Live from Tormville!

June Studio AE from Technique Tuesday * Blog Hop

 

This new stamp set from Ali and Technique Tuesday is called, The Observant Traveler by Ali Edwards. This set consists of 24 clear stamps and works great for scrapbook pages, cards and mini books. 

This set ships to Studio AE members between the 10th (that's today!) and the 15th. Non-Studio AE members can also purchase the set for a limited time through the Technique Tuesday Web site. Some retailers are also offfering the Studio AE stamp sets for purchase. 

So what did I create?

For those of you who follow my blog regularly, you know that I bought an exercise bike at the beginning of the year, and am endeavoring to bike all the way from Michigan to Oregon in the comfort of my living room. I wanted to create a layout that documents my progress. I should hit 1000 miles by the end of June!  I used Staz-On ink and the Main Street Start Me Up Alphabet to stamp the numbers on the photos (Oregon is also stamped with the Main Street Start Me Up) , and then used the numbered lines in the pattern paper to correspond and share my date and mileage report. 

*** note: I took screen shots of the maps I've been using to track my progress and I ordered them as photos with my last photo order. 

 Make sure to check out all the blogs that are taking part in today's blog hop for more creative ways to use this set

Ali

Kelly Purkey
(June's Studio AE Guest) 

Nichol

Jaime

Laura

Sharyn (that's me)

Teri

Leave a comment on one or all of our blogs by Midnight PST on June 12th. We'll pick two people from the comments received on all seven blogs to receive the So Sorry by Ali Edwards stamp set from Technique Tuesday.

The winners will be announced on the Technique Tuesday blog on June 13th.

Thanks for stopping and hopping!

be good
*wink* 

 

 

I have passed through Lincoln, Nebraska

click the map to see it larger

It's been awhile since I tallied my miles on my in house attempt to bike all the way to Oregon within the year.

Unfortunately, I didn't do so well in May - I only managed about 68.3 miles.  I might have done more than that - I seem to remember scribbling some miles on a scrap piece of paper and not transferring them to my database, but I'm not finding those, so I'm not going to stress about them.

I'm a routine person - so the lack of routine in May definitely played in my not biking so much - but having my mother-in-law here was worth it so I won't stress.  I was also doing more running in training for the 5K, so I won't be too hard on myself, I'll just make up for it in June.

I'm currently at 772.75 miles. I biked 16.5 this evening and in looking at the numbers I find myself wondering if I can break 1000 miles before the end of the month. 

I just might have to try.

I'm also itching to try running another 5K, probably just on my own from home, but I'm curious if I can beat my own time if I go on a not so hot day without the crowded running atmosphere.

My curiousity will get the best of me yet. 

I'm almost to Omaha

(click the map to see it larger)

Iowa is kicking my butt - it's a much larger state than I realized, but I should be through it by the end of this month.  It's taken almost exactly a month to pedal.

I haven't been able to rack up quite as many miles as I've wanted this month, what with the hip being all uncooperative and all, but I'm at 177.8 miles for the month, bringing my total for the year up to 659.84.  I'm getting there.  (1696.26 more miles to Portland)

When I first began biking in January, I did a lot of 6 miles/30 minute rides. Now I'm doing more 10-14 mile rides and last night I biked for 100 minutes - and went 18.6 miles.

And I was able to walk down the stairs this morning.

For anyone thinking about a Reebok Trainer - I do love it.  And random fact, the batteries on it lasted just over 600 miles.  I've purchased the adaptor for it now, but I started on the batteries and was curious how long they'd go. The only thing I don't like about the adaptor is that it plugs into the front of the bike, which makes sense since that's where the brains are, but it makes it tricky in my instance to plug it in since the outlet is behind me. I'm working on it.  For now I just plug it into the outlet on the other side of the kitchen when I use it and should out "Don't Trip On the Cord!" reminders to everyone who walks by.  Oh - and the cord is short on the adaptor - it doesn't reach any of my three closest outlets, so an extension cord is a must. 

It works. 

 

A biking update

(click on the map to see it larger)

George brought to my attention last night when he was over that I haven't updated my biking progress in a couple weeks.  He likes to keep me on track.

By the time I go to bed this evening I will be in Iowa City.  My goal this month was to bike 217 miles, and by this evening I'll have gone 212. I'll meet my goal - knock on wood. (Life can throw some wicked curve balls at times)

Total miles biked to date - 456.6

1899.5 to go. 

pedal...pedal....pedal.....

 

I'm in Indiana now.

(click the map to see it larger)

I keep track of my mileage every day, but I enjoy checking the map just once a week - it's fun to see how far I surged forward in seven days.  I'm in Indiana now, looks like I've been here for a few days.  196.69 miles from home.    

Only 2159.41 miles to go! 

Oh - and I'm down 9 pounds since Christmas.  Bonus! 

I'm having my morning coffee in Watervliet, Michigan

That is, on my imaginary bike ride to Oregon.  I've pedaled 144 miles this year, 42 of those just this week.  That puts me in Watervliet, MI. Kinda cool to see it on the map like that - makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Only 2,222 miles to go!

And I'm officially in love with Bing maps.  

 

 

3.83 miles down - 2366.17 to go

My exercise bike came yesterday.

And as karma would have it because I was just a little bit sympathizing with women who have retired husbands, mine left for errand running just two minutes before it arrived.  I could only laugh. Then I ate my lunch and started assembling the thing myself.  I made it all the way to the end, only skipping steps 5-9.  

But when he still wasn't home I did go back and start on step 5 and managed it without spouting a single Finnish cuss word.  We're lucky he got home just as I was about to begin step 6.  I do appreciate him. He even came bearing a huge box of 100 calorie snack packs from Costco.  What a guy! 

 All put together, I did allow myself a bit of hysterical laughter when I realized that while I so precisely measured to make sure the thing would fit into the tiny tiny space I could spare, I did not take into account the pedals.  

I needed an inch.  One.measly.inch.  Inches are not easy to come by over here. 

I emptied out my entire desk.  
Put my guitar on the kitchen table so it wouldn't take a digger before the callouses even begin to form

and I pushed
and I pushed

and I slid this whole monster of a pieced together ensemble that I call a desk

And I got my inch.

Hubby says, 'it's too big'

I say - I don't care.  I am biking this winter.   We all tried it out yesterday - some of us had to take a shower immediately afterwards - quite the workout.
And this morning I was on it at 6:40 am.  I biked through a preprogrammed fitness program and came off wringing 20 minutes later.

I love it.
I got a whole 3.83 miles.
Which I figure puts me halfway to the next town over. Portland here I come!  

*******

Thank you for the input on the previous post.  The couch was overwhelming - I'm going with it.  And my aunt's right - seems none of you want to see my sink.  Can't say that I blame you.