Bay to Breakers 2006

I survived Bay to Breakers! For those who don't know what Bay to Breakers is, it's a 7.46 mile (12k) run/walk that starts at one end of San Francisco and cuts across the city and ends at the beach. It's pretty much the biggest street party in San Francisco. People run in different states of dress (some in costumes) and undress (naked with just a bright green hat and running shoes).

I had so much fun doing it this year. A friend of mine and her husband ran (ok, more like walked) it with me. We had such a blast and pictures to prove it! At the starting line, there were beach balls and tortillas flying all over the place. It was impossible not to get hit by either one. While running/walking, we saw the four emus, the running Elvises, a celtic priest, nuns, the Flintsones, smurfs, spawning salmon, Mona Lisa/Da Vinci code, the Storm Troopers from Star Wars, Noah's Ark, a Wells Fargo semi trailer being pushed up on Hayes Street, beer kegs in shopping carts being pushed along the race course and lots and lots of naked people. In the beginning, we were on the look out for naked people. After a while, we just got so desensitized and didn't really care. Although, everytime we were behind a naked person, we would run and try to overtake them. We just didn't feel like looking at their butts the entire time.

Last time I ran/walked Bay to Breakers was in 2000. I also ran it with a friend of mine. I clocked at 2:45. I broke my record this year. I clocked at 2:24. Not that I had any intention of running the entire time but B2B is actually quite impossible to run. I saw on the news today that there were approximately 62,000 people who participated in today's footrace.

What's next? I'm probably going to run the 5k run/walk event during the San Francisco Marathon in July. At least this way, I would be motivated enough to actually train for the Disneyland Half Marathon in September.

Mandatory Turning Older Blog

*** This blog is a few days late. I needed to experience being a year older for a few days before actually drawing any conclusions. ;) ***

Over the years, on my birthday, there is always at least 1 person asking me how it feels to be a year older. My standard answer has always been, I feel the same as I did yesterday. It makes me wonder if I am supposed to be feeling something different once the clock strikes 12 o'clock on the day of my birthday. Truth is, I really don't feel any different when I was a year younger. Seriously, I don't really feel like I am getting older -- well, except physically -- the aches, the pain, and other things that come with age are starting to announce their presence. A day, a month or a year probably wouldn't make me feel any different. However, ask me about how I am feeling now compared to how I felt 10 years ago and I would definitely be able to tell you the difference.

Ten years ago around this time, I was fresh out of school. Wide eyed, idealistic, ever so optimistic and ready to conquer the world and nothing could get in the way of all my dreams and aspirations. I felt like I was super woman. I jaywalked across busy streets filled with crazy drivers trying to avoid running me over. I went mountain climbing and even climbing slippery waterfalls. I wasn't afraid of anything. Lyrics from a song called I'm not afraid of anything written by Jason Robert Brown (Songs for a New world Soundtrack), nicely describes how I felt 10 years ago.

I'm not afraid of anything
Be it mountains, water, dragons, dark or sky
I'm not afraid of anything
Tell me where's the challenge if you never try
So watch me fly
I'm not afraid

Now, I'm just contented to let the world pass me by. I have gone further than I could ever have imagined 10 years ago. I have never thought I could be where I am right now and living the kind of life I live. Over the years, I've become more of a skeptic -- more of a I'll believe it when I see it type of person. I'm practical and a pragmatist. I have come to the realization that some of my dreams are and will remain as dreams and do not apply to the real world. Am I disappointed that not all my dreams are turning into reality? Nah... The odds are still pretty much in my favor. :)

Nope, I have not started counting backwards. :P

Da Vinci Code Quest on Google

I've been playing the Da Vinci Code Quest on Google for several weeks. It finally ended today and I'm actually quite pleased with my performance. I did manage to finish all 24 puzzles. Today was the deadline and I finished mine yesterday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm included in the first 10,000 participants who finished all 24 puzzles. They're sending out a replica of the cryptex to the first 10,000 participants and I really want one! Too bad, I won't know until Monday if I am in the first 10,000 participants.

Solving problems is a strength of mine however, I pretty much suck at solving puzzles. I'm actually amazed at how well I did on this quest. Well, you know what they say, Google knows everything and Google is my friend. :)

Only in Dallas

It's been almost a week since I came back home from Dallas. I have several pictures on my Treo that I felt I should post in here. I know, I know, it's a phone, takes crappy pictures but I have it with me all the time so I can just whip it out and snap away.

Anyways, here are a few pictures that I took in Dallas on my Treo.

Dallas Galleria Mall. There are malls everywhere in Dallas. It's a shopping utopia and at the same time purgatory for my credit card.




Reunion Center Ball (ok, maybe I'm making the name up). Anyways, I went up on the ball's observation deck.




Dallas skyline. I took this from the Reunion Center observation deck.






This is from Fogo de Chao. Look closely and you'll see the ribs turning round and round getting cooked. I've never eaten so much meat in my life!



Ummmm... They made it sound like ordering something from a fast food restaurant. I wonder if someone ever goes in and orders condoms "for here".