Wednesday, May 30, 2018

May 30, 2018 IF YOU LIKE PINA COLADAS

9 WEEKS. That's how long I've been on my LOW CARB diet. It was really HARD at first--but it's worth it.  Lost the LOVE HANDLES AND PROTRUDING BELLY--about SEVEN pounds. Been trying to keep it to 1600-1700 calories a day and ONLY natural carbs--for the most part. NO PROCESSED FOOD--and only--NATURAL SUGAR. Still trying to run 4 days a week or 16-18 miles--with yoga mixed in. I usually do the yoga full-body 30 minute stretches on the days I run and the HARD yoga workouts on my days off. Feeling stronger all over because I'm working the WHOLE body. Stretching is so important too--it's a workout in itself to someone as INFLEXIBLE as I am. I'll keep plugging along--hoping to lose 5 more-- We'll see how it goes. Will have to stay away from those WONDERFUL FROZEN PINA COLADAS  this summer when I'm feeling parched....DAMN.
If crime drama is your thing--you have to read Jane Harper's winner of the British Book Award for Crime Drama--Book of the Year 2018 called The Dry. This excellent debut novel is set in Kiewarra, a small parched town outside of Melbourne, Australia, that hasn't seen rain in two years. After the brutal murder of his childhood friend Luke Hadler, Falk receives a note willing him back to Kierwarra to investigate the murders. Falk hasn't been back for twenty years though, not since the death of his friend Elle Deacon when he and his father were driven out of town. Upon his return, old rumors resurface and secrets long buried finally come to a head. What really happened to Elle Deacon twenty years ago? Who murdered the Hadler family and why? Find out for yourself when you read this gripping novel filled with twists and turns. This is a real page turner of 320 pages--or about a 3.5 mile run--that will keep you guessing until the bitter end.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

May 22, 2018 ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL

My--I MEAN--Our seniors are graduating on Friday. They are a special group. I've had the privilege of working with many of them for A LONG TIME. I'll definitely miss them. We have learned and laughed together MANY TIMES. That's why I teach. I get to spend time with incredible students who constantly challenge me to be a better teacher. I value the relationships we've forged and hope they know that I really care and look forward to their future success. They're ALL so talented that it humbles me. Heck--I hate to admit this but some of them MIGHT even be better writers than I am. Seriously--the gifts and talents that these kids possess-- artists--musicians--actors--athletes--brainiacs--RUN THE GAMUT. Did I mention that they are also KIND and COMPASSIONATE--Attributes our world REALLY NEEDS. I wish you all good health--happiness--success.  Mason Currey wrote an interesting book recently about the habits of the highly successful called How Artists Work; Daily Rituals. 

In this little gem, Currey compiled the habits of 161 writers, composers, painters, filmmakers, poets, philosophers, scientists on how they create. The result is an interesting mix of great minds and the daily rituals that contributed to their success. Some of the notable include-- Dickens, Tolstoy, Picasso, Gershwin, Warhol, Updike, Faulkner, and Jane Austin to name a few. While some of these giants rose early to work--others slept until noon and worked into the wee hours of the night. Some self-medicated with coffee, alcohol or food to get their creative juices flowing, others took long walks in the woods or spent afternoons gardening instead.  Many forced themselves to write a certain number of words each day or spent a specified amount of time each day on task in order to create their masterpieces. This is an interesting account of the habits of some of the most creative souls in history. It's a fun read that also includes anecdotes from the author that you will enjoy. It's about 220 pages or a 2.5 mile run--that's easy to read and hard to put down. Enjoy!

Sunday, May 20, 2018

May 20, 2018 I HOPE YOU DANCE

  Nursery school--8th grade--high school--and now COLLEGE. GRADUATIONS.  Each one--a stepping stone. One chapter ends to make way for the next part of the journey. Graduations are fun but a little scary because they signal--CHANGE. It's not such a big deal when its NURSERY school but COLLEGE is different. It's time to make decisions--choices that will determine the future. BASICALLY--it's time to GROW UP and take responsibility.  AND WHO WANTS TO DO THAT?? NOT ME--that's why I teach HIGH SCHOOL!!  Seriously--Congratulations to ALL the graduates out there. Don't worry--YOU WILL FIND YOUR WAY. YOU WILL DO WONDERFUL THINGS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YOU HAVE THE TOOLS--SO THINK BIG. IT'S AN EXCITING TIME TO BE YOU--Oh! The Places You'll Go. I can hardly wait.
 Li-yan the main character in Lisa See's wonderful novel The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane had to sacrifice more than most in order to further her education. Li-yan and her family lived in a remote mountain village in China. Their lives revolved  around farming tea and upholding the traditions of the Akha people where women were dominated by  men and had zero power. Li-yan, however, questioned her family's traditions; especially, after her family forbade her from marrying her love, San-pa, because he was born in the month of the tiger. Unfortunately for Li-yan,  she became pregnant and was forced to give her baby away or be killed as dictated by their customs. Li-yan eventually left the Akha for an education--studying the tea that shaped her family for generations. She also longed to find her daughter,  adopted by a wealthy family in California. Find out about Li-yan's life in China and her struggles when you read this beautifully written book for yourself. It's about 350 pages--4.5 mile run--that will stay with you forever.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

May 13 2018 IT'S A HEARTACHE

Mother's day--Part 2. This can be a VERY hard day for many people. Especially--for those who have  lost a mother or child. I had the privilege today to be part of a very special event. This morning, I participated in the first annual Dylan Konakowitz Memorial Foundation 5K Walk/Run. AND PEOPLE CAME--on Mother's Day--IN DROVES--to honor him and his family. What a testament to how much he is loved--how much he means to SO many people. I  hope that helps ease your pain a little bit.  Watching his mother and family cope with their loss with such grace brought me to tears.  Bless you--the courage you show every day in the face of such a daunting loss humbles me. That's the thing about life though. There are NO GUARANTEES. We live--love--hope--and carry on because we have NO choice. Life SOMEHOW goes on. We have to find a way to continue the journey and you have done it with such dignity. No one  knows this lesson better than Paul, the main character of Julian Barnes' new novel The Only Story. 

Set in a suburb of London, Paul is an old man remembering his younger self--telling his only story. The story begins in first person narration as Paul, a nineteen year old college student comes home for summer break. His mother buys him a summer pass to the local tennis club where he meets Susan Macleod, a forty-nine year old married mother of two. Although there is a thirty year age difference between the two, they fall in love and actually flaunt their affair--unheard of in the 1960s--and  eventually run away together. That's when the narration  changes to the second person. By the end of this tale, the voice has changed, yet again,  to third person--flawlessly. This is the story of an unusual relationship and the consequences of the decisions made by the characters. Barnes is a beautiful writer who clearly understands the human condition on many levels. Whenever I read one of his books, I feel as though I am visiting an old friend. I'm immediately drawn into the characters and story because of his prose. Find out what happens to Paul and Susan when you read this book for yourself. It's a somber book of about 270 pages --or a 3 mile run--that teaches so many lessons about life. 

Thursday, May 10, 2018

May 10, 2018 MAMMA MIA

Mother's Day. It's that time of year again--people getting together to celebrate their moms. Being a mother is HARD work and deserves recognition.  It's a 24 hour a day--never ending job. It's the most humbling job you will ever have--AND the most exhausting. You think it's exhausting when they're LITTLE because they don't stop for a second right?? Well-- I'm here to tell you that--that's the EASY PART. At least you know where they are every second and you can keep them "safe." It's when they get older that it gets MENTALLY EXHAUSTING. The worry is constant--we HAVE to let go though because they have to find their way in the world. They have to learn to fail--pull themselves up by their boot straps--and try again. It's a hard thing for a parent to watch--it's actually pure agony because we always want to make everything better AND WE CAN'T. We also have to learn to let go and that's SO HARD.  Being a mother is the toughest-- most-- rewarding job in the world. Pat yourselves on the back MOMS--you've done good.
Just finished an amazing book that I could hardly put down. It's the extremely popular New York Times Bestseller The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn. The main character of this thriller is Dr. Anna Fox, a child psychologist who lives in New York City.  Anna is a recluse with agoraphobia who hasn't left her house in eleven months.  She literally spends her days at home drinking red wine, watching movies and spying on her neighbors. She seems to be estranged from her husband Ed and daughter Olivia too.  After a new family, the Russells, move in across the park, Anna begins to watch them too. One night after too many drinks and prescription meds, Anna believes she has witnessed a murder--Mrs Russell stabbed in the chest. This is the beginning of a mystery that is quite a roller coaster ride; especially, after Mrs. Russell shows up alive and well the next day. Don't want to tell  much more than that because I don't want to spoil one second of this book. It's about 425 easy pages--or a 4.5 mile run--that will blow your mind--ONCE YOU START IT--YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN--so clear your calendar.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

May 2, 2018 TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME

I LOATHE baseball season. It's my least favorite sport. I don't mean professional baseball--I'M TALKING LITTLE LEAGUE. The games are TORTOROUS--like watching paint dry--AND they last forever!!!! Can't we put a 2 hour CAP on these games--I have a life you know. Seriously--when they're CHANGING PITCHERS--in the first inning--you KNOW it's gonna be a LONG night. And some of the coaches are so SERIOUS TOO. Listen pal--when you're up 18-0--you really don't need to STEAL HOME. Haven't you ALREADY humiliated the other team enough??  Not kidding. The worse thing about it though is that the teams are so UNFAIR. A few of the teams look like they could probably win the Little League World Series while the rest of the teams couldn't compete against THE BAD NEWS BEARS. Who picks the teams?? Isn't it supposed to be about the kids???  Too many grown up living vicariously through their kids--THAT'S FOR SURE. It's no wonder so many kids are leaving America's favorite pastime for Lacrosse. 
Speaking of vicariously, Lincoln, one of the main characters in Rainbow Rowell's, wonderful, funny novel Attachments is definitely living that way as an Internet Security Officer for a local newspaper. 
Set in a small town in Nebraska in 1999, Lincoln has just started his new job at The Courier where he imagines he will be protecting the internet from hackers. Instead, he realizes all too soon that his job is to simply monitor--read other people's email to make sure they are obeying company rules. Beth and Jennifer are co-workers and friends at The Courier who ignore the policies and email each other throughout the day. They gossip, share personal information, virtually tell each other everything through email. As security officer, it's Lincoln's job to turn them in but he becomes intrigued with their lives, and the more he reads, the more he starts to fall in love with Beth even though he has never seen her and she already has a boyfriend. Find out what happens when Beth learns he's been reading her emails?? What will happen between Beth, Lincoln, and her boyfriend Chris? Find out when you read this quirky, romantic novel.  It's about 300 pages or a 3 mile run that will speak to every romantic bone in your body.