Summertime!

Summertime has come to Oklahoma! The temps are going to be in the triple digits next week and please take a moment to observe our Summer Solstice. This is also National Naked Hiking day, so if you want to observe that as well...go ahead, we have bail money set aside!

Rick tried to kill me again. We went to the potluck/twilight ride at Lake Stanley Draper last night. There were so many adorable baby bunnies along the trail, and I forgot to bring a camera. I haven't been through the trails since May and it's certainly different when they are all green and pretty. I just couldn't take the humidity and the heat though. Even at 8:00 P.M. it was in the mid-80's. I started having trouble with my heart rhythm and had to end the ride at 4 miles. I don't think I even burned off the calories of the four brownies I gobbled down prior to the ride.

The pic on the right is Leeloo, Keiko, and you can see Thursday in the far upper left corner peeking at you upside down!

This will be a busy week getting ready for the Chicago trip, but I can't wait to go.

Hope you are all well,

mommy

Uh oh!!!! I forgot...Happy Father's Day!!!

Memorial Ride

Last Tuesday, June 9th, Christa Voss and Matt Edmonds were hit and killed by a drunk driver during a group bike ride in Tulsa.

http://www.newson6. com/global/ story.asp? s=10525400

Cyclist in Oklahoma City planned a memorial ride of Silence in their honor tonight. It started at the Capital building and wound through Bricktown. Rick and I rode in it with about 100 other cyclist from the area. It was very hot today, but a lovely ride.

Is it a caching adventure or mountain biking?

It's both!!! After about killing me yesterday in a 14 mile road bike ride, Rick took me to Stillwater to beautiful Lake McMurtry for another 7 mile mountain bike journey. It was a pretty cloudy day, but still hot and humid. Rick discovered a cache in the woods with lots of travel bugs in it. My knee hurts a little, but it was such gorgeous scenery and so quiet that it was worth a little blood and mud. At least there was very little poison ivy and hardly any ticks.

I'm going up to OSU on Thursday to present part of my dissertation to a summer gender class. I hope that goes well.

Hope you are all well,

mommy

Week Day Ride

We had a thunderstorm come through last night and it cooled things down a bit. Since this had been a relatively mild Spring, we still have flowers blooming. I caught this pic as I was doing my morning bike ride. The camera doesn't do it justice, but I love those Black-eyed Susan's.

Hope you are all well,

mommy

The days after

I finally found a decent picture of me on the cruise! The one on the left is Dad, Gail, and Rick prior to their 5k run on Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. I opted not to run it, but I decided to follow along and take pictures. I ended up doing the entire 3 miles any how. Good exercise. I am back to the treadmill way of running and then bicycling. It's pretty hot and humid here now. I guess summer decided to arrive while we were gone! Hope you are all well,

mommy

No turn down service either????

There was no turn down service and no cute little towel origami either. But at least the cats were thrilled to have us home and sleep with them last night. I was shocked this morning that I only gained 2 pounds on this cruise! I felt as though I had gained 20 at least. So I am starting the "Eat Less, Exercise More" routine today. I know Rick brought his mountain bike to work so he can go ride during lunch. That is good that he has that opportunity. I have a slow day of running errands and such. Hope you are all well,

mommy

Rick, tell Sara to clean this shower!

I took a shower this morning in my own house and noticed that housekeeping needed to come quick and clean it! And I want room service to bring me some coffee...and a poppy seed pastry, too. As you can see, we are back from the cruise. The good news is that I was able to exercise a lot, the bad news is that was offset by all of the feasting we did! I can't thank Dad and Gail enough for this trip of a life time! I know you guys cruise all the time, but this was truly an event for us. These are memories that I will always take with me and I know if things get stressful at school, I will just think of steel drums and soft breezes.

We first landed in Key West, FL. I have always wanted to go there, but never made it and it was so beautiful! Duval Street was everything I imagined. We took a tram tour through the streets and learned a lot of history of the island. We even saw the "little White House" where Bill and Hilary have stayed. We then went to Grand Cayman and took a fantastic tour of the island. I actually visited hell. Yes, HELL. It's an unusual rock formation on the island that looks rather dastardly, but has a beauty all its own.

The next port of call was Cozumel. Dad booked us on a tour of Tulum, which are Mayan ruins south of Playa del Carmen. A ferry brought us across the sound to Playa del Carmen from Cozumel. Then we took a bus ride down to Tulum. It was so phenomenal. I had no idea that there was much left of the Mayans, but it was certainly beautiful.

The last port of call was Disney's private island of Castaway Cay. Rick, Dad, and Gail started the day with a 5k run. I didn't sign up for it, but I walked behind then getting pictures. I ended up walking the entire 3 miles... and much more through out the island. I am the strictest proponent of applying sunscreen but I got burned. The day was overcast and i was not diligent in spraying on the sunblock, so I am burned.

Ah...but now we are home and back to the routine. It is a little bit of a let down, but Keiko, Thursday, and LeeLoo are overjoyed that we are home. Dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing, and scooping are the order of the day. Along with abundant loads of laundry to be done. But it was a vacation I will never forget.

Hope you are all well,

mommy