Finally Spring

It rained part of every day last week and the temperatures were unseasonably chilly. So today was a treat. The sun shone and it was t-shirt and shorts weather. I put in a few hours in the garden. I am a little worried about the owner of the bird's nest that I inadvertently exposed with all my pruning. I kept hacking (ha ha) off suckers from a tree and bits of a bush that grows through from the neighbor's and some of the dead parts of our rose trees and all of a sudden I heard chirping and flapping and realized that I had removed much of the protective covering for a bird's nest built on a piece of our dilapidated wooden fence. I stopped immediately, but there isn't much shade left. I then moved on to the vinca which has taken over the path from back garage door along the side of the house. I am sure there used to be a path there, and with continued efforts tomorrow I hope to find it.

I am also really enjoying the super new heart monitor that I got for my birthday. I rode my (ok, Catherine's) bike part way up Mill Creek Canyon and got technical feedback that yes, I was indeed exceeding desirable maximum heart rate. I didn't really need the monitor to tell me that. The slight nausea and panting were probably indicative. But it is fun to see that you burned 604 calories. Bring on the tortilla chips.

My birthday

Here is what Craig did with my birthday presents.
They were all bagged and laid out with a number attached.



I rolled the dice till I got one of the numbers.



Then I opened what was there. In these case -- hangers.

germaphobia gone mad

Just went to the bathroom at a coffee shop and saw something new. It is equipped with "clean escape". What is this you ask? Well it is a metal plate at the bottom of the door that you can hook your foot under to open the door so you don't have to, heaven forbid, touch the handle....

Before and After

Craig took the dogs to be groomed today. I guess he said 'short' for Sadie and the lady heard 'shorn'. This is what she looked like the other day:

And this is what she looks like now: