BYE BYE BIKE

Last weekend I sold my bike...

I guess Nico must have sensed my heart break because as the guy wheeled away my bike, Nico started crying. I'm gonna going to lie...letting go of my bike was hard....but then again, letting go always is. But when I look back at all the wonderful memories I'm happy that I got 7 years of great memories.

You see, my bike was my first (significant$$) purchase I ever made with my own money the summer after freshman year at UF(2005).

My bike was a part of me...it was special for the following reasons and SO MANY MORE:

• Bike has moved with me all around!
• While in college it traveled back and forth from Miami to Gainesville in the summers.
•  Then when I moved to Austin,TX...the bike also went. 
• And last year the bike moved with me here to LA.
• It gave me the freedom to get to know the back country roads that surround Gainesville and Austin as I would ride with friends 3,4 or more hours---and gave me the chance to get to know those friends even better, because all we could do on those rides was PEDAL and TALK =)
• It allowed me to say that I've ridden on the PACIFC and ATLANTIC coasts of this country...with a smile stamped on my face.
• It raced triathlons with me in Miami, and all around Florida. 
• It joined me on my first 100 miler ride from KEY LARGO to KEY West with college friends one spring break.
• It grew up with me and adjusted to my life changes:
• When I met Peter, he would borrow my bike...first sign to me that i like him, cause I let him borrow MY BIKE. 
• It joined me on one of the first REAL dates with him as we rode to Lake Walburg for the day. 
• At one point we proceeded to get matching bikes too.
• it helped me recover from injuries so that I could get back into running
• it TUGGED along the bike trailer, so that we could take our son out on rides and share with him my love of biking...and being out in the fresh air---which I think has worked because he LOVES his BIKE too!!

• But it wasn't all fun and games:

• I got my first stitches from my bike too...in Miami on the Brickell Bridge.
• bumps and bruises from adjusting to clipping in and out of my bike
• a crazy/random reck in Gainesville that landed me flat on my back steps from practice.
• and my latest reck here in LA a couple weeks ago...where I collided head on to another biker.

If it doesn't kill you---it makes you stronger...FOR SURE =) I know my parents for one are happy that I sold my bike..because of the last couple bullet points...but I will miss my bike...The great thing about memories, though, is that you will always have them to join you as you make new ones. I know i'll be in the market for another one soon as the summer triathlon season quickly approaches...but for now, I'm graftul for the 7 years of memories and experiences I got to share with my bike.

Cheers to A GREAT PURCHASE at Chain Reaction!!!

LA Happenings with Leilani, Baby Friends, and more

Just a couple days into being home and we've already had lots going on here in these parts:
See all of Saturday and Sunday's pictures here:

Saturday

Saturday morning we gave daddy a break and we(Nico and I) went for a nice 10 mile run together. My 1/2 Marathon in San Diego, is creepy up on me! Nico behaved like a champ. He was looking around and babbling away as we ran around the Marina's fingers by ourselves enjoying a beautiful, sunny, southern California morning with nice cool breezes every now and then. After our run we came home to get ready for Tia Leilani ARRIVAL! (She will be here for a week!!!)

From 1105 Back in LA

We got the cruisers ready and biked to the Beach. While we waited for Chris and Leilani to get to the sand, Peter and I played some ABC Volleyball.

From 1105 Back in LA

For those of you who don't know what that is, It's a game where you have to bump the ball back and forth saying the next letter in the alphabet (in order, without skipping letters) until it drops. Whoever drops it, looses. Peter apparently needs to hit up some of Nico's classes when he starts learning the alphabet since he was skipping all over the place...BUT we had a great time! I for one can say it's the most fun I've had on the beach with Peter since we moved here. Nico was playing in the sand right next to us, doing his thing!

After we FINALLY made it to Z, we walked over to where Leilani, Chris, and all their friends were hanging out. Good times...and of course a mini Nico show, followed by more volleyball (for real this time)

From 1105 Back in LA

---good times, funny people, AWESOME AFTERNOON!!!

From 1105 Back in LA

Later that night, I was picked up for a Bar outing. THough I was EXHAUSTED, I said yes...cause when do I get the chance to go out with LEILANI?

From 1105 Back in LA

We went to this bar that had Karaoke. However, it wasn't the regular, BAD DRUNK SINGERS kinda karaoke. It was HOLLYWOOD--wanna-be-found-American-Idol style Karaoke. Everyone, actually, not everyone....

From 1105 Back in LA

ALMOST everyone was REALLY GOOD! Some even gave me goosebumps.

Sunday Morning we Bike to Brunch at Shanghi Reds....EXPENSIVE but AMAZING! Bottomless Mimosas!!! Waffles and Shrimp (lol, Christy{Chris's girlfriend--Leilani's brother's girlfriend} got overwelmed by the BUFFET selection and ended up getting a little confused. Leilani was great at SNEAKING some food out for me =).

From 1105 Back in LA

The chocolate covered strawberries were delectable! The company was awesome and we also got some GREAT FAMILY SHOTS!

From 1105 Back in LA

From 1105 Back in LA

From 1105 Back in LA

After a mini nap, we went to Aaron's 1st Birthday Party---SUPER FUN: BALLOONS everywhere, chinese food buffet, applesauce and juice for the kids, fortune cookies, A MAGICIAN, and lots of YO GABA GABA paraphernalia!

From 1105 Back in LA

From 1105 Back in LA

(Birthday boy, Aaron, is on the Bike)

And yesterday (Monday) after sending out thank yous that NICO helped write himself...

From 1104ThankU-Lels's visit-hamock

We put Nico in one of the many gifts that TITO and YESENIA gave him for Easter, a chair hammock from one of the island stops they made on their cruise a couple weeks ago.....

From 1104ThankU-Lels's visit-hamock

and HE LOVED IT! I'm not gonna lie, I was having a bit of a myocardial infarction (heart attack), seeing him up there on his new swing, but his laugh and smile made me set aside(just a little) my fears so that I too could enjoy the moment with him.

From 1104ThankU-Lels's visit-hamock

View slideshow here:

SIDE NOTE: You see, the thing is that as a mommy now, I feel that I have FINAL DESTINATION SYNDROME (FDS). I always vividly foresee these crazy scenarios taking place and as a result, I'm super annoying to be around with all my BECAREFULs and WATCH-OUTs and HOLD-UPs. My parents have a super SEVERE version of the syndrome while I think that I'm still in the early stages of development. I'm working or figuring out a way to mitigate the side effects of FDS--- but so far...only Nico's laugh helps temporarly ease my anxiety and reasurrance from Peter that he is being MINDFUL of the dangers that linger around every corner....lol. Perhaps laying off CSI and Crimial Minds as well will an important factor in my treatment.

ON another SIDE NOTE:

I'd like to announce that NICO is no longer JET-LAGGED from the trip ....How do we know? WELL we know because he (read: WE) didn't sleep well (or almost at all) on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday night. Saturday he slept a little better but got up super early (3 or 4 am). However, finally on Sunday night and last night he slept ALL NIGHT! This morning he even slept-in until 7:30am.We are very proud of him!!!

Early Birthday Gift for Nico!

Nico got an EARLY 1 Year Birthday Gift!!!

We got an awesome, almost brand new bike trailer thanks to Notifinder.com, that informed us the second this Burley was put uploaded to craigslist. We paid 1/3 the original price!!! Peter and Ashish really are geniuses for coming up with this website. Tomorrow we're gonna go test it out along the Pacific Ocean!

From 1101 Nico's Christmas Gifts