The rest of the photo

Fooled you!  We cropped the photo yesterday and left out a very, very important part.  Yes!! Penny is going to be a Big Sister!

 I know she doesn't look too happy in these two pictures, but it has nothing to do with finding out she is going to be a big sister.  Penny was just tired and maybe hungry. 

 Linda is so excited to have grand baby number 2.  Penny actually loves her baby cousin Jackson and is very sweet with him.  May seems like so far away but I'm sure it will be here so fast.  Now Linda really has to get a crib, toddler bed and changing table set up in Taylor's old room so they can spend the night sometimes.

Muy Bueno!

Linda had lunch today after church with Sarah, Taylor and Penny at a new Mexican joint called Azteca.  Here is her take-home box, and she already ate 1/2 of it at the restaurant!

Muy Bueno!

This is not a small to-go dessert size box, its a giant dinner plate box.  There were two of those chili rellanos plus more beans and rice for $8.99.  The salsa (both red and an unusual white salsa) were very good too.  The leftovers are enough for 2 more meals.  Tierney would love that the diet coke glasses were probably 32 ounces!

Penny was very cute asking for "chips" and "cheese" throughout the meal.  She is not even 1 1/2 yet but she acts like she is 3.  Without any prompting she is pointing to and saying letters on signs and menus. She pointed to a "P" and said "P for potty."  Sarah can't remember ever saying that to her!  When Tier was a few months older than Penny, Linda was getting a prescription filled at the drug store. Tierney asked Linda what the letters " P H A R M A C Y" spelled.  Linda didn't know she even knew all her letters.  A big thank you to Sesame Street for teaching her to read before she was even 5.  Watch out Aunt Tier, Penny is going to be reading sooner than you did!

Do little girls actually get any cuter than this? Chica Bonita!!

Linda finally broke down and bought new sneakers. She should be replacing her shoes ever few months.  If you add up the number of hours she teaches it might be even sooner.  The pair she is wearing is over 9 months old.  Now that she has added running (OK, fast jogging.. but that sounds so lame) to her activities, her feet and knees were starting to ache a bit  That is not an option with her job, so it was a mandatory expense, right?  Its probably something she could be writing-off on her taxes since she has to wear sneakers for her job, don't ya think?  Today she did 45 minutes of fast walking with Chimi, dropped him off and ran for another 25.  The shoes felt comfortable for the first time out of the box, but they were laced  too tight because the top of her feet got a little numb towards the end. There are 100's of crazy squirrels on the trail.  They kept freaking Linda out because they were darting in front of her every 5 seconds. (Or it could have been the same squirrel following her and just zig-zagging.)

Muy Loco!

Finally!

Linda has really been craving something pumpkinish since she has been seeing all the recipes on Pintrest.  Back in the old days, Linda would satisfy her pumpkin craving with Starbucks Pumpkin Lattes. Now she dislikes Starbucks coffee (and the smell of the store... yuck.)  Just last night Sarah & Taylor were talking to Linda about delicious pumpkin food.  Look what they surprised her with today!!

The most incredible tasting pumpkin roll. They ate at a place called the Whining Butcher (or something like that) and Sarah saw this in the bakery case.  Knowing Linda would love it, she bought some for her.

Linda took a slice and put it on top of Edy's pumpkin ice cream, added whip cream and little caramel bites.  It might have dethroned carrot cake as Linda's favorite dessert.

After classes today, Linda tried to take Chimi for another run.  He is such a loser when it comes to moving fast on a leash.  He almost tripped her 3 times and she had to keep giving him a bump in the butt to keep him moving.  She just doesn't understand how he can run as fast as a cheetah off-leash but will only plod along during walks.  He is wayyyyyy faster than I am, but still no where near running speed.  If Linda power walks fast, he'll stay in front of her and set a decent pace.  The second he hears her start to run, he freezes and flops to the ground.

"PLEASE... DON'T MAKE ME RUN!!"

So cute

So cute....

This is Chimi's "Don't make me go to bed" pleading look.  At night he waits on the Big Bed while Linda is brushing her teeth and getting her pj's on.  He knows that she'll be telling him to go into his room to sleep.  Each night he makes the cutest faces to try and tempt her into leaving him out.  For about 3 weeks she tried to let him sleep with her but it wasn't working.  He has to be pressed up against her body and whenever she moved, he would come up to her face and investigate if she was OK.

I obey and get right into my own bed in the hallway as soon as she says "bedtime."  Linda tucks me in with one of her old tee shirt as my blanket.  I'll usually still be in the same position in the morning when she wakes up.

even cuter....

Chimi's not chewing this new bed anymore, but Linda caught him sucking on my favorite furry bed today.  What is up with him and his nursing/gnawing/sucking issues?  He's a grown-up dog now, not a little puppy.  He ate a bunch of lawn weed-stems last night and has had green poop & vomit all day today.  Nice going Chim.  Maybe you should stick to eating just dog treats and cuddling with your own blanket.

Linda had a very interesting shopping trip to Walmart today.  The lady checking out in front of her argued with the cashier over each of the approximately 50 items in her cart.  When the cashier would scan the item, the woman would say "NO, that's supposed to be $5.97" or some other price she seemed to have exactly memorized.  When the Walmart worker said it would be whatever the scan said, the woman would get all mad and say she didn't want it.  There was a huge pile of merchandise  on the side of the register the woman didn't buy.  The cashier was totally professional and didn't once lose her temper or give the woman who tried to yard-sale bargain any lip or attitude. She treated the whole thing like it was totally a normal part of her day.  (Maybe it is..)

..but the cutest by far!!!

Imagine how happy Linda was to come home to find some of her favorite people waiting at her house!  Don't you just love all of Penny's "I'm so brave and not afraid to try anything" bumps and scratches??

It's True!

At last, Linda finally knows why she has been having such severe motion sickness the last few days.  It's happening hourly,  even though she isn't riding merry-go-rounds; cruising the high seas or riding in the back seat of a car.  It has been confirmed, the new ios7 on the iPhone is making people sick.  Seriously, hundreds of users have reported nausea and carsickness from the way the apps sync, and the icons wiggle around.  She has been closing her eyes subconsciously but feeling slightly dizzy all day. Now the news is full of lots of people reporting that ios7 is making them sick.  Every time she checks her phone its throwing her equilibrium off.  Oh no! Maybe she'll get used to it.  Once in Las Vegas Linda couldn't walk around the lobby of the hotel she was staying in because the carpet pattern was making her seriously carsick.  We won't even go into what happens to her on boats and ships.  Well, at least shes not crazy thinking it was the ride with Penny yesterday or that she is getting the flu. 

Weird.. but riding in airplanes don't bother her that much but she can't read on a treadmill or elliptical machine.  Her appetite hasn't been effected though.  She ate Taco Bell for the first time in years yesterday. 

OH no Nana!  I thought it was the bean taco we shared after our ride yesterday that made you sick.

Rock-who-ceros?

Thursdays are always Linda's favorite day of the week.  First, she gets to teach her Kid Fit class.  One of the Mom's snapped a photo today.  Linda can't remember what song she was doing, but the kids are always 100% committed.  Everyone should think exercise is this much fun, not just little kids!

In case you were wondering,  Linda is the one wearing the black pants and white top

After Kid Fit Linda drives right to Sarah's to spend the rest of the morning/early afternoon with Penelope.  Penny has still been talking about riding the horses, so Linda took her back to the mall.  She started squealing when they got close to the merry-go-round.  This time Penny knew exactly what horse she wanted to ride.  She made a bee-line for the one with the pink decorations.  Linda suffers from pretty severe motion sickness.  Towards the end, she had to pull Penny off the horse and sit in the "old lady" seat that doesn't move.  The worker lady stopped it just in time because Linda was going to have to ask her to stop the merry-go-round so they could get off.  It was about to be seriously less than merry.  Just thinking about it is making Linda's head swim and its been almost 10 hours. 

"Nana, you are such a wimp."

While they were on the carousle, a kids group called Rocknoceros (or something like that) was playing a concert right in the Food Court.  All the babies and toddlers were rocking-n-rolling, but Penny hung back close to Linda and didn't seem to want to get up near the stage to dance.  Apparently they are pretty popular with the 2-5 year old crowd.  The guy kept saying things like "this song is from our 3rd CD", but he also said "we can't afford to pay our horn player with this gig, so he didn't come."  Ha! 

Guess you are not that big-time if you are wearing red socks and sandals

Penny was way more interested in the cows on the Ben and Jerry's sign that was the backdrop of the stage.  She was screaming "COWS, Nana!!" trying to drown out the singers.  Of course they had to go to Nordstrom's before they left the mall to get a free balloon.  Penny was so tired after the adventure that she almost fell asleep eating in her high chair when they got home. 


Such a beautiful family! Sarah looks like a super model.  Penny is looking a little more like Taylor as she gets older. 

Linda was gone all day (and almost all night.)  She just got home from teaching her 4:30 and 5:30 classes because she went straight to a wonderful wedding celebration.  The short time she was home between 2:15-3:30 she fed us a big lunch and made sure we went outside.  There won't be a walk tonight because Linda's eyes are starting to glue shut and she is too tired. 

"Nana, read this book"

In case you wondered why there was no post yesterday (ha, as if!) its because there wasn't any laptop time.  There could have been, but long stretches have been going by where Linda doesn't want to have anything electronic in her space.  The TV has been 95% in the off position for months.  The CD player/radio hasn't been plugged in the same amount of time.  For the most part, she is just checking her email on the phone for work, church and family updates.  She still reads some blogs and keeps up with a few news sites online, but all-in-all it has been wonderfully quite/techie free in our house.  She still has to practice her BC/BP routines, but shes keeping that to set times of study.  During the day, she is turning off the phone and just checking it when she feels like it to see if there is a message.  (Good thing too or she would have missed having Penelope and Sarah over yesterday!)

How did she get soooo big so fast and when did she start talking in full sentences?

Linda's been going to bed before 10 most nights and waking up between 5:30-6:00 feeling refreshed and ready to roll. 

All tucked in for the night

Chimi loves being under the covers. Linda has to drag him out of bed in the morning.

All's fair.  Linda had to have a tuck-in picture too!

There has been a lot of reading, devotion time and cooking happening.  The days of Linda just eating a quick frozen microwave meal or cereal for dinner is no more.  She was so excited about the leftover veggie dish that she ate lunch at 11:15 yesterday because she couldn't wait for noon.  This time she cut up "chicken" (soy strips that taste so much like the real thing she has trouble with the consistency and "is this really not chicken" taste) and baked it on the top with more cheese.  Next up will be figuring out some different dishes so she doesn't keep cooking the same concoctions of squash, zucchini, mushrooms, kale, tomato, spinach, peppers, Brussels sprouts, asparagus just using different seasonings and toppings.  She might start experimenting with more vegetarian pizza and pasta ideas. She also hardly ever eats salads, so that's another idea. There is a place at our mall that does cooking lessons.  Maybe she'll treat herself to a few lessons as a birthday present!

(p.s.  Getting through her Body Combat class and then teaching Aqua Boot Camp on the hard concrete deck last night was painful.  The kettle bell muscle soreness was at its peak.  This morning it feels much better and hopefully her body will be back to normal.)

But I'm Really, Really Sorry

Chimi is so sorry he chewed my bed.  He has been apologizing to Linda all night.  Sometimes she forgets that he has issues.  Its been a long time since he has destroyed a bed and she honestly thought he was over that part of his OCD. 

This saying is so true.  Chimi has made Linda laugh thousands of more times than he has made her mad.  Its only a dog bed.  Some fabric and cheap stuffing.  She is going to sew it up in the morning and it will be fine.  I'm pretty sure he learned that it is NOT his bed and won't be bothering it anymore.  If he does, she won't spare for his sweetness though.  Chimi has to learn Linda is the big dog of the house and what she says is the law. 

Bowlegged Woman and a Bad Dog

Never mind the part earlier today where Linda said she wasn't sore.  Her adductors are so sore now that she is hobbling around bowlegged like she just road 100 miles on a horse.  After her TKD class, she stopped at Target to get some groceries and a few other things.  At one point she dropped something on the floor and couldn't bend down to pick it up.  OK, Kettle Bell training may be her next new passion!

 

After today's lunch flop, she hit a grand slam with tonight's dinner.  Check out all these beautiful colors!

Layered zucchini; squash;  portobello mushrooms; three different color baby potatoes; red-orange-yellow peppers; sun dried tomatoes; cherry tomatoes and Feta cheese all drizzled with olive oil and three different seasonings.  Linda had to stop herself from going back for seconds since she needs to make it last for 4 meals.  If she was a real photographer and had all the props, this would be a "favorite" of everyone on Pintrest.  SO GOOD even a non-vegetarian would love it for dinner!

I got a new bed today.  One of my old beds had to be trashed when Linda decided that no amount of cleaning was going to get rid of the intestinal explosion I had a few weeks ago.  I've taken to sleeping on a blanket in the hallway in front of her bedroom door. I don't want to be on the big bed or in her bedroom, but at night I love the quite and safe feel at the end of the hall.

OMG!  Linda just came out from the den to see why I was crying and she found Chimi in my new 2 hour old bed chewing the stuffing out!! She is so mad at him.  AGGGHHH!!

Bad Dog!!

DOMS & ABCD

It feels like its gone from broiling hot summer to chilly fall with no in-between.  Granted, Linda is pretty much cold all the time, but today she couldn't even sit on the deck in the full sunshine without jeans, a long sleeve tee and a sweatshirt.  This weather is perfect for me though.  I love walking when its 60's-70's outside.  During both walks this weekend I did almost a full hour with no carries.  Yeah! for fall weather.

Her Kettle Bell workshop DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness.. that was on the test) isn't nearly as bad as she thought it was going to be.  The first few sets of squats in Body Pump this morning kind of made her go Ouch, and a a couple of times her left delt and elbow (the one that was not injured) pinged during back/shoulders; but overall she feels fine.  Her energy levels were off the charts in Body Combat class too.  You Tube has tons of Kettle Bell how-to videos, and Linda is already learning some cool new moves.

Just in case I make it sound like ever single thing Linda cooks is delicious, that is not true. She actually made something for lunch that wasn't very good.  Whoever the person on Pintrest was who said a drizzle of honey/brown sugar makes Brussels Sprouts taste good was wrong.  Also, you can't really roast green beans at 425 degrees with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. They were very dried out.  The baked potato wedges were OK, but she had nothing tasty to dip them in so they tasted blah.

I don't know why the picture came out so small but the one above it was fine. She sent them both from her iPhone at the same time. Weird.

 This meal was amazing though.  The B-sprouts and carrots were roasted with a sesame drizzle and Asian seasonings.  The artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and Feta done up in the skillet was yummy too!  I guess even the best chefs don't always bat 1,000.  (Is that the best batting average? I'm not sure.)

Since this blog is less about dogs and more about Linda, she keeps meaning to change it to her voice and not mine.  Every time she remembers she has already typed the whole post.  Maybe next time.  The blog will still feature Chim and I so don't worry if that is the only reason you read it.  Oh... and Penny news too.  She loves her ABC's and 123's but is still learning them since she is only 17 months old.  She gets a few right, but its hard to hear her say "O" "B" "D" and "P". The video starts correctly but Linda forgot and rotated her iPhone by accident.  Also, ignore the baby voice she can't seem to stop talking to Penny with.

Day Two... Done

Learning new things is always fun for Linda.  She loves reading, so normally its not a big trial to study.  These last 10 days were not so fun.  It was just overwhelming to have to study for the fitness exam and learn/relearn the 4 Les Mills releases (new and old.)  Now that both exams are done (she passed today!  They have you your practical score and written exam score before the end) she feels like she can breath again.  Cleaning, lawn mowing, laundry, grocery shopping and paperwork has been put on the back burner.  Starting tomorrow, she is getting caught up on all those things.  By this time next week, she'll have both new releases for Pump and Combat memorized. 

Body parts that are sore from the Kettle Bell workshop:  fingers, top of her hands, forearms, top of the feet and her arches.  Somehow, the major muscles like the glutes, hamstrings, quads, lower back, delts, etc. are not hurting at all.  It could be because the motions were so different than she was used to and she was smart and didn't use the 25 pound bell.

There is a Dummies book for everything! Google it sometime.

Day One Done

Day one of the training classes DONE!  Linda's brain about exploded with TMI.  She found out there were 100 questions on the written exam and she had to get 70 right to pass.  Instead of stressing and trying to perfect all the areas that were confusing, she just relaxed and went with what she did know.  There was no way she was missing 30 questions.  She could have gotten that much right without studying.  Some people didn't buy the text book or didn't even open it until last night.  In all, Linda probably studied about 20 hours, so there is a good chance she passed.  Plus, she had a full 1 1/2 hours to take the test.  No one told her she needed a calculator though.  The proctor let them share with those who had one.  No iPhone calculators allowed.  Who carries a calculator in their purse or gym bag?  Imagine if they made you kneel on the floor like these Martial Artists taking their test?

Even though Linda is a Black Belt she could never do a test in this position

 The practical parts were so easy she could have taught them with total confidence.  Tomorrow she'll be swinging a Kettle Bell around all day, so she might not be feeling as happy when she is done as she does right now.  Her back is a little sore from sitting in a hard chair for so long during the lectures.  Maybe it will counteract Sunday's craziness.

I wonder if GI Joe will be in her Kettle Bell class?

 These moon photos are for Penelope.  She adores the moon and goes crazy when its full in the sky. A friend took the shot a few days ago.  Linda misses Penny so much!  She really wanted to spend some time with her the last few days but couldn't because of the workshops.

Look Penny!  MOON!!! 

Jerry was able to come to walk, feed and check on Chimi and I while Linda was gone.  Good thing too.  She left so early that she didn't dare feed us just in case we had to go to the bathroom before Jerry got here.  All worked out great with no accidents.  Linda was expecting to be home way later than she was, so we'll get another walk if it stops raining.

Teaching Chimi to run

Linda is trying to teach Chimi how to run.  What?  I know... he is a running fool around the house and backyard. 

He runs, sprints, jumps, twirls and goes crazy as long as he is off the leash.  As soon as Linda puts the leash on his collar, he sputters and stalls.  During a 20 minute (slow) run tonight, he almost tripped her 4 times.  The second the collar slips towards his ears, he has a panic attack.  She might go back to the body harness instead of the neck collar.  Once again, Linda dropped him back out the house and finished her run alone.  It felt so strange running without a dog for company.

This weekend is the BIG EXAM she has been studying for.  Instead of cramming tonight, Linda is giving her brain a rest.  It's like training for a marathon.  You don't run all night before the race.  Instead Linda had some ice cream; took a long hot shower and is going to bed in a few minutes. If she fails the test, there is a $99 retest fee.  Seriously?

This is so Linda.  She already has her gym bag ready, lunch planned out in the fridge, pencils, pens and a new notebook from Target all lined up on the dresser.  It might be freezing in the exam room, so she has layers and layers of clothes packed just in case.  She'll also be the first one to arrive and check in.  Check back tomorrow evening for an update on how day one went. 

Swinging

Linda only got to spend a little bit of time with Penny this morning, but they had so much fun.  Every week Penny is adding more and more words to her vocabulary.  She is such a joy to be with!  While Sarah cleaned and did chores, Linda took Penny on a walk and they played at the park. 

Linda was pretending that it hurt when Penny's feet touched her.  It made her giggle each time.  At the playground, there is an ABC sculpture.  Penny was able to point out the P, D, B and eventually a few other letters too.  Such a smart girl!

Chimi went to Pet Smart to get his nails cut and some other basic grooming today but for the second time, they vet tech wouldn't (couldn't) do it.  Chimi squirms, cries and basically acts like you're killing him and it takes a firm hand to cut his nails.  For some reason, the tech was afraid Chimi was going to bite her.  (In his whole life, he's never bit anyone.)  She should have put a muzzle on him and just snipped them.  Gosh, he's just over 15 pounds.  Its not like he is a 100 pound Rottweiler or anything. Poor pooch, Linda feels bad for him.  Looks like a trip to the vet next week. Those techs mean business and can get the job done. 

Linda ate nothing exciting for dinner tonight (chips and hummus) but lunch was wonderful.  She saw a recipe for zucchini fries, so she tried it.  Um....those people who say zucchini tastes "just like fries!" are crazy.  They were really delicious, but only tasted like zucchini with crunchy topping and nothing like french fries. Those must be the same people who have an apple to satisfy an ice cream craving. She also baked the rest of the asparagus; this time adding basil and Parmesan cheese.

Vegetables > Meat in Linda's opinion

Party: part 2

The vendor at the YMCA who had all the nifty freebies must have gave it all away because he wasn't there this afternoon.  Instead, there was vegetarian food from a place called Zoe's serving hummus, dips, pita and veggies.  There was no line at that table but the Naked Pizza table was packed.  (No, the pizza servers weren't naked, that's just the name of the restaurant.) Linda also took a few minutes to have a chair massage.  The woman told Linda that she had a seriously messed up spine and recommended "Do not pass Go.. Go directly to the Dr." Something about a bony growth and swelling on the coccyx which is causing the pinching in her Sciatic nerve (and possibly severing the nerve altogether eventually.)  The lady said she wouldn't even touch the area until she had a Dr.'s note.  Maybe that is why Linda has been had back pain the last few years.  

Chimi has been loving the weather today.  Every time Linda wanted him to come inside, she had drag him back through the sliding door.  He so enjoys the deck and sun.  If only the world was a safer place where you could leave your dogs outside in a fenced area without fear of them being dog-napped while you are gone.  No one ever messed with Snickers since he was a big scary dog.  Chimi would run to the stranger and be his BFF, especially if they offered him a treat. 

With the chilly weather coming, Linda wanted to go through our winter coats and sweaters to see if we had clothes that still fit us.  Linda loves this white fur sweater on me.

This sweater isn't very manly, plus it was from when he was a puppy.  He has his rugged Army coat that still fits him although he HATES to put it on.

This was the outfit he was wearing when Linda adopted him from his birth mother.  It was a soccer jersey and a purple puffer vest.  He was playing outside in the yard when Linda first saw him.  Her heart melted because he looked just like a mini Snickers dog.   For some reason Tierney thought this ensemble was the funniest thing ever! 

Free Prizes and Remembering Snickers

Today is the 13th Anniversary at the YMCA where Linda teaches.  They set up a big party in the lobby with vendors and food stuff.  One vendor had so many fun prizes.  Linda really wanted to take one of each (especially the purse size band aid holder) but she only took a cool pen and super nice water bottle.  If she wasn't pressed for time, she would have sat on the massage chair and gotten the kinks worked out of her shoulder.  There was even free pizza and later today when she goes back for the second round of classes there will be free cupcakes.  (Pizza and cupcakes after a hard workout?  Why not!)  Hopefully different people will be manning the booth this afternoon so she can take some more of the prizes.  Chimi would love the mini football and we could always use more clips to keep the chip bag shut. 

Linda ate the last of her squash-zucchini-spinach-mushroom-eggplant-quinoa casserole for lunch today.  She's got to go back to Pintrest and figure out another recipe that is easy to heat up in the toaster oven.  (We still don't have a microwave, so all things are heated/cooked the old fashioned way.  Well, not the real old fashioned way over a campfire or wood stove, but the pre-1960's way.  Linda remembers the first microwave she ever had. It wasn't until she had her own apartment. It was gigantic and cost as much as a range! No joke, in the late 70's she once tried to cook a whole turkey in the microwave when her parents came over for Thanksgiving.  She didn't even defrost it first.  Ha!  There was no turkey that year with dinner for her family. She can't remember ever trying to cook another turkey after that fiasco but she might have.  Vegetarians don't usually know how to cook meat.)

It is such a beautiful day that Linda is going to take us for a walk instead of studying.  She did an hour this morning and feels like if she opens the book again she'll start tearing the pages out and crumbling them up.  How do people study hard to understand material non-stop for weekly exams?  It's making her brain numb. 

Since there are no photos that go with this post, here are some shots of Good Ole' Boy Snickers when he was still spry enough to get around. 

He loved to give kisses

Snickers loved me from the very first day.  I was 1.5 pounds, he was almost 80 pounds!

Only 3 more study days

I know...I need another hair cut

This is a terrible blurry picture because Linda was laughing when she took it.  Both Chimi and I eat our suppers in separate bathrooms.  We don't do well eating in the same room, so for as long as we've been together, she has fed us like this.  My bowl used to be facing the gold wall, but now I refuse to eat out of it unless it's facing this way.  When it is facing the wall that means my back is to the door.  If my back is to the door, I can's see if Chimi is sneaking up on me to eat my food.  For awhile, Linda couldn't figure out why I kept crying and refusing to eat.  The second she turned the bowl so I could glance into the hall, all was good. 

Chimi is all like "What??"  Don't I have a wide chest for such a little body?

Jerry bought a friend with him tonight to take us for our walk.  Two people are so much better because one can hold Chimi's leash and go faster, and I can walk slower at my own pace.  Linda's glad they took us earlier because Tuesday night is rest night.  She did feel amazing in Body Combat tonight.  Tons of energy and no pain anywhere.  Yay!  The heater was broken in the pool so she just taught the next class from the pool deck.  When she teaches in the cold water, it takes her hours to get warm after.  Her feet and hands are still freezing when she gets in bed.  

Just riding the noodle

Linda has to get back to studying for her certification.  Its starting to all come together and make sense.  By this weekend, all the information better be in her head so she passes her tests.  By Monday, it will all go away and be replaced with other stuff she has to memorize.  Who really thinks about the Creatine Phosphate System; ATP and Lactic Acid when they are working out?  Not Linda.

Have you seen this pony?

Tierney went to Italy with her girlfriends last month.  She had a wonderful time and took some amazing pictures.  Its a good thing that she wasn't there this week or she would have spent her whole trip trying to stage a rescue.  Charlie, the country's tiniest pony was kidnapped and is being held for ransom by (possibly) the Italian mafia!  Officials are treating this kidnapping seriously (as they should) and working hard to recover Charlie.  I can picture Tierney hunting high and low searching for the tiny horse. 

  I hope you are OK Charlie.

Linda has been fed-up with Chimi lately.  The last 5 days or so he has been annoying.  Whine, whine, whine. "Feed me, walk me, play with me, pet me."  Um.. no.. Chim.  You don't get to make the rules.  We eat when Linda says, walk when she says and are supposed to be good quite obedient dogs when she is busy.  This was the first night he wasn't perfect on the walk.  He wanted to choose where to cross the street.  When she didn't cross, he just got low to the ground and stopped.  She dropped me back home and took him out alone for some serious "who is the boss" training.  Linda made him run the entire time and not stop to sniff or dilly-dally.  He wasn't loving it, but when he hunkered down she ran behind him and gave him a little butt push to get him going again. 

At least he is worn out now and quieter.

If you've been missing Linda's yummy food pictures, here is some from the last few days:

Mexican pizza.  This was really good. It would have been amazing if Linda remembered to use cheese.

One of the top 5 dishes. Layered veggies, quinoa, and CHEESE

Lame dessert.  Rice cake, PB, chocolate sauce, sprinkles and cool whip.

 

No, Linda didn't eat these. The look on these poor fishes faces make Linda sad.  She freaked out when she saw them at Whole Foods this am.

OOOOh, poor fish.