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See Kim Tri

Here the quest begins. I will complete a triathlon this year.

Equipment needed:
Wetsuit
Bike
Helmet
Shoes
Heart
Mind


Possible Events:
Oxnard Splash and Dash
500m / 2 miles
July 5, Aug. 17, or Sept. 13
$35 + $10 USAT one-day membership

Imperial Beach Triathlon & Duathlon
Imperial Beach- San Diego, CA
Triathlon:1/2K Ocean Swim, 15K Bike, 5K Run
Duathlon: 2K Run, 15K Bike, 5K Run
Aug. 23
$65

Mission Bay Triathlon
Mission Bay- San Diego, CA
500-meter swim - 15K bike - 5K run
Oct. 4
$75

See Jane Run Triathlon
Shadow Cliffs Regional Park- Pleasanton, CA
400 yd swim • 11 mi bike • 3 mi run
Sept. 26
$85


If you know of any more or are thinking of doing one, Let me know! We'll train together.

Surf City Half-Marathon- Post race report

Feb 1, 2009 - Superbowl Sunday (Steelers vs. Cardinals, great game!)

I woke up at 5am to be able to find parking for the race and it was well worth it... even if it was butt-ass cold by the beach at 6am. I thought my fingers were about to fall off. I wore long pants and a long sleeve shirt and didn't take them off the whole time even when the sun was out, which I thought was unusual for me because I thought I could only run kind of distance with shorts. I parked at the beach lot at PCH & Newland, facing the shore. After the race, I iced my legs in the ocean.

I was slightly disappointed that I didn't train as hard as I could have. (If I am allowed 3 excuses they were 1. the Holidays and cold weather 2. Not a lot of time with full time work and school 3. I was sick for the last few days before the race.) I thought I wanted to do the race with my iPod on to keep me moving, but voted against it when I realized I don't have 3 hours worth of running music or an arm strap for it. On my Friday shift before the race I told my EMT work partner that I would be happy with a time under 3 hours and if I didn't die. Then I got some words of encouragement and advice from my friend Jenni L. who told me "Mind over Matter, Kim!" and I decided to not settle for less than my full effort.

Time? 2:37:54-- about 10 minutes slower than my time from the Long Beach Half (2:28:05). Only 10! I hit a "wall" during my last 2 miles, but other than that, it wasn't too bad. (The course in Long Beach felt much easier.) Only one more half marathon to complete my California Dreamin' Series: SF here I come!

My most favorite part of running this one were the songs that were in my head. Last race it was "Smile Like You Mean It" and "When You were Young" by The Killers. This time, with the help of a couple of Surf City runners who were singing out loud at around mile 3 and mile 6, I got Matthew Wilder's "Break My Stride" and Madonna's "Into the Groove". So awesome. More to add to my workout playlist!

Second most favorite part of this race was the medal:

My Journal Collection

Yes, they are mine.
Yes. There might be a couple that are missing, but it was unintentional. One was in my bookbag and one is still shrink-wrapped and sitting on my bookshelf.
Yes, they are many.
No, they are not all full. I would only consider 3 of them to be completely filled.
A couple are in progress and the majority are blank.
One has only recipes in it.
One is my 2004 Vietnam travel journal.
A few were purchased for inspiration for my own journal-making projects so they will never be written in.
A few were gifts. (Thank you!)

You would think that a girl with this many journals and a couple of weblogs would have a lot of thoughts and have things figured out. On the contrary. It's because she is still learning and figuring things out about herself and about the world that she continues to write.

I show these not to elbow or make a jab at anyone who has given me a journal or plans to give me a journal (because I love them), but to show that I know I have come a long way and have a long way to go. In one of my first journals given to all students in my fourth grade class, I thought I was being clever in writing the sentence "I like ___ ___." backward. Maybe I can get my secret out without anyone finding out, i must have thought, even thought I knew the teacher read them.

Love and heartache continue to mystify me and be a powerful muse.

I have actually been on a writing hiatus for several months now... swamped with work and school while squeezing in dates in the between-time. I guess I just needed a bit of red velvet cake to help me realize that I have finished processing some of the random thoughts that have been swimming in my mind and re-evaluate what is important in my life. (I guess my huge tattoo is not doing its job very well.)

---

One of the biggest downers in my life right now is the fact that the economy sucks. My public speaking professor--yes, public speaking. If you must know, some nursing schools require me to prove via transcript that I can speak in front of people--mentioned in class yesterday about the murder-suicide of a Wilmington family. Police and a letter left behind suspect that the father killed his wife and three kids after both income earners in the house were fired from Kaiser Permanente West LA.

One of my good friends who has been teaching English in Japan for the past 3 years is going to sign up for another year because she doesn't think there will be a job for her here. I and her other friends really wanted her to finally come home. The sad part is although I got an extension to visit her in Japan, I have less disposable income today than I did when I was told her I couldn't afford it in the past.

Another one of my best friends is about to lose her job in the next couple of weeks as an MFT after just having bought a new home. Economy-related closing of her company/organization.

My dad's hours have been cut in half.

My brother is looking for a job. Anyone need an entry-level legal assistant?

Just makes me appreciate that I have a job. Really.

Apple Tart Recipe

Pate Sucree - Sweet Shortcrust Bakery

For approximately 1lb (500g) pastry:
4oz. (125 g) soft butter
1/3 cup (3oz/90g) superfine (caster) sugar
1egg
2 cups (8oz/250g) all purpose (plain) flour
2 pinches salt

1. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and mix for 30 seconds. Add the flour and salt and mix until a smooth dough forms.
2. Place the pastry on a work surface and knead, pushing it out with the palm of the hand and then reforming it into a ball, until the dough is smooth and elastic; this should take about 5 minutes. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably longer. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before using. Any leftover pastry can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen.
3. The egg will prevent this pastry from becoming soggy, even when cooked directly with the filling. It may also be baked blind, in large or small pans, by covering the pastry with waxed or parchment paper and filling it with rice, dried beans, or pie weights.


Tarte Aux Pommes A Alsacienne - Alsatian Apple Tart

10oz. (300g) sweet pastry (see above)
1lb. (500g) Golden Delicious or pippin apples
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup (3oz/90g) sugar
1 envelope vanilla sugar or 3 drops vanilla extract (essence)
4 pinches of cinnamon
3/4 cup (6fl oz/200ml) heavy (double) cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 deg. F (215 deg. C). Butter a 10-in (26-cm) deep tart plate (flan tin). Roll out the pastry dough into a 12-in (30-cm) circle and line the plate with it.
2. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Cut each quarter into 4 slices. Arrange evenly over the pastry in the form of a rose, starting from the outsidee and overlapping the slices slightly. Bake for 15 mins.
3. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla sugar, and cinnamon and beat well. Beat in the cream. Coat the apples with this mixture and bake for another 30 minutes or until the apples are tender. Serve warm.

From France the Beautiful Cookbook
Recipes: the Scotto Sisters
Collins Publishers: San Francisco, 1989.

I'll post a picture of the finished tart later.

About the marking

Written in January 2008, on another blog:

"I finally decided, now with more conviction than ever, how I want to permanently mark my body. It was my second to last day in Saigon and it came to me so clearly as I lay, meditating about the meaning of my trip and my direction in life. ... My exact thought/resolution was that I was to be fabulous from that point on, to show the world what I am and what I have to offer without reservation. It was such an empowering thought. ... I want something to show the world how fierce I can be, and a reminder of the commitment I made to myself.

My life is for me. And instead of wondering whether I'm #3 or #347 on another's priority list, I will be my own #1 Girl."



From Wikipedia:

The Fenghuang [Phoenix] has very positive connotations. It is a symbol of high virtue and grace. The Fenghuang also symbolizes the union of yin and yang. It appears in peaceful and prosperous times but hides when trouble is near. Shan Hai Jing - chapter 1 Nanshan jing records each part of Fenghuang's body symbolizes a word, the head represents virtue (德,) the wing represents duty (義,) the back represents propriety (禮,) the abdomen says belief (信) and the chest represents mercy (仁.)[3]
In ancient China, they can often be found in the decorations for weddings or royalty, along with dragons. This is because the Chinese considered the dragon and phoenix symbolic of blissful relations between husband and wife, another common yin and yang metaphor.

As a tattoo symbol, the Phoenix can be found in many tattoo genres, but of the Far East in particular. It is a symbol of resurrection, rebirth and regeneration. It also represents purification and transformation through fire and adversity.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A tee/tank for the occasion. On my wish list!