It's Monday!

>> January 30, 2012

Washington Valley:  We have had company here since mid-December, did you know that?  This weekend was full of packing, planning, getting organized and preparing for today's departure.  It's been a splendid visit! 

Mix in running, errands, and a few other commitments... we had another busy weekend.

My spine and neck are so tight that my head hurts (can't explain why), I hope a good yoga class will loosen my up a bit!

Let's talk books!

What I'm reading (hosted by Book Journey): I finished reading The Replacement Wife Sunday morning.  I can't wait to talk about this book... but we will have to wait until late March. I have a lot to say about this one!

On my iPad: I'm planning to start The Lola Quartet today.  My Omaha book club talked with the author after she published her first novel several years ago.  It's been a treat to follow her writing career, reading something a little out of the ordinary for me. 

Synopsis: Gavin Sasaki is a promising young journalist in New York City, until he’s fired in disgrace following a series of unforgivable lapses in his work. It’s early 2009, and the world has gone dark very quickly; the economic collapse has turned an era that magazine headlines once heralded as the second gilded age into something that more closely resembles the Great Depression. The last thing Gavin wants to do is return to his hometown of Sebastian, Florida, but he’s drifting toward bankruptcy and is in no position to refuse when he’s offered a job by his sister, Eilo, a real estate broker who deals in foreclosed homes.

Eilo recently paid a visit to a home that had a ten-year-old child in it, a child who looks very much like Gavin and who has the same last name as Gavin’s high school girlfriend Anna, whom Gavin last saw a decade ago. Gavin—a former jazz musician, a reluctant broker of foreclosed properties, obsessed with film noir and private detectives—begins his own private investigation in an effort to track down Anna and their apparent daughter who have been on the run all these years from a drug dealer from whom Anna stole $121,000.

Do you have any exciting plans this week? I am expecting a busy work week.  We are in the middle of a re-organization... and wait for it.... we are hosting a bon voyage party Friday night.  The theme is Brazilian/South American.  Do you have any ideas for me?

Review: The Odds

>> January 26, 2012

Why I picked it: Stewart O'Nan is the one author who is recommended over and over when we talk with authors for the Manic Mommies Book Club.  I hadn't read any of his work yet but jumped at the chance with his new novel.

Synopsis: Valentine's weekend, Art and Marion Fowler flee their Cleveland suburb for Niagara Falls, desperate to recoup their losses. Jobless, with their home approaching foreclosure and their marriage on the brink of collapse, Art and Marion liquidate their savings account and book a bridal suite at the Falls' ritziest casino for a second honeymoon. While they sightsee like tourists during the day, at night they risk it all at the roulette wheel to fix their finances-and save their marriage.

A tender yet honest exploration of faith, forgiveness and last chances, The Odds is a reminder that love, like life, is always a gamble.

Type: Fiction

Quick Take: The odds of a marriage proposal being accepted: 1 in 1.001.  The odds of a U.S. citizen filing for bankruptcy: 1 in 17.  If you have already read this novel you know this is the how each chapter begins, clever.  I found myself thinking about my life and the odds that could be written to explain it.

From page one, I was able to connect to both Marion and Art.  The writing is tender and loving even though we are reading about the last days of a marriage. The weekend to Niagara Falls feels like a final gift from Marion, one last thing to do before closing this chapter and moving forward while Art hopes this weekend will solve all of their issues. He's not blind to what's going on, just hopeful.

This would make for a good book club selection, there is a lot to discuss.  I also think I have discovered a new favorite author.  Have you read any of his books?  Where should I start?

Rating: 4 stars
Soucre: NetGalley

CHECKpoint! Jan 24

>> January 23, 2012

The Ultra is 8 weeks from today!  I'm getting mileage in but I'm not even close to ready.  I might feel more prepared if I would have been able to get last weekend's long run done outside.  Hopefully next weekend... 

To complicate things, I have been distracted... which makes it extremely hard to stay focused!

Observations from my long run: Most of my mileage is done outside, with no flat ground (constant hills up & down).  Sunday afternoon, with a fresh snowfall, I ran my 12 miler at the gym. 

When I'm not on the trail, I'm usually on my treadmill at home where the incline doesn't go below 1.5 and I'm often wearing a weight vest.

Setting the treadmill on manual with no incline, my run felt effortless.  I also realised that my casual walking pace is now 4.3 mph (13:48MM) - really?!! This explains why people say I walk fast :)

Most of my run was done at 5.8MPH but I did play with speed, going as fast as 7.4MPH for a song's length (anything to get a long run done faster right?).

Conclusion: I think I'm getting stronger.  

My Checkpoint! for the week:

Fitness challenges/goals:
- Get back to gym (3-5 times a week)
- Run EVERY day in 2012 (366 days)
- 100 consecutive pushups (prep for Tough Mudder)

Events:
- NJ Ultra March 24
- PA Tough Mudder May 12

Accountability:
- Last week: 35 miles last week, 99 miles in January
- Running: 25 consecutive days
- Pushup goal of 100: I can do 36 consecutive push ups!

This week:
- Stretching: I have a new yoga video for my iPad (I have a yoga 'space' upstairs). I hope to try this a few times this week.
- Ultra training distances: 4, 4, 6, 10, 15 = 39 miles

How was your fitness last week? 

This is a weekly post through the Tough Mudder in May (maybe longer). Leave a comment with an update on your week or leave your blog/post link below. I will cheer you on! 

It's Monday!

>> January 22, 2012

Washington Valley: SNOW!  You can imagine how excited I was Saturday morning to look out the window to see snow falling.  We have about six inches of fresh, white, fluffy snow on the ground.  woohoo!

The World Traveler was so excited... he was hoping for a power outage so we could use our new generator.  We decided to buy a generator after living through four power outages in ten months (about twelve days without power).  Losing the contents in two refrigerators, moving three dogs to and from a hotel, walking them, trying to settle their nerves... I won't miss any of that!

I did get out for a walk today (after a long run at the gym), to enjoy winter. Tonight we have rain coming, tomorrow the high is 55 degrees so the snow will be gone in a day or two. 

I'm enjoying the snow while I can. Everything is covered in a blanket of white, simply beautiful.

Let's talk books!

What I'm reading (hosted by Book Journey): Today I finished reading Spin and I have five/six reviews to write, for the books I read last week while on vacation. :)

I haven't been listening to books recently, I don't know why but I am stocking up audio books from my local library... hoping the desire will return soon.

On my iPad: Can I say this... I LOVE reading on my iPad!  I just love it.

I'm reading The Replacement Wife this week. There's something about Eileen Goudge's writing that fits me. This book covers a dark subject, I expect to shed a few tears while reading this one. 

Synopsis: Camille Hart, one of Manhattan’s most sought-after matchmakers, has survived more than her fair share of hardships. Her mother died when she was a young girl, leaving her and her sister with an absentee father. Now in her forties, she has already survived cancer once, though the battle revealed just how ill-equipped her husband Edward is to be a single parent. So when doctors tell Camille that her cancer is back—and this time it’s terminal—she decides to put her matchmaking expertise to the test for one final job. Seeking stability for her children and happiness for her husband, Camille sets out to find the perfect woman to replace her when she’s gone.

But what happens when a dying wish becomes a case of “be careful what you wish for”? For Edward and Camille, the stunning conclusion arrives with one last twist of fate that no one saw coming.

Do you have any exciting plans this week? Would you believe me if I told you that I don't have much going on this week (other than work and running)?  A friend and I will try to see a movie... that's about it.  I'm also working on a decorating/organization project...

Life: Pinterest & me

>> January 20, 2012

Dear friend,

In a weak moment, I asked you to send me an invitation to this 'by invite only' website... let me say, it's a life changer.  Okay this is an exaggeration but it's safe to say it's a great way to start my day.

Pinterest let's me explore my love for decorating, spending 15-20 minutes each morning sipping a cup a tea, pinning ideas to my inspiration boards.

It's fun finding ideas but more importantly, after only a week, I can draw conclusions about my style choices.  I know that I'm not a fan of the color blue and I like order.  I wonder what this says about me?

Enough rambling... why do I really love this website?  I'm hoping the online inspiration boards will keep my ideas organized.  And with the gift of technology, in just one click, I can refer to my ideas while shopping.  Making sure I buy what I'm really looking for, helping me complete a room.

Current project: Wrapping/Craft Station
Next project: Three season porch

How do you use Pinterest?  I would love to see what you're pinning... cooking, working out, fun stuff... the ideas are endless.

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