Another Day in Ocean Beach

I love OB. It is a great place to live. Good weather, good people, good beach. It is no wonder so many homeless people choose to live here! There is rarely a dull moment here in Ocean Beach. Today, Ryan and I both had the day off, so we decided to ride our bikes over to Sea World. On our way home, we passed a small camp of homeless people. One of the homeless ladies came over to talk to me. She saw Ryan, and asked if that handsome man was my husband...not an uncommon question! Then she told me that if we ever divorce, give her a call! I just laughed and tried to hop back on my bike to take off. This is when the homeless lady tried to come in for a kiss! Now, I am not a professional bike rider, so it is typical for me to wobble a lot when I start off on any ride. Add a homeless lady trying to kiss me, and I have even more trouble with a smooth take-off. I was successful at avoiding the kiss, but as I left, she reached out and got a good handful of my butt!

OB Christmas Parade

Stay tuned... I took a ton of pics, and I can GUARANTEE the OB Parade is a true original! This is a quick sample - A man riding a dinosaur through bubbles.

It's OB Christmastime!

Today is the OB Christmas Tree Festival! This year, Ryan and I decided to make it to our local Christmas Festival rather than fight the crowds at Christmas on the Prado. The tree has been up and decorated for a few days. Beach ball ornaments, appropriate for a tree on the beach. We rode our bikes down to the festival earlier today and took a few pictures.

Isn't it beautiful?


My favorite is this one, with the pier streaching out behind the tree.

Here are some pics from our bike ride:

An Extra Jolt for the Holidays

I love the holiday season. The lights, the people, the smells, everything. One of my favorite things of this time of year is the holiday drink menu at Starbucks. The Eggnog Chai Latte is my favorite. This morning, my hubby and I woke up early and ran to Albertson's to pick up a few things. We decided to go to the Starbucks there rather than the one two blocks down the road. Well, the barista must not have been familiar with the Eggnog Chai Latte, because I received an Eggnog Chai and an Eggnog Latte combined. So, here I am on a lazy Saturday morning sipping an Eggnog Chai with two espresso shots! I wish I had a marathon to run, or something!!

The Tale of Despereaux

I am so excited to see this movie! The book is a MUST READ. I read it every year to my students. If you have children, please read it to them BEFORE the movie is released December 19th. I've read the synopsis, and it sounds like the adaptation will not follow the book all that closely. You know I'll be there over Christmas break, and I know 40 third graders who will be begging mom and dad to go, too!

Great TV Quote!

I recorded the pilot of the new show "The Mentalist." I like crime shows and shows about smart people, so we'll see about this one... Here is a great quote from that episode. The main character is visiting his psychiatrist due to his inability to sleep. The psych asks him why he hasn't gone to see a doctor. The reply: "Doctors like to be the smartest person in the room, which is me, obviously." Love it!!

My Running Secret

If you've been reading my blog, you know that this past year was my crazy running year. I completed a 5K, a 4 miler, 3 half marathons, and a marathon. Here is the secret to what makes the long distances bearable. This picture was on my Places to see in California widget. It is the San Diego Bay and skyline. I ran this very path a multitude of times while training. It was also part of the America's Finest City Half! And that is my running secret: find somewhere flat and beautiful with marine layer and cool breezes!!

Autism: The Musical

I just finished watching this movie. I definitely recommend it. I laughed and cried through almost the whole thing. Be prepared to fall in love with these amazing children!

To Dream the Impossible Dream

One of my dreams is to one day see a picture on Blogger Play of someone I know. Does anyone want to waste some time uploading photos while I watch Blogger Play to try and find you?

The Hilarity of the Unknown

When we were young, my little sister, Bethany, would listen to Mexican radio and just laugh and laugh. When I asked what was so funny, she said she thought it was hysterical that these people would all start laughing at the same time even though she couldn't understand a word that was said. Today I decided to "Next Blog". I now understand why Bethany would laugh. About 4 out of every 5 blogs were foreign. Now, I speak Spanish pretty well, and I can read many Latin languages and make some sense out of what's being said. These blogs I came across tonight were truly foreign. I laughed and laughed as I tried to figure out why anyone would post the pictures I came across! If you were burned early on by "Next Blogging," you should give it another try. I think Blogger has cleaned it up a lot. Here is the funniest picture I came across. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what language the blog is written in, so I have NO CLUE why this pic was posted, but the thought of a proud father posting this somewhere in the far reaches of the earth makes me laugh!

Together again!

Ryan and I had such a great, low key weekend together! We really just wanted to spend time together, enjoying each other's company. Here are the fun things we did:

Went to Hodad's for dinner (Sorry about the blurry pic!)


Rented 2 movies - 1 good action flick and 1 really bad comedy

Went to Mission Bay for breakfast

Hit golf balls on the driving range (and I wasn't all that bad, for a first timer!)


BBQed with the Kilbrides where I got to hold and cuddle sweet baby Dylan for a long time!!

Breakfast at the Old Townhouse here in OB

Home Depot

Spent a couple of hours on the beach



Napped

Here is the only bad part of the weekend...


Now I'm writing my lesson plans for school, which starts tomorrow while he's making the long drive back to Ventura.
Countdown until the next time I get to see my love starts now!!

I LOVE S.B.

For those of you who have known me for any amount of time, you know that San Diego is my Mecca. Hence, I call it my home town. With all of the fabulosity of America's Finest City, there is still one California town I love even more. Not San Bernadino. I absolutely ADORE Santa Barbara! It is so Old California with the Spanish architecture and tile. It is still quaint even with a sizable population.
So, for my last weekend in Ventura, my husband and I went to Santa Barbara Saturday morning. We didn't do the traditional breakfast, walk on the beach or down State Street. Instead, we went to the gym and then headed back to Ventura. Now, this won't surprise Bethany, who went to S.B. with me only to buy a couple of USB Flash Drives at Staples. For most people, though, during this time of high gas prices, the thought of driving 30 minutes just to work out when there are 3 gyms closer is ridiculous. But, you are not my husband. He knows me. He knows that I love to go to Santa Barbara, no matter for how long or for what reason. (Plus, the 24 Hour Fitness in S.B. is pretty nice!)


* By the way, the reason I don't live there is because of this lovely quote I found when looking for pictures of my favorite town: "Land of $1.25 Million Dollar MEDIAN PRICED homes."

America's Finest City/Triple Crown

I did it! I completed my third half marathon for 2008! See my special medal! What an accomplishment! I am still amazed that I went through with it. It all started a year ago when I decided to train for ONE half marathon. When I registered for the Carlsbad Half, there was an option to run the Triple Crown. I checked the box, just in case... After Carlsbad, I decided to train for the Rock 'N Roll Marathon. Part of the training schedule included the La Jolla Half - the second of the three half marathons for the Triple Crown. How convenient! Now, this last one, America's Finest City, I must admit, was not easy to commit to. I didn't train well (at all!) and I didn't really want to be in San Diego that weekend, but I convinced my mom to come down and cheer me through the finish line. I am so glad I ran this final race and reached my goal! Thank you to all who cheered me on. I don't think I would have enjoyed it if it hadn't been for your encouragement. I would have still done it, just not enjoyed it! Here are a couple of pics:

Self portrait at Mile 10 with the bay in the background


Running by the Star of India

You are my Sunshine

This is my sweet nephew, Cameron. I have been lauding the glories of The Fantastic Mr. Robbie for 9 years, but today I'm going to share about my sweet little Cambo. This is one unique child. I've never met anyone quite like him, and I've met many, many children! He laughs easily, but only if he truly believes something is funny. He takes joy in reading stories, cooking special recipes with extra "Love" spice, playing music, and knows that he is very, very smart. I love this boy!

Just so you know...

I tried the iced coffee from McDonald's this morning. I've heard really good things about it. In fact, people have told me it is just as good as the iced coffee at Starbucks. Well, those people are WRONG!! It is horrendous. If you like sugar water, you'll like the McDonald's iced coffee. If you like coffee with milk and flavor, you won't like it. I am currently brewing coffee so I will be able to stomach the rest of my drink.

Home Again, Wherever that may be

Ryan and I are home from our cruise to the Mexican Riviera. We spent 7 nights at sea and visited Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerta Vallarta. We had a wonderful time and I'll post pictures as soon as I have a chance to upload them. For the time being, you can check out my mom's or Bethany's blog for some photos.
Some quick highlights:
1. 4x4 through the Baja desert
2. Ryan parasailing for the first time! I'm so proud!
3. Our new favorite Mexican Pueblo ~ Yelapa
4. Tequila tasting. You know I love a good educational seminar, and the tequila and margaritas were a nice bonus!
5. Couples massage! Can't get enough of those!
6. Spending time with my family.
Thanks mom and dad! We love you!

Under Construction

I decided to change the background of our blog, but when I did that, I lost all of my links and other widgets. I posted a link to the site from which I got the background. Leelou has many very cute designs, but I recommend saving all of your widgets if you choose to change backgrounds...

Baby Gavin

Welcome to our world, sweet little Gavin! We love you very much! Congratulations to my cousin, Amy, and her new little one!

www.rymusandkrista.com

For those of you who remember our wedding website, I have just updated the link to take you directly here, to our blog. Once I am technologically advanced enough to actually figure out how to do a website, I'll set up a real site with a link to our blog, ala NatandBD.com. That could be years from now or within the next few weeks. You'll have to stay tuned to see, but for now, you can go directly to our blog via www.rymusandkrista.com.

One Year!

Today is our first anniversary! I can't believe it's been a year already! I still get butterflies when his name appears on my caller ID because I am so excited to talk to him! I hope that feeling lasts forever. Here are some of my favorite wedding and honeymoon pictures to relive the best time of our lives!

Running through the sparklers


Looking back at all our family and friends. I love the glow on our faces!


Our get-away


The Pitons in Saint Lucia


Our Sunset Cruise


Dining on the beach


Our name in the sand


Many great years and memories to follow! I love you, my WGH!

îOlé!

This summer we're temporarily relocating to Ventura and living with various family members. As Ryan says, we'll stay at the house that serves the best dinner each night! I'm enjoying my time here. I enrolled in Español 3 at Ventura College (hence the sombrero). It's nice to take a class just for fun after the time I put into earning my Master's degree! I miss San Diego, but it's nice to spend time with Ryan's family. I am experiencing the same dilemma I have in San Diego, though. Everyone works all day long! My class is daily until 12:30, but after that, I have little to do. I guess I'll have to find more things to do. I'm trying to save gas by riding my bike wherever I can and have found easy routes to the harbor and the beach. As I mentioned earlier, I'd like to take a dance class, art class, or something else this summer. I had planned to do some of this in San Diego with fellow teachers, but now that I'm up here, I'll have to check things out. In the meantime, I'm content catching up on summer reading, trying out Martha Stewart's latest craft, and riding my bike around town. I love the summertime!
(By the way, please forgive the special upside-down exclamation point in the title. I learned how to type special characters, but can't find the code for that one!)

The End is the Just the Beginning of Something New

What a week! School's out for the summer as of yesterday! I completed my Master's research and presented my final research project on Thursday. Now what? I'm thinking a Spanish summer school class, possibly take a belly dancing class, I want to learn a new art form - glass blowing?, and time to start training for my next half marathon!

Rock 'n Roll!

I did it! The BIG DADDY!! I completed my first marathon! Whoo hoo! It only took me 6 hours and 4 minutes (if you subtract the time I spent in line for the bathrooms)! I am really sore and can't climb up and down the stairs yet, but I DID IT!!

Ryan accidentally shot a video instead of taking a picture, so you'll see me running and then you'll see his shoes as he runs alongside me for a few steps! My shirt is so cute, I wish you could see it. It says "26.2 miles and still smiling!"


Here is a link for a video of me crossing the finish line from NBC. I crossed at the same time as the blind guy in the red shirt, so look to his left and you'll see me! The clock time was 6:34:49.
http://video.nbcsandiego.com/player/?id=257858

What a great experience! I recommend this marathon to anyone. It is a great course for first timers because it is relatively flat and the course is very scenic almost the whole time. Also, there were 26 bands playing along the way, so there was very little quiet time on the course. Another thing I loved was that they personalized our bibs. It was so encouraging to hear spectators shout out "Go Krista!" "You can do it, Krista!" "Krista's going 26.2 miles and still smiling!"
This was one of those events of a lifetime. Anyone want to join me May 31, 2009?

Funny Squiggly Letters

You know those funny letters that you have to decode to send information over some websites? Well, the new upgrade on our school computers makes us do that every time we search Google. For me, it's no big deal, but I found out today that my students have made a competition out of it. Whenever I am working on the computer and it is connected to the big screen TV, my students compete to see who will figure out the "secret code" first! I had to laugh this morning when I was searching for pictures of edelweiss (we're representing Germany in the school Olympics) and I heard a few kids SHOUT the funny squiggly letters! They love to help Mrs. Lopez any way they can! Gosh, I love those kids!

By the way, here is the picture of edelweiss:

CTR ~ Lake Tahoe!

Nine short years ago, I was a student at Simpson University. While there, I built some life-long friendships with an amazing group of ladies. Every week, we would get together over coffee just to talk, decompress, plan weddings, share dreams, and just be together. We called those special times together "Coffee Talk." Now, we try to get together once a year for our "Coffee Talk Reunion," or CTR. This year, only 5 1/2 were able to make it to Tahoe. The 1/2 is Naomi's youngest son!! How fun to have a little guy there! As far as I know, he is the only male to ever officially attend a CTR, lucky guy! Here are some pictures of my lovely ladies and the beautiful setting in which we enjoyed our weekend:

All the Girls


Lindsey, Kristy, and I at the lake


Naomi and her little one


Lindsey relaxing at the lake


Beautiful view


Tall pines around the lake


I had such a wonderful weekend! I look forward to next year's reunion and hope more of us can make it!

San Diego Explosion

FYI, in case you've heard about the explosion in Downtown San Diego today, Ryan was not at that job site. The explosion was at the new Hilton which Ryan's company is building, but fortunately, he was not assigned to that job site.

A Taste of Graduation

Here are a couple of pictures from my graduation! I'll post a true blog soon.

My Master of Arts in Education Hood


Mr. and Master Lopez


My family (minus the Macek crew)


My In-Laws


The Reis Family


Thank you all for coming! It was such a special day!

La Jolla Half Marathon

I just finished the La Jolla Half Marathon. This one was WAY tougher than the Carlsbad Half I ran in January. First of all, it was about 30 degrees warmer! Also, check out the elevation map:

So, from mile 5 through mile 7, the course goes up hill, and a steep one! The benefit is the hill is Torrey Pines, so you can see the ocean almost the whole way.
This event is actually part of my training for the Rock 'n Roll Marathon in June. I feel really good today. This run was a MONSTER for me, but I did it and I have the sore muscles, blisters, and random chaffing to prove it! Plus, I got a nice little medal at the finish line! Yea!!
For those of you who are also training for a run, whether it be a 5K or a Big Daddy Marathon, YOU CAN DO IT!! And the rumor is true - there is nothing like a runner's high!