tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91509283296018426792024-03-12T22:23:17.773-07:00Outside LifeA love of the outdoors!Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-9910487002303420462009-04-08T17:14:00.001-07:002009-04-08T21:01:06.865-07:00Taco Truck Lunches<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKFzSPeSZXjhuWYWa5oLzJrnSy1d2TWpkPBbh9ahqWkTZhLthPudvlkSgWIgBwNWWBDc8LJ-zZRjz6MYI5mVJx2B1LJfiIf6K1lx84WpQuFZfCWTSGamERJ0t572qQ_-3gZAbZZhKtU5v/s1600-h/DSC00086.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322536748997197970" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKFzSPeSZXjhuWYWa5oLzJrnSy1d2TWpkPBbh9ahqWkTZhLthPudvlkSgWIgBwNWWBDc8LJ-zZRjz6MYI5mVJx2B1LJfiIf6K1lx84WpQuFZfCWTSGamERJ0t572qQ_-3gZAbZZhKtU5v/s200/DSC00086.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYgIJsP5RG85r46NMXXg138DYQ_vy0L9Vq_KjOcK3CeiXiNCTfGQY6htNngbxlX35WkO5sGzQcvr0ZJHDhZwBYxBzNYCcBcHCZ8NFFYn2kDRS3o-aL8TFZO9vaF4Y88E-Y5fcyrAnYoVi/s1600-h/DSC00085.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322536743317301634" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYgIJsP5RG85r46NMXXg138DYQ_vy0L9Vq_KjOcK3CeiXiNCTfGQY6htNngbxlX35WkO5sGzQcvr0ZJHDhZwBYxBzNYCcBcHCZ8NFFYn2kDRS3o-aL8TFZO9vaF4Y88E-Y5fcyrAnYoVi/s200/DSC00085.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>I work in Santa Ana which has a large number of Mexican eateries. I've always tended to steer clear of the numerous catering/taco trucks that are parked along the different neighborhoods of the city. The other day at work, my coworkers and I started contemplated our lunch time meal. One suggestion that came up was picking up lunch from a taco truck. What started out as a impromptu suggestion began to build momentum. If I can eat tacos off a street cart in Mexico then why can't I eat at one here in CA? Sure enough we decided to head out to one of the nearby taco trucks that was recommended to us. </div><br /><br /><div>The taco truck had a fair amount of clientele waiting for their orders. The portions were good and the food was competitively priced. There was a variety of meats to choose from so I ordered birria (goat) and carne asada tacos, as well as a carne asada torta (sandwich). The food was pretty delicious and the accompanying salsas had just the right amount of punch. Luckily my coworker drives a truck so we were able to use the tail gate as a picnic bench. Lunch was very satisfying that day and we've decided to start TACO TRUCK THURSDAYS. </div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-65805799586905292372009-03-25T20:40:00.000-07:002009-03-27T22:04:40.040-07:00Road Trip<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNUGFkweCUfwRwSAlm3jfUest5-Gx8sdP3v0do7R_TksT4cj151y68UhHGAtVyh1LAFiB45u_zWABe5d_UJ_lzKQ-iHnOVflFCQvpRB4ucePXnajyBuYekTzeewRHpm1D-5fBQinipaxg/s1600-h/MariaBigSur.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318098641775423234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNUGFkweCUfwRwSAlm3jfUest5-Gx8sdP3v0do7R_TksT4cj151y68UhHGAtVyh1LAFiB45u_zWABe5d_UJ_lzKQ-iHnOVflFCQvpRB4ucePXnajyBuYekTzeewRHpm1D-5fBQinipaxg/s200/MariaBigSur.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDYDS2Vg87A_4U0wafOObMSHDw4djYysC_ESosdegaMAtJ6TyDirHI_5nuqUXeCspcvWCbsBzibYnvKbzPUPeoMl1GbBM-UKHAJJmRaveIQ57xmODA4aWhFVJr8kV4cBPKkKCEK4FOE6y/s1600-h/chowder-bowl.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318097869312668290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDYDS2Vg87A_4U0wafOObMSHDw4djYysC_ESosdegaMAtJ6TyDirHI_5nuqUXeCspcvWCbsBzibYnvKbzPUPeoMl1GbBM-UKHAJJmRaveIQ57xmODA4aWhFVJr8kV4cBPKkKCEK4FOE6y/s200/chowder-bowl.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6phTKNkXs8UL-S7J_IAcaqpndNoEkvnltfjkgRnL5OTQm6vv5lZJmmqKwdf9qM7gafLc4W8ZCEli0ZrDey8405otZqOvaa-64WKdU1DtVwNVi48JlIEOrAhJG7JGSy-4ROkQA_ZWyrnt/s1600-h/Roadside-Stand.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318096959945928482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6phTKNkXs8UL-S7J_IAcaqpndNoEkvnltfjkgRnL5OTQm6vv5lZJmmqKwdf9qM7gafLc4W8ZCEli0ZrDey8405otZqOvaa-64WKdU1DtVwNVi48JlIEOrAhJG7JGSy-4ROkQA_ZWyrnt/s200/Roadside-Stand.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybfCHgtgLkyZq5Yv4hUpbih56-9Yi8Ad4TQD0SlcpNDFNVx471SAfwOH6R3uWokIGJeVF1ZzkeiQNxQMUPLaYUVsEp8lglorA845YIi4TAl1_Qc_VyN_9nZN3-lnTXn0xM2-5hINM7KD_/s1600-h/Road-Web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318094833052448434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybfCHgtgLkyZq5Yv4hUpbih56-9Yi8Ad4TQD0SlcpNDFNVx471SAfwOH6R3uWokIGJeVF1ZzkeiQNxQMUPLaYUVsEp8lglorA845YIi4TAl1_Qc_VyN_9nZN3-lnTXn0xM2-5hINM7KD_/s200/Road-Web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Maria & I took a last minute trip to Nor Cal this past Saturday to visit our pals Heather, Josh & Thomas in Santa Cruz. We hadn't been to Nor Cal since we took our engagement photos in Big Sur a couple of months before our wedding. The drive was fun and it was great to get away for a few days. We took our time strolling up California and arrived Saturday evening. It was great to catch up with Heather and Josh since we usually only get to see them a couple a times a year. We saw Thomas during Christmas and it's amazing that he's actually walking now. We got to see Santa Cruz and check out the Wharf and Boardwalk where they filmed the Lost Boys. Also, we ate some delicious breakfast and strolled around their downtown. </div><div> </div><div></div><div>We started our return drive on Monday morning and took our first stop at a roadside produce stand just outside of Castroville to pick up some local fruit & veggies. We continued along Highway 1 and made a lunch stop for some chowder at the wharf at Monterrey. We didn't know that restaurants compete with each other by giving chowder samples to the public. We settled on a restaurant and and both of us ordered a tasty cup of chowder and we split some delicious fish and chips. Luckily we parked far enough away so that we walked off some of the food before restarting the drive. </div><div></div><div>Our next stop was Point Lobos State reserve just outside of Carmel. This is probably one of my favorite places to visit in California. It's along the coast and there are some cool white sand beaches, trees, and tide pools. Since we had a lot of driving to do we only stayed for a couple of hours. It was great to explore the tide pools and take in the energy of the ocean. </div><br /><div>The drive continued south along Highway 1 down through Big Sur and onto San Luis Obispo. We stopped at Piedras Blancas to check out the elephant seals. they weren't very active but were sleeping and warming their bodies in the sun. </div></div></div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-58320846670310693702009-03-16T21:28:00.000-07:002009-03-16T21:46:57.614-07:00Moving forward<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZ8j83aNFKMQGYA_eWQ620TjQHoSU08d1RsRkltAHGD4wrfsKqJ1JLP1GVRreC2AnVUUm8z9eKG_tVhcY8OxrZj_lQtVHMBQqQ9HRY3JRgmMD3xRJEJ1xioPQ0rZX9dmmmy4xqy1Q1dT5/s1600-h/Kona.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314013255347769122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZ8j83aNFKMQGYA_eWQ620TjQHoSU08d1RsRkltAHGD4wrfsKqJ1JLP1GVRreC2AnVUUm8z9eKG_tVhcY8OxrZj_lQtVHMBQqQ9HRY3JRgmMD3xRJEJ1xioPQ0rZX9dmmmy4xqy1Q1dT5/s200/Kona.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I've been putting it off for a few years. This past Friday I finally decided it was time to finally to buy a new bike and put my old one to rest. My old bike is around 7 years old and was falling apart from the wear & tear. Instead of fixing it I decided to put that money to a better use---a new bike. I still haven't taken it off road so I hope to break it in on some sweet trails. It has clipless pedals so I need to either buy cycling shoes or change the pedals. I've never used cycling shoes so I'm on the fence right now. </div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-925206909421104952009-03-14T19:15:00.000-07:002009-03-16T20:49:23.672-07:00Aliso & Woods Canyon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfK7Mjt1xhbDaxx5xpDH7xvmU8tWqmxKced_QddLt8zMRzJ-sIt0U9pW20Jfmt3nfrTTb9yEv7cJh-kqm02QdNJE5H1U4NjLB5TA46Xw5WCjrMg7HJdoNBwc9jbqf7FRSH1g32u5vNkcCv/s1600-h/DSC00073.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313998509306254850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfK7Mjt1xhbDaxx5xpDH7xvmU8tWqmxKced_QddLt8zMRzJ-sIt0U9pW20Jfmt3nfrTTb9yEv7cJh-kqm02QdNJE5H1U4NjLB5TA46Xw5WCjrMg7HJdoNBwc9jbqf7FRSH1g32u5vNkcCv/s200/DSC00073.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMWFYWXISw2Z4ecizJHBUkVJyom1Y9NL8LnAcLEuRKdkNBEWsWLpSkr6bVUBOjdrJBMCBg87KL40zPEnakupGDi6RheEccSXtsZCOTmVM3YvrYVoHHEs9efRzrtuMlKSrfuezbnWYiaO_/s1600-h/DSC00069.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313998507307230274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMWFYWXISw2Z4ecizJHBUkVJyom1Y9NL8LnAcLEuRKdkNBEWsWLpSkr6bVUBOjdrJBMCBg87KL40zPEnakupGDi6RheEccSXtsZCOTmVM3YvrYVoHHEs9efRzrtuMlKSrfuezbnWYiaO_/s200/DSC00069.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRuO1M8p08N2tBClXxfz-jwRF3DYnGqJCm2NCvbZcq6dSipQBdoNzAXno314H6Rgt9ooqOWL4hE-GoixBuKlrrMmsXA5RAEM6NqsHFhbXxxvaanf3Y80SvnKEO9maRD2VpZiiAkJeW5Nk/s1600-h/14mar2009%2520002%5B2%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313998505804892354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRuO1M8p08N2tBClXxfz-jwRF3DYnGqJCm2NCvbZcq6dSipQBdoNzAXno314H6Rgt9ooqOWL4hE-GoixBuKlrrMmsXA5RAEM6NqsHFhbXxxvaanf3Y80SvnKEO9maRD2VpZiiAkJeW5Nk/s200/14mar2009%2520002%5B2%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiq_hRA2xiJmu8NArU4RTuc33hLAVCBWsotAaceiH48bCNMZiYCR3e2agXCPumHQOE1aiYa_oxwe7WcmLb0BjgfSKN5RQ1VpmlXcdURDTnsPMzVtr_7WWzbj0njyF6fYIIViRblQ1iOqF/s1600-h/14mar2009%2520001%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313998497389797794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiq_hRA2xiJmu8NArU4RTuc33hLAVCBWsotAaceiH48bCNMZiYCR3e2agXCPumHQOE1aiYa_oxwe7WcmLb0BjgfSKN5RQ1VpmlXcdURDTnsPMzVtr_7WWzbj0njyF6fYIIViRblQ1iOqF/s200/14mar2009%2520001%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>This past Saturday Maria & I met up with some friends to go for run at a nearby county park. It was our first time to this particular park and I was not disappointed. It is convenient to get to and is only around 5 miles from the house. The route was scenic and offered an escape from the surrounding developed communities. The parking lot was full and lots of local track/cross country students were running along with many groups of mountain bikers. We only ran on the main portions of the trail but we hope to be back soon to scout the rest of the park. </div></div></div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-49015704275481762992009-03-13T17:34:00.000-07:002009-03-14T19:12:23.064-07:00Skate Crew<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89lms21nVgIbbnsijY0FBUDT8rb2u1ilYBpBJYW9tefQcLP4xT-PmpvRslUAjZXhoPAHWAhBXbq-IT7vkkTEnhUsRvm1JbTEt9JaZxzVpbMsGjaeXkEN8Xy1Kh5oa2Pvb86b7e2badi3B/s1600-h/Souly.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313231509731745570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 134px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89lms21nVgIbbnsijY0FBUDT8rb2u1ilYBpBJYW9tefQcLP4xT-PmpvRslUAjZXhoPAHWAhBXbq-IT7vkkTEnhUsRvm1JbTEt9JaZxzVpbMsGjaeXkEN8Xy1Kh5oa2Pvb86b7e2badi3B/s200/Souly.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSr_X2T2KZSGAFZmSJWtMEIKq4CU9cJCDOeAVwHapCOq5QsAikctNumsg5eRQ_b2hTnAhedx-_f_130vilBUI2OcqlPmfQIrXG9vYrhf4tSUtczCgA9IIkWl2eEQ7F7bopZuOXEa5wfo08/s1600-h/Group1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313231364156502466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSr_X2T2KZSGAFZmSJWtMEIKq4CU9cJCDOeAVwHapCOq5QsAikctNumsg5eRQ_b2hTnAhedx-_f_130vilBUI2OcqlPmfQIrXG9vYrhf4tSUtczCgA9IIkWl2eEQ7F7bopZuOXEa5wfo08/s200/Group1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Last Saturday I went to the Etnies Skate Park in Lake Forest to go watch the old skate crew in action. With everyone spread out, I don't get the opportunity to watch everyone shred. Souly, Erick, Trevor, Dave and Isaac all made the drive to the park and fortunately for me it's nearby. I took my camera and snapped some photos of them in action. </div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-15910931149481828252009-03-05T20:25:00.001-08:002009-03-05T20:51:33.884-08:00AddictI am addicted. Not to drugs, alcohol, the Internet, or gambling. Instead I like going to a little sporting goods store called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">REI</span>. The other day we got our yearly dividend in the mail. The amount we spent surprised me b/c I don't remember buying any large items this past year. It's hard not to stop and "browse" the store considering it's in the same city that I work and it's kinda on my way home. Now I'm going to be more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cognisant</span> of how much I spend there.Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-85767456216127525992009-02-25T21:28:00.000-08:002009-03-05T20:22:46.862-08:00Manly<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3S_xGf9hrbilCinmszUwzo8zRotzbVULU80uXazysZaN1lPBM1HdKkZwjdApUXxEcVTq5D6fv-5XGHF68bLJOQ0xraytcdui94kJbgqoVdNX4ipfqE8aDIJbG8dK283OD0FchafHLmUI/s1600-h/DSC00049.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309925203319804274" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3S_xGf9hrbilCinmszUwzo8zRotzbVULU80uXazysZaN1lPBM1HdKkZwjdApUXxEcVTq5D6fv-5XGHF68bLJOQ0xraytcdui94kJbgqoVdNX4ipfqE8aDIJbG8dK283OD0FchafHLmUI/s200/DSC00049.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>When we moved into the house we kept the seller's gardener so we wouldn't have to buy all the tools and equipment. Two years passed and I realized that I should be saving the money and using the yard work to stay in shape. So on President's Day Maria and I went to Sears to go check out lawnmowers. Once I fired that bad boy up I remembered how felt manly you feel controlling a motorized machine to cut the grass. </div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-8442327318520818432009-02-25T21:12:00.001-08:002009-02-25T21:26:54.149-08:00Race on the Base 10K<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LhN0CJNDjxwy9WN-2whCiBK4eCHxHs-d3_ewdJ4Ffa1LiUKt-oanOtFLIIwBcSV9Wr5p_UCf4Qwr94mYRBFDMjdjlNFDrFYdrmJoaRBExH7bRr0bT6DceApH5VUOaEJCu5tlctpelaBh/s1600-h/DSC00045.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306972444872295954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LhN0CJNDjxwy9WN-2whCiBK4eCHxHs-d3_ewdJ4Ffa1LiUKt-oanOtFLIIwBcSV9Wr5p_UCf4Qwr94mYRBFDMjdjlNFDrFYdrmJoaRBExH7bRr0bT6DceApH5VUOaEJCu5tlctpelaBh/s200/DSC00045.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMTp_7LMpxbJqCBG6rTRzjg3vLYknKXwCLkl2fuNOE6HXF5Y9-griooCRdqAwJ_3huSHaDxL4iZAs6BqwJiaeGluHCr0_REi0YwXz3olpsmg1WGuhSUvqassP1C36UYEQoUtyadq3So3f/s1600-h/DSC00034.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306972437352790210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMTp_7LMpxbJqCBG6rTRzjg3vLYknKXwCLkl2fuNOE6HXF5Y9-griooCRdqAwJ_3huSHaDxL4iZAs6BqwJiaeGluHCr0_REi0YwXz3olpsmg1WGuhSUvqassP1C36UYEQoUtyadq3So3f/s200/DSC00034.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>This past Saturday Maria & I participated in a 10K run on the Los Alamitos Air Base. It's a cool run in that the course is flat and it takes place on the tarmac. This is a little deceptive in that during the entire time you're running you can see the finish line. It makes it tough because around every corner your mind starts to think that the finish line is sooo close and you start to run faster. Also, along the tarmac they have blackhawk helicopters on display which is pretty cool. </div><br /><br /><div>Not only is there a running race, but also a triathlon and skate event. The in-line skaters are pretty cool b/c they use each other to break the wind and they go pretty quickly. Luckily I don't think any of them fell on the course. </div><br /><br /><div>I ran the course somewhere around 37ish minutes. I'm still waiting for the results of the race but from what I can guesstimate I was somewhere around 37 minutes. This so far is my fastest 10k race time. I was pretty happy with myself considering the night before we were at the House of Blues in Anaheim watching the Dan Band. I did have one drink while there which is something that I don't do before a race. Maria ran in under 1 hour which was a great time for her-- she shaved off 18 minutes from the previous year. Her running has come a long way over the last few months and she's definitely put in extra effort to pick up her pace. </div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-88065668996006868112009-01-25T21:11:00.001-08:002009-01-25T21:19:59.099-08:00Good Timing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-UVs8XvTm22ERTVNVbDgkyO94SbEmL3C4XatX2bDFku3-5igJxpS6lzuPBChqXnkKSrp_Pwl0MUqIqsVpAlkP8BT6CCkABuEoXuBI4He4dYkvA6njiVPAdAlntOwkbtoUF3I6-ngROpA/s1600-h/DSC00013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295467855255901122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-UVs8XvTm22ERTVNVbDgkyO94SbEmL3C4XatX2bDFku3-5igJxpS6lzuPBChqXnkKSrp_Pwl0MUqIqsVpAlkP8BT6CCkABuEoXuBI4He4dYkvA6njiVPAdAlntOwkbtoUF3I6-ngROpA/s200/DSC00013.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZqWbaHf_Sbyp1IW5rNtlDhyphenhyphenzQwAI3l8JCTb9HwLzk1hzA6X2FgOt8sKXQMF1C2b2bQRqLvF5HeO-RRSt31-1CJa-1tzaCAezozPU8QZGu5L1lc4sgBmsY6yREtJpIMHWRT1oX12w-1mv/s1600-h/DSC00010.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div>Saturday morning I went for a morning run. I met up with a couple of guys from the running group that I recently befriended. We drove to a local running trail which is only about 15 minutes from the house. We ran for about an hour and it was perfect running conditions. The temperature was cool, the air was fresh, and the running trail was damp from the rain. We ran and we didn't get rained on the time we were out. No sooner than I got back to my car and the rain started up again. It rained on and off the rest of the day. </div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-45206006532628217172009-01-25T21:03:00.000-08:002009-01-25T21:10:54.923-08:00Hot Dog Mobile<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApRPJHgE8uUhxgRVNmclYgPQFfF23VOslAmQHO-65m_HlhZ_NzEC6kJVLFEjyYzubD3CuqrYkAKgGX2ZhDse5HHe2vlQZWTIh0FQeSQZ_4qdFAt8_XvDzaTf1-FUkMwYe1i8p7rHISZha/s1600-h/DSC00003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295464114857924210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApRPJHgE8uUhxgRVNmclYgPQFfF23VOslAmQHO-65m_HlhZ_NzEC6kJVLFEjyYzubD3CuqrYkAKgGX2ZhDse5HHe2vlQZWTIh0FQeSQZ_4qdFAt8_XvDzaTf1-FUkMwYe1i8p7rHISZha/s200/DSC00003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The other day I was driving home and I saw the Hot Dog On A Stick mobile. I'm assuming that this vehicle is similar to the IN-N-OUT catering truck, which makes hamburgers on the spot. I decided to take a photo with my phone as I was driving. It wasn't until a couple of days ago that I realized that I've never eaten at Hot Dog On A Stick. I remember sharing a lemonade with Maria a few years ago but never ordered food. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">think</span> I am going to make it a point to go to the mall during lunch to pick up a hot dog. </div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-6725733125808324102009-01-19T21:53:00.000-08:002009-01-19T22:02:56.825-08:00Obama<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oHlQUnBi3xipixJ-_TXS0amWI_IojTgek1KqRl_L-_9K-t385vT9r-aKJ-HS_pzPy0Dah-oRXxwxCRUs4w6A_qmPeOrbU5ceCaEo8RqAOsOztQM9PXXIWXda162KOOO_mKrjdn19YlEt/s1600-h/210649409%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293251761606188050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oHlQUnBi3xipixJ-_TXS0amWI_IojTgek1KqRl_L-_9K-t385vT9r-aKJ-HS_pzPy0Dah-oRXxwxCRUs4w6A_qmPeOrbU5ceCaEo8RqAOsOztQM9PXXIWXda162KOOO_mKrjdn19YlEt/s200/210649409%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Tomorrow is the inauguration of our new president---- Barack Obama. This will be a momentous day and will hopefully be the start of a more positive political and economic environment. Today when i was looking through my email I noticed an add from Buy.com. I guess there's no better way to celebrate this new chapter of history than by purchasing a plate with Barack's portrait for only $9.99. </div><br /><p>Here's the link in case you'd like to purchase one for your china cabinet: <a href="http://www.buy.com/prod/barack-obama-historic-victory-collectable-plate/q/loc/66357/210649409.html?adid=17070&dcaid=17070">http://www.buy.com/prod/barack-obama-historic-victory-collectable-plate/q/loc/66357/210649409.html?adid=17070&dcaid=17070</a></p><p> </p>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-51423932678428579922009-01-18T11:20:00.000-08:002009-01-18T20:08:18.484-08:00Starting the New YearWow, the new year already seems to be zooming by. I haven't even had a chance to write a quick note about how things are going. Since this is the first post of 2009 I just want to share some thoughts. I normally start the year of with a list of things I want to accomplish or improve for the year. Aside from spending more time with friends and family, I want to do more: running, fishing, camping, and mountain biking. I need to start playing my guitar again but first I need to buy a new tuner (it broke). Besides exercising my body I need to exercise my mind more often. I finished last year on a positive note by reading a fair amount of books. We started going to the city library which happens to have a great selection of books. I've been alternating between reading fiction books and personal growth/career development. I'm staying away from the Twilight books so please don't suggest them.<br /><br />I've been contemplating registering for a full marathon (26.2 Mi.) and even doing a triathlon (I don't swim very well). I'm hoping that by sharing this it'll help motivate me to finally sign up for some events. I'm not sure if running for 4 hours appeals to me and running that large amount of time really beats up your body. As for triathlons, I can do the running and the biking but I my swimming skills are pretty rudimentary. Swimming in open water is not something that I've done and I've heard that it's common to get kicked in the face when swimming in the pack.<br /><br /><br /><br />I think the cold bug finally got us. I was able to avoid it during the holidays but I think it's finally made it's way to our household. It's hard to avoid it when half of your coworkers are walking around coughing and sneezing all over the place. So for now I've been loading up on vitamins, drinking hot teas, and trying to get some extra sleep. I think it's really going around because I was lucky enough to get the last vitamin C bottle at Trader Joes.Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-43897712288503212262008-12-21T22:14:00.000-08:002008-12-21T22:46:45.322-08:00Weekend Wrap-up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJRY0G_vU8gOzFUhxEqj3GCSLbtE2Y1XpoCyxlkgCq6-vifZLmaW0tbmwkmPpN2K2ufdtFR-y1rnIG2bYr9q3LbDW9pppJ0H68W6mGBJr0AtFs420ggXIW0k-Xg8ZN-_P_fHxZ128IrFB/s1600-h/IMG_2773.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282499093254502786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJRY0G_vU8gOzFUhxEqj3GCSLbtE2Y1XpoCyxlkgCq6-vifZLmaW0tbmwkmPpN2K2ufdtFR-y1rnIG2bYr9q3LbDW9pppJ0H68W6mGBJr0AtFs420ggXIW0k-Xg8ZN-_P_fHxZ128IrFB/s200/IMG_2773.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLx4qQ9z-Kx5yMZ3MITrLXJvFYuZMhb-3QOAxoCRb7JzJBiapt1BbHS0CPLUEoAJq51IdF3472cISD6YviK9NA6MW-o0u2IJqSa7IJsqaj1oSBtDFTPAkXi8Sq6Oqp4AaQbu4IoGtNF67l/s1600-h/Thomas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282497472070907218" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLx4qQ9z-Kx5yMZ3MITrLXJvFYuZMhb-3QOAxoCRb7JzJBiapt1BbHS0CPLUEoAJq51IdF3472cISD6YviK9NA6MW-o0u2IJqSa7IJsqaj1oSBtDFTPAkXi8Sq6Oqp4AaQbu4IoGtNF67l/s200/Thomas.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Although we didn't do much shopping, we still had a pretty event filled weekend. On Friday we made our way up to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">LBC</span> to John and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Joes</span> Christmas cocktail party. It was a good time and we got to catch up with old friends.<br /></div><div>Saturday we finished up with some Christmas errands and made our way to Irvine Lake for some fishing. Maria was finally able to break in the rod and reel that we bought about a month ago. Erick and Norma met us at the lake and we picked up some IN-N-OUT on our way there. After a delicious lunch we all set up our fishing gear and tried our luck. Unfortunately, the fish weren't biting and I wasn't even lucky enough to catch a boot. There were some reeds in the water which we all kept getting our hooks caught on. Overall it was lots of fun but it would have been nice if someone would have left with a delicious fish. </div><br /><div>Sunday afternoon we met up with Heather who is down in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">SoCal</span> visiting. We met up at Claim Jumpers and finally got to meet baby Thomas who is such a cute kid. Thomas let Maria and I carry him and he wasn't fussy one bit. It was nice to catch up with Heather and to see how much of a caring mother she has become. BTW, I ordered the chicken pot pie and it was delicious but very filling. We also shared a red velvet cupcake for desert with a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">delicious</span> cream cheese frosting on top. </div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-83808459409894998932008-12-21T21:41:00.000-08:002008-12-21T22:47:30.468-08:00Random Find<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfGrdYMT_OxAiB9h6z8YMgO2iY1rNefaQCgYsrFQ_DxZ6DKPViUFJUHicQCG8S67yrLV_yCSq7Z0aCsHUfemcOc8rGnrXkQNU4Z2yNbZZ-jO9FPnLUWB59dcwzQKxAEFrGonsm7L-FhiK/s1600-h/sanya+richards.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282489713246912930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 154px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfGrdYMT_OxAiB9h6z8YMgO2iY1rNefaQCgYsrFQ_DxZ6DKPViUFJUHicQCG8S67yrLV_yCSq7Z0aCsHUfemcOc8rGnrXkQNU4Z2yNbZZ-jO9FPnLUWB59dcwzQKxAEFrGonsm7L-FhiK/s200/sanya+richards.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Last Saturday Maria and I went to pick up our 5k racing packets at the Chicks sporting goods store in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Tustin</span>. We grabbed our packets and t-shirt and were leaving the store when I overheard a lady tell a family that there was an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Olympian</span> at the AT&T store next door. My ear hustling sparked my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">curiosity</span> so I convinced Maria to go in the store to get a look. Olympic gold track star <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sanya</span> Richards (400 relay gold and 400 bronze) was signing autographs and taking photographs with the customers. Even better was that there was only a couple of people in line. We took a photo with her and she gave us a signed photograph. She was really nice and seemed very down to earth. Better yet Jack FM (93.1) had a table inside the store. Maria and I were able to walk away with stickers and t-shirts too. Sweet!</div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-35431547641220530652008-12-21T20:44:00.000-08:002008-12-21T21:39:57.751-08:00Make Room For Santa 5K<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdgWinpRvcs6BP5ccx4BL0Q4uKIEhyphenhyphenJIHvI_lQMS-WpiK37q0_I-tiYtlO8XMN1Lm-9EBjmpXG4BbuceCI1PZMnJtSB9kzXGAS09gubTrgS68YJM-C0b-7s1k0xxZOEYHJaB5UC2fEpsj/s1600-h/IMG_2792.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282483152940558018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdgWinpRvcs6BP5ccx4BL0Q4uKIEhyphenhyphenJIHvI_lQMS-WpiK37q0_I-tiYtlO8XMN1Lm-9EBjmpXG4BbuceCI1PZMnJtSB9kzXGAS09gubTrgS68YJM-C0b-7s1k0xxZOEYHJaB5UC2fEpsj/s200/IMG_2792.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoki_qBsS9Y-pkE-0yCR24aqgle_HqmFXJBSOXvl-za6egH7S6RKA0NXAK1uNqLWiqgxqviil9cnjRK20jOoCVgB1oo7G-_fpkEE2_y_tIACMoJQMczp4im2k3N6VN5dbUsaT9WFhtJGT7/s1600-h/3115607609_7f8a55f84d[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282482261659299618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoki_qBsS9Y-pkE-0yCR24aqgle_HqmFXJBSOXvl-za6egH7S6RKA0NXAK1uNqLWiqgxqviil9cnjRK20jOoCVgB1oo7G-_fpkEE2_y_tIACMoJQMczp4im2k3N6VN5dbUsaT9WFhtJGT7/s200/3115607609_7f8a55f84d%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJBb799JoMJURjW9qsfZfPxul5Nc_RrdyHg6R76iXgxb53VApCV0DrEi5dIO3aO_sTCrzgwRgB5Xf-7a9T6O2hImuUnC3BNH3cQpItnDOBd5SSFQbUNRJO7r5HZfjgju5fgn1clboTsuR/s1600-h/3115567777_47052b8d35[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282480881973244082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJBb799JoMJURjW9qsfZfPxul5Nc_RrdyHg6R76iXgxb53VApCV0DrEi5dIO3aO_sTCrzgwRgB5Xf-7a9T6O2hImuUnC3BNH3cQpItnDOBd5SSFQbUNRJO7r5HZfjgju5fgn1clboTsuR/s200/3115567777_47052b8d35%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>On December 12, we participated in a local 5k run. The run was in Irvine and the course was made up of public streets and bike trails. It was a very brisk morning with bright morning sunshine. I wasn't <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">particularly</span> in the running spirit both because of the temperature and I had a couple of beers the night before. I ran the course in <strong>23:44</strong> which wasn't necessarily an outstanding time. I grabbed my complimentary sports drink and snacks and headed to the side lines to wait for Maria to finish. This event encourages runners to dress up like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">santas</span>, elves, and the like. I was surprised to see a group dressed up like the manger scene (see photo). Maria ran in at<strong> 33:22</strong> which was a great time considering she hadn't been consistenly running. Later that night I decided to check the race results--little did I know that I actually placed 3rd in my age group (30-34). The top 3 finishers in each division were awarded a pint glass with the run emblem. Maria was nice enough to pick it up for me during the week. This is the first time that I've actually won anything. </div></div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-72541168402271376512008-12-09T22:30:00.000-08:002008-12-21T20:41:47.371-08:00Beware of Your SurroundingsOn one of our last trips to Costco we were stopped at the intersection waiting for the light to change. I was driving the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Suby</span> and Maria was with me in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">passenger</span> seat. Since it was a decent day we were cruising with the windows down.<br />While waiting we begun to hear this strange music and stranger singing. Maria and I looked at each other perplexed and we quickly noticed the music was coming from the vehicle to our right. The girl/lady had her windows rolled down and was belting along with her favorite song (woman singer with heavy duty guitar rifts). I try not to be critical of people but it was truly some awful singing that sounded like a cross between opera with some E<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mo</span> edginess mixed in. Maria, who was eating an apple at the time nearly choked and started coughing. I on the other hand started laughing out loud and had to cover my mouth so she wouldn't hear me. Maria and I were both trying hard not to laugh so we had to look straight ahead and ignore her.<br />The poor girl obviously had no clue we heard her terrible singing. The light finally turned green and I was sooo embarrassed for her that I had to switch lanes so we wouldn't have to drive next to her. <br />I am often guilty of rocking out to my favorite songs while driving. But when this happens I am usually alone with my windows rolled all the way up.Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-52388945477705675572008-12-09T22:19:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:29:45.972-08:00Running<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKluvteI7GnCpouA9VVEsTnLG-mZKtCOUqWfuT17PlSdH95tGzv8rFLBTj3OKoQfjDffD1VLcMJz-Y6KScPy0Vh0xRAcDTcQQQ0pT0fms8QnmRI_N4nB8jsrn1R_20wA4PhbwUeaJDIEc/s1600-h/IMG_2665.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278044220188216354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKluvteI7GnCpouA9VVEsTnLG-mZKtCOUqWfuT17PlSdH95tGzv8rFLBTj3OKoQfjDffD1VLcMJz-Y6KScPy0Vh0xRAcDTcQQQ0pT0fms8QnmRI_N4nB8jsrn1R_20wA4PhbwUeaJDIEc/s200/IMG_2665.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>A week ago I participated in a 10K Turkey Trot at Bonelli Park (San Dimas). This was probably the toughest 10K run that I’ve run. The course was probably 75 % paved walkways and 25% trails. It had rained a few days prior to the event so the trail portions were pretty muddy. The course started on a hill and that was the sign that this was going to be a hilly course. There were several hills along the course and they sucked the life out of me. I still ran a decent time but I definitely coasted in to the finish line. It was a fun event but I was disappointed that they ran out of event t-shirts. It was a long sleeve t-shirt with the picture of a turkey--- it would have become my new Thanksgiving shirt. So to make up for no t-shirt I made sure to drink plenty of water, Clif Bar snacks, and took some extra energy drinks home with me.</div><br /><div><br />We will be doing our last race of the year on Sunday. We’ve been doing some moderate amount of running so I think we’ll be okay for the 5k. We did this event last year and it was pretty fun. This year they’re going to include a Christmas ornament in the goody bag-- pretty cool. </div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-67428520827322311292008-12-09T22:11:00.000-08:002008-12-09T22:18:24.992-08:00Holiday TransitionIs it me or did we just stuff our mouths with Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all the trimmings. It always amazes me just how quickly it goes from Thanksgiving to Christmas. So fast, that it feels as though there is not enough time to rest and recover before it’s time to take out the Christmas decorations and start the shopping. I finally hung Christmas lights this year and I have to say that they don’t look too bad. Now our house looks like we finally have some Christmas spirit.<br /><br />So far I’ve been good at work and I’ve been able to fight off the urge to eat the Holiday junk food. I normally gain around 10 pounds during the holidays but so far I’m still the same weight. The season is still young so I’ll probably have to indulge in a few delicious holiday treats, especially once Maria starts her baking.<br /><br />These last few days have been pretty cold (for Californians) and it now feels like winter.Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-65863949308009390792008-11-11T14:28:00.001-08:002008-11-11T14:35:51.812-08:00Veterans DayI have the day off while Maria is slaving away at the office. One perk of working for the City is that we get every holiday off (minus Columbus Day). It is strange to be sitting home on a Tuesday but someone has to do it.<br /><br />I'm doing my part to help honor the memory of those who have served in our military. I have been watching The History Channel and The Military Channel since around 11 am. There have been some pretty good shows especially Shootout on The History Channel.<br /><br />In all seriousness I do appreciate those who help keep our country safe. For 8 years my pops served in the Army and during those years we spent lots of time on military bases. It's a tough life with lots of hazards and challenges.Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-89075031287066142702008-11-09T20:04:00.000-08:002008-11-09T21:24:21.187-08:00Trail RunningSince we moved a couple of years ago I've haven't bothered to look for some nearby off-road running trails. So on Friday I did a yahoo search to locate local trail runs and I came across the website for a local running club. Sunday mornings they have a standing run at one of the Irvine trails. So this morning I showed up to see what this group was about. Unfortunately there weren't too many members b/c the day before they had a longer trail run. So Tom and I did a few laps around the trail loop which lasted less than an hour. Little did I know that he was going to take a photo of me to add it to their website. Check it out: <a href="http://www.octrailrunners.org/news.html">http://www.octrailrunners.org/news.html</a><br /><br />I guess this means that I'm now a member.Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-35120966703091195382008-11-09T19:27:00.000-08:002008-11-09T21:26:03.249-08:001st Week Back<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRezCFymj_vt5BdZ0DCJnSgE10c64IJSyPKrCRSD-JWsnbmILsddt8RgeY9vnv5OGCwGPAer0epJiP4GXXQJqHtUlhvP_UIG5NA2N0e2F7qPE0XjfLwkDHLKQVK6-MJSyu3iQ9jKYayLG/s1600-h/IMG_2551.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266893924216408530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRezCFymj_vt5BdZ0DCJnSgE10c64IJSyPKrCRSD-JWsnbmILsddt8RgeY9vnv5OGCwGPAer0epJiP4GXXQJqHtUlhvP_UIG5NA2N0e2F7qPE0XjfLwkDHLKQVK6-MJSyu3iQ9jKYayLG/s200/IMG_2551.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDJgbzPivl-4NB9TW1Z5Qn740gRN1FxQVfvM-tZPimxgGSJWQ6AaSOYqJBQf26ief_00vRtX44kzDEyfksHHYHM2o-RVZISwlDjHe-9gIPlB1NRgYB3iVQmhsLc17ofLGXDeYT9hGlHQt/s1600-h/IMG_2478.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266893917751559042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDJgbzPivl-4NB9TW1Z5Qn740gRN1FxQVfvM-tZPimxgGSJWQ6AaSOYqJBQf26ief_00vRtX44kzDEyfksHHYHM2o-RVZISwlDjHe-9gIPlB1NRgYB3iVQmhsLc17ofLGXDeYT9hGlHQt/s200/IMG_2478.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>This is the end of my first week back after being out of town most of October. Although it was a short work week for me, it was a tough transition back to the working world. On my first morning back I even blanked out on my morning routine and what time I had to be at work. Here's a quick summary of our time away.<br /></div><br /><div>First, we were in Hotlanta for a professional conference. ATL is an interesting urban city with a southern hospitality twist. There wasn't too much to do within the downtown area but we did manage to see some of the sites: Coke World, CNN building, The Olympic Park, and the ATL Aquarium. Our hotel was within walking distance of these attractions and on the first day I toured the city by myself as Maria had some meetings she had to attend. It rained on me and unfortunately I didn't have an umbrella or rain jacket. So as I was walking back to the hotel from the CNN building I was escorted by a local homeless man who was so kind as to put his umbrella over me. With a little hesitation I let him escort me the four blocks to the hotel. As we walked he asked me questions about where I was from and if I was religious. Little did I know that he was a religious homeless person that walked around with a mini-bible in his back pocket. As we were within a few feet of the hotel I thought I heard him mutter, "will you pay me," with which I replied that I would give him a couple of dollars. He then corrected me and asked again, "<em><span style="color:#990000;">will you pray for me</span>?</em>" At that point I was a little stunned and I told him that I would gladly say a couple of words for him the next time I prayed. Instead he insisted that I pray for him at that very second, standing on the sidewalk, and right in front of the hotel lobby. With some hesitation I finally agreed to pray for him and then he proceeded to bow his head. I said a few words for him as cars passed us along the street. Let's just say it was a very interesting moment of my life.<br /></div><div>For our vacation we headed to the Motherland (Mexico) to visit our families. It had been several years that both Maria and I had gone to visit. We first arrived in Guadalajara and from there we were able to visit my side of the family that lives in Leon and Lagos De Moreno. Although, most of our time was spent catching up with our aunts, uncles and cousins, we did manage to do some tourist activities. We were able to make it to historic Guanajuato with it's colonial charm, visit some museums and government buildings in Guadalajara, watch a lucha libre show (Mexican wrestling) and some round pyramids outside of Guadalajara. I did manage to hog down on some delicious Mexican sweets, pastries and cuisine. As with most hospitable Mexican families, most relatives prepared special meals to welcome us to their homes. In addition, we were able to eat some delicious street food such as tacos, tortas, churros and potato chips with hot sauce. Luckily I didn't gain 20 pounds while I was away. </div><br /><div>Now that we're back it's time to catch up with work and start looking forward to the Holidays. Our next focus is to focus on my favorite holiday of the year--- Thanksgiving. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-6284840461581016092008-09-28T20:29:00.000-07:002008-09-28T20:43:37.663-07:00Marc & Joo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCne-zeaXAFyLTZcDj5kCIwjXoEBhL3dnliX9SSY0_3-bS3x9SpNJLoj-TDwmTBRhdu3IyIresF0jG5BULVVj-wdqUihAUCSy74ulbgDwNLKt1XkvorixWeuZT8vAml6kIlD2iv-DSyKm/s1600-h/IMG_2135.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251283801204398674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCne-zeaXAFyLTZcDj5kCIwjXoEBhL3dnliX9SSY0_3-bS3x9SpNJLoj-TDwmTBRhdu3IyIresF0jG5BULVVj-wdqUihAUCSy74ulbgDwNLKt1XkvorixWeuZT8vAml6kIlD2iv-DSyKm/s200/IMG_2135.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5K1V0QE9jGPCG77fFRU8Kla_BnHgyNwdap7zTTF6dYSMvhPoQGX3nIBkww8S6TuxkJKiM4OmXkNcbARn2Kuz8X-BzcQXjjFlsA5720QkPRMdZE_SAKMTfxRx0C34JvJzPxeIMK6GPCKZj/s1600-h/IMG_2155.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div>This past Saturday we were fortunate to help celebrate Marc and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Joo's</span> wedding day. They had a long engagement and had several tentative wedding dates that were pushed back and the big day finally came to fruition. I'm glad they finally tied the knot and are now a complete family. Marc's father was the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">officiant</span> of the ceremony and Marc and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Joo</span> were excited to be husband and wife. We followed up with drinks, food and dancing. Not only did we dance the typical wedding songs but we got down and dirty with some gangsta rap. Ryan also showed us his moves and why he's the king of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">crunk</span>. </div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-54165701484811136112008-09-16T21:49:00.001-07:002008-09-16T21:59:36.761-07:00Run AmericaI am following an attempt by known ultramarathoners Charlie Engle and Marshall Ulrich as they try to run across the continental U.S. The plan is to complete this run accross the U.S. in 45 days. In order to make this timeline they will need to run 70 miles a day. The duo started running this past Saturday and their progress can be tracked at: <a href="http://www.runningamerica08.com/">http://www.runningamerica08.com/</a>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-43489860121278110412008-09-14T17:55:00.000-07:002008-09-14T18:25:15.401-07:00Season Premieres<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeDECNyvFXAucmccXY-uEM2LAClBcMyZUisTPffb0BVxHzZ7z4sYVz_klMv-SPyVt_nzlHZwRTSgIo_DeTZFOWosc1Q1QktP8QmTVpMAZXykn1KaPlH68DHqHoe_ytAdraIR3OiT_p7vJ/s1600-h/mpTheOfficeCast%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246051497183411618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeDECNyvFXAucmccXY-uEM2LAClBcMyZUisTPffb0BVxHzZ7z4sYVz_klMv-SPyVt_nzlHZwRTSgIo_DeTZFOWosc1Q1QktP8QmTVpMAZXykn1KaPlH68DHqHoe_ytAdraIR3OiT_p7vJ/s200/mpTheOfficeCast%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Only one more week until the season premieres of my favorite shows. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Although</span> there are several shows that I watch I am most excited about How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and 30 Rock. </div><br /><div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150928329601842679.post-41564178094288085462008-09-01T18:47:00.001-07:002008-09-01T22:03:52.429-07:00Disneyland Half Marathon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8t-b0w5jZRaot1EB7xagGaIuZKgQtiZw9J8gC8Rz3XYMJM_BFzSpM-3h9yFeF4Sq-adQsqAd-OMod-esD5BEEmrT5VpibzRIy__hiGGWDTIkJc1M-gOKJpgnUszJRVQKzjOwR5hs-3ik/s1600-h/IMG_1949.JPG"></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVmFR08TW_ufjaKsRXL9ZoOSjRsa6N6kWRAhZ6L6eSLhkzgwhOy4hKC8EuMZLPfKdtjvRoHW06M4HUf2dyW_fr0FWHt18sX7xrwmBOHhxC2ATUobQ0DnSoHnuRl0RavOZ6vymfgUxIzWu/s1600-h/IMG_1949.JPG"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWR77i8ToiR1EjdEJ60zfIMxdz_4P1hbmKuGZ7_FfZ3IpAvGHz5jypi0pe42b-AY74HuUng2r8mhxxIJESV7FMGGp2g5beuTtNZngi-vXcXK9oUCEs_G25zC0HUwz9X28QXwfbYKFP6Fd/s1600-h/IMG_1949.JPG"></a><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7NWzmw-X8gwZa_mrqbpnLyBMCIGueuBlalVB-LAf7jB6gQT9Zogc3XLBYfteBTU3Tk1nk1rEWD6Xrvh06PQJRqZtaVnkgi1LJofSNThLoZ-550X7WaLLpBQD5wuoWlQqI6SsdTqf4TRj/s1600-h/IMG_1954.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241279931548918530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7NWzmw-X8gwZa_mrqbpnLyBMCIGueuBlalVB-LAf7jB6gQT9Zogc3XLBYfteBTU3Tk1nk1rEWD6Xrvh06PQJRqZtaVnkgi1LJofSNThLoZ-550X7WaLLpBQD5wuoWlQqI6SsdTqf4TRj/s200/IMG_1954.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Yesterday I ran in the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon. It was one of the more elaborate races we participated in this year. The race begun at 6 am so it meant waking up at 4 am and leaving the house by 4:45. The drive to get to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Disneyland</span> took 20 minutes but it took us even longer to park. By the time we parked and made our way to the starting line it was 10 minutes till the race start. </div><br /><div>The starting gates were a mess and was packed with people like a cattle drive. I squeezed my way into the middle of my assigned starting corral which was the the first wave of runners. Once the MC announced race start lasers and flames erupted above the starting line. The first stretch of the race was on the street and quickly turned back towards <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Disneyland</span>. The path then cut through a parking lot and into Disneyland. The park was closed but Disney cast members lined the course. Various <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Disney</span> characters were strategically placed along the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">course</span> and racers were able to stop and take photos with them. Some of their parade floats were stationed with characters such as Ariel. Also, the different employees such as concession vendors, firemen and cooks cheered all the racers along. Although I am not a big fan of the Disney, it was good to be inside the park outside of operating hours. </div><br /><div>The next leg of the race took the runners back onto several miles of Anaheim City streets and over to Angels Stadium. This section of the race had high school marching bands, hula dancers, mariachis, and cheerleaders <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">invigorating</span> all the participants. My favorite section of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">the</span> run was the Angels stadium leg of the race. Although the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">course</span> did not go through the Stadium this part of the race was lined with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Brownies that were cheering at <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">the</span> top of their lungs. The kids put their hand out for high fives and looked offended when they went <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">un</span>-slapped. They cheered as though each person was an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Olympic</span> runner. Their energy was definately <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">transfered</span> onto the runners. </div><br /><div>From the stadium leg of the race continued back onto the streets to Disneyland. The course went near the freeway and into Disneyland for the final stretch. The last leg was through Downtown Disney where it funneled into the finish line. My time: 1:51:31. </div><br /><div>Afterwards I grabbed my free food and headed over the spectator area to wait for Maria. They had a big screen <span style="color:#ffff00;">TV </span>set up with a live feed of the finish line. While I was waiting and watching the screen I noticed a guy walk by. He was wearing a white running shirt and he had 2 blood streaks on his chest. The streaks were at lease 3 inches long and started from his nipples downwards. He had chaffed nipples-- ouch! Also, from on the big screen you could see people collapsing as they crossed the finish line and being carted away in wheel chairs. Not a fun sight. I'm not sure if I'll do it again because of the high entry fee and the large crowds. It was a fun race and a great way to see Disneyland up close.<br /><br /></div></div><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120400539294428057noreply@blogger.com3