Where Have I Been?

So I have been busy doing just about everything but blogging:

 Above is me at a 10K.  My cute mom showed up w/ a sign and water for all my friends. 

A few of my friends and I have decided to run a marathon.  We are on week 17/30 and I'm exhausted. I think all the training leading up to the marathon is almost as bad as actually running the 26.2 miles.  In case you forgot-I live in Texas and so it is like running in a sauna except with more humidity.

My husband has been in the Air Force for 9 years and is exploring other career opportunities all over the country.  This may be more exhausting than the marathon.  If you could live anywhere in the US-where would you pick and why? We are about ready to flip a coin.

We took a trip to Vermont for our anniversary.  It's beauty is poorly represented by the above pic, but I just didn't pull my camera out much.  The trip was great until our plane broke down at Laguardia and we got to sit there for about 10 hours.  It was ok since they gave us each a $6 meal voucher (I could almost buy a slice a pizza).  Then our flight was delayed and we had to taxi a taxi to JFK to make it home.  They did give us $25 in meal vouchers, which totally made up for the additional 4 hour weather delay.  We were in a similar situation a few years ago and were compensated w/ $400 travel vouchers each. No one likes spending hours and hours in an airport, but I thought that was fair.  Apparently, the max that Delta gives out is a whopping 9500 sky miles.  Hooray, if I am lucky, I may be able to buy 1/4th a ticket. Am I unreasonable, or is that pathetic?

Summer swim team is my favorite of all my kid's activities.  It's the only thing that all 3 of them do.  I spent at least 3 hours at practice each morning hanging out w/ the other swim moms (who are all amazing).  Every Monday night, we'd all hang out at the swim meet. So I got to spend at least 20 hours/week hanging out with my friends by the pool.

Guess why a kid under 16 shouldn't work?  Because they can't drive.  I spend a ton of time driving her to lifeguard and teach swim lessons.  

Those same marathon friends decided to do a cleanse and I signed up b/c I apparently will do any crazy thing my friends will.  I didn't fork out the $200 bucks for the supplements, but I followed the eating plan.  Basically, you eat twice as many vegetables as fruits and a 1/2 cup of either rice or lentils a day.  You can also drink protein shakes. I probably ate more fruit than I should have, but lost a few pounds and I am more aware of eating actual food instead of all the process junk that I usually reach for.  I will post some recipes I like later.

I also read a few books, that I'll tell you about later.

So what have you been up to?

What I'm Reading Wednesdays

I've been a little neglectful of the blog lately, and it is pretty much my kids fault.  They are just so much more work in the summer and have been really cutting into my soap opera watching and bon bon eating time.

Here's what I've been reading:


Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
So I'm still upset with her for her treatment of Jo's father in March-even though it won a Pulitzer, but I had to read it for book club.
This is billed as the story of a Native American that attends Harvard in the 1700's.  However, it is really more the story of a young girl that grew up with him and struggles with her lack of educational opportunities.  It is beautifully written and painstakingly researched, but it was very serious for my current state of mind.  I also had to read it in 2 days for bookclub, so I had to rush through it and it felt a little like a school assignment.  

Here's some quotes I loved:

"...we see this world, and our place in it through entirely different eyes." Page 39

" Does any woman ever count the grains of her harvest and say: Good enough? Or does one always think of what more one might have laid in, had the labor been harder, the ambition more vast, the choices more sage." page 256

"Ever happiness is a bright ray between shadows, every gaiety bracketed by grief.  THere is no birth tht does not recall death, no victory but brings to mind a defeat." 283

• “She was like a butterfly, full of color and vibrancy when she chose to open her wings, yet hardly visible when she closed them.”

Probably 5 stars, but I only got about 3 stars of enjoyment out of it.  


Age of Miracles by Karen Thomas Walker
The earth's rotation slows and the days grow longer and longer.  This wreaks havoc on the planet.
My friend Kammy's review is way better.
I liked the book (not as much as Kammy), but I was really unsatisfied with the ending.
3.5 stars


The Elite by Kiera Cass
After many wars, America re-emerges with a caste society.  Women are chosen from all over the country to go and live in palace and try and win the affections of the Crown Prince to become his bride (kinda like The Bachelor).  The palace is under constant threat of rebel attacks that want to get rid of the caste system. 

This is the second in the series and a perfect summer read.  
It's clean and fun, although I am tiring of the love triangle.
4 stars

Katherine by Anya Seton
This is my friend LeAnne's favorite books and it has been on my list for years.  It is the true love story of Katherine Swynford and the Duke of Lancaster.  Her brother-in-law was Geoffrey Chaucer and they are the ancestors of most of British royalty.
4 stars

So what have you been reading?