A Good Start...

To the 3-Day-er...

A lazy start, kind of slow with activity sprinkled throughout kind of holiday weekend.

I finished up my Friday at Peavine where I hiked a couple of miles, before getting comfy at a certain Aristream for a bit. The next morning, I was woken up by Rich on the phone, who decided to meet me out at Peavine again. We went a little late in the morning for a hike, and were both a bit hot and worn out by the end...I swear, I was amazed at how far away the trail head was...

and when I looked again,

it seemed to still be as far away.

Rich was carrying his back pack with all his climbing gear in it...so, I didn't feel quite right asking him to carry me...

We did eventually make it to the end (I sighted this gopher snake earlier...it was a big one!)

And, I ran over to the Airstream to use it as a dressing room before meeting Ms. Dina at the mall for some pumpkin spice coffee (is it officially fall if Starbucks has that flavor?) we also enjoyed a pedicure and some lunch. We haven't seen each other in about 3 weeks, so it was lovely to play a little catch up...

while vibrating.

Dang...the chairs they have you sit in at the pedi. place are quite serious. You can get them to knead and pummel you within an inch of your life. Dina kept saying, "just relax into the chair"

Relax into it?

The hydraulics on this thing lifted me so far off of the back of the chair, I couldn't even rest my head against the head rest...it kind of just hung there in space...and when the chair started their vibrating cycle, we both had to hold our hands over our chests lest something important jiggle out of our outfits. I mean, at one point during the painting on of the little rhinestone flower on Dina's big toe, her guy had to reach over and stop the wild bucking of the chair. Dina kept saying that she was so relaxed, she was not going to be able to walk after she was done...

I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to walk due to spinal injury brought on by the chair and chafing by the salt rub applied to my feet and lower legs.

Our toes did look wonderful though...

Then it was back here for the witnessing of a freak rain storm...it was perfectly sunny out, and it started to pour rain. I'm still not exactly sure where it came from, but it was a lovely cool down...making me snuggle up in bed and put 2 movies on the MacBook. Nothing like movies in bed.





I peeled my butt up to run a small errand and found myself at JoAnn's with a 40% off coupon. Where I treated myself to the paper pack in the scrapbooking section called

Once Upon a Time

I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with all this paper...but, I have been coveting this since I saw it quite a few months ago.





Right now, I'm just opening it up and stroking the romantic and beautifully glittery paper. Right now I just giggle while I look at it...in that girlie kind of romantic way, my eyes misting up.

Sigh.

You could be asking me how could paper move me so? or...Why is this girl such a sap?

(Then again, the moment I took that picture, the cat planted her dainty butt right on top of the paper...why? Why do cats do such weird things? Perhaps she's hoping I'll share...fat chance)

I decided that I would do my full 8 miles early on Sunday, and woke up...bound out of bed with great hopes and high energy. That lasted for the first 4 miles, then I got a bit staggery. My footsies hurt and I started to feel sore in various places (like the tushie and hips...oh, I started doing 200 stomach crunches a day too...you know, while I'm watching TV?)

Well, I got a large blister on my heel.

A really big one...as in,

How am I going to hike Sycamore Canyon tomorrow?

I have decided to spare you the pictures of my heel...and ran out to get some New Skin to paint over it so that I can safely hike. I've never used New Skin, so it will be an interesting experience.

I also stopped by Manzanita Outfitters to procure a new bladder/hydration system for my day pack. I have had my North Face one for years, and it peeves me every time I try to drink out of it...mostly it's air interspersed with drops of water...which is fine if one is scuba diving...but, not if one is hiking in dry hot AZ. So, I decided to go with the Camelback one...when I looked at the price. I know they have lifetime guarantees, but they are a little pricey. So, while I was pondering the idea of getting one, I decided to glance...

just glance...

at their display. Where I happened to find a gray and pink pack...for a little more than just the bladder itself. It was a little larger than the one I already have, something I've been wanting. So, I got it.

dang.
I need a supervisor to shop with me.

Can I say that it's especially made for a woman's body? And, it has a pocket that has a bunch of organizer space for your stuff? Oh, and a place to thread your headphones through? Can someone remind me of this when my MC bill comes? (Specially because I happened to look at all the Chaco's and decided that I should probably get myself a pair that fits better...and that might, might mind you, match the back pack?)

So, now I have a new backpack for my hiking tomorrow...and it's got pink on it,

you know...
so, everyone will know I'm a girl...
(just in case the lovely painted toenails don't do it)

Yay me!

(PS...Rozzie is blogging again, you have to go check out her knitted Hoo family!
The girl is good...)