*two weeks ago*

as you saw in yesterday's post,

we're having fun with

our new kitties.

**

**

**

here's some pics from two Sunday's ago,

Memorial Day weekend Sunday,

@ the LAKE HOUSE:

tomas & damian

checkin' out the territory

**

**

my uncle's lake boat

**

**

it used to be called 'Bass Buggy'

but someone rubbed off the first 'B'

**

**

cousin Sammy, cruisin' us on the lake

in the 'Ass Buggy'

**

**

oh, it was a lovely, relaxin' day

on the lake

**

**

motor workin' hard

**

**

these were the chicken shish-kebabs

i prepared.

yummo!

**

**

me & the boyf

[he loves the LAKE HOUSE]

**

**

sammy, in the water...

...the cold, cold water

**

**

the video above was of sammy & his friend, Sabrina,

singing the 'rape' song.

[oh, what they teach kids these days]

**

**

chillin' on the deck

**

**

linda anne. she was aDORable!

we played tinkerbell old maid with her.

**

**

her little sister, Lauren, on the cell phone,

in her life preserver vest.

**

**

the boys really got into the Old Maid game

**

**

i'm tellin' ya.

she was a doll.

**

**

linda anne and damian, hard core game.

**

**

lunch time!

**

**

macaroni salad,

potatoe salad, coleslaw,

condiments.

*

awesomeness.

**

**

perfectly cooked shish.
**
**
helene, a.k.a mama-llama,
chillin on the deck chair,
sippin' on some bub.
**
**

then,
we went
fishing!!
**
**
lucky *bonsai* power,
and...
**
**

hello!
[don't worry, we threw him back]

**
**
WT..?
[don't worry, I threw him back]

**

**

the sun is setting.

**

**

holy mackerel!

[actually, maybe small-mouth bass]

[...and don't worry, we threw him back]

fishy fishy fishy with the boys time.

**

**

when we returned back to 'shore', i snapped this pic before getting off the boat.

it's of nighttime bugs flyin' over the lake.

guh-guh-guh-gross!

**

**

of course, you know somewhere between old maid with linda anne & fishing, we had ourselves a pretty awesome group ride.

thanks for reminiscing with me.

**

**

**

Happy Sunday Funday, mosquito bites!

*look what we found**ahhhh!*

oh boy.

**

**

yesterday morning,

after my jog,

i arrived home

to see

two little kittens

huddled up in the corner of my yard.

*

now, i've been seeing kittens for the past three days all

around my house, my neighbor's house, the neighbor's neighbor's house...

*

we've had a *stray cat* problem

for about two years now:

they eat and crap and eat,

they mate,

a batch of new kittens are born,

they eat and crap and eat,

and mate,

and a batch of new kittens are born.

*

craziness.

*

of the two kittens i saw yesterday morning,

i only caught one.

the other one scampered away.

*

good thing i caught it too,

because the neighbors that

live behind us said

they captured the mom, who had a tumor,

and the vet had to put her to sleep.

*

when i stumbled upon this little guy

yesterday after my jog,

he was exhausted

and hungry.

*

*

we didn't know if the baby

was a boy or girl.

*

when we took it to the vet for a check up,

the vet said,

"i'm 85% sure it's a boy.

in a few weeks i can tell for sure."
so...

...we decided to call 'him'

Alejandro.

why not?

[we've been singing it to him all day]

**

**

little Alejandro [4-6 weeks old] sleepity sleeping

**

**

my little neena pie, Dinah [18 years old] sleepity sleeping, too

**

**

neena & Ale look like momma and baby, but aren't.

i'm not supposed to put them near each other because

of the cat-diseases the little guy might have.

*

Ale has a black nose and BLUE eyes.

Dinah has a pink nose and ORANGE eyes.

*

oh, he's cute.

*

i tired to upload a video the boyf

made of little Alejandro,

but Blogger took wayyy too long...

...ALL MORNING!!

*

so,

just decided to 'PUBLISH POST' anyway.

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

oh, boy.

**

**

**

you'll

never

guess

what

i

found

this

morning.

**

**

**

Alejandro's

brother or sister:

Ahhhhhhhh!!!

same shaped face, but pink nose.

oh. my. goodness.

i did not wake up this morning thinking it was going to be a day with *two kittens* in my life!!

**

**

What more surprises are in store for the rest of the day??

run thoughts [*?*?*?]

hey,

ya'll.

*

the question at hand is:

What do I think about while I jog/run?

i've been reflecting on my thoughts

more and more with each day's run

because

just yesterday i

jogged a whole hour straight!

i've never done that

before.

*

i've always jogged for ten minutes,

walked for five.

jogged for fifteen-twenty minutes,

walked for five.

*

i was trying to reflect what

got me through it,

or

what gets me through

any over-an-hour workout

where my body feels

challenged

and

pushed.
*

here's what i came up with:

1. i always have to have music in my ear.

the music really pumps me up or calms me down. i try to update my playlist at least once a week because if my music feels stale, so will my workout. i usually visualize myself dancing up a storm in some awesome outfit while i'm running.

*

2. visualize

i'm a good visualizer. you heard me use that word above just now, and it's key key key in getting me through a run. i visualize my muscles working; i visualize myself at the beach; i visualize myself in a cute outfit [this is a big motivator]; i visualize myself surrounded by the feeling i get when i'm done with a run; i visualize myself AS. A. RUNNER. this is a little funny because although i've been keeping up with a 'running routine' since March, i still feel like I'm a runner-in-training, not a real runner. i treat running as meditation: just me, my music, my breath, and my body, tuning it all out.

*

3. i see my future, and set goals

not in a fortune-teller way. sillies. i'm able to realize that i'm a strong, capable, confident woman in my running, and i think about what future goals i want to strive for. being that i'm pounding the pavement in the moment, it feels like i can accomplish anything.

*

4. the time

i'm so aware of the time while i'm running. i usually run for about an hour and a half on my excursions.

*

5. randoms

so many randoms fly by my brain. at the same time as running's relaxing and a tuning-out exercise, it's also non-stop brain-power time. in my head, it sounds something like this at any given moment:

...should i cut my hair? is there a water fountain around here? oh, look at that chipmunk! why is my foot hurting? how much longer to go? jiggly thighs! is this foot pain normal? i love this song! what should i wear saturday? breath in breath out. the foot pain is gone! i wish i put on chapstick. i love my new adidas run hat. what homework is due next week? i don't know what i'm going to blog about tomorrow...?...oh, wait! that's a great idea! do i have to pee? i just went before i left!...

*

Haa haa!

Have any thoughts on my run thoughts?

If not, then, HappyHappyFri, sweet potato pie!

P.S. -- I just signed up this morning for a 5K over the Brooklyn Bridge on August 8th. I also just found out yesterday that a 5K is approx. 3.1 miles. I don't know if that's a lot or a little, because i haven't been tracking how far i run, but it's my first real run.

*yay*

i'm excitey pants!

*rainbow ice*

this pic was sent to my phone

via

the boyf's phone

he knows

just what

i need to

see

to stop

worrying about

a 2-and a-half hour long

presentation

[yes, you read that right...

...I told you my summer class is brutal.]
that i had

to present yesterday.

**

**

*rainbow ice*

**

i so picture

lazy summer afternoons

on a corner in Corona, Queens.

**

**

Happy

Thursday,

cherry bellies!

*blue pajamas*

*

i wish i had me some blue pajamas,

some 'i-got-nothing-to-do' pajamas

some 'i-don't-have-to-go-to-school' pajamas.

*

some muscle restin',

free-time testin',

'trapped-in-the-bed-all-day' pajamas
and 'blog-my-life-away' pajamas.

*

**

**

**

Know were I can find those?

i'm off to do *this*

...and i wish it was

by way of the

top, right hand corner.

**

**

**

**

Happy Tuesday,

you *raspberry macaroons*, you!

*teachers' jewelry*

all the kids

-- no matter what the age --

are wearing

*silly bandz*

these are two

i confiscated from students.

the pink one's an alligator shape, the orange one's a bear shape.

**

**

so stupid,

but

all the rage.

**

**

i guess

*pogs*

or

*slap bracelets*

were

our generation's

equivalent.

**

**

weird.

**

**

flashhhhhbackkkkk!

*long lost* post

remember *this post* from

three weeks ago?

about the *Clark Kent* glasses I purchased?

*

well,

i thought i was going

to get my hands on

some more pictures of me in them,

but I haven't, three weeks later.

*

these

are

the

three pics

i do

have:

so silly.

Elisa was calling me 'Waldo' all night long.

they were fun to wear. i always wanted big, obnoxious glasses.

** ** **

what do you think?

would you wear 'em?

*hectic*

i wanted to apologize for my lack of posting.

so sowwry.

my world's been...hectic?

...haa haa...

the word doesn't seem to measure up.

*

i've been doing a crazy whole bunch of subbing.

[*yay* $$]

hopefully

it's leading to my

own classroom come fall,

[cross ya fingers for me, ya'll]

*

also,

i started my just-June

summer college class

which is proving...To. Be. Brutal.

the amount of work this woman is

assigning us to complete

in three weeks time is

inhumanly possible.

yet...

here i go.

*

also,

my dad's cousin just passed away yesterday.

she was in the hospital for

the past month from some

mysterious disease.

like, seriously, they

had no idea what she had.

scary.

she was my mom's age.

i will be wrapped up with that this weekend, as well.

*

my point being:

i love you all for reading.

your comments really are like

kisses and hugs for my soul,

and

sorry i've been/might be a little absent from HERE.

i want nothing else at some points in my day

to STOP,

find a computer,

and blog blog blog away.

[especially the rest of my LAKE HOUSE weekend. oh, it was grand.]

*

this is the first time since blogging,

i feel like i'm not able to get HERE

when i want.

*

foo.

*

so...

love yous.

don't forget it.

thank you always for reading

and for your fab-bu comments.

*

I'll be back with

posts upon posts soon,

and

I can't wait to have the time

to check yo' blogs & read all about your

wonderful adventures!

*

trying to keep it together,

*amanda*

LGRaB Summer Games - 2nd entry - *group ride*

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

**

**

*group ride*

while at the aunt & uncle's

totally awesome

upstate new york

LAKE HOUSE,

a group of my peoples

came along with me

on a...

...oh, what is that fabulous thing called?

Oh, yeah.

...a bike ride.

*

{wink wink}
*

it led to this entry

for the Social Cycling category

in these fun little games

i'm playing along with:

with this entry,

I'm kind of killing two bulleted 'challenges' with one post:

go on a group ride and ride with your family

******************************************

it was such fun fun fun.

wish i could go back in time and ride it again.

*yay*

**

Now,

it's time to

meet

*the group*

[trading card style]
*

Me, age 25

*

Relationship to me: it's me.

*

Hobbies: biking, running, loving, jumping up and down in a crazy-chicken-like movement when excited about something like going biking or winning a contest, *blogggggging*, dancing, singing, shopping, softballing, photographizing, hugging, etc.

*

Favorite Food(s): combination healthy & tasty, oh, and ice cream, too

*

Did you know...?: i mimic the sound of a bike horn when riding to warn pedestrians i'm coming and to make the boyf laugh
*

Tomas, age 30

Relationship to me: my boyf.

Hobbies: biking, softballing, fishing, basketballing, swimming, boogie-boarding, golfing, snowboarding, car-racing, etc. [yeah...the boyf is intense]

Favorite Food(s): seafood & white rice

Did you know...?: the boyf's farts are like sticky rice

Vanessa, age 21

Relationship to me: my bitt

Hobbies: online shopping, interior decorating, drawing, sketching, painting, framing, singing with her bitt, watching Patrick Swayze movies with her bitt

Favorite Food(s): Mexican, anything with tons of cheese

Did you know...?: bitt is studying nutrition, but I think she should be an interior designer...she redid her room in a month: paint, decorating...she's so spatially and aesthetically gifted.

Sammy, age 12

Relationship to me: cuzzie poo

Hobbies: biking, collecting silly bands, watching YouTube videos, puberty, hanging at the lake house, drawing, swimming, texting, growing that awesome adolescent mustache

Favorite Food(s): unsure of this information, but I did witness him eat edible paper that he got for christmas one year.

Did you know...?: beneath that rough-looking exterior, is a softy...a real softy.

Damian, age 29

Relationship to me: the boyf's frat brother and good friend, therefore, friend to me

Hobbies: biking, fishing, debating, theorizing about money, being chivalrous, building, constructing, snowboarding, skiing

Favorite Food(s): anything with plenty of fiber

Did you know...?: Damian was born in Bulgaria, and ladies, he's completely single...haa haa!

**

**

that was the meet & greet.

on to the biking:

bitt was getting acquainted with my aunt's new bike.

[bitt's bike at home has no working gears and only one working brake, so this *new* bike was a really treat for her to ride]

**

boyf's bike; bitt's bike

**

3 of 5 riders; me - acting photographer

**

only Damian wore/had a helmet

**

**
i love this pic & this move: sharp-angled turn
**
**
spinnin' blurry wheels...zoom zoom!!
**
**
me doing the pose i call 'the little mermaid pose' first blogged about HERE
*
[i know what you're thinking...maybe...i didn't think it until the boyf said it, but the boyf compared me to Freddy Krueger with my hat, stripes, bike gloves. I swear, I hadn't thought of it, until he said it, and when he brought it up, I couldn't STOP seeing Freddy Krueger in my outfit. Sucks too, because I was stuck wearing it. Whatever.]
**
**
i wore my thrifted chain-strap purse.
love it.
**
**

my pretty bitt in blue

on my aunt debbie's bike,

happier than i think she thought she was going to be

...the biking bug bit her.

**

**

definitely

**

**

love this video.

bitt & me, smiley smiley smiley.

**

**

sammy boy, bike away!

**

**

pedal pedal pedal, cousin!

**

**

sammy & i

were singing

Lady Gaga

on our group ride.

**

**

from left to right: Damian, bitt, me, Sambo...boyf was picture-taker

**

**

arrived at destination.

the boys needed bait.

[the fishing adventure & other LAKE HOUSE funness of the weekend will be posted about soon]
**

**

parked the bikes.

**

**

back up the hill toward home.

yes, up. the. hill.

**

**

...proved difficult for some boyfs and bitts.

**

**

Rock Hill is the upstate town.

love to retreat there.

**

**

...and there goes Sammy, on the last leg of our bike excursion.

**

**

*******************

I really loved getting out with the group.

so often, it's just tomas and i, or even just me.

recruiting bitt, finding a new bike-buddy in Damian, and getting some quality bike-time in with my little cousin, Sammy, singing and pedalling and laughing...I really couldn't have asked for a better Sunday afternoon.

so glad to have shared it with you all. thanks for reading.

*****

stay tuned for:

the rest of the LAKE HOUSE loveliness

*****

hope to see you back.

Happy Tuesday, June-Bugs!