Monthly book post: August

I decided that I'm reading too many good books not to comment on them. If you don't like to read or don't like to read about what I read, then skip these posts.

August list:
Frenemies - Megan Crane
I felt kind of bad about this book because it looks like silly chick-lit, but damn, Crane really gets the silly games that women play, and I found myself recounting bits to Husband about how astute the book was. Not your average chick lit.

Partly Cloudy Patriot - Sarah Vowell.
If you haven't read anything of Vowell's and like, say, NPR, then get thee to the library because Vowell is hilarious and brilliant. She also has a love-it-or-hate-it voice (she is the voice of The Incredibles' Violet), which might tempt or dissuade you from the audio book version, which is how I read (listened to) the book.

Austenland - Shannon Hale
Like Jane Austen and want a quick, fun read? Read Hale's story about a woman who receives an all-expenses paid trip to a Jane Austen fantasy camp, and who struggles to find herself and possibly true love amidst the false trappings of recreated Regency England.

Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant - Daniel Tammet.
Tammet goes from a boy obsessively collecting chestnuts to a man who manages to have an adult, loving relationship with another person. Along the way he succeeds in reciting 22,514 digits of pi in just over five hours, is the subject of an international documentary, and shares his amazing language ability, evidenced by his learning conversational Icelandic in one week. Also read in audiobook.

The Sweet Edge by Alison Pick.
This novel just begs to be discussed. Adam and Ellen are a young Toronto couple on the cusp of either marriage or disaster. A one night's mistake upsets Adam's world, sending him on a two-month canoe trip in the wilds of Canada, leaving Ellen, abandoned, for a summer at her art gallery job. Any book featuring wild rivers is always a hit with me, and Adam's
swift mental and physical descent into danger kept me reading long past bed time.

To maintain my credibility as a writer (i.e. to not bore you to death), I'm not going to comment on the books that I read that I don't feel have a somewhat mass appeal. However, I'll duly warn you away from anything I read that is not recommended. Here's the rest that was just fine but didn't warrant commentary:

Without a Map - Meredith Hall

Two-part invention: The story of a marriage - Madeline L'Engle

Second Opinions: Stories of intuition and choice in a changing world of medicine - Jerome Groopman
Swapping Lives - Jane Green

Me + fall = true love

It's back. That time of the training cycle when I reek like IcyHot, am constantly covered in frozen vegetables, and absentmindedly massage my joints in polite company. I had done well, nary indulging in even the BioFreeze, until the combo of hill repeats and speed work and 18 and 20 mileage conspired to make all sorts of things hurt in a worrying way. But it's also that time in the training when I start to feel sad, ("We're already 2/5 of the way through our longest runs?!"). But this time I think I can handle the post-marathon life, running with friends or the club and maintaining a half marathon level throughout the winter without having a breakdown or existential crisis.

It is also the time of year when Husband returns to a rehearsal schedule, and is no longer around evenings. (Soon to be followed by his production schedule, where he is no longer around on the weekends). Like all things there are the parts I don't like (cooking dinner for myself every night) and the parts that I like (getting lots of house projects done, seeing friends more).

The first cool winds of fall are also in the air, and I couldn't be more excited. I feel like I spent the whole summer in sweaty run clothes (pre, during, or post-run) and eating cereal for dinner because it's too hot to cook and there's no time anyway. I envision fall being a time of cool, invigorating runs, lots of laborious cooking and baking, and time to relax and get together with friends. Bring it on, fall.

Sleeping Giant

Husband and I are easily amused. Our friends are on a trip to India for a duration best measured in months, and we spend 3 days in Canada and are tickled. We crossed the border* and spontaneously broke into "Oh Canada!" then stopped at the tourist station to ogle Canadian junk food ("All dressed" Lays! How cute!).

We are also easily amused by the novelty of camping with such luxuries as camp chairs, portable DVD players (for in-tent movie viewing), and drink makings.

















We spent a lot of time sitting, reading, and sipping, admiring our view and appreciating our site, which was something that you'd hike four hours to get to instead of walking two minutes from the car.

















We also hustled up the infamous Sleeping Giant (we technically mounted his head, and crossed over to his knees). Then we scurried down, trail ran out of there, stopped for a shower, and indulged in more relaxing.

















I'd last climbed the Giant ten years ago, so it was a bit of a trip down memory lane, or spotty-memory lane, as it was. But it was a lovely way to celebrate our five-year anniversary. Five whole years! My goodness. Here's to many many more years!

*I realized that this was my second lame passport use, further proving the weakness of my "before I'm 30" resolution.

Roughing it

There is nothing like a trip to the Boundary Waters to help you appreciate pretty much everything. The luxury of just sitting and enjoying this view, for instance, is enough to sustain me for many weeks to come.


















And there's something so satisfying about being able to carry everything you need on your back.

It'd be tough to choose what I like best: the physical challenge, the gorgeous scenery, or the companionship and time to really talk with friends.

Luckily, it's not an either/or.

Apologies

Sorry for being a lame-o poster lately. I have about seven posts "in progress" but have been too busy with weekend trips (draft posts 1 and 2) and work lately to finish any of them.
My usually-out-by-4:30 p.m. job has transformed into a toting-work-home-every-night existence, and the cats are not supportive.

















They do their best to make it impossible for me to work.

















At least Cadbury isn't doing his favorite new trick--foaming at the mouth on command! He developed this fun talent in response to our efforts to give him his daily antibiotic pill, required after having teeth pulled last week. Can't wait until he goes back to the vet for teeth-pulling round 2!