2011 was quite the year.
From January to April I was in Victoria. I had some interesting classes, I grew some amazing friendships, and I prepared myself for going back to high school.
In April I got my first taste of teaching. English 8 and Social Studies 11 at Clarence Fulton Secondary in Vernon. I moved in with my Auntie Sandi and Uncle David and they were unbelievably welcoming. I was there for Mother's Day and for the first time in five years I got a reminder of what it is like. That is something I will always be thankful for. Practicum was hard. It was great, but it was really, really tough. My classes were great, but teaching on a Copernican system was exhausting. Trying to prep three lessons a day, every day, for five weeks tired me out. I was doing 16 hour days every single day, but I made it through.
May brought the end of practicum and I packed my bags and headed back to Hope. I took a few weeks of work at the Museum to build my funds and then on June 1 I moved back to Victoria for summer school. For a month Lauren and I shared a bachelor suite which worked surprisingly well! I did the Indigenous Studies Institute and that was the highlight of my Education degree. The learning environment was amazing. We had four inspiring teachers, an great class composition, and we got to have so many meaningful experiences.
The end of June brought a break from school, but not from UVic. Lauren went to Europe with her family and I got to live by my lonesome for the first time. I worked at UVic as a Research Assistant and I genuinely came to love my job. Yes, it was a tad lonely being almost the only person in the MacLaurin building, but the work was interesting. And I got to schedule myself. That was a huge benefit.
By the time August rolled around, I felt like a break. So I took one. Whitney and I planned a grand adventure and we set off for a two week tour of BC and Alberta. We camped, went to hot springs, did some walks, camped some more, hung out in the rain, ate perogies for breakfast, and bought a LOT of goat soap. The trip was beautiful and although it wasn't always easy it was definitely worth it!
September brought a return to school - but only for a month. This was the "end" of Cohort One as we knew it. We were being set loose on the real world. In October I moved back to Hope and prepared for my final practicum back in my old high school. I taught English 12, Socials 11, AVID 9, and Leadership 9-12 with the most amazing mentor teachers, students, and school environment I could have imagined. Some of my classes were challenging, but I made it through the tough days and by the end I was genuinely sad to leave. So sad I may have cried. But in my own defense, it was entirely my mentor teacher's fault.
At the start of December I returned to work at the Museum. It is hard to believe I have been there for 8 years. It is such a big part of my life and in some ways it feels like such a homecoming to be back there. I love working with Inge (even though we are basically the Odd Couple) and the research I am doing is fascinating.
And now here we are, December 31, 2011. 10:40 PM as I write this. The new year is coming and I am left reflecting on the one that has just passed. It has had incredibly happy moments, incredibly sad moments, moments I wanted to punch someone in the face, and moments where I was completely at peace with my life.
Throughout the year there have been books. So many books. Books for school, course readings from textbooks and articles and websites. But mostly there have been novels, read for pleasure. 50 of them, in fact. My resolution came about by tagging on to another person's resolution, someone who was piggybacking on the resolution of someone else. Nat mentioned the idea of reading 50 books to Inge, Inge mentioned it to me. And being me, I can never resist a challenge.
So this year I read 50 books for pleasure. Or mostly pleasure. Some of them I adored, some were awful. Really, really awful (read: Memoir from Antproof Case). But all of them were good in the sense that I read them, I learned from them, and I really firmly believe that all knowledge is good knowledge.
I finished my challenge with 1 hour and 40 minutes to go in 2011. Plenty of time to spare. My family entirely doubted that I would be able to finish in time, but I knew that I would get it done. So, now that I have successfully completed my first-ever New Year's Resolution, what are my goals for 2012?
1) Run at least one race every month in 2012
2) Complete 30,000 push ups (yes, I realize this is insane, but this is the next Nat-Challenge and after my lovely brother said "you can't possibly do that" I was left with no choice but to accept)
Those are my two main ones. I also want to travel, run a half marathon, read the complete works of Shakespeare, get a job, and just generally be happy and healthy. A lot has happened in 2011 and I know for certain that 2012 will be full of its very own types of adventure. And maybe I will even read another 50 books.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
And then I read a LOT of books
Thank goodness I had this week off work! In the past week I have read 9 books. Yes, that is more than one per day. In fact, today I read two books. So what have I read since I last updated and what did I think?
Sarah's Key: Set in half in WW2 era France and half in modern times, the book follows the story of a young Jewish girl whose family is rounded up and eventually taken to a concentration camp. The girl escapes to go back for her brother, who she locked in a secret closet to keep safe thinking they would be back the same night. The other half of the book follows an American journalist researching the round-up of French Jews. I like Holocaust books. Fugitive Pieces is one of my all-time favourite books! While I really liked this book, it wasn't my favourite.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - This one follows two teenagers, both named Will Grayson. The first one has a flamboyantly gay best friend who is writing a musical about his life. The second Will Grayson has a secret, online boyfriend. As the novel progresses the two Will Graysons meet. Overall an easy, interesting read!
Life Before Man - This one, as expected, was more challenging than the teen fiction I'd been reading. Oh Atwood. Anyway... It has three alternating narrators - a woman, her husband, and the husband's lover. The wife's lover killed himself and is now in a downward spiral. Oh yeah, and the wife and the lover work at a museum together. Sound confusing? It was.
White Girl - READ IT! This one follows a girl who moves onto a reserve when her mom remarries. She is the only "white" girl around and is a huge target for bullies. This was a really interesting perspective - something different than the Indigenous focused books I have read before.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - What the hell? Seriously. The first half of this book was one f-bomb after the other. The second half was moderately better. I want to see the movie to see if it is better, but I fear I will just be disappointed. In my mind the book was better.
The Secret Life of Bees - I liked this one! Mind you, I find racial issue really interesting and this book takes place in the American South during the 1960s. A young girl and her "nanny" - for lack of a better description - end up having to run away from their home. The girl to escape her father, the woman because she is an escaped criminal. Well, a criminal for trying to register to vote. They end up on a bee farm and as it turns out the sisters they come to live with are not entirely strangers.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares - This is when all my books started to co-mingle. First off, Lily is the main character in both this book and The Secret Life of Bees. Next, because of the same authors as Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, the format is similar. All in all, this one was a fun concept for a book and quite enjoyable! Essentially it is two teenagers that pass a red notebook back and forth, leaving "challenges" for each other to complete.
The Mermaid Chair - This one, same author as Bees, was surprisingly different. Following a woman who goes back to the island she grew up on after her mom (shudder) cuts off her finger with a cleaver. Yuck. The daughter falls in love with a monk (well that's a twist) and surprise surprise, the monk falls in love with her too. They have an affair, the mother cut off another finger, then we finally learn about the deep, dark family secrets. Overall, pretty decent.
Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom - Really, the title tells you pretty much everything you need to know.
Fishtailing - Okay, this one isn't exactly a novel. It is more like a book of poetry. But a book of poetry that tells a story. There are four characters, all the plot structure is there, it is just told entirely through poems. I would actually really recommend this one for future teachers.
Every You, Every Me - This one was weird. Good. But weird. There was lots of use of strikethrough. You knowstrikethrough. So it was sort of stream of consciousness-y. Kinda. Not really. More like a journal. Except weird. I don't know. Somebody read it and explain it to me!
Okay. That's it. That makes 49 books. One more to go, one more day!
Sarah's Key: Set in half in WW2 era France and half in modern times, the book follows the story of a young Jewish girl whose family is rounded up and eventually taken to a concentration camp. The girl escapes to go back for her brother, who she locked in a secret closet to keep safe thinking they would be back the same night. The other half of the book follows an American journalist researching the round-up of French Jews. I like Holocaust books. Fugitive Pieces is one of my all-time favourite books! While I really liked this book, it wasn't my favourite.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - This one follows two teenagers, both named Will Grayson. The first one has a flamboyantly gay best friend who is writing a musical about his life. The second Will Grayson has a secret, online boyfriend. As the novel progresses the two Will Graysons meet. Overall an easy, interesting read!
Life Before Man - This one, as expected, was more challenging than the teen fiction I'd been reading. Oh Atwood. Anyway... It has three alternating narrators - a woman, her husband, and the husband's lover. The wife's lover killed himself and is now in a downward spiral. Oh yeah, and the wife and the lover work at a museum together. Sound confusing? It was.
White Girl - READ IT! This one follows a girl who moves onto a reserve when her mom remarries. She is the only "white" girl around and is a huge target for bullies. This was a really interesting perspective - something different than the Indigenous focused books I have read before.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - What the hell? Seriously. The first half of this book was one f-bomb after the other. The second half was moderately better. I want to see the movie to see if it is better, but I fear I will just be disappointed. In my mind the book was better.
The Secret Life of Bees - I liked this one! Mind you, I find racial issue really interesting and this book takes place in the American South during the 1960s. A young girl and her "nanny" - for lack of a better description - end up having to run away from their home. The girl to escape her father, the woman because she is an escaped criminal. Well, a criminal for trying to register to vote. They end up on a bee farm and as it turns out the sisters they come to live with are not entirely strangers.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares - This is when all my books started to co-mingle. First off, Lily is the main character in both this book and The Secret Life of Bees. Next, because of the same authors as Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, the format is similar. All in all, this one was a fun concept for a book and quite enjoyable! Essentially it is two teenagers that pass a red notebook back and forth, leaving "challenges" for each other to complete.
The Mermaid Chair - This one, same author as Bees, was surprisingly different. Following a woman who goes back to the island she grew up on after her mom (shudder) cuts off her finger with a cleaver. Yuck. The daughter falls in love with a monk (well that's a twist) and surprise surprise, the monk falls in love with her too. They have an affair, the mother cut off another finger, then we finally learn about the deep, dark family secrets. Overall, pretty decent.
Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom - Really, the title tells you pretty much everything you need to know.
Fishtailing - Okay, this one isn't exactly a novel. It is more like a book of poetry. But a book of poetry that tells a story. There are four characters, all the plot structure is there, it is just told entirely through poems. I would actually really recommend this one for future teachers.
Every You, Every Me - This one was weird. Good. But weird. There was lots of use of strikethrough. You know
Okay. That's it. That makes 49 books. One more to go, one more day!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Closing in on the End
With 19 more days until my January 1 deadline, I have 12 more books to read. I have been plowing through the books like nobody's business since practicum ended. First I read The Wednesday Wars which was pretty decent, albeit very low level reading. Next I read The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 which was interesting. I do like 1960s history! Again, it was pretty low reading level so it was quick. Next up, The Book Thief which was AMAZING! At first I thought a book narrated by Death was odd but soon I really got into it! It took place during the Holocaust which from a historical standpoint was very interesting. All in all it was just an excellent, and highly recommended, book! Finally, I read The Lovely Bones which I did not like. Well, I liked it at the start. But as it went on I started to like it less and less. The concept of a dead narrator was interesting, but when we got into the body/spirit switching at the end I pretty much lost interest. Alas.
12 more. Can it be done?
12 more. Can it be done?
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Gym-ity, Gym, Gym
Today marks day five-in-a-row of my "Kick the Gym's Ass" campaign. Small victory.
After coming back from holidays I stepped on the scale in Hope (I don't have one in my apartment) and I was horified to see that I have hit 140. Oh-Em-Gee. That, coupled with looking at the pictures of myself from the trip (ugh) re-kindled my desire to hit the gym. Hard.
I got a member ship for the gym in, oh, July. I used it pretty regularly for about two weeks, then I got kinda busy and slacked off when I started training for the half marathon. I justified to myself that I was getting my exercise with the running. And I probably was doing okay, but I also indulged in a few tasty treats (read an Apple Pie and a tray of cupcakes) along the way. So I'm sure out of the running experience my cardio and leg strength improved marginally but I didn't lose any inches or weight.
So when I saw the horrific numbers I decided the gym, and an improved eating plan, would start when I got back to Victoria. So on Monday, it started. I went to The Root Cellar and bought vegetables. Lots of them. And I've been eating tasty things like stuffed eggplant this week. And then I bought a Mandoline. So I could slice up all my delightful veggies. Last night I made zucchini chips and I have to admit I was underwhelmed. The first recipe and a breadcrumb and parm crust and by the time they baked the zucchini was totally overwhelmed. The second I just did with salt and pepper but I think I oversalted and they were not too goo. Plus most of them stuck to the pan. Alas. I did make and incredible salad with my mandoline and I'm confident it is going to turn out to be a "patio swing purchase" (synonymous with money well spent).
So I've been rocking the gym and watching what I eat. Will the inches and pounds drop? I certainly hope so. Motivation? I've told myself I'm not going shopping (ESPECIALLY at lululemon - the devil incarnate) until I lose five pounds.
So what are my stats?
As of Monday: 140lbs, 39-31-39
Lots of room for improvement.
After coming back from holidays I stepped on the scale in Hope (I don't have one in my apartment) and I was horified to see that I have hit 140. Oh-Em-Gee. That, coupled with looking at the pictures of myself from the trip (ugh) re-kindled my desire to hit the gym. Hard.
I got a member ship for the gym in, oh, July. I used it pretty regularly for about two weeks, then I got kinda busy and slacked off when I started training for the half marathon. I justified to myself that I was getting my exercise with the running. And I probably was doing okay, but I also indulged in a few tasty treats (read an Apple Pie and a tray of cupcakes) along the way. So I'm sure out of the running experience my cardio and leg strength improved marginally but I didn't lose any inches or weight.
So when I saw the horrific numbers I decided the gym, and an improved eating plan, would start when I got back to Victoria. So on Monday, it started. I went to The Root Cellar and bought vegetables. Lots of them. And I've been eating tasty things like stuffed eggplant this week. And then I bought a Mandoline. So I could slice up all my delightful veggies. Last night I made zucchini chips and I have to admit I was underwhelmed. The first recipe and a breadcrumb and parm crust and by the time they baked the zucchini was totally overwhelmed. The second I just did with salt and pepper but I think I oversalted and they were not too goo. Plus most of them stuck to the pan. Alas. I did make and incredible salad with my mandoline and I'm confident it is going to turn out to be a "patio swing purchase" (synonymous with money well spent).
So I've been rocking the gym and watching what I eat. Will the inches and pounds drop? I certainly hope so. Motivation? I've told myself I'm not going shopping (ESPECIALLY at lululemon - the devil incarnate) until I lose five pounds.
So what are my stats?
As of Monday: 140lbs, 39-31-39
Lots of room for improvement.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Back to the Books
In light of my running failure I threw myself headlong into my book challenge.
Okay. Maybe that is a lie. I did some reading. That is probably more accurate. I did manage to polish off Against a Crimson Sky which was fairly good. It is a bit of a romance/drama type book set in Napoleonic era Poland. Err. Not Poland since at that point it had ceased to exist. The book essentially follows a family as the husband, and later the sons, join Napoleon's army in hopes of rebuilding an independent Poland.
Once I finished that I started reading The Raw Shark Texts which is interesting so far. I can't really say what it is about as I'm still fairly confused. Something about a thought-fish (which is really a shark) seeking out someone's identity and then destroying their memory. Sounds strange, I know. A book review said something like "the bastard love child of Jaws, the Matrix, and the da Vinci Code" so I picked it up at the Vernon library book sale for $0.50 as I figured I couldn't lose!
Okay. Maybe that is a lie. I did some reading. That is probably more accurate. I did manage to polish off Against a Crimson Sky which was fairly good. It is a bit of a romance/drama type book set in Napoleonic era Poland. Err. Not Poland since at that point it had ceased to exist. The book essentially follows a family as the husband, and later the sons, join Napoleon's army in hopes of rebuilding an independent Poland.
Once I finished that I started reading The Raw Shark Texts which is interesting so far. I can't really say what it is about as I'm still fairly confused. Something about a thought-fish (which is really a shark) seeking out someone's identity and then destroying their memory. Sounds strange, I know. A book review said something like "the bastard love child of Jaws, the Matrix, and the da Vinci Code" so I picked it up at the Vernon library book sale for $0.50 as I figured I couldn't lose!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The end?
Well today's run was a massive fail. In fact, it may be the end of my running career. I've had some pain in the foot I broke in a rock climbing accident just under two years ago the last few times I have run. Today I had a 5K run scheduled and I decided I would run the UVic Chip Trail again - only 4K - to give my foot a rest since it was pretty sore last night. It felt good all day, but almost as soon as I started running it was seriously painful.
At first I thought my shoes were tied too tight. So I stopped, loosened them, and yes, it was better, but maybe the damage was already done. I ended up walking probably between half and three quarters of the route.
Well, the route I did. I may have got slightly lost. I ran the trail in the other direction than normal and somewhere I took a wrong turn and ended up wandering around totally lost. Finally I found my way back to my office, packed up, and headed home with only a slight limp (ugh).
I think I'm definitely staying away from running for the next little while. Since I have registered for a 10K at the end of September I think I will start running slowly and less distance when I get back from vacation at the end of August.
I hate quitting, but everything within me tells me to take a break because a talus injury is not something to screw around with.
Sigh.
At first I thought my shoes were tied too tight. So I stopped, loosened them, and yes, it was better, but maybe the damage was already done. I ended up walking probably between half and three quarters of the route.
Well, the route I did. I may have got slightly lost. I ran the trail in the other direction than normal and somewhere I took a wrong turn and ended up wandering around totally lost. Finally I found my way back to my office, packed up, and headed home with only a slight limp (ugh).
I think I'm definitely staying away from running for the next little while. Since I have registered for a 10K at the end of September I think I will start running slowly and less distance when I get back from vacation at the end of August.
I hate quitting, but everything within me tells me to take a break because a talus injury is not something to screw around with.
Sigh.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Back at it
Today I got right back into running with a double lap of the UVic Alumni Chip Trail (the link is roughly the route I did) for a distance of 8K and a time of 58 minutes. Yes indeed, I have an actual time because I ran with my phone.
Why did I do this?
When I did the 10K at Elk/Beaver Lake I wasn't sure how busy the route would be and in an effort to not risk a 10K loop of a lake I'd never been to with no ability to contact the outside world, I discovered my phone fits in the zippered pocket of my running shorts. Way to go, Lululemon!
So today I decided to give myself an accurate time. 58 minutes exactly it was. Not super fast, and definitely slower than my 10K race time, but faster than my Elk Lake pace. I was just slightly slower than my first running effort of this half marathon training when I completed the 8K distance about half a song sooner.
What's up with that?
I think part of it might be that the first running effort was at Beacon Hill Park where there were a) other people and b) paved trails. At UVic it is much more a solo running venture. I'm not trying to "keep up" or "compete" with any unsuspecting runners and I am suspicious that running on gravel actually takes more effort. Less rebound and maybe a shorter stride? Or something. That's my excuse anyway.
Why did I do this?
When I did the 10K at Elk/Beaver Lake I wasn't sure how busy the route would be and in an effort to not risk a 10K loop of a lake I'd never been to with no ability to contact the outside world, I discovered my phone fits in the zippered pocket of my running shorts. Way to go, Lululemon!
So today I decided to give myself an accurate time. 58 minutes exactly it was. Not super fast, and definitely slower than my 10K race time, but faster than my Elk Lake pace. I was just slightly slower than my first running effort of this half marathon training when I completed the 8K distance about half a song sooner.
What's up with that?
I think part of it might be that the first running effort was at Beacon Hill Park where there were a) other people and b) paved trails. At UVic it is much more a solo running venture. I'm not trying to "keep up" or "compete" with any unsuspecting runners and I am suspicious that running on gravel actually takes more effort. Less rebound and maybe a shorter stride? Or something. That's my excuse anyway.
Thanks for that...
So this summer I'm working at UVic as a Research Assistant. My job is to create an Education Heritage Museum - online. Pretty cool stuff.
Currently I'm burning CDs of 700MB each full of pictures and scans of artifacts. Needless to say, I've got some downtime. My early 2000s era work eMac is great, but not great at doing more than one thing at once.
So I've been reading half marathon blogs. And "Jason's Half Marathon Training Blog" recounts seeing this highly inspirational poster on the edge of the course during his run:
Currently I'm burning CDs of 700MB each full of pictures and scans of artifacts. Needless to say, I've got some downtime. My early 2000s era work eMac is great, but not great at doing more than one thing at once.
So I've been reading half marathon blogs. And "Jason's Half Marathon Training Blog" recounts seeing this highly inspirational poster on the edge of the course during his run:
“Remember: the pain you feel now may be temporary…
…but your time on the Internet lasts F O R E V E R!”
Thanks for that, helpful person. I'm not sure how the blog entry ends because I haven't read that far. I just thought this particular note was funny. And sad. And a bit true. Oh technology...
Monday, August 1, 2011
Week One Done
Well, then end of training week one is complete. I confess, I have been better at running than blogging. I skipped my 8K run on Thursday because my legs were SO sore but I got back into it on Friday, running the 5K chip trail at UVic with my friend Lindsey. The trail turned out to only be 4K, but it was good nonetheless.
Saturday was a rest day (which was delightful) then on Sunday I had my scheduled 10K - eek. I decided I was going to run the 10K trail that goes around Elk and Beaver Lakes.
The trail was gravel and maybe it took more effort to run on than pavement, but the run definitely didn't feel good. My overall time was somewhere around an hour and fifteen minutes which is quite a bit slower than my 10K race time of an hour and seven minutes. Right from the start I knew it was going to be a hard run, but I chose to finish the distance and not worry so much about the time. There will be plenty of opportunities to run 10K and improve my time.
After the run I spent most of the day relaxing on the couch. At about the 9.5K mark my right ankle started hurting a bit. This is really the first time I've had any pain in my broken-foot foot in quite awhile. In October 2009 I fell rock climbing and broke my right talus, then had next-day surgery and spent the next three months doing a combination of wheel chair and crutches.
After a full day of rest it is feeling much better and I'm hoping I'm back to normal for tomorrow when I have 8K on the plate.
Here's to a successful week two!
Saturday was a rest day (which was delightful) then on Sunday I had my scheduled 10K - eek. I decided I was going to run the 10K trail that goes around Elk and Beaver Lakes.
The trail was gravel and maybe it took more effort to run on than pavement, but the run definitely didn't feel good. My overall time was somewhere around an hour and fifteen minutes which is quite a bit slower than my 10K race time of an hour and seven minutes. Right from the start I knew it was going to be a hard run, but I chose to finish the distance and not worry so much about the time. There will be plenty of opportunities to run 10K and improve my time.
After the run I spent most of the day relaxing on the couch. At about the 9.5K mark my right ankle started hurting a bit. This is really the first time I've had any pain in my broken-foot foot in quite awhile. In October 2009 I fell rock climbing and broke my right talus, then had next-day surgery and spent the next three months doing a combination of wheel chair and crutches.
After a full day of rest it is feeling much better and I'm hoping I'm back to normal for tomorrow when I have 8K on the plate.
Here's to a successful week two!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
All-Around-Fail
Well...today was a big fail both in terms of following the meal plan I am using to make sure I am well nourished during half marathon training AND the actual training itself.
It all started when I was making my "scheduled" lunch. It called for "soup and sandwich" but I didn't feel like soup and I didn't have any bread. So instead I made a quinoa salad - not remotely on my meal plan, but I wasn't concerned.
As the day went on, my legs got more and more and more stiff from the 13K I have run in the past two days. So as I was walking to the bus I made the executive decision that I would take the day off from running. Better to skip and day and be able to carry on with my run tomorrow and the long run on Sunday.
Then when I got home I was super hungry so I made an unauthorized smoothie with banana, strawberry, spinach, cottage cheese, and blueberry juice. I figured it was close enough to my scheduled "snack". For dinner I was supposed to make some sort of chicken pasta with spinach and roasted red peppers. Basically I was hungry (still), didn't feel like defrosting the chicken, and couldn't wait until after I got home from my belly dancing class at 8:30 to eat dinner. So I made perogies.
Essentially I have written today off as an all around fail, so when I got home I had a bowl of pretzles and the last glass of Cream Soda from when I made butterbeer for Harry Potter viewing a few weeks ago. Now, ridiculous as it is, I'm STILL hungry! Jeez. Apparently today is a hungry day.
Note to self: stick to the meal plan/exercise plan to avoid chaos.
It all started when I was making my "scheduled" lunch. It called for "soup and sandwich" but I didn't feel like soup and I didn't have any bread. So instead I made a quinoa salad - not remotely on my meal plan, but I wasn't concerned.
As the day went on, my legs got more and more and more stiff from the 13K I have run in the past two days. So as I was walking to the bus I made the executive decision that I would take the day off from running. Better to skip and day and be able to carry on with my run tomorrow and the long run on Sunday.
Then when I got home I was super hungry so I made an unauthorized smoothie with banana, strawberry, spinach, cottage cheese, and blueberry juice. I figured it was close enough to my scheduled "snack". For dinner I was supposed to make some sort of chicken pasta with spinach and roasted red peppers. Basically I was hungry (still), didn't feel like defrosting the chicken, and couldn't wait until after I got home from my belly dancing class at 8:30 to eat dinner. So I made perogies.
Essentially I have written today off as an all around fail, so when I got home I had a bowl of pretzles and the last glass of Cream Soda from when I made butterbeer for Harry Potter viewing a few weeks ago. Now, ridiculous as it is, I'm STILL hungry! Jeez. Apparently today is a hungry day.
Note to self: stick to the meal plan/exercise plan to avoid chaos.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Day Three
Today was day three of half marathon training. This morning I was feeling good after yesterday's 8K, but as the day went on and I was sedentary at work, my legs started to cramp up by about 2:00. Uhoh. Tonight I needed to run 5K and let me tell you, by the time I got home from work and had a little rest (the rest is ALWAYS a bad idea) I had basically convinced myself that nobody would know if I skipped the run.
Then I started feeling guilty. Yes, I have high standards for myself. My self-guilt would eat me alive. I committed to the training run, and I can't wimp out on the third day - and only the second day of running!
So I made myself some dinner, planned my route, and watched some How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men before promising myself I would leave the house at 7:30.
Then I started feeling guilty. Yes, I have high standards for myself. My self-guilt would eat me alive. I committed to the training run, and I can't wimp out on the third day - and only the second day of running!
So I made myself some dinner, planned my route, and watched some How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men before promising myself I would leave the house at 7:30.
So where did I run tonight? I decided I wanted to try something different. Victoria has lots of beautiful areas, and despite living here since September I really haven't done much exploring. So I made a choice. I would start at "Mile Zero" of the Trans-Canada Highway, head past Ogden Point, then wind my way around the waterfront (or as close to the water as I could get), pass the legislature buildings, then come back along Government Street before heading back to my parking spot.
The run was solid. Again I walked lots, but unlike my first 5K, at the end of this I didn't feel like dying. Improvement!
So how did this run "stack up?" Well, I actually went 5.3K according to Google Earth. The whole journey took me until the end of "Dog Days Are Over" so by my very official timepiece I am guessing that the trip took me about 36 minutes. That gives me a pace of approximately 6.8min/km. Quite a bit better than my 8K yesterday, but still a long way to go if I want to get my 10K in under an hour.
If you notice, my return route does a bit of a radical jog. Why, you might ask? Emergency vehicles. Ambulance, fire truck, lights, sirens, the whole thing. So while I initially planned on running further down Government before heading over to Douglas, I decided to avoid the chaos.
Last thing: I have decided my next purchase needs to be socks. The ones I'm running in are not really cutting it. The balls of my feet are starting to get sore right under my big toe on both feet. I wonder if that tells me more that something is up with my stride or that I really should do laundry and stop wearing my old, terrible socks...
And it begins
The half marathon training plan I have chose started with a rest day. Go figure. So really I didn't "start" the running until day two and there was certainly no easing into the program. Run one length? 8K. Last time I ran 8K? Oh right, that was just once, while I was doing my first 10K race two months ago.
Needless to say, I was dreading this run. I expected to be a hyperventilating mess. Much to my surprise, I got off to a good start. I decided that I would run the length of a song, then take a short walk break, then run the rest of the song, then break. This way my run lengths would be variable and I could hopefully make it through the 8K successfully.
After a short amount of time, I passed a 500m mark - apparently the route I chose is measured - a welcome surprise! Speaking of my route, I used Google Earth to map out a route. I learned that from Clover Point to the end of the Ogden Point breakwater is approximately 4K - perfect for an out-and-back 8K.
My run/walk plan was working well. Before I knew it I was approaching the Ogden Point breakwater. Now just to run along it, turn around, and head back. The first 4K of the run was pretty painless. The remaining 4K would not be so easy. Probably due to my lack of experience running more than 3K at a time, my legs were just not prepared for such a length. I definitely walked more on the way back, but all-in-all I finished the 8K in approximately an hour. Not a good time at all, but at least I completed the run!
When I got home, I felt good. I even felt like I could go to the gym! But, no surprise, a tasty dinner, some quality time with my book, and an early bedtime won out and day two of the half marathon training plan came to a successful end.
Needless to say, I was dreading this run. I expected to be a hyperventilating mess. Much to my surprise, I got off to a good start. I decided that I would run the length of a song, then take a short walk break, then run the rest of the song, then break. This way my run lengths would be variable and I could hopefully make it through the 8K successfully.
After a short amount of time, I passed a 500m mark - apparently the route I chose is measured - a welcome surprise! Speaking of my route, I used Google Earth to map out a route. I learned that from Clover Point to the end of the Ogden Point breakwater is approximately 4K - perfect for an out-and-back 8K.
My run/walk plan was working well. Before I knew it I was approaching the Ogden Point breakwater. Now just to run along it, turn around, and head back. The first 4K of the run was pretty painless. The remaining 4K would not be so easy. Probably due to my lack of experience running more than 3K at a time, my legs were just not prepared for such a length. I definitely walked more on the way back, but all-in-all I finished the 8K in approximately an hour. Not a good time at all, but at least I completed the run!
When I got home, I felt good. I even felt like I could go to the gym! But, no surprise, a tasty dinner, some quality time with my book, and an early bedtime won out and day two of the half marathon training plan came to a successful end.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
And then running seemed like a good idea...
I hate running.
There is really no way to sugar coat it. When I run I feel like a fish out of water. My arms flail wildly, my face turns about eight thousand shades of red, my curly hair expands to epic proportions, my breathing gets all short and gaspy, and more often than not either my legs or my lungs feel like they are going to explode - sometimes even at the same time!
So why on earth would I decide running was a good idea? Well, this most recent venture stems back to my first teaching practicum. I was staying with my aunt and uncle, teaching up a storm (English 8 and Social Studies 11) and somehow or other I decided I wanted a challenge. Because clearly reading 50 books in a year while going to school full time, working part time, volunteering regularly, and trying to balance a 75% teaching load for five weeks wasn't enough.
Anyway, running is the challenge I chose. So I was browsing around on the Running Room website and discovered a 10K close to my hometown about a month away. I was sold. Then I discovered a 5K two weeks away (two days after finishing practicum) in my hometown. I was ecstatic. I registered for both and started running. Well. I ran once. Cue incapacitating cold. Not only did this bring my running plans to a standstill, it also seriously slowed me down on practicum, but I digress.
So I have the death-cold for about a week. Now I've got one week of practicum (which I clearly hadn't prepped for) left and about seven days until my first run. My future career obviously takes priority and running again gets thrown on the backburner. So I do my first run, a 5K, with only one practice run of probably 1.5K distance. Never mind that the course was one of those "run up the mountain, run down the mountain" situations. Blegh.
So race day arrives. I carpool to the race with a good friend who is also running. I do the ridiculous group stretching that starts the day. I line up near the end of the pack (let's not kid ourselves), and then the gun fires. A couple minutes pass, and then the crowd around me starts to move. I'm running, I'm in the zone (or something) and before I know it I have passed the first kilometer marker. I keep running, past the 2K mark, the 3K mark, then I've got the early stages of the exploding lung thing going on so I take a walk break. Run, walk, run, walk. That's how it goes for the next 5K or so. Then end is nearing. 2K left. And let me tell you, that was the longest 2K of my life. Remember, my longest training run was about 5K, so I'm exhausted. That, and I definitely didn't have enough breakfast to fuel me through 10K - live and learn I suppose!
There is really no way to sugar coat it. When I run I feel like a fish out of water. My arms flail wildly, my face turns about eight thousand shades of red, my curly hair expands to epic proportions, my breathing gets all short and gaspy, and more often than not either my legs or my lungs feel like they are going to explode - sometimes even at the same time!
So why on earth would I decide running was a good idea? Well, this most recent venture stems back to my first teaching practicum. I was staying with my aunt and uncle, teaching up a storm (English 8 and Social Studies 11) and somehow or other I decided I wanted a challenge. Because clearly reading 50 books in a year while going to school full time, working part time, volunteering regularly, and trying to balance a 75% teaching load for five weeks wasn't enough.
Anyway, running is the challenge I chose. So I was browsing around on the Running Room website and discovered a 10K close to my hometown about a month away. I was sold. Then I discovered a 5K two weeks away (two days after finishing practicum) in my hometown. I was ecstatic. I registered for both and started running. Well. I ran once. Cue incapacitating cold. Not only did this bring my running plans to a standstill, it also seriously slowed me down on practicum, but I digress.
So I have the death-cold for about a week. Now I've got one week of practicum (which I clearly hadn't prepped for) left and about seven days until my first run. My future career obviously takes priority and running again gets thrown on the backburner. So I do my first run, a 5K, with only one practice run of probably 1.5K distance. Never mind that the course was one of those "run up the mountain, run down the mountain" situations. Blegh. Official 5K time? 37:57 for about a 7.5 min/km pace. Not so excellent considering it was only 5K, but then again not so bad considering my general lack of preparation. Not going to lie, I was pretty proud of myself.
But the big challenge, the 10K was still two weeks away. In the next two weeks I tried to step up my running. I figured I would run every other day. My plan was to do 3K three times, 6K two times, 9K once, and then do the 10K. I was sort of managed to do this - but not really. I ran 3K three times, 6K once (which actually turned out to be more of a 5.1K - oops), and that was it. I tried to do the second 6K but ended up failing miserably. I ran about a kilometer before I gave up, turned around, and went home. Running had defeated me big time.
So race day arrives. I carpool to the race with a good friend who is also running. I do the ridiculous group stretching that starts the day. I line up near the end of the pack (let's not kid ourselves), and then the gun fires. A couple minutes pass, and then the crowd around me starts to move. I'm running, I'm in the zone (or something) and before I know it I have passed the first kilometer marker. I keep running, past the 2K mark, the 3K mark, then I've got the early stages of the exploding lung thing going on so I take a walk break. Run, walk, run, walk. That's how it goes for the next 5K or so. Then end is nearing. 2K left. And let me tell you, that was the longest 2K of my life. Remember, my longest training run was about 5K, so I'm exhausted. That, and I definitely didn't have enough breakfast to fuel me through 10K - live and learn I suppose! Official 10K time? 1:06:54 for an approximate pace of 6.8min/km. Better.
So that is my running history. I intended on keeping up with running when I moved back to Victoria for summer school - but as usual life got in the way. So here we are, two months later, and I hadn't run at all. I have registered for a 10K in September, and I have decided to take on a half marathon training plan so that I can (if all goes well) do a half on October 16. This is the plan. Whether it works or not remains to be seen.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
15/50
Well, I've finished 15 books! While I probably should be more around a total of 25, I'm pretty content with my 15 - especially since three of those have been in the last week (or less). Speaking of, those three books are The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins. All I can really say is go read them! They are EXCELLENT. Also, they are sometimes used in lit circles in high school so really who could go wrong with reading them! It is like career preparation in addition to enjoyable summe reading!
And now, onward I go...
And now, onward I go...
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Books, Books, Books!
So over practicum I did less reading than I had hoped, but I did read The Outsiders several times! Since practicum has ended I have started and finished The Museum Guard by Howard Norman. I frequented the Vernon Friends of the Library book sale and loaded up on books - 20 hardcover fiction for just $10! I'm hoping to plow through and get caught up on my reading before I go back to school on June 3!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Bang - Bang! Books Read!
I am thrilled to announce I FINALLY finished Memoir From Antproof Case yesterday. Talk about a long time coming! Overall it was interesting, but the long chapters just didn't work for me. Also, I found the blurb on the cover sounded far more exciting than the book actually was. Sure there was a murder mystery, sure there was a bank robbery, but all-in-all I was unimpressed.
However, in rapid-fire reading I started/finished The Boy in the Striped Pajamas in no time flat. Now THAT was a quick read! Yes, it is only 213 pages (in comparison with Memoir From Antproof Case at 500 and something) and it is a semi-children's novel, but it was fantastic. And by fantastic I mean horrific, but fantastic. The story follows Bruno, the nine year old son of a German military leader during World War Two. His father is put in charge of "Out-With" (you figure out the pun) and the family moves next door to the fence around the concentration camp. Over the course of a year or so Bruno secretly befriends one of the boys in the camp and sneaks out every afternoon to talk to him from opposite sides of the fence.
I will be teaching World War Two in a couple of weeks, and this is something I may read segments of to teach the Holocaust. It's pretty heartbreaking, but it certainly gets the point across.
However, in rapid-fire reading I started/finished The Boy in the Striped Pajamas in no time flat. Now THAT was a quick read! Yes, it is only 213 pages (in comparison with Memoir From Antproof Case at 500 and something) and it is a semi-children's novel, but it was fantastic. And by fantastic I mean horrific, but fantastic. The story follows Bruno, the nine year old son of a German military leader during World War Two. His father is put in charge of "Out-With" (you figure out the pun) and the family moves next door to the fence around the concentration camp. Over the course of a year or so Bruno secretly befriends one of the boys in the camp and sneaks out every afternoon to talk to him from opposite sides of the fence.
I will be teaching World War Two in a couple of weeks, and this is something I may read segments of to teach the Holocaust. It's pretty heartbreaking, but it certainly gets the point across.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Reading Fail
Well, I can officially call the past few weeks, okay, maybe the past month, a reading fail. I have barely made any progress on Memoir From Antproof Case - blame it on the long chapters, too much homework, and a general lack of interest in what is happening in the book. Boo.
On the flip side, I read my very first graphic novel. The Vietnam War: A Graphic History was the basis of a presentation Kristi and I did for our Alternative Texts class. Overall I liked it, but there really was no storyline. Instead, it was exactly what it says it is: a graphic history.
Overall I'm a bit disappointed with my lack of reading. Must try to step it up during practicum (har har).
On the flip side, I read my very first graphic novel. The Vietnam War: A Graphic History was the basis of a presentation Kristi and I did for our Alternative Texts class. Overall I liked it, but there really was no storyline. Instead, it was exactly what it says it is: a graphic history.
Overall I'm a bit disappointed with my lack of reading. Must try to step it up during practicum (har har).
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Story Time in the Park
Speaking of books... Check out this link to help fund a fabulous small-town literacy program!
http://www.refresheverything.ca/storytimeinthepark
http://www.refresheverything.ca/storytimeinthepark
Saturday, February 26, 2011
"Reading" Break
Well, tomorrow is the last day of winter semeter "Reading" Break. Yes, I actually did some reading, but mostly I did unit planning. World War One unit planning, to be specific. I also did some homework. And ate a lot of Qoola. Delicious!
I'm currently reading Memoir From Antproof Case by Mark Helprin. I picked it up at the United Way book sale last semester and was super excited about starting it after reading the summary on the back. It is pretty interesting, but I'm not totally wrapped up in it. I tend to go several days between reading it without even thinking about it and I'm finding that I have to really make a point of sitting down with my book. I think part of the reason is that it has extremely long chapters. And we all know I am the type of person who hates stopping partway through a chapter. This means that when I sit down to read, I really need to have time to finish the section. Now when each chapter is 50-80 pages that means a good hour of free time required.
I'm also breaking my one-book-for-pleasure-at-a-time rule, and I started reading a graphic novel - which I admit is not eactly for pleasure. I will be doing a presentation with Kristi in a few weeks and I want to get a jump on the text. I guess I need to step up my quality time spent with books!
I'm currently reading Memoir From Antproof Case by Mark Helprin. I picked it up at the United Way book sale last semester and was super excited about starting it after reading the summary on the back. It is pretty interesting, but I'm not totally wrapped up in it. I tend to go several days between reading it without even thinking about it and I'm finding that I have to really make a point of sitting down with my book. I think part of the reason is that it has extremely long chapters. And we all know I am the type of person who hates stopping partway through a chapter. This means that when I sit down to read, I really need to have time to finish the section. Now when each chapter is 50-80 pages that means a good hour of free time required.
I'm also breaking my one-book-for-pleasure-at-a-time rule, and I started reading a graphic novel - which I admit is not eactly for pleasure. I will be doing a presentation with Kristi in a few weeks and I want to get a jump on the text. I guess I need to step up my quality time spent with books!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Stones into Schools - Greg Mortenson
I thoroughly enjoyed Three Cups of Tea when I read it in the summer, and Stones into Schools is more of the same. Mortenson tells his tale with humour, honesty, and optimism and something about his writing propelled me to "just keep reading."
I have always loved books that deal with "troubled" areas - The Poisonwood Bible, The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Half of a Yellow Sun - all incredible reads in my opinion. I'm not sure what it is about his genre, but something about it really speaks to me.
I highly recomment Stones into Schools - especially if you read Three Cups of Tea first! A must-read for anyone who cares about education, literacy, or the human race in general.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
'Tis - Frank McCourt
I am pleased to announce I am FINALLY done 'Tis by Frank McCourt. I have no idea why it took me so long to read this one. It is only 367 pages, it is interesting, and it is, in large part, related to teaching! Should have been much faster to complete.
I think why it took me so long to read is because I found Frank a frustrating character. Essentially 'Tis details his life in New York from 1949 to 1980(ish). In this period he has several jobs, lives in all types of awful apartments, goes overseas as a soldier, goes to NYU on the GI Bill, gains a long term girlfriend, gets a job teaching, gets married, and has a child. What frustrated me most in the novel was a) his up-and-down relationship with his mother and b) his drinking.
The mother thing I get, this is a real-life story, not a fictionalized account. In real life, not everything winds up happily ever after - not that anything terribly tragic happens in 'Tis. Regardless, I kept hoping for some sort of grand moment of realization and appreciation but it didn't really happen.
The drinking thing I found harder to get past. After reading Angela's Ashes and having a vivid look at the tragedy of Frank's father drinking away all his wages and leaving his family to starve, I was horrified that so much of 'Tis referenced Frank going to the pub, getting drunk, and getting into all sorts of trouble with his family, his wife, and his career. I really wanted Frank to "rise above" and turn down the booze, which I suppose he must have done eventually because he managed to write a Pulitzer-Prize Winning book. Anyway, I found it frustrating.
Overall I enjoyed 'Tis, but I'm left highly undecided about Frank as a person. Clearly he is a good writer. Clearly he tells a tragic story with wit and humour. But at the end of the day, I didn't really sympathize with him. That beign said, I do want to read Teacher Man, his third and final book. Probably more than anything becasue it details his life as a new teacher and that is fairly relevant to my life.
I think it will be awhile before I take one another McCourt book, though.
I think why it took me so long to read is because I found Frank a frustrating character. Essentially 'Tis details his life in New York from 1949 to 1980(ish). In this period he has several jobs, lives in all types of awful apartments, goes overseas as a soldier, goes to NYU on the GI Bill, gains a long term girlfriend, gets a job teaching, gets married, and has a child. What frustrated me most in the novel was a) his up-and-down relationship with his mother and b) his drinking.
The mother thing I get, this is a real-life story, not a fictionalized account. In real life, not everything winds up happily ever after - not that anything terribly tragic happens in 'Tis. Regardless, I kept hoping for some sort of grand moment of realization and appreciation but it didn't really happen.
The drinking thing I found harder to get past. After reading Angela's Ashes and having a vivid look at the tragedy of Frank's father drinking away all his wages and leaving his family to starve, I was horrified that so much of 'Tis referenced Frank going to the pub, getting drunk, and getting into all sorts of trouble with his family, his wife, and his career. I really wanted Frank to "rise above" and turn down the booze, which I suppose he must have done eventually because he managed to write a Pulitzer-Prize Winning book. Anyway, I found it frustrating.
Overall I enjoyed 'Tis, but I'm left highly undecided about Frank as a person. Clearly he is a good writer. Clearly he tells a tragic story with wit and humour. But at the end of the day, I didn't really sympathize with him. That beign said, I do want to read Teacher Man, his third and final book. Probably more than anything becasue it details his life as a new teacher and that is fairly relevant to my life.
I think it will be awhile before I take one another McCourt book, though.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Anything Unrelated to Elephants is Irr-elephant
I am sad to say that my book reading is suffering at the expense of busy life.
I am still plugging along, but if my goal is 50 books in 52 weeks I am a bit behind as we are now almost three weeks into 2011 and I am only about halfway through my third book - 'Tis by Frank McCourt. I really am enjoying the book, but holy cow, could it be a slower read?
I read Angela's Ashes in the summer and also found it a slow read, so I am not entirely surprised that this one is going slowly for me. If you are not familiar with the storyline, Angela's Ashes and 'Tis are memoirs written by McCourt. In the first, he recounts his boyhood growing up in Ireland. In the second, he details his experiences as a young man once he has moved to New York. They are fantastically interesting, but something about them makes me read slowly. Mysterious.
Now for the Irr-elephant part: I have started a 30 day challenge at Bikram Yoga Victoria with three lovely ladies from my cohort. We bought a Groupon for a month unlimited last semester and now we are on our way to being more balanced, fit, and flexible. Or something like that.
On the weekend Bikram had an open house so there were two days of free yoga that we went to. Then we took Monday off, then started our Groupon on Tuesday. All in all I have done four days so far. On the first day I wanted to die. I have done hot yoga before, but the sit up, lay down, sit up business during the floor series in Bikram was TOUGH! I am pleased to say that after four days I am finding it less tough and I am already finding myself to be more flexible.
Now the trick is to balance an increased homework load, a month of yoga, work, and keep up with my reading schedule. Good thing I love a challenge!
I am still plugging along, but if my goal is 50 books in 52 weeks I am a bit behind as we are now almost three weeks into 2011 and I am only about halfway through my third book - 'Tis by Frank McCourt. I really am enjoying the book, but holy cow, could it be a slower read?
I read Angela's Ashes in the summer and also found it a slow read, so I am not entirely surprised that this one is going slowly for me. If you are not familiar with the storyline, Angela's Ashes and 'Tis are memoirs written by McCourt. In the first, he recounts his boyhood growing up in Ireland. In the second, he details his experiences as a young man once he has moved to New York. They are fantastically interesting, but something about them makes me read slowly. Mysterious.
Now for the Irr-elephant part: I have started a 30 day challenge at Bikram Yoga Victoria with three lovely ladies from my cohort. We bought a Groupon for a month unlimited last semester and now we are on our way to being more balanced, fit, and flexible. Or something like that.
On the weekend Bikram had an open house so there were two days of free yoga that we went to. Then we took Monday off, then started our Groupon on Tuesday. All in all I have done four days so far. On the first day I wanted to die. I have done hot yoga before, but the sit up, lay down, sit up business during the floor series in Bikram was TOUGH! I am pleased to say that after four days I am finding it less tough and I am already finding myself to be more flexible.
Now the trick is to balance an increased homework load, a month of yoga, work, and keep up with my reading schedule. Good thing I love a challenge!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Medicine River - Thomas King
The second book I undertook in 2011 was Medicine River by Thomas King. This one has been sitting on my bookshelf at home for quite awhile - a discarded library book purchased by my mom years ago. Essentially the story follows Will, an Aboriginal photographer who moves back to his hometown of Medicine River and opens a studio. The story chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Will and a variety of friends who live both on and off the reserve.
Overall Medicine River was a good book. It read quicly, it was interesting, and when I did a bit of research on it I discovered that it can be/has been taught in the BC Curriculum. Check out this Unit Plan from School District 74 (Gold Trail) for ideas to use Medicine River to incorporate a Canadian Aboriginal author into your classroom!
Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
Eat, Pray, Love is a memoir recounting Gilbert's personal journey across Italy, India, and Indonesia. In Italy she strives to learn the secret to worldly pleasure, in India, the secret of devotion and spirituality, and in Indonesia, the way to balance the two.
While I love the idea of Eat, Pray, Love - the whole notion of self-discovery and enjoying every moment of life - I found Gilbert a bit hard to sympathize with. I get that she was unhappy, I get that she was a strong woman and did what she needed to do, but the fact that she "dropped everything" for this grand journey around the world is a bit tarnished for me by the very fact that her trip was financed by a paid-in-advance book deal. While I have no doubt that Gilbert's trip was a life changing expereince, it strikes me as less of a "dropping everything" expereince and more of a great opportunity to travel and call it work.
I've read memoirs before, but I found that this one made frequent reference to the fact that it was a memoir - if that makes sense. Because I was frequently reminded that the book was being written for a commercial purpose, I found that I was somewhat distracted from the larger message of the book.
On the other hand, Eat, Pray, Love couldn't have been all bad judging from the speed at which I read it. In fact, I polished it off in just a couple of days during which I also did lots of skiing and had quality family time. I found tons of "inspirational" and "quotable" lines, which for me is a sure sign that I was engaged in the book.
Even though I took issue with a few things about the book, overall Eat, Pray, Love was well worth the read.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Welcome to the 50 Book Challenge
Welcome to the 50 Book Challenge!
When I was home over Christmas/New Years I spent some time with my summertime boss at the Hope Museum. This past summer she hired quite a few new staff members, one of whom stayed on full time through the winter. Apparently he challenged her to a New Years Resolution to read 50 books in 2011 - doesn't sound so hard, until you think about the fact that there are only 52 weeks in a year.
Anyway, because I like a challenge, I am going to attempt to read at least 50 books in 2011 and to keep track of my progress I have created this lovely blog. Reading 50 books will be a challenge with full time school, a couple of practicums, and work, but I am going to make a go of it nonetheless.
Maybe this blog will entertain you, maybe it will inspire you, or maybe you will just get a few new book ideas. Regardless, 2011 promises to be filled with new adventures, experiences, and excitement - and a whole lot of reading!
When I was home over Christmas/New Years I spent some time with my summertime boss at the Hope Museum. This past summer she hired quite a few new staff members, one of whom stayed on full time through the winter. Apparently he challenged her to a New Years Resolution to read 50 books in 2011 - doesn't sound so hard, until you think about the fact that there are only 52 weeks in a year.
Anyway, because I like a challenge, I am going to attempt to read at least 50 books in 2011 and to keep track of my progress I have created this lovely blog. Reading 50 books will be a challenge with full time school, a couple of practicums, and work, but I am going to make a go of it nonetheless.
Maybe this blog will entertain you, maybe it will inspire you, or maybe you will just get a few new book ideas. Regardless, 2011 promises to be filled with new adventures, experiences, and excitement - and a whole lot of reading!
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