Laguna Seca

Hello!

Trying to squeeze in this post in the few minutes Miranda might spend in her nap this morning.  I say might as I'm pretty sure she's not sleeping yet.  Crossing my fingers (and toes, and whatever else) that she'll just settle down already and drift off.  Jared's been gone for the bike race since Friday so it's just been me and the Bird.  I tell you, I have a whole new appreciation for you single parents out there!  You amaze me, I don't know how you do it!

Saturday morning I had planned to jet off early for Laguna Seca Raceway (Monterey area, like an hour and a half from here).  Mbird takes two naps a day so I figured she could sleep while I drove.  Thankfully she did...for the most part.  I had picked up some new goodies for her and had them strapped to her carseat for her to play with.  A neato silicone teether, a Haba pacifier chain with fabric and wood flower faces (cute), and I tossed in the "Peek a Who?" book in case she wanted to be bookish.  She's quite the bookish babe actually.

It was a beautiful day down there.  Kind of day you have to be careful of actually.  It feels cool and refreshing and mellow and you pass the day without care only to find you've been burnt to a crisp somehow.  That was me last year...  This year I had sunglasses and sunscreen and brought a hat for Miranda.

The race works like this: at noon on Saturday the gun goes off and riders make their way through a 15+ mile mountain bike course around Laguna Seca.  It takes around an hour to complete a lap.  When the first riders are coming in the second riders are ready to go - it's a relay, and you determine how many riders will be on your team.  Last year I think Jared had a team of 8.  This year it was whittled down to 5 (painful, yes).  Basically, teams are trying to accomplish the most amount of laps possible in 24hrs.  This is one those "why do people do these things to themselves?" sorts of things :o)  When I talked to Jared this morning he was getting ready to go for his 5th lap!  Poor guy!! (Not to mention Jared's eye injury from Thursday...what a week it's been let me tell ya.  If you want to see that check it here).

I'm ready for another set of hands on deck.  Come home anytime Jared!  In fact, why don't you head out for that 5th lap, but bike to your car instead and drive home? :o)  No one will suspect a thing...

Driving back to San Jose I was so struck by how gorgeous this place is.  I'll always be a Panama girl.  I'm from there, I grew up there, that's home (though it seems I rarely go back).  But I love California.  I really do.  There's just something so strongly satisfying in the landscape.  It's infected me & I don't think I ever want to leave.