The Pefect Sunday Morning Equation

PLUS

PLUS

PLUS

= Ahhhhhh....

Got My Picture Made

That's what they say in Tennessee -- you have your picture "made," not "taken," like we say out here on the Left Coast. And in early December, that's what I did. I've only sat for a "professional photo shoot" a few times in my life other than the usual school pics and wedding party photos, and I've never been a big fan. But Tomas Ovalle has changed my mind about that, as doing a couple photo shoots with him was FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

The original shoot, which was supposed to be just one "sitting," was for my freelance writing website. You know....the one that has yet to be created (that's a whole 'nuther story, but the website WILL be born this year -- I've promised myself!). Since thus far I have done mainly sports writing (and mainly cycling), I wanted not only office pics, but some pics of me playing, too -- cycling and running. Here's a sample of what he came up with...see what ya think.

This is my favorite "I'm a sports journalist, and this is how cool I can look in someone else's office 'cuz I usually work at home on my dining room table, and that's not very office-like" pic. We took the office pics in the office of Pinnacle Training Systems -- you know, the owner, Felicia Gomez, is my good friend and coach. The racer-dude in the background is Tim Loper, husband of one of my racer-chick friends, Tracy. I'm pretty sure that this'll make him famous some day.



I also like this one...


We spent a lot of time in the office, as it took a long time for me to feel comfortable enough that Tomas could get some decent shots. Seriously....it has always been a challenge for me to take "posed" pics, and Tomas was so patient, and relaxed.

So, after the office shots, we headed to Woodward Park for some running shots. And I like these two best:





Loosening me up in the office shots took so long that we lost daylight before we could get bike shots taken, so we had to do another shoot over a week later. The first shoot had been such a good experience that I felt WAY more comfortable by this time, and I think Tomas had an easier time getting good ones....and he can really work some magic. We did some stills and action shots, and these are a few of my faves:

I like this one 'cuz he caught me smiling:


And I like this one 'cuz he caught me lookin' a little bad-ass.


I wasn't very good at this pose, but Tomas gave it a valiant try:


These, though, are definitely my faves:




So, by this second shoot, it was almost Christmas, so I got a wild hair, and asked some racer-chick friends to let Tomas take some snaps of us for my Christmas cards. It was FUN, FUN, FUN, and I think I'll have to make it an annual tradition....a different Santa-Hat-Biker-Chick pose each year! These were a few of my faves:









So there you go...a sample of my "photo shoot." Hopefully I'll get that freelance writing website done before I'm no longer recognizable in the photos....!

Some British Animal Humor

I've been fortunate to meet a lot of great people through bike riding, both in the US and abroad. Pat Perry is one of those people, and I became friends with her through MS Global in 2006 when we rode in Switzerland, Italy, and France for a week to raise money for people with Multiple Sclerosis. The picture above is from the second MS Global we did together, and it's (l to r) another friend, Michelle, me, and Pat enjoying some Stelvio beer the evening after we rode our bikes up the famed Passo Stelvio.

Pat lives in Texas, and though I've seen her a number of times since that first trip, we don't get to see each other enough. However, she does send me some pretty funny stuff through e-mail now and then, and she sent me this link today

Funny, aye? Gotta love my friends.

Such the Anglophile

I just keep finding BBC series that I love....Just finished watching all of this.

Dawn French is HILARIOUS as a female vicar in a teeny-tiny English village. The supporting characters are also incredibly funny. Though I know next to nothing about the Church of England (other than the fact that Henry the VIII formed it when he split from the Catholic church so he could divorce Queen Katherine (sp?) and then marry Anne Boleyn), apparently this series was created in 1994 at the same time that female vicars were first being accepted by the church, amid great controversy.

Am sorry that I've now watched all of the episodes, and may have to buy the series when I get a chance.

This is a series that is still running, so hopefully I'll get to keep watching it for awhile.

It's from the creators of all of the American Law and Order shows, and it's very cool. Interesting to learn about various aspects of the British legal system...like the fact that there are cameras in many, many public places. Yeesh, in the US, people have a fit just about the ones at stop lights.
Finished watching this series from the 90's awhile ago, and it's also good, but a mixture of drama and comedy.

Hamish is played by Robert Carlyle -- of "The Full Monty" fame -- and he is the constable in a teeny-tiny Scottish coastal village (do you see any themes here? Perhaps I come by my "small-town-mountain-girlish-ness" honestly by having descended from Scottish highlanders...) Each episode includes some wacky (and sometimes downright creepy) crime that Hamish has to solve with the help (and/or hindrance) of the wacky villagers. And his Westie is named "Wee Jock." I so want a Westie now...well, and Robert Carlyle.

It's a New Year -- and I'm Seeing a New Guy!

Of course, we're not dating...He's my physical therapist. We haven't been seeing each other long, but he makes me do things like this:
And this:

Darned if he isn't just interested in my left knee, as that's where the pain is currently. But I'm optimistic that he'll get me back running again...after all, my New Year's Resolution is to complete The Cape Wrath Challenge in Durness, Scotland on May 21, averaging 9-minute miles.

This new guy I'm seeing better get to work, so he can get me back to this:


I have faith in him. And definitely in all the promise of the new year ahead.

Happy 2011!