As a collector of memories and blogger, I am walking and fundraising (yes, as well as Making Strides Against Breast Cancer), for my first Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Imagine living such a full life, meeting so many people and eventually not remembering any of it or recognize those that love you. Other “symptoms include problems with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, not managing self-care and behavioral issues.” With Alzheimer’s causing 60-70% cases of dementia, I will be sharing memories of my travels on my social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to keep those memories alive and to tell my story thru the day of the walk on November 7th. Here’s some with some purple, the Alzheimer’s Association color.
Happy roommate, Two Rivers cider she’s sharing & my purple Blender bottle.
My Instafriend being a fabulous dish presenter at SPQR in San Francisco during San Francisco Restaurant Week 2020.
When you can’t travel, you’re stuck looking at your home and all the things that can and should be done in terms of home improvement. A much needed upgrade was needed in my condo. My roommate alerted me that the ceiling fan in the living room stopped working. I have done some troubleshooting of my own with my bedroom ceiling fan and attempted to do the same up on my Little Giant ladder. No puedo. It wasn’t something I could do. It’s 2020. It was time to get rid of the chains from the ceiling fan to the wall and down to an outlet.
My roommate recommended Neault Electric. Kevin was an acquaintance of hers. I reached out, had him come by to give me an estimate and I was sold. I had one other call to another electrician for a quote but our schedules didn’t align.
I searched for two ceiling fans, one for a sloped ceiling and a chandelier for my dining room. I sent the specs to Kevin via text to get his opinion on their dimension and if there were other features I should consider. He provided feedback and I placed my order on Amazon. Lamps Plus, Home Depot and Lowe’s were options but Amazon had the best prices. I gave him the latest date all pieces should arrive and an appointment for install was set a week later.
I texted to confirm their arrival the night before. A response to re-confirm their ETA was appreciated. They helped out with laying out protected sheets as I just had new carpet installed a year ago. The three items installed took about five hours for Kevin and his assistant, Noah, to install. They were both friendly and didn’t need anything from me so I could take phone calls and attend virtual meetings while they worked.
Boxes and old fans and chandeliers were removed and recycled. The work areas were left clean. I would recommend Neault Electric for your jobs. With goals of owning another property in the next year or so, I hope to be able to call on Kevin for other jobs as needed. Do please tell them you found them thru my blog!
“Wear a mask, not just for yourself but for those around you and the people you love.” – Kamala Harris, potential next Vice President of the United States and Oakland native.
I thought I would show where I stand on the mask wearing issue with some pictures of being out and about wearing one of my many masks. Yes, it’s not the most comfortable thing to wear. My face gets sweaty too and yes, the mask itself is an inconvenience. But it could save a life, or a 3-day stay at Walter Reed Medical Center.
2 for him, 4 for me. One not pictured by my cousin, Lea’s Designs.
The only time I would not have a mask with me is when I am taking a walk. The neighborhood is not busy. When an oncoming fellow walker approaches, I literally cross the street or walk in the street to keep more than a 6-feet distance and their likeliness of them breathing anything I exhale is minimal.
Please SPONSOR ME and/or join me in participating in Breast Cancer Awareness Month! I used to do the Making Strides event every year. My Lagade family also did it together in memory of our late Cousin Natalie and Auntie Annie, and in honor of our Auntie Gi. I also do it for the late Maureen Withrow.
Walnut Creek, CA
Stockton, CA
Golden Gate Park, San Francsisco
I have started a Team Lagade 2020 and would love for you to join me! I will be planning a hike on October 17th (details to follow). Social distance on the hike or do a hike of your own that day. I would also be happy if you can commit to staying active for the entire month while fundraising to fund breast cancer research and programs. I am committed to the 35 miles to walk or run this month thru the NorCal chapter but also stay active in logging as many miles of activity as possible. My FB group, Status: Work in Progress, also keeps me accountable. They kick ass!
My Fundraising Page
Orrrrr, if you’d also like to help my roommate fundraise for TWO 60-mile walks in 2021 for Susan G. Koman, pick up some Stella & Dot Xmas gifts at http://www.tinyurl.com/Kims3Day2020.
TOTAL MILES:42.8
ACTIVITY LOG: Friday, October 2nd – Three FitOn Videos
Saturday, October 3rd – 11-mile bike ride
Sunday, October 4th – 3.5 mile walk
Tuesday, October 6th – 3 mile walk
Thursday, October 8th – 3.6 mile walk.
Running errands and dinner – Downtown Palo Alto
Friday, October 9th – 2 mile walk.
A stroll between meetings – Bayfront Park, Mill Valley, California
Saturday, October 10th – 9.3 mile bike ride.
In my pink for breast cancer!
Tuesday, October 12th – 4.16 miles walk around the neighborhood.
On Saturday, September 26th, I participated in my second event benefiting ovarian cancer organizations. The first one was a 5K run in Campbell, California in 2018. I would not have heard of these events if it wasn’t for my roommate, Kim. We do these events in her mother’s memory. I didn’t have the chance to meet Mary but she raised a thoughtful daughter.
As if her mommy is shining down on her.
Kim decided to do a hike in Aptos to a waterfall. And knowing Kim, we were starting early. I made the trip down to the Santa Cruz area a day early to spend time with friends there and stay the night. I woke up just after 6 AM Saturday morning for a 7:30 AM start. It was so early that no one manned the entrance gate to take your money for parking. You will have to pay for it before you leave. Thankfully, it was stocked with maps and information.
TIP: Take a photo of the map with the trails outlined.
You will not have cell coverage here. Thankfully we were able to meet at random while looking for parking. We parked and initially started on the wrong trail being eager to park and me being sleepy and not the organizer. We were not headed towards the waterfall. We turned around.
What a cool tree!
On the correct route along the fire road, we eventually missed another turn. No waterfalls for us! However, we were able to cover 8.5 miles. And do our pose on a bridge!
Had to get a yoga pose of some sort. I got a cramp during this shot.
The sound of the creek is peaceful. The sound of bells of approaching cyclists, eh, not so much. However, it is better than getting ran over by these high-speeding cyclists. The thumps of runners behind you are also acceptable.
The route is well-shaded so bring a layer to take off once you warm up. Early hikers like me will also help clear the cobwebs for others. There were plenty. I am sure we will be back to do the hike to the falls, and clear some more cobwebs.
Safe hiking! Also, bring your mask in case you need to squeeze by other hikers and cannot keep 6 feet apart.
Happy to be done. I was looking forward to taking a nap.
It’s only a 17-minute walk from Van Ness. Let’s do it! It was a nice but warm day in San Francisco, and supposedly my ‘rest day.’ Nope, we got about 10,000 steps in to Kibatsu in the Upper Haight neighborhood of San Francisco. We had a 5:30 reservation to sit outside. After climbing up three blocks, we were so ready to eat after a few glasses of ice water and a sip of Sapporo for my Instafriend.
It has been about three months since I last had sushi. I got take out in Santa Cruz and it did the job. I do miss the Happy Roll from Shirasoni. I had that last on Easter this year. Kibatsu was a nice treat. When Instafriend asked what I wanted to eat for our first meet up since January, I immediately responded with ‘Sushi!’ My PP (Pandemic Partner) is particular about his sushi so we haven’t gotten any recently. On this rare outing and Instafriend being in town from Linden, California, I was able to get some girl time in and have one of my favorite cuisines.
Instafriend didn’t disappoint with her selection. Neither did Kibatsu! We ordered quite a bit! We had the the tuna poke with tempura seaweed to be used as chips. We had the butter fish appetizer, a deep fried goodness. The Cherry Bomb roll which were rice balls wrapped with tuna and a red sauce. I usually ask for a huge supply of ponzu sauce but none of these dishes needed additional flavors. The butter fish was hands down our favorite dish. It was so good we ordered two. For $9 a pop, I could have more! The poke was thinly sliced and red with flavor. Instafriend isn’t a big fan of seaweed but ate these up no problem. The Cherry Bomb was good but it was our least favorite.
We then followed up with the Super Crunch Roll. It was filled with unagi, topped with spicy salmon, tempura flakes and masago. I finally got to use the generous bowl of ponzu sauce. We were stuffed and enjoyed our outing. The service was attentive and friendly.
Covid related, the staff had masks on. Tables were mostly spread out. One table was moved by the guests that were seated there but the distance issue was resolved. You do have people walking the sidewalk next to you so be weary of that. I thought it was a fine experience given the pandemic. Instafriend said she had a new favorite sushi spot. Perhaps we’ll try the Chef’s tasting menu sometime.
Kibatsu 400 Haight Street, San Francisco Open 5-9 PM, Wed-Sat
Continue to support local, small businesses! Please wear your mask.
Attention, Hayward residents! If you didn’t get to tune the last two weekends to our events via Zoom with Hayward City Council candidate, Angela Andrews, you were missed! Our first Zoom on a Saturday afternoon was live from the Value Builders showroom in downtown Hayward. Behind the papered up windows lies a showroom of sunrooms and patio covers to touch and feel and envision for your backyard. I am their Project Manager. We had a good time.
The most recent Zoom was yesterday, September 6th from the patio at Buon Appetito. I worked as a Server there many years ago and to this day, their food is consistently good. We were able to chat briefly with Owners, Laura and Martino. I am thankful for their hospitality.
While on Buon Appetito‘s patio, we discussed Angela’s vision, experience and endorsements. Though not filmed, we also enjoyed salads and pizza afterwards. View the recording HERE.
I met Angela Andrews thru the Instagram account SoHaHood. It was Angela and another Hayward resident, Sharon, running the account. They promoted what was happening in Hayward, the initiatives and how to get involved. I was impressed these two ladies took the time out of their full time jobs to help promote their city. As a resident for over 15 years, I was clearly far behind. They inspired me.
Over time, Angela and I remained in touch. She would come over for get togethers, we went wine tasting in Sonoma and we also worked out together. Plus her mom! What great ladies. Angela is now a mother. She says she’s no superwoman but I am just taking care of myself and I don’t know how I would do it with a child, a family, a full-time job, on the planning commission and running for city council. I am impressed. Learn more about Angela Andrews at http://www.angelaforhayward.com
The city by the bay is not lacking in hills. If you can’t go to a gym during this pandemic, putting on your sneakers and heading out to San Francisco will cause you to work up a sweat. For a 7×7 city, you can go the distance, experience different climates and reach some decent elevation on foot. Here are two urban hikes we did this month.
The real reason we go to the city from the peninsula is for bread at Tartine in the Mission. My Pandemic Partner is a fan. When shelter-in-place started, it was our way to get out of the house to go for a drive and get some food. The weekly tradition continues. With an attempt to make some fitness progress by my birthday, I have convinced my PP to do something active with me while we’re out in The City.
The first hike this month was supposed to be just a walk around the neighborhood. I wanted some elevation and I definitely got what I wanted! Heading west from Dolores Park, we ran up stairs, pushed up hills, went down hills just to go back up more hills. It was a beautiful day and we started to get closer to the fog coming in. I didn’t hear any complaints of continuing so we climbed more stairs between apartment buildings leading up to Twin Peaks. He hates the wind but he ran up the stairs like a champ when we officially got to the park. I eventually made the run up myself as it was the last thing I had to do before reaching the peak.
The view was no view. It was just fog. And wind. I took a few quick photos and we made our way back. On the steep hills down, my legs were feeling a bit like jelly. I had to make sure I didn’t overdo it and took my time with each step. We avoided steep hills thankfully. I was ready to get back to the car. But it was worth it. You can’t go wrong with spontaneous adventure.
The next hike was less strenuous, planned and on a very, very warm day. We purposely left the city of Menlo Park to avoid being in a house without air conditioning. It was scheduled to be almost 100 degrees. No, thank you. If I’m going to be that hot, I’d rather be in Hawaii.
We made our usual stop at Tartine, picked up bread, iced coffees, pastries for the boys and did some work on a blanket in Dolores Park. After some progress was made, we made our way towards the Legion of Honor Museum and hiked along the coast towards the Sutro Baths ruins. The views were stunning and the paths wide enough to do a decent job of social distancing. On our way back, I jogged up a few hills. It was very warm and it was a good way to switch up the pace and get thru that incline.
San Francisco definitely has some beautiful spots. Please contact me should you need assistance with travel arrangements or an itinerary. Travel Agent here!
Though this fitness challenge just finished up its second week, it has been a journey. A journey filled with going to the farmers market, the grocery store, from computer to kitchen and fork from plate to mouth. Not a whole lot of traveling distance has been covered. But it has been tasty!
Sundays start with a trip to the farmers market in Palo Alto and a stop at Whole Foods Market. I bought another whole chicken from Roli Roti, vegetables and three buckets of strawberries. Oh, they smell so good.
This was the second time I bought a whole chicken. I opted out of not getting the potatoes this time. They were tasty, especially when they add their seasoning too it. Seeing all the chickens rotating will make your mouth water. However, I have to say it’s not very flavorful. I like to get the chicken to add protein to dishes and honestly, not have to make it myself. I will turn to protein alternatives this coming week. What’s your favorite way to add protein to your meals?
Grocery store visits will include lettuce, gala apples, old fashioned oats, bananas, milk, eggs, and usually some fish or red meat to throw on the grill. I started making overnight oats and it’s quite filling. Thanks to Pinterest for the idea! Mix milk, yogurt (I use Fage Greek yogurt), honey together well. Then add bananas and strawberries. Let it sit overnight. I honestly add some granola on top to add some texture and crunch. It’s filling and one bowl is good for breakfast and lunch for me. Yum!
Meatless Monday have been quite busy for me lately. I was thankful my Pandemic Partner made a tomato salad with tomatoes and basil from the farmers market and burrata and a baguette from Whole Foods! Delicious!
Tuesday’s lunch was a late one around 3 PM. I had a salad topped with leftover Roli Roti chicken and carrots. For dinner, I had the remaining overnight oats and baby carrots with hummus.
Breakfast and lunch on Wednesday was again overnight oats! It’s so easy! Dinner was not my best work but I did try and new recipe. We had sole fillets from Whole Foods. The egg, milk, lemon juice, olive oil, red onion and capers sauce was a bit off. I think I messed something up there. I don’t think it needed the dairy. Ooops! I ate it. Couldn’t waste food.
Thursday, I had the leftover fillet for lunch and yes, we had pizza for dinner. It has been several weeks since we have had Pizzeria Delfina. I honestly could put one of those prosciutto pizzas away. I took half of the pizza and put it on my plate. The rest remained in the box. And though it was delicious and my PP put his entire pizza away, I was satisfied. The pizza is also topped with arugula. It’s basically a salad, right???
Friday was a very hot day in the Bay Area. We escaped the peninsula heat to still be warm in San Francisco but a bit more doable. We bought a country loaf and pastrami sandwich to split for lunch in Dolores Park. I only had one slice of that delicious country loaf this past week. Oh, my weakness is bread and butter. So delicious! But, I had some control.
We also skipped their desserts. Oh, boy.
After a quick hike near the Legion of Honor museum, golf course and Sutro Baths, we went to Dumpling Time after we picked out beautiful pieces of meat at The Butcher Shop nearby. The beer and bacon sauce is absolutely to die for. It was the fourth time I have been there since early July. It’s delicious and the staff is so friendly. Get the tofu and pork and shrimp siu mai. We had BBQ pork buns, pork gyoza and the chili dumplings he likes. They are pretty spicy so most of it was his!
I have been tracking my macros via MyFitnessPal and only had one day where I slightly went over the recommended caloric intake. My PP has been working out with me every day. We do krav maga in the park on Tuesdays and he is liking doing BodyRock and FitOn videos with me at 5:30 PM. At first he’s hesitant and think they’ll be silly, but they really challenge him and I love seeing that sweaty, post-workout face. It might be better than my roommate’s! He may or may not have done a ballet workout with me. Shhhhh.
As for me, I feel good and feel like I am getting stronger. I am not lifting as heavy as I could in the gym but I am doing what I can. I normally would be on supplements and having a protein shake after workouts but I’m not doing that. Progress is slower than I would like and not having the extra help might be part of it. But I feel good. I feel stronger. Saturdays are weigh-in days. I added 1.2 pounds but lost more of a body fat percentage. I lost half an inch around my waist as well. I’ll take it!
Booty sweat. lOL.
Five more weeks to go until my birthday! Maybe I will aim to do another boudoir photoshoot with Angie!
*** UPDATE *** Join us on Saturday, September 5th at 11 AM for another opportunity. This time, we’ll be live from Buon Appetito.
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Hayward residents! Join us for a virtual meet and greet with Planning Commissioner turned City Council candidate, Angela Andrews, on Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 3 PM. We will be doing a Zoom House Party live from Value Builders in Downtown Hayward. Tune in to learn how she will make a difference in our community and what she has already done!
HERE is the Facebook event. Mark that you are Interested or Going to get the Zoom link to join in! I hope to see you online!
I personally met Angela thru SOHA Hood in an attempt to be more involved in my neighborhood. I have lived in Hayward for 18 years and have hopes my property value continues to increase in value. I am proud to support my stylish friend, Angela.
