Wordless Wednesdays

So, I've been pretty busy lately doing all kinds of different things and have taken some fun pictures so here's what I've been up to......

The roomies and some other friends and I spent a few glorious hours at the beach on Sunday afternoon. It was beautiful and sunny for awhile and then....


it got dark and kind of eerie looking so we put on our clothes and played games at the beach instead! Hey, at least we stuck around!

Valentines Day Wine & Dessert party with my roomies!


Me with the Valentines Day hostess with the mostess, Corinne!


My roommate Swati and I at a friend's pub crawl.


My roommate Gina and friend Jennahway and I at a Pin-Up Pageant show!

This was my favorite dress of the show. I just love polka dots!


On Saturday I ran a 20 mile training run!! Woo hoo!! It went really well and I can honestly say that I think I'm ready for the Full Marathon next month! Wow, I can't believe I just said those words!

Beach and Burns

Now I really feel like it's summertime, I had such a lovely day today laying out at the beach with my two awesome roommates! It was the perfect weather to be there and it wasn't super crowded so that was an added bonus. We enjoyed the beach for about two hours and then we drove further into Santa Monica for a very nice lunch. It was made even better by the bottomless mimosas that we had! Yay! My roommates and I hardly ever go out and do things altogether so this made the day even sweeter. We definitely need to hang out more often! Ok, ladies?!

So no matter what I do, I'm bound to always get two awful things in life, cavities and bad sun burns. Seriously, no matter what I do! Ugh! I am so annoyed with my skin today! I swear, I kept re-applying sunscreen during those two hours at the beach but somehow I still managed to get a pretty bad sun burn all over the back of my legs and upper thighs. I can't even sit down without hurting! Aloe Vera will my best friend this week.

Here are three of my favorite pics from today, pre-burn : )

The Beach

Ok, first things first, how cool is it that I'm writing this post laying out at the beach?! Sometimes I forget the proximity of the beach to where I live-it's about a 20 minute drive from my house, in good traffic, that is.

Today, I'm enjoying the beach at Temescal Canyon and the PCH. There's free parking and it's not overly crowded. My roommate, Gina recommended this particular spot and I'm so glad she did. The people here aren't all the typical beautiful LA folks. There's lots of families with small children (no doubt here celebrating Fathers Day), a few tourists and plenty of young adults just catching some rays.

I love the beach. How can anyone not find it relaxing and calming? The crashing waves alone are memorizing. I could spend hours simply watching the ocean and smelling the salty air. I've been lucky to live very close to the beach in a few places that I've lived...well, except for Arizona of course. I do wish the water was warmer as I love swimming and salt water seems to be very good for the skin. Maybe later this summer, I'll venture in!

• “It’s hard for me to put into words why I like the beach so much. Everything about it is renewing for me, almost like therapy...Beach Therapy” -Amy Dykens
• "I have always loved the beach. The smell of the salty water, the wind in my face, the gentle roar of the waves all combine to create a sense of peace and calm." -Unknown

I've never really been to the beach alone before I must say that I'm definitely a fan and will be returning alone again soon. There's no need for conversation, I can just lay there and read, write, listen to music or even fall asleep. Plus, you are totally free to be alone with all your thoughts, good and bad.

Check out this map of all the beaches here! So far I've only been to two of them. But I'm not worried I have all summer to get to them all!

San Francisco Hospital Visit with Gina

Gina and I with two very happy VETS in the hospital! They even let me wear their military hat

Yesterday, my roommate, Gina and I took a day trip to San Francisco to visit the VA Hospital there. As you may know from previous posts on my blog, Gina has an amazing calendar project, Pin Ups for Vets. Please check out the website and support her and all VETS!

So we left at 8:30 am and were back in LA by 8 pm that same night! It was quite the whirlwind trip but it was a lot of fun. The VA hospital in SF sits up right next to the beach so many of the patients rooms have incredible views. Not to mention the hospital cafeteria overlooks beautiful watery cliffs. It was a stunning view! Check out the pictures below. It was my pleasure to accompany Gina on this trip, making it my third hospital visit. Where to next? Perhaps Nebraska at the end of the month!

This is the view from the hospital cafeteria!