Lets Post our Daily Exercise

Ruth - I notice that all of you are safely OUT of the water!

Scottie - love your avatar of the pandas. Are those the baby twin pandas that were born in Atlanta a few years ago? I love our little DC panda, Bao Bao - I think she was born right around the same time as your panda twins.

Ginger - I took a spill on a bike earlier this year - I was going up one of the handicapped access curb cuts and caught an edge wrong. This was in DC with lots of people around - I was impressed by the passersby - several of them rushed over to make sure I was OK. I really appreciated that. And yep, I scraped up my leg and elbow pretty badly!

Queencatmom - good for you! Don't overdo, but it's great to keep moving. My surgeon highly encouraged walking after all my surgeries.

Super photo Ruth, thanks Wonderland and liked your blowing sideways beach photo, go Jazzy, and welcome everyone new!

Freestyle step at the gym this morning and lots of housework to get stuck into or continue procrastination.

Logging in after having to reboot my internet connection. Tomorrow is the Big Day!!!

Bussed it into Seattle last night and picked up my packet. So glad that Group Health is doing a text-and-share crowd sourcing funding of Major Taylor, a project that gives inner city kids bicycles. Some of them do this ride. A good thing, and what my guy was doing last year when I met him.

The funniest was that the street was closed for a bicycle wash-and-lube, so like a street fair when I entered REI (the local sports toy store for adults). Then hoofed it to the wine bar. No trinkets this year though, but I think that Major Taylor is far more important than another water bottle, especially since I don't exactly have a shortage of them.

I still need to pump up my tires, and less a chain lube might be a nice touch. But first, a full day of work.

By this time tomorrow, I should be at the first rest stop!!!! Fortunately, a cool-down into the 70s just in time. YAY!!! - Claire

NatsFan. . .yes that is a photograph I took of the Mei-hem twins. I photograph our pandas every chance I get. Sadly, the will likely be separated soon. They are 2 years and the staff told ne that they will eventually not want to be together.

Scottie

Totally bummed. . .Monday morning I tripped and fell on sidewalk coming into work. Silver dollar size nasty wound on knee was not healing so they sent me to doc today. Nothing broken, but it's going to take at least another week to heal. Tomorrow's mountain hike canceled and going to have to take it easy for a few days. Was really trying to pump it up for two more weeks before exchange. Guess I'll be walking slow instead.

Measly 1.3 miles today (3,000 steps).

Scottie

Hi ladies!

45 min PT working core, shoulders, and scar tissue

1.5 mile hike uphill

4 mile jog..

hi all, great day for an early-morning walk.

Scottie, I had a quarter-sized "knee-knocker" souvenir bruise from the steep metal stairs on the USS Midway so know how that hurts. Can also relate to bike-related injuries, let's just say I gave up on toe-clips early. Feel better and heal fast my friends!

Claire, good luck today!

My SIL sent this *funny* so thought I'd share. ♥

The Ocean ALL you Need to Know!!

Children Writing About the Ocean.

1) - This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles. (Kelly, age 6)

2) - Oysters' balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)

3) - If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island. If you don't have ocean all around you, you are incontinent. (Mike, age 7)

4) - Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend any more. (Kylie, age 6)

5) - My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs. (Millie, age 6)

6) - When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn't blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans. (William, age 7)

7) - Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really? (Helen, age 6)

8) - I'm not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can't think what to write. (Amy, age 6)

9) - Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves in to chargers. (Christopher, age 7)

10) - When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6)

11) - The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don't drown I don't know. (Bobby, age 6)

12) - My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn't know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (James, age 7)

Welcome home, katcar. I hope you had a fabulous time.

Badger, those made me laugh out loud. Out of the mouths of babes.

Ruth, nice beach picture. I would have a hard time staying out of the water too, but I'd probably just sit at the edge and let the waves hit me this year!

Ginger and Scottie, I don't know what is in the atmosphere causing all this clumsiness. I had fallen down the stairs that Monday and already had a big bruise on my outer thigh and then 5 days later I fell off the bike. Now Ginger has had two turns. Watch out Scottie. Stay on the sofa!

I rested this week because my skinned knee got so sore. It was painful to bend so I decided not to even walk for a few days. Today is the first day it feels a little better so I went for a 35 minute walk and mowed for 40 minutes.

Welcome home, katcar! Would love to hear about your trip.

Badger: Too funny! I liked #9.

Sending quick healing vibes to everyone injured.

Fast walked/ran this evening.

I finally had a chance to read back through a few postings. I am sorry for you ladies who had falls or accidents! Cuidado, as we say in Mexico. Badger, the kids' sayings about the ocean were all hilarious. Thanks for giving me a laugh this evening.

Wonderland, the trip was one of the most memorable, and of course, I did it partly because of getting through surgery and recovery. My art teacher in Florence was excellent--I learned a lot. It didn't hurt that he looked like Ashton Kutcher. Oh, and the male models were pretty hunky too. No wonder it was so hot while I was there!

The highlight, however, was meeting up with my boyfriend in Croatia. We hung out in Istria, which is incredibly beautiful and peaceful. It's like Tuscany without all the tourists. We stayed at our friend's house in Vrsar--a pristine, charming village on the sea. And then we took day trips on the motorcycle up to fabulous old villages and fortresses in the hills. I want to go back! Here are a couple of pics:

Walked on the beach and swam in the pool before we left the ocean yesterday. Going for a walk in the woods in a couple minutes. Tomorrow we are meeting up with Wonderland for lunch. Fun, fun and more fun!

Badger, hilarious comments on the ocean. Katcar, gorgeous place. Istria is on my bucket list.

Went for a 45K bike ride with the hubby. I had visions of skinned knees from recent falls here so purposely slowed down.

Welcome, Annie, I like my fitbit. It let's me know when I need to get moving to make my goal of at least 10,000 steps daily. I am a teacher and when I get busy during the school year I find this is a good reminder.

Catcar-great pictures. It looks beautiful.

Ruth-glad you stayed safe from sharks; have fun with wonderland.

Heidihill- glad you learned from our mistakes and were careful.

Today was my first time running since early April when my hip bursitis kicked in. My PT told me to slow jog/walk some intervals and see how it felt. I did ok. Ran 2 min/walked 3 min for 5 intervals. Hip was sore but ok. Stretched and iced after. Tonight, it is pretty painful. Grrr...on a positive note, my quad strain did not bother me at all.

Lots of upper body this weekend at the cabin wielding the loppers to fight back against the encroaching underbrush, tree branches, etc. My biceps and shoulders are sore, but it's a good sore. Sunday did C25K Week 6, Day 2 in a local park doing a few rounds of the one mile fitness loop trail. It was early in the morning and no one was out, so I saw plenty of wildlife, including 6 bunnies, 4 of which were half-grown babies, and 2 groundhogs - an adult and the cutest little small one you ever saw! Started a new app this morning for my non-running days. It's called "From 0 to 100 Squats in 10 Weeks" and is done by the same app as my C25K app. I used to be able to do a bunch of squats, but got out of the habit, and want to get back in it. A few months ago I tried doing some after a long layoff, but I did too many right at the beginning and strained a muscle inside my quad, leaving me really sore for a few weeks. I figure this app will help me build back up at a sensible pace so I don't overdo again.

Katcar - beautiful pix. Ruth - know you'll have a fun day with Wonderland! Everyone take care!

Beautiful day outside today. Walked 3.5 miles! Maybe later I will go for a ride on my bike.

Katcar- your pictures are beautiful. It looks like you had a great vacation!

Jazzygirl- Cuba sounds like a fun trip. You will have to post pictures when you travel there