Summer Reading

Now that August has arrived (and fall classes will soon be starting), I must admit I have not read as many books as I had planned to. I had half a shelf filled with books I had started but not finished plus scattered around were lots and lots of "to be read" books. Of course, I bought at least a half dozen new ones to add to the mix.

Where did time go? Hmmm, summer classes, gardening, supporting Steve in his triathlons, cooking, cleaning, shopping (mostly for food), catching up on Facebook, etc. But I have been trying to read some every evening before bed.

I also discovered Shelfari (thanks to Dianna Rockwell Shank). That is a cool site where you can build a virtual bookshelf and fill it with books you are reading and have read. It's shown here on my blog page with some of the books I've read.

I have read a few cookbooks. Yes, I mean read them, not just flip through the pages looking at the pictures or searching for a recipe. I read the intro, the stories that go along with the recipe, the recipes themselves. I have read books about food--buying, cooking, growing, etc. I have read books about food and the environment and our health. I even read the book about the founders of Facebook (an interesting, fast read), The Accidental Billionaires. I finished Fatally Flaky, a mystery with a caterer heroine (yes, food again--there are recipes included).

Now I must turn some of my attention to reviewing the texts for my fall composition and grammar classes. But I will still try to whittle away at my fun reading list.

If you have read a good or great book, let me know. I always have shelf space for one more!

Summer Triathlons

My husband Steve has been training for his first full Ironman competition, which is now a month away. He will be competing in the Louisville Ironman on Aug. 29. The event includes a 2.4 mile swim (in the Ohio River), a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run (marathon distance).

Leading up to this event, Steve has participated in a few shorter triathlons. The first was an Olympic distance triathlon at Carlyle Lake in late May. There is finished first in his age group; he also did a half-ironman distance -- Cutting Edge Triathlon in Effingham in June. He also placed first in his age group; last weekend he completed Iron Abe Olympic distance in Springfield, IL, again placing first in his age group. In addition to these events, he completed 3 century rides (100-mile bike rides).

The heat and humidity have been a challenge to keep training--swimming 3-4 days per week, along with various rides and runs. I am looking forward to seeing him complete the Ironman -- he has been motivated and has worked so hard. One more month!!

Season Finales & Summer Viewing

When spring semester ended, I entered that wonder gap of "free time" between grading work and planning for summer classes. It was "my time." And I enjoyed it. I have been catching up on shows I DVR'd and books I started to read but never finished.

For TV shows, I still have to watch the last few episodes of season 1 of "The Good Wife." I couldn't avoid all the promos, so I know a little of what will happen. I did catch up on "How I Met Your Mother" and "The Big Bang Theory." Both are so funny, and I am looking forward to new seasons in the fall. I watched "Chuck" and continue to be impressed with the writers' ability to weave multiple story lines and keep the show funny, fresh, action-packed, and a little romantic too. "Glee" has not wrapped season 1 yet; I still love to watch the drama and musical numbers. Yes, I watched the "Idol" finale. It was a bit overdone, but I saw the season through and was fine with Lee taking the title. And I did watch "Celebrity Apprentice." I admire the editors of that show. They don't give too much away, but kept me watching till Donald said, "You're Hired!" to Brett Michaels. It's great to see him bouncing back after his multiple health problems.

Now we are transitioning into summer TV viewing. What used to be Re-run Time has become a great place for reality TV and some Cable TV scripted shows. What am I looking forward to watching. Well, here is my list:

1. "Hell's Kitchen" (after a few episodes I may lose interest, but I do enjoy watching Gordon slam these chefs).
2. "Burn Notice" (a fave spy show--I would love to see "Chuck" meet up with "Michael Weston.")
3. "The Next Food Network Star"
4. "Drop Dead Diva" (yes, I DVR'd the marathon of season 1 on Sunday and have been re-watching them to prepare for season 2 which starts this Sunday).
5. "The Closer" (TNT played with me by showing a few episodes during the winter. I am ready for a full season).
6. Warehouse 13--part history, part action, part mystery and crime, great characters. SyFy has a hit with this show.

Along with teaching classes, cooking, shopping, and house projects, my summer TV shows will keep me busy. What are your favorite summer shows?

Our New Addition

Some of you may remember I posted about losing our beloved family pet Gabriel in January. We adopted him in Dec. 2000 when we lived in the Azores. Since January, I have been giving lots of love and attention to our other cat Shadow (he was adopted in Feb. 2004).

When our boys returned from college, I promised them we'd consider adopting another cat. Eric was home 2 days when he convinced me to start looking. We went to PetSmart where we found a dozen cats/kittens needing a home. Although I would love to have a houseful of cats, it's not practical nor logical.

Based on our needs, Eric and I chose Rocco, a 3-year-old male cat. He was very shy, with sad eyes, and it was unknown why he was left in a box on the doorstep of a vet. I knew we could have a few issues with the unknowns, but we had taken a chance on Shadow six years ago.

We opened our hearts and our home to Rocco. Shadow has done the normal hissing and growling and moping, but the two have not had any physical encounters yet. Rocco doesn't like people messing with his tail, and he's a bit skittish. But he's eating fine and loves to chase the laser light. We are optimistic he'll settle into our family and Shadow will accept him as friend/brother.

Spring Break 2010: top 6

Although I had work to catch up on during my break, I made a little time for fun. Here are my Top 6 activities/events from break.

1. August:Osage County at the Fox Theatre. What an awesome play. It lasted nearly 3 1/2 hours (with 2 intermissions), but what an experience. It was powerful, funny, and had a couple recognizable actors.

2. Up in the Air on DVD. My husband and I watch this movie last Friday night. Very well done, fun to see St. Louis places. I like quirky, unpredictable movies. Great blend of comedy and drama.

3. Eating lunch at a new restaurant. My friend Kelly and I went to a new Vietnamese/Chinese place in Brentwood (behind Best Buy off Hanley). The name was Mei "something" (my mind has lost it....). Great food. It was so fresh and tasty. The egg roll was delicious as was the noodle bowl and hot green tea. I will definitely go back.

4. Food, Inc. on DVD. I have been wanting to see this documentary since it came out last fall. After watching Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me, I thought I knew a lot about our food supply and production practices. However, parts of this movie were VERY difficult to watch. If you have read anything by Michael Pollan, you will want to see this (he is in it). I have a new outlook on the meat I eat.

5. Sleeping in. A couple days I got to sleep past 7 a.m. That may not seem late to you, but I am usually up no later than 6 a.m. on weekdays. It was a treat to wake up w/o an alarm, drink my cafe mocha leisurely while doing the Sudoku and reading the comics.

6. Walking and working out. I finally got back to the YMCA after months away. I also walked around the neighborhood, even one day walking in the rain. I am determined to make exercise a regular activity once again (it's so easy to get out of the routine). I feel more energetic and can focus better when I have taken time to walk, cross train and lift a few weights.

I hope all of you had a good break, even if you just had a break from the routine of school. I feel a little more caught up and ready to tackle classes again.

Florida Weekend

Two weekends ago, my husband Steve & I went to Florida with 2 of our friends. The guys ran the Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon, and we got to spend some time with my family. It was great getting out of the cold weather for a few days.

Friday night my sister made dinner for us. We had pasta and salad, and my mom made a cake for dessert. Saturday, we did some sightseeing on a boat ride. We saw multi-million dollar homes and yachts. Quite impressive. Saturday night, I made Sunset Orzo with Spanish Shrimp, one of my favorite meals.

Sunday was the marathon. It started at 6 a.m. (Eastern Time), so we were up very early. After coffee and a 5K walk from the starting line to the finish line, I was feeling fine. The finish line was next to the beach. Following the marathon, we enjoyed a well-deserved nap.

Sunday night was dinner at Bonefish Grill, a favorite restaurant of mine in Coral Springs, where my sister lives. Then we visited with my sister's family (5 of the 7 kids were home). Monday was early to the airport, then a long day of flights and layovers.

Now it's back to the reality of our cold weather and no ocean nearby.

February, Please Fly By

This month, the shortest of the 12, is dragging on for me. It's been a month with too many tasks to do and too many sad events to deal with.

I do not like being "over booked." I like to stay busy, but not so busy I can't catch up with my "to do" list and take a little breather. Some of the busyness has been my own doing, but some is just life happening. For the most part, I have good time management skills. However, it there is too much to fill the hours, where is the time to manage?

First, I must scale back a little. I have taken on too many online classes, so I am looking forward to 2 of them finishing the end of the month. An online class is just as much (if not more) work than a face to face class for the instructor.

Second, I must slowly catch up on reading/commenting on blogs (and blog report #1), reading all the interview notes/questions (I am almost done), then offering feedback on all the interview essay drafts. These are fun to read but take time.

Third, I have a number of house projects that need attention. They have been put on hold since last summer due to lack of time. Day to day life is crazy enough w/o all the extra projects to work on.

Fourth, this month started just after my cat died, and on Feb. 6, my mother-in-law passed away. It's been difficult to deal with all of this sadness, but life does go on. I hope we can make our lives as full and productive as possible. I don't want to regret what I have and have not done.

Now, I look forward to this next weekend in Ft. Lauderdale seeing my family and watching my husband run a marathon. I wish I could leave all my work here, but I will have to log in to all my classes over the weekend.

I will breathe a sigh of relief when the calendar changes to March. Spring break, then official spring, will be right around the corner...no March Madness for me (except the basketball games).