Yosemite

 Gary and I had a fantastically fun time visiting and staying in Yosemite. It was breathtaking, clean, cool and just wonderfully relaxing as well.

 

  We headed out early Sunday morning from Bakersfield (since we stayed there the night before) and went on our way. It was about a 4-5 hour drive, with only a couple of stops. We took the route through Yosemite National Park itself which slowed us down a bit because there was a delay at the toll booth, but it was definitely a scenic route!

This is on our way to our campground, behind our "friends" (because we followed them for so long)

 

    We did eventually pull over and lose our "friends" because I wanted to take a few pictures at a stop.

     We also stopped at an adorable town named Oakhurst. It was beautiful. Like Devonn and Carla said, it was a city which appeared out of nowhere. It had everything from shopping to beautiful homes.

 We arrived at our camp around 4-5pm and set ourselves up for the night. We ended up choosing a lake-side location in the member's-only area. It was nice being next to a lake because it made it more convenient to go fishing.

 

 Sorry, the picture's a little fuzzy, but this was the lake area behind our camp. Fish were jumping everywhere but I literally had the worst luck ever in the fishing department. Ah, well.

Our first campfire on our first night

 Being able to have an open fire was definitely a benefit to the whole thing.

 Early the next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed from a QUIET night's sleep. The birds (especially the crows) are very quick to wake you up early. But we slept so well. Anyway, I took the picture above of our camp location. The cabins behind us are cabins you can rent. Those are the one bedrooms, but there are bigger bedroom cabins in other locations (the lake is behind me).  We had our tent and our "indoor" gazebo thingy.

     After hot showers, we decided to visit the family lodge and play a little pool.

 It was a cute but large 2-story cabin-looking lodge. It had cable TV, a library, indoor sport activities, a fireplace, a piano, lots of puzzles, etc. We played pool and attempted a puzzle another day.

 Above is the balcony view from the family lodge. There was also a beautiful bridge with flowing water.

     We also spent a good time fishing. My luck wasn't all that great. After an hour, a 7-year old kid comes up with with father, casts his bait, and five minutes later I hear, "Got one! Okay, let's go clean this one. Are we done for the night?" Sure enough, he walks off with a huge trout to the fish cleaning station and wishes me luck. Thanks, kid. I didn't catch one fish the entire trip. Everyone else around me did. I even bought the recommended bait and at one point got INTO the water to fish by the cove (which seemed to be the most successful way to catch). I got several bites but nothing else. I was probably too impatient though. I kept reeling in and re-casting  to better spots. I should have waited longer. Ah, well. Gary said he's kind of glad I didn't catch anything because he wasn't up to gutting and cleaning a fish.

     That evening for dinner, we enjoyed juicy steak kabobs grilled over the fire pit. YUM! We also enjoyed hot chocolate.

      On Tuesday, it was laundry day. There's a laundromat there so we washed all of our clothes to prepare for the next few days camping. We also visited a small town away from our camp (about 20 miles) named Groveland. Technically our campground was in Groveland, but still. It had small little shops and other fun little things. It had that old western town feel.

 Wednesday, we headed to a city about 45 miles from town named Sonora. Driving to Sonora was definitely a scenic route. There were acres and acres of golden fields and much land for sale as well. It definitely got me thinking about moving there! They had major shopping stores like Walmart, Vons (Safeway), and movie theaters and everything. We decided while we were there to go ahead and check out part 2 of the Harry Potter movie (Deathly Hallows). It wasn't bad either. We also did a little light shopping before heading back to camp. Sonora, in Tuolumne county, was also part of the huge Don Pedro lake.

  Thursday was when we decided to head to Yosemite National Park and spend the day there. We headed to a few nice locations, one of them being Glacier Point where we were able to overlook everything. It was absolutely beautiful.

 On our way back to the car, we came across a brave little soul who decided to come right up to us and start eating. He glanced up at us and just kept eating. We were surprised he didn't run off when people started quietly and cautiously taking pictures.

 We then had a picnic near a ghost town in a beautiful meadow.

 I know, I didn't get many pictures of Gary and I which I should have. I just had too much fun with scenic pictures.

 Anyway, Friday morning we headed back to Bakersfield where we stayed for dinner then headed home. It was nice to sleep in our own bed!

I definitely had a wonderful time spending the whole week with my favorite person ever. Definitely does good to a marriage! I just love that man.

Then, Saturday morning, we were able to finally go and pick up our new gun. It's a Kimber 1911 Custom II. .45 ACP.

 For some reason, Blogger is being idiotic and will not accept the picture rotated. I have no idea why, but it has been rotated. Ah, well. There it is.

K, that's all!

Fitness Blog

 Yes, I'm crazy blog lady. I rarely update my food blog (actually have a few things to add today) and my lady blog I update occasionally. But, I decided to add to the mix. I hesitated at first, not sure if I wanted everyone to see my chubby self, but I know it will help motivate me. I'm even a little embarrassed about the weight thing, but it's okay. I'm working on it.

Back to Shape

Be sure to start at the beginning!

Quick but Awesome Updates

 I am looking forward to Yosemite! It will be a blast to enjoy an entire week of nature and beauty. I will definitely take many walks, practice my yoga, and fully enjoy everything around me.

 The other day, I opened our tiny freezer only to throw my hands up to prevent falling ice objects. This happens frequently. I stacked everything back in, put my hands on my hips, and sighed a bit. Gary then asked if I was interested in a new freezer. Um, yes! So, we went to Sears and purchased a separate freezer which we are currently keeping outside on our deck.

 

 Definitely gets the job done!

 And in other, definitely awesome news, Gary has been working on an amazing project- for XBOX! He recently became a video game developer for the company and is creating a new video game as we speak for the 360. I'm definitely excited for him! No, he didn't leave his job or anything, this is something he's been working hard over on the side. He had a pretty creative idea for a video game, and now he has the opportunity to bring it to life. There's also a website/blog in progress to publish his work under and when it's more established, we'll post it up. It will be published under BigScaryMonster Games and we'll give more info on that later as well. But until then, that's the update!

Health, Shoes, and Other Things

      I can't believe how fast summer is flying by. Just a couple more months and we'll be entering fall. I love summer, but I can't help but feel a tad excitement for the fall season. However, I still need to enjoy summer while it lasts!

      Anyway, I believe I'm starting to (what the heck is my cat doing??) to build that exercise tolerance I've been looking for. Pardon me, but my cat is acting very very hyper and strange right now. But back to the topic. I've been working out like a crazy lady, but man I feel good. I'm doing an hour of cardio in the morning followed by strength training either shortly after or afternoon, and ending with about 40 mins of  yoga before bed since it helps me sleep. I'm really beginning to feel a love for yoga. It's so relaxing and feels amazing. I could swear when I get in bed at night I can feel the blood flowing through my spine and neck. It brings a nice peace and nothing can disrupt it. I fall asleep quickly and sleep wonderfully through the night.

         I've been consistent with my exercise everyday and have been for quite awhile now. Normally I do it for a short period of time then give up. But for some reason, I just keep going and going, watching the fat and pounds melt off. Gary's noticed my energy levels have soared up and my confidence better than ever. I don't know what got me going, but I love it.

       I discovered on Hulu a set of exercise videos from Self Magazine. So, I tried them about a week ago and am addicted. I'm working out about 2 hours each day. Seems like a lot, but when it's broken down it's not all that bad. I am burning a lot of calories, though. There are videos that focus on strength training, cardio, toning, and even some dancing videos. I am having so much fun with them. One of them is an excellent yoga video and it's the one I follow each night.

My favorite workout. High intense cardio.

      I still don't forget about the outside world, though. Which brings me to my next topic: shoes. I discovered the bad idea of buying running shoes to wear besides for running. I bought some nice Saucony running shoes online and later discovered it wasn't a very smart plan. They were comfortable, don't get me wrong, but running shoes only last a certain amount of miles and eventually break down and become uncomfortable. I was wearing them to work and everywhere I went and eventually they did break down. So, I went looking for new shoes; and ones I could use for hiking when we camp. I decided to stop by Payless since they were having a 70% off sale. I normally don't find good shoes there for my specific feet, but I got lucky this time.

    Champion came out with a new line of fitness shoes. Okay, so apparently they came out with the line a year ago, but still, I had just discovered this. There is the Stride, which uses "Air Traverse Technology" to create a cushion of air at the heel and forefoot for added comfort and support. You know the toning shoes from Sketchers which cost a lot? These are similar and on sale for $20, plus with a $3 coupon I had, I saved a lot of money (they are originally $30). There are also Pace Rocker Bottom shoes for walking and have excellent support, and a comfortable sandal as well. I tried on both the Pace and Stride, and went with the Stride. The Pace had super support on my heels, but I felt they were too comfy and wouldn't give me the lift and bounce I needed while working out.

   With the Stride shoes, they are so lightweight and the bottoms of the shoes have cushioning to not only absorb the shock of walking, but they are purposely unstable so you're forced to tone up your legs and butt. They are SO comfortable though. Because of the shape of my feet, a lot of weight is placed on my heels and after a long day on my feet, this is what hurts the most. But with these shoes, the shock is so balanced out I don't feel any pressure anywhere while walking. It's like I'm not even wearing shoes. When I woke up this morning and saw the 63 degree weather, I took advantage and went for a beautiful walk/jog to test. I felt all bouncy and had absolutely zero pain in my feet. And yes, I did manage to jog for a while (even along a busy road for all to see). I felt fantastic. My walk/jog was an hour long and I was surprised at how great I felt. Of course it was kind of funny when I took off my shoes and was able to walk on the ground because I had stability again, but still. I am happy with my choice of shoes. No Plantar Fasciitis pain either!

     Anyway, that was that! Sorry for the long post about my health and exercise. I just feel so good I had to share. I'm almost 50 lbs down from the start!

     Not much else to update. It's been in the lower 80's so far with summer (some 90's), but it's been good. Today it's a bit cooler and will only get up to the high 70's. It even smells like rain. We're having a "cool wave" or something- but no complaints here! And just because I said that, we'll probably get a heat wave and hotter weather for once this summer soon (*knock on wood*).

     I hope everyone has a great week!
    

Fourth of July Weekend

 Gary and I both had a very interesting, but mostly fun fourth of July weekend. I worked Friday night, but we spent most of Saturday relaxing. I woke up early, went for my walk, and we went maybe a few places, but nothing more.

 I did buy myself a new digital camera though since I couldn't find the charger to my original. I ordered one on Amazon, but it came as a dud, so they sent me a second one; which again came as a dud. Gary then told me just to buy a new one anyway. So I did. Of course, when I came home, I used the PSP charger and whattya know- it charged my other camera. Oh, well. So now I have 2. That evening, we went to a Japanese restaurant called Kabuki where we had sushi and miso soup. I wasn't sure why I chose Salmon rolls for our specialty sushi since I'm not a fan of salmon, but I did so anyway. It was raw salmon and I really wasn't sure I liked it (not to mention the caviar wasn't helping). But we did enjoy the tuna and scallop rolls. The restaurant is in the Bridgeport marketplace and on the lake.

Sunday morning arrived and we headed off to church. We had a very full and nice fast and testimony meeting (it felt like most of the ward bore their testimony and we went over-but whatever). After primary, we decided last minute to head to Bakersfield to surprise everyone and go to the Shafter High free fireworks show. So, I drove us Bakersfield where we were able to visit family. The fireworks show was definitely nice. It was WARM in Bakersfield, but luckily it cooled off by the time the sun went down. Anyway, here are some pics.

James

Cute little Lexi with the fan blowing her hair.

Us

 

 

 We had a lot of fun. After the show, we both headed out and drove back home where we crashed.

 The next morning, I awoke early, got into my workout clothes, and began my walk. However, as I walked toward my car, I noticed something really different about it. As I got closer, I began to see the shifted bumper and cosmetic damage to it. I hurriedly made my way toward there, hoping to see a note, but there wasn't a thing. I called the front office to let them know, then proceeded to call the sheriff's department as well. They sent a deputy out.

 From what the deputy saw as he glanced around at the skid marks,  the guy who hit me was probably intoxicated. He pulled into the empty space next to my car, slammed his brakes for some reason, and began backing up. He bumped into my car and instead of stopping and going forward, he continued gunning the gas pedal, pushing my car aside and therefore causing the damage. Idiot. Since we were able to pop the bumper back in, the deputy recommended I get a couple of estimates on the damage before contacting insurance or filing a police report. So, I'll have to do that this week.

 Later that evening, as I was back out at my car, a neighbor came up to me and told me he saw what had happened. It was about 12:30am, and he said the man driving the minivan was a young kid who had been drinking. He explained exactly what the deputy had guessed, but he also hit a couple of other cars on the way out. Unfortunately, all the guy could do was give me a description of the kid and the van and didn't make it on time to take a photo when he ran to get his camera (and it was dark).  Stupid kid. There's a young man who lives a couple of units down who always has tons of friends over and I ran into them all last night. A big part of me suspected one of them is the criminal, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Now I kind of wish I would have asked if any of them knew somebody who drives a Toyota Sienna and maybe mentioned I have a plate number. Ah, well. Coward kid. Mom and dad I'm sure raised him better than that. I don't understand people who hit-and-run. Grow a pair, be a man, and fess up. There are too many people in this world who run away from their problems like little girls. Heck, little girls probably have more guts to fess up than these scumbags. Sadly I've even dated men like that. Thank goodness I married Gary.

Anyway, that's that. The criminal did leave behind a part of his bumper, so I brought it inside. I looked up the part number, and for sure it's from a Toyota Sienna.

Moving on. When we heard loud popping sounds last night, I went out where the residents were gathered around watching the Town Center fireworks show. Many families and friends were gathered on their balconies and others were sitting on their cars or in the parking lot. I went to the end of our hallway (since our balcony faces the opposite way) and watched the super big finale. The cats were under the bed.

So, that was my interesting weekend. Time to get things done today!