Twinkle Toes

I don't take very good care of my feet. I never have. I wear shoes that hurt just because they are cute. I get blisters all the time. 1/2 of my big toenail fell off about a month ago. I think maybe from running a lot or bad shoes... or both. I have perma-dirt that gets into my super-callused heals that I can never get rid of all the way. And the list goes on. I have been lucky not to have any problems with my feet, but they are not pretty.

My supervisor, Lynne, told me I should get a pedicure. It seemed like too much work. I hate the thought of becoming high maintenance due to money and time. I don't like to pay people to cut my hair, let alone mess with my feet. I also really don't like the idea of making someone look at and touch my feet.

It kept appealing to me more and more though as I looked at my ugly toes sticking out of my sandals daily, and yesterday I finally broke down. I got my first pedicure. I sprung for the deluxe for an extra $10. It was so worth it. I am kind of ticklish, so I was a bit afraid she wasn't going to be able to do everything she needed to do. It was just fine though. I jerked unintentionally only a couple of times.

As I sat in the massaging chair, watching the large, HD TV on the wall right in front of me, a very nice lady worked on my feet. She didn't even wince at all. Even after she had a small mountain of gray, dead skin she took off of them. Ew! She fixed all of my cuticles, pulled the dead skin off my blisters, filed the nails, sanded the calluses, and then the deluxe part started.

I was wearing short pants, so she worked all the way up to both knees. It felt heavenly. It started with some oils that she massaged in, then she exfoliated, next came the hot mud pack, then I got some more oils, mosturizers and massaging. She worked out so many kinks in my feet. It felt so nice. And then, of course, the paint.


I wanted rhinestone hearts, so she made them and then painted on a butterfly. I was amazed by the detail. She even gave him antennae. She was great!


I can't remember a time my feet were this smooth, clean, and soft. It's so nice.

Kingpin Queen

Or not... A few weeks ago, a new co-worker mentioned something about bowling in passing. Of course I had to mention that I bowled for Weber State. Who, in my position, wouldn't? I don't so eagerly mention that I was simply a warm body so the girls team stopped getting DQ-ed due to lack of players and that my teammates hated me because I sucked so bad. Selective disclosure is my key for appearing so damn cool. Ha! So she said she was on a league and would ask the head peeps of the league if there were any openings for me. I was stoked. I've never been on a league before.

The next day she told me that one of the team's members was in jail, and I could bowl in his place. Woohoo! My team members were three 20-something, thuggish dudes with a team name High Bowlers. I didn't mind though. They were very fun and nice. I showed up that Thursday night and bowled 3 games for the first time in 8 years. Wow, I was rusty. I was all over the lane. I had to rediscover my marks because I had completely forgotten them. Considering this, I did okay and developed an average of 125.

The next week I came again, threw a few practice balls, and discovered someone bailed "CC" out of jail! WTF?!?! I joked around with him about how his team liked me better and other crap. I am pretty sure I made an enemy. He seemed a bit cranky. Maybe they weren't so nice to him in jail. With no other slots open on any of the teams, I went home. I was bummed.

The next week, I was told there was another spot for me. When I got there I discovered I had permanent spot with a team called the Splitaphors. I was right on time, so I didn't have time to warm up. The first ball I threw was a strike. My team captain, Tamera, said, "Oh goodie! We need you!" Meanwhile I was sad she was getting her hopes up. I did okay that night, but don't think I lived up to the hopes of my first frame. I ended the night with a 120 average.

Tonight was my second night playing with my new team. This was the first night they were all there - we had a sub last week. There's Tamera, Pete, Geoff, and me (the anchor). The anchor is supposed to be just that. They throw last and are usually the strongest player. It can also be used ironically to mean the guy who sinks the ship. I'm not sure which one I am yet.

By some seemingly random twists and turns, I ended up with a team of complete strangers that fits me perfectly. We are 4 mediocre, inconsistent (even sporadic), sarcastic, sharp tongued, fun-loving bowlers. I had a blast tonight. I bet we are the only team that heckles their own teammates, but it's so much fun to do!

Tonight I got a 7, 8, 6, 10 split. It was ugly.


Don't ask me how I did it. I blamed the idiot that came up with our team name. Really guys, Splitaphors? What, was Gutter Lovers already taken? Needless to say, I didn't pick it up. I got the 7 and 8 while trying to get the 6 and the 10. Yeah, that's the kind of special bowler I am.

With the help of a teammate and a really cool old guy from the team we were competing against, I got some helpful little pointers that made a big difference in my game. Oh, and I picked up a 7 pin for a spare, which I is my most common single pin to leave that I can NEVER pick up. Yay!

The 4th of July

I started the day by going over to my brother's and seeing my newest nephew. It had been since my mom's party that I'd seen him, and I missed him so much. I didn't get any pictures because I was just too busy holding him and watching him smile. He's such a doll. Emily has tons of pictures of him on their blog though.

After I left their place, I met my mom for some shopping. We spent a couple of hours at Kohl's and got some great deals. I have worn something new every day this week so far. I LOVE shopping, and my mom is my favorite person to shop with. We both have about the same pace, and I never feel rushed with her. I hate being rushed when I shop, and it makes it not worth it. If anything I rush her, but I think we're a pretty good shopping team.

Then I met up with Dillon, Nolan and Heather at Nolan and Heather's place. We went to the same place we went to watch fireworks last year. We had all of us that were there last year plus Chance the dog. Chance is a really old, timid lab mix that Nolan and Heather watch from time to time.

(whose ridiculously flat ass is invading this shot?!?!)

As soon as people started lighting off loud fireworks in the park, Chance got really scared. He started shaking profusely. Poor guy. Nolan took him home and never came back. :-(

Just as last year, we watched the sun set.


Also, just as last year, Doug was all the rage. There was this little baby that was especially enamored with him and was not the least bit afraid of him either. She was precious.


I set up my little tripod on a cooler Nolan and Heather brought. My fireworks setting on my camera has a really long shutter speed to capture the light as it travels, but I can't hold it still enough to get a good shot. I was way excited with the tripod setup , but then some jackass' head was in almost all of my shots and toward the end, he sat up on his feet making himself even more cumbersome to shoot around. I tried asking him to move, but he didn't (wouldn't) hear me.

Despite that guy's stupid head, I got a lot of good shots this year - especially compared to last year. I have so many I am posting them to their own post.

Heather and I thought last year's show was better though. We kept saying, "It is a down economy, you know." This is likely the last year for the state/city funded fire work shows in Utah. That's a bit sad. Maybe I will go up there again next year just to watch the country club's display. It was much better anyway even though I didn't get any pics of that one.

*\ /* FIREWORKS *\ /*

Pathetically Sore

Dillon and I met Heather and Nolan at Sugar House Park on Friday. They were going to work out with their personal trainer friend. He ended up not being able to make it, but Nolan, Heather and I worked out anyway.

Nolan has been working out really hard for a while now. He and Heather have a bunch of workout gear like medicine balls and various bands. We didn't do that much and Nolan considered it a terrible workout, but it kicked my butt. I was still pretty sore on Monday.

We started by throwing a medicine ball in a triangle to each other while sitting with our legs off the ground, catching it, going down and doing a sit up and then throwing it again. We did this for about 20 sit-ups each. We did intervals of 30, 45 then 60 seconds of a plank exercise on our elbows and toes with 30 seconds in between. Only Nolan made it the entire 60 seconds. Nolan and I did sumo squats with a medicine ball while the other one did lunges - 3 reps of 20. We did a sideways run with our legs banded with a bungee thing. I couldn't really get the hang of that one and tripped on my second rep switching direction. My outer leg kind of snapped back in and stepped on my other one and fell trying to pick the other one up to step. I did finish it with a summersault and a "Superstar" pose though. Dillon and Heather got a bit of a chuckle from it. They like to laugh when I fall. Nolan was too busy working out to see it or I am sure he would have also. We tossed a medicine ball back and forth with chest passes. Nolan was chucking it pretty hard and it was just a bit too far for me so it was really tiring. We finished with a little foot race and Nolan totally kicked my butt. I want a rematch though 'cause my legs were like jello by the time we did this.

I wanted to do so some cardio so I decided to run around the park once. We were early so Dillon and I had clocked it in the car before at just about exactly 1.5 miles. Nolan pointed out that from where we were, it would be a big uphill at the end as he pointed to the downhill on the left of where we were standing. "That's okay," I said, "I'll just go the other way." He got the funniest look on his face before we both started cracking up. The sad thing is that I was serious when I said it. Silly Cerra. It was not my best run to say the least. The hills in that park are so steap, I couldn't run up or down them. And I got a reminder of why I don't like to run in public. Oh yeah, and I got passed by a 110 year old man - just sad. Oh well, it was still a run and better than not doing it at all.

So I think Nolan should be a personal trainer. I would hire him to make me sore as hell once a week.