Yoo 344 - A Miniature Golf Tantrum

Usually, the Gregbeau and I have a pretty amiable relationship. I love being around him, he loves being around me (greg, don't try to deny that...), life is happier together. But sometimes, when we both get really busy and don't make time to date and see each other, I start acting a little like this...

via

That pretty much sums up several conversations the Gregbeau and I have had over the past couple weeks. It was time for a date. And to celebrate the close of another semester for him!

So date we did this past Wednesday night.

Indian cuisine at Mela. Groupon, of course. But I'd go back sans groupon. The food was different but quite delicious! One of those restaurants where you don't order anything by name...you just kind of point and wait for the waiter to pronounce it. At least that's what I did.

They have a delicious buffet but we did their 3-course meal. Some kind of lamb for me and some kind of chicken for the Gregeater. Don't remember the names...

The milkshake tasted like the smell of roses though!

Glow-In-The-Dark Monster Mini golf was next. 

With a soundtrack of 80s and 90s pop music and colorfully painted glowing ghouls, it was a unique spin on the game. We decided it was in the best interest of the night to not keep score though. Mostly because of an incident that occurred the last time we played miniature golf.

It wasn't really my fault. Hangry Kyoo showed up to the date. And all was going well, we were neck and neck, until hole 14. Hole 14 was on top of a stupid hill. The kind of hill where if you don't hit the ball just so, it will glide over the top and back down.

Still hating on that hole!

It was after about my tenth or twelfth swing that I gave up. Gave up in a grand flop on the ground into a mini tantrum.

"I hate miniature golf! I was doing so well! This hole is impossible!"

Though really it wasn't because the Gregputter pretty much birdied the same hole 5 minutes ago. But still, I was hungry AND losing AND basically my life was over therefore rash accusations were justified.

It was in the midst of this fish-flopping and utter ridiculousness that the Gregman looked at me and simply asked, "Have you had dinner?".

I stopped. "No...."

"Ugh, why do you do this? Let's get you some food."

And that was that. Now, I realize this story makes me sound more like his child than his girlfriend. But let's overlook that, shall we, and just say he's really super cool like that and sometimes knows me better than I know myself?

And we've since learned from that experience and now take precautions. Like eating dinner first and not keeping score.

This mini-golf excursion passed without incident.

Also, thought this was funny because it's kind of how I pack when I go camping...or anywhere in general.

We ended with a nice sunset stroll thru Phil Hardberger Park. Now isn't that just romantic?

It was until we hopped on one of the spinning playground toys and made ourselves sick. My body doesn't handle those like it used to!!

Have a great day :-)

Yoo 343 - Spontaneous Beach Day

I'll admit it. I'm in a bit of a mental funk when it comes to my Ironman training right now. I won't delve into the depths of it, but I will say it's pretty bad. So bad, in fact, that last Saturday morning, when I should have been on a 40-mile bike ride, I was actually downing a breakfast taco while listening to Jack Johnson on my way to the beach with the Katiefriend.

Physically I was ready for the training. Mentally? No.

Escaping to the beach for the day seemed like the best prescription.

We drove Suby Sue along the edge of the dunes for miles until we found our own little remote stretch of untamed beach to claim.

Hand-flying.

Afternoon nap.

Outback on the beach.

Boogie-boarding!

Did you know the Portuguese Man-of-War is not actually a jellyfish? Wikipedia told me so! It's a colonial organism which essentially means it's made up of a bunch of "specialized individuals" that can't survive without each other. Weird, huh?

Katie's sexy beach-hair glamor shot.

And mine.

I really need a haircut.

Seafood dinner at Pier 99.

Nueces Bay Bridge at night.

It was a late, looooong drive home, wherein we sang along as loud as we could to songs while struggling to stay awake.

But oh it was worth it.

I almost feel ready to tackle another week...

Have a great day :-)

Yoo 303 - A Bit of DC

We arrived in DC, alive, and with only one minor scuffling. Apparently the Gregflyer is a window seat only kind of dude. Which kind of cramps my window seat only style. Did you know that should be a "let's discuss this up front" kind of relationship deal? Well it should be. Had I known ages ago that he felt as passionately about the window seat as I did, well...

Just kidding!

But you should ask.

I let him have that coveted perch for our second flight, but I did take a maturity dive via a sharp finger jab to his side every time he started to nod off. He was going to enjoy every second of that view if I couldn't, dang it!

I'm hopeless. But we're having fun.

And now for a smattering of pictures.

(long walk from the metro station to our hotel...and then we found out about their complimentary shuttle service.)

(no i did not force him to take this picture...)

(this. bag. is. amazing.)

We got passed by hordes and hordes of joggers as we were walking about the National Mall today. They were all probably getting in a good taper and pre-marathon jog. Me? My taper consisted of eating pans of pizza, indulging on waaaaaay over-priced icecream, and walking miles and miles and miles.

We'll see how that treats me on Saturday!

(if it's worth noting, i have been staying hydrated...counting pennies, i know.)

The Gregdude is starting to question what he's gotten himself into but I think he'll get amped by the hype come Saturday :-)

Plus, having purchased spandex, he's TOTALLY committed now.

Have a great day :-)

Yoo 300 - Life Is Better At The Beach

I'm coming off of a beach weekend (and a phase 10 loss but that's another story...dang it) which has a way of making me more susceptible to the Sunday Evening Blues.

I had an Institute teacher tell me once that if you have the Sunday Evening Blues then your perspective on life is incomplete. I agree with him, and I will readily admit I am not there yet. Isn't that one of the biggest challenges in life? Finding gratitude and joy in all you have and not fixating on what you lack?

I will be waking up tomorrow in a big, comfortable bed, safely tucked away in a condo that I own, fully and truly. I will hop on my bike with my healthy body and pedal my way on (mostly) safe city streets, probably listening to the birds chatter and watching an exploding sun bid hello to a characteristically warm spring day. I will work the day away for a company that legitimately cares about its customers and employees and with coworkers I enjoy being around. I will be leaving the office with no where I have to rush off to. I can enjoy a vigorous afternoon of lifting weights and then jogging into a sunset. I can return to my condo and enjoy and prepare dinner and chat with my Gregdude and blog my typing fingers away.

Now tell me, is that a life to be blue about??

It's not. Yet I sit here with the impending week looming above my head like unsettling gray clouds, daydreaming about what could be.

Like a beach. I mean, who doesn't want to be gently lifted from sleep in a white linen bed by the whisper of a sea breeze, rustling curtains, and the penetrating warmth of sun beams soaking the air. Rising just enough to stretch the sleep away, and then settling back down, bearing a smile with ease. There is no life-sucking job to rush off to. There are no errands that need run. There is no to do list. There's just the people you love and the time you want to spend with them.

But really, I could create moments like that everyday if I had the right perspective and set my priorities straight. It just seems so much easier to do that on the weekends than it does on the weekdays...

So, without further ado, snippets of my quickest of quick, rainiest of rainiest, bliss fullest of blissful weekend at the beach.

There was an oyster recycling effort in full force at my favorite fishing pier. The Alishafriend did some digging and we're pretty decided on going back to help. I'm under the impression that chilling in waders whilst passing bags of oyster shells back out to the ocean would be a pretty cool way to spend a morning, would you agree?

(holy bottle of cholula sauce, am i right??)

(that, my friends, is a listing of all of their cheesecake flavors. just imagine!)

Visiting Jama's Kitchen is as much a part of the Whooping Crane Strut tradition now as running the race itself. This place wraps me up with its eclectic froggy decor and amorphously shaped dishes. The Ruben sandwhich ties the knot. We almost cried (cried!) when we walked up to their old location to peer thru dusty doors and see nothing but empty space and loose hardware casually abandoned on the bright pink and green and purple walls. Oh the tragedy of seeing our favorite lunch spot out of business!

But then we did some investigating (in the form of the Alishafriend talking to a stranger...naturally...) and discovered that they had simply moved to a location just a few blocks away. The trek was well worth it, though I miss their old location.

(we're still undecided as to what i am in this picture...the parrot's bum??)

(the gregjockey triumphantly perched upon his bedazzled zebra...ctrl + prnt scrn while you can...i might be forced to take this one down...)

Most of the fun of Rockport is in roaming the streets and visiting all the shops. The buildings are painted in the boldest of bright colors and pizazz is generously sprinkled about in the details. Boats are tied to docks within reaching distance from the sidewalks and bait shops line the bay, boasting all forms of fishy allure. The waves lap gently against the small seawall, seagulls and cranes graze about, and, ever so often, a fish will break thru the surface tension with a gentle plop!

Did I mention palm trees??

They melt me! That's all I can say about that.

("with our powers combined...")

Do you love our $2 bracelets?? They were selling them at the campsite, of all places! Oh we fell in love with them! At least 2 dollars in love with them. I don't think I would have spent much more. Mine's an engraving of the "Big Tree" at the park that is said to be the biggest Live Oak in Texas and over a thousand years old.

It's pretty cool.

While it wasn't the normal "beach weekend" with towels and sunscreen and lazing on the sand and drowning in the waves, it was relaxingly adventurous and right where I wanted to be. Unlike work tomorrow...

I'll post an official "race recap" as soon as results are posted.

Have a great day :-)