Keeping Resolutions Update #9

Booyah! I'm outta Kansas. Shortest route within a state, done.

44 days. 615.4 miles left (rode more than Kansas today). Long haul stretch now.

During the summer, when I went to the Renegade Craft fair  (coming back to LA December 12 & 13th), I came across L. Makai and their commuter collection necklaces. Consisting of highway signs as charms, you can have one or many highways added together to represent your commute, or in my case, my resolution.

If I complete this resolution, I promised myself I would get myself the gold Route 66 charm (disregard that oxidized sterling silver chain). L. Makai will be returning to the Renegade Craft Fair next month and I will be checking out my future medal again. 

Jam of My Day: Itchin' on a Photograph by Grouplove

Not a new song by any means, but the title of this song has been stuck with me all day.

Sitting at my desk, with a major case of the Mondays, I started to feel burned out just by reading my emails. Work has been crazy and most of my projects have started to have their timelines completely condensed to where it's left in my court to finish in time for presentations. So much so fast and I'm ready for a break. Vacation has been calling my name all year and I never got a chance to explore, aside from my family trips to NJ to see one cousin get married and another graduate from college.



So, as I sat at my desk, I paused from work and started itchin' on a photograph. A vacation. Serenity. This moment came to mind.

Paris 2008

Keeping Resolutions Update #8

I'm in the zone! Riding the path of determination!

Route 66 is 2451 miles and I'm now at 1820 which means I have concurred Oklafuckinhoma! Woohoo!!

Kansas is up next and only 13 miles. Hopefully, I'll have another update tomorrow with mention that I've passed that state as well.

I'm back to believing that there's hope in finishing the distance by December 31st.
631 miles to go and 45 days remaining.
Average of 14.02 miles a day.
Yes, I can.

Jam of My Day:Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon

I can't control myself from dancing at my desk whenever "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon comes on my Spotify playlist. Looking forward to catching them live and dancing with the fans rather than in my chair, at my desk, while working. I'm sure my coworkers near me are thinking I'm a bit of a nutso right now, and I'm ok with it.

She took my arm,

I don't know how it happened.

We took the floor and she said,

"Oh don't you dare look back

Just keep your eyes on me."

I said "you're holding back"

She said "shut up and dance with me!"

It's so damn catchy. I love it

Halloween and Birthdays

This Halloween there were no ghouls or goblins running around near me. There was rain and wine, lots of wine, and that didn't damper anyone's spirits.

Every year my division at work throws a Halloween event for friends and family of employees of the company. Each year there's a theme and our division dresses up and volunteers. Last year, I was the Wicked Witch for our Scary Tales. This year, I was Lucille Ball for Hollywood Halloween.

2014

2013

Oh, how I love Halloween! This is the one season that lets me be creative.
Here's a look back at some other costumes I've had over the years:

2012

2012

2010

2009

2007

2006

To get in the Halloween spirit, I went to Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns at Descanso Gardens on the 22nd. After seeing multiple Facebook and Instagram posts in my feed, I knew I wanted to go. I've never carved a pumpkin before but was intrigued at how detailed and amazing other people get with their pumpkin designs. This place  really set the haunted spirits in me. I was getting really excited to dress up.

I love dinos.

Hollywood Halloween took place on the 24th. I received so many compliments and lots of double takes from people who see me at work every day. A few even mentioned that I look good as a red-head. Lucille Ball was one of my favorites growing up. I've seen every episode of I Love Lucy multiple times. I've even added the box set to my wish list and hope to have it one day so I can just watch old episodes at my leisure.

On the 31st, I was up in Lompoc celebrating Rachelle's, my college roomie's, Dirty Thirty. Happy Birthday, Rachelle! We spent the day wine tasting along the side of more wine tasting. It was fabulous! Not having taken a vacation in a long time, a long weekend out of LA was definitely needed. We were definitely a close knit group, laughing and smiling all day long. Or maybe that was the wine?

Dirty Thirty gang

LOVE the birthday girl!

After all the wine tasting and dinner, I was ready to hit the sack. Instead, we got dressed and jammed in the car and caught our second wind and danced the night away at a local country bar called Mavericks.

The older we get, the more clothes we wear at Halloween.

There may have even been a costume competition that I entered in... My beautiful friends were the loudest in the crowd and started chanting "E.T. phone home" as they were announcing the winner. Sadly, I didn't win, but the DJ later admitted to me that I should have won but the winner was handed to him to announce. I don't know if that made me feel better or not. *sigh*

E.T. phone home

I cut the weekend in Lompoc short to attend the besties' birthday back in LA at Pearl's Liquor Bar on Sunset. I'm pretty sure this is one of the best photo booth pictures we've ever taken.

Happy Birthday, Gareen!

October was a great month. So much good stuff and so much more ahead!

Jam of My Day: Like a River Runs by Bleachers

I'm getting really pumped! I have tickets to see Bleachers tomorrow night at The Wiltern! I missed them at Outside Lands so I've been eager for months now.

I saw you standing on the corner

I saw you standing on your own

And I get the feeling that it's, it's all a dream

And I wanna get up

To the rhythm of a wild, to the rhythm of a wild heart

That beats, that beats like a drum

Keeping Resolutions Update #7

It's been awhile since I provided an update, of any kind actually, so here it goes:

I biked my way through Texas last month and I'm currently about 30% of the way through Oklahoma. This is not as far along as I was hoping to be but I had some set backs.

 

 I resprained my knee in the beginning of September at Made in America from the rowdiness from the last act of the weekend, Kanye West. Every time my knee felt like it was getting better, I would go for a walk or go on the bike and my knee would be in pain all over again. I took it easy till I got cleared by the sports doc. I wanted my knee to be ready to walk the Long Beach half marathon, which I'm happy to say I did! This is another item from my New Year's resolutions that I can check off the list.

 Almost didn't make it through though. Last time I did a half marathon was 4 years ago and I walked with a coworker. Doing it solo was a lot different. By mile 9, I totally wanted to call it quits. By mile 10, me and the other 5 women walking at the same pace were questioning why we even signed up. At mile 12, I was cheered on by my bestie who made me this amazing sign. What was better than that was that she walked the last mile down with me.

 The medal is so fancy!

Now, all I hope for is that I get to 90% complete on my Route 66 goal. It's time to face the facts that I'm really quite behind and may not complete this trek. I'm still a long ways away, but I want to get as close as to complete as possible. If I can get to 90% by year's end, I will aim to be complete with all of Route 66 by end of January. Wish me luck. I'm determined to get as far as I can!