The Last 8 Days...

Monday 8/24- Walk 3.45 miles
Tuesday 8/25 - Walk 3.4 miles
Wednesday 8/26 - Bike ride 2.33 miles
Thursday 8/27 - Walk 3.45 miles
Friday 8/28 - Off
Saturday - Walk - 2.34 miles
Sunday - Off
Monday - Walk 3 miles

Pretty darn consistent. Now let's hope I can maintain this amount of activity this fall. And tackle the eating habits... :)

We Were the Mulvaney's

I’ve wanted to read this one for awhile, and I cannot remember why. It may have been the Oprah Book Club sticker (though not present on the one I got from the library so I must have seen it somewhere else) or that it was made into a movie and perhaps I wanted to watch it? Regardless, I finally got around to reading it, after having checked it out of the library twice.

I am ashamed to admit this, but it took me over 2 weeks to read this sucker. It was slow getting into it, which I’ve experienced with all other Oates books I’ve read. But yesterday, I flew through the remaining 200 plus pages I had. It is seriously a train wreck and you can’t step away.

The book is about Michael Mulvaney Sr., his wife, Corinne, children, Mikey-Jr., Patrick, Marianne and Judd. They are pretty much an All-American gag me with a spoon family until an incident happens with Marianne that made me want to poke some peoples eyeballs and yell at 1970s America. Pretty much after this event the whole family falls apart. Tragic, yet realistic.

It’s quite sad to watch the demise unfold and while you want to yell, “Don’t fall for the cliché!” It happens. The ones that fell the hardest and farthest eventually lose your sympathy. However, it was a train wreck I enjoyed. I had to remember that I sometimes skip some of Oates description-y parts and move towards the details. But it was worth the read.

Pushing Onward..

I’ve been in a bit of a funk the last couple days and I don’t know if it is the weather, the many changes going on or the transition into another school year. Since I can’t seem to finish my current read anytime soon nor pick a new one up; I decided to share some quotes. I love quotes and what better time to look through my collection, than a Friday evening with a glass of wine in hand and the unknown swirling around.

Take chances, take a lot of them. Because honestly, no matter where you end up and with whom, it always ends up just the way it should be. Your mistakes make you who you are. You learn and grow with each choice you make. Everything is worth it. Say how you feel always. Be you, and be okay with it.” -Hollie Seals

"A good friend is hard to find, hard to lose, and impossible to forget..."

"Try to be governed by your loves and not your hates and find goodness and beauty where you can."

"No lapse of time or distance of place can lessen the friendship of those who are truly persuaded of each other's worth."

"How lucky I am to have known someone who was so hard to say goodbye to."

Good-byes make you think, they make you realize what you've had, what you've lost, and what you've taken for granted.

*There are moments in life when you really miss someone so much that you want to pick them up from your dreams and hug them for real*

To laugh often and much;To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.This is to have succeeded

It is easier to be wise for others than for ourselves.Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Silence does not always mark wisdom.Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. Henry David Thoreau

What are some of your favorite quotes? Any nice plans for this dreary weekend?

Booking through Thursday

What’s the lightest, most “fluff” kind of book you’ve read recently?

That would be Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich. This is the fifteenth (duh!) installment of Evanovich's popular Stephanie Plum Series. I am a huge fan. The series is hysterical and there is always a hint of romance and some sexy scenes between Stephanie and Morelli or Ranger, whichever one she isn't currently pissed at. Finger Lickin' Fifteen deals with a dead celebrity chef that Lula (Stephanie's sidekick) saw beheaded by two hoodlums. Lots of laughs and much adventure on their way to solve the whodunit. The only sad part of this installment for me, would be less intimate encounters with her two main men!

Last night's dinner..

So I am really not a fan of pork. Like at all. Our relatives are pig farmers and I can barely eat any of their meat, which I have been assured by MANY others, is fabulous; I just cannot do it. I do LIKE pulled BBQ pork, just not from any animals I may have ever smiled at/looked at. Wierd, I know, but I am seriously like 4 steps away from being a vegetarian if it were not for cheeseburgers and chicken tacos. So, last night I tried once again to make a pork recipe that was not bbq pork. I had made this recipe before on the stove top, but the pork was still what I considered too tough. So I was reading some people's adjustments and thought, "Ah, the slow cooker. I love when the meat falls apart in the slow cooker, I'll try that!" And that was the best decision EVER. What ended up coming out was like the insides of a Qdoba burrito. And I LOVE QDOBA. So that was excellent. (I say, so, way too much.) The hub loved it, I loved it = success. We ate it on top of brown rice, but decided next time we would mix it with the brown rice and put it on a burrito. We used a few tortilla chips to scoop stuff out, but for the most part we just ate it on top of the rice with a dap of sour cream. And sorry, but I did not take any photos of this endeavor.

Here is the Black Bean and Pork Chop recipe that I pulled from and here is what I did..

Inside of my small (I have two) crockpot I put..

-half a medium onion on the bottom

- 3 thinly sliced pork chops sprinkled with cilantro and chilli powder

- 1 cup of hot salsa

- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans

- sprinkling of black pepper

-sprinkling of more chilli powder and cilantro on top

-sprinkling of cracked red pepper

Put on the low setting for about 6-7 hours cuz that's when we ate. Made brown rice how the box said.

It was fabulous. Next time I will probably make it hotter and probably make it into a burrito.

And because I feel like sharing a photo.. look at this scrumptious meal the hubby made a few weeks ago on the grill with mostly veggies from our garden...

Taking Charge of Your Fertility

I have been meaning to read Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler for over a year. I’ve read articles on the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) and even charted my own cycles without reading the book, but going off the articles I read and reading other peoples experiences. This book is FULL of excellent information that every woman should know, regardless if they are sexually active, want to be pregnant or if they don’t want to pregnant. It is information that explains so much about the female body that most people don’t even know; which is a shame.

Fertility Awareness consists of charting your menstrual cycle and recording what signs your body is giving you. Signs include your waking temp, cervical fluid and the position of your cervix. It helps you figure out when you are fertile and when you are not. It can help you realize if there is a problem and can help you either avoid pregnancy or achieve it. I am really not doing it justice, but it is a fantastic resource and I believe a must read for every woman.

I did get annoyed with the way the author makes it seem that all women and/or doctors are dumb. The vignettes that are shared are some eye rollers, where it makes it seem that SHE is smart/knows everything and everyone else is just dumb.

I am going to share the Summary of the Four FAM Rules for Natural Birth Control, because this sums up what I found MOST helpful and that I think need to be passed along.

1. First 5 days rule (You are safe the first 5 days of the menstrual cycle if you had an obvious temperature shift about 12 to 16 days before.)
2. Dry Day Rule (Before ovulation, you are safe the evening of a dry day.)
3. Temperature Shift Rule (You are safe the evening of the 3rd consecutive day your temp is above the coverline)
4. Peak Day Rule (You are safe the evening of the 4th consecutive day after your Peak Day.)

Now obviously, using those rules without charting/knowing what the heck some of that terminology means is NOT ADVISED. But it did help me better understand how to chart MORE accurately and how to notice abnormalities.

Definitely something women should read.

Dear Local Postal Office

Dear Rude Postal Workers:

Okay, when I say, I want this sent media mail, the cheapest way possible – that is what I mean. No I do not need any of the extras. I do not need confirmation. If I did I would have said, media mail and can I have whatever extra. If I did not say I wanted insurance, than no insurance needed. I tell you what I want. If I asked for options, by all means give me the options. But I told you straight up what I wanted.

There is no need for you to give me your unsolicited advice. And do not patronize me and say “you look to be my son’s age” and proceed to act like MY mother. I have a mother and this is not the first package I’ve mailed thank you. When I say, I do not care if this actually arrives there or gets lost. I mean that. Let me mail my letter HOW I want and be done with it. That extra 3 cents? Who cares.

Oh, and thanks for the passive aggressive “at least TRY to have a nice day” comment as I was walking out the door.

Thanks for insuring I won’t be back to your postal office for quite some time. You and the last lady I dealt with 2 weeks ago have confirmed that your office is terrible. Back to the small town one I go.

Sincerely,
The Girl Who Really Just Wanted to Mail Her Package Media Mail

Review: The Time Traveler's Wife movie..

I went and saw the Time Traveler’s Wife last night with a bunch of ladies and I hated it. Out of the 6 of us, 3 had read the entire book, 1 was half way through and 2 of us had not read it. I did not read it. Out of the 6 of us? Not a ONE liked the movie. We all hated it. Everyone who read the book, loved the book and still hated the movie. Every time I picked up the book, I would just think, eh no. But I kept thinking that the previews for the film looked pretty good and I like Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana is cute, so sure. But I kept thinking, are you serious???

Eric Bana’s character is Henry, a man who is a time-traveler and Rachel McAdams’s character is Clare, the person Henry falls in love with and marries. Henry pretty much visited Clare her entire life and then they reconnect, fall in love and get married. Yadda yadda yadda… Okay, one of my biggest pet peeves with the movie was when Clare would keep saying she had no choice in falling in love with Henry, staying with Henry, marrying Henry and what not. Basically saying, she couldn’t control who she fell in love with. With to a certain extent, no she could not. But she KNEW what she was getting into and I think her character kept coming off as whiney and I wanted to smack her. (Still love Rachel McAdams).

Henry just did not come across as likeable either. He was a big jerk. A big needy jerk The only characters I ended up liking were Gomez and Alma.

So, I do not believe I will be picking up the book anytime soon.

Have you read The Time-Traveler’s Wife? What did you think? Have you seen the movie? Did you like it or hate it?

Booking through Thursday

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
Hmm...by recent being this summer, I would say the best book I've read this summer was between Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich because it was freaking hilarious or Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo because it was a dang good mystery and I love mystery and intrigue and who-dun-it's. Looking over the books I've read this summer is kind of dissapointing because there were a lot of dud's!

A book MeMe...

The book that’s been on your shelves the longest.

Hmm. now this has to definitely be one from childhood, and I am strictly going by the shelf comment because some of my older books are in boxes. I would say it is between my Anne of Green Gables series or my collection of books written by Louisa May Alcott. And I am very disturbed that I cannot find my mother's copy of Little Women from when she was a young girl. I had her copy and my hardcover copy and I can't find hers. Hopefully she has it.

A book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time).

Hmmm... I think most of my books remind me of specific events and I can't think of any that stick out right off the top of my head. Just looking at the books nearest me I can recall what they bring to mind for me. Cage of Star's reminds me of sitting in the ER waiting room last time I was sick, The Reading Group reminds me of curling up on my bed at my old apartment and reading, Twilight Series reminds me of a former boyfriend, and so on...

The book that’s been with you to the most places.

Ha.. I think this honor belongs to either Something Blue or Atonement. Made many travels, not finished reading either.

The most recent addition to your shelves.

Revolutionary Road! Excited to start on it eventually..

Your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next.

I am currently working through Taking Control of Your Fertility.. slugging through it, but really i need to step away from the computer screen. The last one I read was Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo and the one that I will read next depends on if I re-new my lib books or not. So it will either be We Were The Mulvaney's or something off my shelf.. or a new lib book..

Two years of marriage.. who woulda thought???

Today is my second wedding anniversary and that is wierd. I cannot believe I am married, let alone being married for 2 years. I had soo much fun at my wedding and reception, I wish we could do it every year. In honor of my anniversary, I am going to share some of my favorite photos from the day because looking at Lisa's pictures of her sister made me miss my wedding dress. :P




my dad and me


















my dad's parents and me

the hub and me

our awesome wedding party

time to partaaaaaaay

the picture i uploaded before this disappeared but he totally fed himself...

they had matching osu and um bears for us..

doing the gator

this cutie was like 3 weeks old ..

And I am not impressed with blogger because I uploaded other pictures that seemed to "disappear."

It's that time a year again..

I spent about 4 hours up at school today and since I am in the back to school mood, I thought I would share some of my favorite children's books. Since I like so many and there are SO many great ones, I will share 10 today, and more later...

Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Junior - Good for preschool and the younger grades. It's as great of a counting book as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a letter's book. The illustrations are excellent and kids like the repetition.

The Mitten by Jan Brett - OMG. I LOVE Jan Brett. I especially enjoy her website, which has a plethora of activities on it. The mitten is about a little boy who drops his mitten and one by one some animals in the forest come crawling into it. Very cute, and there are some super cute activities to do with this book. Ages approximately 4-8.

Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett - One of my favorite versions of the Gingerbread Man! There are also tons of activites on her site. I should just say I heart www.janbrett.com and almost everything that comes with it. It's got the typical Gingerbread Man story,beautiful illustrations and I've never had kids not love it. Ages approximately 4-8.

Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner - HILARIOUS. I freaking love Skippyjon Jones. I especially love making up various voices for him and the other characters. Skippyjon is a silly little kitten who thinks he is a Chihuahua instead of a Siamese cat. He has an out of this world imagination that has kids laughing. There are others in the Skippyjon series and I also really like Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse. Ages approximately preschool - 4th grade.

How I Became a Pirate by David Shannon - Funny story about a little boy spending the day the beach with his family when he is kidnapped by pirates. Great oppurtunity to make up voices. Every group of Kindergartener's I've read it to, has loved it. David Shannon is awesome, period. Ages approximately 4-8.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst - OMG. One of my favorite from childhood. Great story, great lessons to learn from it. Alexander has one of the worst days ever, and it's funny. Kids start repeating after you half-way through. Always make me smile, especially on a "down" day. Approximately ages 4-8.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle - I'm more in awe of the pictures and the pretty art projects you can come up with this one as opposed to the story. But it's still pretty awesome and kids love it. The book covers the life of the caterpillar and how he grows. For the younger crowd infant - kindergarten...

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch - So heartwarming! I loved it growing up and I still love it today. Mama sings to baby, "I'll love you forever, I'll love you always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.." She continues to sing over and over through all of life's different stages this same song over and over.. and it's really sweet.. Ages toddler to 8

My School's a Zoo by Stu Smith - Yet another favorite read aloud. I have not had this book dissapoint a group of Kindergartener's yet. A little boy goes on a field trip and then the next day at school, it seems all of the animals have followed him there. He has a zebra and rhino has parents and there are LIONS in the cafeteria, among many other animals he finds throughout the day. Ages Kindergarten- 2nd.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett - This always amuses kids and is a book I do not mind reading a gazillion times! The tiny town of Chewandswallow has some unusually weather, it rained soup and juice, snowed mashed potatoes, and sometimes storms blew in of hamburgers. The weather gets bigger and bigger and it causes some problems! Really cute and funny. Ages approximately 4-8!

So here are just 10 of some of my many favorite children's books. What are your favorite children's books?

To Whom It May Concern:

Dear Obnoxiously Rude Lady who works at the Car Wash:

Yes, I saw you scratch at the sap on my windshield and immediately stop scrubbing on said windshield. Yes, I know you “can’t guarantee getting sap off,” BUT and this is a big BUT, you CAN SCRUB my windshield like you would normally do and IT WILL get some of it off. How do I know this? Because last time I went, a very POLITE girl who works at the car wash scrubbed on my windshield and half of the sap came off!! Wow, imagine that. She scrubbed my car. I did NOT pay you 8 dollars for you to half-ass my car because “you can’t guarantee getting sap off.” Do your job and I would have been happy enough!

Sincerely,
Very Disgruntled Customer, who had her mother drive her car through because she is too much of a pansy

Moving my body...

I would just like to happily report that I went on two walks yesterday and did a grand told of 4.79 miles. Yay. I would have gone further but the hub was with me for the second walk and his feet were hurting. He wore the wrong shoes. So, now I am also happy to report that I am headed out to run/walk. With or without the hub. Oh, and I was slightly irritated that I had gained 2 pounds when for the longest time I was a certain weight and usually down from that if I wavered. So basically, I had a lower weight were I hover all the time. So yesterday's marathon walking and the gallon of water I drank, I got rid of one of those pounds. And I am hoping today I get rid of that second one. I know from past experience, if I can just keep the water coming and eat decently during the day it works. I just gotta remember to do all of that.Ahh and because football season is SOOO close. I just had to post this photo...And the fact that I am headed to the Buckeye State for yet ANOTHER quick trip Saturday. Four times in 3 months has got to be a lifetime record.

Review: Sworn to Silence

Wow, I finished Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo, in one evening. Chief Kate Burkholder is a likable lead character who narrates the story from the beginning. Kate is the chief of police in the small town of Painters Mill, Ohio where she was raised --- Amish. A TERRIBLE event occurs when she is 14 that pushes her to rebel against the Amish way of life and head to Columbus, where she becomes a police officer which leads her back home in her current role.

The town of Painters Mill is shocked, when after a 16 year absence a young female is found murdered exactly the same way four other victims died previously. Kate is especially perplexed because her dark secret from when she was 14 is – she killed him.

This is a fantastically told story with likable characters that are well written. There was only one instance where I was not thrilled with this book, and it was a slight mistake in the middle where a time-frame was misrepresented and made no sense if you were reading closely.

Definitely recommend this book and all others that come, since this is the first in a series. Fast paced and a page turner.. LOVE..

Review: Drowning Ruth

Drowning Ruth is disturbing story of a family who upholds traits common of the 1920s in rural Wisconsin, say nothing and show no weakness. Amanda Starkey is the oldest daughter who has gone off to the 'big city' of Milwaukee to be a nurse. She falls in love with a man, Clement Owens, who most anyone not out of the backwoods would have realized was married. She is heartbroken and returns home to her sister Mathilda and her young daughter Ruth. Mathilda's husband is off fighting in France and their parents had died from influenza a few years earlier. When she returns home, Amanda realizes her affair with Owens has put herself in a position of dishonor. She manages to hide this from most everyone and her Mathilda figure out a plan. However, emotions are a tricky business and what happens after the baby is born is forever wondered about.

Amanda ends up in a sanitorium for a year and never appears to be a normal feeling human being. She becomes affixated on certain things and will not let anything stand in her way. This is a rather interesting tale, where the past is always nipping at the present and no one is saying the truth aloud. Some parts unrealistic, some parts you want to yell at the characters, but overall an intriguing look into the lives of the Starkey family.

And I am glad I finished, it because I JUST recieved a copy of Sworn to Silence, that I won!! Yay..

NPR audience picks 100 best Beach Reads..

Apparently NPR had its audience vote on the 100 Beach Reads and I just read the list from The Boston Bibliophile. As I was scanning through the list, I immediately thought, "There is no way I'd read THAT on the beach." When I think of beach reads, I think something light, possibly funny, maybe a little murder mystery, but not something that requires your full attention when reading. Hence, why Pride & Prejudice didn't happen up at Higgins nor did Finding Faith. I've read many a James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts, Marian Keyes or Jennifer Weiner on the beach. Jane Austen, Jodi Picoult, Shakespeare or Fitzgerald on the beach? Probably, not.

I also do not link beach read = summer read. When I was in school and working three jobs I did use the summer or winter breaks for lighter reads. I polished off almost the entire Harry Potter series one summer. Now that I've graduated college and I'm in semi-employment to un-employment I've read more 'meatier' reads or lighter reads depending on the mood. I want to catch up on books I missed out on and read more about subjects I find fascinating.

Now here is the 100 Best Beach Reads according to NPR. Italicized are ones I want to read, and bolded are ones I've already read. Asterics are the ones I'm currently reading. Underlined and bolded are ones I've actually read as a 'beach read.' Got all that? :)

1. The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
2. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
3. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
4. Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding
5. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen * (I would have finished by now except that it is sitting 3 and a half hours away in a different state, oops.)
6. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells * (I've started and stopped this about 3924324 times)
7. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
9. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg
10. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver
11. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
12. Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
13. The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan
14. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
15. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
16. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
17. Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
18. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
19. Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides
20. Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
21. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
22. The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver
23. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith * (started and hated..undecided on finishing..)
24. The World According to Garp, by John Irving
25. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
26. The Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy
27. Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel
28. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
29. The Accidental Tourist, by Anne Tyler
30. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
31. A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole
32. East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
33. The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
34. Beach Music, by Pat Conroy
35. One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
36. Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier
37. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
38. Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry
39. The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCullough
40. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon
41. Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follet
t42. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy
43. Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice
44. Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier
45. Empire Falls, by Richard Russo
46. Under the Tuscan Sun, by Frances Mayes
47. The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
48. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, by Tom Robbins
49. I Know This Much Is True, by Wally Lamb
50. Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie
51. Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
52. The Stand, by Stephen King
53. She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb
54. Dune, by Frank Herbert
55. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
56. Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
57. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
58. Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
59. The Godfather, by Mario Puzo
60. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith
61. Animal Dreams, by Barbara Kingsolver
62. Jaws, by Peter Benchley
63. Good in Bed, by Jennifer Weiner
64. Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner
65. Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
66. The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway
67. The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand
68. Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut
69. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
70. The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler
71. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
72. The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy
73. Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns
74. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
74. Bonfire of the Vanities, by Tom Wolfe [tie]
76. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bront
e77. Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
78. The Shell Seekers, by Rosamunde Pilcher
79. Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver
80. Eye of the Needle, by Ken Follett
81. Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck
81. The Pilot's Wife, by Anita Shreve [tie]
83. All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy
84. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson
85. The Little Prince, by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
86. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
87. One for the Money, by Janet Evanovich
88. Shogun, by James Clavell
89. Dracula, by Bram Stoker
90. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera
91. Presumed Innocent, by Scott Turow
92. Franny and Zooey, by J.D. Salinger
93. The Secret History, by Donna Tartt
94. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris
95. Summer Sisters, by Judy Blume
96. The Shining, by Stephen King
97. How Stella Got Her Groove Back, by Terry McMillan
98. Lamb, by Christopher Moore
99. Sick Puppy, by Carl Hiaasen
100. Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

I really can't think of Vonnegut, or Tolstoy being read on the beach. That's just me. What do you think? What do you consider a 'beach read;? What do you think of the list?

Growing older but not up...

We are the people our parents warned us about...

It's those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same. With all of our running and all of our cunning, if we couldn't laugh we would all go insane..

She came down from Cincinnatti. It took her three days on the train. Lookin' for some peace and quiet; hoped to see the sun again. But now she lives down by the ocean, she's takin care of sharks. They hang out in the local bars, and they feed right after dark!

Headin' up to San Francisco for the Labor Day weekend show.. I've got my hush puppies on, guess I never was meant for glitter rock and roll...

Yes, I am a pirate two hundred years too late....The cannons don't thunder there's nothin' to plunder....I'm an over forty victim of fate....Arriving too late, arriving too late..

Twenty degress and the hockey games on....Nobody cares; they are way too far gone, screamin' "Boat drinks," somethin'to keep them all warm....This morning I shot six holes in my freezer....I think I got cabin fever......Somebody sound the alarm....I'd like to go where the pace of life's slow....Could you beam me somewhere, Mister Scott?Any old place here on Earth or in space......You pick the century and I'll pick the spot.

Another successful concert with fabulous friends, great music and a rockin' tailgate.. :)

Buffett Bound!!

Thanks for all your comments yesterday!! Motivation and a fear are two big things that keep me big. :P

Now, I am off with the hub and friends for the Buffett concert!!! Should be back on Friday.. hopefully alive!!!!!!!

Help, I need somebody

Here, is where I ask for help. Remember a few weeks ago when I had a post written about a boot camp? Yeah, the reason there was no follow up, is that I only worked out one day. That seems to be typical of me. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to sit on the couch every day, afraid to go outside and work out. I want to be healthy and lost the weight I gained in college. Yesterday, I gave myself a new goal, and I want to, I really do, want to achieve it. I do not want to sabotage myself, again. The new goal? Lose 10 pounds by September 12th. I have a tank top that I really want to wear on that day, and people I haven't seen in 2years. I wrote out a week's worth of workout plans, and for the most part, it's about an hour a day of exercise broke up into two parts. Honestly, I have all day, everyday that I could be working out. I know this is doable for me. Heck last night, the hub and I went on a small hike (25 minutes), 4 mile bike ride and then a cool down walk and it was fine. It's stuff like that I want to incorporate into my life on a daily basis again. Instead of sitting in front of my computer all damn day.

What am I unhappy about? Everything would be the short and simple answer, however there are specific things. My arms are too flabby, my stomach is NOT pregnant, and my thighs do not need to jiggle.

This is what I have at my disposal. The internet (that's how I watch 30 day shred!), walk away the pounds 2 mile tape, 8 pound weights (too much for my back to do too much with), a jump rope. a bike, and pavement. I've never been much of a runner, but in the last year I have tried making myself into one. I am doing better on the breathing which is the main part for me. I've even started the Couch to 5k about 4 times and made it to about week 4 each time, and then I stop.

So, the reason I am posting this? I know some of you workout and run. What workout type advice can you give me? Want to plan out a day of exercise for me? How about a week? This is what I have planned for the rest of the week... I know I have to constantly change it up, or I will stop. God I don't want to stop, but I always do and I want that to stop.

Aug 4 - walk/run 30 minutes, 30 day shred
Aug 5 - walk/run 30 minutes, lift weights
Aug 6 - off
Aug 7 - 30 minute bike ride
Aug 8 - walk/run 30 minute, 30 day shred
Aug 9 - walk/run 30 minute, lift weights

August is...

August is...
Jimmy Buffett concerts with friends!!

August is..

A bachelorette party at the hometown bar....

August is.. Saying I do...

August is...

Stopping off the side of the road and sitting on a swing looking out at the pretty view...

August is...

Drinking wine on the beach of Lake Michigan, attempting to see a sunset...

August is....

Cheeseburger in Caseville!!! Lots of good music, good cheeseburgers, an awesome parade and excellent beach time!

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

Florence and Edward are newlyweds who are vastly different people who have only known each other for around one year. Each of them has insecurities about consummating the marriage, but neither address the elephant in the room. McEwan switches back and forth between Florence and Edward and what each of them is thinking. The year is 1962, but even that knowledge didn’t stop me from wanting to shout JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER. They both obviously need to know how to communicate and what being a mature adult really consists of. It was a rather fast read and fascinating to see how their lives snowballed from the sheer fact that they did not speak up.

Other interesting things of note are Florence’s total disgust for sex. Which the writer infers has to do with her upbringing with a very rigid mother and a non-affectionate father. It also was very interesting how much Florence and Edward tried to be pleasant and agreeable instead of facing ‘adult’ decisions and conversations.

I actually finished this McEwan novel, so I suppose that’s a plus! Not a lot of dialogue and a whole lot of description. It was all right.

Books read in July

24. The 8th Confession – James Patterson (July 1st)
25. All we Ever Wanted was Everything – Janelle Brown (July 14th)

This month was baaaad. I got hardly any reading in while in Ohio and then left my book in Ohio. However, I am almost done with On Chesil Beach. Don't think I will make my yearly goal this year.