time with the teen

between the job and the boyfriend, the teen is a busy girl these days.  i feel like we don't get to hang out very much at all anymore, which makes me sad.  on the other hand, i'm happy for her that she's so busy and having fun with people - you know, other than her mother.  heh.

we did have the opportunity to spend some quality time together last week when we decided to take on a trail run we'd seen on our last breakfast with the ILs.  we'd spied people who were parking in the lot adjacent to the airport near the fairplex and taking off on foot or on bikes, and had made a mental note to check it out ourselves.  so after dropping off the bean at school one day, we hopped in the car and headed to pomona.

it started off with a quick jog down some cracked pavement.

as we scampered along, we had to decide between continuing along the path or veering off into the trails.  i'd googled and seen that we were on the edge of nearby bonelli park, where lots of trail runs and triathlons are held.  feeling up for an adventure, the teen opted to do a little hiking.

i hate hills.  this was the face i made as i trudged along behind her.

it was a dead end though, and we came to a halt at the top.  at least we got a pretty view.

heading back to the pavement, we found this at what we thought was the end:

we started to jog down the trail, but found that the recent rains had left a whole lot of mud and ickiness.  we went about as far as we thought was safe, but once we hit a really big puddle that we couldn't walk around, we gave up and headed back.

horsey!

we'd barely gone a mile at this point, so we thought maybe we'd try a different trail that wasn't as shaded, which meant less mud.

i had to laugh when the teen said "it looks like we're in scotland or something.  there should be bagpipes playing in the background."  neither of us really knows what scotland looks like.

we'd seen bunnies and squirrels along the way, but when we spied a coyote scampering across the trail in front of us, we threw in the towel and turned around again.  although there was one more trail that led up to this thing:

so we took it.  hey, it added another half mile to our total.

following the trail behind it led us to the edge of a neighboring golf course, down the hill and dumped us right in front of the parking lot.  we hadn't even done a full three miles, but we were sweaty and sore from the sun and the hills.  haha, we're such wusses.

but we'd had fun, and i'd gotten to spend time with my girl.  that's all that matters, right?

a league of my own

confession: i always wanted to be a sorority girl.

yeah, yeah, i know. probably not much of a shocker to most of you. but with the path i'd chosen for myself all those years ago, the opportunity was never available to me. and so i employed my own twisted version of an old cliche - if you can't join 'em, just make fun of 'em. you know, kind of like a little boy who teases a little girl and yanks on her pigtails because he likes her? although of course, i never had any little boys who liked me. and i didn't have pigtails either, because my father was a barber who constantly chopped my hair into this godawful bowl cut that required zero maintenance.

whoa. talk about going off on a tangent. heh.

anyway, i was half-assedly listening to the radio last week when a commercial caught my attention. "the junior league of pasadena is holding open houses for new prospective members..." and then it went on to give their website.

i punched in the address, hit "enter," and perused the various pages. i read their mission statement, pored over the membership requirements and benefits, eyeballed the pictures of past events and various causes and volunteering opportunities. and i was intrigued. it was totally like a sorority! and i wasn't too old and crusty to be a part of it! i finally got my chance! [dancing a jig]

then i noticed the list of dates for their open house events - with one scheduled for that very evening. i dropped the hub a quick e-mail to see if he was going to be home early enough to come and hang out with the bean and the teen, and he was. yay! so i RSVP'd online, closed the window, and went on with my day.

i'd told the teen that it was up to her - she could either come with me and see what it was all about, because i'd love for her to be involved if possible, or she could chill at home with the hub and the bean. in the end, she chose to come with me, and the other two tagged along, dropping us off and heading off to parts unknown for the next hour-ish. the league's headquarters was in a cute little house in a quiet part of pasadena.

we walked inside, checked in at the desk, and took ourselves on a little tour of the first floor. when i saw the snacks and beverages, i knew this was my kinda crowd.

the teen was bored stiff, spending most of her time covertly text-messaging her friends while i mingled with the others, meeting current members and others who were there to learn about the group like i was. she smiled and introduced herself to everyone who came over, while shooting me "i'm gonna kill you, mom" looks as they turned away.

we all gathered in the main room, took seats, and listened to the presentation by the league's president and several committee chairs. i was totally inspired - this looks like a great group of women, friendly and cheerful, and the league has accomplished quite a lot in the community in the 80+ years it's been in existence.

we left as soon as it was over, although i eyed the group (and all those snacks, ha) wistfully as we exited the house. the hub and the bean were waiting for us across the street, and the first thing i saw when i got in the car was this:

sweet (pun intended)! the hub isn't a huge fan of cake, but he knows the teen and i love dot's. awwww, he's a keeper.

we stopped at pei wei to grab a quick dinner and then headed home to enjoy it. as soon as we got home, i busted that box open to check out what treats were in store for us:

two red velvet, a mint chocolate, and pumpkin. mmmmmm. it was a lovely way to end a fun evening.

well, fun for me, anyway. and yes, i'm totally going to join the league. i just hope i can find my pearls in time for my first meeting as a provisional member.

ooh, i wonder if i'll get a cute pin or learn a secret handshake or something. snaps for me!