April Fools

Spring (break) is here! My garden is sprouting and my students are growing in confidence. Life is good.

I had a whirlwind trip to the Bay Area, traveling by Amtrak. I learned that it is necessary to remove pedals when checking your bicycle and turning handlebars is also a must. Two tools are required for the job: an allen wrench and an open end wrench. I brought neither. Luckily the attendants at LA Union Station and Emeryville came to my aid. Also, Amtrak no longer suggests removing the front tire since the forks have been found to penetrate cardboard bike boxes.  The cost for this service is $15 for the box and $10 for the handling.  A waiver must be signed in case the bicycle is damaged.  The weight limit is 50 lbs. It is also necessary to arrive plenty early, this trip I budgeted 2 hours which was quite comfortable.  http://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard

Coast Starlight 11

It was well worth taking the bike, we rode Sunday morning up Twin Peaks (6 miles). We also did 2 city walks (total 6 miles).  We also hiked White's Hill which offered stunning views of the bay and the mountain bike trail called Repack.  I must return for that.  As for Spring Break, I am planning to take in as many Zumba classes as I can.  Considering new footwear.  My shoes are breaking down with 66.4 mi of logged activity and countless amounts of teaching, dancing, running, walking, and hiking.

Girls' Grade School Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoes

I bought these Nike shoes for the Color Run Saturday, February 2, 2013 so they're only a year old but when I dance in them, it feels like my pinky toes are going to slide right off the edge of the shoe.  I try to keep a pair of dedicated running shoes, but I use the old ones for teaching.  The current dedicated shoes are Brooks Ghost, purchased in preparation for my trip to Death Valley this year.  They only have 20.6 mi of logged activity so far but I hope to get more use out of them in the next week and coming months.

Asics Gel DS Trainer 15

These Asics are also totally broken down with 53.1 mi of logged activity. The heels are all shredded on the inside.  Both of these shoes have a hole where my big toe hits the top of the mesh part.  I am sad to say that my favorite running shoes of all time (Nike Zoom Nucleus MC+) are also pretty broken down, but I still wear them with 289.1 mi of logged activity.  Again it seems like my pinky toes are about to bust through the sides of the shoes.

We've registered for the Corona del Mar Scenic 5k (June 7, 2014) as well as a crazy activity called 5k Foam Fest (July 19, 2014).  The only obstacle I'm worried about is the Electrified Mud Crawl.  I've said in the past that people who do these extreme 5k events must be crazy, but here I am, prepared to wade through it.  I'll be 34 years old by then, so for whatever that's worth, it will be a new way to celebrate my birthmonth.

To close this post, I'm glad none of my students played an April Fools prank on me.  The day passed without much drama.  I especially enjoyed this article from the Highlander.  And also a new show on Netflix called Rotisserie Chicken.  In all seriousness, I've been watching SNL best of the 2010s for comedic relief and it's been a great way to break up the tension of the semester.  Especially loved "The Californians" episode with Christina Applegate.  Funny things help keep a spring in my step, even when wearing old shoes.