This gem is awesome!

My lovely new swim watch. My new best friend. Who wouldn't love a friend who counts laps for you and tells you how many calories you swam? Isn't it love when a gadget tells you not only did you burn calories but you were damn efficient doing it? Yes, it's love.

Random

Lots of work at the salt mines this week. Remember my comment that you always pay for the short work week? I hate when I'm right.
(Not really. I actually love it when I'm right. Aren't you? Heh.)

Did anybody see the season finale of RESCUE ME? We watched it over the long weekend. Holy crap! Right?

I went swimming for the first time in 3 weeks yesterday morning. It was glorious. The water temperature verged on bath water which is a tad warm for lap swimming, but I can't complain. Really. Can't. Nothing beats the sheer happiness of getting back in the water.

I'm currently reading Christine Feehan's latest. I'm about half way through it and am feeling sort of 'meh' about it. Anybody else reading it?

Instead of finishing my August reading list, which at this rate I'll post sometime in November, I watched THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB for about the sixth time. It's not a spectacular movie particularly, but I get hooked by it every time.

Okay here goes, after more than 15 years at the same nail salon I'm making a change. Why am I writing about it? Well, it's sort of a big deal to me because I'm a very loyal person. Not to mention I still really like the person who did my nails, I just don't like the shop any more. I've been stewing about making the change for months and finally made the leap. Did I mention I haven't really told the people at the old shop yet? They called yesterday and I sort of dodged telling them. I know. I'm a coward.

Color me stunned. Did not see that coming.

Last night getting ready for bed GG is thinking this...

While I'm thinking this...

and this...

But THIS is what really happened.

Ahhhhh...marriage, ya gotta love it.

Making a List and Checking it Twice

...Gonna find out who's naughty or nice. Yeah, I got no where to go with that I just had to finish the line. Now that I'm taking a deep breath with the first wedding under my belt, I feel sorta liberated. I feel better able to concentrate on other things like packing and planning for RWA for instance.

I'm so glad I'm off today. It's my 4th of July holiday. I've got a bunch of stuff to do since we'll be out at the park working for the community 4th of July festivities tomorrow. The fire department I work for is very involved with the town. We have a booth every year and stuff for the kids, etc.

Fun WILL be had by all as we cook in the sun and wait for sundown and the fireworks extravaganza.

1. Finish business card design for a certain special somebody.

2. Grocery shop so we don't starve for the next week.

3. Order some prescriptions for vacations (GG & Shmoo are going on a trip too)

4.

5. Dry cleaners

6. Finish June Reading List post for blog.

7. Catch up blog hopping.

8. Finish ceremony book for niece's wedding.

9. Write and mail birthday cards for two of the Stairsteps.

10.

11. Go to movie with GG because I promised him I would.

What can I say, it's a full day.

Stroke, Stroke Breath...

I'm talking swimming people. Swimming. Today a milestone. Literally. I swam a little more than a mile today. 72 lengths of a 25 yard pool. If you're wondering, 68 lengths is the magic number so I swam the mile with a little to spare.

I have to say it feels pretty darn great. For a treat just because I love you. Here's some video of what it's like when GG and I swim. Swear!!





After all it just a story about a guy, a gal and a bathing suit...

Thinking, TV, brownies, but no reading...

Life is busy. Are you sick of my saying that? Well I'm sick of me saying that. Things just seem to be on fast forward all of a sudden. I haven't read since I posted on Monday. But I want to thank you all for your great suggestions, it got my curiosity sparked and I'm interested in a couple of things.

The possibilities are varied. My next possible reads:

BLOODFEVER by Karen Marie Moning

LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS by CL Wilson

THE HORSEMAN by Jillian Hart

MAD DASH by Patricia Gaffney

One of the books in my TBR by Karen Rose

I had a grand time making the rounds today. I laughed quite a bit. Here are some posts worth checking out if you haven't already:

Zeek's post had a cute Christmas message. Loved it. I only wish I could actually send it in a card. Lisabea's post answering Sarah McCarty's ice breaker questions from eHarlequin was great, witty, clever and funny. Sarah had some really, really great questions. I'd love to use them at a SoCal Blogger meet up.

I also really enjoyed and got a hoot out of Jennifer Crusie's post. When you get to the part about the commune...well just be prepared. And finally, I'm tooting my own horn a little bit here, because she refers to a conversation we had at lunch on Monday, but check out SL Wendy's post about how an oldie might not be a goodie any more.

While I haven't done any more reading since last I posted, I did catch HEROES on Monday night. Isn't it always the way? Right after I complain how the series has pretty much sucked this season the last two episodes have rocked. I always know the series is cooking when my family is discussing and debating theories two days later. Shmoo is completely disgusted with my thoughts (Adam is a bad guy and tricking Peter) and has quite a theory of his own. It's loaded with lots of conjecture and subplots. I can't believe how much time and conversation we've devoted to the topic.

I'm thinking some of my malaise might be due to only going swimming once last week. Once your body gets used to a regular workout and you stop I think the muscles are talking to the bones and the bones to the heart and the heart to the brain and they all want to know why the hell they aren't getting any exercise. GG and I are back on the bandwagon this week. Who knew one week off would make such a difference?

Final note. We watched BIGGEST LOSER last night. Before I continue, I want to point out this is NOT a TV show I would ordinarily seek out and watch. However, once you tune-in it is morbidly fascinating and compelling. Go figure. Which is really curious for me because for the most part I can't stand any of the reality shows. Anyway, show of hands...was anyone else as thrilled as we were to see Amy go last night? Halleluia!! Although kudos to her for her end of show 'how they are doing now' segment where it showed she lost 100 pounds. I give credit where it's due even to lying, scheming witches.

Remember my post on the fabulous brownies? Well, I've made them several more times and they are still fabulous and yummy. Why mention them now? I'm chewing chocolatey goodness as I type this.

Just Keep Swimming...

As I've mentioned many times before, often when left to my own devices, I'm likely to find myself daydreaming and thinking. God only knows what I'll be mulling over on any given day, but trust me, I always find some odd or obscure train of thought to replay over and over again like an old record. My most recent place to ponder is while I'm swimming laps on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Up and down the pool I go. Up 50 meters. Back 50 meters. Sometimes, like this past Wednesday, I do 26 lengths of the pool. That's a lot of thinking time people. Up 13 times and back 13 times.

By the way, apropos of nothing except this tangent I have us on, while I truly enjoy yoga, far and away my favorite exercise is swimming. If I ever win the lottery, you know the California lottery that I almost NEVER play, that lottery. Any how, IF I ever win the lottery one of the first things I would do with the money is build an absolutely killer swimming pool with a couple of lap lanes. The essential and absolutely crucial 50-meter lap lanes would have to somehow be worked into the environmentally friendly and really nifty keen pool design. That's the plan anyway. A swimming pool to end all swimming pools. Someday. Maybe. If I ever buy a lottery ticket.

Anyway, pool design isn't what I was stewing over when I was swimming. Like I said I think about all kinds of things. Sometimes I think about stuff I have to do. Sometimes I think about how well I just swam a particular lap. Sometimes I even think about stuff to write about here. All the while there's a soothing rhythm to it. Stroke, stroke, breath...stroke, stroke, breath...you get the idea. I love it I really do.

Then the other night before I fell asleep, I got to thinking about the rhythm of swimming. The strokes. The breaths. The pull and rush of moving through the water. This in turn made me think of all the stuff going on in my real life. Not necessarily bad stuff, just a great volume of things that have to be done in a short period of time. Huh. What to do... What to do...

Then I smiled to myself. You were expecting an epiphany maybe? Nah, I just remembered a real good piece of advice. It's pretty darn good advice, even if it's coming from a blue fish with Ellen DeGeneres' voice. Good advice is good advice. Who cares where it comes from.

Just keep swimming...swimming, swimming...just keep swimming... Now that's something to think about.