(nearly) Wordless Wednesday

Three bears watering cans...

Is this how it begins?

I've never been a runner. In my youth (ah, youth) I played soccer, where I was forced to run but didn't like it. Once I quit, I was pretty sure those days were over forever.

Today I spent about $100 on sports bras and shorts, and last week I bought a pair of running shoes.

Whaaaa? How?

I'm not even positive about the how. I had a bad couple weeks, and decided that part of getting over it was some exercise, and after a week or so of laborious runs around my neighborhood, I'm buying new clothes and trying to convince my sisters to go on a Color Run with me in July or October.

(HOW FUN DOES THIS LOOK?!?!)

I've also checked out a book (part of my librarian-ness is my complete addiction to reference materials. All the websites in the world can't make me feel as secure as a reference book on the topic.) which I am enjoying so far.

I promise this blog won't be just about running, but this is the big thing in my world right now. And I like talking about it! (Sorry.)

Books this week

Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

 Great little book looking into the reasons/excuses people give for not cooking more at home, and how we can adjust our thinking and skills to make home cooking simple and affordable. Good stuff, very quick and readable.



 

The Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn

How do you make a book about shapeshifters and murder boring? Hard to say, but definitely accomplished here. I've liked other books by this author, but this one fell flat to me.

Feed by Mira Grant

I'd heard WONDERFUL things about these books, but I am not a zombie person. Then I found out that it was the same author who writes the Toby Daye books (pseudonyms, so confusing!) and put it on hold right quick. LOVED it, no shock. Yes, there are zombies, but there is not the gratuitous description of blood and gore and corpses that some writers find irresistible when presented with the topic. This was a smart, funny, as-realistic-as-possible zombie book that I loved.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

OOF. What can I say, that hasn't been said already, and better? This is an amazingly written book, full of heart and friendship and determination, and it broke my heart and made me want to hug it to my chest and never let it go, but the perils of librarianship mean I had to just check it back in and put it on the shelf to hopefully be read by ALL the teens. I finished it in one day, I could not put it down. I fell so in love with the characters. You should read this book. Yes.

Snippets

Shameful moment of the day: Calling my sister for directions to Half Price Books while, in fact, sitting in a parking lot no more than 4 stores down from Half Price Books. Hamburg Shopping Pavilion was designed by a masochist or possibly the devil himself.

Best moment of the day: Sneaking a lunch alone with my husband! We used to do that more often when I worked downtown instead of 40 minutes away by highway.

Most exhausting moment of the day: Mowing, edging, watering, weeding. Oof, getting old sucks sometimes.

Biggest relief of the day: No surgery!

Shiniest purchase of the day: Toss-up between fancy new copies of 3 PG Wodehouse classics and my lovely new shoes, which are even in my actual size. **ALERT TO ALL YOUNG'UNS OUT THERE - PEOPLE WILL GLADLY TELL YOU STRETCH-MARK HORROR STORIES BUT NOBODY WARNS YOU THAT YOUR FEET WILL CHANGE SIZE AND NONE OF YOUR MANY MANY PAIRS OF SHOES WILL FIT PROPERLY ANYMORE - PREGNANCY IS SUPER WEIRD**

Mood: Still feeling really good about life, the universe, and everything.

Only bummer: It's my weekend to work, which means I have got to get ready for bed. Peace out, y'all.

Score One for Operation: AwesomeTimes

Now, I'm not saying it was only due to my shiny new positive thinking, but I will NOT be having minor surgery tomorrow and I could not be more thrilled. Two days of non-suck! Score!

In addition to stopping the Negative Nelly bus, I also started working out this week. If you're feeling down, nothing like a little adrenaline/endorphin boost to help knock out your inner gloom prognosticator. Last night it was a jog, with alternating walk/sprints for the return home. Tonight? In honor of her new babies, I pulled back out the 30 Day Shred DVD. An oldie, but a goodie. Congrats, Jillian!

And in terms of books, I'm back in the zone! Bad moods often put me in reading funks - who can give a book a chance when you're so focused on your own crap? I, personally, need to be happy enough in my life to let it all go for a while to really enjoy a book. So after a few days without finishing a book (yes, that is notable for me. I read fast, and a lot.) I finished up 2!

Hard Times at the Bookshelf

Well, life has given me a bit of a kick to the teeth in the last week. I'm not the negative type, but even I was starting to get fed up. "Worst week EVER!" I kept exclaiming, and it just kept coming. Ear infections, miscarriage, death in the family, credit fraud... I mean, seriously terrible stuff. And it all came to a head when the grocery store wouldn't accept a check because it was the third I'd written in a week (remember the credit fraud? My new card hadn't come in yet.) And I found myself just waiting for the next bad thing. Just anticipating terribleness.

And it felt like crap! I hated it, and I hated that I knew I wasn't any fun to talk to, either. I had become a walking litany of complaints, and everyone knows how fun that is to listen to.

So, I pulled my head out of the funk. I kept telling myself to expect good things again - they could happen just as easily as the bad. And while I can't guarantee that they will, I know that a life spent in happy anticipation is way more fun than a life cringing away from the next pile of suck to hit.

So this is my declaration to the world - things are going to be awesome. I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow, and I might have to have a D&C done Friday... but I might not! And, looking on the bright side, I'm one disaster-free day down! Whoo!

Heads Up: Change of Blog Direction!

Hey there folks! I'm dusting off this blog, but things are going to change, so I am giving you a chance to remove me from your reader if it won't be to your style.

I'm tossing aside the books only format - even though I love books, and reading them and sharing my opinions, they are also my day job. As a librarian I spend a LOT of time thinking and talking about books, and sometimes I just can't bring myself to spend additional time writing about them.

So, this will be a general, life-type blog. Whee! I am keeping the title, because books will still be a big part of it - and now the bookshelf will simply be even more scattered! Just the way I like it (at home.)

So feel free to unfollow, no hard feelings! And if you don't catch this post, and wonder later why you're getting non-book blog posts... sorry!