MinaG: March 2010

Universal Studios!

Teachers get very few perks, but earlier last month we did go to Universal Studios for free by showing our employee ID.

The Universal CityWalk has lots of colorful signs for various shops and restaurants.

We started our visit with the tram ride, which gave us an overview of the park and a glimpse at various outdoor movie sets. Universal Studios is a working movie studio, here was a scene which used parts of an actual 747 to simulate a plane crash. It was a shocking scene to say the least.

The seats of the plane are visible from this view, it gave me the shivers.

Waterworld the movie was a bomb, but this live show is a blast. Major stunts and pyrotechnics made it really dynamic.

We also enjoyed the special effects show and the live animal show. It was a gorgeous day as well.

Krash! Anna sure knows a photo op when she sees one.

Afterwards we went to one of our favorite family dining spots, Bubba Gump Shrimp. They have something for all of us to enjoy in a relaxed atmosphere.

Yum, a nice way to end a fun day.

Prior to the Marathon

A couple days before the marathon we went to Dodger Stadium to pick up our racing bibs, t-shirts and race info. Yumi joined us for the fun. The LA Marathon sponsors rolled out the red carpet and made this expo an event, the vendors were top notch and they gave plenty of samples including those for various sports drinks, and the new Salonpas.

What a great view from the stadium parking lot! (I'm wearing the original Salonpas on my wrist, which I prefer to the new.)

Anna and Sam didn't miss out on the fun and tried these fancy foot massagers.

Afterwards we went to Little Tokyo and enjoyed ramen for dinner. It was a Friday evening and we hit very little traffic. It made for an enjoyable start to the weekend!

LA Marathon 2010

Steve and I and our friend Jen left Orange County at the wee hour of 3 a.m. to arrive in Santa Monica early, to catch a shuttle over to the Dodger Stadium for the start of the Los Angeles Marathon. The kids were covered: Yumi spent the night, and Mama came over later in the morning to take the kids out for lunch and a treat. By 4:30 am we were at the stadium and got to rest our feet for a bit before the big race which started at 7:45 am.

On your mark... get set... go! 25,000 runners set off, and what a course it was. The "Stadium to the Sea" route showcased some of L.A.'s finest landmarks: City Hall, Walt Disney's Concert Hall, the Chinese Theater, Rodeo Drive, and finally the Santa Monica Pier.

The course was quite hilly at the beginning but we stayed motivated with bands and entertainment at almost every mile, plus with tons of fan support. The enthusiasum of the spectators was infectious, the screams of support, the multitude of posters... one sign that stood out said, "Pain is temporary, your time on the internet is forever." The weather stayed pretty cool and never went past the 70's.

Steve was in fine running form and ran non-stop, using the course support for fluids throughout. As you can see he had a very impressive time, his training truly paid off.

What a proud moment!

I finished an hour later than Steve. A leg cramp had me run/walking from mile 20 on. Still, I was determined to complete the 26.2 miles!

Wow, fortunately the last several miles was at a gradual decline, and with the cool ocean breezes, there was relief at crossing the finish line!

Despite the discomfort, I had a fun day! The photographers did a nice job, and we will be purchasing some of these photos!

We walked back to Mari and Rob's house, where we had parked our car. Here you can see the window sign that greeted us in the morning when we arrived. Thank you!

We were in an extra happy mood as it was Jen's first marathon! Yea, Jen! We were all smiles here but were feeling the pain for a few days later, limping around and favoring the sore legs. But as the sign said, the pain was temporary, and now we are looking forward to future races!

HB Kite Party

Last weekend we went to the Annual Huntington Beach Kite Party, the weather was perfect: sunny, breezy and cool. There were lots of gorgeous, colorful flyers. We especially enjoyed watching the Revolution Kites in action. It amazing how these kites can be maneuvered in the air. We spent quite a while at the beach, Steve even got a little rest in there. Enjoy!

The Royal Princess and Her Court

Julia came over for a visit, accompanied by her parents and Rob's sister Sue.

Open House

Anna's Open House came early this year, here is a glimpse of all that we enjoyed this special evening. Here is Anna with her lovely teacher Ms. Gina.

Here's Anna's Psalm to the Lord.

Her classmates are chuckling at the baby photo display.

Anna and Audrey.

Rachel and Anna.

We are posing next to Anna's charcoal windmill drawing that was displayed with other artwork in the gymnasium. Great work!

Anna was featured in a lot of the P.E. photos, see the rainbow socks?

What beautiful projects that are displayed on your desk, Anna! We are proud of you! Thanks for a wonderful time at your Open House!

Matching

A Belated Birthday Post

For her birthday celebration Anna chose to have a family hotel stay, we stayed at the Grand Californian adjacent to California Adventure and had an excellent time. Yumi met up with us in the evening for the Disneyland parade. It all went too fast, too soon. Enjoy!