Monday, July 20, 2009
The Near Decapitation
If there is a doggie heaven, Jen and I think that Hagar and Reggie were it in yesterday. We took the kids for a walk around 7p, just as the weather was cooling off and there was a nice ocean breeze. We hiked down toward Windan’sea, away from the crowds and toward the beach access further north. Unfortunately the tide was too high to access the beach from Jen’s usual spot so we hiked down to the Sea Lane entrance. There were a few beachgoers and surfers, as well as a fisherman. However, we had plenty of room to let the dogs off-leash, where they had a ton of fun playing in the water.
Reggie and Hagar were having a blast playing and they hung out with a couple of new friends, including Oliver, a very cute golden retriever that lives just up from the beach on our walk home. Oliver’s parents brought a whiffle ball and bat, which were both huge hits with the dogs. After plenty of playtime and much practice with swimming in the waves – an area in which Reggie has significantly improved as she managed to swim through several of them yesterday – we began our walk back home. We ran into Oliver and his family on the way. Oliver has a nice iron wrought fence in front of his house. Being a golden retriever, and weighing less than 140 pounds, he can easily manage to stick his head through the fence. Hagar, however, is a bit larger and that’s where we ran into problems…
Hagar stuck his head through the fence to visit with Oliver and family. No sooner than this happened did it get very quiet because Hagar’s head immediately got stuck in the fence and he started to panic. Lucky for him, Jen and Oliver’s family managed to stay calm. After about 30 seconds they managed to un-wedge his head without decapitating him, which would have been heartbreaking for all involved. As we walked back home, Jen and I recounted stories we’d heard about dogs getting into things they shouldn’t with horrific outcomes. All involved are glad Hagar escaped that fence with only a little struggle (and his head in tact). Reggie would be heart broken without her boyfriend.
The Best Soccer Pitch Ever
Point Loma Nazarene has one of the best soccer fields I’ve ever played on and unquestionably the best rec soccer pitch I’ve ever seen. Even as our team struggles with mediocrity, having squandered several quality scoring opportunities and given up a PK goal to lose 1-0 in last week’s game, I take joy in stepping onto the pitch and looking at the ocean over Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. We face a much tougher opponent this week and will need to bring our “A game” to stay competitive. The team has already started recruiting girls to replace our numerous injured female players. I hate to admit it, but it was difficult for me to do a hard workout after last week’s game. My quad was incredibly sore after our game last week and it made running a big challenge. Hopefully the body is slowly getting back into soccer shape and the soreness won’t be as bad this week. More to come…
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Comeback
I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy to tie as a soccer game as I was this Wednesday. Our StepStone team (plus friends and family) came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie 3-3 in the last 15 minutes of the game. The scoring fiesta was kicked off by a Scott Hart diving header which could have made SportsCenter’s Top 10 if it would’ve been in an MLS game. It was picturesque – something I haven’t seen live in a couple of years. The second goal was also strong (but not quite Top 10 material). Our comeback was almost thwarted when the ref called a crap PK. However, Kristin Hamlin came up with an unbelievable save to keep our hopes alive. The last goal, well, it was about as ugly as it gets – Tyler crossed the ball in, we had all overrun it and the other team scored on themselves just after the ref called out, “One minute!” When the ball went in, the cheering from our fans was nearly as loud as a World Cup game. It was amazing and made this old lady feel good about being on a soccer pitch again.
In addition to the comeback on the field, I was able to connect with my high school friend and teammate Amy Cabaday (now Cabaday-Pavis) who I recently found out is living in San Diego with her husband and two kids. Scott’s wife Katie was kind enough to bring orange slices and Gatorade to the game, so it was truly flashback to high school. It was awesome. Top it off with the fact that the field and surroundings at Point Loma Nazarene above Sunset Cliffs Natural Park are unbelievably beautiful, and we have ourselves an amazing soccer league. Thank you Scott for organizing!
In addition to the comeback on the field, I was able to connect with my high school friend and teammate Amy Cabaday (now Cabaday-Pavis) who I recently found out is living in San Diego with her husband and two kids. Scott’s wife Katie was kind enough to bring orange slices and Gatorade to the game, so it was truly flashback to high school. It was awesome. Top it off with the fact that the field and surroundings at Point Loma Nazarene above Sunset Cliffs Natural Park are unbelievably beautiful, and we have ourselves an amazing soccer league. Thank you Scott for organizing!
Surfing Update: There is Hope
Three days in a row of surfing. I was initially trying to figure out a way to get out there today so I didn’t have to break my streak but don’t want to ditch the evening Victor spin class. Contrary to my experience with LJSC’s 6:00a Monday morning spin instructor, Victor’s class is amazing. His energy is palpable and he calls people out for slacking during class. It’s great.
Back to the surfing update…while I’m not Kelly Slater yet, I am now consistently standing up on my board. Although the rides are short, I’ve made progress which has given me a little confidence (which I think will go a long way). I invested in a couple of new pieces of surfing gear – a 2/2 short suit, which is much less painful to put on than the 4/3 full wetsuit – and a 0.5mm jacket. My arms feel so much better paddling out in the short suit and it is a lot less restrictive. The water’s back up to 64-66 degrees so once you get in and move around, the temperature is perfect.
My goal is to be able to catch a few waves and ride them for longer than three seconds by StepStone’s party at LJ Shores in August. Only a few more weeks left to get it done, but I’m feeling pretty good about my chances.
Back to the surfing update…while I’m not Kelly Slater yet, I am now consistently standing up on my board. Although the rides are short, I’ve made progress which has given me a little confidence (which I think will go a long way). I invested in a couple of new pieces of surfing gear – a 2/2 short suit, which is much less painful to put on than the 4/3 full wetsuit – and a 0.5mm jacket. My arms feel so much better paddling out in the short suit and it is a lot less restrictive. The water’s back up to 64-66 degrees so once you get in and move around, the temperature is perfect.
My goal is to be able to catch a few waves and ride them for longer than three seconds by StepStone’s party at LJ Shores in August. Only a few more weeks left to get it done, but I’m feeling pretty good about my chances.
Hooray for Summer
May Grey and June Gloom have lifted. After several months of not seeing the sun until 2p, this weekend was fabulous – sunny and hot. Hot for San Diego is in the mid-80s, which, during a run, can feel like 90. I made the mistake of sleeping in a bit on Sunday and then heading out for a run. When you’re used to 65, 85 is a bit much and I cut the run way short. I told myself I’m going to get a 10-miler in sometime during the week this week. We’ll see how that goes.
In addition to running, over the weekend there were two days of surfing, Reggie catching up with her buddy Bella, laying out at Windan’Sea beach (which was crazy busy) and the Sunday evening hang out with Hagar and Jen. She loves Hagar and he is so good with her, despite her frequently jumping on his head and acting like a crazy dog. There was apparently a dead squid down at Windan’Sea, as I heard several people call out, “Ew, gross, look at that dead squid!” That didn’t stop several guys from throwing it back and forth at each other, which they then complained made their hands smell horrible (which I’m sure was surprising because why wouldn’t throwing around a dead animal make your hands smell like anything but roses).
All in all, it was a great weekend and I’m glad that summer is finally here.
In addition to running, over the weekend there were two days of surfing, Reggie catching up with her buddy Bella, laying out at Windan’Sea beach (which was crazy busy) and the Sunday evening hang out with Hagar and Jen. She loves Hagar and he is so good with her, despite her frequently jumping on his head and acting like a crazy dog. There was apparently a dead squid down at Windan’Sea, as I heard several people call out, “Ew, gross, look at that dead squid!” That didn’t stop several guys from throwing it back and forth at each other, which they then complained made their hands smell horrible (which I’m sure was surprising because why wouldn’t throwing around a dead animal make your hands smell like anything but roses).
All in all, it was a great weekend and I’m glad that summer is finally here.
Reggie Will Never Be A Mom
Little Reggie’s spaying is complete and she has recovered nicely. It was quite sad for the seven day “leash-only walk” period. Since it was Hagar’s birthday on day number six, I cheated a bit and let her play with Hagar, Sage, Snouffie, Siena, and the other dogs at his birthday celebration. I don’t think it had an adverse affect on her. Surprisingly, she’s done a great job of leaving her wound alone and we go back to the vet Tuesday afternoon to get the stitches removed.
When I dropped her off, I felt a bit of panic. My little girl going under the knife. This must be a little of what parents experience when they are worried about their kids. In order to cope, I went shopping at the outlet malls – the Trestles surf outlet in San Clemente and the Carlsbad outlets. My grief helped to prop up the struggling economy. I got really lucky and Banana Republic was having a random “40% off” everything in the store sale. So I didn’t feel as guilty about spending money because I was able to get nice work clothes for more than half off (because I also used my 15% birthday gift card).
By the time I made it back to Windan’Sea, Reg was done with surgery and groggy. Although she was out of it for the rest of the day, by the next morning she was back to normal. Not too bad and now she is all healed up. Whew!
When I dropped her off, I felt a bit of panic. My little girl going under the knife. This must be a little of what parents experience when they are worried about their kids. In order to cope, I went shopping at the outlet malls – the Trestles surf outlet in San Clemente and the Carlsbad outlets. My grief helped to prop up the struggling economy. I got really lucky and Banana Republic was having a random “40% off” everything in the store sale. So I didn’t feel as guilty about spending money because I was able to get nice work clothes for more than half off (because I also used my 15% birthday gift card).
By the time I made it back to Windan’Sea, Reg was done with surgery and groggy. Although she was out of it for the rest of the day, by the next morning she was back to normal. Not too bad and now she is all healed up. Whew!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)