Jen's Corner of the Web

What I've Been Doing Instead Of Writing Tumblr Posts

Mon, 24 Jun 2013 16:00:58 -0400

1. Participating in the Badass Dash – a 7K, 27-obstacle race that was very challenging but very fun. If this is the kind of thing that floats your boat, check out the link above to see if there is one in your area. Just be warned … you will get MUDDY!

I’m a dirty girl!

2. Spending lots and lots and lots of time in Westeros. Last week, I read the first two books of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (it is basically all I did last week) and am completely hooked. Once I finished them, I became obsessed with seeing the HBO series and just started watching them now. Can I just say I LOVE Tyrion?

3. Watching raunchy R-rated comedies. First, we saw The Hangover III (disappointing – don’t waste your time). Then we saw This Is the End, which was terrific! (Basic synopsis: Seth Rogen and his pals endure the Apocalypse at James Franco’s house.) Next up? We Are The Millers, which looks hilarious. Hope it lives up to the previews.

4. Sweating through Nik Wallenda’s no harness walk over the Grand Canyon. Did you guys watch this? (It was on the Discovery Channel and was called Skywire Live.) It was terrifying. SPOILER ALERT: Even though I knew he made it beforehand (because my son wanted to watch it and I didn’t want him to see it if it ended badly), my palms were sweating and I was on the edge of my seat.

Unfortunately, I suspect I won’t be any more attentive to Tumblr in the weeks to come. After all, I’ve got at least 4 more 1,000-page A Game of Thrones books to read, the rest of Season 1 and 2 to watch and Under the Dome starts tonight!

A Running Update

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:30:31 -0400

In a turn of events that shocks me, I find myself still running after more than 2 months!!! There is something about it that appeals to me – probably the immense sense of satisfaction I get from making small improvements in my pace, the sense of wonder that I can now run for more than 25 minutes continuously, and the fact that I’m on third pair of really cool looking running shoes. (Let me tell you, it takes some time to find the right shoes … especially when you had no idea what you were doing in the beginning.)

My latest running shoes! You can see me coming from a mile away! Of course, it will take me about 11:35 seconds to get to you from that mile but I’ll be there eventually!

Right now, I am running 2 miles three times a week. We (for my husband has stuck with it too) are going to keep this up throughout the summer and then start adding distance in the fall, with the goal of participating in a 5k race in October.

This is not to say I enjoy running. (Does anyone really enjoy it?) I enjoy the feeling afterwards, and I’m amazed how quickly I forget how miserable I am during the first mile (which is always the worst for me). And I hate hate hate any kind of elevation. The small hill that leads out of neighborhood is the bane of my existence and I do anything in my power to avoid it. When you are running, even the smallest hill feels like Mt. Everest – robbing you of oxygen and strength.

So yay for me and my husband! Finding an exercise program that we’ve both stuck with for more than a week or two is HUGE and (if my knees hold up), I think we’ll continue with it for awhile.

I Heart Chuck Klosterman!

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 06:30:44 -0400

After all, why else would I read two of his books back-to-back?

The first one I read was Eating the Dinosaur, a collection of essays on subjects as diverse as time travel to football to the similarities between Kurt Cobain and David Koresh. This was a book I’d had sitting on my shelves for at least 5 years … one I kept passing by until I decided “just read it already.” As happens too often when I sit on a book for ages, I found it to be engrossing, amusing, and fascinating … and I immediately berated myself for not getting to it sooner.

Not willing to make the same mistake again, I picked up the other Klosterman book that had been languishing on my shelves:

I found myself breezing through this “Low Culture Manifesto” (think ABBA and Saved by the Bell) with delight and fascination. If you enjoy smart, funny writing on a variety of topics (including pop culture), check out these books of essays STAT! You’ll be happy you did. I know I plan seeking out more of Klosterman’s stuff as a good and accessible essayist is hard to find.

Now Reading...

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 20:41:32 -0400

And it is F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C!

My First Tattoo (If I Ever Get One)

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 06:30:40 -0400

During our recent trip to Florida, I told my family that if I ever got a tattoo, this is the phrase I would get. It is a poem/quote/Zen koan that my family used to help understand my Dad’s sudden death in a mountaineering accident. It spoke to us at a very difficult time, and I think it is a lesson that we all need to remember in life. I believe it is a message that is important enough to tattoo on yourself as a permanent reminder. (Not that I’m planning on getting a tattoo or anything. However, I believe in being prepared. So, if I’m ever in a “get a tattoo now or die situation,” at least I’ll have something ready to go that I can live with. I would also consider doing a pictorial version of this … perhaps some smoke coming from a pile of ash with a crescent moon above it.)

“Daddy’s Little Girl”

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 06:30:32 -0400

“Daddy’s Little Girl”

Wool Omnibus: Silo Saga Books 1-5 - Hugh Howey

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 06:30:53 -0400

4,411 5-star reviews on Amazon weren’t wrong … WOOL is an immensely satisfying sci-fi thriller!

I picked this up (only $5.99 for your Kindle … a steal!) because I was curious about how good this indie sensation was. And it was GOOD … really good. Like you can’t put it down for a few days type of good. Sure it isn’t a brilliant piece of literature, but it is a engrossing story, told well, that moves along a fast clip and hooks you in and doesn’t let you go. Set in a future where Earth is an uninhabitable wasteland and the remaining population lives in underground silos, WOOL is many things: a dystopia, a mystery, an adventure yarn, and a social commentary. But most of all, it is a good, fun escapist read that will have you flipping pages (or swiping your Kindle) faster than a speeding bullet. Check it out!

Found at Pink Polka Dot Creations

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 06:30:35 -0400

Found at Pink Polka Dot Creations

The End of Your Life Book Club - Will Schwalbe

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 20:35:50 -0400

An uplifting book about dying (and living), The End of Your Life Book Club is not only a satisfying book about books and reading but a primer on how to live a good life and die a graceful death.

Will Schwalbe documents the process of his mother’s dying – from her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer to her death months later. Along the way, he discusses the books they read together in their ad hoc book club. Unlike most books about the love of reading, I found this one to be more satisfying, mostly because Schwalbe takes the time to give us a brief description of the story and their reactions to the book. As much as I try to enjoy them, I usually find books that discuss books to be inaccessible and unsatisfying. It probably helped to have the “bookish” material mixed in with the rest of Will’s story rather than the sole focus of the book.

More importantly than the book discussions, though, is Will’s celebration of his mother’s life and death. Mary Ann Schwalbe was truly an inspiration … not only to those who knew her but to anyone who reads this book. A woman who truly seemed to live her life in service of others (her work with refugees is inspiring), Mary Ann Schwalbe may have been relatively unknown during her life but it is clear she left a lasting impact on the thousands of people she came into contact with during her time on earth. Although this is a book about dying, I really felt it was more about the process of living.

The narrator was Jeff Harding, and he did a top-notch job. In fact, if I ever hear Will Schwalbe speak, I think I’ll be quite undone to find out that he doesn’t sound like Jeff Harding!

Five Best Things About Our Recent Trip to Ft. Myer's Beach, Florida

Thu, 30 May 2013 21:30:00 -0400

1. The shells!

Here is a collection of some of the best shells we found on the beach. I’m also making a “summer” wreath with the other shells we found. Oddly, we found some of the best shells on Ft. Myer’s Beach, despite visiting both Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

2. The living beach at low tide, which managed to be both fascinating and creepy. There were hundreds of living sea creatures to be found everywhere – including sand dollars, crabs, starfish, conch, snails, clams and weird unidentifiable things that seemed to spit up sand into little piles that looked like brains. Though I will admit to screaming when a clam spit water at us and when I realized I was standing on a starfish!!

3. Seeing wild dolphins jumping in the waves.

4. The gorgeous Florida vegetation. I love all the different types of palm trees, the flowering plants and the bright colors of Florida. Probably my favorite type of vegetation of anywhere I’ve been.

5. Seeing my son try new foods – like fried alligator. Chewy and not terrible but not great either. (It is possible it wasn’t the best gator ever prepared … the restaurant was a little sketchy but it was on the beach!)

Iron Man 3

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:30:39 -0400

Of all the superhero movies, the Iron Man ones are by far my favorite – mostly because of Robert Downey Jr. His portrayal of billionaire genius Tony Stark is what adds the fizz and wit and fun to these movies (and that includes The Avengers). And this installment is, by far, the best of the Iron Man trilogy.

Not only will it satisfy elementary school crowd (my 8-year-old son thought all the explosions and action were “AWESOME!), adults will enjoy RDJ’s "so fast that you almost miss ‘em” one-liners that keep the movie fresh and fun. The plot concerns a terrorist named The Mandarin (whose true identity, when it comes, is a fun surprise) and Stark’s attempts to deal with anxiety caused by the events depicted in The Avengers. (Let’s just say that Iron Man’s trip into the wormhole left him a bit rattled.) The fact that Tony Stark is having problems makes him all the more human, and this is a welcome aspect to the character.

My only real hang-up is my continued dislike of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts. Not only can I not get over that silly name, I just don’t think this character is worthy of Tony Stark’s love. However, I will admit it was fun to see Pepper don the Iron Man suit at one point.

If you’ve enjoyed Downey’s Tony Stark (the “Man in the Can”), this movie is a fun and exciting conclusion to the trilogy. Although I hope to see Stark return in the second Avengers movie, there is a very strong sense that this might be the last Iron Man with this particular cast. Glad to know they are going out on a high note.

found at ibuygourmet.com

Sun, 19 May 2013 06:30:32 -0400

found at ibuygourmet.com

Photo

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:30:46 -0400

“A bunny in the garden? What bunny? I don’t see a...

Wed, 15 May 2013 06:30:52 -0400

“A bunny in the garden? What bunny? I don’t see a bunny! Why are we barking?”

The other day, Romeo spied the bunny in the garden and barked his little heart out. Juliet spent the entire time looking the wrong way and never once saw it. She definitely isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

Smile At Strangers - Susan Schorn

Mon, 13 May 2013 06:30:53 -0400

This book is an interesting combination of memoir and exploration of the author’s deep and abiding love for martial arts and all the ways it has helped improve her life.

I think any woman who has contemplated whether martial arts could benefit her, been personally violated or has issues with fear should read this book. Schorn makes an excellent case for how practicing martial arts has ramifications that go far beyond your belt level and how powerful your roundhouse kicks are. Simply put, martial arts became the guiding force in Schorn’s life … informing everything from motherhood to career. Besides being a memoir, the book provides practical advice and guidance on how to live your life fearlessly.

This isn’t just about self-defense (though that is one of Schorn’s passions). It is about being confident, embracing the unknown, learning from our mistakes and having the courage to embrace and seek the unknown. Each chapter begins with a lesson that Schorn learned (“Self-criticism is easy. Self-improvement is hard. You’re here for the hard stuff.” “Fall down seven times, get up eight.”) and then discusses how she used martial arts to get through challenges in her life (ranging from her sister’s cancer diagnosis to putting an addition on her home). Even if you have no interest in martial arts, I think you can find value in this book. It is one of the more realistic and honest explorations of “woman power” I’ve ever read.

I Am Jelly

Sun, 12 May 2013 06:30:45 -0400

A note I got for Mother’s Day

Translation (if you can’t read the horrible handwriting…maybe he’ll grow up to be a doctor):

Dear Mom,

I love you. Well, everything needs something. Penut butter and jelly sandwitch can’t just have bread and penut butter. It needs jelly. And to me your the jelly on my sandwitch. Again I love you.

I thought this was the cutest thing ever. When I asked him if he came up with this all by himself, he said “Well, I had a little bit of help from The Regular Show.”

I think my favorite part is the “Again I love you."

Best Mother’s Day gift ever!!!

If You Know What This Is...

Sat, 11 May 2013 06:30:29 -0400

…then many conversations in your house probably begin with “On Minecraft…”

I think the game is fabulous, but I won’t play a mutliplayer game with my son because he waits until I gather a bunch of resources and then sneaks up behind me, kills me and takes my stuff. Is that any way to treat your mother? I think not!

Now Listening To

Thu, 09 May 2013 06:30:35 -0400

Juliet “fake smiling”

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:30:56 -0400

Juliet “fake smiling”

Photo

Sun, 05 May 2013 06:30:41 -0400