch and get back out there!

Stairs, stairs and more stairs

Keep climbing!

Me, Anne, Amber and Anne

Post hike brunch at Mama's Royal Cafe

I treated my body right with a no-cheese, egg white veggie scramble, fruit and dry toast with jam. Very satisfying morning all the way around. Oh, here's the elevation profile of our hike. 

that's some climbing! and people run this?!

So I think I'm feeling ready to start moving this body again. I haven't been to the gym - not on one run, not anything - since returning from the backpacking trip. I've been struggling to want to exercise and while my eating hasn't been bad, it's beginning to unravel a bit here lately. I know what I'm missing, and that's exercise. It's the best way I know to clear the bugs off my windshield of life, and right now, I need that as much as always. 

Thanks for reading!