String Project Concert

Velina had her String Project concert with the University. It's a great program where kids participate in an orchestra and get private lessons as well. She has really grown in the two years she has been with the program and I really hope she sticks with her viola--I've really been enjoying hearing her play.

This week...Green Smoothies

were my obsession this week.

If you're interested in any of the combinations I did, you can check out my post on my food blog:

Raking it in on the Bday

For my birthday (on Tuesday - I always say, "same as Barbara Streisand" as the easy way to remember the date), I got this awesome card from Velina:

I love how much her drawing is progressing -- love the wrinkles in fabric at the knees and waist.  Since the card said "Another great year to go!" I couldn't help asking if I'm expiring at the end of it.

I also got a real porcelain cast iron Dutch Oven!

Now I can (hopefully) make awesome bread like Linda!

Also scored a new Kindle to replace my previous one that died shortly after the warranty expired.  Do all new Kindles have advertising in sleep mode?  I kind of hate that.  Anybody know if that can be switched off?

Also raked in some cool loot--including Starbucks and Amazon gift cards and these surprises in the mail!

Also, got to enjoy Columbia's finest vegan food--happy birthday to me, indeed!

SC Mud Run!

Yesterday I did the Mud Run here in South Carolina with a super awesome team:

Sheena, Carol, Sharon, and me after finishing the SC Mud Run

Except for our captain, Carol, who had done the Mud Run last October, it was the first Mud Run for the rest of us.  It was challenging and so, so dirty, but it was also rewardingly fun:

Thanks so much to my great team:  Sheena, Carol, and Sharon. 

For more details and pix on my first Mud Run experience, go here.

Am I ready for the Mud Run?

Tomorrow is the day: my first Mud Run. It's here in South Carolina and I'm getting somewhat nervous--though I'm managing to still carbo-load. Man, I hope that's not a myth. Even though I did a big run a couple of weeks ago, I'm still anxious that there's not much I can really do at this point to prepare better for the Mud Run.

I also happened to spend the last week eating vegan.  Hope that doesn't backfire on me.

Crossing fingers for tomorrow!

And on to spending the tax return

The good news is we're getting a refund this year. The bad news is the money is already getting spent.  According to Velina's instructors, she needs a new viola.  And they emphasized getting a better quality one than the one that I got her off CraigsList two years ago.  Ka-ching.  Sigh. 

We also did a little pre-refund shopping:

We hit a used book sale hosted by the county library. Then we hit Best Buy and picked up some CDs, virus software, and I picked up an armband that's going to hold my iPhone while I "run". One of my friends highly recommended getting one--not only to free up the hands from holding the iPhone, but he encouragingly added that it would also make me look more like a runner.
Next is actually using it.

Tax Return

Am I the only one who is always doing taxes within the days of the due date? I used to get the TurboTax software at Costco with the coupon, but I missed that window. I think that delayed me. Sad, right? At least I don't have a distraction like last year. Anyhoo, with TurboTax online, they are getting DONE tonight.

Drawsome Fun

Sooo hooked on Draw Something. Unfortunately this means my attention to Words with Friends is flagging--I'm actually losing some games there because Draw Something is that addictive. But similarly to my WwF experience, I have a tendency to start guessing words right away from the available tiles in Draw Something. Sometimes I'm way off base:

This drawing eventually finishes out and becomes a MISSILE. Duh!

Sometimes I really enjoy the mad drawing skills of my friends, like this pretty Drawsome Colonel Sanders:

Or the detail (the brick! the ash! the cigarette!) for this hobo drawing:

Sometimes, when I don't have any ideas of what the drawing is, I just start trying words that don't necessarily make sense:

Or making up words:

Until my daughter figures it out for me:

When I draw, I'm not quite sure the direction my drawing will take place.  Like it wasn't my intention to draw two guys holding hands in their underwear until I realized that my word was plural:

But I do like to think my drawing skills are improving:

And sometimes, I get a little juvenile and giggle during my friend's young son's drawing:

TING-TING!  A slight digression:

Comedy Central Stand-Up

Anyhoo, the word was eventually "wedgie":

So I guess I wasn't being so juvenile after all--HA!

Definitely fun--I'm giving this Draw Something app 5 stars--it's a blast!

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Last night we went to the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at the Colonial Life Arena. Totally impressed that they came to Cola!

Paul is a HUGE fan and Velina enjoys a lot of their songs, especially from the By The Way album, so it was a family affair:

This was Velina's second arena concert (after KISS), but being up in second tier seats kind of made me miss small venue shows.

Not that there was anything lacking in this concert.  They sounded great--though at a mere two hours, I would have loved to hear more songs--but with an extensive repertoire as theirs, I guess that's wishing big.

I also loved the concert shirts customized for Columbia:

Awesome night, awesome memory.

Last day in SoCal

On my last morning in SoCal, Linda made me an awesome breakfast of hash browns, eggs, and coffee:

We took a picture where she claims I set the camera to "stoner eyes" for her and I'd say "potato face" for me:

I don't know why she complains--she looks lovely every time:

And she'll Draw Something lovely too when I'm at the airport:

Sigh. Is it any wonder I miss SoCal?

Ate & drank in So Cal

I ate a LOT while here in SoCal.

Like Brodard's rolls:

And macarons:

And stuffed my face at Umamicatessen:

With these lovely friends:

who would put up with me:

When I photobombed their pictures:

But a nice cocktail always makes for a lovely evening: