Sunday Snapshots

What did I do this week?

Well, I went to a three-day teacher’s convention, where I managed to take pictures of my breakfasts:

Coffe Cup with Bow Tie

Convention Breakfast 2

Coffee Cup with Headphones

I came back Friday; on Saturday a ran a 5k – my first official race in 2 years.

 

My head even made it into our local paper’s coverage of the event:

 
My Head in the Sun Journal Bridge Run 5k


 

What did you do this week?

 


 

Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

 

Don’t forget to follow me on:

Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.

Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?

Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

The Road Thus Far

You haven’t heard from me since Wednesday, and even then Wicked Word Wednesday is a scheduled post – I don’t actually stay up to midnight just to hit “publish”. Unlike last week, this lapse wasn’t my fault. From noon Wednesday to 10:00 PM Friday, I was at a teacher’s conference without a stable internet connection.

Seriously, what kind of convention center doesn’t make wifi available to a three-day convention unless one is also staying in the attached hotel? It’s a teacher’s convention, people – and education has moved online. I know you offer wifi to conventions because I looked it up on your website – using my own data, I might add. But for our convention? We were told “No, you don’t have wifi unless you’ve also checked into the hotel.” After three days of this, I’m wondering if this will be a plot point in AHS: Hotel (I won’t be able to see until it comes on Netflix).

Coffe Cup with Bow TieEven the wifi in my actual hotel room was spotty; constant buffering and loading with a required new login every 45 minutes. Oh, and did I mention I only had my mobile? My laptop’s batteries bit the dust, and I’m supposed to receive a new (to me) laptop from my principal on Monday. Of course it would happen after the convention, but at least I won’t have to worry about the whole thing dying in the middle of a class. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for my projector. Oh well, improvements are improvements no matter how small.

I must say that the food was wonderful because it’s the one time of year we get to eat out wherever we want (within reason). Mexican, Chinese, and American all made the list. These foods might be good to the taste buds, but not so good for running a race, which I just did.

Yes, you read that right: I just finished my first official race in two years. I know, for a blog called “Running In My Head” I haven’t talked much about running lately. I run on my own, but had to cut out official races due to finances. Then, a few weeks ago, I got a message from a friend asking if I was interested in running a local 5k – and it was already paid for! I said yes and began training slightly more seriously. I felt good starting out, but three days of sedentary living and high-fat eating took their toll and I fell 8 minutes short of my goal. However, I had a blast running with my friends, meeting new people, and honestly – it was a beautiful fall day for running. I daresay it was the best 5k I’ve ever run (apart from the time, but that’s my fault).

Bridge Run 5k Map Bridge Run 5k Results

I finished 57th overall and 6th in my division (male ages 25-29). I looked at the winning times for my division, and I can totally place – maybe even win – next year. Now that I’ve said so, karma will deflate my hubris.

The reception area was also superb – I had my first Monster energy drink (Banana flavor, Muscle variety) and my first post-race massage. The massage was given by our local Sports Medicine clinic, and I felt great afterwards; in addition to helping my calves, they prescribed yoga. Yes, yoga. We’ll see.

The next few weeks will be busy with school events, so I may not post as much as I’d like. Then NaNoWriMo kicks off, and I’m planning an entire month of scheduled posts. My life is punctuated with long stretches of boredom followed immediately by several weeks of insanity.

 


 

Whatever you’re up to, have fun doing it!

 


 

Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

 

Don’t forget to follow me on:

Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.

Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?

Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

Wicked Word Wednesday (1.10)

Greetings logophiles and other creative types!

It’s time for another

Wicked Word Wednesday Logo 3

Quick Overview:

One entry per person.

42 words max.

Leave your entry in the comment box below.

IMPORTANT: Please include Twitter handle or pseudonym.

Entries must be posted by midnight Eastern Time (New York City time).

Feel free to post your entry on your own blog!

If you decide to promote Wicked Word Wednesday on your own site, please link back to the current event.

Make sure your followers know to come here to vote!

Only “likes” cast here will count towards the weekly winner.

 

New to Wicked Word Wednesday?

 

Please Read the Full Rules Here

 


 

Enough chit-chat – what’s the Wicked Word?

 


 

the Wicked Word is . . .

 

PARALLEL

 

The Game is Afoot!

You have 24 hours.

GO!

 


 

Love Wicked Word Wednesday?

Get Your Badges Here!

 

Hey You! Yes, You!

I see you there, about to “like” the post.

If you like it enough to click the button, why not participate?

After all, we’re all friends here.

No pressure!

Teaser Tuesday: Fur, Fortune, and Empire

I may have been off my blogging game for a few days, but my reading schedule rolled merrily along. Come to think of it, maybe that had something to do with my interrupted blogging schedule . . .

Be that as it may, the turning Wheel of Time has brought around

Teaser TuesdayJust in case you don’t know, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! All you have to do is grab the book you’re currently reading, open to a random page and share a few sentences from that page. But make sure you don’t share any spoilers!*

*I wish I could take credit for this introduction, but I shamelessly stole it from Heather over at bitsnbooks. To help me make amends, you should go check out her blog.

Believe it or not, I am somehow still 5 books ahead of my Goodreads challenge! I hold no delusions: NaNoWriMo will interfere with both reading and blogging.

This week I’ve left turn-of-the-last-century New Orleans for the American frontier in Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America by Eric Jay Dolan. Don’t worry, I won’t be swayed by his middle name – I’ll give the book the same treatment I give any other book.

This week, the Truly Random Number Generator sends us to page 56:

It wasn't long, however, before Ashley lived up 
to their worst fears.  Although he quickly gathered
a "good parcel of beaver," Ashely refused to pay
back the undertakers for any of the supplies they
had given him, and then he had the gall to ask
for more. 

Fur Fortune Empire cover

In Retrospect

I felt Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans by Gary Krist deserved 4 stars – the storytelling was solid, but several transition chapters were decidedly lacking; I found myself flipping back to reacquaint myself with the story line.

I also won a copy of Pop Sonnets: Shakespearean Spins on Your Favorite Songs by Erik Didriksen from Heather over at bitsnbooks. I gave the book 4 stars, mainly because I felt too many songs were more modern than I’d like – I understand that’s a purely subjective opinion, but it’s still mine.

 


 

What have you been reading?

 


 

Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

 

Don’t forget to follow me on:

Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.

Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?

Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

Wicked Word Wednesday 1.9 Results

Wicked Word Wednesday Results
Thanks to everyone who participated in Wicked Word Wednesday. This past week we had only two entries and very little voting. I’m going to assume this was because many regular readers didn’t log on this week.

On a serious note, if you have any suggestions for increasing the visibility of Wicked Word Wednesday, I’m listening.

“Enough!” I hear you cry, “We want to know who won!”

Very well; the winner this week is a tie between

Kim881

IToday
It has done nothing
But rain
Again
Fluctuating fluidly
Between
Persistent drizzle
And heavy downpour
Clouds
Pause
Pregnant with it
Gutters gargle with it
Inundated
With watery wetness
Not enough flood
To build an ark
Yet

@kim88110

paradoxicalsprite

The skies opened and all hell broke loose. Caught in the deluge unaware, I sprinted for shelter, clutching my meager possessions – a cellphone and a red cup. “That’s the last time I go to a beach party without my car,” I vowed.

@shannontellis

Congratulations to this week’s winners (don’t forget your badges!) and tune in Wednesday for another Wicked Word!

Monday Morning Grievance: Schedule, Interrupted

It’s Monday and I haven’t had my coffee.

Monday Morning Grievances Logo 1

Despite keeping up with the blog during hurricane-like weather, I didn’t post anything the last few days.

No Free Write Friday

No Uncensored Saturday

I was going to write about gun control again, but I found myself baited into an online argument against an individual who lacked the skill set necessary for debate. Specifically, the individual lacked basic literacy and reading comprehension skills; at least, that was my conclusion based on his so-called “evidence”. After that, I needed to clear my head so I went and bought a banana pudding milkshake and binge-watched some Netflix.

No Sunday Snapshots

To be fair, you’ve already seen my photographs if you read the blog last Monday.

No Wicked Word Wednesday winner

This will be remedied around noon(ish) today

So, I’m just generally annoyed at my own tendency toward laziness after a somewhat strenuous week and with the prospect of a long weekend ahead of me.

What annoys you?


Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

Don’t forget to follow me on:

Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.

Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?

Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

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