Fit Fridays: San Diego Part 3

Hola from San Diego!  It has been hot here this week (in California terms).  Im not complaining, trust me.  I feel so lucky to be missing the humid east coast weather.  This sunny, low to mid 80's weather has been ideal for workouts, cookouts, and layouts [at the beach].  That pretty much sums up my week.

In addition to that, we have been playing an exorbitant amounts of Hand and Foot  [card game].  Mi suegra can't get enough of it.  She is quite competitive and asks us to play nightly by saying "tienes miedo?"  (are you scared?)

I am speaking español everyday by the way.  This alone makes me a happy girl.  What is my obsession with Spanish you ask?  I love the language.  Speaking Spanish fluently is the one of the only goals I can think of in my life that hasn't been forgotten or modified.   That has to mean something.  Your true passions will stick with you throughout your life, right?  

I hear new words or phrases all the time and laugh at myself when I mess up verb tenses that I should know after 15 years of studying.  (ok, truth be told,  Ernesto is really the one who laughs at me, I   kick myself...come on dumb a$$, 15 years and you still don't know that?)  The fact that I can talk to people now without having to translate into English [in my head first] is a BIG deal for me.  Still,  I am constantly making mental notes.  Riiiiiiiight. That is how you say it!  I will have it together one day.  I swear.  If it's the last thing I ever doooooooooooo.


Ok.  On to Fit Fridays!  A good week as far as I'm concerned.


Saturday: Hike Mount Miguel (3 hours round trip)
Sunday: Crossfit: 20 seconds of squats, rest 10 seconds. 20 seconds of push ups, rest 10 seconds. 10 rounds each exercise
Monday: walk 5 miles (round trip) to Performance Bike Shop  (replace flat tires)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3 mile hike Oak Canyon Trail at Missions Hills Regional Park (1 hour)
Thursday:  rest
Friday: 6 mile hike to summit of S. Fortuna Mountain  Missions Hills Regional Park (3 hours)

Mad Men and Delta Sweepstakes

I am in LOVE with the show Mad Men !  For those of you who are out of the loop, (and trust me, you want to get in)  Mad Men premieres it's 4th season on AMC  July 25.

Set in a NY ad agency in the late 50's-early 60's, you will fall in love with the style of the cast.  I love how they make  all of the smoking and drinking [in the office] look attractive.  You may not like the chauvinistic ways of years past, but I love it.  It makes me appreciate all the changes women have gone through.

Delta Airlines, one of my other loves,  is partnering with Mad Men and holding the Mad Men Jet Set Sweepstakes.

Win a Jet Set vacation to either New York or Los Angeles,  that is Mad Men worthy.  A paid vacation Mad Men style? But of course!

Needless to say, I have entered myself and Neto too in hopes of winning. You can too! (It only takes one minute)

Take a look at a few of the beautiful/hot characters and tell me you are not interested.  Start buy renting/downloading season one and catchup.  You'll be hooked. Guaranteed.

Oh, Don Draper.  The man I love to hate. (Hate is such a strong word. Let me just say that I would not want him for my husband, but I love him.)  Director of advertising, this man is in charge. HOT.

Joan Halloway, inspiration for all curvy women.  

Also, the office diva and manager.  Owns the stares of all men.

Betty Draper, the good/not so good housewife.  You will want everything she has, except perhaps that cigarette. 

Here, another pic of Betty.  Mad Men hair is the inspiration for my long hair.  Now I just need to learn how to DO these styles myself.

Peggy, the first girl to be promoted from secretary in the office. (very big deal)

Roger, head of the agency. HOT.  Drink in hand. Always.

Fit Fridays: San Diego Part 2

Kind of a slow week out here in San Diego.  I thought for sure that the "June gloom" would be over now that we are into July, but as it turned out we had a several more overcast days this week.  UGH! Come on SD, this is my vacation! How about some fun in the sun!?

On Monday,  Ernesto ate some chivo malo,  and had a good dose of food poisoning.  He was out for a couple days, and when he is sick, I might as well be too.  We camped out at the Espinoza Inn and ate delicious Caldo de Pollo that Neto's mama made for her little Netito.

Other than relax and make a new necklace, I was not very productive.
I only got in 3 workouts too.  Bad girl! I will do better next week.

Saturday:  hike Mt. Miguel (3 hours)

Sunday:  rest

Monday: walk 1 hour on the bay [con mi suegra]

Tuesday: rest   (ernesto sick from bad goat stew)

Wednesday: rest   (sick)

Thursday: bike 4 miles, run 3.5 miles, Crossfit: 10 sets of: 10 dips, 10 box jumps

Friday: rest 

Sell Some, Buy Some

Right before I left Atlanta, I sold these Zafiro pieces.  

 Due to my sales,  I could justify spending.  Sell a little, buy a little.  This has been my unemployed way of thinking and it works out well.   Last weekend, I saw that  Gem Faire was in San Diego.  That is where I saw my wedding ring  back in March and blew the budget out of the water. ha!  I saw Dennis and Cathy Johnson again of Blue Gem Trading Co.  and told them how happy I am with my ring.  In addition to southwest jewelry they sell  a lot of antique and estate jewelry.  A unique ring in their booth jumped out at me.  I would love to wear this vintage Tiffany & Co. ring.

There is something about bright gold, this one is 18k.  I have always loved Lapis, not to mention the 14 diamonds on the sides and twisted gold lines.  Ok, didn't buy.  Back to things I do need.

Gold chain.  I needed gold chain.  I had a budget of what I could spend at the show and adhered to it fairly closely.   But, as the saying goes, "you have to spend money to make money."

I needed more chain, and unfortunately, money doesn't go too far with gold.  I bought 70 feet of chain and 1oz of 26 gauge gold wire.  Even though I didn't NEED any more gemstones, it is so hard to resist the hundreds of vendors with beautiful stones everywhere you look.  I did want more labradorite for a specific necklace Im working on.  It is one of my favorite stones and I couldn't pick just one strand so I bought 3:  briolettes, tiny onion cut and marquis cut.  I splurged last minute on the lapis lazuli briolettes.  Look at the rich blue color, isn't it beautiful?  Im going to pair them with a lot of gold and make sure the design screams middle east/exotic- a tribute to the gorgeous ring I didn't buy! 

I started this chalcedony necklace the other day, so I added the new labradorite and I love how it is coming along.  It is 18" long and has beautiful iridescence and sparkle.  Plus all the richness of gold.  Why do I love gold so much?  LOVE.

Here I used the marquis cut labradorite with brilliant blue apatite briolettes on gold [again]. 

These two necklaces look so good paired together.  I will be trying to get all of my pieces pictured and up on my website soon.  Busy busy.  

To aid in accomplishing my goals this summer, my niece Kelli and I are going to start reporting our weekly goals to each other (which will eventually get to the blog I imagine) It's all about accountability!  (Im trying to pump myself up here)  I am also going to be setting big goals for the xmas lights this season.  Its going to be the BEST. YEAR. EVER. 

Happy 4th of July!

More great cards from someecards

I hope everyone is enjoying your long holiday weekend!  We were planning to ride our bikes to Coronado this morning for the parade (like we did last year) and came to find out it was yesterday!?  

July 3? Hello? Oh well.

Espinoza cookout today at 4p with fireworks to follow.  I will be making the most delicious potato salad ever  to complete the "American style cookout."  (So they say "American"...Maybe hot dogs and hamburgers, but I know they will sneak in some Mexican food too)

Ill post more about the weekend later!  In the mean time I plan on getting outside and enjoying this fabulous weather! 

Climbing Mt Miguel: A Sequel

I don't know if any of you have ever noticed, but if you scroll down on this blog you will notice there is a box run by feedjit that posts who is looking at vivacindy.   Its pretty cool and interesting to find out what people are searching for when they come to my blog.  Right now my top two posts are my mom's mulberry tart and Hiking Mt. Miguel in San Diego.  Every day people are visiting for these:)

There isn't a lot of info on the web about climbing Mt Miguel, so mine always comes up high on google.    Today we climbed it again!  This time instead of starting the trail off of Procter Valley Road.  We parked in the Rolling Hills Ranch subdivision.   (which is right off that road)

Immediately after walking out the front entrance pergola and passing the sign, you will see the trail on your right.

It is obvious, you can't miss it. 

The terrain looked so different than when we climbed it back in March.  

There had been quite a bit of rain and it was so green. Here is a pic from that hike.

Now, July 3, everything was dry and ....  not so green. 

Still, I thought it was beautiful.  All of the grasses were taller and blowing in the breeze. 

We started hiking at 9am and it took us 1:45 to get to the top (where the antennas are located). 

This photo shows a flat part of the trail that connects two mountains.  The majority of the trail is a steep climb and will have your heart pumping.  A great workout with a rewarding finish!  

Almost. To. The. Top! 

WOO-HOO!

And for all of you OHIO fans....

Members of Team Espinoza!  

Our team is cooking up a plan for a long bike ride down the coast of California in the next month.  More details coming up soon...

Fit Fridays: San Diego Style

We have been in San Diego one week now, and although the first 3 days were overcast,  it is officially July and the "June gloom" has moved on.  We are back to perfect weather again.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  This one says just one to me:  California

 Even with the crappy weather, we got our workouts in this week.

Saturday: rest

Sunday:  run 3 miles

Monday: rest

Tuesday: bike 25 miles

Wednesday: run 2.5 miles with 10 flights of stairs in the middle-whew!

Thursday: run 1 mile/Crossfit:10 rounds of 10 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 10 squats (plus abs)

Friday: climb Cowles Mountain

And today....we finally got to the beach, Pacific Beach.

My favorite trees all along the way....

Today the beach was busy but there was still plenty of room.   As usual, the water was freezing.  Im sure we won't be able to get in all summer.  No importa.  It was 80 and sunny with a breeze.  I didn't even break a sweat. Per. Fect.

Fourth of July is always a crazy weekend.  I have probably been out here for 6 or 7 since I met Ernesto.  It used to be REALLY crazy with DJs set up in the sand and wall to wall [drunk] people.  To get a spot on the beach for your party, you had to get out there bright and early to claim your stake.  

The last few years have been different because the city has ban alcohol on the city beaches?! what? 

With a law that curbs tradition like that, people have gotten smart and taken all their drinks in the water  Yes, a loophole!    This new party area is called "Floatopia."   It is a group on Facebook and so far 9,000 people have rsvp'ed for the 4th.  No I will not be attending, (due to prior engagements) but I love the idea.  The city will be reviewing this law in court July 12th, so Floatopia is still on this year! 

Con la Familia Espinoza de Nuevo!

Friday night Ernesto and I squeezed on a full Delta flight out to San Diego. Today is the first chance I have had to really get online.  Saturday we were at a meeting all day with the Christmas Light Pros.  It was motivating to meet some of the other licensees and hear how they are growing their businesses.  Ernesto and I left with new ideas and confidence that we can make the xmas lights bigger and better this year.  We are going to be focusing on commercial businesses in Atlanta this year.  If you have any leads or you yourself would like lights for a party/event or xmas just let me know.

On a different note, San Diego has been having some "June gloom" weather, as they call it.  Nothing horrible, just overcast.  Thank God it will be July in a few days and we can go back to perfect sunny weather. Every. Day.  It just doesn't seem right if the sun isn't out here.  A bit disappointing.

Something that never fails us when we come to SD is the food [and great family].  We woke up in the a.m. to the smell of menudo which had been cooking all night.  Can you think of a better breakfast than cow intestines and hominy in a spicy chile broth?  De. Lish.  You can find the recipe on Viva la Cocina. 

It continued from there.    Tacos de barbacoa, carnitas y buche. Salsas, avocados, tortillas.  More menudo. Sunday is the family cookout day, and usually lasts until 8pm or so. Good times.

We were worn out from the weekend and I just stayed inside in my robe all day.  It was chilly and the sun was no where to be seen.   I felt very unaccomplished and I am now ready to hit the sack and just end the day.  That's ridiculous, I am in San Diego. Hello?  This will not happen again.  Goodbye.

Ps.  I failed to post my Fit Fridays last week.  It was not very exciting as I just went running 3 times.

A BIG EASY WEEKEND

I haven't had an impromptu trip like this is quite some time.  Friday night Smita and I were just sitting with the computer open to Delta and checking the flight availability for this weekend.  (Ernesto was in Connecticut for a bachelor party)
Miami was our first choice.  Yes! Short flight, gorgeous beach, cuban sandwiches, great nightlife.

But no!  No Miami, no Ft. Lauderdale, No West Palm, no San Juan, no Tampa, no Hilton Head, no Myrtle Beach, no Hilton Head, no Savannah???  What was going on at all the beaches this weekend?  None of the flights were open.  I think it is called "summer", but come on. What about us standby people? ha!
We went through many many destinations before finally settling on......

New Orleans.  Wide open flights, nice hotel, good food, lots of culture in a gorgeous part of town.  Done.  We picked the W New Orleans  in the French Quarter.  It was a perfect location.  A $33 taxi ride got us there from the airport in 20 minutes.  

I used my starwood points, so the hotel was free. (Smita used her points and booked our NY hotel for the New Years trip, so it was my turn)  I have never stayed in a W I didn't like, and this one was no different. I  loved how it was the signature modern style of W Hotels, but brought in a taste of New Orleans.   I loved it the second I walked into the small welcome center, complete with old chandeliers and club chairs. 

Missing was the hot club/lounge that is always in a W, but the cute garden, pool and outdoor beds made up for that.  Besides we had more bars than we could ever need just steps away.

With the one hour time change, we were in the French Quarter by 830 Saturday morning.   Although I have been to New Orleans a few times, it has been a while.  Smita went to LSU for grad school and was excited to revisit. She wanted to take me for the beignets (french doughnuts) and chicory coffee at Cafe Du Monde.  This place is famous and had a long line and packed patio to prove it.

On our way back to the hotel for some pool time, we walked by The New Orleans School of Cooking and saw they had a cooking class from 2-4pm that day.  On the menu:  crawfish ettoufee, shrimp & artichoke bisque followed by pralines.  Sold! We immediately agreed it would be worth the $27.

We lounged at the pool for a couple hours and joined the cooking class.  I was a bit dissapointed that it was a demo class instead of us actually being involved in the cooking.  It was cool watching though, and I now know how to make a perfect rue for soups and stews. 

The teacher was very informative about the interesting history of Louisiana.  The food was phenomenal!   And the recipes came home with us, so we are already talking about having a cajun/creole night.

After the class we did some window shopping.  Im telling you the stores here are so cool.  The vintage and antiques, and oh, the chandeliers!  I was in heaven!   They were a little out of my price range.  We saw one for $34,000?!

My favorite store was a hat shop called Fleur de Paris.  We weren't allowed to take pictures because they hand make all of the hats and are all one-of-a-kind.  Outrageously gorgeous hats! We played around trying on a bunch.  My favorites are these small vintage cocktail hats/caps with feathers.  I was so inspired, I have decided I will make my own vintage hat [for an upcoming wedding] this fall. 

   Just like Atlanta, the weather in New Orleans was HOT AS HELL!  The humidity felt like 100%!  We popped in and out of shops to cool off and then, the clouds came in for an afternoon shower. 

And it poured! We waited for it to die down a bit before heading back to our  "heavenly beds" for a little cat nap.  

Ok, it was more than a cat nap, but by 8p, we were recharged to hit the city baby-dead on!
Randomly, an old-co-worker of mine from the Delta Sky Clubs was going to be in N.O. Saturday night too.  She saw my status on Facebook saying I was going to be there, and commented that she was too.  She was at an anniversary party of friends of a friend at the Omni Hotel (right around the corner from the W).  We crashed a anniversary party [with open bar]!  Ha! It was great to see Barbara, and she was ready to head out to Bourbon Street with us.

I was in New Orleans for Marti Gras once in college.  C-R-A-Z-Y!  Although the "bead business" was at a minimum Saturday night (compared to Marti Gras), there were still a few balconies lined with people throwing beads to passers by.  Some girls had one strand.

Others had more.  haha!

Just for the record, we didn't see any flashing, or show anything ourselves to get those beads.  Come on, we are ladies.  Plus,  it just wasn't Marti Gras. 

We bar hopped and ordered a hurricane at the famous Pat O' Brien's, supposedly a must in N.O.  

 Im not a fan.  Way. Too. Sweet!  Makes a pretty picture though.

There was a plethora of drinks to choose from, and although I liked this concept:

I don't drink Bud Light.  Period.  Smita and I didn't go overboard with drinks that night, but I can't say that for everyone else.  Drunk people galore.  Here is a PG-13 example:  We asked a guy to take our picture on Burboun Street.  We joked about him running away with my camera.  Instead this happened: 

Luckily, we felt good in the morning, despite staying out late the night before.  We had coffe and croissants at Le Bucherie, across from our hotel, sat out at the pool for a couple hours checked out of the hotel.  We were not done yet though.  I had a few things on my "must eat" list while in N.O.  We already had, beignets, crawfish etoufee, and shrimp/artichoke bisque.  I still needed gumbo, red beans & rice, jambalaya and a po'boy.   Gumbo Shop was recommended to us by a bookstore owner where we were browsing.  Smita bought the restaurants' cookbook and we walked around the block to make sure the recipes were good enough to try at home.  

Sitting under an umbrella in the courtyard, we ordered everything on my list...minus the po'boys.  I didn't have room after the all that and the praline sundae. ugh!  I think with all the rues and pralines, I may have ate all the calories I burned in my workouts this week. 

Oh well, such is life.  New Orleans,  I love you!