Last Week of Summer

Although we, who live in Southern California, are blessed to pretty much have summer'ish weather year round, today marks the end of summer. Perhaps its because its getting dark at 7:15p now, school is starting back up and all the kids I know are headed back to school or my teacher friends are headed back to work this week, seemed like everyone was wearing white at church on Sunday or tv shows are done with reruns and season premieres are being advertised. I think for me in alot of ways there is the combined sadness of the end of summer with the end of a 2 year chapter of my life.

Either way this was the last week of summer so despite everything that was going on have a few fun things to blog about.

Rallied for a last summer Taco Tuesday at the newly rebuilt Sharkeez in Hermosa Beach. Taco Tuesday is year round, but if you recall from my blog last year, we mainly went during the summer. Wow I've been blogging for at least a year. Susie - are you impressed?

So here are Claire and Jen riding bikes to Taco Tuesday. Yep I'm biking and taking pictures. Probably not the safest thing but I do it all the time and there aren't any laws against it or $20 fines yet.

Of course had to take a pic with the Taco Tuesday specials. I think I have a shot of Dana with one from last year.

New friend (Renee) - Renee was Sarah's Assistant Principal at ESMS this past year and through all the meetings about Sarah's school stuff and events over the summer, we've started hanging out.

A first Taco Tuesday for everyone but Jen. See my signature Taco Tuesday drink - large watermelon margarita on the table. Nice catch on the Facebook pic, Dana.

Jen and Taylor organized an Epic Long Bike Ride for Labor Day. 44 miles from Torrance Beach to Will Rogers State Beach. So while the rest of the nation opted to NOT labor, here's what we did.

What possessed them?

Well for those who bike, run or walk The Strand (for those who don't, its a paved path that borders the sand which borders the Pacific Ocean that runs the South Bay (Redondo, Hermosa, Manhattan, El Segundo), you've probably seen these numbers on the ground. Well they decided they wanted to ride it from the start (Torrance Beach) until it ended (Will Rogers State Beach).

So just to be honest I only rode 28 miles (so put an 8 in place of that first 0) as I started from El Segundo. Needed a bit of extra sleep and was lazy and didn't want to drive my car down to Torrance.

Here's the "laboring" group. Some started in Torrance at 0.00 and a few of us started in El Segundo at 8.00. We left here around 9:30 a.m.

After a few stops, we made it to our destination around 11:45 a.m. Stopped for a little rest, energy and water replenishment, bathroom break and turned around and headed back with a stop at C&O Trattoria for lunch and a few carbs... Ended in El Segundo at 3:00 p.m.

So 28 miles (especially 44 miles) sounds a bit daunting and bordering on crazy but really it wasn't that bad. I've done the ride to Santa Monica a few times and this was only 4 miles past Santa Monica. The path is pretty flat as well and we were going at a cruiser pace so all in all it was a great way to spend Labor Day.