A little Panama Appetizer..

It will take me a while to fully comprehend what a crazy, fun adventure I just came back from.  There are so many parts to this trip, and when I think back to it, I can't help but laugh!  So many funny things happened and it was SO much fun.  I loved it.  I will start to compose a real synopsis of everything, with pictures to accompany stories (329 pics total from the trip), but for now, here are a few pics - from the little hike Dave and I went on - to whet your appetite...

Sal Si Puedes!

Finally HERE!

I'd like you to move your eyes slightly above this post and get excited!!  My Panama countdown has just about expired!  In less than 24 hours, I will be on my way to Panama.  This has been in the works for months and I am more than ready for the day to be here!  I'm anticipating a very fun blog post with lots of pictures after the trip is all said and done.

I am almost all the way packed, which is quite a feat for me.  I'm always such a procrastinator when it comes to packing.  But I have gathered various items around my backpack all week now.  It's great that the biggest item that I have to pack are my trail-running shoes.  Everything else rolls up quite tightly!  Swim suits, beach dresses, shorts, tanktops.....  This is going to be a glorious 5 days.  My camera is fully charged and has a blank 2GB memory card ready to be filled.  And you know I'll fill it!


Itinerary:

• Leave Dulles airport at 6:37AM tomorrow.  
• Arrive in Panama City at 10:37AM local time.  
• Explore city for several hours.
  
• Take taxi to other Panama City airport.
• Hop on a domestic flight at 3:30PM.
• Arrive in Bocas Del Toro at 4:30PM.
• Call Gregario to meet us (our personal boat chauffeur).
• Buy groceries.
• Get in boat with luggage and groceries and have Gregario take us to our little house on our secluded beach.
• Do whatever we feel like for 5 days; lounge on the beach, read a book in a hammock, go hiking, kayaking, swimming, sleep, eat, repeat.
• Make return trip back to reality next Wednesday.  :(
• Arrive at Dulles airport at about 1AM Thursday morning

I'm expecting this trip to be full of adventure, relaxation, fun and awe, with lots of animal sightings - red dart frogs, sloths, alligators, monkeys, macaws, etc.  There is a national park that we can hike to from the back of our house.  We will have no access to our cell phones or the internet, and while it will be really weird not being 'connected', I'm actually looking forward to leaving everything about reality behind.  No more technology!  The house is run on solar power, so no blow dryer for me.  Also, the running water is actually rain water collected and filtered.  Very cool.  

I can hardly contain my excitement!  Here is a little video so you can accurately imagine where I will be.  ENJOY and bon voyage!!

An 'OFF' Day

I should have known that Wednesday would have turned out to be just a really odd day when I encountered a surprise in the bathroom during the early wee hours that morning (well, ok. 'Wee' being 10 minutes to 7AM)....

I sleepily wandered in to my bathroom after viewing the weather on tv (as is my routine), flipped on the light, took care of 'business', looked at my tired face in the mirror, then went to pull back the shower curtain and turn the water on when,   BAM!  2 measly inches away from my eyeball was a huge gigantic spider!!  AAAH!  I believe I let out a little shriek.  I quickly ran in to my bedroom to get my weapon - my walking shoe.

*** POUND! SQUISH! ***

Sucker was dead.  And just for good measure, I flushed him.  I hadn't really encountered bugs in my place before.  I live on the second floor (with nobody above me) and have been pretty lucky in a bug-free condo.  So it really surprised and shocked me.  I haven't had to kill a spider in a long time.  I thought that maybe it got in through a hole in a window screen or something -- my A/C has been broken, so I've left my windows open all day and night for a couple of weeks now.  I HATE spiders, though!  So creepy.  Gives me the shivers.

Because of that spider debacle, I found I was running a bit late once I got out of the shower (or maybe I took an extra-long shower to wash off my leftover creepy spider-shivers and chills), so I ended up not blow-drying my hair.  I tried to go for the care-free beachy look.  Like barely wavy, crunchy-with-ocean-salt-water tousled hair.  You know.  Like the Victoria Secret swimsuit models.  Yeeeaaaaahhh.  Not so much.  My hair just likes to go limp-straight.  But too late!  I had to go to work like that.  And to top it off, my face broke out just a couple of days before, so the dried-skin blemish-bumps were apparent on my chin.  No amount of cover-up can solve that problem.

My co-worker Kathleen and I decided to go out to lunch that day, since it had been a while since we had left the office during the day.  While we walked to our routine and comfortable restaurant of choice, we passed by some outside-diners.  I heard a guy say, "Excuse me" very softly.  I kept walking.  I heard him say it again, so I turned around and slid my sunglasses down my nose to look clearly.  Yes, he was talking to me, as he was looking right at me.  To my shock, he said, "You look very beautiful".      (!!!!!!!)

Now, any normal person would have said thank you or acknowledged his statement.  But me?  No.  My immediate reaction was that his assessment of me was completely absurd.  I laughed like he was an idiot, turned around, and allowed myself a little *huff* and said "thanks" under my breath.  My laughter at his comment quickly turned to laughter at my reaction.  What does my reaction say about me, I wondered?  And besides my qualms about my own appearance, how rude of me!  Poor guy.  What a nice, unexpected gesture and comment he gave to a stranger, only to be laughed at in his face like he was some weirdy.

After lunch, Kathleen and I strolled over to Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Along our way, we ran in to several news crews.  Game 7 Playoffs for the Washington Capitals was going on that night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  There was a lot of hype and excitement around, and all the major TV networks were there trying to capture it.  We walked past people giving interviews and I commented to Kathleen at how different an interview looked in person as compared to on TV.  That camera is really RIGHT there.  In your face.  Then the shove of the microphone up to your mouth.  How uncomfortable.

Besides a tour bus letting off a whole gaggle of old ladies who clogged the sidewalk (which honestly didn't bother me -- but they seemed so intimidated by being in the middle of the city!), we made it in and out of the store without incident.  On our way past the Verizon Center, however, the local NBC news crew stopped us.  "Do you know what's going on tonight?" the dude asked me.  "Yeah, Game 7", I replied.

NBC Dude:  Do you know who they're playing?

Me:  The Pittsburgh Penguins.  Caps are gonna win.  No problem.

NBC: Oh Yeah?

Me:  Yes, definitely.

NBC:  Well, you know what -- the Caps are gonna need more than just a lucky rabbit's foot to win this one.  You know what they'll need?

------------------------- I look at what he's holding - it's a baseball hat with a little stuffed rabbit in it ---------------------

Me: Uh, a whole rabbit?

NBC: CUT!  OK, there is some timing to humor, you know?  I want you to pick the rabbit out of the hat and say it again.

Me:  OK............................ ?

NBC: Can you put your shopping bag down?

----------------- It is at this point that I realize the camera is actually recording.  And it is really only about 3 inches away from my face.  I feel my face burning up; turning red --------------------------------

NBC:  You know what more the Caps will need besides just a lucky rabbit's foot?

Me:  The whole rabbit!  (as I pluck the rabbit out of the hat and hold it up)

NBC:  Ok, one more time.

Me:  *under my breath*  really?

NBC:  You know a lucky rabbit's foot won't be enough.  The Caps will need..............

Me:  A whole rabbit!

Mercifully we were allowed to go on our way after the TAKE 3!.  But I was mortified.  Really?  Today of all days I'm on TV?  With my crazy hair and blemished face?!?  And forced to play to the most idiotic joke ever.  Oh man.  Not good.  A few minutes later a bunch of shaved-head dudes asked what the newscaster guy made me say.  I guess they walked by during the little 'skit'.  And they were laughing.  And they were hot.  :(  Then a homeless man shouted, "Wow!  Good-looking LADIES!" as we walked by.  What is with this day?!??

That evening I had a session with my personal trainer.  I was sure to watch the news before I headed over, and luckily my little personal CAPS clip wasn't good enough to be streamed on to the local NBC news.  Embarrassment avoided! That whole fan montage was the most moronic thing I'd ever seen.  So I was grateful my clip did not share in the airing of it.  With a lighter step in my stride, I made my way to the gym.  Half-way through, my trainer said, "Why is this hard for you?  You're usually such a beast and barrel through everything.  I don't understand why you're struggling."  ME:  :(  He was sure to make me feel good about myself by the time we were done, though.  Like a good trainer should.

I headed home and checked my cell only to find that my buddy who moved back to his hometown of Pittsburgh PA had texted me with the score of the game - Pens were up 4-0.  Sheesh!!  I got home to watch the rest of the CAPS slaughter and endure the constant taunts of my friend.  What a nightmare!  And I skipped watching the season finale of LOST to pay attention to this joke of a game.  I got in bed with an overall feeling of defeat for the entire day.  World, 1.  Me, 0.  Time to sleep and start over.

But WAIT!  I'm about to reach for the switch to turn out my lamp when out of the corner of my eye, I see this movement of something HUGE.  My head whips around and I see the most gigantic house centipede I have ever seen!!!  Go ahead.  Click on the link.  Learn all about them.  SO GROSS!!!!!!!  Supposedly they eat spiders.  Yeah, that's all well and good if they weren't as creepy or MORE creepy than a spider!!  And obviously this disgusting monstrous beast wasn't doing its job this morning in my bathroom!!  Ew, EW, EW!  And of course it's right up near my ceiling.  My ceilings are high.  So I ran out to get the folding chair to stand on.  But no.  Even then, I'm not tall enough.  And I'm not getting on top of my dresser and getting THAT close to it.  So I run out of my room again to get my Raid.  I start spraying like a mad-woman.  Holy FREAK!  That thing can move!  It scurried down the wall, and again, using my trusty walking shoe, I SMACKED it!  This time it was more of a shriek that came out of my mouth.  It was a full-blown scream as I whacked it.

The result?

It was sickening.  That was it, I decided; no more open windows.  I don't care how hot it gets.  I sprayed Raid around all the windows and shut them down tight.  And that was the end to my day.  I could have done without any of it, to tell the truth.  To start and end my day with disgusting creatures.  UGH!  I HATE bugs!  I get so scared to kill them.  What if when I'm about to strike, I miss and they jump on me and attack?  Terrifying!  I am definitely a typical girl when it comes to this stuff.  I get better with practice, but like I said, I haven't even had to kill a bug in my condo in the last 9 months.  And really, who WANTS the practice?  Where's a man when I need him?  Getting married is worth it -- just to have a bug-killer around and someone to take out the trash.

PS - I found out the next day that my A/C was fixed on Tuesday.  But nobody seemed to bother to tell me.

The whole "running" thing

My whole life, I've hated running.  I have short stumpy legs that are not ideal for any sort of speed or endurance.  I can do quick spurts like sprints, but that's it -- and those sprints are still not very fast.  I grew up playing soccer, which is a sport that is all about the quick spurts (at least when you play defensive full-back).  I've never been able to really keep my legs continuously moving for longer than about a mile and a half before my energy and breath putter out.

BUT - running gets your entire body in shape.  Perhaps better than any other high-cardio activity (and jump-rope, probably!).  So I have tried to improve my running and simultaneously tried to enjoy it.  Since I've started meeting with a personal trainer on a regular basis, I've been really pushed to try new things and he has made me realize that I have abilities that I was never aware of or too scared to acknowledge.  So I made myself get on that treadmill instead of the elliptical machine and pound out some miles.  It really has been a challenge for me!  At first, I became very winded very quickly and REALLY bored.  At least on the elliptical I could read my book!  But slowly I have improved and am now able to go longer distances and pick up the pace.  If I set the TV to a channel I can watch and be entertained without sound and have my iPod blaring in my ears with music that pumps me up, my boredom holds off for a longer period of time.

Recently, I've taken to running outside.  I was a little iffy on this one, as the terrain is not level, nor is there a big rubber belt underneath my feet to force me to move them and propel me forward.  Surprisingly though, it's super enjoyable!  The constant change of scenery is stimulating (no more boredom!) and I still have my iPod blaring in my ears to keep me motivated.  AND! - when running outside, I can use the Nike+ addition to my iPod.  This is actually a pretty cool thing.  I like to hear my progress as I'm running ("You've gone 1 mile and have 3 miles to go") and I've recently signed up for some challenges on their website to keep me motivated.  You can see my progress if you scroll down to the bottom of my blog.  My username is "MLEZ RUN".  I've also set a personal goal for myself, apart from the challenges (although I'm not sure I'll succeed in completing one of my 2 challenges, nor meeting my goal, as Panama is stuck right in the middle of this timeline).

One thing I have noticed lately after running outside, is that my knees hurt.  Maybe it is because I am running up and down hills and there is different pressure on them.  Not sure.  But it's annoying.  I'm thinking I'll have to take a day off and just hit the gym machines so the knees can settle.

Long story short, I am determined to be a runner!  And maybe I'll eventually be brave enough to sign up for a 5K.  Keep me to my word, please.  I'm likely to back out.

Ah, the joys of Home

A couple of weeks ago I was able to take a few days off of work and travel home to Gig Harbor, WA for Matt's mission farewell. It was certainly a quick trip, but it was SO worth it! I flew in Thursday evening and promptly challenged Matt to an arm wrestling match soon after we walked in the front door. I've been working out a lot lately and I had convinced myself that I had gotten stronger than him again. The last several years, Matt's been able to beat me in our arm wrestling matches without much trouble and it has really been annoying to me! I'm supposed to be stronger than my younger brother! I don't care that he's an adult man now. :)

So this time I was ready to take him down. I had read up on some tricks of arm wrestling, and Matt immediately noticed my different stance and hold. He wasn't getting tricked by me! So the countdown started. ... GO! I definitely held my own on the left side, but finally gave out because my elbow was digging in to the countertop and it hurt (I know -- LAME!). So then came the right. No contest! Matt took me down with little effort. DANGIT! But I was not ready to give up. How about a leg wrestle? OK. Again, similar story. Matt schooled me on the right, but this time on the left, I flipped his body over no problem! Boost of pride for me. We did other sorts of strength competitions throughout the evening, and overall, Matt was the victor. I think we put on a good show for the rest of the family, and I was just happy that I was able to beat him in at least ONE thing! So until next time.......... I'm imagining another match-up in about 2 years after Matt comes back from his mission. He'll be a softie after getting over-fed in the mission field and I'll be a beast (but a feminine one) and finally put him to shame. This is my new 2-year goal. ;)

The rest of the visit was super enjoyable. Friday afternoon, we all met my dad near his work for lunch. I always love when I have an excuse to go out to lunch while I'm at work, so I thought Dad would appreciate us all coming to hang out. It's always fun to hang out with my family. We make eachother laugh and we really do enjoy eachother's company. Bonus: The food was super yummy!

Saturday I mowed my parent's front lawn. I hadn't mowed the lawn in YEARS! Matt and I also spent a lot of time out in the backyard playing 'ball' with Seth. He's a coordinated little guy! He's going to be great at playing sports. It was nice to spend a good amount of time in the sunshine.

Sunday was a good day. Matt gave his farewell talk in church and he did a great job! After church we had the most yummy home-made lasagna for lunch and then hosted an open house for people to come and visit and say goodbye to Matt. Of course there was TONS of food and treats and I felt like a cow grazing all day in the kitchen. I don't think I felt hungry once that day. Just kept eating.

Had to take some fun pics with Grandma at the Open House!

Monday rolled around and I felt super yucky. I've gotten myself used to eating smaller portions and low-calorie foods, as well as working out almost every day. (Panama, here I come!) So I decided to take myself out for a run after all the binge-eating. I strapped on my armband which holds my Nike + iPod, so I was good to go. I set myself up to burn 500 calories, and off I went! Besides being plagued with the massive amounts of yellow pollen blinding my eyes and caking my lips, it felt awesome to be out and active. A local water delivery truck passed me soon after I started out, and 45 minutes later, passed me again. This time he slowed down and started pacing me. I finally looked over and here was this guy with a HU-AGE smile on his face, leaning out his window with a bottle of water for me. That was fun. :) And then when my iPod told me I was done with my work out, the voice of Lance Armstrong came on and said, "Good work! This was your longest work out yet!" So I was feeling pretty awesome. Thanks Lance.

Half an hour later, we all headed over to my grandma's house to get to work on her front yard. Wow! It really needed some help. I weed-whacked around all the bushes, Matt mowed the lawn and I raked up the clippings. Julie had to walk along-side Matt while he mowed because the grass was so long that the lawn mower wheels would squish it down and the blades couldn't cut it. So Matt would roll the lawn mower forward, back up, wait for Julie to rake the lawn up again, then run over it again. Mom was attending to various other things in the yard like weeding and planting a new bush. All in all, it took us about 3 hours to get it finished. Whew! I was glad we could do that for Grandma.

The fun continued with a big bonfire in my parent's backyard where we roasted hotdogs for dinner and marshmallows for S'mores. My cousin Chris drove his car around to our backyard to see what was going on. Typical of him. He usually drives up to our front door, but he saw the smoke from the bonfire, so just went around to the back. Seth thought that was pretty cool.

The last day I was there we took a trip down to the Purdy Spit. I used to hang out here a lot in High School. My friends and I would build bonfires and spend hours just shooting the Sh**. It's about 2 miles away from my parent's house. The day was beautiful once again, so we spent a good amount of time throwing rocks in the ocean and taking pictures. :)

All in all, a most successful and happy trip home! I miss it.

And now for the Grand Finale......

The most glamorous Rock-Skipper EVER!

You just try and duplicate that one! Haha