Monthly Archives: June 2012
A Sailing We Will Go…
Ahh Friday, you dirty day of the week! You make me wait all week to arrive then I have to wait a full 8 hours to fully enjoy your company! Such a tease!
Before Friday though is Thursday and after a couple of weeks of racing hiatus, we were back out on the sail boat. After the last week of rain, the sun was shining and the wind was howling.
The race was soo much fun, I have missed those Thursday nights out on the boat. It was a smooth sail, nothing broke, no one fell over and we came in second place. Sailing success.
Wednesday while sitting at my desk for 8 looooooooong hours, all I day dreamed about was riding my motorcycle that night. When I got home, I realized my bike was in a different spot, it was moved over about 8 inches or so. Yes, I noticed that little of difference in its position.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that my left turn signal was missing. Puzzled I looked at the bike with a “what the hell happened to you?” stare. I ran inside to Colin and instead of our usual kiss and welcome home, the first thing out of my mouth was, “What happened to my bike?!?!!?”
It was then that he showed me that not only had the turn signal broken off but also the shifter had snapped off. Dammit, definitely no riding tonight. Something did not want me on the roads that night. I then proceeded to have a glass of wine to comfort my broken heart of a ride-less night.
With all the wind that came though with Topical Storm Debby, we think the wind blew it a little off of the side stand. Not to mention, Colin lowered it a tiny bit for me as well. So we think these two facts lead to the fall over of my beloved SV 
Right now, we have the bike lined up in this order: The Ducati, my SV and the Concours. So my bike fell to the left, which is where the Ducati stands. THANK GOD, he was out riding his bike when my decided to fall over. Could you imagine walking outside to see my SV laying on the $8,000 Ducati?!?! It makes my cringe.
So tonight, date night consisted of getting dolled up and going to dinner…but that was after heading to Cycle Gear to see if they had a new shifter and turn signal. They did not. So as we speak Colin is ghetto rigging my bike with a shifter and turn signal until the new ones come in the mail. It pays to date an engineer who knows a thing or a million about motorcycles 
Hope you all have a safe weekend!
GeoCaching (Mis) Adventures
I recently learned of GeoCaching. For those of you that know about it, yes I am SOOO behind on the times seeing how it came into existence in 2000. As for those of you that have no idea what I am rambling on about, check out the website.
Yesterday Colin and I decided to test out GeoCaching first hand. To do so, we registered on the website and downloaded the apps on our phones! I’m so geeky at times.
It worked out perfectly because we also needed to fit in our workout for the day. So walking a few miles while GeoCaching was beyond brilliant! Sometimes it hurts having so many great ideas 
Since it was a workout, also had the ole Endomondo going to track the stellar workout that was about to take place. Just to make note of the apps running on my phone during this venture; GeoCaching, Endomondo, and GPS. I don’t think my phone was truly ready for this excursion.
We pulled up that GeoCaching App and embarked on our maiden voyage into the world of GeoCaching.
There were two spots we were going to try to find. The first spot was called “Cache N Da Hood”. Catchy!
Description for the cache (shortened to the funny parts): “Small container wrapped in cammo tape. The area here is OK and away from muggles“
Muggles! Made me laugh as well as using cammo tape!
We used the Geo App to lead us to the spot of the cache which was located right off the road into a lightly wooded area. We searched a bit but we didn’t see it. Granted we just got slammed with Debby so there was lots of fallen tree limbs and mud to trek through.
In our search into the trees we came across an abandoned tent, well at least we hoped it was abandoned. We decided to stop looking for this cache after we discovered the tent. One, someone could be in there and two, someone could be in there!! Seemed kind of rude to poke around a homeless persons “house”.
So on to the next cache!!!
** about this time my phone had entered the orange and was quickly draining of power. It was either Endomondo or GeoCache that had to go. Seeing how we were on a Geo Adventure, Endomondo was the lucky loser and I shut off it off **
So back to the story:
The second one was located somewhat close to where we already searching for the first one, couldn’t have planned it better if we tried. Wait, we kind of did plan it, nevermind
So we trekked over to the second location following our Geo App GPS screen. The cool thing is you can choose to use GPS or a compass. I played around with both ways but found that I preferred the GPS way more.
After a brisk 15 minute walk, we arrived at the location of the cache. The clue was “magnetic”. There were plenty of items that something magnetic could have been stuck on.
We searched and searched but we could not find it After about 15 minutes of looking we decided to call it for what it was, NO GO! In hindsight I should have taken pictures of where we were looking to help aid in the story, next time for sure though!
Have you Geo Cached before?!?! What was your experience like?
It was approaching 7pm by this time and we were getting hungry plus we still had to fit in Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred video before dinner.
Headed home, shredded it out and had some amazing Goat Brie Stuffed Chicken. Yes, I said Goat Brie Cheese! It comes together in this amazing package below, it you see it, try it! It is more Brie tasting than Goat Cheese but whatever, I love them both so can’t lose!!
And on this bombshell, I end this post
Topical Storm, What Topical Storm?!?!
Living in Florida, you are ready to deal with all sorts of storms of varying strengths. During time frame of June 1st through November 30th, we can deal with the typical Florida afternoon storms, Topical Storms, Topical Depressions, and Hurricanes of all categories Cat 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5).
2004 was the infamous year that Florida was ravaged by 4 hurricanes, Charley, Jeannie, Frances and Ivan. That year was epic!! I recall my roommate at the time just moved here from Michigan and had never encountered a hurricane before. She was very spooked when Charley hit!!! She wanted to head down south at her parents house to “escape” the storm. I advised against it, never go south to outrun a storm!! She however, felt safer there as it was her parents house. So I agreed.
Yep, we ended up right in the middle of a Cat 4 storm. It was suppose to hit as a Cat 5 but luckily before landfall it “weakened”. The storm was enjoyable in the beginning. We were outside in the pool having fun, then ventured to the front yard for some football, laughing and having fun. Then it creeped closer and closer. When it was upon us, it was spooky. The wind was howling in a way I have never heard, the hurricane shutters over the windows were banging. I’m not going to lie, it was quite the experience. One that when it was over, I was relieved!!!
Here is a shot from the 2004 storm season. This is the most famous road on the water in Tampa, Bayshore Blvd. Not sure the source as I came across it in Google Images. The right side, to the right side of the palm trees is a side walk. Every day, all day, people are running, walking, roller blading, etc. During this time frame, they were jet skiing, kayaking and rafting.
As a native Florida, I was (and still am) ready for them. We have our safety lists of items to get at the stores to make sure we are prepared for the “just in case” and of course, “Hurricane Party” essentials.
For all of you that live outside of Florida, if you have ever heard of Hurricane Parties and wondered if they are real, well I can tell you they are!!! If the roof is going to be blown off, might as well be with family and friends having a good time!
In all seriousness though, Tampa is like the anti-hurricane area (please hurricane gods do not see that as a challenge). We have been very blessed when it comes to storms making landfall. We gets lots of wind, rain, flooding, tornadoes, and damage but luckily Tampa ends up pretty fortunate compared to other areas.
Since the legendary 2004 season, I have seen and I have to admit, been a part of, is if a hurricane isn’t more than a Cat 2, it doesn’t really registered on my radar as being too serious. Don’t get me wrong, I still prepare with my shopping list and make sure the generator is ready because a Cat 1 or 2 can easily become a Cat 4 or 5. I’m just saying, I don’t pay attention to it until it hits a Cat 3. At that point, let me assure you, it is on my radar and has my full attention.
This weekend we got visited by Topical Storm Debby!
Lots of rain, flooding, wind and some tornadoes!! The storms started Friday and we are still getting part of it today/tonight. The forecast tomorrow is 80% chance of rain and windy so we shall see how the week goes.
Sunday, we woke up to the storms. No lightning, just rain, heavy rain. Deciding on what to do for the day, we came up with the item of hitting the trails on the mountain bikes.
IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wanted to take pictures but with the amount of rain, I didn’t want to risk ruining my camera. The trails were muddy and holy crap was that fun!!! We decided instead of hitting our favorite place Balm Boyette (which has black diamonds and lots of harder trails), we would hit Morris Bridge. This trail system is super easy but with all the rain, it was flooded so it was like hitting brand new trails that we had never been on (see number 5 below).
Here are Colin’s Reasons Mountain Biking in a Storm is Awesome:
1) No need to stop to pee, just go when you have to go
2) Your cycling shorts get washed and then coated with a beautiful layer of designer mud
3) No one else is out there riding, so go ahead and ride the one-way trails backwards!
4) That’s not sweat, it’s rain!
5) Old trails are suddenly new again because you cant remember where the roots and ruts are
6) The thrill of trying to calculate how much water is at the bottom of the next drop as you crest the previous
7) Splashing in puddles (dont need to say anything else there)
8) Bikes get washed on the drive home
Here is a pic that was taken by a random person yesterday. This is the same road as the pic above, just from yesterday, not 2004.
Bayshore Blvd.
Still a long way until November 30th! Fingers crossed everyone has a safe 2012 Hurricane season!!
It’s My Birthday!!!!
That’s right, another year in the life of MEEEE!!!! Happy 33rd Birthday to myself!!!
I am kind of a birthday whore, seriously! Every year my birthdays involve lots of friends, some fine beverages and good times. And it usually is my birthday for the entire month of June
Last year though, that changed. Instead of having my usual blowout, The Doc and I headed down to Key West for some kiteboarding! It was a blast!!! Granted, the wind died the day before we got there. I can’t even make that up. Every day we were on stand-by with the kite boarding company just in case the wind gods wanted to play.
They did not But that is ok, we still had a great time!!
We rented some scooters for the trip. As we were signing the release forms and showing our driver license’s, the guy that worked there said, “Oh, I love it when people with motorcycle endorsements rent, means you know what you are doing!”. He was so excited about it. The Doc and I couldn’t help but laugh at the innocence of his comment.
Let’s just say, when the scooters were returned, there may or may not have been loose fenders and/or mud. Who knew scooters would do so well off road. Picture Days of Thunder, two rental cars on the beach, battling it out! Yep, that was us with the scooters! (I am 100% serious when I say that too!).
Scooter Shenanigans!
Doctor Goof Ball
Everyone’s must have Key West photo!
This year I am continuing on with the low key birthday!
Last night I came home from work to this:
KITCHEN FORT!!
Your eyes do not deceive you, that my friends is a Kitchen Fort! Colin is in mad cooking mode! Last night there was Red Velvet Cupcakes (my favorite in the whole world) and dessert crepes!
This morning was Crepes filled with sausage and cheese. I kid you not, we were in a food coma this morning before 8am. Laying on the couch, slowly drifting off into sleep.
Why I didn’t take today off I have no idea!!!
Colin is on his way up here now to have lunch with me. Another meal made behind the kitchen fort!! I am so excited.
Dinner and whatever else he has up his sleeve will be tonight!
So the most perfect birthday is in progress. I’ll update later on as to what happens throughout the day!!!
P.S. – I know I am super behind with posting!! I have mountain biking and sailing adventures to share!
You Sank My Battle Ship
OK, not really, but I loved that title for this post
Last week it rained, it rained a lot…all week.
Friday night, The Doc and I went out to dinner and enjoyed the rain. Seriously nothing more enjoyable than sitting outside having dinner while it is pouring outside (thank you for covered outdoor seating!).
Just eating in the rain
Saturday morning though, all the rain had disappeared! Not a rain cloud in the sky, or anything other cloud for that matter. We took full advantage of the sunny day. We parked the car in Ybor for some lunch at Mary’s, it was quite the place to eat and I would love to go back during one of their drag shows!
From Ybor we hopped on the trolley and headed over to Channelside to tour the American Victory.
TROLLEY RIDE
The American Victory is one of four fully functional World War II Ships in the country. We found a great Groupon deal for 2 for the price of one admission, you can never go wrong with a deal like that.
American Victory
The ship was a site to be seen. There was no air conditioning, which for some reason I thought there would be. So it was a little toasty but that was quickly forgotten because we were on a real WWII war ship. I felt like a was a child that was set loose on a really big boat, which technically I was.
The ship was self guided by little yellow arrows placed on the deck throughout the ship. The tour allowed you to roam all over, well mostly all over, the ship. We fully toured the ship which took about an hour or so.
The coolest area by far was the engine room. We were only able to stand on one level but with that one level, you felt very small. The engine room was about 5 floors high, that I could see. We were tempted to explore more but behaved.
The engine room
After the ship, we got back on the trolley to the car. The ride from Ybor to Channelside in a car is about 5 minutes but that is not very fun. The trolley ride though, now that is a way to get around town!!!!
We decided to get home and work on my bike. While I can touch the ground on my SV650S, I can’t fully put my feet down on the ground. The Doc, being the amazing handyman/boyfriend that he is, volunteered to make my bikes some links so we can lower if for me.
That took no time at all and now I can touch the ground pretty much flat-footed!!!
Sunday was filled with F1, World Super Bike (both races), grocery shopping and ended on this AWESOME MOVIE!!
The Monster Squad
You are not being deceived, that is a screen shot of The Monster Squad!! When I was younger, I loved that movie. I have been wanting to re-watch it for years now but was afraid that if I did, I would think it was stupid and it would ruin the childhood memory of it. That has happened before, The Monster Squad was too great to have my fond memories of it tainted.
However, The Doc never saw it. How that is possible I have no idea?!!?!? He HAD to experience this movie. I decided to risk my memories and we watched it.
Final analysis: The Monster Squad is still as amazing now as it was back then!!!! Perfect way to end the weekend. And the perfect way to end this post is a quote from my beloved Monster Squad. “Wolfman has nards!!”.
Sailing After The Storm
Yesterday Tampa was in full on Topical Storm mode!
The rain was on and off throughout the day but when it rained, it rained. The weather forecast called for 90% chance of rain and it did not disappoint.
As I was leaving work to head over to the yacht club for the race, well to see if we would be racing, it truly felt as if I was driving through a topical storm. The wind was howling, the rain was sideways and the streets were flooded. The thought that kept running through my mind was there is no way we are sailing.
When we (The Doc and I) arrived at the club, the rain had let up and only a few sprinkles remained. The radar showed the stormy cell had passed however, there were a couple more cells out there and we weren’t sure what they would end up doing.
With the uncertainty of the storm, we had some time to kick back and relax while race committee decided if it was safe for us to go sail. We grabbed a table and found a couple of our crew members. Postponement lasted about 25 minutes then we got the announcement over the PA, “Sailors, let’s race!”.
Music to our ears!
It’s raining, it’s pouring, we all wait to go sailing
It didn’t rain at all during the race, surprisingly. I thought for sure there was going to be at least a little drizzle, but nothing. Along with having no rain, we had no wind. It was a very slooow race. We ended up coming in 2nd place.
When the boat arrived back at the dock the sprinkles started. Perfect timing!!
Overall, it was a great night, especially considering that I thought for sure we wouldn’t be racing at all.
Hope you all have a wonderful Friday!
The Perfect Storm?
Thursday!!! This day of the week brings out a certain excitement that no other days can. With the arrival of this day, I know the weekend is close by. This day also means spending some time on the sail boat!
Now that The Doc is feeling better, we are planning on attending the Thursday night races again! Sailing, rum and racing…yes please. I will gladly spend my Thursday evening with all three of those items in my life!!
The Sunday race this past weekend was awesome!!
Tonight’s race, well not sure how it will pan out. This is Florida and it is summer time. This means RAIN, and lots of it!! This whole week has been quite nice as it has rained every day. Last night was quite enjoyable. The Doc and I sat out on our back porch and just relaxed while enjoying the storm.
This morning it has been on and off but as you can see in the radar shot below, there is more on the way!!!
I don’t mind sailing in rain, wouldn’t be the first time. However, if it is too bad, they will call the race. Safety third, oh wait, it is suppose to be safety first
We shall see what the weather gods have in store for us!!!
Summer Days
Sailing, Ice Cream, Motorcycles and A 5K!!
Looong title I know! But that was the making of my weekend!
Usually on Thursdays, we head out to the yacht club to race on the sail boat but with the recent health issue with The Doc, we have skipped the last couple of Thursdays to allow him to rest and fully recover. So instead our Thursday was spent making dinner and relaxing. It was quite nice!! Have to mix it up every once in a while, otherwise things get boring
Friday night was also low-key, just headed out to dinner and ran some errands.
The rest of the weekend more than made up for our low-key Thursday and Friday nights. Saturday night we woke up, watch Moto GP qualifying (GP is like my football season!!), then headed out to the Pinellas Trail to complete our May 5k Challenge.
** Our Challenges – The Doc and I hold monthly physical/work out challenges between us. April was who had the most miles total with all workouts combined. May was the 5k Challenge. It gives get motivation to get out and get moving **
The 5k Challenge started at the beginning of May. The Challenge /bet was to see who could improve their 5k time. At the start of the month, both put up our start 5K Pace using Endomondo. He had 35 minutes, I had 36 minutes. Bare in mind, him and I are not runners so I feel those times are respectable (insert laugh here).
So Saturday we drove an hour to the Pinellas Trail to see who the winner would be.We chose the Pinellas Trail because it has a continuous side-walk so we would not have to worry about crossing any roads and waiting for cars, every second counts!!! Especially when it involves me, The Doc and a “friendly competition”.
So who came out victorious, who has all the bragging rights until the next 5K show down?!?!?!
Not me
The Doc won, he improved his time by 2 minutes. I some how decreased my time by 3 minutes. How I decreased I have no idea but I did (I blame the uphill bridge crossings). So after the run, we went to Hooter’s for a pitcher of Sangria to celebrate the completion of the May 2012 Challenge.
Hmm, what will the June 2012 Challenge be?!?! I’ll let you know once we figure it out.
After the run, we were very tired and decided to head home and relax for a bit then do something. Yeah, we ended up passing out on the couch for some napping. Took us a bit to wake up out of our nap coma but we eventually did and made some dinner.
We put on a movie, got bored so we hopped on our motorcycles and headed out for some ice cream!! Night riding and ice cream, its so easy to put a smile on my face!
Sunday was awesome!! Highlights, morning was breakfast and the Moto GP race. Afternoon, we had a race. It was a great day out sailing. We surprisingly had lots of crew (Sundays are usually a skeleton crew) and wind!!! Not to mention rum!
We came in second for the race and we were all ok with that. It seriously was one of the best Sunday races I have done.
Will sail for rum!
After sailing we all hung out on the boat and had a few rum beverages. Then afterwards the captain invited myself, The Doc and another crew member over to his house to grill some steaks out on the grill. And let me tell you, it was delicious!!!! I really can’t think of anything more amazing then cooking steaks on the grill. Perfect end to a perfect weekend.
Steak and Wine
