An incredible sunset

So simple, but so beautiful. I’ve been making more of an effort to relax lately. Just take it easy, be still and quiet, things that are not so easy to do when you work in the busy world of broadcast news. So the other day I did soemething I’ve wanted to do since I moved closer to the water, I sat on a bench, and watched the sun set. I’ll be honest it was tough to do. I brought a book and sat there for about 45 minutes, just listening to the ocean, reading a few pages here and there, and people watching. And I wasn’t the only one who took time to sit and watch the sun. By the time it was just above the horizon, more than a dozen people had wandered into the street, or onto their balconies to get a glimpse. It’s not the most intense outdoor adventure I’ve had on the Central Coast, but I sure do recommend it. Mother Nature sure knows how to put on a show.

I’ve seen them EVERYWHERE for the past few months and have been wondeirng what all the hype is about. You know what I’m talking about, those stainless steel water bottles that come in every color and design imagineable, and cost about $15-$20 each? I’ve always been a plastics girl, relying on Aquafina or Nalgene bottles to hold my daily dose of water. Plus, I couldn’t justify spending about $20 on a stainless steel bottle when I had a perfectly good plastic one at home. That is, until I came across a Sub-Zero stainless steel bottle at Walgreens for a mere $4. My first thought was there must be something wrong with it, but I’m happy to report the manufacturer says it DOES NOT use toxins in the lining, and it works just fine. Keeps my water extra cold, it’s easy to drink from and small enough to fit in just about any bag. Just wanted to pass my findings along, and let you know there are affordable stainless steel options out there! But, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how you get your water, as long as you’re drinking those 8 glasses a day!

Ms. Maggie

As a volunteer at the Humane Society I know by now that there’s pretty high turnover with the dogs, and that’s a great thing because it means they are being adopted! I just returned to the shelter after two weeks of being away and I was pretty surprised to see that most of the big dogs had either been adopted or put in foster care. It’s always sad to see them go but like I said, it’s the best outcome. However, the shelter is almost always at capacity so as those big dogs went out, a whole bunch of little dogs came in! So now I’m getting to know some of the new kids on the block. Maggie, pictured above, is just precious. She’s brand new so I’m not sure about her age or what breed she is. She’s a bit timid when you first meet her but she’s very quick to warm up to you!

There are also plenty of chihuaha puppies and some chihuahas who still need to be adopted, like Gizmo and his brother Kovu. Overall, it just goes to show there’s never a dull moment when you’re working with dogs. It’s a guaranteed outdoor adventure every time you hit the walking trail!

One of the great things about my job is that even though I have to work weekends, I can still enjoy the afternoon oustide since I don’t start my shift until 2:45 p.m. It’s really the ultimate compromise. My pre-work activities vary from working out, to catching up with friends, but today was all about soccer. I never played soccer, I was more of a gymnastics/dance/softball girl, but a lot of my friends are really into the game, including some of my fellow KSBYers. So, when I got the invite to cheer on a couple of my coworkers at a 7×7 soccer tournament benefitting the San Luis Obispo High School’s boys soccer team, I figured I would check it out.

The games started at the high school as early as 8:30 a.m. and ran until after 3 p.m. Dozens of teams, and hundreds of adults showed up to play, and to watch, despite the fields being muddy messes from last night’s rain. Our very own Ryan Foran was one of those players, along with one of our amazing sales associates Leslie Miller. They were on the same team so we had a nice little KSBY cheer section going at one point

Overall, it was a lot of fun (I had fun watching, I’m sure the people playing had even more fun!) and it was just really great to see so many people of all ages and skill levels turning out to support the high school. And it wasn’t just adults from the community helping out, the school’s soccer players volunteered at the event, refereeing, running the snack bars and keeping the games on track for their 50-minute time limits.

So great job to all you soccer players out there today! You put on a great show for this soccer newbie

Is it just me, or do you automatically feel better waking up to sunny skies? After last week I’ve noticed a definite difference in how I feel the moment I wake up. Granted, I still wouldn’t mind staying in bed a few extra minutes…actually make that hours… but there’s been a little more pep in my step as I’ve headed out the door to go to work these past couple of days. Above is a picture I snapped at a gas station in Nipomo this morning. Just a quick reminder that I’m pretty lucky to live and work in such a beautiful place! So get outdoors and enjoy that sunshine before the next round of rain rolls through!

So I have a confession, I have not worked out since Monday! My calendar is pretty void of “X’s” at this point, and I’m going to channel some Milli Vanilli and “Blame it on the Rain.” (I’ve posted their music video for the song, it made me laugh the other day at work after my coworker posted it on her Facebook).

Anyways, I know it’s an excuse, but there’s just something about rainy days that make me want to stay in bed and do absolutely nothing. I’ve been working at night this week so I’ve been sleeping until about 11, 11:30 every day. I’ve set my alarm a couple of times to get up earlier, but waking up to extremely wet weather makes hit snooze and go back to sleep. Now that it is starting to clear up, I’ve already made a couple of running dates to rejuvenate my running routine. It’s been a nice few days off, but I definitely need to get back in the gym, or back out on my running routes. Enjoy the clear weather! Here’s to the end of cabin fever and the end of excuses NOT to work out!

Soaking wet, but still smiling!

One of the things I love about being a reporter is being right in the thick of things, documenting what’s happening in our communities and at times, braving the elements. I’ve covered four fires and several rains, but I can honestly say I’ve never covered storm damage like what I saw in Cambria today. The rain was literally pouring down on us as we interviewed homeowners and shot footage of crews trying to clean up the mess as quickly as possible. As always, safety is a top priority when you’re covering stories like this, so we were sure to give them all the room they needed. It really is amazing how quickly they moved from one street to the other, a big shout out to those crews for working so hard in such tough conditions!

Now, even though I was wearing SEVERAL layers to try and keep the wind and water out, I still ended up soaking wet. I actually took my shoes off in the car and held them up to the heating vents to dry them out! I also used a blow dryer to dry out my jeans when I got back to the station. But, in all seriousness, it is truly amazing how powerful Mother Nature can be, and even though people in Cambria will be cleaning up the mess for some time, it is a complete miracle that nobody was injured! So as the storms continue this week stay dry and most importantly, stay safe out there!

Here are some photos from my day of covering the wet weather:

Smashed cars and downed power lines

PGE crews at work

Tree into a house, luckily the owners were not home!

Captured this shot from our SLO newsroom, the sky was yellow!

 

This week has been a great running week for me! My calendar has 5 “X’s” on it, and 4 of those are runs. After a 5.2-miler on the treadmill the other day, I set out this morning determined to hit 6 miles before work. The Chains of Love 15K is in less than one month, and I know I need to run at least a few solid 7-8 milers before I attempt more than 9 miles on race day.

So, I set out this morning with my still-sore legs. If there is one thing I’ve learned during my brief running career, it’s that the first couple miles can be the absolute worst. My legs weren’t feeling too great and my breathing wasn’t all that great either. But, I kept chugging along, slowing down when I needed to and speeding up when I felt good enough.

I brought a GU power gel along too, just to give me an extra boost of energy around mile 4. My route today included a bit of everything. There was sidewalk running, beach running, stair climbing… the works. I used the GPS on my phone to keep track of my mileage and literally ran in circles for the last .2 miles, just to get that final distance number up to 6!

It was a slow, steady run but there were definitely times I wanted to stop and walk. I think that’s what I’m most proud of on long runs like today’s, not the fact that I physically completed the mileage, but the fact that I kept the mental toughness necessary to do so. Maybe next week I’ll be blogging about a solid seven… stay tuned! Here are my stats from today:

Distance: 6.000 mi

Time: 1 hour 11 minutes

Average pace: 11:53/mi.

Calories burned: 673

If you’re at all interested in health and fitness, San Luis Obispo is the place to be this weekend! The San Luis Obispo Health and Fitness Expo starts tomorrow with a 5K, and runs through Sunday at the Alex Madonna Expo Center. Doors are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, and it features dozens of local vendors, free health screenings, performances and more. I have to work but I’m definitely going to try and swing by at some point this weekend. Hope to see you there!

No, I’m not a paid sponsor for Nike, but the famous phrase perfectly describes my experience at the gym last night. Since I work during the day on Wednesday and Thursday (often in Santa Maria), I find myself at the gym more often these days. You all know how much I dislike running on the treadmill, but when you compare that to running at night all alone, I think the choice to go indoors is a no brainer!

So there I was at the gym last night, tired from a full day of work. I knew I needed to run at least a little bit (the Chains of Love 15K is one month away!) so I headed to the cardi0 cinema to make my treadmill adventure as painless as possible. Only thing is, the cardio cinema was closed. So, I headed to the cardio equipment area… only problem was about 70% of the machines were out of order! All of the treadmills were taken and the only machine open was a bike. I was about to settle for some cycling when fate stepped in. A very nice man gave up his treadmill so I could have it.

Filled with a renewed sense of hope that I could actually have a decent run, I popped in my Ipod and looked up at the six plasma TV’s, hoping to find something entertaining to keep my mind off the treadmill. As my luck would have it two of the TV’s were broken and the four others were showing some mildly-offensive programming on the Spike TV channel.

The most incredible part about it was that despite all these things that could have kept me from hopping on the treadmill, I managed to turn out one of the best runs I’ve had in months! I ran 5.2 miles straight and walked the rest to get me to 6.0 miles! It took me more than an hour but it felt absolutely incredible!

So that’s why I chose the title “just do it” for this one. There will always be a reason or an excuse NOT to work out, or NOT to do something. But sometimes you just have to push it all aside and go for it anyways. You never know, things just may turn out better than you expected.