Where has Carrie been?

I've been off losing my mind. I've started training for my first triathlon--400 yard swim, 11 mile bike ride, 3 mile run! At first I thought I was insane but now that I've done a couple weeks of work outs, I'm feeling pretty good about it. There are several of us who are working out together, and that makes it so much better. Here's a picture from our bike ride last week. I have a long way to go, but I'm off to a good start.

Leave a comment and let me know if you think I'm crazy or not. :-)

Photoshop Effect

I discovered a filter on Picnik called "Orton-ish". I'm really liking it. It adds a depth and softness to images. I first tried it on this photo that I took of my friend's daughter...

Before:
After:
(I also PhotoShopped out the tree...it was really bugging me.)

Pretty cool, huh? I liked that so much that googled "orton" to see if there was a way to do this same effect in PhotoShop. Here's my attempt...


Before:
After:It doesn't work for every image, but it looks fantastic when it does work. Another fun tool for the toolbox.

Southern Style Chicken Sandwich

So I have to admit that we drove through Mickey D's for lunch today (come on, you know you do this too every once in a while). All the way there I'm convincing myself that I'm going to get one of their salads and not put on too much dressing so it will be somewhat healthy. Then as I'm sitting at the drive-through, I see this picture of their new "southern style chicken sandwich". I'm looking at it and I notice the pickles and the bun and I think, "no way...that's a Chick-fil-a sandwich!" I'm staring in disbelieve. I grew up in Texas and have lived in northern California for almost 20 years, and I still love and miss Chick-fil-a sandwiches. As far as I know, we don't have a Chick-fil-a within many hours of where I live. That's probably a good thing considering how much I love it. My Texas family and friends know that when I go to Texas, one of my first priorities is to get to the nearest Chick-fil-a for a Chick-fil-a sandwich with extra pickles and a lemonade (their lemonade is made fresh in the store with real lemons).

So there go my "healthy" salad plans, because now I have to try this new sandwich just to see if it tastes anything like the real thing. Well, it's not exactly the same, but it is amazingly close. so close that I wonder how they can do this without getting sued. They even have a breakfast version that comes on a buttermilk biscuit, just like Chick-fil-a. I am in so much trouble!

I googled this new sandwich and it looks like it's been making the rounds in different parts of the country for over a year. Not sure why it's just getting here now. Leave a comment if you've seen this sandwich in your neck of the woods and let me know what you think of it. I'd always choose Chick-fil-a over McDonald's, but when you don't have a Chick-fil-a, it's not a bad alternative.

Hiking Around the Lake

We met our good friends Darren and Amy and their dog Kirby for a hike around a small lake at Tilden Park. It was sunny, but cold, in the low 50's. The cold didn't stop us from having a great day. Kirby went swimming and Josh hiked like a trooper (except for tripping over big rocks a couple times). Amy takes beautiful landscape photos and has a great eye and natural talent. She gave me some great tips as we walked around the lake and looked at different things. Thanks Amy!

The lake was beautiful, with lots of redwood and eucalyptus trees, rocks to climb, and lazy swimming ducks. The sunlight played happily with the shadows, and graciously warmed us in spite of the chilly breeze.


If you want to see more pictures from the afternoon, go to http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8CZtWblo1bsrQ

Bocce Ball

We had a much-needed mom's night out at this fun bocce ball/restaurant place. It was a really nice night. We played bocce ball inside this tuscan-looking restaurant and then went out to the patio for some dessert. It was a chilly night but they had an outdoor fireplace (for ambience) and gas heaters (for warmth). Good conversation, good friends, good food--need I say more?

Is it just me, or does anyone else think Melissa is just a tad bit competitive?

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This is what I had for dessert. Flourless chocolate torte... Yes, it was as good as it looks and, no, you can't have any.

Capitola Beach

When weather.com says it will be in the upper 70's at the beach around here, we go to the beach! Such was the case on Friday. It did not disappoint. We had pizza from Pizza My Heart for lunch. I highly recommend it. So good, but it's a challenge to keep the sand from sticking to the cheese!

It was our friends' daughter's first time to the beach and she was so cute
toddling up to everyone around us. Those aren't freckles on her face, it's sand! Isn't she adorable?

Spring Break in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is one of my favorite places. During spring break we spent a day with friends playing at the Boardwalk and then at the beach. The Boardwalk is an amusement park right on the beach. What could be more perfect? The weather was sunny and warm. The giant corn dogs and fried artichokes were yummy, but my belly ached until the next day. All part of the experience.