March Already?

February flew by, as it always does. And, just like the last few years, my resolution waned a bit. I resolved to organize in February. I aimed to tackle a room a week and de-clutter. I did not get through a room a week, but I did organize some things. This is one that will have to hang over into other months. I blame it on February being a short month, and being on vacation and out of the country for the last week of it.

I have been slacking in most areas of this blog this year. I've been a bit preoccupied with other things in my life. While I haven't been running as much, I have been going to the gym and getting back into some strength training and cardio classes. (Body Combat is my current favorite.)

Reading is still happening, but I'm taking a course for work and that has become my "should read" list. I finally got through the text book the other night, and now I have this lovely supplemental reading to do:

Looks interesting, doesn't it? That will be my main source of reading until after I write my exam, hopefully sometime in April. Then, I will be in full time prep mode for my trip to Asia! If you don't know about that, feel free to catch up on my other blog that I've started to chronicle that trip and the preparations at http://changelands.wordpress.com/.

Cooking From Scratch

So January's resolution was to try to make things from scratch that I would normally buy packaged. The hope was that something would stick, and I would start making it from scratch from now on after discovering how easy/cheap it was. It was worth a shot...

First up, I looked through the cupboards and looked for packages. I found spaghetti and granola. When I was looking for other ideas, I thought "I made naan last month, I bet I could make bread and pie crusts!" That may have been a bit much since I don't really buy much bread or pie crusts. So, neither of those happened. But, I did attempt focaccia rolls. And, I attempted to make yogurt.

First up - pasta! 

The recipe sounded really easy, and it was. It was also pretty tasty. However, I did not have a pasta rolling machine type thing. So, here's the result:

Those noodles were way too big. It was a good experience, though. I chopped up the remaining noodles and they were a little better the next day. I likely won't attempt this again unless I get a machine made for pasta. I was using a rolling pin, and that's as thin as I could get it.

Second attempt - granola!

I eat yogurt and granola for breakfast almost every day. It made sense to attempt my own granola since I kept hearing it was so easy, and I was spending $5 a week on a bag of granola from the grocery store.

Granola was super easy and really yummy. I am going to make my third batch this afternoon. I made chocolate granola, which makes it even yummier! This will definitely be something I will continue to make from scratch.

Third - Focaccia rolls

Who knew that a handful of ingredients left to rise for a day could make such a tasty roll? I ate two of these straight out of the oven. When they first came out, they were the perfect texture - soft, warm, and crunchy on the bottom. I've got four more in the freezer, and they thaw pretty well. Not quite as good texture as they were straight out of the oven, but still really tasty.

Fourth - Yogurt

I kept hearing that you could easily make your own yogurt, and while skeptical, I decided to try since I'm tired of paying $4 for a small tub of Greek yogurt that lasts maybe a week. Maybe, if I scrimp on how much I scoop into my granola.

I attempted a very small batch (only one cup) since I was skeptical. There's a lot of preciseness that is necessary for this recipe (heat to the right temperature, cool to the right temperature, leave sit for such a length of time) that I was doubtful I'd do it right. I prefer estimates, and I may have not been as precise as I could have been for this one. Here's how it looked this morning after a night in the fridge.

I was dubious. I tasted it, and it doesn't taste like my usual yogurt. However, I attempted a small taste, mixed with some (homemade) granola and strawberries about 45 minutes ago.

So far, I'm not sick, so maybe it did work. It didn't taste so bad with the granola and strawberries. And, I hadn't strained it to turn it into a greek-ish yogurt, so maybe that's why it was off. Or, maybe I needed to let it sit longer. I'm not sure, but I'm not so sure I'll attempt that again. I might, however, try straining my own regular yogurt to make a thicker yogurt.

All in all, it was an interesting month of making things from scratch. I still will attempt to make other things in the future from scratch. I'm thinking of bread, pizza crust, tomato sauce, hummus, pie crust, and another attempt at pasta once I have the right tools. It was a fun month of the new resolution. February will include something active, so it will be good for me, but not as much fun, I expect!

Reading in 2013

I've started and finished a few books now in 2013, so it's time for me to make a blog post so I can track it for myself. I also use Goodreads, but can't always find my way around that site, so I also want to post a list of books here.

On Goodreads, I set a goal of reading 25 books this year. That shouldn't be an issue, but you never know. Last year, I aimed for 50, and I must admit that it made me choose some shorter, easier reads. This year, I'd like to add some bigger books and not worry about that silly goal of completing so many books. Since I'm including audiobooks again, which I listen to while commuting and doing housework, I should be able to get through 25 no problem, even with some bigger books.

1. There's Something About Christmas, Debbie Macomber
2. Your Voice in My Head, Emma Forrest

That's a start... 

What to Resolve 2013?

It always takes me a few days to get into the year to really figure out what I want to do for a resolution. To be truthful, this is only the third year that I've attempted to make realistic resolutions. in 2011, it was to learn about wines. Last year, it was to get out of (non mortgage) debt. This year, I really didn't know what to do.

I was thinking, and a big thing for 2013 will be getting out of my comfort zone and trying lots of new things on my month long trip to Asia. And, the idea of stretching my boundaries and learning new things scares and excites me, so I decided to take that idea and structure it for a resolution for 2013.

Each month, I'll pick something new to do that is either something I've wanted to do, or something that scares me, or a new way of doing something. So, for January, I'm focusing on cooking. I'm going to try to make things from scratch that I would normally buy pre-made. I won't be doing it every day, but likely once a week. Tomorrow, I am going to attempt pasta from scratch! This should be an adventure!

Fifty Books Read in 2012

I didn't really start out with the goal to get through 50 books this year, but I thought I'd track it just to see how many I actually read. I made it through the 50th the other day. To be fair, 23 were audiobooks, listened to while I walked/ran/bussed/did housework. The transit strike really helped up those numbers as I was walking 1.5 hours  a day and listening to books.

In case you are interested, here are the books that I made my way through, and I've bolded my six favorites from the year.

1. A Secret Kept, Tatiana de Rosnay
2. Bossypants, Tina Fey
3. The News Where You Are, Catherine O'Flynn (audiobook)
4. Hurt Go Happy, Ginny Rorby (audiobook)
5. Bittersweet Rain, Sandra Brown (audiobook)
6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
7. The Edge of Winter, Luanne Rice (audiobook)
8. The Gospel According to Peanuts, Robert L. Short
9. Broken for You, Stephanie Kallos (audiobook)
10. Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
11. Anyone But You, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
12. A Town Like Paris, Bryce Corbett
13. Not My Daughter, Barbara Delinsky (audiobook)
14. The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes
15. Complete Without Kids, Ellen L. Walker
16. The Peach Keeper, Sarah Addison Allen (audiobook)
17. Seriously... I'm Kidding, Ellen Degeneres
18. Another Woman's Son, Anna Adams
19. Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (audiobook)
20. The Birth House, Ami McKay
21. How to Save a Life, Sara Zarr (audiobook)
22. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
23. Room, Emma Donoghue
24. Manhunting, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
25. The Cinderella Deal, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
26. Diary of a Mad Fat Girl, Stephanie McAfee
27. Fifty Shades of Grey, E L James
28. Summer at Tiffany, Marjorie Hart
29. Ape House, Sara Gruen 
30. It's Now or Never, Nicole Matthews
31. Smitten, Janet Evanovich (audiobook)
32. MWF Seeking BFF, Rachel Bertsche
33. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
34. Not Becoming My Mother, Ruth Reichl (audiobook)
35. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen (audiobook)
36. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
37. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
38. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen
39. Yes, Chef, Marcus Samuelsson (audiobook)
40. Two Little Girls in Blue, Mary Higgins Clark
41. Runaway Mistress, Robyne Carr
42. The Start-Up, Sadie Hayes
43. Knowing Your Value, Mika Brzezinski (audiobook)
44. Sharp Edges, Jayne Ann Krentz (audiobook)
45. Warren Buffett and the Art of Stock Arbitrage, Mary Buffett & David Clark (audiobook)
46. The Lost Girls; Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett & Amanda Pressner
47. The Best of Me, Nicholas Sparks (audiobook)
48. Any Minute, Joyce Meyer & Deborah Bedford (audiobook)
49. When God Was a Rabbit, Sarah Winman
50. The End of Your Life Book Club, Will Schwalbe (audio book)

Resolutions - Four Days Left in 2012

With only four days left in 2012, I can sum up my year of resolutions and start thinking of what I might want to focus on in 2013. In 2011, I spent the year learning about new wines. In 2012, my main goal was to get myself out of (non-mortgage) debt, plus a few other things. Here's my list again, with my end-of-year updates:

• Start sketching - I started... That should count for something. I think I did maybe three sketches in January... 
• Continue French lessons - Yes! I took classes in the Spring, Summer, and Fall sessions, and note a big improvement over last year.
• Take a longer Vespa trip (technically only needs to be longer than to Fall River to count) - Did not happen. 
• Minor renos at home - Not done, and no plans on completing this in 2012
• Pay off line of credit - DONE! Today was the last payday in 2012, and I put my final payment on my line of credit and also paid off the Christmas VISA debt. 

In general, I'm pleased with how I did. The idea of sketching was just to get me using a different part of my brain again. I think I found other ways to do so. Sketching isn't really important to me. The Vespa trip was a neat idea, but when it came down to it, I didn't care about taking it. Same with the renos - they didn't really fit with paying off the debt, and honestly, I didn't feel like doing them. 

The French lessons were good, and I can continue with my goal of going to France on vacation once I've finished the advanced classes. I'm a little slower than I thought I'd be finishing these courses, but it's not been as easy to learn as I'd hoped! Just kidding, I knew it would take a lot of work, and it is coming along well for the amount of time I put in. 

Finally setting up a budget and sticking to it (for the most part) was the best part of my resolutions. Now that the debt is paid off, I'll continue to stick to a budget, but will be able to start saving for that trip to France, and maybe some of the other things I've delayed buying. 

No, what will I do for 2013? I have four days to consider this... 

Holiday Spirit

November and December are the hardest months of the year for some people, me included. The daylight starts to dwindle, the weather turns colder, and people start to rush into the holidays. I've always had a hard time with the shift from summer to winter. Fall is really just a cusp season for me. I consider those first few weeks/months of fall as a nice extension of summer. Then we jump feet first into cold, dreary, winter.

It takes effort to stay positive at first. I have to remind myself to take care of myself every November, once I feel like the Grinch, ready to bite anyone's head off for merely looking at me the wrong way. For me, this means making sure I get enough sleep, exercise, and looking for the good things again. In summer, everything feels so nice and warm that if my mood turns south, I just need to go out in the warm sun. 

This also means that I am selective with whom I spend my time. I love my friends and family, but some of them are hard to deal with when I'm struggling with the winter blues. I'm sure you all have a few of these people in your lives - "negatrons", as my friend calls them. Negatrons seem to be everywhere right now - on facebook, twitter, on the streets, and I know I struggle with becoming one myself some days. They are the subject of many a holiday movie - The Grinch, Scrooge, etc. (Though I must say the ones I know in person are definitely not anywhere near as bad these classic characters.) 

December is my photo challenge for myself. I have to take and post a photo a day of something that makes me smile. That's pretty easy. However, it does get my mind into a positive vibe - looking for those happy moments. I could just post a picture of my cat everyday, as she makes me smile daily, but I'm trying hard to find different things to post. It's really helped to be constantly looking for those things/moments that make me smile. They are everywhere when you take the time to look. 

Something else I've been noticing lately is that while the world will always have negatrons, there are also many "positrons". (Ok, that's a real thing, not related to what I'm using the word for...) I've started to notice them now, as well. For instance, there is the man who hands out the newspaper on the street in front of my office building. Every morning, he's there with a "Good Morning" and a smile. I don't read that paper, but I make a point of saying good morning to him every day, and often times, he is the first person I speak to each work morning (other than my cat, of course). 

This week, my goal for myself is to take notice of more positrons, and maybe work towards being one myself. Is there a positron in your life? Maybe you are the positron in someone else's life! 

Ten Months Done!

Time to check back in with those resolutions I made ten months ago:

• start sketching - I started... And then I did not continue  - still haven't continued
• Continue French lessons - Yes! I'm half way through my second  third session of 2012
• Take a longer Vespa trip (technically only needs to be longer than to Fall River to count) - not yet! It's not looking good now that Vespa season is nearly over
• Minor renos at home - Not done, and no plans on completing this in 2012 - still no plans of doing any
• Pay off line of credit - I've paid off 58%  85% so I guess I'm still right on schedule!

I'm ok with not sketching and not doing renovations. I would have liked to take that longer Vespa trip, but I'm ok with not taking it. My line of credit and French lessons were the two I was really committed to, so I'm content with those two.

Forty Books Done!

Ten months done and 40 books read/listened to.

1. A Secret Kept, Tatiana de Rosnay
2. Bossypants, Tina Fey
3. The News Where You Are, Catherine O'Flynn (audiobook)
4. Hurt Go Happy, Ginny Rorby (audiobook)
5. Bittersweet Rain, Sandra Brown (audiobook)
6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
7. The Edge of Winter, Luanne Rice (audiobook)
8. The Gospel According to Peanuts, Robert L. Short
9. Broken for You, Stephanie Kallos (audiobook)
10. Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
11. Anyone But You, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
12. A Town Like Paris, Bryce Corbett
13. Not My Daughter, Barbara Delinsky (audiobook)
14. The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes
15. Complete Without Kids, Ellen L. Walker
16. The Peach Keeper, Sarah Addison Allen (audiobook)
17. Seriously... I'm Kidding, Ellen Degeneres
18. Another Woman's Son, Anna Adams
19. Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (audiobook)
20. The Birth House, Ami McKay
21. How to Save a Life, Sara Zarr (audiobook)
22. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
23. Room, Emma Donoghue
24. Manhunting, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
25. The Cinderella Deal, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
26. Diary of a Mad Fat Girl, Stephanie McAfee
27. Fifty Shades of Grey, E L James
28. Summer at Tiffany, Marjorie Hart
29. Ape House, Sara Gruen 
30. It's Now or Never, Nicole Matthews
31. Smitten, Janet Evanovich (audiobook)
32. MWF Seeking BFF, Rachel Bertsche
33. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
34. Not Becoming My Mother, Ruth Reichl (audiobook)
35. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen (audiobook)
36. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
37. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
38. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen
39. Yes, Chef, Marcus Samuelsson (audiobook)
40. Two Little Girls in Blue, Mary Higgins Clark
41. Runaway Mistress, Robyne Carr
42. The Start-Up, Sadie Hayes
43. Knowing Your Value, Mika Brzezinski (audiobook)
44. Sharp Edges, Jayne Ann Krentz (audiobook)
45. Warren Buffett and the Art of Stock Arbitrage, Mary Buffett & David Clark (audiobook)
46. The Lost Girls; Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett & Amanda Pressner
47. The Best of Me, Nicholas Sparks (audiobook)
48. Any Minute, Joyce Meyer & Deborah Bedford (audiobook)
49. When God Was a Rabbit, Sarah Winman
50. The End of Your Life Book Club, Will Schwalbe (audio book)

Can I make it to 50? We'll see. Maybe with the help of some more audiobooks. I have three books on the go right now, and some travel/airport time coming up, so it's possible. 

58% Check In

I really meant to check in with my resolutions at the end of June, when we were 50% through 2012. I didn't. Summers are busy, and honestly, there are way more fun things to be doing than checking in on resolutions. Especially when you you think you might be falling behind on some of your goals... So next week will be the end of July, and that means we're 58% through the year.

Here's a list of my resolutions, and my updates:

• Start sketching - I started... And then I did not continue 
• Continue French lessons - Yes! I'm half way through my second session of 2012
• Take a longer Vespa trip (technically only needs to be longer than to Fall River to count) - not yet! 
• Minor renos at home - Not done, and no plans on completing this in 2012
• Pay off line of credit - I've paid off 58%, so I guess I'm right on schedule!

Good thing I was ahead on paying off my line of credit before. I've had a bit of a lax summer so far for making payments. I've made them, but I've also given myself a lot of leeway to buy some new things and spend a bit more on entertainment. It is summer, after all. I'll have an easier time in the fall paying more when there's not as much fun stuff going on. 

Finally Beat My Old Half Marathon PB - Johnny Miles

My old half PB was set in September 2006 - 2:14:27. I've run a couple halfs since then, and a full, but haven't raced a half... I've been working on 10k races and beating the mental barrier that I had with being uncomfortable. I wasn't sure exactly what I should aim for in a half, so I figured I'd aim for somewhere between 2:05-2:10. I figured 2:10 was pretty doable, but would really like closer to 2:05. However, I didn't want to go out too hard and then blow the chance to PB at all.

Anyway. Here are the splits:

1- 5:58
2- 5:45
3- 5:56
4- 5:50
5- 5:46 (29:15 5k)
6- 6:13 - gel/walk
7- 5:58
8- 6:00
9- 6:00
10- 5:58 (59:24 10k, 2nd 5k in 30:09)
11- 6:16 - gel/walk
12- 6:12
13- 5:56
14- 6:39 - major side stitch, had to walk
15- 5:59 (1:30:26 15k, 3rd 5k in 31:02)
16- 6:18
17- 6:45 - gel/walk (mental break when I realized I'd easily PB)
18- 5:50
19- 6:20
20- 6:15 (2:01:54 20k, 4th 5k in 31:28)
21- 5:34
21.1k in 2:07:57

The first 10k was pretty congested as the 10k, half and full all ran it together, but it was pretty enjoyable. I like this race a lot and really enjoyed the first 10k. I just went whatever pace felt good and occasionally looked at my pace. I figured I'd just run, sort of aim for 6:00 pace, and see if I could hold on. My old injury (hip) started to twinge from about 1k on, especially on any inclines. Luckily, this course was really flat.

My 5k splits show how I was feeling. After the 10k-ers turned off to the finish line, the congestion was pretty much gone. It was nice to have some room again. (This course is 10k loops.) I was starting to notice just how salty I was, and was getting pretty hot. So, sometimes I'd take a quick little walk break. The iPod was a treat. I am used to racing without music and I really enjoyed having it to distract me.

I looked at my garmin at 17k and knew I was on pace for a PB, and though it was hurting, I could hang on to that PB for another half hour of running. Seems I let myself take a nice long walk here, judging by the splits. The last 500m of this race is across a bridge and then into the finish chute. Track work really helped as I knew I could speed up and hold it for basically one 400m repeat. I passed a woman, then she passed me back and I thought "Oh no you don't...." and I sped up. She didn't pass me again, and looking at my finish line pics, she wasn't far behind me! I passed quite a few people in the last 100m as I just gave it everything that I had left.

I'm pleased with my time. This really is one of my favorite races. I might have had a better time had I not taken a few extra walks, but who knows. It's obvious I was tiring as the time went on, but my 21st kilometer was the fastest of them all. Maybe there is a 2:05 in there for the fall. But for now, I'm pretty happy with cutting off six and a half minutes from my old PB. And I had a great day with some good friends.

The race photos are up now, and mine are here. Not bad, considering I usually look like I'm either dying or on some serious drugs in other race photos!

Cabot Trail Relay 2012 - Leg 7

This was my 6th year running a leg of the Cabot Trail Relay. In the past, I've run legs 1, 3, 8, 15, & 16. Now I can add leg 7.

The elevation profile from my garmin 

I knew that the first 5-8k was uphill, gaining 100m elevation, so thought I'd start slow, ideally about 6:30/km as I knew I could make it up on the downs. I had no idea what I was in for. By 3k, I gave up on the idea of hitting the mats as my hamstrings were already dying. I took a walk break at 2k, then thought "I'll just take one every 2k up the hill" and then that didn't work - took a few more.

I'd pass runners, saying "I think we deserve a downhill soon," and then it came!!! I LOVED the downhill. I just flew. I looked at my garmin many times and saw it flashing a 4:40 pace down those hills on the fun parts. (For me, that was super fast - my usual "race pace" is just around/under 6:00/km.) I knew it would come back to get me, but I couldn't slow down. I knew I still had a chance to hit the mats. I had no idea that it would basically be 5k up hill, then 5k down hill.

After 10k, it got HARD. The little ups started again, then more down. The quads were beat. Luckily, at 10k, my support crew were there to give me some water and give me an excuse to walk. I took a few walks when I needed them, knowing I still had to finish on an uphill.

At around 13k, I got to the washed out bridge and knew I just had to turn the corner and run up the hill. Another runner and I kept passing each other and were pretty much together from 10k on. I took a little walk, and she passed and tapped my back and yelled "Come on!" I said "I am. But I need to catch my breath for that last up hill!" I then started running and she walked. I said "Now YOU come on!" and she did. She was on my heels and just as we got to the old finish (400m to go) the next leg of the race started. "Damn," I heard her say. I was thankful to have her there for the last of the race. It often happens, meeting a runner on the road and using them to help you along. I wanted to thank her and say hi after, but I didn't see her again. I only knew her from the back as the girl in the lululemon shorts with the brown ponytail.

I ran. I saw Trish, who was road crew, and heard her yell SO loudly "COME ON, ANG! RUN!" I yelled back "I am!" and tried to run faster! The mats were already folded up. Boo. But, I at least SAW them. I got an official time. I got my hug from Trish before she had to leave for the next leg. I did all I could do that race.

I came in 48th out of 70. That's a good placement for me! The official results say I ran 1:20:03 for 13.5k for a pace of 5:56.

It's done. I'm content, but still have to go back to get across the mats another year, before they are pulled up. This is the closest I've come to crossing the mats in the six years I've run this race. Next year....



Garmin Splits in min/km:

1-6:00
2-6:26
3-6:10
4-6:51
5-6:31 (31:58 5k)
6-5:32
7-5:03
8-5:40
9-5:02
10-5:23 (58:38 10k - 7 seconds off my 10k PB, making the second 5k a new unofficial PB of 26:40!)
11-6:43
12-6:28
13-5:59
0.37k in 2:12

Total = 13.37 in 1:20 = 5:59 pace

2012 and a Third

That's right, we're one third of the way through 2012. I decided May 1 was as good a day as any to update my progress on my resolution.

Last time I checked in, two months ago, I was behind schedule by about $20. Now, I'm ahead of schedule! That's right! I should be at 33% of it paid off now, and I'm at 47%! My tax refund helped, as did adjustments to my spending habits.

I'm determined to stay on this financial plan for more than just the duration of paying off some debt. I.e. once I get it paid, I won't just go crazy spending and booking trips. I'll stick to a budget! There is no reason that I can't start planning financially for future events (i.e. that trip to Paris I'd like to take in 2014)!

With the news lately of lay offs and positions being done away with, it also hits close to home that it is very important to have a good cushion to land on if needed. I have friends who now have to compete for their jobs with their colleagues, and one never knows when they may be in the same situation. So, I may also shift more focus into that emergency fund.

It has been quite easy to shift my spending to a saving mode instead of spending. Things I've started to do that have made a difference are:

• Put $$ on a Starbucks card - when it runs out, I wait until I can refill the card
• Pre-plan expenses - now I've been putting aside money left over each pay for expenses I know are coming up, like new running shoes and a new jacket - that way, I don't have to put it on Visa or adjust my budget
• Take cash out each pay - I have a general idea of how much "entertainment" money I have, and I like to have it in cash. Then when I am getting low, I can see that I am getting low and choose what I want to do more... Sometimes that means choosing between a bottle or wine or going to the movies.
• If there is any money left in my account between pays, I transfer it to savings or to my debt. That $5-10 adds up!
• Library visits - when I run out of $$ before pay day, a trip to the library is a free way to get some movies or magazines to look at
• Pay attention to what I'm spending and on what...

Hopefully when I check in again in July, I'll still be ahead of schedule!

Twenty Books Down....

I've been updating my original book tracking post, but thought I'd check in with a new post now that I've hit 20 books! I'm quite surprised with myself having read/listened to that many this year. The transit strike helped as that's when I listened to most of my audiobooks, and Lent helped with the paper books/ebooks. 


So, here's the list so far:

1. A Secret Kept, Tatiana de Rosnay
2. Bossypants, Tina Fey
3. The News Where You Are, Catherine O'Flynn (audiobook)
4. Hurt Go Happy, Ginny Rorby (audiobook)
5. Bittersweet Rain, Sandra Brown (audiobook)
6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
7. The Edge of Winter, Luanne Rice (audiobook)
8. The Gospel According to Peanuts, Robert L. Short
9. Broken for You, Stephanie Kallos (audiobook)
10. Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
11. Anyone But You, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
12. A Town Like Paris, Bryce Corbett
13. Not My Daughter, Barbara Delinsky (audiobook)
14. Then Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes
15. Complete Without Kids, Ellen L. Walker
16. The Peach Keeper, Sarah Addison Allen (audiobook)
17. Seriously... I'm Kidding, Ellen Degeneres
18. Another Woman's Son, Anna Adams
19. Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (audiobook)
20. The Birth House, Ami McKay
21. How to Save a Life, Sara Zarr (audiobook)
22. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
23. Room, Emma Donoghue
24. Manhunting, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
25. The Cinderella Deal, Jennifer Crusie (audiobook)
26. Diary of a Mad Fat Girl, Stephanie McAfee
27. Fifty Shades of Grey, E L James
28. Summer at Tiffany, Marjorie Hart
29. Ape House, Sara Gruen 
30. It's Now or Never, Nicole Matthews
31. Smitten, Janet Evanovich (audiobook)
32. MWF Seeking BFF, Rachel Bertsche
33. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
34. Not Becoming My Mother, Ruth Reichl (audiobook)
35. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen (audiobook)
36. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
37. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
38. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen
39. Yes, Chef, Marcus Samuelsson (audiobook)

Any recommendations for me? What should I read next? 

Federal Budget

I'll admit that I don't pay a lot of attention to politics, but as I get older, I am trying to pay closer attention as I am starting to really see how politicians really affect my life. So, for the first time ever, I actually paid attention yesterday when the federal budget was released. The main points that jumped out at me were the change in OAS and the cut in jobs.

While I'm not directly affected by these changes, it made me think about my own retirement and the real potential in this market to find myself affected by job cuts in the future. In this market, we can never be 100% sure we'll have a job forever. It is quite possible (maybe even probable) that we will, at some point, find ourselves in a position of unemployment for some period of time. Right now, I am very pleased that my resolution this year is to get myself in a better financial position, with a real plan in place for my future.

As for OAS, I wasn't really going to be relying on it for retirement. Who knows what could happen in the next  few decades before I'm near the age of really thinking about OAS. I'll keep socking money away every pay into my retirement fund, and not count on having that extra cash from the government. Besides, just paid up my office lotto pool for the next few weeks. Maybe I'll still get that Freedom 35 plan. I'm feeling lucky.

The Other Shoe Drops

After writing about the training not going so well lately, I went for an awesome run last night. 8k outside in the cold, with only the goal of not taking walk breaks. I had recently made a new playlist of songs with approximately 158 beats per minute, and I played that (2 times) when I was running. It's a great new playlist for running, I just need to add to it so I don't have to stop to restart it!

But then last night, I noticed that my foot was sore. This morning, it is really sore. I think I just pulled a muscle in the side of my foot, nothing serious. However, I don't think I should run hill repeats tonight, or run at all. Just walking around my house was hurting. It's a little annoying that after a great run, when I'm excited to run more, I have to take a break. However, I'll remind myself that a little break now to heal is much better than running through it and being out of commission for a lot longer.

Tonight, maybe I'll use the time I would have been running to find some more songs to add to that playlist. I really like jog.fm for finding new songs to buy! I'd have never bought Cage the Elephant's Ain't No Rest for the Wicked, or Ben Folds' Fired if I hadn't heard them on jog.fm!

59 Days...

... until go time at my "A" race for the spring. How's my training going? <<crickets>>

I really thought the motivation would have kicked in by now, but it just hasn't. In January, I started running regularly again with the idea that I'd start "training" in February. (Training for me means running with intention - i.e. tempo runs, hills, speed work, easy runs, etc. Most times, if not training, I just run whatever I want and for however long I want.) In February, transit went on strike, so I was just in survival mode. I commuted by foot with a backpack, so that threw out the idea of any focused runs. Transit has been back and free for the last two weeks. I reworked my training schedule to a 10 week plan that started last Monday.

So far, I've skipped two runs and shortened another. Last week, I attempted a 3k run home with a backpack during the heat wave, the day after running hill repeats in 27 degree heat. I was too hot, so I just walked. I don't mind taking a bit of an extra break. Yesterday, I skipped the planned 5k. I also don't mind that - I'm used to Mondays being rest days, and I think I  might just plan on skipping Mondays and turning them into rest days. I prefer two rest days a week over just one.

This week, it's cold. But, I'm not skipping tonight's run due to cold (windchill of -12, and gusts of 40ish km/hr). I may just move it inside to the treadmill, but I will run it. Tomorrow, I will enjoy the cooler temps for the hill repeats compared to last week.

While I'm feeling like I'm not going to be ready for my "A" race, I'm reminding myself that I still have 59 days. That's a lot of time to get ready. I will be ready. I will try to remember that tonight as I struggle with my decision of treadmill or cold, and think of just skipping another run....

Day 25

Today is the 25th day of the 40 days of Lent. (For those of you wondering on the math, Sundays aren't included in the count - they are a day of reprieve from Lent.) So, how am I doing? I won't lie, this is when it gets tough. The first half sails by easily, and I wonder if it was a difficult enough task to give up my three favorite social media sites. For the last five or so days, I've been itching to cheat.

This year has been a little easier and a little tougher because of one thing. A colleague left and I've taken over the social media aspect of her job, which requires me to log on to facebook and twitter for work. Since this is not for personal use, I feel it is ok. When I have to log on to facebook to post something on the work page, I do take a quick peak at what's going on without searching around too much. Twitter, I don't log on as myself, but as the work account. Funny how I've now decided that it is important for me to look at Twitter numerous times a day, you know, in case there is something I NEED to re-tweet. This stops now. There. I just logged out.

Sundays are a free for all. I'm allowed to surf my sites. I haven't been posting on facebook or twitter, just looking to see what has been happening. Funny, when I'm allowing myself on there, I'm bored of it. At work, I'm feeling a lot more engaged. I am no longer the person in the office who knows what is going on as it happens, and that's great. I turn on the news when I get home instead. You know, it's ok to not know what is going on immediately when it is going on... Evenings at home, I'm getting more cooking, cleaning, planning done. And I am getting more sleep. Again, I will hope to make this a more permanent change once Lent is over in another 15 days (plus two Sundays).

Transit Strike Ends

Finally. The strike is over. Tomorrow, the ferry starts running again, and buses on Friday. I am happy that today is the last day that I have to commute via foot. It won't be the last day that I commute by foot, but at least I'll have a choice to take transit on those yucky days (like today).

I thought I'd look back at some of the numbers to reflect on my strike experience (not counting the kilometers run as they would have been run anyway):

• 42 days with no transit
• 192 km walked
• ~32 hours walking 
• 12,000 calories burned
• 24 days getting to/from work
• 140 km walking to/from work with a backpack
• 5.5 audiobooks listened to
• 3 rides bummed accepted from friends/coworkers
• 1 shuttle across the bridge with the bridge commission when it was too windy for pedestrians
• $100 not spent on transit pass and tickets
• $65 spent on a new running vest
• $35 spent on new tires for my bike
• $30 spent on a new bike helmet (now I'm all set to start bike commuting again)
• $0 spent on cabs
• 3 missed social engagements
• 1 email to my city councilor
• ~10 slips on ice
• 0 falls (knock wood, I still have to walk home tonight)
• 0 days I hated the commute (despite some really cold winds on the bridge deck)

Now that transit will be back up and running, the things I am most looking forward to:

• drinks after work with friends
• running without the weight of a backpack
• not walking in freezing rain/drizzle
• walking to work
• biking to work (when the weather warms up a bit - I'm a fair weather cyclist)
• getting to the gym before/after work
• visiting friends/family on weekends/evenings

All in all, it really wasn't that bad for me. Most days, I enjoyed the walk. Some days, I really did not enjoy it (rain, wind, sleet, hail, ice). I really noticed the increase in numbers of people walking. I hope to continue to see some of them out there. But, I am really happy that the people who rely on the bus will be able to get out and about again. 

Under My Desk

My desk is usually fairly organized, no files laying everywhere or anything. But my personal effects tend to migrate under my desk. When I come in in the morning, I kick off whatever shoes I've worn in and put on my "office shoes".  Due to the transit strike, I also tend to have running gear lying around in my office, and extra coats. (I always have a spare coat in case I run in and need to wear a coat to go to a meeting outside the office.) But, I try to keep it all hidden, so things pile up under my desk, on the hook on the back of my door, and in all the little nooks and crannies in my office. (Some day, maybe I'll post a pic of my drawer of shoes.... All Most of my dressy shoes live at my office in a cabinet drawer, or under the desk.)

Under my desk right now

Anyway, I had a few colleagues meeting in my office today, so I tidied up first. I just thought it was funny that I have three separate pairs of running shoes under my desk, and had to take a picture. The ones on the left are my walking shoes (I put over 100km on those in February commuting to/from work.) In the middle are the pair that I leave at the office to wear to the gym. And, on the right (next to the bag of running gear) are the ones I run in. Three pairs of runners, all different purposes.